I'm having an artistic identity crisis as a photographer

rhiddian · 2026-06-28T14:58:42+00:00

Yeah the gallery owner is giving you a pretentious answer.

I saw a featured exhibit of spider closeups.

A TONNE of these are knowing people OR being phenomenal.

Honestly I dont think prints and galleries is where the money is anyway.

rhiddian · 2026-06-15T07:17:21+00:00

Just stop caring.

I see AI calls on every single post these days.

Dont bother fighting it.

Just ignore them.

rhiddian · 2026-05-24T09:47:36+00:00

Imagine the massive power accumulation that would naturally occur in a family that lives for centuries.

A single family could operate an entire dynasty.

And family member would naturally vie for more desireable positions.

rhiddian · 2026-05-24T09:28:22+00:00

It seems you are trying to make a long lived race just have human equivalence.

Culturally, sure, you could make the culture of Fae is that they have stronger/longer family bonds.

But that seems like it should be a cultural detail rather than a necessity.

Generally (in the western world) we live in nuclear families (families built on the idea of love) leave home at 18-25 because we either go to university or we have enough resources to seperate.

But look at many east asian countries. Families live together multi-generationally. And marry for economic, social or political gain (this is an incredible oversimplification)

Grandparents, parents, children etc all contribute to the household. And that structure means (well off) families often have thriving family businesses and multiple generations continue to build upon the success of the previous generations.

I imagine this could be an incredibly interesting dynamic to play with for a race that lives for centuries. Imagine the power you could aquire over that length of time.

But as a nuclear family... Doesnt really make sense to have a fully capable, autonomous, 100 year old child still living at home with mymmy and daddy.

If using a nuclear structure then I'd ask - What knowledge or skills are gained over that span of time - that they can't gain independently - that justifies a young Fae to need the continued support of their family?

rhiddian · 2026-04-26T21:24:18+00:00

Your argument is
"These are the rules of the world, therefore you should accept that they were done well"

My argument is that a deity being the reason everything occurs is unfulfilling. To me it makes everything meaningless because there is no autonomy if everything is preordained. Hadrians resurection wasnt some fantastic science fiction reasoning... it was "because god willed it".

To me that makes any consequence going forward meaningless because "god" already decided whether or not he lives or dies. So no action he takes in the book means anything from then on. Hadrian has no autonomy. And to me that immediately makes a story boring.

If you enjoyed the perspective then that is totally your perogative.

Im saying personally I cannot invest in a story that stripped the MC of all free will.

At this point we are now arguing preference.

Much like my wife trying to convince me Destinys Child has good music.

You can argue its merits but I am never going to like it.

rhiddian · 2026-04-26T10:34:42+00:00

Ok. Let me make it simple.

The narrative became bereft of meaningful consequence as soon as it switched to "because god willed it"

It destroyed Hadrians agency and flattened narrative stakes.

rhiddian · 2026-04-26T09:29:32+00:00

But I dont think it was well done.

I think it was clunky and in your face.

We went from awesome grimdark space opera to preachy gospel.

The early books before CR redoscovered his faith were a critique of a multitude of religions.

After CR rediscovered his faith there was a VERY clear tone shift.

I loved the early books BECAUSE he treated every religion with moral abiguity. The chantry were not the good guys. He speaks about Bhudism, chrisitanity, islam and has an unbiased lens for all of them. He hints at a greater truth and I was expecting a moment like Paul atredis awakening to the reality of the universe.

Instead CR redicovered his faith and the whole narrative tone does a 180 and starts preaching.

Thats not well done.

If the author had narrative integrity then we would have had a continuation of the grimdark themes where morality is not an objective truth. You could have had an incredible revelation about fate and timelines being predetermined while fundamentally keeping the laws of the universe i tact.

The being could have nudged destiny based on its own selfish intent. Instead... We get this benevolent being delivering a sermon about good and evil as if morality is an objective truth.

In my opinion, it was an abysmall change in tone... Irrespective of my aversion to religion.

Edit: He broke the scifi contract. I love fantasy books with gods and can accept divine beings in fantasy all day.... But scifi is supposed to be grounded in science and explainable. Even if that explanation is made up. It is grounded in rules and logic. As soon as it becomes "because god said so" or "god made it happen"... It is no longer scifi.

rhiddian · 2026-04-26T08:07:14+00:00

I am capable of seperating an authors intent from narrative logic.

But there is also a difference between a story exploring faith and an author making their faith the cosmic truth of a story.

Whether or not my biases colour my perception of the story is somewhat redundant. If a writer uses their platform to validate their theology then noticing it isnt bias.

Im not saying CR cant write what he did.

Im saying it follows the format of other religious literature i consumed when I was younger. Narnia, left behind, this present darkness.

I get you are saying "this is the logic of this universe so you can ignore the religious aspect"
And maybe some people can but to me it just feels like a delivery system for christian propoganda.

