snowynight

It was on a Monday, April second—I was cruising in the vicinity of Betelgeuse—when a meteor no larger than a lima bean pierced the hull, shattered the drive regulator and part of the rudder, as a result of which the rocket lost all maneuverability.

From the Star Diaries by Stanislaw Lem

Recently Finished:

Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon: Sebastian Swift is a compelling character: a poet who can't write, distranged from his poet mother, and a recovering addict. When he lends his cabin key to a his bruised student out of sympathy, the student turns up missing and becomes a murder suspect. Lanyon made him believable and sympathetic, so when he dig hole for himself, you can where he's coming from. The mystery is fine, but his relationship with his boyfriend Max feels open-ended to me.

Strange Houses by Uketsu: A writer has discovered that the floor plan of a second-hand house reveals a mysterious "dead space” hidden between the walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plan with an architect friend only to discover more “strange spaces” dotted across the house. Further investigation leads to more mysteries and a terrible plot behind them all.

It's quick and fast paced, with a big twist at the ending. The clues are told through a series of floor plans and interviews, so we piece together the truth alongside the protagonists. The book covers a lot of dark themes, including

Click to see spoilers

child abuse, involuntary confinement, murder and suicide.

The Moomins and the Great Flood: I watched the Moomin anime as a kid, but found it boring then. Only recently I wanted to check out Moomin novels. The world of Moomins was weirder and more dangerous than what I have vaguely remembered about the anime. I really like how matter of sense Moominmamma was. She was an impressive character.

Ingredients

• 1 container of natto, room temperature
• 1 bowl of cooked white rice:
• 1 piece of egg
• 1 packet of sauce

Instruction: 

1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker or pot according to your usual method.
2. Traditionally, the egg is served raw. For people with health and nutrient concern like me, boiled eggs or poached eggs also go well.
3. Open the natto container and stir the natto. Pour them into the rice and egg bowl.
4. Add the sauce that usually comes with the natto container

The Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp) is an annual celebration of new, text-driven digital games and stories from independent creators. You can play as many of the entries as you like and vote for them in a ballot (requires a free signup). The vote is up to 15 Oct. I have played several of the choice based entries playable online.

Games I have finished and like:

Saltwrack: "A crew of three. A lost city, far in the north. A thousand miles of toxic ice. Plot your course, manage supplies, study apocalypse biota, and don't lose your mind. You'll find out why the world was ruined, or die trying. Content warning: This is a work of horror; it gets grim. Specific content warnings are available in the game's ABOUT page."

thoughts: I like it most. Very atmospheric, and the resource management gameplay really matches how grim and strange the world is.

Pharos Fidelis: "A romantic island getaway. CW: graphic violence, sexually suggestive content, toxic academia, denial of agency, hunger, death. Postmodern fantasy-horror gay demon melodrama"

thoughts: I find the world building with demon summoning intriguing. The gay reluctant summoner/demon romance is nice. I also like the check point system: saving me time to replay. 

The Litchfield Mystery: "A wealthy businessman, dead in his study. Eight suspects, harbouring secrets and twisted truths. "There's always more to it than meets the eye..." To others, a tired cliché. To you, the cardinal principle that has successfully guided you in all your cases as The Sleuth. And you, Detective Pearce, are not about to let this one go cold."

thoughts: The walkthrough is very detailed and useful. The clues are reasonable, and the solution makes sense.

The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens: "When you find yourself sleepwalking in the lush ornamental gardens of the Sylvan Villa, you must discover how to break the thrall of a mysterious trance. You will be aided in your journey by the gardens' keepers: a gardener, a botanist, a librarian, and an enigmatic hermit. Form bonds of friendship or pursue a slow-burn romance as you roleplay, helping these companions with quests that draw you deeper into their individual stories."

thoughts: It's a cosy fantasy adventure with a good mix of puzzles. The NPc are cute and I love spending time with them. I also like the thoughtful ending choices, The creator(s) also created Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade (solving a mystery before an opera opening) & The Path of Totality (cozy fantasy road trip adventure), which are both enjoyable

Penthesileia: "Your husband is a very important man, he tells you; many would like to see his head on a silver platter. Content warning: Material may not be suitable for children; please note strong language, as well as allusions to death, sexual themes, and violence"

thoughts: It's linear and quite obvious how the plot will go, but it's satisfying to play to the end.

To prepare the mango peppers for stuffing, cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Let stand in salt water until required. Then prepare plenty of rice according to No. 52. Keep in a warm place until required.

Fry Hamburg steak with onion and curry powder according to No. 9. A pound of steak will be plenty for a nice big dish of peppers. Use no water in this mince, but when the meat and onions are partially fried add a cupful of the boiled rice, and mix all together. Stuff the peppers with this mixture of rice and meat.

Put in a roaster and cover with tomato sauce. This sauce may be made from any tinned tomato soup, diluted and more highly seasoned, or it may be made from stewed tomatoes from which the seeds and skins[28] have been removed. Make sauce a little thick. Bake very slowly or steam. Serve with the remainder of the rice.

This is such a hearty dish that one needs prepare nothing else to be served with it.

From: The Khaki Kook Book by Mary Kennedy Core (1917 India)

• 1⁄3 cup pearl tapioca
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 3 cups milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Soak the tapioca in the water for one hour. Add the milk, sugar, butter, and salt. Set the pan in a cooker-pail of boiling water. When the milk is scalding remove the pan and let the pudding come to a boil. Replace it in the boiling water and put it into the cooker for one and one-half hours. Take it from the cooker, add the beaten eggs, replace it in the pail of hot water and stir it over the fire till it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit, using a dairy or chemis[164]t’s thermometer. Put it again into the cooker for one hour. When cold, add the vanilla.

Rice may be used instead of tapioca.

Serves six or eight persons.

From: The Fireless Cook Book by Margaret Johnes Mitchell (1913 US)

Two cups of Veribest Pork and Beans, mashed to a pulp, one fourth cup of chopped nuts, one cup of browned bread crumbs, two teaspoons of grated onion, two eggs, one half cup of cream or rich milk, one teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly and put into a greased bread pan. Brush with the beaten yolk of egg, milk or cream and bake one half hour. Serve with tomato sauce.

From Armour's Monthly Cook Book, Volume 2, No. 12, October 1913 by Various (1913 US)