@tiotasram@kolektiva.social2025-10-27 03:00:46
Day 30: Elizabeth Moon
This last spot (somehow 32 days after my last post, but oh well) was a tough decision, but Moon brings us full circle back to fantasy/sci-fi, and also back to books I enjoyed as a teenager. Her politics don't really match up to Le Guin or Jemisin, but her military experience make for books that are much more interesting than standard fantasy fare in terms of their battles & outcomes (something "A Song of Ice and Fire" achieved by cribbing from history but couldn't extrapolate nearly as well). I liked (and still mostly like) her (unironically) strong female protagonists, even if her (especially more recent) forays into "good king" territory leave something to be desired. Still, in Paksenarion the way we get to see the world from a foot-soldier's perspective before transitioning into something more is pretty special and very rare in fantasy (I love the elven ruins scene as Paks travels over the mountains as an inflection point). Battles are won or lost on tactics, shifting politics, and logistics moreso than some epic magical gimmick, which is a wonderful departure from the fantasy norm.
Her work does come with a content warning for rape, although she addresses it with more nuance and respect than any male SF/F author of her generation. Ex-evangelicals might also find her stuff hard to read, as while she's against conservative Christianity, she's very much still a Christian and that makes its way into her writing. Even if her (not bad but not radical enough) politics lead her writing into less-satisfying places at times, part of my respect for her comes from following her on Twitter for a while, where she was a pretty decent human being...
Overall, Paksenarrion is my favorite of her works, although I've enjoyed some of her sci-fi too and read the follow-up series. While it inherits some of Tolkien's baggage, Moon's ability to deeply humanize her hero and depict a believable balance between magic being real but not the answer to all problems is great.
I've reached 30 at this point, and while I've got more authors on my shortlist, I think I'll end things out tomorrow with a dump of also-rans rather than continuing to write up one per day. I may even include a man or two in that group (probably with at least non-{white cishet} perspective). Honestly, doing this challenge I first thought that sexism might have made it difficult, but here at the end I'm realizing that ironically, the misogyny that holds non-man authors to a higher standard means that (given plenty have still made it through) it's hard to think of male authors who compare with this group.
Looking back on the mostly-male authors of SF/F in my teenage years, for example, I'm now struggling to think of a single one whose work I'd recommend to my kids (having cheated and checked one of my old lists, Pratchett, Jaques, and Asimov qualify but they're outnumbered by those I'm now actively ashamed to admit I enjoyed). If I were given a choice between reading only non-men or non-woman authors for the rest of my life (yes I'm giving myself enby authors as a freebie; they're generally great) I'd very easily choose non-men. I think the only place where (to my knowledge) not enough non-men authors have been allowed through to outshine the fields of male mediocrity yet is in videogames sadly. I have a very long list of beloved games and did include some game designers here, but I'm hard-pressed to think of many other non-man game designers I'd include in the genuinely respect column (I'll include at least two tomorrow but might cheat a bit).
TL;DR: this was fun and you should do it too.
#30AuthorsNoMen
@buercher@tooting.ch2025-11-27 17:56:33
Le canton de Vaud n’est pas en crise financière, par contre il est dans une crise politique profonde dont le refus du gouvernement d’assumer ses responsabilités envers les nombreux/euses mécontent·e·s de sa gestion des services publics et parapublics est la manifestation la plus éclatante. Le gouvernement a provoqué la crise, Š lui de la résoudre, en écoutant le mécontentement.
