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What’s Left To Do?
Are you finally wrapping up that book and tying up all the loose ends? I know for me, right now, it’s checking pages to make sure they match the subject. Double-checking paragraphs, spelling, punctuation and page count. While subjugating all of these projects simultaneously here is a last-minute list for finishing the book…Good luck with that!
Before you hit publish or send your manuscript off to print, take one more slow read-through. Not a rushed skim, but an honest final pass. This is usually where small mistakes start flailing their arms for attention. A missing quotation mark, a repeated sentence, a character name spelled two different ways. Don’t forget— it’s the tiny details that matter more than we think.
Make sure chapter titles are consistent, fonts match throughout the manuscript, and spacing looks clean and professional. Readers may not notice good formatting, but they absolutely notice bad formatting. If your book includes page numbers, a table of contents, references, or images, now is the time to verify every single one.
Don’t forget the cover and back-cover description either. Sometimes we spend months or years writing the story and only a few hours creating the sales pitch. That short summary on the back of the book, or blurb, as it is often called–is the first impression readers get, so make it count. Keep it clear, engaging, and spoiler-free.
Another important part of this process is reading portions aloud. It may sound a little crazy, but hearing the words helps catch awkward phrasing and overly long sentences. Your ears often notice what your eyes skip over. That always seems to amaze me—Don’t ask!
If possible, ask someone else, who enjoys reading, to give the manuscript one final look over. A fresh pair of eyes can uncover mistakes you’ve become blind to after staring at the same pages for so long. Even one trusted reader can make a huge difference.
And finally, exhale. Finishing a book is an accomplishment many people dream about but never complete. Whether this is your first project or your tenth, reaching the final stage deserves recognition. The editing, revising, second-guessing, coffee-fueled nights, and endless corrections are all part of the process.
At some point, you’ll just have to let the book go. It will never feel one hundred percent perfect, and that’s okay. Done is sometimes better than endless delays. Celebrate the finish line, learn from the experience, and then start thinking about the next story waiting to be written.
Now that it’s time to party…Hit those keys more hardy! Thank you for your continued readership and support. Have a blessed new week!
© Rhema International 2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rhema Internation
#CreativeWriting #TipsForWriters #WritingFormulas #WritingInspirations #academicWriting #Books #ChristianAuthors #Editing #education #fiction #Hamlet #publishing #WhatSLeftToDo #Writer #WriterSTips #writers #Writing #WritingTips -
What’s Left To Do?
Are you finally wrapping up that book and tying up all the loose ends? I know for me, right now, it’s checking pages to make sure they match the subject. Double-checking paragraphs, spelling, punctuation and page count. While subjugating all of these projects simultaneously here is a last-minute list for finishing the book…Good luck with that!
Before you hit publish or send your manuscript off to print, take one more slow read-through. Not a rushed skim, but an honest final pass. This is usually where small mistakes start flailing their arms for attention. A missing quotation mark, a repeated sentence, a character name spelled two different ways. Don’t forget— it’s the tiny details that matter more than we think.
Make sure chapter titles are consistent, fonts match throughout the manuscript, and spacing looks clean and professional. Readers may not notice good formatting, but they absolutely notice bad formatting. If your book includes page numbers, a table of contents, references, or images, now is the time to verify every single one.
Don’t forget the cover and back-cover description either. Sometimes we spend months or years writing the story and only a few hours creating the sales pitch. That short summary on the back of the book, or blurb, as it is often called–is the first impression readers get, so make it count. Keep it clear, engaging, and spoiler-free.
Another important part of this process is reading portions aloud. It may sound a little crazy, but hearing the words helps catch awkward phrasing and overly long sentences. Your ears often notice what your eyes skip over. That always seems to amaze me—Don’t ask!
If possible, ask someone else, who enjoys reading, to give the manuscript one final look over. A fresh pair of eyes can uncover mistakes you’ve become blind to after staring at the same pages for so long. Even one trusted reader can make a huge difference.
And finally, exhale. Finishing a book is an accomplishment many people dream about but never complete. Whether this is your first project or your tenth, reaching the final stage deserves recognition. The editing, revising, second-guessing, coffee-fueled nights, and endless corrections are all part of the process.
At some point, you’ll just have to let the book go. It will never feel one hundred percent perfect, and that’s okay. Done is sometimes better than endless delays. Celebrate the finish line, learn from the experience, and then start thinking about the next story waiting to be written.
Now that it’s time to party…Hit those keys more hardy! Thank you for your continued readership and support. Have a blessed new week!
© Rhema International 2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rhema Internation
#CreativeWriting #TipsForWriters #WritingFormulas #WritingInspirations #academicWriting #Books #ChristianAuthors #Editing #education #fiction #Hamlet #publishing #WhatSLeftToDo #Writer #WriterSTips #writers #Writing #WritingTips -
What’s Left To Do?
Are you finally wrapping up that book and tying up all the loose ends? I know for me, right now, it’s checking pages to make sure they match the subject. Double-checking paragraphs, spelling, punctuation and page count. While subjugating all of these projects simultaneously here is a last-minute list for finishing the book…Good luck with that!
Before you hit publish or send your manuscript off to print, take one more slow read-through. Not a rushed skim, but an honest final pass. This is usually where small mistakes start flailing their arms for attention. A missing quotation mark, a repeated sentence, a character name spelled two different ways. Don’t forget— it’s the tiny details that matter more than we think.
Make sure chapter titles are consistent, fonts match throughout the manuscript, and spacing looks clean and professional. Readers may not notice good formatting, but they absolutely notice bad formatting. If your book includes page numbers, a table of contents, references, or images, now is the time to verify every single one.
Don’t forget the cover and back-cover description either. Sometimes we spend months or years writing the story and only a few hours creating the sales pitch. That short summary on the back of the book, or blurb, as it is often called–is the first impression readers get, so make it count. Keep it clear, engaging, and spoiler-free.
Another important part of this process is reading portions aloud. It may sound a little crazy, but hearing the words helps catch awkward phrasing and overly long sentences. Your ears often notice what your eyes skip over. That always seems to amaze me—Don’t ask!
If possible, ask someone else, who enjoys reading, to give the manuscript one final look over. A fresh pair of eyes can uncover mistakes you’ve become blind to after staring at the same pages for so long. Even one trusted reader can make a huge difference.
And finally, exhale. Finishing a book is an accomplishment many people dream about but never complete. Whether this is your first project or your tenth, reaching the final stage deserves recognition. The editing, revising, second-guessing, coffee-fueled nights, and endless corrections are all part of the process.
At some point, you’ll just have to let the book go. It will never feel one hundred percent perfect, and that’s okay. Done is sometimes better than endless delays. Celebrate the finish line, learn from the experience, and then start thinking about the next story waiting to be written.
Now that it’s time to party…Hit those keys more hardy! Thank you for your continued readership and support. Have a blessed new week!
© Rhema International 2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rhema Internation
#CreativeWriting #TipsForWriters #WritingFormulas #WritingInspirations #academicWriting #Books #ChristianAuthors #Editing #education #fiction #Hamlet #publishing #WhatSLeftToDo #Writer #WriterSTips #writers #Writing #WritingTips -
What’s Left To Do?
Are you finally wrapping up that book and tying up all the loose ends? I know for me, right now, it’s checking pages to make sure they match the subject. Double-checking paragraphs, spelling, punctuation and page count. While subjugating all of these projects simultaneously here is a last-minute list for finishing the book…Good luck with that!
Before you hit publish or send your manuscript off to print, take one more slow read-through. Not a rushed skim, but an honest final pass. This is usually where small mistakes start flailing their arms for attention. A missing quotation mark, a repeated sentence, a character name spelled two different ways. Don’t forget— it’s the tiny details that matter more than we think.
Make sure chapter titles are consistent, fonts match throughout the manuscript, and spacing looks clean and professional. Readers may not notice good formatting, but they absolutely notice bad formatting. If your book includes page numbers, a table of contents, references, or images, now is the time to verify every single one.
Don’t forget the cover and back-cover description either. Sometimes we spend months or years writing the story and only a few hours creating the sales pitch. That short summary on the back of the book, or blurb, as it is often called–is the first impression readers get, so make it count. Keep it clear, engaging, and spoiler-free.
Another important part of this process is reading portions aloud. It may sound a little crazy, but hearing the words helps catch awkward phrasing and overly long sentences. Your ears often notice what your eyes skip over. That always seems to amaze me—Don’t ask!
If possible, ask someone else, who enjoys reading, to give the manuscript one final look over. A fresh pair of eyes can uncover mistakes you’ve become blind to after staring at the same pages for so long. Even one trusted reader can make a huge difference.
And finally, exhale. Finishing a book is an accomplishment many people dream about but never complete. Whether this is your first project or your tenth, reaching the final stage deserves recognition. The editing, revising, second-guessing, coffee-fueled nights, and endless corrections are all part of the process.
At some point, you’ll just have to let the book go. It will never feel one hundred percent perfect, and that’s okay. Done is sometimes better than endless delays. Celebrate the finish line, learn from the experience, and then start thinking about the next story waiting to be written.
Now that it’s time to party…Hit those keys more hardy! Thank you for your continued readership and support. Have a blessed new week!
© Rhema International 2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rhema Internation
#CreativeWriting #TipsForWriters #WritingFormulas #WritingInspirations #academicWriting #Books #ChristianAuthors #Editing #education #fiction #publishing #WhatSLeftToDo #Writer #WriterSTips #writers #Writing #WritingTips -
As I don't have a pinned #introduction I thought I'd post one, particularly for new followers, although my profile is fairly descriptive.
I'm visually impaired due to LCA. I'm a practicing Catholic. I was born Jewish and became a nondenominational Protestant for a while before becoming Catholic in 2007.
I've been working in the blindness assistive technology space for 35 years, doing tech support and then providing technology training for both children and adults. After that, I was a product manager with Comcast's accessibility team. I'm currently the marketing director for Blazie Technologies, which develops Braille oriented computers for blind consumers, powered by Raspberry Pi.
love science fiction, with #DoctorWho and #Babylon5 being my two favorite series. I've been a Doctor Who fan for 41 years and enjoy the TV series, books as well as professional and fan-produced DW dramas. I love audio theater, both old time radio as well as modern audio drama. I primarily enjoy science fiction drama but I also have a special place in my heart for Gunsmoke, which I feel was one of the best OTR shows of its time, as far as its writing and audio production.
I also enjoy watching videos and reading books on apologetics as well as about religious cults; their beliefs and how we as Christians should respond to their claims. I love clean, wholesome puns and I often am unable to resist responding with them.
I love cats. I probably wouldn't be allowed on Mastodon if I didn't.
I use both #JAWS and #NVDA for screen reading.
In the tech world, product support is always my first love.
I own and moderate the Tech-VI mailing list. It's an announce-only list where I distribute announcements in the blindness technology space; winner of the 2022 James R. Olsen Distinguished Service award from the American Council of the Blind. To subscribe, send email to
[email protected]Favorite OTR show: the Shadow
Favorite foods: any type of pasta, love spaghetti and meatballs. Also sushi.
#AssistiveTechnology -
the love of my life | whispered ramblings
I know it’s been a while, but… Will you come lay your head on the pillow next to mine and listen to my ramblings for four minutes?
There’s a strange feeling that has been crawling up my spine the past few weeks. The realisation that I have finally reached a point where I no longer feel this desire to return to a previous version of myself.
In the past, anytime that I’d go through a storm and was stranded somewhere unsafe, I would look back at pictures of me with this deep longing and agony.
I miss her. I wish I was still there. I can’t wait to have her back. I can’t wait to be her again.
I would stare out of my eyes like dusty attic windows and caress the reflection of a past that burnt down not that long ago. I would trace her silhouette and write faded poems in rememberance as the ashes rose and obscured my vision.
While I could always recognise that there was something wrong in her eyes, I would still believe that she was stronger and happier than I could be in the moment.
There was comfort in knowing that I was her once before & that I had the power to shed the misery and new-found darkness to become her, again. She was always the most divine and beautiful version of me–I had to get her back.
I made it my purpose to chase after a ghost and revive someone that had no business existing anymore. I know that what’s dead must remain so and, even if it happens to return, it never rises in the same shape nor with the same memories/light.
I think that once I understood how I was put on a pedestal and pretty much stripped of my humanity in my last relationship, it unlocked something in me.
I realised that I was doing the same thing to myself and how unfair that was. I only saw the bright light, the fire performing on a stage, the stunted potential, the unfinished business.
I forgot that there was more to me than what I can do & produce and how useful & inspiring I can be to others. It feels silly to write it out, but for so long, that was all I could see.
That’s why it was so easy to believe the tales I was sold about my fire being gone and how I probably would never do anything significant with my life now.
I almost believed.
Now, when I look back, I see a real person, not this mirage of a goddess.
I am grateful for all these versions of me that fought so hard through countless of trials to get me to where I am today. I can see their beauty and their strength. I feel inspired by their tenacity and foolishness.
I am touched by the love and faith they showed me before they even knew if a day would ever come where I could be here, right now. The stubbornness, the conviction and boundless hope…
Sure, I miss my flawless skin and maybe even my wine-stained lips. I miss the bliss of not knowing the truth and believing that I had all this light & love in my life. I miss it but I don’t want it back anymore.
I carry so many stories inside the scars that adorn my skin. I can firmly stand where I am now and my hands are not reaching back, nor forward.
I am discovering that I am strong and resilient in so many new ways or at least ways I had never realised before.
I thought I knew everything, that I had already seen the extent of my power and I could just blindly trust it would keep getting me where I want to go. But there is even more to me somehow, like all this fire slithered in through the cracks while I was busy mourning myself.
It is terrifying but thrilling to realise that I am the unknown now.
I never doubted that this stubborn soul would always find a way to burn, even running on fumes. And now I see that it can probably take me even further & sink its roots even deeper into the nest that I am slowly building.
I don’t need to know who I am. I don’t want to be who I was, or who I thought I should be by now.
I’m not ashamed of what I’m not
[…]
I won’t let nothing weigh me down
I know that I could climb higher and higher
But I’m rich right here right nowGoodnight ♥
#growth #life #love #mentalHealth #poetry #resilience #selfCare #selfLove #whisperedRambling #writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – The Religion That Denies Being a Religion.
As I’ve been studying various religions as an elective for my senior year, I have come to the realization that atheism – despite the vehement claims of its followers – is a religion, whether you like it or not. After all, if you look at the definition of “religion,” Google defines it as, “The belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” From this definition, though atheism denies the existence of God or other gods and, for the most part, lacks any sort of organization or liturgy (unless you count the Satanic Temple or Church of Satan,) its core tenants rely on the belief in the superhuman powers of nature in varying forms.
