Friday Fics Fix - Shoot That Poison Arrow

Fanfiction is often far more willing to depict the diverse make-up of the world we live in than mainstream media.

I find it easier to find diversity in fanfiction than in almost anything else.







And while there are certainly issues with representation in places, you're never far from an exploration of mental illness, or a domestic LGBTQ+ drama.

(Just one  of the myriad of reasons I love fanfiction!)

So, my dearest nerdlets, I have brought you much diverse fics in the past, including (and not limited to):

an autistic Sherlock

an autistic Loki

an asexual Sherlock

Iron Man dealing with PTSD

Bucky Barnes dealing with PTSD

...and more LGBTQ+ relationships than I have room to mention here (including that one time there were Stucky mermaids... yeah... MCU fandom likes merpeople. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know.*)

(*Fangirling notes:

Stucky = Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bucky Barnes in a relationship.

MCU = Marvel Cinematic Universe.)








And this week I'm going to bring you another fic which deals with mental illness: this time based on DC's Arrow TV series.

(If you haven't seen Arrow before then dude, GO FIND IT AND WATCH IT!!!!)

This is another fic about PTSD - something the series touched on in the first season or so but really didn't actually properly freaking deal with!

via GIPHY

Clearly, fandom as a whole has realised that superheroes are a prime PTSD-risk - what with all the troubled childhoods, torture, and generally traumatic experiences.

In fact, PTSD is most definitely something that mainstream series/movies need to address - it's not a weakness.

And fandom, unlike the mainstream media, refuses to ignore these things ;)

via GIPHY

I love the way this fic details the physical effects of mental illness, and doesn't shy away from the realities.

This is actually the start of a fic-series, so I may very well be trying the other parts of this!








So, this week's fic is:

Flight Path by whiteraven1606



Enjoy! And I'll be back with more fanfiction next Friday.






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Comics Wrap-Up - Then I'll Raise You, Like a Phoenix

Film Trailers

There's a new TV spot for the up-coming Doctor Strange (which looks pretty fantabulous, in all honesty.)

Check it out:

Graphic Novels

This week, I read Rendez-Vous in Phoenix by Tony Sandoval (UK - US.)

Why did I pick this up?

Well I was pretty keyed up to read Latinx graphic novels after writing my list of graphic novels with Latinx main characters (*slides shameless plug in seamlessly*) so a new #ownvoices Latinx graphic novel? I was there.

It's short - only about 80 pages - and it's a simple story about Tony trying to get over the US/Mexico border, to meet with his girlfriend in Phoenix.

The voice is strong. And I completely loved it.

Watch out for my review in a few weeks' time! :)








Other Stuff



Comics' publishers IDW and DC have announced a new anthology called Love is Love.

It looks pretty cool, will be out in December, and will benefit the survivors of the Orlando shooting.









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The Writer Diaries - Micropoetry, September 2016

It's that time again dearest nerdlets! September is rapidly skimming out of view, and I have more micropoetry to share with you.

Sorry if several of these are kind of a downer - I learnt that someone I knew in school had died and... yeah.

I kind of worked through some stuff (the poems for 13th Sep will show you that,) so feel free to skip anything that's bringing you down!

9th September

Nothing deserves pity

More than those

who fear love & compassion

& turn instead to hate

Poor lost soul,

Find your way home soon

13th September (I)

How am I supposed to feel?
They say you died;
A casual friend;
I hadn't heard your name in years.
How am I supposed to feel?
Tell me.

13th September (II)

Do I have a right to grieve?
5 years or more -
Must have been
Never close, even then
Just two birds of the same flock
One bird now dead


13th September (III)

A background fixture,
Left behind when I left the room.
Weren't you younger than me?
Or was it a few days older?
Young & pretty & dead

17th September

No matter

How dark

It may be

There is light

There is good

You are loved

23rd September






2016
The year of mean.
Have my tears,
But cariad, I'm gonna sing



Over the heads of abject liars -
Reaching ears that may hear
me
2016

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Banned Books Week 2016 - Dangerous Words

As part of Banned Books Week 2016, I figured I'd look at some quotes from books that are often challenged.





So, are words really that dangerous?

I thought that I'd throw together just a few quotes from some of the books featured on the 'most challenged' list of 2015. See what you think ;)

All quotes are from the Goodreads page for that title.

"I am going to take this bucket of water and pour it on the flames of hell, and then I am going to use this torch to burn down the gates of paradise so that people will not love God for want of heaven or fear of hell, but because He is God." - Looking For Alaska by John Green

"Don't place some vague moral judgement on yourself based on what others might think. Don't waste your energy." - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

"There is no reason that we should ever be ashamed of our bodies or ashamed of our love." - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

"What would happen if we spoke the truth?" - Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

"The Sufi saint Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya was seen carrying a firebrand and a jug of water - the firebrand to burn Paradise, the jug of water to drown Hell...

