W_L

And back to reading gay Sci-Fi The Brightness Between Us is the sequel to my favorite book in recent years, The Darkness Outside Us. Eliot Schrefer's first book captivated me, like a gay version of 2001: Space Odyssey with a lot of deep themes and humanist concerns. I don't know if this sequel will be as good as the original, but I am willing to give a chance and based on what readers say so far, I think fans of the original will like this one too.

Currently reading: Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World/兽世种田养崽搞基建 Basically, it's the story of a modern gay male being transmigrated into a tribal shifter world. He's a weak rabbit shifter attempting to survive and thrive in world that values strength and survival of the fittest, ultimately building up his little rabbit tribe into a bronze-age civilization. Plus, there's a certain wolf king/pack alpha, who's impressed and fall for the little rabbit civilization-builder. It's a nice change of pace for folks who enjoy Civ-games and want something different from the usual shifter genre.

It's Crime Fiction, something different than my usual stories and a change of pace for readers into fantasy or historical settings. It's a modern gay crime story set in a fictional American city. Both Main Maile Character and Male Lead Character are adults in their 30s with decades directly or indirectly involved in criminal activity, indirectly or by necessity to survive. I am basing the concept behind the story on this quote from the famous, but little quoted novel The Master and Margarita “What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?" – Woland (The Devil) from The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov Essentially, I am writing this story to explore the false equivalency. There are also major plot devices and things I'm exploring, such as drug addiction/recovery, power, and corruption. Not sure if I'll get readers or if it's just a story idea.

I've been attempting to write an escapist fantasy story for a few months now and can't seem to get past a certain plot block in the story involving a deaf protagonist and his cat-shifter prince from another reality. It's fun to read and watch isekai, but writing it is too formulaic for someone like me who enjoys experimental ideas and challenges. On the other hand, reading the news and seeing the affects of what's been happening in the US, I can't find the excitement from escapism as I was hoping for. On the other side of the spectrum, I've been toying with a realistic dramatic story with very flawed human characters and no-win situations. There's no magic spell that provide food and housing or half giant with a flying motorcycle. The world is too ugly and unsettled. I've shown folks the start of my cat shifter story back in December, but I haven't shown anyone the realistic story that I have written on side recently during my writer's block.

The Daily Life of the Reborn Adopted Son of a Wealthy Family (Modern, Second-Chance Romance, Rebirth, Family, Drama) https://98novels.com/the-daily-life-of-the-reborn-adopted-son-of-a-wealthy-family/ First Impressions I’ve been reading Danmei—the Chinese version of BL (gay fiction)—for a little over a year now and have developed quite a taste for it. Among all the titles I’ve tried, this novel stands out as one of the best and most emotionally fulfilling, especially from a gay rea

Raging love sounds like it's going to dish out the Tea Some trashy Soap Opera plots and revenge sounds good I read Wicked Games when it first published, pretty dark story. Not really the kind of face-slapping, but I do recommend it if you like a darker spin. Thanks for this listing

I know the old line, I've been in the mood for a good gay fiction revenge story. I've read a few Asian ones, but I'm trying to find completed stories with a Western perspective and some fun face-slapping (dramatic reversals against the villains, like a partner discovering adulterous relationship resulting in slapping or a gay teen originally being forced to go to conversion camp only for his parents to be charged with child abuse stuff like that). Does anyone have a good recommendation on GA or other sites for a dramatic revenge gay story?

Looks like Years of Intoxication is only available by MTL-English translation (Machine Translation) now, the old translator quit It's only translated up to chapter 52 out of 86. They gave up I try to find completed translations via Novel Update (they don't give you links but they do tell you the sites that translated) before I start reading. I can sort of parse the chinese-english MTL translations. Still, I prefer a consistent human translator without having to filter in my head what the real meaning should be (like lu can be a person's name or the color "green" in Chinese, it's a bit of mental gymnastics without English translation). My Chinese vocabulary is too poor for actual Webnovel reading. If you ever want suggestions, I've got a few good ones like this. PS: I'm starting on 258 chapter webnovel: The Reborn Otaku’s Code of Practice for the Apocalypse Translated Story link: https://whitemoonxblacksun.ca/the-reborn-otaku/reborn-otaku-apocalypse-toc/ I can identify with the MC (Not athletic, not lucky, and not rich) It's a fun queer webnovel