https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/y-a-t-il-un-pilote-dans-le-canton-de-vaud?shouldPreventPurchase=true&inAppView=3.19.0&didomiConfig.user.externalConsent.value={"purposes":{"consent":{"enabled":["abtesting-p6FL2BYL","audiencem-hJxaeGrR","cookies","create_ads_profile","create_content_profile","device_characteristics","geolocation_data","improve_products","market_research","measure_ad_performance","measure_content_performance","parselyne-Ya2EC4dG","select_basic_ads","select_personalized_ads","select_personalized_content","use_limited_data_to_select_content"],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"vendors":{"consent":{"enabled":["amazon","c:aws-cloudfront","c:bannerwise-EeHwBjLT","c:chartbeat","c:cloudflare","c:echobox-GqD96L9K","c:forecast-ZRJPAUT7","c:googleana-4TXnJigR","c:hotjar","c:jsdelivr-xdD77X6w","c:jw-player","c:kameleoon-experiment","c:kameleoon-personalization","c:keycdn","c:linkedin","c:magnitein-ePEpbCQ7","c:meta-43HDmFRa","c:microsoft","c:nonli-jnWf8kqD","c:pianohybr-R3VKC2r4","c:pinterest","c:spyri-XAtBPx3i","c:tapadinc-VDTUUcKw","c:tiktok-KZAUQLZ9","c:unrulygro-nKyLqdKi","c:youtube","facebook","google","twitter",1,10,1020,1021,1028,1046,1069,108,109,11,1126,12,120,1269,128,13,130,131,1310,132,136,137,138,142,143,1449,154,156,16,164,202,209,21,211,23,238,24,241,243,25,253,264,28,284,290,30,301,32,36,39,4,412,422,45,469,475,493,50,519,52,559,58,61,612,617,68,684,69,73,76,77,783,790,793,80,81,811,84,85,855,898,91,92,95,965,98],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"user_id":"36B03261-8BC8-4FB4-A026-0543FF748710","created":"2025-05-28T08:36:56.058Z","updated":"2025-11-08T21:05:15.048Z","source":{"type":"app","domain":"ch.letemps.LT"},"action":"webview"}
@andres4ny@social.ridetrans.it2025-11-22 19:50:50
Wow. I've dealt with various toxic personalities in software development, but a good portion of the time those toxic personalities were at least extremely knowledgeable in their (often, very limited) domain.
AI, however, seems to be enabling toxic personalities *who are completely clueless*. Impressive!
https://github…
@cdarwin@c.im2025-12-05 01:08:27
“Pete Hegseth, much like the president he serves, sees himself as, essentially, above the law, as unconstrained by legal procedure.”
Foreign policy analyst Matt Duss discusses the brewing conflict within the Trump administration over the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,
including his involvement in a leaked announcement of U.S. strikes on Yemen in March
and the chain of command behind U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
@Mediagazer@mstdn.social2025-10-03 21:02:38
Sources at CBS News say newsroom morale is extremely low ahead of Bari Weiss' imminent arrival, and employees worry about her lack of experience as layoffs loom (Justin Baragona/The Independent)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a
@buercher@tooting.ch2025-12-17 21:52:18
Plus de 17 000 personnes ont signé la pétition pour sauver Swissinfo et le mandat pour l’étranger de la SSR, déposée en marge des débats Š la Chancellerie. Une mobilisation qui a payé: le Conseil des Etats a renoncé aux coupes du Conseil fédéral, qui aurait mis également fin Š la participation de la Suisse Š TV5 Monde.
