byzantienne.

historian. SFF writer. peripatetic scholar-poet. climate & energy policy. Arkady Martine, most of the time.

[unhelpfultarot]

Knight of Pentacles and The Fool

Take this cursed object, and give it to the next complete idiot you meet.

[hauntedhookah]

Armenian medical manuscript on Horse Healing 13th century

[byzantienne]

IT'S THE ARMENIAN MEDICAL MAP OF THE HORSE!

SOMEONE ELSE HAS TAKEN PHOTOS OF IT BESIDES ME THAT ONE TIME IN 2016

[the1920sinpictures]

1930 Women's striped swimsuit. From The Met.

[byzantienne]

this is the swimsuit I want!

it does not need (in fact I would prefer it not) be those colors

but look at its shape! the little legs! the scoop neck for Cleavage! the charming buttons! I want this swimsuit and no one bar no one will construct one for retail purchase, here in this fallen year of 2025.

[the1920sinpictures]

1920s Cubist teapot silver plated, bakelite handle, unsigned. Height 5 inches. From Art Deco, FB.

[byzantienne]

I would like a Cubist teapot delivered unto me, posthaste.

[this-old-stomping-ground]

[robertreich]

Your regular reminder that trickle-down economics is a cruel joke designed by the wealthy.

[theunicorncomic-blog]

[randomushroom]

HE FOUND TUMBLR??????

[robertreich]

I’ve been here the whole time.

[happyheidi]

Black Bengal cats exist im crying! x

[andmaybegayer]

hold kitten gentle like submachine gun

[byzantienne]

how is "hold kitten gentle like submachine gun" both accurate to this photoset and the best piece of dialogue I have encountered all week

[byzantienne]

apparently we're having Cubist Boob Weather for the foreseeable future

[byzantienne]

what is tumblr for if not for OBSCURE FANDOM POSTING, I ask you

in this case, obscure fandom posting about CJ Cherryh's 1983 novel 40,000 in Gehenna, which I had the pleasure of talking about on a forthcoming podcast this morning for several hours

and in the middle of recording that podcast I came up with a hypothetical I am now entirely obsessed with, to whit:

what if Jin, of Jin-and-Elai-and-the-war, was a GIRL

goddamn, what if Jin was a woman. The same person, but a woman. WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO THE INEVITABLE (?) CONFLICT BETWEEN STYXSIDERS AND CLOUDSIDERS

(Jin/Elai femslash when)

(Jin & Elai guest-hostage child exchange when)

(McGee & Jin conversation when, oh god I want that)

surely some few of you out here in the shitpost wastes are with me still and understand, surely

[uncannymagazine]

ICYMI! Reading for the Locus Awards?

Try the short story "Three Faces of a Beheading" by Arkady Martine!

It is on the Locus Recommended Reading List!

You can read it here!

Three Faces of a Beheading - Uncanny Magazine

Bloodsoaked and grinning, the Soldier climbs to the summit of the ruins. The wind is mountain-top fast. It grabs the strands of her hair tha

[virsaille]

Carl Kahler (1856-1906)

Three Black Cats

[byzantienne]

Labbatu Takes Command of the Flagship Heaven Dwells Within

This month’s Sunday Morning Transport stories include an explicit cyberpunk/space pirate story from Arkady Martine, Thomas Ha’s surreal and

hi tumblr

today I bring you

a reprint of one of my favorite stories, "Labbatu Takes Command Of the Flagship Heaven Dwells Within", today appearing in the Sunday Morning Transport!

content warning: explicit language, more than my usual mode, as appropriate to the original Sumerian poetry inspiration

please enjoy cyberpunk/space opera Inanna myth

(going to try to get back to posting more on here)

[uncannymagazine]

Reading for the Hugo and Nebula Awards? Try the short story "Three Faces of a Beheading" by Arkady Martine!

You can read it here!

Three Faces of a Beheading - Uncanny Magazine

Bloodsoaked and grinning, the Soldier climbs to the summit of the ruins. The wind is mountain-top fast. It grabs the strands of her hair tha

[uncannymagazine]

ICYMI! Reading 2024 fiction? Try the short story "Three Faces of a Beheading" by Arkady Martine!

You can read it here!

Three Faces of a Beheading - Uncanny Magazine

Bloodsoaked and grinning, the Soldier climbs to the summit of the ruins. The wind is mountain-top fast. It grabs the strands of her hair tha

[byzantienne]

I am very proud of this story I wrote.

(hi tumblr)

[byzantienne]

ERIC ADAMS HAS LOST THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN

[deathlonging]

we should talk more about cities that are vampires. cities that are cold and wet and sink into your bones and stay there. cities that are hungry and want to live. dead cities that dont know they're dead and suck the life force of their people to maintain the delusion. cities with harbors that are actually mouths; one-way entries. cities that are devastatingly lonely and see consumption as love

[resumbrarum]

This feels like a very @byzantienne post

[byzantienne]

You aren’t wrong.

[forthegothicheroine]

In further research into Yiddish collections of Arthuriana, my father found a story of Gawain. You'll never guess what it is, I guarantee. Go on, guess. You're wrong.

It's a Yiddish story about Sir Gawain becoming Emperor of China.

[forthegothicheroine]

Ask and ye shall receive.

[byzantienne]

THIS IS AMAZING.