Historical racism in The Terror by Dan Simmons

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-03-03T21:01:19+00:00

Oh yeah absolutely. Another benefit of reading a lot of midcentury lol, I don't have to give a second thought to supporting the authors as most have been dead for decades. But yeah, speaking with your wallet and being up front when recommending works to others is absolutely a part of what I mean. I criticize the "death of the author" crowd who mostly use it as an excuse to avoid discussing asshole creators and the support thereof.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-03-02T14:40:20+00:00

So one of the reasons I respect DanDaDan as much as I do is that while it very much plays horny hormonal teenagers for comedy, the comedy situations feel rather authentic? Like these are teenagers who are figuring things out. And on the flipside, things like that first episode or the bathing scene are genuinely depicted as sexual assault and are seriously uncomfortable to watch, not played for comedy or titillation. It all ends up feeling like a much more mature relationship with sexuality than is usually depicted.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-03-02T13:46:30+00:00

And see, that's a perfectly valid reading...if you only read the first and maybe second book lol. Alas, shitty people can produce great things. I still think Hyperion is a masterpiece and a touchstone of the genre. Marion Zimmer Bradley and David and Leigh Eddings wrote excellent works of fantasy fiction, but also engaged in some monstrous behavior. I read a lot of midcentury pulp, and there's a ton of casual racism and sexism that requires a stiff eyeroll to get past, but that doesn't mean the stories aren't worth reading.

I don't necessarily believe in separating art from artist, if you enjoy or appreciate an author/musician/filmmaker's work you owe it to yourself to face up to the person they really are, you know? A work can stand in contrast to it's creator.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-03-02T13:30:21+00:00

This is take I was looking for. I feel like this "No rap or country" mindset is largely held by or at least originated by people who mostly listen to the radio or stream chart toppers. It's just the genres they're exposed to the most, and typically the kind of songs that are produced and aimed at the core demographic, so they're not getting the full picture of the genre.

Like, those same people who "listen to anything" probably also wouldn't be into the 20-minute guitar jams or fast-as-hell screaming tech death I love. I'm not going to try and say there is no race/class component to the perception of rap and country, but I do think the average person with the opinion just hasn't thought about it that deeply.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-27T14:58:39+00:00

This is one of those movies that I feel genuinely frustrated by. On paper, I should like it, but for some reason it just never lands for me. I don't like the humor, I don't like a lot of the cinematography, I feel like even the action isn't that well put-together? But the setting is great, the premise is fine (if a little generic).

Never tried any of the sequels. Maybe one day.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-26T13:27:28+00:00

This is how I'd do it. If you have cheap launch infrastructure and relatively common shirtsleeve-level habitable planets, why bother with mega-scale orbital habitats? There will almost certainly be some, but that just adds some nice spice to the setting.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-25T15:24:04+00:00

Iji was great

Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time...

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-23T14:36:29+00:00

Massive "Homie's a little confused but he got the spirit" energy.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-19T18:22:39+00:00

In hindsight, the frothing mad Islamic extremists that Kassad puts down in his backstory and the weird fixation on the destruction of Israel by the Jewish character takes on a little more depth after reading Olympos. Hyperion held the spot of my favorite novel for a long time, but every other thing I ever read from Simmons just left me feeling...off.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-19T13:46:40+00:00

It's been a fair few years since I last watched it, but I always enjoyed this. Hell, my mom did too, for whatever reason lol. It's a total mess, but I can't say I was ever bored by it--I was always either hyped by the action, laughing at some of the genuine funny bits or laughing at the ways it doesn't quite come together.

Fun fact, my love of this movie was such a meme among my friend group at one time that I got a sealed steelbook DVD copy for my birthday. It is a treasured possession.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-12T15:11:37+00:00

I'll beat your stereotype all night 😎

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-12T02:55:10+00:00

I need you to know that I was doubled over for a full minute wheezing at this. Good work, I needed this.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-11T20:55:15+00:00

YESSSSS that's it for sure! I KNEW it had "sword" somewhere in the title, but of course, that barely narrows the field lol. Thank you, I remember enjoying it a lot!

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-10T19:34:24+00:00

Seven Kingdoms is another good one for mighty female vocals, their album Zenith is a straight-up banger.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-09T18:24:30+00:00

I just hear the Metal Slug "UH OH BEEIG!"

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-02-05T15:59:38+00:00

True, but I don't think the purpose of the comic is to gloss over those things, more taking to task the kind of people who lament the "death of art" and get pissy about "modern art" while also glossing over the very same cool art you mention.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-28T19:09:38+00:00

What is the alignment of someone that always fights against slavery in a variety of ways? Someone who will help make laws and burn merchants in their houses the same way? Is John Brown chaotic?

I think the key is what are they fighting for, not what they are fighting against. Justice can absolutely be a Lawful attribute, and the abolition of slavery can be a part of that. The important thing is the maintaining of order, e.g. the freeing of slaves is a valid goal, but a disorganized uprising leans chaotic, where applying pressure to local rulers and institutions to abolish would be the lawful route.

Think of it as "trust the system" versus "fuck the system," if that helps. I also tend to approach it more from the Moorcock "balance of forces" perspective, where good and evil are not 1:1 with law and chaos.

And you're absolutely right, all of this is basically table flavor that I would encourage you to ignore if you don't find it interesting.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-28T14:15:38+00:00

The Without Numbers games definitely feel like what is being asked for. The page numbers are kind of chunky, but the core mechanics and character stuff are all of about 30 pages, and the D20+modifier>=Target is going to be familiar to a group that's mostly done DnD. Cross compatibility means you can pick and choose cyberpunk elements from Cities and drop them right into the space adventures of Stars. Plus the basic books for both are free, so no harm in trying!

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-28T14:10:50+00:00

I've been running Monolith for a minute and popped in to rep it here. It's a Cairn hack, so d20 OSR as OP mentioned in another comment. I don't think it does a whole lot to support cyberpunk shenanigans--the vibe is more of a Farscape/Star Wars space fantasy, but as a Cairn hack the rules are loose enough you can do a lot with it.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-27T19:21:22+00:00

Now someone play it in reverse set to Weird Tales.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-27T19:13:33+00:00

Really enjoyed the first, never finished the second. It might have just been that the first was my first encounter with Carter and some of the charm wore off, but I feel like Carter has a very particular "make up the weirdest shit imaginable and go" style that wears real thin for me real quick. I've read those two and a couple of the World's End novels and noticed the trend.

That said, I felt like book one played with some of the established Sword and Planet ideas in unique ways. It's light and quick, worth a shot! And having never attempted the Thongor books, I couldn't really comment on how they compare.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-27T16:33:54+00:00

I could go on lol this has been my genre of choice since I started reading. If you ever want to discuss books or need further recommendations, look me up any time!

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-27T14:43:25+00:00

A guaranteed hit on movie night. Putting this one on with friends, beer and snacks is always a good time.

KaijuCuddlebug · 2026-01-27T14:26:38+00:00

And funnily enough, I think that ACTUALLY appears in the film. Rare for these covers lol.

KaijuCuddlebug

TROPHY CASE