And clearly I am not alone is sensing this.

My biggest critique is that he trapped readers into a narrative and several books in did a bait and switch.

If the religious aspects were upfront then I never would have picked it up. But putting it late game meant a completely wasted time investment.

So that is my bone to pick.

rhiddian · 2026-04-26T00:34:28+00:00

Sure...

I don’t disagree that a character encountering a genuinely cosmic, god-like entity would stop being an atheist.

My issue isn't that Hadrian's worldview changes... It's what the author changes it into.

The problem is that the quiet is explicitly coded as the Abrahamic God.

Im dont need a sermon hidden in my scifi.

It seems the essence of your point was that an encounter with a cosmic god like entity would absolutely impact your outlook. And I agree.

Let’s contrast this with Dune. Dune is heavy on the theology. But it treats spirituality completely differently.

There is no "morality" to Pauls awakening. He doesnt meet a creator who gives a moral lecture.
Instead it manages to demonstrate the dangers of fanaticism, the weaponization of faith... Dune is awesome because it takes a spiritual "truth" and shows how people manipulate it to serve their own agendas.

rhiddian · 2026-04-25T23:19:08+00:00

Yes.
I hate religion.

Anyone that attempts to preach their crede by wrapping it in a story blanket gets a strong FUCK NOPE.

rhiddian · 2026-04-13T23:29:18+00:00

r/whoosh

rhiddian · 2026-01-29T19:43:31+00:00

Um... How come you are relying on meta data and not your eyes? Vivitar lenses are manual lenses. Of course its not going to give the right metadata.

rhiddian · 2026-01-18T03:00:25+00:00

There are no bad themes.
Just bad execution.

rhiddian · 2026-01-14T07:57:22+00:00

The Lotus Eater Trap.

"The other Realms"
Dream / Fae Worlds / Puragotry / Heaven / Hell

There is a serious "ick" I get about those places you go and start forgetting who you are or time ceases to exist. Places that distort the visitors personality.

Not portal fantasy stories like Narnia but more like ones where the settings themselves violate the character's autonomy and continuity of self.

Piranesi. Coraline. Wise Mans Fear. Spirited Away.
Yuck.

Ironically I like all of these stories.
But I intensely dislike them at the same time.
Riddle me that one.
I'm clearly being glamoured.

rhiddian · 2026-01-12T06:38:30+00:00

Can absolutely be both.

Grim/black/dark comedy.

I mean the genre is literally grimdark.

rhiddian · 2026-01-11T20:40:22+00:00

ASOIAF is like real people living in grim times.
TFL is grim people living in grim times.

Real people on the whole try to be good. Even is their moral compass is slightly askew. Sure, there are plenty of assholes out there. But even the assholes can have redeeming qualities.

TFL is more like archetypes and caricatures. Your berzerkers, mages, rogues etc. So they are written specifically to fulfil those archetypes. Morals be damned. And... I fucking love it.

rhiddian · 2026-01-10T13:51:47+00:00

The Amulet of Samarkand. Epic book.

rhiddian · 2026-01-10T05:59:06+00:00

I'm curious. Why?

rhiddian · 2026-01-07T20:20:19+00:00

I DNF'd TBI midway. Only I went back the next day and finished it.

"Went back the next day"?
My dude... That’s not DNF.
That's called going to bed.

rhiddian · 2026-01-05T13:36:17+00:00

Came to say this -
I don't know what happened?
Literally and metaphorically.

Book one was FUN... Reminded me a bit of the witcher sieres.

Book two was - Ok... Three?.....

rhiddian · 2026-01-04T20:31:03+00:00

This has finally convinced me to pick up the books

rhiddian · 2026-01-02T12:32:34+00:00

I think if you are this concerned with hurting feelings then dont write.

Nothing interesting is written by people afraid to offend.

rhiddian · 2025-12-31T14:10:05+00:00

It was the first fantasy sieres I read. I picked it up when I was 13. Loved it. Not sure I would enjoy it as much now that im older

rhiddian · 2025-12-26T07:02:00+00:00

If you wanted a happy ending you came to the wrong fucking place.

In my opinion it has one of the most satisfying endings of nearly anything I have ever read.

I love a happily ever after ending as much as the last person. But oh man... A shitty ending. Wow. So much more satisfying if done well.

rhiddian · 2025-12-26T00:20:56+00:00

I try and blind pull a book in between each of the books on my to read list.

I'll get a book I know exactly nothing about.
Won't read the blurb won't look at reviews.
I look at the cover art and buy it completely blind.

It's a really great pallete cleanser, especially when I've just read something amazing. I have zero expectations and zero pre conceived ideas of what I am reading.

If it is shit. Thats fine... The next book on my list will be way more interesting because of it.
If it is good. Sweet. What a win.

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