Schwoopsie

I realised I suck at bookmarking apparently. but still here's a few:

The "Arthur knows about Merlin's magic" series by onceandfuturewarlock (37k words)

A series of ficlets focusing on Arthur and Merlin's (platonic) relationship in an unspecified post-magic reveal AU in which Arthur didn't die. I'm probably fond of this series because it's one of the very first fics I read in this fandom, but it's funny and cute. Background Merlin/Freya – it is in fact the fic that injected "he's married to a lake!" into my vocabulary, for which I will always be grateful. Technically not complete but each part can be read as a standalone ficlet.

Quiet, still by onceandfuturewarlock (~400 words)

Really short Gaius-centric ficlet but I'm sneaking this in because Gaius and Merlin's relationship is literally my favourite in the show.

Something Blue by alittleacatalepsy (10.5k words)

In which Gwen is getting married, but as far as I remember the focus is more on Gwen and Merlin than Arwen? It's marked as gen, anyway. The closest thing to "Merlin goes full wedding planner mode" I could ever find (we were robbed by the time skip!). Don't remember much else but I liked it enough to bookmark it.

Unfit by s0mmerspr0ssen (106k words)

An AU fic in which Arthur is disabled (leg amputation) and suffering from "fits of madness", and thus in danger of losing his claim to the throne. It deals with themes of disability and depression, but less gloomy than it might sound (again, from what I remember). Some budding romance between Arthur and Gwen but that isn't the focus (though I found it sweet!) – the central relationship is Arthur and Merlin's friendship.

Bloodbind rabies by agapantoblu (3.4k words)

In the author's own words: Arthur has "rescued" Morgana from the Sarrum's wells, so now it's like having a rabid raccoon under house arrest in Camelot. Forced "rehabilitation" by awkward family dinner? Or, Arthur won't give up on his sister no matter what. (I'm sure @agapantoblu has written more gen fics so check her other AO3 fics – I trust my friend Agap, she write extremely well <3)

And if self recs are okay... [looks around nervously]

An Act of Balance (6.5k words)

Daemons!AU, because... I love creatures! Background Arthur/Gwen, but really only a dash. The main relationship is Arthur & Merlin.

The Game of Kings (4k words)

Same as above – minus the daemons. A post-magic reveal AU, follows the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship through a series of (chess-themed) vignettes.

+ a short one, but it fits the theme:

season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (~1k words)

⭐️ Wheel of the Year by panharmonium (100k words)

Brilliant pre-canon fic about Merlin & Will. Super immersive & well researched. A textured, compelling version of Will. Beautiful, ambling, pastoral prose, and vivid, tactile description of setting.

Knights of the Round Table by panharmonium (~6k words)

A series of charming portraits that examine Merlin’s relationships with each of the knights. Really sweet, fun & heartwarming. Panharmonium’s approach to describing Merlin’s magic is unmatched!

Words Are Dead by LeMightyWorrier (500 words)

Devastating shortfic about returned!Arthur, immortal!Merlin, and a language barrier. Merlin can't remember how to speak Arthur's language, and Arthur does not know Merlin's. The dialogue in this fic is painful, desperate, and masterfully concise. Reading it is having violence done to you.

A Moment of Reprieve by adhd-merlin (544 words)

To Be A King (127k words)

When Merlin discovers that his father was an estranged prince and he himself is now the only heir to the throne of a magical kingdom, he is forced to leave Camelot for the perils of a royal court. Will Merlin be able to win Arthur's favor again before Morgana launches an attack on a defenseless Camelot? Will he be able to defend his own kingdom at the same time or will all be lost?

^ contains canonically established Arthur/Gwen, but the primary focus is on the platonic relationships

Onsægness (5.6 words)

Onsægness (f. noun): a sacrifice. As Arthur lies dying, Merlin summons up the spirit of Nimueh so that he may learn to use the Cup of Life to trade his life for Arthur's, but will the revelations Nimueh brings with her be enough to break Merlin for good?

To The Death and companion piece Nothing to Prove (7.9k, 10.2k)

An unknown knight arrives at Camelot to challenge Merlin to single combat, a fight to the death. He accepts it willingly, but will he be able to survive the duel without using his magic?

Come on [tumblr] where’s my Mars Bear fanart?

Monster Theory - Really great anthology to start with, especially the first reading, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's famous "Monster Culture (Seven Theses)" which is a personal favorite

The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts - A general SF/F journal, but there are definitely a lot of great monster theory and gothic horror readings sprinkled throughout. Consider taking a look at Veronica Hollinger's "The Vampire and/as Alien," the special issue on Dracula, and Faye J. Ringel's "Genetic Experimentation: Mad Scientists and the Beast," among others

Werewolf Histories edited by Willem Blécourt - Phenomenal anthology on werewolf scholarship, especially if you're interested in the connections between werewolves and witchcraft and/or witch trials in Early Modern Europe

Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters by Jack Halberstam - Of interest to those who are interested in the connection between the gothic and gender (among other topics). Halberstam has written extensively on both

The Journal of Dracula Studies - Exactly what it sounds like.

