Ironwidget
@ironwidget.bsky.social
Making people sleepy, occasionally in a professional capacity
The reveal at the end of Use of Weapons (Ian M Banks) as the two story/timelines converge will always be a standout great ending to me.
Managing to land an ending at the midpoint of the chronological story is no mean feat!
Managing to land an ending at the midpoint of the chronological story is no mean feat!
January 10, 2026 at 8:41 AM
The reveal at the end of Use of Weapons (Ian M Banks) as the two story/timelines converge will always be a standout great ending to me.
Managing to land an ending at the midpoint of the chronological story is no mean feat!
Managing to land an ending at the midpoint of the chronological story is no mean feat!
Because there must always be an obligatory DW reference: Moist Von Lipwig, the classic petty criminal to hero arc
November 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Because there must always be an obligatory DW reference: Moist Von Lipwig, the classic petty criminal to hero arc
Depends if it's one of the legion of UK public school 20somethings who unselfconciously affect 'street' slang (to what end I'm never entirely certain, as they never want to actually be seen as working class)
October 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Depends if it's one of the legion of UK public school 20somethings who unselfconciously affect 'street' slang (to what end I'm never entirely certain, as they never want to actually be seen as working class)
Version 10 I think
September 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Version 10 I think
Since the update my otherwise perfectly functional android phone is 'no longer compatible' with the app, it's not that old of a phone...
September 19, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Since the update my otherwise perfectly functional android phone is 'no longer compatible' with the app, it's not that old of a phone...
The Expanse! I feel James Holden is very much the paladin of the future, overly moral and committed to openness even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it might be a bad idea. Also always imposing his idea of 'right' onto those around him (although obv does grow over the series).
August 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The Expanse! I feel James Holden is very much the paladin of the future, overly moral and committed to openness even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it might be a bad idea. Also always imposing his idea of 'right' onto those around him (although obv does grow over the series).
Is Gollum redeemed though? I always read his ending as a final act of betrayal towards Frodo as they both succumb to the corruption of the ring.
July 6, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Is Gollum redeemed though? I always read his ending as a final act of betrayal towards Frodo as they both succumb to the corruption of the ring.
Not sure if it is achieved but much of Use of Weapons (Ian M Banks) centers around a quest for redemption, that and furniture design...
July 6, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Not sure if it is achieved but much of Use of Weapons (Ian M Banks) centers around a quest for redemption, that and furniture design...
Their perspectives are treated very sympathetically in the text, while other characters around them argue over their their very existence, and question their humanity due to the degree to which their thoughts deviate from 'normal'
June 3, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Their perspectives are treated very sympathetically in the text, while other characters around them argue over their their very existence, and question their humanity due to the degree to which their thoughts deviate from 'normal'
I bang on a lot about @adapalmer.bsky.social's Terra Ignota series in these replies, but I think the Set-Sets are an example of 'induced' neurodivergence. Presented at the start of the series as an extreme and by the end, more of a spectrum. Also, often debated without much by way of representation!
June 3, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I bang on a lot about @adapalmer.bsky.social's Terra Ignota series in these replies, but I think the Set-Sets are an example of 'induced' neurodivergence. Presented at the start of the series as an extreme and by the end, more of a spectrum. Also, often debated without much by way of representation!
Outside of 'consume at home' media, back in the 2010s the South East corner of Glastonbury festival had a peri-apocalyptic storyline that ran over several years, with immersive booths and stalls all playing into the plot. Very 'a new life awaits you in the off world colonies' vibes...
May 17, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Outside of 'consume at home' media, back in the 2010s the South East corner of Glastonbury festival had a peri-apocalyptic storyline that ran over several years, with immersive booths and stalls all playing into the plot. Very 'a new life awaits you in the off world colonies' vibes...
I recommend the webcomic Dresdencodak. Some great short form long panel comics early on (Dungeons and Discourse) and now a cyberpunk-esqe series called The Tomorrow Girl. All beautifully illustrated, very slow update schedule though...
May 17, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I recommend the webcomic Dresdencodak. Some great short form long panel comics early on (Dungeons and Discourse) and now a cyberpunk-esqe series called The Tomorrow Girl. All beautifully illustrated, very slow update schedule though...
There was something wonderfully proto-Pratchett about it
May 12, 2025 at 6:41 PM
There was something wonderfully proto-Pratchett about it
As a teenager I remember loving The Sleeper Awakes (HG Wells), the concept of one sleeping man being used as a mad wealth accumulation scheme by a bunch of victoriana Finance Bros (who never had a plan for if he actually woke up) resonated a lot with me in the early 2000s...
May 12, 2025 at 6:40 PM
As a teenager I remember loving The Sleeper Awakes (HG Wells), the concept of one sleeping man being used as a mad wealth accumulation scheme by a bunch of victoriana Finance Bros (who never had a plan for if he actually woke up) resonated a lot with me in the early 2000s...
Gods, witches, monsters, non-linear storytelling.... It can only be The Odyssey. The OG of high fantasy storytelling
May 11, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Gods, witches, monsters, non-linear storytelling.... It can only be The Odyssey. The OG of high fantasy storytelling
It does seem a little nebulous, but there are mentions of crime and punishment (slap drones etc) within The Culture, and the purpose of SC is definitely to work outside the parameters of acceptable behaviour
May 7, 2025 at 9:39 PM
It does seem a little nebulous, but there are mentions of crime and punishment (slap drones etc) within The Culture, and the purpose of SC is definitely to work outside the parameters of acceptable behaviour
I feel most of The Culture novels that feature SC revolve around protagonists working 'outside' the law
May 4, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I feel most of The Culture novels that feature SC revolve around protagonists working 'outside' the law
Outside the world of literature (or maybe on its periphery, it's more of an interactive novel) the game 1000xresist has multiple layers of parent/child dynamics, as it explores parenthood and the immigrant experience through dystopian SciFi
April 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Outside the world of literature (or maybe on its periphery, it's more of an interactive novel) the game 1000xresist has multiple layers of parent/child dynamics, as it explores parenthood and the immigrant experience through dystopian SciFi
The concept of parenting is explored throughout the Terra Ignotia series by Ada Palmer, albeit rarely in a nuclear or strictly biological sense. The contrasting upbringings of Bridger and J.E.D.D Mason being a key thematic throughline within the story.
April 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
The concept of parenting is explored throughout the Terra Ignotia series by Ada Palmer, albeit rarely in a nuclear or strictly biological sense. The contrasting upbringings of Bridger and J.E.D.D Mason being a key thematic throughline within the story.
I feel like this is going to be a big question for NAP8; what actually is the safety data currently? Personally I would be happy with awake or GA and would be most concerned by the half way house of sedation.
April 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I feel like this is going to be a big question for NAP8; what actually is the safety data currently? Personally I would be happy with awake or GA and would be most concerned by the half way house of sedation.
I think the Wheel of Time is a fun example of how this can be done in a subtle way. It's far from the focus of the plot but little hits contained in the gleeman's tales and the items found in Tanchico, referencing our world as a part of the turning of the wheel, just add an enjoyable touchstone
March 19, 2025 at 9:42 AM
I think the Wheel of Time is a fun example of how this can be done in a subtle way. It's far from the focus of the plot but little hits contained in the gleeman's tales and the items found in Tanchico, referencing our world as a part of the turning of the wheel, just add an enjoyable touchstone
Recently taken to spreading it on cheese-on-toast, absolute revelation!
January 6, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Recently taken to spreading it on cheese-on-toast, absolute revelation!