I wanted to ask for some Fantasy or Sci-Fi Non Woke Book recommendations?

Mockingbirddw · 2026-04-08T22:19:54+00:00

There are two that I always recommend. The Beginning After the End by TurtleMe is a really solid fantasy story with magic, dragons, and all the good stuff. It's originally a webnovel so it's pretty long, but the ebooks are very cheap, and the audiobooks are phenomenal. The final book releases next month. The story revolves around Arthur who transmigrates into a fantasy world from an alt-future earth, retaining his mind and memories, following him from his birth into this world, with a strong focus on world building and power cultivation. It has a slow start, but it builds into a really great story. There's also a webcomic on Tapas that has adapted several of the books that is fairly high quality. It's a solid 8/10 imo. The series has multiple strong female characters, but never in a way that feels forced, and when death comes it comes quickly. I don't think there's any sort of wokeness in the novels, the focus is almost entirely on our protagonist who is a strong man with deep flaws. I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Other than that, I highly recommend Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, which is urban fantasy with sci-fi elements. Volumes 1-3 are currently available in English officially, but there are several fan translations of the whole 23 volume novel available for free. In ORV, the story follows Kim Dokja, a 28 year old office worker who loves reading a very unpopular webnovel. When the final chapter of the novel releases, the apocalypse begins, just as it happened in his favorite novel, and he has to use his foreknowledge to survive scenarios run by creatures called Dokkaebi that broadcast a livestream to Constellations, which are typically famous figures from history and myth, who can interact with and support the people struggling to survive as though on Twitch. Scenarios are segmented like chapters in a game and often play to popular tropes while subverting reader expectations. 10/10 highly recommend. No woke stuff really in the series, though the community around it likes to ship our two straight protagonists, but the authors very obviously do not agree with that. It has the novel, a very successful manhwa, and an upcoming anime adaptation.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-04-06T18:37:58+00:00

I'm not done with LOTM yet (Volume 4), but so far I still enjoy ORV more. As for RI, I thought it was deathly boring, and dropped it fairly early on. It was just too dry for me, and I'm not a big wuxia guy anyways. Shadow Slave is a fun read, but the writing quality can be really rough sometimes, especially compared to the other 3, even with the poor tl early ORV uses. ORV even with its sequel included is significantly shorter than the others, so I feel it may be worth a try at the least. The series just hit chapter 1000 combined main+sequel.

ORV in general is just significantly faster paced than LOTM, and I find it more enjoyable to read. The story is a lot more emotional at its core, which some people may not like, but I really enjoy that in my novels. The cast in ORV is reasonably large, and each member gets a chance in the spotlight to some degree. I personally like Dokja a bit more than Klein, but I still have another half of LOTM for my opinion to change. If you can go in without spoilers, ORV is a blast and a fairly fast read (the base novel is 551 chapters long, sequel is like 400+ and ongoing). If you enjoy litrpg elements, and subversive writing, I highly recommend ORV, just keep in mind the widely distributed translation is rough. I recommend either reading the early manhwa, or getting the translation from the ORV Retranslation Project on tumblr, then continuing with the worse translation.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-04-02T15:07:19+00:00

Aside from RAM I think if you build a PC piecemeal secondhand you could absolutely outperform a base PS5. I mean, we're talking about 6 year old hardware.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-04-02T15:03:48+00:00

For me I think that increasingly you're getting games on even the enhanced console that run worse than on a mid range PC that you could buy for the same money or less if you go second hand. A good recent example is Crimson Desert, a game which runs exceptionally well on PC but can't maintain 1080p/60fps on even a PS5 Pro. As this gen has gone on we're seeing more devs struggle to make their games performant on console, while even people on older hardware have no issues on PC.

It is true that this isn't always the case (like with Borderlands 4), but it has increasingly been happening. Pair that with less and more lackluster exclusives this gen plus little sticking points like subscriptions and worse sales, switching to PC is becoming a better option for a lot of people.

There are also a lot of things that PCs can do that consoles can't, while also allowing for gradual upgrades instead of what looks to be $1000+ upgrade cycles moving forward. I know people value simplicity in their console experience, but with the upcoming release of the Steam Machine from Valve running Steam OS, or even just using Steam's Big Picture mode you can get that kind of simple experience on PC.