Just think about it for a sec. Atheists, in their pursuit to deny the existence of God, direct their subconscious need for faith in something beyond themselves to nature and Man’s creation (which Paul talked about in Romans 1.) In the absence of God, they turn to various forms of naturalism, materialism, etc. or a combination of various “-isms,” making those the ultimate forces that run the universe. They even have doctrines (though they wouldn’t call them that) in the form of theories such as evolution.
Ironically, though atheists would say that their beliefs are based on science and thus, isn’t blind faith, much less religion, there is very little to support their theories. For example, with evolution, while it’s treated as scientific fact, it’s been shown that often, what’s taught about it in the classroom is faulty at best, completely fraudulent at worst. Further, with the belief that the world randomly exploded into being from nothing, this is faulty as it relies on the belief that things can spontaneously generate from nothing through the power of…well, they’ll have to get back to you on how exactly nature did that. That’s also not mentioning the absurdity of the belief that things could become more complex through chance and time. But don’t worry. The atheists are convinced that as science advances, perhaps we’ll figure out how it happened, maybe through a couple hundred more theories that are ultimately untestable.
How this isn’t blind faith in the power of science and various theories is beyond me.
Additionally, atheism could be considered a sort of pantheistic religion. Pantheism is the belief that God is one with the universe and vice versa. That means that you, your house, the pebble in your shoe, and what your cat left in the litterbox are all God. In the case of atheism, the reason why I say that it could be considered to be a pantheistic religion is because it treats nature as God. And since humans are a part of nature, man is treated almost on the level of a god in the atheist mindset as the final arbiter of truth.
Basically, atheism is a religion in denial that it’s a religion, constantly gaslighting itself and its followers to continue in its delusional belief that it’s purely secular.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #BigBang #Blog #ChristianApologetics #Christianity #Evolution #faith #god #Irony #jesus #OpinionPeice #Pantheism #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – The Religion That Denies Being a Religion.
As I’ve been studying various religions as an elective for my senior year, I have come to the realization that atheism – despite the vehement claims of its followers – is a religion, whether you like it or not. After all, if you look at the definition of “religion,” Google defines it as, “The belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” From this definition, though atheism denies the existence of God or other gods and, for the most part, lacks any sort of organization or liturgy (unless you count the Satanic Temple or Church of Satan,) its core tenants rely on the belief in the superhuman powers of nature in varying forms.
Just think about it for a sec. Atheists, in their pursuit to deny the existence of God, direct their subconscious need for faith in something beyond themselves to nature and Man’s creation (which Paul talked about in Romans 1.) In the absence of God, they turn to various forms of naturalism, materialism, etc. or a combination of various “-isms,” making those the ultimate forces that run the universe. They even have doctrines (though they wouldn’t call them that) in the form of theories such as evolution.
Ironically, though atheists would say that their beliefs are based on science and thus, isn’t blind faith, much less religion, there is very little to support their theories. For example, with evolution, while it’s treated as scientific fact, it’s been shown that often, what’s taught about it in the classroom is faulty at best, completely fraudulent at worst. Further, with the belief that the world randomly exploded into being from nothing, this is faulty as it relies on the belief that things can spontaneously generate from nothing through the power of…well, they’ll have to get back to you on how exactly nature did that. That’s also not mentioning the absurdity of the belief that things could become more complex through chance and time. But don’t worry. The atheists are convinced that as science advances, perhaps we’ll figure out how it happened, maybe through a couple hundred more theories that are ultimately untestable.
How this isn’t blind faith in the power of science and various theories is beyond me.
Additionally, atheism could be considered a sort of pantheistic religion. Pantheism is the belief that God is one with the universe and vice versa. That means that you, your house, the pebble in your shoe, and what your cat left in the litterbox are all God. In the case of atheism, the reason why I say that it could be considered to be a pantheistic religion is because it treats nature as God. And since humans are a part of nature, man is treated almost on the level of a god in the atheist mindset as the final arbiter of truth.
Basically, atheism is a religion in denial that it’s a religion, constantly gaslighting itself and its followers to continue in its delusional belief that it’s purely secular.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #BigBang #Blog #ChristianApologetics #Christianity #Evolution #faith #god #Irony #jesus #OpinionPeice #Pantheism #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – The Religion That Denies Being a Religion.
As I’ve been studying various religions as an elective for my senior year, I have come to the realization that atheism – despite the vehement claims of its followers – is a religion, whether you like it or not. After all, if you look at the definition of “religion,” Google defines it as, “The belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” From this definition, though atheism denies the existence of God or other gods and, for the most part, lacks any sort of organization or liturgy (unless you count the Satanic Temple or Church of Satan,) its core tenants rely on the belief in the superhuman powers of nature in varying forms.
Just think about it for a sec. Atheists, in their pursuit to deny the existence of God, direct their subconscious need for faith in something beyond themselves to nature and Man’s creation (which Paul talked about in Romans 1.) In the absence of God, they turn to various forms of naturalism, materialism, etc. or a combination of various “-isms,” making those the ultimate forces that run the universe. They even have doctrines (though they wouldn’t call them that) in the form of theories such as evolution.
Ironically, though atheists would say that their beliefs are based on science and thus, isn’t blind faith, much less religion, there is very little to support their theories. For example, with evolution, while it’s treated as scientific fact, it’s been shown that often, what’s taught about it in the classroom is faulty at best, completely fraudulent at worst. Further, with the belief that the world randomly exploded into being from nothing, this is faulty as it relies on the belief that things can spontaneously generate from nothing through the power of…well, they’ll have to get back to you on how exactly nature did that. That’s also not mentioning the absurdity of the belief that things could become more complex through chance and time. But don’t worry. The atheists are convinced that as science advances, perhaps we’ll figure out how it happened, maybe through a couple hundred more theories that are ultimately untestable.
How this isn’t blind faith in the power of science and various theories is beyond me.
Additionally, atheism could be considered a sort of pantheistic religion. Pantheism is the belief that God is one with the universe and vice versa. That means that you, your house, the pebble in your shoe, and what your cat left in the litterbox are all God. In the case of atheism, the reason why I say that it could be considered to be a pantheistic religion is because it treats nature as God. And since humans are a part of nature, man is treated almost on the level of a god in the atheist mindset as the final arbiter of truth.
Basically, atheism is a religion in denial that it’s a religion, constantly gaslighting itself and its followers to continue in its delusional belief that it’s purely secular.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #BigBang #Blog #ChristianApologetics #Christianity #Evolution #faith #god #Irony #jesus #OpinionPeice #Pantheism #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – The Religion That Denies Being a Religion.
As I’ve been studying various religions as an elective for my senior year, I have come to the realization that atheism – despite the vehement claims of its followers – is a religion, whether you like it or not. After all, if you look at the definition of “religion,” Google defines it as, “The belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” From this definition, though atheism denies the existence of God or other gods and, for the most part, lacks any sort of organization or liturgy (unless you count the Satanic Temple or Church of Satan,) its core tenants rely on the belief in the superhuman powers of nature in varying forms.
Just think about it for a sec. Atheists, in their pursuit to deny the existence of God, direct their subconscious need for faith in something beyond themselves to nature and Man’s creation (which Paul talked about in Romans 1.) In the absence of God, they turn to various forms of naturalism, materialism, etc. or a combination of various “-isms,” making those the ultimate forces that run the universe. They even have doctrines (though they wouldn’t call them that) in the form of theories such as evolution.
Ironically, though atheists would say that their beliefs are based on science and thus, isn’t blind faith, much less religion, there is very little to support their theories. For example, with evolution, while it’s treated as scientific fact, it’s been shown that often, what’s taught about it in the classroom is faulty at best, completely fraudulent at worst. Further, with the belief that the world randomly exploded into being from nothing, this is faulty as it relies on the belief that things can spontaneously generate from nothing through the power of…well, they’ll have to get back to you on how exactly nature did that. That’s also not mentioning the absurdity of the belief that things could become more complex through chance and time. But don’t worry. The atheists are convinced that as science advances, perhaps we’ll figure out how it happened, maybe through a couple hundred more theories that are ultimately untestable.
How this isn’t blind faith in the power of science and various theories is beyond me.
Additionally, atheism could be considered a sort of pantheistic religion. Pantheism is the belief that God is one with the universe and vice versa. That means that you, your house, the pebble in your shoe, and what your cat left in the litterbox are all God. In the case of atheism, the reason why I say that it could be considered to be a pantheistic religion is because it treats nature as God. And since humans are a part of nature, man is treated almost on the level of a god in the atheist mindset as the final arbiter of truth.
Basically, atheism is a religion in denial that it’s a religion, constantly gaslighting itself and its followers to continue in its delusional belief that it’s purely secular.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #BigBang #Blog #ChristianApologetics #Christianity #Evolution #faith #god #Irony #jesus #OpinionPeice #Pantheism #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Who Are These Clowns and Where Did They Put My Flesh Stapler? The AMG Staff Pick Their Top Ten(ish) of 2025 By Steel DruhmListurnalia is now upon us once again! If you are not ready to be assailed by non-stop lists and bad opinions for the next week and change, I suggest you get fooking ready! Listurnalia cannot be stopped, nor contained. It can only be tolerated and endured!
More than any year in recent history, 2025 saw more seasoned staffers step away from writing duties due to time constraints and life changes. To compensate for the loss of these slackwagoning quitters and shirkers, we added a gaggle of fresh new voices. This made for a bittersweet time around these parts as long-time friends departed and a bunch of untested, unknowns rose through the brutal n00b gauntlet to seize the means of promo production. These greenhorn neophytes have created great havoc at AMG HQ with their terrible taste, inability to follow directions, and steadfast refusal to ignore deathcore.
We’ve been here before, though, and we always straighten out the newbie upstarts. The daily beatings, deprivations, and absence of positive reinforcement will wear them down, and if not, we have plenty of space in the rotpit out back. This is, and will ever be, the AMG modality.
2026 will be an interesting year as the new crew members are shepherded by the olde while everyone is crushed beneath the iron heel of AMG management. Who will make it to 2027? Who will be sold off to Metal Wani for a box of bananas and Gorilla Glue? Place your bets in the official AMG Survival Pool!
As you read the Top Ten(ish) lists below, remember, reading our content is free, but you get what you pay for.
Grymm
#10. Venomous Echoes // Dysmor
#9. Blut Aus Nord // Ethereal Horizons
#8. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#7. Structure // Heritage
#6. Lorna Shore // I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me
#5. Sigh // I Saw The World’s End – Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV
#4. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#3. Am I In Trouble? // Spectrum
#2. Dax Riggs // 7 Songs for Spiders
#1. Paradise Lost // Ascension – I fully expected Paradise Lost to come out with quality music, which has been mostly par for the course in their storied almost-40-year career, and no one could blame them if they decided to coast along on their legendary sound. Instead, Ascension sees them giving a masterclass in songcraft and atmosphere, showing everyone, everywhere, how it’s done. With Black Sabbath now officially put to rest, Anathema long gone, and whatever the fuck is happening within My Dying Bride these days, somebody has to fly the British Doom flag high and proud, and Paradise Lost have done a bang-up job of doing so.Personal Highlight o’ the Year: Seeing Acid Bath live. I may or may not have cried during “Venus Blue,” and no, I don’t fucking care. 19-Year-Old me was pleased as punch that 48-Year-Old me got to see a legendary band (and one of his personal favorites) come back from tragedy to pay tribute to their fallen bassist and friend, Audie Pitre, by giving it another long-awaited go.
Disappointment(s) o’ the Year:
- Losing so many influential heroes (RIP Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley, and Tomas Lindberg, among too many others)
- My health: I was hoping to be a lot more active this year, but early on, I needed to, in the immortal words of David Lynch, “fix (my) heart or die.”1 Thankfully, after surgery, I feel a million times better, so you should see a lot more of me in 2026. You have been warned.
Song o’ the Year:
- Paradise Lost // “Salvation”
El Cuervo
#ish. Astronoid // Stargod
#10. Ollie Wride // The Pressure Point
#9. Kauan // Wayhome
#8. Zéro Absolu // La Saignée
#7. Mutagenic Host // The Diseased Machine
#6. Asira // As Ink in Water
#5. Bruit // The Age of Ephemerality
#4. Saor // Amidst the Ruins
#3. The Midnight // Syndicate
#2. Steven Wilson // The Overview
#1. Messa // The Spin – In a year replete with comfort picks—progressive rock, synthwave, and death metal abound—how is that Italy’s enigmatic, inscrutable Messa forged my Album o’ the Year? The Spin doesn’t take the trouble to make itself easily approachable. Doom, prog, and post influences circle around velvety melodies that sometimes sound like deliberate songs, and sometimes like jazz improvisation. But it’s these very qualities that belie its subtle allure; only with repetition and attention does The Spin shine. Messa gradually reveals rhythmic motifs, instrumental nuances, and rich compositions that enhance my life on so many days. “The Dress,” especially, is stunning. And though the record’s loungey whimsy defies metal conventions, each track prizes genuine grit through its top-drawer guitar riffs. With the devotion it demands, no record from 2025 was more rewarding than The Spin.Honorable Mentions:
- Décryptal – Simulacre
- An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City
- Puteraeon – Mountains of Madness
- Hasard – Abgnose
Song o’ the Year:
- Ambush – “Maskirovka”
GardensTale
#ish. Structure // Heritage
#10. In Mourning //The Immortal
#9. Flummox // Southern Progress
#8. Der Weg Einer Freiheit // Innern
#7. Nephylim // Circuition
#6. Besna // Krásno
#5. Messa // The Spin
#4. Labyrinthus Stellarum // Rift in Reality
#3. Gazpacho // Magic 8 Ball
#2. Dormant Ordeal// Tooth & Nail
#1. Moron Police // Pachinko — I was a little nervous when I first read about the length and ambition behind Pachinko, especially in the context of the incredible and very concise A Boat on the Sea. I’ve never been this happy to be this wrong. Nothing in the last decade has overtaken my life as much as Pachinko has, and I’m listening to it yet again as I write this, and will probably restart it once it finishes. Pachinko has a lot in common with Everything Everywhere All At Once, one of my all-time favorite films, as a treatise on the chaos of life and the importance of friends and family. It treats its philosophy of silliness very seriously, laughing in the face of darkness in such a beautiful and inspiring way; it brightens my life every time I hear it. And it does all that in tribute to a dear friend who was gone too soon and too suddenly, and no other eulogistic album has let me feel like its subject’s soul touched mine. An astounding monument to friendship on top of an incredibly accomplished hour of music. Pachinko is a miracle.Honorable Mentions:
- Hangover in Minsk // Party is Over
- 1914 // Viribus Unitis
- Bianca // Bianca
- Fange // Purulences
- An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
- Blindfolded // What Seeps Through Threads
Song o’ the Year:
- Moron Police – “Giving up the Ghost”
Non-metal Albums of the Year:
- Lorde // Virgin
- Jonathan Hultén // Eyes of the Living Night
- Shayfer James // Summoning
Mark Z.
