jekyllian

Closest match: Psylliodes chrysocephala genome assembly, chromosome: 4 Common name: Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle

Many and varied. Don't have an overarching argument to make about him, but a selection of points that sometimes rattle around in my head.

I think his actual work is really interesting and compelling, but I dislike the flattening effect his influence has had on the fantasy genre. His stuff is way weirder than what it inspired.

I think nerd culture needs to stop canonising saints (of which Tolkein is a prime example) as it means everything has to be either arse-kissing or arguing against kissing the arse, and actual interesting discussions get lost.

I think Lord of the Rings is credited with inspiring a lot of fantasy TTRPG shit, when most of that stuff was actually in The Hobbit.

When we're feeling really bleak, we do an eat-a-long watch of the extended movies called There and Snack Again. It's fantastic and I get to feed the people I love a spoonful of Vile Fish Stew

I think his experiences in WW1 are an interesting lens through which to look at some of his work, but are often overstated and incorrectly treated like some skeleton key that "explains" his stories.

Man, when he was on his game the dude could write a fucking Sentence.

He would have fucking hated a lot of the dipshits that try to lay political claim to him, but it's tricky because that stuff is there in the books.

Marjane Satrapi, cartoonist and film director, best known for Persepolis

In the first book, he's very clearly the clever detective who's supposed to solve the murders and stop the killer's plan, and she's the baddass warrior who can go toe-to-toe with demigods. Their failures clarify Gideon and Harrow's narrative, demonstrating that they were doomed even if they'd been more on their game.

In the second book, we discover they have a genius plan and an extraordinary degree of trust and communication. And all of that has gotten them in basically the same predicament as Harrow and Gideon.

The third book really brings it home, because we get to watch them throw themselves against the walls of the cage. Camilla can't always put herself between her loved ones and danger. Palamedes can't love people without causing them pain.

Hell, Harrow the Ninth is a book partly about eulogizing the innocent victims of the previous book's slasher-whodunnit plot—by giving them the chance of a second go. Resurrection through fiction, etc.