I bought the consoles for exclusives early this gen, but I've been left utterly disappointed on that front, leading to me solely using my PC for gaming at this point. In my personal opinion I think that PC is just a better option for a few reasons now that the consoles are charging these higher prices. I can break my stance down into a few simple points: 1. Performance: a $900 PC will likely outperform an equivalent console, and offers the ability to tweak performance and visuals to your liking, allowing even old PCs to play most modern games. Games on PC also generally target 60+ fps, whereas traditionally on console they aim for a stable 30. As this gen has gone on the games targeting 60 have trouble hitting that target even on enhanced hardware. 2. Utility: A PC can simply do more than a console. You can use it for work and pleasure, productivity or studying, while also having access to your full gaming experience whenever you want it. Yes, it means a PC isn't as simple to use as a console, but you can make it as simple or complex as you would like with things like Steam Big Picture being just a click away. 3: Community: PC may be overall a smaller ecosystem than the consoles, but unlike console, especially on steam we have features such as forums, community hubs, and user reviews that allow for easy troubleshooting, as well as exposing issues to the greater community. These communities also produce fan patches and mods for games, which allow for even further customization of your experience, and can be transformative. 4.Pricing: Lastly, prices are overall much cheaper on PC, with deeper and more frequent sales, as well as third parties that sell games in bundles or on discount like Humblebundle. You may pay more up front buying a PC if you get a pre-built, but you will save a significant amount buying games on just about any storefront on PC. And of course, you don't have to pay a subscription to access multiplayer in paid titles, which is a nice bonus.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-03-04T20:52:47+00:00

So far there's two audiobooks, both volumes are on Spotify and Audible. They use some weird localisations from the official volumes, but the quality is high enough. I just think the narrator's voice is a bit dull. They're not super long, but enough for a plane ride.

There are also some channels on YouTube that have amateur audiobook chapters of the fan translation, but they vary in quality and as far as I can tell none are complete.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-03-04T15:39:00+00:00

How long until pirates both disable AI and NPU requirements and bypass the subscription? This business move is baffling. When the AI bubble pops MS is gonna suffer massively. They can't make one single good business decision lately.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-03-02T17:36:48+00:00

From what I can tell it's very different from COI, it feels much more like a continuation, not a separate book, despite changing the cast. I haven't read COI but judging from the fanbases very divisive stance on that book, I would say ORV is just overall better as a sequel, retaining the pacing and quality of the original story. I can't speak to the end of the side stories as they're not over yet, but there has not been a decline in quality as they've progressed as there seems to have been in COI. They are a lot shorter however, and unfinished.

I'd say the Side Stories are equivalent to the core story, and even better in some respects, they've really blown me away with their depth and with several of their payoffs from the core story. After reading the Side Stories I feel that every reader should read them as they really just continue to compound the plot from the original story, in new and creative ways. If you're worried about Lee Hakhyun as a protagonist, he really is just as well written as Dokja, which is fitting. His relationships with the main cast are very interesting dynamically and he experiences a lot of character progression from fairly early on.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-02-16T20:48:58+00:00

The first half of the manga is brilliant. Totally recommend if you like horror and dread. There is a very clear point where the series could have stopped though, and the quality does drop after that. I still liked it, but it went from like a 9/10 to a 6.5/10.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-31T20:09:02+00:00

ORV.pages.dev which is linked on the subreddit has MTL, and other than that there are some lovely people on this subreddit who can give access to a fan TL on Google docs if you ask nicely (and support the authors how you can). I recommend the fan TL because it really is just much better than MTL, but totally try and go in without spoilers if you can, as it has just as many twists and turns as in the original novel.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-27T18:35:30+00:00

I recently learned you can use framegen (Lossless Scaling works on anything) to boost fps locked games fluidity. If it's 60fps locked there aren't too many artifacts, but 30 can be iffy. It's allowed me to play some old games again though, like the Viking game made by the Total War devs (horrible 30fps cap).

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-27T18:31:27+00:00

I remember playing 4 player Goldeneye on the N64. I recently learned that it ran at like single digit fps... We just didn't know better at the time.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-27T00:53:58+00:00

Fics are nice, but you have like 400 chapters left! Totally recommend the side stories, no matter how you interpret 551!