#ish. Malefic Throne // The Conquering Darkness
#10. Urn // Demon Steel
#9. Teitanblood // From the Visceral Abyss
#8. Shed the Skin // The Carnage Cast Shadows
#7. Guts // Nightmare Fuel
#6. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#5. Perdition Temple // Malign Apotheosis
#4. Paradise Lost // Ascension
#3. Revocation // New Gods, New Masters
#2. Death Yell // Demons of Lust
#1. Abominator // The Fire Brethren – It took me a few years after hearing this Australian duo’s last album, 2015’s Evil Proclaimed, to realize I was wrong about them. Their raw and relentless black-death metal wasn’t just good, it was fucking awesome. With their long-awaited sixth album, The Fire Brethren, Abominator has conjured flames that reach higher than ever. As always, the enraged rasps, scorching riffs, and endlessly pummeling rhythms are like plumes of hellfire shot directly into your ear canals. But amidst the bludgeoning is some genuinely great songwriting, with deep-cutting hooks (“The Templar’s Curse,” “Underworld Vociferations”), flashes of melody (“Progenitors of the Insurrection of Satan”), thrashy breaks (“Sulphur from the Heavens”), and just enough variety to keep everything hitting as hard as possible. It’s not for everyone, but for those into Angelcorpse and other music of that sort, The Fire Brethren is the type of album you just can’t get enough of.Honorable Mention:
- Blasphamagoatachrist // Bestial Abominator
Song (Title) o’ the Year:
- Omegavortex – “Dystopian Worldrape”
Song o’ the Year:
- Fugitive – “Spheres of Virulence”
Carcharodon
#ish. Dax Riggs // 7 Songs for Spiders
#10. Novarupta // Astral Sands
#9. Atlantic // Timeworn
#8. Structure // Heritage
#7. Agriculture // The Spiritual Sound
#6. Igorr // Amen
#5. Messa // The Spin
#4. Abigail Williams // A Void Within Existence
#3. Cave Sermon // Fragile Wings
#2. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#1. Grima // Nightside – In each of 2019, 2021, and 2022, Grima released an album and, in each of those years, I listed said album (#5, HM, and #10). But this year, the year in which I have listened to the least metal and, of course, written the least since I started here in 2018, is also the year that Grima got everything dialled in to just what I want from a Grima album. On Nightside, the duo struck the perfect balance between the traditional influences of 2019’s Will of the Primordial and the propulsive, frozen atmosphere of Frostbitten (2022). The combination gives Nightside an almost hypnotic and weirdly tranquil flow, offset by Vilhelm’s rasping vocals, which remain among the best in the BM game. Every time I come back to this record, and the title track in particular, it’s even better than I remember it being, and I always end up spinning three or more times back-to-back. An album that can keep playing that trick deserves its #1 spot in my book.Honorable Mentions:
- An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
- Gorycz // Zasypia
- Psychonaut // World Maker
- Wardruna // Birna
Songs o’ the Year:
- Messa – “Fire on the Roof”
- Novarupta – “Now Here We Are (At the Inevitable End)”
Mysticus Hugebeard
#10. Orbit Culture // Death Above Life
#9. An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
#8. Qrixkuor // The Womb of the World
#7. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#6. Panopticon // Laurentian Blue
#5. Blackbraid // Blackbraid III
#4. Arkhaaik // Uihtis
#3. Kauan // Wayhome
#2. Wardruna // Birna
#1. Thumos // The Trial of Socrates – I recall groggily stumbling upon Thumos’ The Trial of Socrates at work one early morning, and I’m not sure if I’ve grown attached to it or it’s grown attached to me. It looms in my periphery, routinely interrupting my listening schedule for just one more spin. This gargantuan dive into ancient Greek philosophy and justice is melodically rich, laden with atmosphere, and fiercely intelligent. I love how this album stimulates my curiosity. I pore over The Trial of Socrates like a madman, piecing the puzzle together with feverish glee but never quite feeling finished, because every re-listen yields new shapes, new colors, new ideas. It eggs me on to research various topics on ancient Greek history or philosophy, and even made for an unlikely study partner during my long preparations for the German A1 exam. I always feel smarter by the end of it—hubris, I’m sure, but The Trial of Socrates genuinely sparks my imagination in ways few albums do. Time to go listen to “The Phædo” for the zillionth time.Honorable Mentions:
- Night Flight Orchestra // Give Us The Moon
- Mutagenic Host // The Diseased Machine
Songs o’ the Year:
- Disarmonia Mundi – “Outcast”
The Dormant Stranger by Disarmonia Mundi
- Jamie Page & Marcy Nabors – “Do No Harm (Ventricular Mix)”
Do No Harm by Jamie Paige, Marcy Nabors, & Penny Parker
- Thumos – “The Phædo”
The Trial of Socrates by Thumos
Disappointment(s) o’ the year:
- The dissolution of Ante-Inferno: After Death’s Soliloquy topped my list last year, I was genuinely gutted to see Ante-Inferno’s post that they were no more. Still, I shall not weep but rather smile that they happened, because Ante-Inferno was a rare breed of genuinely moving black metal. Just that one album rooted itself so deeply within me, and I will be listening for a long time.
- Arno Menses leaving Subsignal: Man, fuck. Fuck. Remember my nuclear-grade glaze of Subsignal, where I might as well have said Menses’ voice single-handedly justified the entire existence of music? How could I not break down in heaving sobs in the middle of this Denny’s when I heard that Menses and Subsignal have parted ways? It sucks, I tell ya. I will still listen to what Subsignal puts out in the future, because Markus Steffen is a talented musician, but it’s going to be a huge adjustment since Menses is nigh irreplaceable.
Samguineous Maximus
#ish. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#10. Primitive Man // Observance
#9. Motherless // Do You Feel Safe?
#8. Deafheaven // Lonely People with Power
#7. Weeping Sores // The Convalescence Agonies
#6. Between the Buried and Me // The Blue Nowhere
#5. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#4. 1914 // Viribus Unitis
#3. Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl
#2. Crippling Alcoholism // Bible Songs II
#1. Yellow Eyes // Confusion Gate – Yellow Eyes are one of the best black metal bands in the game, and Confusion Gate is their most impressive work to date. It sees the band return to a more traditional atmospheric sound, but with the lessons learned from their explorations of dissonance and ambience. The result is a kaleidoscopic blend of gorgeous melodies, haunting riffs, and a pervasive sense of pathos that only the best art can achieve. Confusion Gate feels like communing with nature from the top of a wintry peak, embodying both impossible grandeur and awesome terror. This is a record that bypasses the analytical reviewer’s brain and just hits me right in the feeling. It offers a unique catharsis in a year where I truly needed it.Honorable Mentions
- Flummox // Southern Progress
- Hexrot // Formless Ruin of Oblivion
- Ava Mendoza/Gabby fluke-Mogal/Carolina Pérez // Mama Killa
- Strigiform // Aconite
Song o’ the Year:
- Crippling Alcoholism – “Ladies Night”
Spicie Forrest
#ish. Cryptopsy // An Insatiable Violence
#10. Crimson Shadows // Whispers of War
#9. Oromet // The Sinking Isle
#8. -ii- // Apostles of the Flesh
#7. Suncraft // Welcome to the Coven
#6. Suncraft // Profanation of the Adamic Covenant
#5. Chestcrush // ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
#4. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#3. Qrixkuor // The Womb of the World
#2. Primitive Man // Observance
#1. Wytch Hazel // V: Lamentations – I know, I’m surprised too. But the bottom line is that I’ve been listening to V: Lamentations front to back at least once a week since it released on the most American of holidays, July 4th. For Steel, Wytch Hazel’s latest didn’t have the same staying power as previous efforts, but Lamentations is the first to truly resonate with me. Though musically consistent with their Wishbone Ash-meets-Eagles style, vocalist Colin Hendra brings a new sense of passion to the record, and the interplay between instruments, vocals, and lyrics hits me like a lightning bolt. Very possibly inspired by the core Christian tenet laid out in Romans 6:23-24,2 Lamentations is a masterful portrayal of what it means to perpetually fail, to know you’ll never be good enough, and in the face of a salvation that renders all efforts, deeds, and accomplishments worthless, to keep striving toward the impossible anyway. Even for godless sinners like me, Lamentations is a beautiful reminder that purpose is found in hardship, that the journey is the goal, and that falling down is merely an opportunity to stand up again.Honorable Mentions:
- Proscription // Desolate Divine
- Apocalypse Orchestra // A Plague upon Thee
- Messa // The Spin
- Bloodywood // Nu Delhi
- Pedestal for Leviathan // Enter: Vampyric Manifestation
Song o’ the Year:
- Yellowcard – “honestly i”
Grin Reaper
(ish) Sallow Moth // Mossbane Lantern
#10. Turian // Blood Quantum Blues
#9. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#8. Lychgate // Precipice
#7. An Abstract Illusion // The Sleeping City
#6. Thron // Vurias
#5. Structure // Heritage
#4. Species // Changelings
#3. Havukruunu // Tavastland
#2. Aephanemer // Utopie
#1. 1914 // Viribus Unitis – I didn’t know Viribus Unitis would be my top album of the year the first time I listened to it, but I knew it would list. 1914’s naked emotion and rousing story of a Ukrainian soldier’s survival through World War I, reconciliation with his family, and inescapable return to war remains as gripping and bittersweet now as it did the first time I heard it. Across adrenaline-fueled riffing, oppressive marches, and somber dirges, 1914 never relents on musical or lyrical weight. Though Viribus Unitis was released late in the year, it quickly became the standard I used to appraise albums while going through listing season. 1914 paints war-torn life with savage grace, supplying devastating melody and grueling crawls that elevate the album to such heights that I’m genuinely moved each time I get to the end. Viribus Unitis is bleak, raw, and human, but for all that, I’m never deterred from listening. Ultimately, 1914 clutches the threads of hope and weaves an aural tapestry that brings tragedy and triumph to life, cementing Viribus Unitis as my undisputed top album of 2025.
Honorable Mentions:- Walg // V
- Moron Police // Pachinko
- Defigurement // Endbryo
- Ültra Raptör // Fossilized
- Igorrr // Amen
Songs o’ the Year:
- Aephanemer – “Le Cimetière Marin”
- 1914 – “1918 Pt. III: ADE (A Duty to Escape)”
Andy-War-Hall
#ish: Dragon Skull // Chaos Fire Vengeance
#10: Changeling // Changeling
#9: Steel Arctus // Dreamruler
#8: Abigail Williams //A Void Within Existence
#7: Petrified Giant // Endless Ark
#6: Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#5: Structure // Heritage
#4: Lipoma // No Cure for the Sick
#3: Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl
#2: Hexrot // Formless Ruin of Oblivion
#1: 1914 // Viribus Unitis – Immersion defines great music and art for me. It is almost unfortunate how good 1914 are in this facet of their music. Their ability to transport the listener to the battlefield in all its violence, both carnal and psychological, is stupefying. The utter dehumanizing hatred with “1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl),” the ravenous bloodlust of “1917 (The Isonzo Front),” the hellish wails haunting “1918 Pt. 1 (WIA – Wounded in Action):” all portrayed vividly through 1914’s brilliantly caustic and composed musicianship and deeply personal lyricism. When Dmytro Ternushchak bellows “For three days / The Russians attacked / And accomplished nothing but / 40,000 dead pigs” [“1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)”], it’s all you need to get into his character’s violent headspace. When 1914 mournfully sing in Ukrainian “Це моя земля”3 [1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge)], you grasp how someone could put their life on the line for kin and country. When our soldier sings “My little girl reached out to me / But duty calls” [1919 (The Home Where I Died)]… well, shit, your heart just has to break, right? 1914 don’t play “history metal.” Viribus Unitis is as present and relevant as you can get.Honorable Mentions:
- Fell Omen // Caelid Dog Summer
- Ophelion // The Jaunt
- Coroner // Dissonance Theory
- Starscourge // Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed
Song o’ the Year:
- Fell Omen – “The Fire is Still Warm”
Lavender Larcenist
#ish Spiritbox // Tsunami Sea
#10. Sold Soul // Just Like That, I Disappear Entirely
#9. Calva Louise // Edge of the Abyss
#8. Dying Wish // Flesh Stays Together
#7. Grima // Nightside
#6. Aversed // Erasure of Color
#5. Deafheaven // Lonely People With Power
#4. Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace
#3. Changeling // Changeling
#2. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#1. Crippling Alcoholism // Camgirl – Sometimes you listen to music, and you feel like it gets you. Camgirl was exactly that type of album, and it probably doesn’t say anything good about me. Ever since Crippling Alcoholism’s latest graced my ears and I shared it with my partner, we have been singing “I fucking hate the way I look, yeah I look like a fat fucking scumbag” way too often and mumbling “Mr. Ran away, ran away from family” every chance we get. The album is dripping with the atmosphere of neon-lit back rooms, seedy interactions, and terrible decision-making. It feels like a lens into the lives of those society has left behind, and I can’t help but feel a connection. The self-destructive nihilism, drugged-out sex, and abrupt violence that is all too common in those on the margins of life is something I think more and more we can all relate to, and Camgirl is the art that mirrors society back to us. As a result, it is an album that is just as ugly as it is terrifying and beautiful.
