The Power of Language #IWSG

Publication:

My sci-fi short story has been officially published with AntipodeanSF today! You can find my story, Between the Ticks here and you can read Issue 250 in full here. This issue will be online for three whole months and a paperback edition will also be released. I'm super excited.

AntipodeanSF is an Aussie online magazine that's devoted to the monthly publication of fabulous and original science-fiction, fantasy, and horror mini-stories of about 500–1000 words each, with occasional longer feature stories.

Books:

I read more than two books in April, but these are the best

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo--I can't recommend this highly enough. It is a great study in character interactions, engaging dialogue, beautiful world building. This is a YA Fantasy with class and some dark edges. So gorgeous. Ok, I'll stop gushing now.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Known in the UK and Oz as The Rivers of London). The voice in this book is a real treat. It had me laughing out loud quite a bit. It's a police procedural set in London with a bunch of magic thrown in. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are currently working on adapting the series for TV, so think Hot Fuzz meets Harry Potter ;)

Shows:
Avengers: Endgame
No Spoilers here. I just wanted to say how much it surprised me. I loved it. With it being 3 hours long, I had thought they were going to drag it out and get all indulgent, but no. Every scene mattered. The movie had so much unexpected heart. I was thrilled.

Game of Thrones.
No spoilers again. So glad it's back. I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I think I want more surprises than we've got so far. The last episode in particular. But I'm still loving it.

Insecure Writers Support Group:

The question for the month: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

There's a silly children's chant I learned when I was young because I was bullied a lot: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I wish it were true. Words do hurt. They can build a person up and they can pull them down and tear them apart. I was pulled down and torn apart an awful lot. It hurt worse when it came from people who were supposed to be my friends. I became small and escaped into stories where the weak overcame overwhelming odds, the little guy who was dismissed by society became the hero. Would I change any of it? No. Everything I've experienced--the good, the bad, the ugly--has shaped me into the person and the writer I am today.

What books have you been reading? What shows have you been loving? What's been your experience with the power of language?