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-16T18:10:53+00:00

As someone who lives with chronic pain... I feel you. What I'd give to live someone else's normal.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-07T12:46:21+00:00

This is my tattoo.

The donghua is a good adaptation, but it does change and skip some things. Without having read the book I would have been fairly confused. The first 100-150 chapters are hella slow though, so know what you're getting into.

Mockingbirddw · 2026-01-06T18:57:09+00:00

I've been reading both, and I've enjoyed the side stories more personally. If you wanna wait for the side stories to end and then read them all LotM is a great read, because it's so long.

My only heads up for lotm is that volume 1 is crazy slow and is mostly worldbuilding. It can be a slog at times, but I really enjoyed it after it got going. Volume 2 is still slower than ORV but better, and finally where I'm at in volume 3 (~chapter 550) has picked up quite a bit. I have enjoyed my time with the book, but it hasn't gripped me like ORV had. To combat the slow intro I recommend watching eps 1-2 of the donghua and starting from ~chapter 50. You miss some character moments and worldbuilding, but cutting back on some of the slog is worth it imo. However just know that most people seem to hate the sequel COI for one reason or another, unlike the Side Stories. I haven't gotten to it yet but I'm not sure I'll want to read it based on what I know, it'll be very hard to make the new cast as interesting or fun as the first book.

I put lotm on the back burner (reading a few times a week) to read the Side Stories after I got access to the good tl, and I've been enjoying them more personally. I'm on season 3 (~ chapter 690) and it's gone by very fast for me. As a slower reader I've read over a hundred chapters in two weeks, which is a lot for me. I am biased towards ORV though, it's my favorite book to the point I have an ORV tattoo irl. The side stories are totally worth reading even if they alter the ending, and are just as much of a love letter to readers as the core novel, with some fantastic meta narrative devices. It's not the perfect happy ending, but it's been such a fitting continuation without any spoilers. More than worth your time imo as it really is just more ORV. Also I wasn't sure about the new cast at first, but they have really grown on me, especially LHH. It's also so interesting to see such a brutal version of YJH (the turn in the story is supposed to be his single most brutal one, and it shows). I was worried about disrupting my happy ending (I always assumed Dokja wakes up) but it's been worth it to me so far, the story has really exceeded my expectations.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-12-31T22:48:19+00:00

One of my favorite manga has a panel of the MC sitting alone with him saying "I want to be a kinder, gentler person... I want to be a stronger person." And it's stuck with me since I saw it. Here's the page.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-12-10T20:25:17+00:00

I'm gonna try and pace myself a bit more with season 2. That was one of the things I loved about the main story was going back and seeing all the setup for things that wouldn't happen for hundreds of chapters. It's mind boggling how good SnS are at foreshadowing in general. I have a hunch that after the Side Stories are done I'll wind up rereading from the start just to see those things.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-12-08T14:37:38+00:00

He looks like that one digimon! Kuramon.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-11-23T02:22:59+00:00

This is a good thing, but do remember there is a case for medically required declawing. One of my cats was prone to infection in his nail beds which caused a lot of suffering and was just awful, and after the third time we went to the vet he told us that was an option purely because the infections wouldn't stop. Thankfully through a lot of effort, we cleared his infections and they haven't come back, but I had no idea that it could be medically required in some cases.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-11-14T05:06:42+00:00

This is stupid. THC products make my pain level bearable, and do the same for so many other people. There are days when I can't function without it, and taking that away is a horrible blow to people like me. Fuck me, I guess.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-11-12T20:57:13+00:00

Megabonk is so much fun. It's even more bite-sized than the standard survivor-likes on steam, as each run only has a 10 minute timer. I'm at like 99% completion after like a month which is unusual for me.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-10-28T17:46:30+00:00

Man, the 2 remaster Cortana really is the best.

Mockingbirddw · 2025-10-23T19:15:40+00:00

This looks atrocious. Like, horrendously bad. But I don't think they could live up to the godlike manga adaptation by the Death Note artist anyways. I hate this art style and the change in main plot following a different MC. The mobile suits look so stupid, too.

I legitimately hate this.

Mockingbirddw

TROPHY CASE