Honorable Mentions:- Shadow of Intent // Imperium Delirium
- Pupil Slicer // Fleshwork
- 1914 // Viribus Unitis
Song o’ the Year:
- Crippling Alcoholism – “bedrot”
Creeping Ivy
#ish. Nite // Cult of the Serpent Sun
#10. Blackbraid // Blackbraid III
#9. Flummox // Southern Progress
#8. 1914 // Viribus Unitis
#7. Cave Sermon // Fragile Wings
#6. Saor // Amidst the Ruins
#5. Imperial Triumphant // Goldstar
#4. Phantom Spell // Heather & Hearth
#3. Coroner // Dissonance Theory
#2. Messa // The Spin
#1. Havukruunu // Tavastland – On their Bandcamp page, Havukruunu explain the concept of their fourth LP: ‘Tavastland tells how in 1237 the Tavastians rose in rebellion against the church of Christ and drove the popes naked into the frost to die.’ Sounds like the metal album of 2025 to me! But I didn’t crown Tavastland for its lyrics that I can’t understand. As Dr. A.N. Grier has been exhorting for a decade, Havukruunu stands as a model of Viking black metal consistency, having dropped only very good-to-great albums since 2015. Tavastland isn’t a radical improvement over 2020’s Uinuous syömein sota, but it’s an (arguably excellent) improvement nonetheless, making it Havukruunu’s finest work yet. Yes, these fiery Finns forge sounds reminiscent of Bathory and Immortal, but Tavastland seized my attention for its adventurous prog sensibilities. Some of this can be attributed to the return of Hümo, whose bass rattles like the four strings of Geddy Lee. But the prog is deep in the album craft, from the overture-style modulations of opener “Kuolematon laulunhenki” to the extended guitar wankery of closer “De miseriis fennorum.” Now if only I can learn Finnish, I’ll be able to appreciate the killer anti-popery narrative while headbanging to my Record o’ 2025.Honorable Mentions:
- Am I in Trouble? // Spectrum
- Blut Aus Nord // Ethereal Horizons
- In Mourning // The Immortal
- Oromet // The Sinking Isle
- Wyatt E. // Zamāru Ultu Qereb Ziqquratu Part 1
Song o’ the Year:
- Phantom Spell – “The Autumn Citadel”
Baguette of Bodom
#ish. In the Woods… // Otra
#10. Species // Changelings
#9. Dragon Skull // Chaos Fire Vengeance
#8. A-Z // A2Z²
#7. Apocalypse Orchestra // A Plague upon Thee
#6. Amorphis // Borderland
#5. Dolmen Gate // Echoes of Ancient Tales
#4. Dormant Ordeal // Tooth and Nail
#3. Amalekim // Shir Hashirim
#2. Suotana // Ounas II
#1. Buried Realm // The Dormant Darkness – Melodic tech death? Symphonic power metal? Who knows! Much like my 2025 in general, The Dormant Darkness has a bit of everything in one gigantic clusterfuck. The great news is, neither I nor the album crumbled under all that weight. In a year full of odd twists and turns, my list became more varied and unusual than ever. Buried Realm took this variety and gave me everything I like about metal in one dense package: blazing speeds, soaring guitars, majestic vocals, and relentless fury. It’s also inexplicably well-produced for how many layers there are to deal with. While 2025 was not a particularly star-studded release year—especially compared to most of the 2020s so far—it threw plenty of fun curveballs at me, and The Dormant Darkness exemplifies this with its Xothian fusion of metal subgenres in one big Ophidian I blender ov shred. I would also like to request several Christian Älvestam features on every album, please.Honorable Mentions:
- Victim of Fire // The Old Lie
- Dawn of Solace // Affliction Vortex
- Dynazty // Game of Faces
- Coroner // Dissonance Theory
- Hooded Menace // Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration
Song o’ the Year:
- Dragon Skull – “Blood and Souls”
Chaos Fire Vengeance by Dragon Skull
#1914 #2025 #AZ #AbigailWilliams #Abominator #Aephanemer #Agriculture #AmIInTrouble #Amalekim #Ambush #Amorphis #AnAbstractIllusion #ApocalypseOrchestra #Arkhaaik #Asira #Astronoid #Atlantic #AvaMendozaGabbyFlukeMogalCarolinaPérez #Aversed #Besna #BetweenTheBuriedAndMe #Bianca #Blackbraid #Blasphamagoatachrist #Blindfolded #BlogLists #Bloodywood #BlutAusNord #Bruit #BuriedRealm #CalvaLouise #CaveSermon #Changeling #Chestcrush #Coroner #CrimsonShadows #CripplingAlcoholism #DawnOfSolace #DaxRiggs #Deafheaven #DeathYell #Décryptal #Defigurement #DerWegEinerFreiheit #DolmenGate #DormantOrdeal #DragonSkull #DyingWish #Dynazty #Fange #FellOmen #Flummox #Gazpacho #GhostBath #Gorycz #Grima #Guts #HangoverInMinsk #Hasard #Havukruunu #Hexrot #HoodedMenace #Igorr #Igorrr #II #ImperialTriumphant #JonathanHultén #Kauan #LabyrinthusStellarum #Lipoma #Lists #Lorde #LornaShore #Lychgate #MaleficThrone #Messa #MoronPolice #Motherless #MutagenicHost #Nephylim #NightFlightOrchestra #Nite #Novarupta #OllieWride #Ophelion #OrbitCulture #Oromet #Panopticon #ParadiseLost #PedestalForLeviathan #PerditionTemple #PetrifiedGiant #PhantomSpell #PrimitiveMan #Proscription #Psychonaut #PupilSlicer #Puteraeon #Qrixkuor #Revocation #SallowMoth #Saor #ShadowOfIntent #ShayferJames #ShedTheSkin #Sigh #SoldSoul #Species #Spiritbox #Starscourge #SteelArctus #StevenWilson #Strigiform #Structure #Suncraft #Suotana #Teitanblood #TheAMGStaffPickTheirTopTenIshOf2025 #TheMidnight #Thron #Thumos #Turian #ÜltraRaptör #Urn #VenomousEchoes #VictimOfFire #Walg #Wardruna #WeepingSores #WyattE #WytchHazel #YellowEyes #Yellowcard #ZéroAbsolu -
Dragon Skull – Chaos Fire Vengeance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]
By Baguette of Bodom
Greece is a surprising hotbed for power metal-adjacent sounds, providing recent gems such as Sunburst last year and Sacred Outcry’s 2023 masterpiece.1 Dragon Skull is a newcomer to these fields of glory, introducing their burly heavy/power style on their promising self-titled EP as recently as 2022. Now, three years later, they were finally ready to unleash their debut Chaos Fire Vengeance on the world. And oh my, what an entrance it is.
Dragon Skull know how to riff like hell and craft anthemic, cataclysmically heavy tunes. In addition to the fist-pumping Manowar feel the band is going for (“Brethren,” “Skull Crusher”), the songwriting is further guided by the spirit of German power metal, something like Brainstorm further reinforced with later Blind Guardian bombast (“Nampat,” “Blood and Souls”). But what makes the instrumentation incendiary is how guitarists Panos Wallach and Chris Brintzikis take influence from several directions at once. This guarantees plenty of variety through the album’s eight tracks, ranging from the dual-harmonized NWoBHM of “Brethren” to the melodeath/meloblack-informed tremolos on “Shield Maiden.” To top it all off, the pummeling war drums of Teo Stamatiadis and gargantuan vocals of Aris Labos lend maximum grit to an already muscular record.
Chaos Fire Vengeance offers a refreshing mixture of ’80s heavy metal and ’00s power metal. Slower, anthemic annihilation is counterpointed by thunderous fury, often during the same song (“Dragon Riders,” Shield Maiden”). The extra melodic death metal DNA brings with it a welcome burst of harsh vocals as well (“War Drums,” “Skeleton Hand”), and the way it all gels effortlessly is impressive. Despite the amount of various elements and influences in the album, the end result is deceivingly simple and effective. It makes Dragon Skull’s style stand out in a similar way Triumpher’s shtick does, but the increased mass and grit of Chaos Fire Vengeance improves the formula from good to face-melting. Though the first half of the album is already potent, the second half is where the band’s ambitions are fully realized. The hooks in “Nampat” and “Skeleton Hand” are immense, and the gargantuan epic “Blood and Souls” is a serious Song o’ the Year contender. I mean, how can you not love a song with Elric and Tanelorn-themed lyrical homages to Cirith Ungol and Blind Guardian?2
Dragon Skull is single-handedly carrying the power metal torch this year. Sure, it might be more heavy/power, but who’s counting? The songwriting is superbly anthemic, and the band knocked it out of the park on their first try in 42 brief minutes. I’ve had some trouble getting all my writing done late in the year for countless reasons, and this album in particular felt difficult to write deeper analysis for. But maybe it’s not necessary. After all, what is a TYMHM but a long-winded way to say “this album rocks, go check it out?” Sometimes it’s just better to keep things short and simple, and all Chaos Fire Vengeance needs is a damn strong barrage of eight massive tunes. Better yet, it’s a brilliant blueprint Dragon Skull can use to further refine their songcraft.
Tracks to Check Out: “Nampat,” “Skeleton Hand,” and “Blood and Souls.”
#2025 #BlindGuardian #Brainstorm #ChaosFireVengeance #CirithUngol #DragonSkull #EpicHeavyMetal #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #PowerMetal #SacredOutcry #SelfReleased #Sunburst #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Triumpher #TYMHM
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Toad Work
Recently I have been enjoying the British television series “Down Cemetery Road.” It is a brilliant mystery drama with first-rate acting, and it can be found on Apple TV and Amazon Prime in Canada.
I discovered the source of the show’s title only when one of the key characters, played by Emma Thompson, recited some of Philip Larkin’s poem “Toads Revisited” which mentions Cemetery Road.
brian.gratwicke, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsI found the poem on The Poetry Hour website and read it through three times until I felt as though I was in tune with the author’s meaning. I was especially taken by the last stanza which reads:
When the lights come on at four
Two Toads from Randy Robertson via Flickr
At the end of another year?
Give me your arm, old toad;
Help me down Cemetery Road.As I write this post, it is 4:05 PM, and the sun has just gone down behind the buildings that I see from my windows. My blinds have closed automatically already; they are set to close at half an hour before sunset. The lights that my neighbours have placed in the community gardens have been on all day, but the Christmas lights that I have strung around my patio came on at 3:40. Not four o’clock exactly, but pretty close to the poem’s imaginings.
The verses refer to working people of various kinds, and I wondered what was meant by “toad work” so I Googled it. This is how Google AI explains it:
Toads from Karen Arnold via Public Domain Pictures“The toad work” in Philip Larkin’s poem “Toads” symbolizes the heavy, unromantic, and burdensome nature of daily work and societal obligations, a persistent, ugly pressure that squats on one’s life, forcing the speaker to trade days of freedom for money and a pension, even as he grudgingly recognizes his own “toad-like” participation in this system. It’s a metaphor for the monotonous 9-to-5 grind that stifles personal passions, contrasting with the dream of living by one’s wits, yet the poem concludes that both internal and external “toads” (work and creative duty) are inescapable, says Interesting Literature and All Poetry.
My days of toad work are over, but the lights still come on at around 4 PM in winter here, and I enjoy them. It would be nice to have someone to take my arm as my aging body takes walks, but I am grateful that I have the strength to walk alone.
I heartily recommend both the TV show and the poem. They will give you lots to think about.
#aging #christmas #downCemeteryRoad #lights #nature #philipLarkin #poetry #sunset #television #toadsRevisited #winter #writing
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Toad Work
Recently I have been enjoying the British television series “Down Cemetery Road.” It is a brilliant mystery drama with first-rate acting, and it can be found on Apple TV and Amazon Prime in Canada.
I discovered the source of the show’s title only when one of the key characters, played by Emma Thompson, recited some of Philip Larkin’s poem “Toads Revisited” which mentions Cemetery Road.
brian.gratwicke, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsI found the poem on The Poetry Hour website and read it through three times until I felt as though I was in tune with the author’s meaning. I was especially taken by the last stanza which reads:
When the lights come on at four
Two Toads from Randy Robertson via Flickr
At the end of another year?
Give me your arm, old toad;
Help me down Cemetery Road.As I write this post, it is 4:05 PM, and the sun has just gone down behind the buildings that I see from my windows. My blinds have closed automatically already; they are set to close at half an hour before sunset. The lights that my neighbours have placed in the community gardens have been on all day, but the Christmas lights that I have strung around my patio came on at 3:40. Not four o’clock exactly, but pretty close to the poem’s imaginings.
The verses refer to working people of various kinds, and I wondered what was meant by “toad work” so I Googled it. This is how Google AI explains it:
Toads from Karen Arnold via Public Domain Pictures“The toad work” in Philip Larkin’s poem “Toads” symbolizes the heavy, unromantic, and burdensome nature of daily work and societal obligations, a persistent, ugly pressure that squats on one’s life, forcing the speaker to trade days of freedom for money and a pension, even as he grudgingly recognizes his own “toad-like” participation in this system. It’s a metaphor for the monotonous 9-to-5 grind that stifles personal passions, contrasting with the dream of living by one’s wits, yet the poem concludes that both internal and external “toads” (work and creative duty) are inescapable, says Interesting Literature and All Poetry.
My days of toad work are over, but the lights still come on at around 4 PM in winter here, and I enjoy them. It would be nice to have someone to take my arm as my aging body takes walks, but I am grateful that I have the strength to walk alone.
I heartily recommend both the TV show and the poem. They will give you lots to think about.
#aging #christmas #downCemeteryRoad #lights #nature #philipLarkin #poetry #sunset #television #toadsRevisited #winter #writing
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"The rate of change outside your control must be met by a greater rate of learning inside your mind!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
Most people don't realise what is happening with the exponentiation of trends. And yet, it is and will continue to have a p[profound impact on them. That's why I'm writing this new 2026 series, launching tomorrow.
It's best to put this into perspective in the context of the reality of trends today.
A year ago this month, I was invited by the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates to address the annual AGM of the region - a room full of 700 cabinet ministers and government executives. We spent a lot of time polishing my slide deck, and here are a few key slides. (Forgive the small type - these were prepared for a really big room with a really big LED screen!)
The first had to do with what I call 'the era of acceleration.'
Consider these numbers:
- Amazon Robots: from 1,000 (2012) to 75,000 ↑ Significant Increase (Volume)
- Cost of Human Genome Sequencing: from $100 million (2001) to $200 ↓ Massive Cost Reduction
- Solar Energy: $76 per watt (1977) to $0.20 ↓ Cost Reduction
- 3D Printing: $50 per cm³ (2010) to $0.50 ↓ Cost Reduction
- Battery Storage: $1,100 per kWh (2010) to <$100 ↓ Cost Reduction
- AI Inference Cost, $20.00 / Million Tokens (Nov 2022) to $0.07 / Million Tokens (Oct 2024)
- Access to Space (Low Earth Orbit): $54,500 per kg (Space Shuttle Era) to $2,720 per kg (Falcon 9)
- IoT Capacity (5G), 4G: 100,000 devices per km² to 5G: 1,000,000 devices per km²
- General knowledge doubling : 100 Years (Until 1900) to 12 Hours (Projected 2020)
- Medical knowledge doubling time, 50 Years in 1950 to 73 Days in 2020
- Professional skills relevance: from 30 years historically to a half-life of 6 years todayWhat' the impact? Skills obsolescence, opportunity blindness, and the drag of legacy!
Starting tomorrow, I'll be taking you on the first principle of adaptation: Temporal Literacy. This is the foundational skill for every futurist, leader, and individual aiming for reinvention. It's the ability to stop judging the future by the slow pace of the past.
Get ready to reset your internal clock!
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Each year, leading into the New Year, Futurist Jim Carroll writes a series designed to get you into the right headspace for what's to come. This year, his "26 Principles to Master Exponential Growth" will take you further into the world of speed. The series starts tomorrow, November 20.
**#Exponential** **#Learning** **#Acceleration** **#Skills** **#Adaptation** **#Change** **#Knowledge** **#Growth** **#Future** **#Velocity**
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Hey, it's another one of these things where I reread a comic that I read years ago and write my stream-of-consciousness thoughts!
*Speak of the Devil: Wake the Dead* by @[email protected] is an urban fantasy detective mystery webcomic that ran from 2018-2021. I read it as it originally released, but I have not reread it since then. Today, I start my full reread, and I will be writing my thoughts as I go. As always, this reread will contain SPOILERS!
