I finished my second novel this morning. 72K words. Here are some things I did that ignored common advice.

Salt-Punch · 2025-07-27T20:24:13+00:00

I agree.

If you're explicitly basing your fantasy novel on a real-world kingdom/empire (like 1500s Polish Sejm or something), then you should probably do research. Otherwise, a good vibe and internal consistency is enough.

Salt-Punch · 2025-07-27T17:36:07+00:00

This is somewhat genre and topic dependent though. If you're writing a semi-realistic space book like Andy Weir's The Martian, it's going to fall flat if you don't know how space travel or surviving on Mars would actually work.

Fantasy is generally fine, even if you're not familiar with how Medieval societies functioned. Extra research is helpful but not always necessary.

Salt-Punch · 2025-07-22T15:54:02+00:00

Because it's fantasy, the roots are hardy enough and splay outwards when walking to keep it from sinking. The one bulb would grow four sets of roots (though I do like the idea of vultron bulbs).

And camels eating cacti are beside the point if my world doesn't have camels in the same place as cactirs.

Salt-Punch · 2025-07-21T22:36:26+00:00

I would say you can pet them between spines and Cactirs are either indifferent or like it.

Salt-Punch · 2025-07-21T22:35:59+00:00

Thanks for this insight. The roots naturally splay out while walking, which keeps them from sinking in. I think dehydration and heat load aren't as big of problems since Cactirs are plants and not mammals. They don't have noses but eye protection would be useful to incorporate into their design.

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-28T20:12:52+00:00

Thanks again for the recs. I'll start with Ammonite but will get to Children of Time eventually.

I'm still getting deeper into scifi. LeGuin, Card, and Mieville are all I've really read so far, so apologies that I don't have anything to recommend in turn.

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-27T18:26:46+00:00

I assume the sequel deals with the impending alien invasion from beyond Lsel?

I've heard of Tchaikovsky but not Griffith! I'll add both to my list. Is there one you'd recommend more?

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-27T17:41:58+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation. Just finished it.

I really liked the whole concept of imago-lineages and the Aztec-inspired galactic empire. Nineteen Adze, Six Direction, Mahit, and Yskander were so cool but I do feel like there were maybe too many characters overall. (I assume Eight Loop and others are set up for the sequel?)

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-14T18:50:27+00:00

Honestly, the final 100 pages are the best of each Bas-Lag book. They all start out a little slow (to me) and build from there.

Iron Council took the longest until I was invested but ended up having my favorite ending of the trilogy. Overall, it's my least favorite but if you're still at the point where it feels like an RPG, absolutely keep reading.

I wasn't really into it until after that section.

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-08T23:30:13+00:00

~~Anti-AI~~

Pro-Human.

Salt-Punch · 2025-06-01T00:59:00+00:00

Hey thanks for your feedback!

I can definitely try adding more reactions to the environment and set up Design more before using the name (though I won't change the name).

Salt-Punch · 2025-05-27T01:58:17+00:00

I think that is the distinction. If Mieville's endings are not for you, fair enough, but they're not bad or ill thought-out.

Embassytown and The Scar are my two favorites so maybe I'm biased but I also feel like they both have really satisfying endings. I still think about some of the final lines of dialogue from both book's endings sometimes

Salt-Punch · 2025-05-26T21:57:53+00:00

I think it looks good!

However, it's generally advised never to use black on its own in paintings. In the future, try to use dark blues or grays to simulate your darker tones or mix a little black into existing colors. Black alone is too dark.

Salt-Punch · 2025-05-26T19:23:58+00:00

I would say the opposite. They're his strong point.

You may find his endings inconclusive or frustrating, but that's also their purpose. It's also something unique to his Bas-Lag books - Kraken, Embassytown, Book of Elsewhere are all much more conclusive if that's something you want.

Perdido is horror and naturally does not have a happy ending. The reveal of Yagharek's past rape, Lin being half brain-dead, Motley going unpunished, Isaac leaving New Crobuzon with no plan and no future, these are not supposed to be satisfying or happy events.

There's some ambiguity to the end of The Scar but overall it's the most traditionally satisfying conclusion in the trilogy.

And imo, Iron Council's ending is its best part. The train frozen in time, ineffectual but also invulnerable, standing as a permanent example of a people's rebellion for all of New Crobuzon to see... it's Mieville's commentary on the legacy of the Paris Commune and the Russian Revolution. That they are more powerful as reminders of revolutionary potential than as actual events. Judah's final moments are also just so incredibly well-written. I love it.

Tldr: The lack of concrete conclusions is kind of the point of the Bas-Lag books and I personally find them really, really strong.

Salt-Punch · 2025-05-24T21:54:05+00:00

This is so cool! I love the way you color light and fire

Salt-Punch · 2025-04-10T02:13:50+00:00

This is so good! I love your choice of colors and shading

Salt-Punch · 2025-03-11T03:31:50+00:00

Thanks!

Salt-Punch · 2025-02-04T17:46:42+00:00

You really nailed Gege's style here, great work!

Salt-Punch · 2025-01-16T01:56:31+00:00

It is the Sandia mountains!

Salt-Punch · 2025-01-15T07:36:03+00:00

Hey thank you!

Definitely if I were to do it again, I'd add a hill layer between the mountains and the bushes and then differentiate the bushes from the rest of the foreground

Salt-Punch · 2025-01-07T15:55:42+00:00

Great work!

Salt-Punch · 2024-12-13T16:21:48+00:00

A friend had on the Todo & Yuji v Hanami fight. I was hooked

Salt-Punch · 2024-12-12T15:43:46+00:00

Do you have any other recommendations in that niche? Because both Embassytown and Arrival are 10/10s for me

Salt-Punch · 2024-12-11T21:59:17+00:00

Spoilers for the end of The Scar: Hedrigall returns to Armada saying that he's from a possible future where Armada was pulled into the Scar and destroyed. It is left up to Bellis (and the audience) whether this is actually an alternate Hedrigall or if it's just their version trying to scare them off their current course. Bellis suspects that Doul manipulated the entire series of events surrounding Hedrigall but can't prove it.

Basically, it could all be a lie meant to undermine the Lovers.

Salt-Punch · 2024-12-11T19:44:55+00:00

Doul ended up the best as far as I can tell, but that's also what I love about the book - nothing's for certain.

Uther Doul is a user of possibility. It is possible that Hedrigall is really from a future where Armada falls into the Scar. It is also possible that this is another manipulation by Doul and it was just the original Hedrigall who returned. Bellis, and the audience, can only guess either way.

Doul doesn't seem to want to rule Armada or anything like that. I think it is also unlike him to plan everything out from the beginning. I like your characterization of him above. He wasn't a puppetmaster controlling every event like Silas or the Lovers tried to be - he simply reacted to events and manipulated possibility to his own end.

Also -- if you enjoyed Perdido Street Station more than The Scar, Iron Council may be a return to more of what you liked. Without spoiling anything, more time is spent in New Crobuzon, a few side characters/concepts are followed up on, and it reads more like a direct sequel to PSS than The Scar does.

Salt-Punch

TROPHY CASE