So that both veils disappear, and God's followers worship, not out of hope for reward, nor fear of punishment, but out of love." - Habibi by Craig Thompson

(Yes I chose this one because the similarity to the Looking For Alaska quote struck me!)

"I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them." - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

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Last updated: 25th April 2026

Banned Books Week 2016 - Diverse Books Under Threat

Given that diverse books make up a relatively small amount of the total books available (in English, at least,) it should be eye-opening that the most challenged and banned books are those which allow diverse voices a platform.

A look at the 2015 list of the 10 most challenged books should show you the truth of this.

Except for The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, each of these books either has an author from a diverse community, and/or has diverse characters.

(Even Looking For Alaska, I'm told (by Wikipedia,) has a PoC character.)

This year's Banned Books Week from the American Library Association (yes, I know I'm not American - but dudes, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold,) is focussed on celebrating diversity.

And the banned-books-flag is starting to be flown over here in the UK too.

Diversity is not a threat. Diversity is under threat.

Diversity is vital. Diversity is wonderful. Diversity gives you the opportunity to hear other people's voices.

Why would you think hearing the voices of others is a bad thing?

And a little food for thought...

All graphics & infographics are from the ALA/Banned Books Week Coalition

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Nerd Church - Sing It For The World

This week, dearest nerdlets, I'm going to get all multimedia on your butts in an attempt to explain why your voice - and everyone else's too - is important right now.

(OK, so I ramble and get off-track a bit in this post, but hopefully there's a point in here... somewhere.)

It's inevitable that you're aware of the general feeling in the world.

The Trump threat, Brexit, and the rise of the far right here there and everywhere, means that never has it been more important for you to raise your voice for this world.

The legacy of this generation can not be the rise of intolerance and bigotry. We have to work to make this world a better place.

One MCR song comes to mind. 'Sing' is about refusing to give up and just let sh** happen to the world.

It's a song that my fellow Killjoys, MCRmy, and members of the Black Parade will know well. But to those who might not, this song is a battle cry for speaking out. It says that you have to keep trying - no matter the odds.

Please, if you get the chance, listen to it; and pay attention to the lyrics. There's a lot of truth in there.

It's more than a little concerning just how relevant both the album Danger Days, and the Green Day album 21st Century Breakdown, are, given that they're both dystopian-set.

Then there's using your voice as a well-known figure to try and do some good.

(Like the Save the World campaign did this week. Please, Americans - let the world see Mark Ruffalo naked!)

But it doesn't always take big things to change the world.

Do you want to hear about something beautiful that made me tear-up this week?

The actor Nico Tortorella has a new podcast available called Love Bomb.

Love Bomb is all about sexuality and understanding each other, and is generally awesome sauce.

The beginning of the first episode is a spoken-word poem-type thing. It's also at the start of the extended preview which you can check out on iTunes here. (Please do!)

That first spoken-word poem thing is about being sexually fluid.

Nerdlets, do you know what it feels like to hear the things that you haven't been able to put into words? Do you know what it's like to know that there are people out there - albeit a continent away - who feel like you do?

So yeah, I teared-up.

I also tweeted about it - cos dudes, I'm aware that most people don't understand sexual fluidity; and this meant a lot to me.

Then, something awesome happened:

So yes, that felt... completely amazing! XD

Cee, you seem to have got off track.

This may very well be true dearest nerdlets - but I had a point! (Somewhere... at some point...)

My point, (I think,) was that we can all change the world - we can all have an impact (even if it's only on a 20-something book-nerd in her front room in South Wales.) 

We can all mean something.

Yes, we can all change the world. But you have to raise your voice.

'...You've got to make a choice
If the music drowns you out
And raise your voice
Every single time they try and shut your mouth...'

via GIPHY

Nerd Church is a weekly post where I try to keep the world from going to sh** all on my lonesome - feel free to come and help me out! ;)

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5 Simple Rules For Reading and Reviewing LGBTQ+ Books

I don't claim to be the expert when it comes to reviewing queer books - far from it.

I'm human, I make mistakes. I may even make mistakes in this post (but I'm damn well gonna try my best not to.)

But, I don't want people to be afraid of reading and reviewing books with LGBTQ+ characters.

So I figured I'd give you some tips which seem common sense, but, as you may have seen this week, clearly need to be spelt out.




So listen up my nerdlets, hopefully this will be helpful (and feel free to correct me if I do make a mistake,):