Lunsford's previous comic, Supernormal Step (2008-2018) is one of my all-time favorites. I really love Fiona and the rest of the cast. When Speak of the Devil started, my expectations were sky high, but I also had no idea what to expect in terms of characters.
Chapter 1: Have a Nice Trip
We start with a cover page for the whole series, showing our protagonist, Sunday Blackburne, a humanoid with a black tail and devilish horns. She's half-basilisk and half-devil. The cover for the ebook (which is what I'm reading) is based on the first page of the online comic, but it's been enhanced.
We start the story proper in media res, with a cloaked figure pushing someone out a high window onto a busy street. Sunday is talking to a fey-like creature about someone she's about to fight. I don't remember if this guy shows up later of if he's just here to help establish Sunday. She's interrupted by a phone call from Kiera, who reminds Sunday that she has a blind date! Kiera reminds Sunday that Sunday broke up with her ex over a year ago. I don't remember anything about Sunday's ex, including whether or not we ever see her. Kiera uses the power of a cute cat! I love the sign on the outside of Kiera's place.
On the bus, Sunday hears something to distract her from her date: two people talking about Jack's Lantern, as mentioned on the chapter cover. Ah, irony. And a billboard ad specifically aimed at whisps. Now we meet Mina. They hit it off talking about their mixed ancestries, and then bam: Mina asks about Lena, Sunday's mom, and the temperature in the room drops a lot. Lena is a cop, Sunday is a private detective. They don't get along.
And now our client Salvador interrupts, insisting Sunday help find a "dear dear friend." I don't recall every detail of the plot of this comic, but I remember being very suspicious of Salvador my first time through. We're looking for a whisp named Curtis Becket, oh, and he's not really Salvador's friend: he's an employee under-the-table. Sunday lives in an abandoned diner. And she's just as suspicious of Salvador as I am.
So the invitation to Jack's Lantern is a puzzle telling you the current location. Sid and Dex help, and they have a book on the history of whisp communities. Sweet friendships. Now Sunday arrives at Jack's Lanturn. As the only non-whisp present, she quickly attracts the owner's attention. Curtis was friends with band guitarist Isla Quinn. Dang, that girl looks a fair bit like Fiona if she was a whisp. I love the exchange of dialogue between these too:Isla: You're not a cop, are you?
Sunday gets Curtis' address, but his home (if it's even his real address) is abandoned. A green person has been dead here for awhile: they look like the cloaked figure from the opening scene. Same species or actually the same person? I like Sunday's inner monologue: uh oh, she has to call mom. Now two thugs enter looking for someone: are they looking for Curtis? Sunday goes badass fighting them...end of chapter!
Sunday: I try my best not to be-
So, overall thoughts for the first chapter. First, the plot moves really fast: much faster than SNS or Nix of Nothing. I love all the little details of worldbuilding about wisp culture, and the generally cosmopolitan nature of the setting. It's also clear from the little details that the author had planned out exactly where the plot was going.
But my biggest observation is a repeat of what I said about Supernormal Step: The author is really good at getting me to like their characters. I love Sunday right off the bat and I want to read more about her. Now, I am going to pull up what I said in my Supernormal Step reread and see how that comparesMy general thoughts on the first two chapter are that right from the beginning, Lunsford was really good at creating characters that I want to read about. Fiona, Van, Jim, Kite, and the Hendersons are all characters I immediately want to know more about.
That's from my SNS reread, June 2020, about the first two chapters. Five years and one comic later, my opinion remains the same.
Come back tomorrow for Chapter 2: Watch Your Step.
#Webcomics #SpeakOfTheDevil -
CW: Halloween vorefic, digestion, a bit of m/f groping, full text (long post)
Now, let's see if it fits on wafrn. Presenting, "Hunted on Halloween"…
Rose sat in the back of her friend's car, headed towards Jessica's apartment for some spooky movies and drinks. Well, more drinks - she and Jackson had each had a couple already, which was why Jessica was driving. Well, that and because it was Jessica's car. Beside her, her not-so-secret crush Chris kept stealing glances at her with his gorgeous blue eyes. Rose really hoped they were the good kind of glances, rather than the "she really hasn't noticed her shirt's on backwards?" kind of glances.
"Holy shit, do you see that?" Jackson's shout pulled Rose out of her thoughts, almost in time to see whatever it was he was pointing at. Something vanished into a nearby alley, though she missed what it was. Luckily, Jackson continued, "biggest lizard I've ever seen!"
"It was probably just someone's dog in a Halloween costume," Jessica remarked, though she slowed and turned the car to a parking lot. "That said… I do kind of want to see more than a glance. Plus, I don't remember seeing any people around, so we should try to contact its owner."
She parked the car and popped open her door. "I'm gonna go check out that dog, back in a- actually, you all wanna come?" she asked. Jackson quickly hopped out of the passenger side, so Rose and Chris wished them luck and asked for pictures. Jessica left the keys in to keep the heat running for her friends, then caught up with Jackson to round the corner. Leaving Rose and Chris alone.
The two of them fidgeted for a few seconds, before the light buzz in Rose's head finally stifled her second-guessing. "Hey," she said, leaning over to the guy of her spicier dreams, "I really like you."
With the interior lights off, and only a couple streetlamps nearby, it was hard to make out his expression, but Rose was pretty sure she saw a blush. A good sign. "Y-" he cleared his throat, "yeah? I'm, uh, I really like you, too."
"Mm-hm." Rose nodded. "Wanna feel me up?"
The words had spilled out before she realized she was even thinking them. Chris froze up, blinking owlishly, looking between her and the rear window behind her. A wave of regret hit her as she realized she had ruined her-
"Um. Yeah, but- what if- Jack and Jess come back?" The man shifted in his seat, as though trying to both face her and hide himself from her.
Rose turned to check the corner Chris was staring at - her long, dark hair brushing over his leg as she turned - but their friends were still gone from sight. She turned back towards him with a smile. "There's not glue on 'em or anything. I'm sure you can pull away when they return." Rose reached her hands forward and beckoned for his own. "I'll just have to keep my shirt on, of course.
His hands were massive compared to hers, and she felt a thrill just imagining the rough skin of his fingers brushing against her body. And warm, too! Her heartbeat picked up as she guided his hands under the hem of her shirt, and gave an encouraging tug upward. His fingers slid slowly up to her ribcage, closer and closer with a hesitancy that she'd nearly call teasing, if she couldn't see his nervous, excited face mirroring what she assumed was her own expression. She ran her own hands up his forearms, his biceps, as he grazed the fabric of-
Motion just outside caught her attention, and she whipped her head around to stare out the windshield; in a similar panic, Chris followed suit, the two of them freezing with his hands tantalizingly close to her tits. There, in plain view in the parking lot, was the scaly creature the others must have seen. It was the size of a large dog, although it sported a narrower muzzle than most breeds, as well as a long, hefty tail and what looked to be wings folded against its back, all in a dark grey, nearly black in the sparse light. It strolled lazily towards them - or, towards the car - with only a hint of curiosity in its movement.
And then, it slipped out of sight, too close to the car's grille to be visible. Rose took a breath and sighed, silently reveling in the gentle heat and presence of Chris's hands against her chest as he did so. "We should probably go find the others and tell them we found the thing," she grumbled, "not like we'd have a good excuse if they come back to find it chilling on the hood or something."
"Or," Chris replied, "we shoo it away and pretend we never saw it." He pulled his hands back out from under her shirt and turned to his door.
"How knightly of you, scaring away a dragon that's… interrupting a poor, innocent girl. Say, I don't have a handkerchief like the movies, but how about…" she trailed off to reach behind her, unhook her bra, and slip it off, finally pulling it out from under her shirt and holding it out to Chris. "For luck?"
He accepted her "gift" with mock-reverence that didn't seem entirely in jest. "If a bit of tissue was really enough to send knights off to face dragons back in the day, imagine what the girls could get them to do with this," he laughed, then stepped out to go bother the creature away from them. As he left, a keen glimpse at the man's jeans gave Rose a good reason to see if he'd let her have some fun with her hands, as well.
Still, as the moment cleared, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. There was an odd noise, and when she opened her eyes again, it almost felt like she hadn't. The car's dashboard clock still faintly glowed, but it was otherwise perfectly dark. A new sound appeared, a loud, rolling gurgle. Rose pulled herself near-blindly into the driver's seat and flicked on the headlights… and the turn signal, as she misjudged the seat's height and faceplanted into the cushion. The headlights didn't help much, only showing a foot or so in front of the car, taken up by a deep red, visibly wet, soft blanket of some kind, stretched over the front of the car. Then she turned on the interior lights, cursing herself for not thinking of that before her tumble. All around her was that same, odd material, though she could see it move and pulse now.
A new noise joined the strange, muffled soundscape, a quiet, high-pitched hissing. There wasn't much of a direction to it, but it was loudest just above the passenger seat. Rose watched as it grew in volume, and the upholstery of the car's ceiling grew damp before a hole swiftly burned its way into the fabric, growing bigger with each moment. A bit of liquid coating the deep red surface outside fell in, and the hissing began anew on the seat where it fell. Where a hole began to wear itself into the material.
The next noise was the sound of groaning and creaking metal, and the last, temporary addition, was Rose's voice, screaming in terror.
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Chris tossed the door closed behind him and lingered a moment, staring dumbly at the bra he now held. That had actually happened. He (nearly) got to feel her tits, and if the underwear in his hands was any indication, he'd get to do so again. He subconsciously shifted his legs and nudged his dick into a more comfortable angle. Eventually, he shook himself out of his thoughts, and made to go find the dragon.
He turned, and found the dragon, sitting plainly in the middle of the parking lot. What he didn't find, strangely enough, was the car he had just left. Instead, the dragon sat at one end of the parking space he was pretty sure the car had been. Chris tilted his head, trying to take a better look at the reptile. It tilted its head as well.
After a brief, silent stalemate, the dragon moved first, facing forward and curling its neck before opening its jaws. A surprisingly loud belch spilled forth, accompanied by a single hubcap, slightly bent. The metal disc bounced a couple times before falling to the side. It looked… familiar. "Did you… eat the car?" Chris asked it, as though the dragon would speak. Then, his brain caught up to his words. His next question came out louder, more panicked. "You ate Rose?!"
The dragon, of course, didn't say anything. A ruby-red tongue flicked out of the side of its jaws and licked at its muzzle before vanishing back behind dark grey scales. Then, it stood up, and began to walk towards Chris. Chris backed up. The dragon sunk into a crouch, bright orange eyes fixed on the lone human. Chris's own eyes went wide, and he bolted to the side just as the scaly creature leapt forward. He heard its claws scrape against the pavement, but didn't have time to look back. Instead, he just sprinted forward, hoping that Jessica and Jackson weren't too far away. Trying not to think about whether that four-count of rapid steps was drawing closer.
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Jessica sighed as she walked back towards where she'd parked her car. Not only had the stray dog vanished from the alley they'd seen it turn down, it seemed to have also vanished from the surrounding block. Nothing left to do but finish heading home with only a brief memory of what had been honestly a really impressive costume. She rubbed her hands together, staving off the night air's chill.
"Hey… is that Chris?" Jackson pointed across the street, then called out, "hey! Chris!" The man in question immediately dashed across the road without even checking to see if a car was coming - which, to be fair, none were. He met up with them by the entrance to the alley they'd first seen the dog disappear down.
His first attempts to speak were interrupted by him panting for breath, but he soon managed to string together part of a sentence. "The dragon- it IS a dragon - it ate- oh god…" Chris doubled over, gasping for air after his sprint. "It ate her! Rose! Fuck, it ate the car! We need to- run, call someone, I don't know!"
Jackson put a hand on his shoulder. "Bud, deep breaths. It broke into the car and bit Rose?" While he tried to comfort their friend, Jessica pulled out her phone. Hopefully it wasn't bad, but letting a hospital know they were coming - or needed an ambulance - was probably the right choice. Jackson's voice turned quizzical. "Is that a bra?"
"N- ye- it's not important right now," Chris stammered. "She didn't get bitten, it ATE her! I stepped out for- uh, for some air, turned around, gone!"
"It… wasn't that big, buddy."
Chris shoved Jackson's hand off of his shoulder. "You think I don't know that?! Didn't stop it from spitting out an entire hubcap, and then it-" He froze, eyes wide, and suddenly whipped his head around, any indignation at not being taken seriously replaced by fear. "Oh- oh god, it was right- did I lose it? God, I hope I lost it…"
Jessica and Jackson stared at him, unsure of what to say. After a few moments of silence, Chris relaxed, slumping against the corner of the alleyway. Jessica's thumb accidentally tapped the "call" button, and a quiet ringing accompanied her - admittedly very pretty - friend's next words. "I swear, I could hear it chasing me all the way… I was lucky enough to dodge its first leap, but- I'm glad I found you guys."
"911, what's your emergency?" the operator's voice came through on the other end of the call. Jessica brought the phone up to her ear to answer.
"Hi, one sec, a friend of mine says another friend got attacked by a dog, but- ah!" A startled shout escaped her as a grey head darted out of the alleyway, clamped its jaws around Chris's arm, and pulled him away. "T- two of my friends have been attacked by this… uh, giant lizard thing! We're on Fourth and Lincoln!"
Jackson, who had peered around the corner, stumbled back. "Holy shit, it ate him!"
"It what?!" A reflexive, morbid curiosity overwhelmed both common sense and the voice of the emergency operator, and she, too, looked down the alley. Chris was nowhere to be seen, just a dark silhouette of a large, four-legged animal, its head tilted to the sky. She couldn't make out any details, but it looked like something was moving down its neck. In front of it were one of Chris's shoes, as well as the bra he'd been holding for some reason - maybe Rose finally made a move, and did so in a big way? Faint light glimmered off of grey scales, and clear, orange eyes shined in the dark as the dragon dipped its head, bit down on the dropped clothing, and snapped them up with savage quickness, showing glimpses of red from within its jaws. A cold dread settled in Jessica's stomach, and her mind unhelpfully connected the vanishing sight of her friend's remains to a video she'd once seen of a komodo dragon eating a rabbit.
"Ma'am, are you still there?"
"Y-yes! It ate- a dragon just ate one of my friends alive! An actual, scaly… oh, god, please send help!" Jessica stammered into her phone as she turned away from the morbid scene in the alley. Her heart raced as she and Jackson backed away from the mouth of the alley, as though the building itself might eat them.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then, "understood, ma'am. Officers are on their way to help you with your… dragon problem."
Jessica thanked them, then looked over at Jackson. "They're sending cops, probably." At his look of confusion, she explained, "I don't think they were taking me seriously. But, well, I hope they were."
"Just gotta wait," he muttered, scanning back and forth for any sign of grey scales or orange eyes, "fantastic. What're they gonna do about it, anyway, if we live that long?"
"Well, they're cops, so probably shoot it?"
Jackson nodded. "Fair enough."
