quote:

---

Originally posted by Saer Cormaeril

Lol, I'm certain.

Maybe I should have said from the outset that I personally feel that the hypersexualized society, or a society whose norms diminish or victimize, make less of or disparage women is highly offensive to me. As an anecdote, I would also like to add that I am a northern woodland american indian, and am myself a member of a society which maintains a strong matriarchy. The 'american' part of that weird anthropologically adequate label I get to apply to myself of course means I fully experienced the prevailing society, while at once being taught a very different body of norms. I studied womens issues as a undergraduate as well, though I am by no means an expert.

But I am a Realms fan.

From the Venus of Willendorf (certainly long before) to Storm Silverhand...

So do you think that big booby girls on fantasy fiction covers are just a tired trope? A sorta covert yet pervasive form of misogyny? Indicative of the Forgotten Realms setting, by design or by extension of the what, 30 years of collaborative development?

I also wonder if physical attractiveness is another extension of fantasy, and if women also want, when reading adventure stories like Liriels and Arilyns, to think how cool it would be to be special, and pretty, and have amazing clothes, and two guys that are both totally hot sooo into them they might just fight at any moment... Kinda like how my fourteen year old self thought it would be so cool to be a bad-ass with a sword and be able to kick the asses of 'bad-guys'. (Ok, I still that would be cool.)

Personally, I think the Faerun is kinda sexist, and do you have any plans to touch of feminist themes in your upcoming Forgotten Realms work?

Sorry if I'm totally off base in thinking that your take on fantasy fictin boob art had a feminist theme.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

Busy day ahead, so when it came to today's Free Fiction Friday, I punted. There's a link to "The Illusionist," a short story written for Paizo's Pathfinder setting and originally published in The Wayfinder, a fanzine, and shortly thereafter posted on the Paizo website as part of the free Web Fiction posted each Wednesday.

The story stands alone, and no knowledge of the setting is required.

http://www.elainecunningham.com/

Those who follow this link after today (Friday, August 5) will likely see a more recent post, since my website home page is a frequently updated WordPress blog. If you'd like to go directly to the tale on the Paizo website, here's a link:

http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales/serial/theIllusionist

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kajehase

Seems putting up "The Illusionist" was quite timely. Wayfinder #4, where it first appeared was awarded the 2011 Judges' Award at the Ennies.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

I posted a YouTube link on my facebook page to the High Kings performing the traditional Irish tune "The Wild Rover." It's one of several tunes I can never hear without battling the compulsion to compose bawdy filk versions from a dwarf woman's point of view. Last night a couple of verses broke free. This morning I woke up with several more, fully formed. Here they are, because why should I suffer alone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP4qSiJX3kQ


THE ELF LOVER

I'm a dwarf from Clan Disney (the lads from Snow White),
And I keep very busy the whole blessed night.
Then I got to thinking it might be sublime
To try seven inches, but all at one time.

CHORUS: But it's no, nay, never. No nay never no more
Will I take an elf lover. No, never no more.

So I left clan and tunnels for starlight and trees
And I picked up an elf with the greatest of ease.
Oh, gold were his tresses and blue were his eyes
And vast was his lust for a woman of size.

REPEAT CHORUS

They say elves are frisky. They say elves are great,
But I cannot be certain the durned elf was straight.
He read odes and sonnets my beauty to praise,
But no lips did he plunder, no skirts did he raise.

REPEAT CHORUS

He plied me with flowers and gemstones and song,
'Til I shrieked in frustration, "What's taking so long?"
"I know you're immortal, but this just won't do.
"Carry on--I'll be back in an hour or two."

REPEAT CHORUS

So he practiced his sonnets in front of the glass
And he primped and he preened like a pretty blond ass.
I went back to the clanhold some dwarf lads to find,
For I'll get there much faster one inch at a time.

REPEAT CHORUS

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by althen artren

A demon that's an attorney? That doesn't
take a true stretch of the imagination. Aclu
is filled with them. :)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thieran


Just read Juniper and enjoyed it very much, thanks for sharing it!

I thought it might be useful to point out a a few small errors I noticed in passing:

- when the night elves are named "Old Ones" for the first time, the
text says "One Ones"

- a couple of times throughout the story, particularly in the case of linchetto/linchetti, the text mistakenly gives the Italian singular instead of the Italian plural (for example: "Child, no one knows where the linchetto hide from the sun’s light" or "The orcuili was bending over the babe")

- near the end of the story, the text reads "...the girl who would something be strega after her", though it should probably read "some day" instead of "something", I guess

[A really tiny "error": the final "i" of malandani is not in italics like the rest of the word]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

Also worthy of note: Elfshadow turns 20 this month. In another year, it'll be able to walk into a tavern and order elverquisst without worrying about being carded.

---