Yours Truly

[extrapenguin]

So. Inspired by the snowflake_challenge – Who is ExtraPenguin? (Other than a snowflake who melts in summer.) My sticky already has the basics, so I decided to take the more fannish/fic-y tack!

You know all those big buttons people have, like angst, hurt/comfort, whump, etc? I was in the bathroom when they were giving those out. Instead, my iddy desires are stuff like competence, loyalty, action/adventure, and pieces slotting into place like a good bit of worldbuilding or narrative climax will do. Things being done and done well is a wonderful thing for me.

Another thing I like, besides things slotting into place, is being introduced to new and brain-bending ideas! A lot of the images that have really stuck with me are these sorts of things – the thing that's stuck in my brain for the longest, and will probably still be there when I'm a demented 90-year-old, is the end of Greg Egan's novel Diaspora. (It really needs the rest of the novel to set it up.)

I also enjoy fun! Humor and crack sit well with the brain chemical centers, as they usually contain a combination of things slotting into place and the sorts of thought experiments/scenario reversals that my brain enjoys.

Mandatory ship segment: I prefer F/F and M/M over M/F, and also love gen. I read fiction for reasons other than romance. Though apparently I can enjoy cheesy films as long as they're F/F? (I even engsubbed one!)

On the writing end, my output is a mix of Cool Ideas, stuff other people wanted for exchanges, and Cozy Fix-Somethings. As mentioned above, I'm not that much of an angst penguin, so my longform fics are mostly of the Cozy Fix-Something form. Stuff Happened and Life Got Better. I can write stuff people find sad-making, though that ends up more on the laconic sadness-is-on-the-reader end, and also short. Long stuff ends up being more to my id of fixing stuff in a cozy fashion with bonus worldbuilding. I'm sure you could identify themes and imagery I keep returning to that I didn't write about above, but that's what I can identify offhand.

This post was brought to you by yuzu-flavored tonic and gin from the Kyrö Distillery Company in an unwashed tea mug. It tastes surprisingly good! This is my brain on ethanol. Anyway, you can ask about this sort of stuff in the comments, and I'll answer to the best of my self-reflectory ability!

Comments

[krait]

I think competence and worldbuilding are 'big button' things for a decent percentage of fen, too; you've got company in that boat, for sure. :D I'm definitely smitten by deft worldbuilding, and I love competence as well. (I especially love it when they're unexpectedly competent!)

Your yuzu drink is making me crave the yuzu candies I have tucked away in hiding...

[extrapenguin]

Oh, it's a boat, not a single-person pool noodle, yes! It's simply much less common than stuff like e.g. h/c or romance qua romance in the corner of fandom that's on AO3. Or at least my corners of fandom on AO3?

I'm not quite sure how I felt about the yuzu – it did taste a bit more than just G&T, but I haven't eaten yuzu outside flavorings. I think I like the taste, though I want to try it now. (And I went down the Wikipedia rabbit hole of citrus fruits, and wow do citrus plants get around and disrespect the concept of species boundaries!)

[sewn]

You got me curious enough to google Diaspora, and it looks very interesting. Added to my ever-growing digital tbr pile...

I also really like the Kyrö gin! Rye gin ftw. Though I drink mine without tonic.

[extrapenguin]

Greg Egan is basically the epitome of cool idea hard SF. I think if I had to name a favorite author ever I'd probably pick him, if only because of the interest overlap.

You drink your gin straight out of the bottle? I haven't quite gotten there yet, even if gin is one of the more palatable alcohols.

[sewn]

I've never read anything by him, though I now see he wrote Permutation City which I've also been meaning to read for ages.

I tend to prefer spirits straight or with just a drop of water. Years of experience. :P But honestly, I learned to enjoy most liquors when I realized that instead of watering them down, I could just sip them very slowly. Tequila suddenly became delicious!

[china_shop]

Humor and crack sit well with the brain chemical centers

Yes! The world can always use more crack! :-)

♥

[extrapenguin]

It could! All the more chances for things to be something other than 100% serious.

[tinny]

We are so on opposide sides of the spectrum.

(But we have the subbing in common, I guess. ;))

[extrapenguin]

Ah, so you hate fun and joy and humor? ;P