The duo gravitated to about halfway along the building's front, as far away from the alleyways as possible. They kept their eyes peeled for the deadly creature, and ears strained to pick up footsteps while they were still a good distance away. However, the night remained still and quiet, save for the faint rush of traffic several blocks away, on the larger streets. Still, neither relaxed, having seen what just a split-second of unwariness had done to Chris.
Something creaked above them. They snapped their heads up in time for a grey blur to fall just as fast, then launch itself at them. Jessica reflexively ducked away from the attacker, but Jackson was a beat too slow. The man let out a muffled "oof!" as the dragon tackled him back into a pile of cardboard boxes stacked in front of the building's entrance. Jessica screamed out for him, but her body refused to move.
Then, just as the dragon reared its head back and opened its terrible jaws, blue and red light bathed the area, accompanied by a loud siren. Jessica squinted against the sudden brightness and held up a hand to shield her eyes, but by the time she was able to see clearly again, the dragon had vanished. Luckily, Jackson hadn't, though with how he was holding his chest, it seemed he wouldn't be getting up easily.
A uniformed figure made their way towards her, silhouetted against the lights. "Are you the lady that called in?" the officer asked as he approached.
"Yeah, thanks. You were just in time, actually," she answered, and gestured back towards her fallen friend, "the dragon had just tackled him, and I think it was seconds from eating him, too."
"Sure, sure. You, uh, you kids having fun out tonight?" The cop looked from her to Jackson, who groaned in pain as he pushed a box off of himself. "Tell you what, me and my partner'll give you two a lift to somewhere you can, uh, wait the night out, and in the meantime, why don't you tell me all about this 'dragon' of yours?"
"It's- I'm the designated driver; I'm not seeing things," Jessica insisted. "Look, I don't know if it's a zoo escapee, or someone's pet gone horribly awry, I just know that it's as big as a wolf, it's scaly, and it ate my friend in front of me. …not him; there were four of us at first," she added as she caught the man looking over at Jackson again, who was still partially buried in the shadows of a streetlamp.
The officer sighed. "Look, girlie, I know it's Halloween, but you can't just prank call dispatch like that. Every second I spend chasing mythical creatures is a second I'm not responding to calls about razor blades in candy. You seem- well, more naive than trouble-making, so rather than getting you two on false report or public intoxication, how's about I drive you down to the station - away from your 'man-eating dragon' - just to double-check everything's above-board, and maybe see if your friend's alright from his fall?" He gestured behind him, down the dimly-lit street.
Jessica noticed it first. "Uh… officer? Don't you guys usually keep your lights going during a stop?"
"Yeah, why do-" the man paused, turned, and started walking towards where he had exited the patrol car. "What the hell?"
As she watched him investigate, Jessica recalled Chris's words: it ate her car. She'd dismissed it as him being out of breath, but a chill crept up her spine, and it only grew when she saw a winged, scaly creature slink into view, stalking the confused cop from his blind spot.
"Look out behind you!" she called out, "it's by the light!"
The man didn't so much as glance. "I wasn't born yesterday, kid!" he called back, then pulled out his radio
Just as he hit the button to talk, however, the dragon darted its head forward, bit his leg, and yanked back. The man quickly got his hands out in front of him, but still got the wind knocked out of him. Unlike with Chris, this time, Jessica saw the entire thing: the cop's legs swallowed by the time he even thinks to turn behind him, him reaching out as the dragon pulled his belly and chest in with just the power of its throat, the desperate, wiggling hands of the officer failing to grab anything, even the dragon's jaws, before they, too, succumbed to the man-eater. Its stomach bloated slightly, but far from what she should have seen from something that just devoured an entire person, let alone several people plus a car or two.
Then, the dragon turned towards her.
Jessica managed a few, shaky steps backwards, in dreadful contrast to its smooth, confident gait. Piercing, orange eyes stared her down as its red tongue swept from one side of its muzzle to the other. She could almost swear it was smirking at her. Her foot caught something on the sidewalk, and she fell back, landing hard on the ground. The dragon didn't leap, but simply walked over her, its gaze never wavering as she was forced to look up at it.
Some instinct to resist surfaced, and she pushed up at it, hands meeting its smooth, scaly gut to try and shove it off. To her dismay, it remained perfectly unmoved, and worse, she could feel… something under its scales give way with a crunch that she was certain wasn't part of the dragon's body. It retaliated by calmly laying down, its deceptive bulk forcing the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath as it lowered its head towards hers and dragged its slimy, wet, uncomfortably warm, red tongue across her face. Its breath, its drool smelled of death and motor oil, and any remaining hope Jessica had somehow kept that it hadn't been responsible for making the cop car - and probably her car - disappear, perished in an instant.
It opened its jaws, then paused. She felt the thing's belly shift and churn against her, and its neck curled for just a moment, before it turned slightly to the side and unleashed a massive, loud belch that cut through the still night air. Bits of drool spattered from its maw onto Jessica's face, but more notable was the roof light, red and blue, that landed on the sidewalk mere feet away from her head. The casing was cracked, shattered in some spots, and somehow melted in others, and the sharp, acrid scent was awful, but the details paled in comparison to Jessica's realization: the monster had done that to that part of the cop car in a matter of minutes. And something that big and inorganic would surely have held up better than, say, a human.
After briefly wiping its mouth against a forepaw, the dragon looked away from the remains of its metallic meal, and towards the girl trapped under its body. Unable to draw breath to scream, Jessica could do little more than whimper and stare down its crimson jaws as they opened wide and drew ever closer. Perhaps, at least, it would be quick, a hostile stomach breaking down her body before she could suffer for too long.
"Hey! Get off of her!" Jackson's voice startled both her and the dragon, which turned just in time for the man to body-check it off of her. Jessica's lungs filled with air once more, and she scrambled to her feet, staring bewitched at the tangle of scales, limbs, and teeth. It was over far too quickly, and the dragon rolled atop her momentary savior; even with his hands braced against its grey, scaly head, it was clear that Jackson was losing, badly.
His eyes met hers as he struggled with the dragon. "Go! Run!" he yelled, as he lost another inch of ground against the approaching jaws, "it's a matter of time for me, but you can try t-mmph!" his words were cut off as the dragon shoved down, breaking his grip and muffling his voice with its ever-hungry mouth.
Her friend's last words sparked a fire in her, and she tore her gaze away from the muffled shouting and flailing of the beast claiming yet another victim, and instead bolted down the sidewalk. Her apartment was within running distance… she hoped. If nothing else, she at least had a good head start, as she sprinted alongside and across mostly-empty roads. Then, she heard it: paws and claws against the pavement. The dragon was no longer trying to walk her down; it was at full gallop, and risking a quick glance back showed her just how fast it was gaining on her. Evidently, adding one more whole human to its kill count did nothing to slow it down, or at least certainly not enough.
The dragon's running grew louder, until, on a whim, Jessica suddenly cut across the road, praying that it was as empty as she'd thought. There was a brief quiet from the dragon as its leap missed her entirely, and then a faint scrabbling of claws drowned out by the roar of a car speeding by, seconds after she'd crossed. But that was seconds that she had already put to good use, and her apartment building was in sight. The sound of the creature's run grew closer as well, but she put on a burst of speed right as the light changed at the intersection, then slowed to a stop, panting, at the building entrance. As she fumbled in her pocket for her access card, she saw the scaly menace through the gaps between cars trundling past; its orange eyes were locked onto her, and it paced on the opposite sidewalk furiously, but she was safe, at least until the light changed, or the intersection ran out of cars.
Luckily, she soon pulled out her card, unlocked the door, and slipped inside; the sound of it re-locking seconds afterwards had never been sweeter to her ears. She navigated to her floor and apartment by rote, hardly a conscious thought left after the night's events. In the back of her mind, she knew that there were things she had to do - clean up, change, get ready for tomorrow, figure out how to deal with everything that just happened. However, as she passed her couch, her body finally let all the emergency energy drain out of her. She was out before her head hit the throw pillow.
-
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Jessica groaned and slowly sat up. She took a glance at her phone's clock - it hadn't even been half an hour since she got home.
Ding-dong!
She thought about simply going back to sleep, pretending she'd never heard the trick-or-treater. She'd planned to spend the night with friends and film, after all.
Ding-dong! Ding-ding-ding-ding-dong!
Then again, she did actually have a bowl of candy. Her legs ached as she stood up and trudged over to the door, grabbing the bowl on the way.
Ding-don-
Opening the door didn't actually cut off the bell, but she felt like it ought to. Her bleary eyes tried to make out what the kid in front of her was dressed as. Kinda short but surprisingly long for a costume, sorta fake-four-legged design, dark grey with a bit of orange…
Fear pierced the veil of grogginess, and Jessica could suddenly see the scene before her perfectly. But, too late: it had already leapt into her, and the last thing she saw was a deep, red tunnel, sized perfectly to fit whatever the dragon had set its ravenous sights on. And in this case, it was her.
#vore #OralVore #Digestion #Dragon #DragonPred #vorefic #writing #Unwilling #UnwillingPrey #HumanPrey #ObjectVore #Halloween #MultiplePrey #horror #MastoFic #oc #rawrs -
CW: Halloween vorefic, digestion, a bit of m/f groping, full text (long post)
Now, let's see if it fits on wafrn. Presenting, "Hunted on Halloween"…
Rose sat in the back of her friend's car, headed towards Jessica's apartment for some spooky movies and drinks. Well, more drinks - she and Jackson had each had a couple already, which was why Jessica was driving. Well, that and because it was Jessica's car. Beside her, her not-so-secret crush Chris kept stealing glances at her with his gorgeous blue eyes. Rose really hoped they were the good kind of glances, rather than the "she really hasn't noticed her shirt's on backwards?" kind of glances.
"Holy shit, do you see that?" Jackson's shout pulled Rose out of her thoughts, almost in time to see whatever it was he was pointing at. Something vanished into a nearby alley, though she missed what it was. Luckily, Jackson continued, "biggest lizard I've ever seen!"
"It was probably just someone's dog in a Halloween costume," Jessica remarked, though she slowed and turned the car to a parking lot. "That said… I do kind of want to see more than a glance. Plus, I don't remember seeing any people around, so we should try to contact its owner."
She parked the car and popped open her door. "I'm gonna go check out that dog, back in a- actually, you all wanna come?" she asked. Jackson quickly hopped out of the passenger side, so Rose and Chris wished them luck and asked for pictures. Jessica left the keys in to keep the heat running for her friends, then caught up with Jackson to round the corner. Leaving Rose and Chris alone.
The two of them fidgeted for a few seconds, before the light buzz in Rose's head finally stifled her second-guessing. "Hey," she said, leaning over to the guy of her spicier dreams, "I really like you."
With the interior lights off, and only a couple streetlamps nearby, it was hard to make out his expression, but Rose was pretty sure she saw a blush. A good sign. "Y-" he cleared his throat, "yeah? I'm, uh, I really like you, too."
"Mm-hm." Rose nodded. "Wanna feel me up?"
The words had spilled out before she realized she was even thinking them. Chris froze up, blinking owlishly, looking between her and the rear window behind her. A wave of regret hit her as she realized she had ruined her-
"Um. Yeah, but- what if- Jack and Jess come back?" The man shifted in his seat, as though trying to both face her and hide himself from her.
Rose turned to check the corner Chris was staring at - her long, dark hair brushing over his leg as she turned - but their friends were still gone from sight. She turned back towards him with a smile. "There's not glue on 'em or anything. I'm sure you can pull away when they return." Rose reached her hands forward and beckoned for his own. "I'll just have to keep my shirt on, of course.
His hands were massive compared to hers, and she felt a thrill just imagining the rough skin of his fingers brushing against her body. And warm, too! Her heartbeat picked up as she guided his hands under the hem of her shirt, and gave an encouraging tug upward. His fingers slid slowly up to her ribcage, closer and closer with a hesitancy that she'd nearly call teasing, if she couldn't see his nervous, excited face mirroring what she assumed was her own expression. She ran her own hands up his forearms, his biceps, as he grazed the fabric of-
Motion just outside caught her attention, and she whipped her head around to stare out the windshield; in a similar panic, Chris followed suit, the two of them freezing with his hands tantalizingly close to her tits. There, in plain view in the parking lot, was the scaly creature the others must have seen. It was the size of a large dog, although it sported a narrower muzzle than most breeds, as well as a long, hefty tail and what looked to be wings folded against its back, all in a dark grey, nearly black in the sparse light. It strolled lazily towards them - or, towards the car - with only a hint of curiosity in its movement.
And then, it slipped out of sight, too close to the car's grille to be visible. Rose took a breath and sighed, silently reveling in the gentle heat and presence of Chris's hands against her chest as he did so. "We should probably go find the others and tell them we found the thing," she grumbled, "not like we'd have a good excuse if they come back to find it chilling on the hood or something."
"Or," Chris replied, "we shoo it away and pretend we never saw it." He pulled his hands back out from under her shirt and turned to his door.
"How knightly of you, scaring away a dragon that's… interrupting a poor, innocent girl. Say, I don't have a handkerchief like the movies, but how about…" she trailed off to reach behind her, unhook her bra, and slip it off, finally pulling it out from under her shirt and holding it out to Chris. "For luck?"
He accepted her "gift" with mock-reverence that didn't seem entirely in jest. "If a bit of tissue was really enough to send knights off to face dragons back in the day, imagine what the girls could get them to do with this," he laughed, then stepped out to go bother the creature away from them. As he left, a keen glimpse at the man's jeans gave Rose a good reason to see if he'd let her have some fun with her hands, as well.
Still, as the moment cleared, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. There was an odd noise, and when she opened her eyes again, it almost felt like she hadn't. The car's dashboard clock still faintly glowed, but it was otherwise perfectly dark. A new sound appeared, a loud, rolling gurgle. Rose pulled herself near-blindly into the driver's seat and flicked on the headlights… and the turn signal, as she misjudged the seat's height and faceplanted into the cushion. The headlights didn't help much, only showing a foot or so in front of the car, taken up by a deep red, visibly wet, soft blanket of some kind, stretched over the front of the car. Then she turned on the interior lights, cursing herself for not thinking of that before her tumble. All around her was that same, odd material, though she could see it move and pulse now.
A new noise joined the strange, muffled soundscape, a quiet, high-pitched hissing. There wasn't much of a direction to it, but it was loudest just above the passenger seat. Rose watched as it grew in volume, and the upholstery of the car's ceiling grew damp before a hole swiftly burned its way into the fabric, growing bigger with each moment. A bit of liquid coating the deep red surface outside fell in, and the hissing began anew on the seat where it fell. Where a hole began to wear itself into the material.
The next noise was the sound of groaning and creaking metal, and the last, temporary addition, was Rose's voice, screaming in terror.