https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/le-conseil-des-etats-attenue-le-plan-budgetaire-de-karin-keller-sutter?shouldPreventPurchase=true&inAppView=3.19.0&didomiConfig.user.externalConsent.value={"purposes":{"consent":{"enabled":["abtesting-p6FL2BYL","audiencem-hJxaeGrR","cookies","create_ads_profile","create_content_profile","device_characteristics","geolocation_data","improve_products","market_research","measure_ad_performance","measure_content_performance","parselyne-Ya2EC4dG","select_basic_ads","select_personalized_ads","select_personalized_content","use_limited_data_to_select_content"],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"vendors":{"consent":{"enabled":["amazon","c:aws-cloudfront","c:bannerwise-EeHwBjLT","c:chartbeat","c:cloudflare","c:echobox-GqD96L9K","c:forecast-ZRJPAUT7","c:googleana-4TXnJigR","c:hotjar","c:jsdelivr-xdD77X6w","c:jw-player","c:kameleoon-experiment","c:kameleoon-personalization","c:keycdn","c:linkedin","c:magnitein-ePEpbCQ7","c:meta-43HDmFRa","c:microsoft","c:nonli-jnWf8kqD","c:pianohybr-R3VKC2r4","c:pinterest","c:spyri-XAtBPx3i","c:tapadinc-VDTUUcKw","c:tiktok-KZAUQLZ9","c:unrulygro-nKyLqdKi","c:youtube","facebook","google","twitter",1,10,1020,1021,1028,1046,1069,108,109,11,1126,12,120,1269,128,13,130,131,1310,132,136,137,138,142,143,1449,154,156,16,164,202,209,21,211,23,238,24,241,243,25,253,264,28,284,290,30,301,32,36,39,4,412,422,45,469,475,493,50,519,52,559,58,61,612,617,68,684,69,73,76,77,783,790,793,80,81,811,84,85,855,898,91,92,95,965,98],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"user_id":"36B03261-8BC8-4FB4-A026-0543FF748710","created":"2025-05-28T08:36:56.058Z","updated":"2025-11-08T21:05:15.048Z","source":{"type":"app","domain":"ch.letemps.LT"},"action":"webview"}
@arXiv_physicsgeoph_bot@mastoxiv.page2025-10-14 09:32:38
Detection of Earth's free oscillations utilizing TianQin
Yuxin Yang, Kun Liu, Xuefeng Zhang, Yi-Ming Hu
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.10107 https://arxiv.…
@buercher@tooting.ch2025-12-13 14:39:03
Le Conseil d’Etat vaudois a décidé de conclure sa folle semaine par une annonce inattendue. Réuni pendant près de cinq heures vendredi – soit plus du double qu’initialement prévu –, le gouvernement s’est mis d’accord pour renoncer Š la contribution de crise de 0,7% ainsi qu’Š la suppression des décharges de fin de carrière pour les enseignants.
https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/vaud/le-conseil-d-etat-vaudois-fait-marche-arriere-sur-la-contribution-de-crise-de-0-7?shouldPreventPurchase=true&inAppView=3.19.0&didomiConfig.user.externalConsent.value={"purposes":{"consent":{"enabled":["abtesting-p6FL2BYL","audiencem-hJxaeGrR","cookies","create_ads_profile","create_content_profile","device_characteristics","geolocation_data","improve_products","market_research","measure_ad_performance","measure_content_performance","parselyne-Ya2EC4dG","select_basic_ads","select_personalized_ads","select_personalized_content","use_limited_data_to_select_content"],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"vendors":{"consent":{"enabled":["amazon","c:aws-cloudfront","c:bannerwise-EeHwBjLT","c:chartbeat","c:cloudflare","c:echobox-GqD96L9K","c:forecast-ZRJPAUT7","c:googleana-4TXnJigR","c:hotjar","c:jsdelivr-xdD77X6w","c:jw-player","c:kameleoon-experiment","c:kameleoon-personalization","c:keycdn","c:linkedin","c:magnitein-ePEpbCQ7","c:meta-43HDmFRa","c:microsoft","c:nonli-jnWf8kqD","c:pianohybr-R3VKC2r4","c:pinterest","c:spyri-XAtBPx3i","c:tapadinc-VDTUUcKw","c:tiktok-KZAUQLZ9","c:unrulygro-nKyLqdKi","c:youtube","facebook","google","twitter",1,10,1020,1021,1028,1046,1069,108,109,11,1126,12,120,1269,128,13,130,131,1310,132,136,137,138,142,143,1449,154,156,16,164,202,209,21,211,23,238,24,241,243,25,253,264,28,284,290,30,301,32,36,39,4,412,422,45,469,475,493,50,519,52,559,58,61,612,617,68,684,69,73,76,77,783,790,793,80,81,811,84,85,855,898,91,92,95,965,98],"disabled":[]},"legitimate_interest":{"enabled":[],"disabled":[]}},"user_id":"36B03261-8BC8-4FB4-A026-0543FF748710","created":"2025-05-28T08:36:56.058Z","updated":"2025-11-08T21:05:15.048Z","source":{"type":"app","domain":"ch.letemps.LT"},"action":"webview"}