Preternature: Critical and Historical Studies on the Preternatural - Another journal, which focuses on the connections between witchcraft and occultism, monsters, demonology, and the like.

Susan Stryker's "My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix" - An absolutely landmark piece of writing on Frankenstein and the transgender (and in particular the transfeminine) experience; one of my favorite pieces of academic writing of all time.

Speaking of Monsters: A Teratological Anthology - Another solid monster theory anthology

Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet: Ghosts and Monsters of the Anthropocene - A really, really good anthology about the ecological gothic that I cannot recommend enough. As a known werewolf guy I especially like the piece "Wolf, or Homo homini lupus" by Carla Freccero

The Vampire Lectures by Lawrence Rickels - So many vampires

Monster Culture in the 21st Century: A Reader - Another anthology, I in particular recommend Rosalind Sibielski's "Gendering the Monster Within: Biological Essentialism, Sexual Difference, and Changing Symbolic Functions of the Monster in Popular Werewolf Texts" in this one.

"The Trans Legacy of Frankenstein" by Jolene Zigarovich - Definitely a good read if you enjoyed the Stryker piece earlier; it's a more general survey of the idea but might give you some ideas for further reading

TransGothic in Literature and Culture - A whole anthology of works on transgender identity and the gothic!

Twenty-First Century Gothic: An Edinburgh Companion - Not to be confused with the other similarly named anthology earlier, this one is on various modern perspectives on the gothic.

"Christians and Jews in the Twelfth Century Werewolf Renaissance" by David A. Shyovitz - Stand-alone article but really really interesting

Wonders and the Order of Nature: 1150-1750 by Lorraine Daston & Katherine Park - Incredible volume that gets into several different subjects surrounding the fantastical in the medieval and early modern eras, monsters among them. The same authors have written some other fantastic work, such as "Unnatural Conceptions: The Study of Monsters in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century France and England" and I honestly would recommend any of their work.

Monster Anthropology: Ethnographic Explorations of Transforming Social Worlds Through Monsters - A more anthropology focused volume, I particularly like Rozanna Lilley's "Drawing in the Margins: My Son's Arsenal of Monsters—(Autistic) Imagination and the Cultural Capital of Childhood"

Marvels, Monsters, and Miracles: Studies in the Medieval and Early Modern Imaginations - Another anthology, this time with a historical perspective

hour 6: if youu go to the store and buy groceriers you are a piece of shit

They wear suits, but they don't even know basic etiquette.

Original post by @morallygrayautisticscientist here, this post was so funny I decided to draw it lol.

Panel by panel below:

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

like yeah here there be gerblins is about lup it's about you should have thought about that before throwing my dog in the fire, it's about falling in love with Barry Bluejeans, it's about trying to save so many people but failing, it's desperate odds and flying away from a disaster you couldn't avert, it's about being bitten in the back by an earlier decision to trust someone.

murder on the Rockport Limited is about Dav. It's about seeing the truth behind the illusion. it's about a town of people all with the same face. it's about losing the driver and trying to save the vehicle without him. it's about the youngest member of the crew holding a book that catches the truth and stops it reaching its destination. it's about beheading and loss of identity. It's about remembering to get your roommate pringles

petals to the metal is about Merle. It's about don't be chopping on these sweet sweet babies. it's about reaching out to someone you love who has been consumed by a power they can't fully control. it's about dying in the hope they can be saved. it's about racing as fast as you can, with all that you have, in the hope that something can be saved in the end.

crystal kingdom is about taako. it's about loving someone you've lost so much you'd turn the world to crystal to try and save them. it's about Kravitz. its about learning more from thousands of realities to make new and wonderful things. its about walking through your legacy. its about the best sandwich and taako's good out here. its about seven birds being seen, its about the thousands of lives that Boyland touched

the eleventh hour is about Magnus. It's about rustic hospitality. it's about recklessly breaking reality trying to protect people you love. it's about fate and choices you make in life. it is being a small town hero. it is making promises and keeping them. it's about the downfall of a corrupt leader and the people he took down on his way. it's about fallen temples and burnt out buildings. it's about embracing the inevitable and holding the hand of the clock that strikes your doom as the weapon that will save you

the suffering game is about Barry. It's about looping through endless pain again and again in the hopes of reaching a dream. it's about liches and death and love. it's about losing your body and being saved from permanent death by the power of your friends' love. it's about working out how things are working and then pulling them apart to understand them. it's about choosing to lose everything in the hopes that it might let you save something. arms outstretched. trust Barry, love Barry

the stolen century is about Lucretia. it's one hundred years of journals. It's learning world after world and watching them die. It's working to protect those you love by saving the light. It's about running away again and again, and loving only in goodbyes. it's about being alone and dying again and again. It's about bonds growing stronger even as something comes relentlessly to consume them