-
Chris tossed the door closed behind him and lingered a moment, staring dumbly at the bra he now held. That had actually happened. He (nearly) got to feel her tits, and if the underwear in his hands was any indication, he'd get to do so again. He subconsciously shifted his legs and nudged his dick into a more comfortable angle. Eventually, he shook himself out of his thoughts, and made to go find the dragon.
He turned, and found the dragon, sitting plainly in the middle of the parking lot. What he didn't find, strangely enough, was the car he had just left. Instead, the dragon sat at one end of the parking space he was pretty sure the car had been. Chris tilted his head, trying to take a better look at the reptile. It tilted its head as well.
After a brief, silent stalemate, the dragon moved first, facing forward and curling its neck before opening its jaws. A surprisingly loud belch spilled forth, accompanied by a single hubcap, slightly bent. The metal disc bounced a couple times before falling to the side. It looked… familiar. "Did you… eat the car?" Chris asked it, as though the dragon would speak. Then, his brain caught up to his words. His next question came out louder, more panicked. "You ate Rose?!"
The dragon, of course, didn't say anything. A ruby-red tongue flicked out of the side of its jaws and licked at its muzzle before vanishing back behind dark grey scales. Then, it stood up, and began to walk towards Chris. Chris backed up. The dragon sunk into a crouch, bright orange eyes fixed on the lone human. Chris's own eyes went wide, and he bolted to the side just as the scaly creature leapt forward. He heard its claws scrape against the pavement, but didn't have time to look back. Instead, he just sprinted forward, hoping that Jessica and Jackson weren't too far away. Trying not to think about whether that four-count of rapid steps was drawing closer.
-
Jessica sighed as she walked back towards where she'd parked her car. Not only had the stray dog vanished from the alley they'd seen it turn down, it seemed to have also vanished from the surrounding block. Nothing left to do but finish heading home with only a brief memory of what had been honestly a really impressive costume. She rubbed her hands together, staving off the night air's chill.
"Hey… is that Chris?" Jackson pointed across the street, then called out, "hey! Chris!" The man in question immediately dashed across the road without even checking to see if a car was coming - which, to be fair, none were. He met up with them by the entrance to the alley they'd first seen the dog disappear down.
His first attempts to speak were interrupted by him panting for breath, but he soon managed to string together part of a sentence. "The dragon- it IS a dragon - it ate- oh god…" Chris doubled over, gasping for air after his sprint. "It ate her! Rose! Fuck, it ate the car! We need to- run, call someone, I don't know!"
Jackson put a hand on his shoulder. "Bud, deep breaths. It broke into the car and bit Rose?" While he tried to comfort their friend, Jessica pulled out her phone. Hopefully it wasn't bad, but letting a hospital know they were coming - or needed an ambulance - was probably the right choice. Jackson's voice turned quizzical. "Is that a bra?"
"N- ye- it's not important right now," Chris stammered. "She didn't get bitten, it ATE her! I stepped out for- uh, for some air, turned around, gone!"
"It… wasn't that big, buddy."
Chris shoved Jackson's hand off of his shoulder. "You think I don't know that?! Didn't stop it from spitting out an entire hubcap, and then it-" He froze, eyes wide, and suddenly whipped his head around, any indignation at not being taken seriously replaced by fear. "Oh- oh god, it was right- did I lose it? God, I hope I lost it…"
Jessica and Jackson stared at him, unsure of what to say. After a few moments of silence, Chris relaxed, slumping against the corner of the alleyway. Jessica's thumb accidentally tapped the "call" button, and a quiet ringing accompanied her - admittedly very pretty - friend's next words. "I swear, I could hear it chasing me all the way… I was lucky enough to dodge its first leap, but- I'm glad I found you guys."
"911, what's your emergency?" the operator's voice came through on the other end of the call. Jessica brought the phone up to her ear to answer.
"Hi, one sec, a friend of mine says another friend got attacked by a dog, but- ah!" A startled shout escaped her as a grey head darted out of the alleyway, clamped its jaws around Chris's arm, and pulled him away. "T- two of my friends have been attacked by this… uh, giant lizard thing! We're on Fourth and Lincoln!"
Jackson, who had peered around the corner, stumbled back. "Holy shit, it ate him!"
"It what?!" A reflexive, morbid curiosity overwhelmed both common sense and the voice of the emergency operator, and she, too, looked down the alley. Chris was nowhere to be seen, just a dark silhouette of a large, four-legged animal, its head tilted to the sky. She couldn't make out any details, but it looked like something was moving down its neck. In front of it were one of Chris's shoes, as well as the bra he'd been holding for some reason - maybe Rose finally made a move, and did so in a big way? Faint light glimmered off of grey scales, and clear, orange eyes shined in the dark as the dragon dipped its head, bit down on the dropped clothing, and snapped them up with savage quickness, showing glimpses of red from within its jaws. A cold dread settled in Jessica's stomach, and her mind unhelpfully connected the vanishing sight of her friend's remains to a video she'd once seen of a komodo dragon eating a rabbit.
"Ma'am, are you still there?"
"Y-yes! It ate- a dragon just ate one of my friends alive! An actual, scaly… oh, god, please send help!" Jessica stammered into her phone as she turned away from the morbid scene in the alley. Her heart raced as she and Jackson backed away from the mouth of the alley, as though the building itself might eat them.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then, "understood, ma'am. Officers are on their way to help you with your… dragon problem."
Jessica thanked them, then looked over at Jackson. "They're sending cops, probably." At his look of confusion, she explained, "I don't think they were taking me seriously. But, well, I hope they were."
"Just gotta wait," he muttered, scanning back and forth for any sign of grey scales or orange eyes, "fantastic. What're they gonna do about it, anyway, if we live that long?"
"Well, they're cops, so probably shoot it?"
Jackson nodded. "Fair enough."
The duo gravitated to about halfway along the building's front, as far away from the alleyways as possible. They kept their eyes peeled for the deadly creature, and ears strained to pick up footsteps while they were still a good distance away. However, the night remained still and quiet, save for the faint rush of traffic several blocks away, on the larger streets. Still, neither relaxed, having seen what just a split-second of unwariness had done to Chris.
Something creaked above them. They snapped their heads up in time for a grey blur to fall just as fast, then launch itself at them. Jessica reflexively ducked away from the attacker, but Jackson was a beat too slow. The man let out a muffled "oof!" as the dragon tackled him back into a pile of cardboard boxes stacked in front of the building's entrance. Jessica screamed out for him, but her body refused to move.
Then, just as the dragon reared its head back and opened its terrible jaws, blue and red light bathed the area, accompanied by a loud siren. Jessica squinted against the sudden brightness and held up a hand to shield her eyes, but by the time she was able to see clearly again, the dragon had vanished. Luckily, Jackson hadn't, though with how he was holding his chest, it seemed he wouldn't be getting up easily.
A uniformed figure made their way towards her, silhouetted against the lights. "Are you the lady that called in?" the officer asked as he approached.
"Yeah, thanks. You were just in time, actually," she answered, and gestured back towards her fallen friend, "the dragon had just tackled him, and I think it was seconds from eating him, too."
"Sure, sure. You, uh, you kids having fun out tonight?" The cop looked from her to Jackson, who groaned in pain as he pushed a box off of himself. "Tell you what, me and my partner'll give you two a lift to somewhere you can, uh, wait the night out, and in the meantime, why don't you tell me all about this 'dragon' of yours?"
"It's- I'm the designated driver; I'm not seeing things," Jessica insisted. "Look, I don't know if it's a zoo escapee, or someone's pet gone horribly awry, I just know that it's as big as a wolf, it's scaly, and it ate my friend in front of me. …not him; there were four of us at first," she added as she caught the man looking over at Jackson again, who was still partially buried in the shadows of a streetlamp.
The officer sighed. "Look, girlie, I know it's Halloween, but you can't just prank call dispatch like that. Every second I spend chasing mythical creatures is a second I'm not responding to calls about razor blades in candy. You seem- well, more naive than trouble-making, so rather than getting you two on false report or public intoxication, how's about I drive you down to the station - away from your 'man-eating dragon' - just to double-check everything's above-board, and maybe see if your friend's alright from his fall?" He gestured behind him, down the dimly-lit street.
Jessica noticed it first. "Uh… officer? Don't you guys usually keep your lights going during a stop?"
"Yeah, why do-" the man paused, turned, and started walking towards where he had exited the patrol car. "What the hell?"
As she watched him investigate, Jessica recalled Chris's words: it ate her car. She'd dismissed it as him being out of breath, but a chill crept up her spine, and it only grew when she saw a winged, scaly creature slink into view, stalking the confused cop from his blind spot.
"Look out behind you!" she called out, "it's by the light!"
The man didn't so much as glance. "I wasn't born yesterday, kid!" he called back, then pulled out his radio
Just as he hit the button to talk, however, the dragon darted its head forward, bit his leg, and yanked back. The man quickly got his hands out in front of him, but still got the wind knocked out of him. Unlike with Chris, this time, Jessica saw the entire thing: the cop's legs swallowed by the time he even thinks to turn behind him, him reaching out as the dragon pulled his belly and chest in with just the power of its throat, the desperate, wiggling hands of the officer failing to grab anything, even the dragon's jaws, before they, too, succumbed to the man-eater. Its stomach bloated slightly, but far from what she should have seen from something that just devoured an entire person, let alone several people plus a car or two.
Then, the dragon turned towards her.
Jessica managed a few, shaky steps backwards, in dreadful contrast to its smooth, confident gait. Piercing, orange eyes stared her down as its red tongue swept from one side of its muzzle to the other. She could almost swear it was smirking at her. Her foot caught something on the sidewalk, and she fell back, landing hard on the ground. The dragon didn't leap, but simply walked over her, its gaze never wavering as she was forced to look up at it.
Some instinct to resist surfaced, and she pushed up at it, hands meeting its smooth, scaly gut to try and shove it off. To her dismay, it remained perfectly unmoved, and worse, she could feel… something under its scales give way with a crunch that she was certain wasn't part of the dragon's body. It retaliated by calmly laying down, its deceptive bulk forcing the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath as it lowered its head towards hers and dragged its slimy, wet, uncomfortably warm, red tongue across her face. Its breath, its drool smelled of death and motor oil, and any remaining hope Jessica had somehow kept that it hadn't been responsible for making the cop car - and probably her car - disappear, perished in an instant.
It opened its jaws, then paused. She felt the thing's belly shift and churn against her, and its neck curled for just a moment, before it turned slightly to the side and unleashed a massive, loud belch that cut through the still night air. Bits of drool spattered from its maw onto Jessica's face, but more notable was the roof light, red and blue, that landed on the sidewalk mere feet away from her head. The casing was cracked, shattered in some spots, and somehow melted in others, and the sharp, acrid scent was awful, but the details paled in comparison to Jessica's realization: the monster had done that to that part of the cop car in a matter of minutes. And something that big and inorganic would surely have held up better than, say, a human.
After briefly wiping its mouth against a forepaw, the dragon looked away from the remains of its metallic meal, and towards the girl trapped under its body. Unable to draw breath to scream, Jessica could do little more than whimper and stare down its crimson jaws as they opened wide and drew ever closer. Perhaps, at least, it would be quick, a hostile stomach breaking down her body before she could suffer for too long.
"Hey! Get off of her!" Jackson's voice startled both her and the dragon, which turned just in time for the man to body-check it off of her. Jessica's lungs filled with air once more, and she scrambled to her feet, staring bewitched at the tangle of scales, limbs, and teeth. It was over far too quickly, and the dragon rolled atop her momentary savior; even with his hands braced against its grey, scaly head, it was clear that Jackson was losing, badly.
His eyes met hers as he struggled with the dragon. "Go! Run!" he yelled, as he lost another inch of ground against the approaching jaws, "it's a matter of time for me, but you can try t-mmph!" his words were cut off as the dragon shoved down, breaking his grip and muffling his voice with its ever-hungry mouth.
Her friend's last words sparked a fire in her, and she tore her gaze away from the muffled shouting and flailing of the beast claiming yet another victim, and instead bolted down the sidewalk. Her apartment was within running distance… she hoped. If nothing else, she at least had a good head start, as she sprinted alongside and across mostly-empty roads. Then, she heard it: paws and claws against the pavement. The dragon was no longer trying to walk her down; it was at full gallop, and risking a quick glance back showed her just how fast it was gaining on her. Evidently, adding one more whole human to its kill count did nothing to slow it down, or at least certainly not enough.
The dragon's running grew louder, until, on a whim, Jessica suddenly cut across the road, praying that it was as empty as she'd thought. There was a brief quiet from the dragon as its leap missed her entirely, and then a faint scrabbling of claws drowned out by the roar of a car speeding by, seconds after she'd crossed. But that was seconds that she had already put to good use, and her apartment building was in sight. The sound of the creature's run grew closer as well, but she put on a burst of speed right as the light changed at the intersection, then slowed to a stop, panting, at the building entrance. As she fumbled in her pocket for her access card, she saw the scaly menace through the gaps between cars trundling past; its orange eyes were locked onto her, and it paced on the opposite sidewalk furiously, but she was safe, at least until the light changed, or the intersection ran out of cars.
Luckily, she soon pulled out her card, unlocked the door, and slipped inside; the sound of it re-locking seconds afterwards had never been sweeter to her ears. She navigated to her floor and apartment by rote, hardly a conscious thought left after the night's events. In the back of her mind, she knew that there were things she had to do - clean up, change, get ready for tomorrow, figure out how to deal with everything that just happened. However, as she passed her couch, her body finally let all the emergency energy drain out of her. She was out before her head hit the throw pillow.
-
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Jessica groaned and slowly sat up. She took a glance at her phone's clock - it hadn't even been half an hour since she got home.
Ding-dong!
She thought about simply going back to sleep, pretending she'd never heard the trick-or-treater. She'd planned to spend the night with friends and film, after all.
Ding-dong! Ding-ding-ding-ding-dong!
Then again, she did actually have a bowl of candy. Her legs ached as she stood up and trudged over to the door, grabbing the bowl on the way.
Ding-don-
Opening the door didn't actually cut off the bell, but she felt like it ought to. Her bleary eyes tried to make out what the kid in front of her was dressed as. Kinda short but surprisingly long for a costume, sorta fake-four-legged design, dark grey with a bit of orange…
Fear pierced the veil of grogginess, and Jessica could suddenly see the scene before her perfectly. But, too late: it had already leapt into her, and the last thing she saw was a deep, red tunnel, sized perfectly to fit whatever the dragon had set its ravenous sights on. And in this case, it was her.
#vore #OralVore #Digestion #Dragon #DragonPred #vorefic #writing #Unwilling #UnwillingPrey #HumanPrey #ObjectVore #Halloween #MultiplePrey #horror #MastoFic #oc #rawrs -
Favorite spy sagas based on true events – 2025 Rewrite
To this blog author, spy stories are among the most thrilling and intriguing literature that can be read. This is especially the case for those stories that are based on actual historic events. The working list below identifies my favorite books, movies, and mini-series that are based on real spy sagas – both those involving foreign adversaries and those detailing the actions of whistleblowers who reveal inappropriate spying and surveillance activities.