I just finished a translated gay Chinese Webnovel (Danmei genre, kind of like BL with more family drama) that made me cry and laugh several times. Here's a description of the story: it's a rebirth and second chance romance story https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-daily-life-of-the-reborn-adopted-son-of-a-wealthy-family/ Here's the English translation: https://98novels.com/the-daily-life-of-the-reborn-adopted-son-of-a-wealthy-family/ The synopsis' earnest depiction of the love between the two male main characters drew me into the story. There's a lot of PTSD, regret, false equivalency, and real love in this 164-chapter story. It took me over 2 weeks to finish it, but it was worth it. The Main Character (MC), Chen Wengang, was "saved" in his past life by his lover, Huo Niansheng, but he was too psychologically damaged from the betrayal and disfigurement from his time in prison (he took the fall), to be open to the true love, so he never expressed what was in his heart. ( 😢 The funeral scene in chapters 135-136 from their past life/timeline will make you ball your heart out. 😢 After reading the account of their relationship in the past life/timeline you get why the MC is so regretful and where the PTSD comes from.) The last 6 chapters of the novel are "extras", like bonus chapters that propose parallel universes where the couple have different relationships and encounters (warning on the last chapter, might not be for everyone, most readers didn't like the last alternate universe scenarios).

Of Pride and Power was kind of big and expansive, because European history had a lot going on during this time with the reformation, Renaissance, and early scientific revolution. It's easy to introduce English culture as most people have some perspective on it (we're using English after all as the medium of exchange ), but Japan is a complex mess during this era with nominal warlords operating as independent clan-states, having many different facets with various heroes, rivalries, and factions.

Historical fiction is still on my mind and honestly, I know I've come a long way in writing it. -I do want to focus on Sengoku Jidai within this universe and open the door to explore the Far Eastern conflicts between China, Joseon (Korea), Nippon (Japan), India, and Habsburg Empire (Spain, Portugal, and Austria were in the Far East during the 16th century) -Eli's revenge campaign and the collapse of the Russian Empire might seem like a major problem for history down the road, but in the 16th century, it's not such a massive issue. Turkic people and Mongolian kingdoms would likely re-assert themselves when the central power of Moscow falls (returning the Central and Far Eastern Asian possession of Russian Empire back to the native Nogai and other Khanates). -Takechiyo, aka Tokugawa Ieyasu in our history, will be interesting warlord with a well-known destiny among various power players in Japan. As an Omega, he is a representation of future Edo period concepts with more fluid sexuality than traditional gender roles for males. (Note to self- Explore the Japanese concept of "color" representing sexuality and paths from edo period Japan.) -China and India are the big players in this setting, Historically, the Ming Dynasty unlike other eras in Chinese history had one of the world's largest fleets with gunpowder cannons until an Emperor out of spite sank all the ships of the navy and limited the production of gunpowder weaponry (Chinese confucian Scholar officials and bad blood between father-son). None of that happens and China still has a big naval focus with great ambitions due to their fleet, including colonies in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and West Coast of America. India spread under the Mughal Empire north to Samarkand and East to Vietnam through land routes. -Cast of Characters: The Three Unifiers of Japan Matsudeira Takechiyo (Main character) Oda Nobunaga (Semi-Love interest, intelligent future transplant, rival, partial antagonist/deutagonist) Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Calculating, future transplant, usurper, and antagonist) Famous Clan Leaders (Focus on Central Japan regions): Takeda Shingen (Early-Mid Antagonist) Uesuegi Kenshin (Early-Mid help, Master of Warfare, nickname "God of War", teacher of Japanese concepts, and later opponent) Mori Motonari (Political and military strategist, schemer, "Beggar Prince" nickname for his false impressions, early-mid antagonist) Hojo Ujiyasu (Rival to Uesuegi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, small-minded, possessive, "Lion of Sagami" nickname, a perfect example of Bushi aka Warrior doctrine in later Japanese culture, a heroic background, early-mid help/frenemy) Hojo Ujimasa (Ambitious son of Hojo Ujiyasu, arrogant due to false family claims of "Later Hojo", sometimes ally and enemy) Side characters, who help Takechiyo and love interests William Adams- Love interest English Military attache to Takechiyo, who starts off as a naval officer (Like his TV counterpart, Japan should also be viewed from his perspective) Yasuke- Love interest, African American Samurai, former slave freed from captivity by Oda Nobunaga. (Yes, he is historically the first black Samurai in Japanese history and he was enslaved by Portuguese from West Africa, then sent off to India and eventually ended in Japan, then freed by Oda Nobunaga). I know I don't write black characters much in my stories, nor do I portray black people as love interests, but in this case, it actually make sense from a historical fiction standpoint. Hattori Hanzo- A lot of legends connecting him to Shinobi (Ninja) will be explored. Historically, he was Tokugawa Ieyasu top general on the battlefield and the head of his clandestined operations. -Story: The founding of this timeline's Tokugawa shogunate and Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Some continuation of the original future timeline and the Guardians of Eternity, who were revealed in Book 1 to be catalysts of the Apocalypse. Whereas Of Pride and Power focuses on large battles determined by firepower and troop tactics, the Japanese armies of this story will focus on squad tactics and small operations that determine success and failures. Any thoughts folks or ideas for improvement?

Thanks, John Adams had a more pro-British interest when it came to policy compared to most Founding Fathers, Ben Franklin and him butted heads a few times as well due to the latter's pro-French stance. His defense of the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre has often been cited by his critics as his less favorable stance to the American Revolution, but his views were much more complicated than favoritism as someone with a process-oriented view of the world rather than an investigative mindset. It is sad, but a lot of teenage kids did die during that era fighting for "the cause", Though I added some extra speculation to make my story, the heart of it is historical. The deaths near the Boston custom house starting with Christopher in February and the others in March set off a wave of popular dissent, fueled by populist like Sam Adams. It was a different era, but some lessons are still the same. I think Charles Dickens highlighted this prospect in his book Hard Times, as well. It's much different society than the one we're used to. The apprenticeship system was not easy and there were a lot of issues trying to train young boys in a profession. Also, it didn't help that a lot of their meager savings was spent in the pubs after work. By the way, Ben Franklin dropped out of my school He's one of my favorite hetero historical male figures, he's an intelligent rogue, who does his own thing and investigates what he likes.

Vampirism in this society is parasitic and scientific, so there's a bit of the elite within. I'm relying more on the Bram Stoker motif of elite noble Vampires (more homoerotic ) than the modern sparkle and drama, where blood transfusion is coerced. I think education isn't really the biggest concern to the "elites" in this society, rather physical well-being, so I went with the farm animal concept for blood livestock. Also remember, this story is post moral-society, if people can achieve immortality by living off the young, it really changes a lot of fundamental dynamics that we have with "fairness" and "equal opportunity" being moot causes. I do think aging up the Protagonist would be good, though the age gap with the others would make romantic subplot impossible. A story without love to me is a story without hope; being gay is more than sex, it's the companionship that you form with others like you, it's what differentiates our fiction from general fiction. It's fine if I were writing a tragedy, but I want to give some hope in this bleak world. Maybe, developing a surrogate relationship will be better. Basically, raising someone just to use and abuse them for profit, it could be an interesting social commentary on the nature of elders vs. youth dichotomy, kind of an anti-Confucian sentiment about the dangers of elders abusing youth.

Alright, I'm done with all the stories

Feels like a short noir story about a nightclub arson case. It has this old-timey feel to it that some readers will enjoy.

Enjoyable story, feels like an old noir story with LGBT characters subbing in for principal cast. It's short, but I don't mind as it tells the story it was meant to.

An interesting story about an office prank and some fun interpersonal things between Rob and his colleagues.

Laurie and Rob have this interesting, flirty office thing going for them with this prank war. I've pulled a few pranks before, but folks have become a bit too serious in recent years and I've become a bit too old to plan them out.

A first love and a tragic figure at the heart of the story remembering everything, despite his self-hate. I don't know where the story will go, but I hope John can let go of his internalized homophobia and be happy. No, they were not homosexual communists (Heck, if they saw thing like what happened in Farewell My Concubine, Communists would likely be torturing homosexuals at this point for being bourgeois anti-revolutionaries) PS: Sorry for the triple post, not sure what happened

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My favorite comedic line in this story: "The corporate colour scheme didn't translate well into large-scale interior decorating." Theo Godley is a modern manager trying to fix an antiquated idea in "Undercover Boss" tv show style. It's funny and pokes interesting holes about the nature of Hell for punishments.

Ah hell is not other people after all I love the idea that you came up with about creating a dying corporate business known as hell. It's so true that what was considered punishment like whips and pain can be quite pleasurable to modern people. The story reminds me of the "Bad Place" and how Michael was trying to update it.

I've got 4 more to read

If you're a fan of the Office and some satire, I think this is a great story for you.