Source: clker.com Source: clipart panda.com Source: dreamstime.comWhile there is some artistic license often employed in movies and mini-series, the basis for the story is still true. Meanwhile, non-fiction and biographical books tend to delve into the actual nitty-gritty details of the spy’s life, their espionage endeavors, as well as their efforts to avoid being caught.
Source: stealthynijas.comNot all of the spies from these stories sneak around foreign capitals in search of important secrets. In fact, quite a few lived in plain sight (Agent Sonya and An Impeccable Spy – Richard Sorge) or were average citizens who find themselves drawn into espionage by circumstances and/or personal beliefs/ideology (The Courier, Official Secrets, and Snowden). Some spies strived to break the enemy’s codes (The Imitation Game), some silently lurk under the sea (Blind Man’s Bluff), while others oversaw an entire spy network (Spymistress).
As more espionage-related books are read and films/mini-series are watched, this list will be updated. I hope you enjoy these amazing stories as much as I do. Any suggestions on other true spy accounts to read or watch are most welcome. Peace!
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Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal (2007)
Source: amazon.comThe Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Hardcover (2018)
Source: amazon.comAgent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy (2020)
Source: amazon.comBlind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage (2000)
Source: amazon.comA Spy’s Guide to Santa Fe and Albuquerque (2011)
Source: amazon.comAn Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent (2019)
Source: amazon.comRaven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die (2017)
Source: amazon.comCodename: Hero: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War’s Most Dangerous Operation (2012) – added 5/16/22
Source: amazon.comNo Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State (2014)
Source: amazon.comSpymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II (2006)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor (2024)
The Lisbon Route: The Lisbon Route: Entry and Escape in Nazi Europe (2011)
Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA (2019)
Surrender on Demand (1997)
Iron Spy (2019)
FILM
The Courier (UK – 2021)
Source: amazon.comThe 12th Man (Norway -2017)
Source: amazon.comOfficial Secrets (UK – 2019)
Source: amazon.comThe Imitation Game (UK – 2014)
Source: amazon.comOperation Mincemeat (UK – 2022) – added 5/12/22
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Source: amazon.comSnowden (2016)
Source: amazon.comArgo (2012)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Jack Strong (Poland – 2014)
A Call to Spy (UK – 2019)
Red Joan (UK – 2019)
Female Agents (France – 2008)
Wasp Network (France – 2020)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Citizenfour (2014)
Wife of a Spy (Japan – 2021)
Syriana (2005)
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
The Spy Who Stole the Atom Bomb (2017)
MINI-SERIES
The Spy (2019)
Source: imdb.com#books #espionage #intrigue #miniSeries #movies #secretAgents #secrets #spies #spying #surveillance #writing
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Favorite spy sagas based on true events – 2025 Rewrite
To this blog author, spy stories are among the most thrilling and intriguing literature that can be read. This is especially the case for those stories that are based on actual historic events. The working list below identifies my favorite books, movies, and mini-series that are based on real spy sagas – both those involving foreign adversaries and those detailing the actions of whistleblowers who reveal inappropriate spying and surveillance activities.
Source: clker.com Source: clipart panda.com Source: dreamstime.comWhile there is some artistic license often employed in movies and mini-series, the basis for the story is still true. Meanwhile, non-fiction and biographical books tend to delve into the actual nitty-gritty details of the spy’s life, their espionage endeavors, as well as their efforts to avoid being caught.
Source: stealthynijas.comNot all of the spies from these stories sneak around foreign capitals in search of important secrets. In fact, quite a few lived in plain sight (Agent Sonya and An Impeccable Spy – Richard Sorge) or were average citizens who find themselves drawn into espionage by circumstances and/or personal beliefs/ideology (The Courier, Official Secrets, and Snowden). Some spies strived to break the enemy’s codes (The Imitation Game), some silently lurk under the sea (Blind Man’s Bluff), while others oversaw an entire spy network (Spymistress).
As more espionage-related books are read and films/mini-series are watched, this list will be updated. I hope you enjoy these amazing stories as much as I do. Any suggestions on other true spy accounts to read or watch are most welcome. Peace!
_______
PRINT
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal (2007)
Source: amazon.comThe Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Hardcover (2018)
Source: amazon.comAgent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy (2020)
Source: amazon.comBlind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage (2000)
Source: amazon.comA Spy’s Guide to Santa Fe and Albuquerque (2011)
Source: amazon.comAn Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent (2019)
Source: amazon.comRaven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die (2017)
Source: amazon.comCodename: Hero: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War’s Most Dangerous Operation (2012) – added 5/16/22
Source: amazon.comNo Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State (2014)
Source: amazon.comSpymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II (2006)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor (2024)
The Lisbon Route: The Lisbon Route: Entry and Escape in Nazi Europe (2011)
Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA (2019)
Surrender on Demand (1997)
Iron Spy (2019)
FILM
The Courier (UK – 2021)
Source: amazon.comThe 12th Man (Norway -2017)
Source: amazon.comOfficial Secrets (UK – 2019)
Source: amazon.comThe Imitation Game (UK – 2014)
Source: amazon.comOperation Mincemeat (UK – 2022) – added 5/12/22
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Source: amazon.comSnowden (2016)
Source: amazon.comArgo (2012)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Jack Strong (Poland – 2014)
A Call to Spy (UK – 2019)
Red Joan (UK – 2019)
Female Agents (France – 2008)
Wasp Network (France – 2020)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Citizenfour (2014)
Wife of a Spy (Japan – 2021)
Syriana (2005)
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
The Spy Who Stole the Atom Bomb (2017)
MINI-SERIES
The Spy (2019)
Source: imdb.com#books #espionage #intrigue #miniSeries #movies #secretAgents #secrets #spies #spying #surveillance #writing
-
Favorite spy sagas based on true events – 2025 Rewrite
To this blog author, spy stories are among the most thrilling and intriguing literature that can be read. This is especially the case for those stories that are based on actual historic events. The working list below identifies my favorite books, movies, and mini-series that are based on real spy sagas – both those involving foreign adversaries and those detailing the actions of whistleblowers who reveal inappropriate spying and surveillance activities.
Source: clker.com Source: clipart panda.com Source: dreamstime.comWhile there is some artistic license often employed in movies and mini-series, the basis for the story is still true. Meanwhile, non-fiction and biographical books tend to delve into the actual nitty-gritty details of the spy’s life, their espionage endeavors, as well as their efforts to avoid being caught.
Source: stealthynijas.comNot all of the spies from these stories sneak around foreign capitals in search of important secrets. In fact, quite a few lived in plain sight (Agent Sonya and An Impeccable Spy – Richard Sorge) or were average citizens who find themselves drawn into espionage by circumstances and/or personal beliefs/ideology (The Courier, Official Secrets, and Snowden). Some spies strived to break the enemy’s codes (The Imitation Game), some silently lurk under the sea (Blind Man’s Bluff), while others oversaw an entire spy network (Spymistress).
As more espionage-related books are read and films/mini-series are watched, this list will be updated. I hope you enjoy these amazing stories as much as I do. Any suggestions on other true spy accounts to read or watch are most welcome. Peace!
_______
PRINT
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal (2007)
Source: amazon.comThe Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Hardcover (2018)
Source: amazon.comAgent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy (2020)
Source: amazon.comBlind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage (2000)
Source: amazon.comA Spy’s Guide to Santa Fe and Albuquerque (2011)
Source: amazon.comAn Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent (2019)
Source: amazon.comRaven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die (2017)
Source: amazon.comCodename: Hero: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War’s Most Dangerous Operation (2012) – added 5/16/22
Source: amazon.comNo Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State (2014)
Source: amazon.comSpymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II (2006)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor (2024)
The Lisbon Route: The Lisbon Route: Entry and Escape in Nazi Europe (2011)
Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA (2019)
Surrender on Demand (1997)
Iron Spy (2019)
FILM
The Courier (UK – 2021)
Source: amazon.comThe 12th Man (Norway -2017)
Source: amazon.comOfficial Secrets (UK – 2019)
Source: amazon.comThe Imitation Game (UK – 2014)
Source: amazon.comOperation Mincemeat (UK – 2022) – added 5/12/22
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Source: amazon.comSnowden (2016)
Source: amazon.comArgo (2012)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Jack Strong (Poland – 2014)
A Call to Spy (UK – 2019)
Red Joan (UK – 2019)
Female Agents (France – 2008)
Wasp Network (France – 2020)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Citizenfour (2014)
Wife of a Spy (Japan – 2021)
Syriana (2005)
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
The Spy Who Stole the Atom Bomb (2017)
MINI-SERIES
The Spy (2019)
Source: imdb.com#books #espionage #intrigue #miniSeries #movies #secretAgents #secrets #spies #spying #surveillance #writing
-
Favorite spy sagas based on true events – 2025 Rewrite
To this blog author, spy stories are among the most thrilling and intriguing literature that can be read. This is especially the case for those stories that are based on actual historic events. The working list below identifies my favorite books, movies, and mini-series that are based on real spy sagas – both those involving foreign adversaries and those detailing the actions of whistleblowers who reveal inappropriate spying and surveillance activities.
Source: clker.com Source: clipart panda.com Source: dreamstime.comWhile there is some artistic license often employed in movies and mini-series, the basis for the story is still true. Meanwhile, non-fiction and biographical books tend to delve into the actual nitty-gritty details of the spy’s life, their espionage endeavors, as well as their efforts to avoid being caught.
Source: stealthynijas.comNot all of the spies from these stories sneak around foreign capitals in search of important secrets. In fact, quite a few lived in plain sight (Agent Sonya and An Impeccable Spy – Richard Sorge) or were average citizens who find themselves drawn into espionage by circumstances and/or personal beliefs/ideology (The Courier, Official Secrets, and Snowden). Some spies strived to break the enemy’s codes (The Imitation Game), some silently lurk under the sea (Blind Man’s Bluff), while others oversaw an entire spy network (Spymistress).
As more espionage-related books are read and films/mini-series are watched, this list will be updated. I hope you enjoy these amazing stories as much as I do. Any suggestions on other true spy accounts to read or watch are most welcome. Peace!
_______
PRINT
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal (2007)
Source: amazon.comThe Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Hardcover (2018)
Source: amazon.comAgent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy (2020)
Source: amazon.comBlind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage (2000)
Source: amazon.comA Spy’s Guide to Santa Fe and Albuquerque (2011)
Source: amazon.comAn Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent (2019)
Source: amazon.comRaven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself–While the Rest of Us Die (2017)
Source: amazon.comCodename: Hero: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War’s Most Dangerous Operation (2012) – added 5/16/22
Source: amazon.comNo Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State (2014)
Source: amazon.comSpymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II (2006)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor (2024)
The Lisbon Route: The Lisbon Route: Entry and Escape in Nazi Europe (2011)
Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA (2019)
Surrender on Demand (1997)
Iron Spy (2019)
FILM
The Courier (UK – 2021)
Source: amazon.comThe 12th Man (Norway -2017)
Source: amazon.comOfficial Secrets (UK – 2019)
Source: amazon.comThe Imitation Game (UK – 2014)
Source: amazon.comOperation Mincemeat (UK – 2022)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Source: amazon.comSnowden (2016)
Source: amazon.comPack of Lies (1987) – added 4/26/26
Source: imdb.comArgo (2012)
Source: amazon.comOthers:
Jack Strong (Poland – 2014)
The Spy (Sweden- 2019) – added 11/3/25
The Two-Headed Spy (UK – 1958) – added 11/16/25
A Call to Spy (UK – 2019)
Red Joan (UK – 2019)
Female Agents (France – 2008)
Wasp Network (France – 2020)
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Citizenfour (2014)
Wife of a Spy (Japan – 2021)
Syriana (2005)
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
The Spy Who Stole the Atom Bomb (2017)
Triple Cross (UK – 1966) – added 3/2/26
MINI-SERIES
The Spy (2019)
Source: imdb.com #books #espionage #intrigue #miniSeries #movies #secretAgents #secrets #spies #spying #surveillance #writing -
The Breville Barista Touch Impress
Article The Product Box Shot Pull from the Barista Touch Impress Correct Dose Styrofoam Live Temperatures Touch the Screen to Grind Bean Hopper Accessories Barista Touch Impress on the Bar Front View Blind Filter Touch Impress Drip Tray-1 Screen Details Burr Closeup Top Cup Plate Double Wall Filters? Cappuccino Build Coffee Ground, PF in Shot Progression Oh... double wall filters 54mm Portafilter Almost There Hot Water Lever System Cradle Insider the Impress Tamper Drip Tray Design Tray in Place Inside the Tray Insert the Hopper Sticky Tape Water Filter System Brewing a Cappuccino Single Power Button Water Hardness Burr Housing Whereto Buy Manufacturer Website Buy from Supplier Buy from Amazon (US) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! Buy from Amazon (CA) Buy here to support CoffeeGeek! Buy from 1st in Coffee CoffeeGeek Sponsor! coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
advertise with us and reach a global audience. advertisers make this website possible. a coffeegeek advertiser and supporter.
want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.Out of the Box
The Barista Touch Impress arrives in a substantial, glossy retail box. Inside, however, the machine is secured by large, fitted blocks of styrofoam. This is somewhat disappointing, as Breville has already demonstrated a much better approach with its newest releases. Their latest machines, like the Oracle Jet, now ship in plain brown boxes, using fully recyclable, form-moulded cardboard inserts to protect the machine during transit. It’s an eco-friendly philosophy we hope to see across their entire product line.
The product box follows Breville's Design language for about 20 years (but one they've changed since). The box is full of painted colour graphics and photos detailing the machine's abilities. This is a fairly big, heavy machine, so it's best to open it on the ground, and possibly with the help of a friend. As you can see, there's a ton of information overload on the box. Definitely designed for department store shelves. All that horrible styrofoam. But hey, there's some stuff - the manual, portafilter and water filter! Breville has 3 different "levels" of 54mm portafilters, in terms of quality. This is the top quality one. The machine comes with four filter baskets, which is a bit weird because of course you're going to use the built in grinder; only the single wall baskets are necessary, right? This is the Claris system which is one of the better ones used by espresso machine makers. This machine comes with almost everything you'd need. Only thing missing is a knockbox (only the flagship machines have that option included) Ahh, that's why it comes with the crema-cheater double wall filters - use those if you're using super stale coffee!Once unboxed and on the counter, the machine has a significant presence. Its aesthetic borrows the softer, curving lines from the more expensive Oracle Touch, distinguishing it from the angular, utilitarian form of the classic Barista Express, a design philosophy Breville has continued with its latest flagship, the Oracle Jet. The softer curves are not just for looks; they also make the machine easier to wipe down compared to the sharper corners of the Express. The fingerprint-resistant brushed stainless steel gives it a solid, high-end appliance feel.
A tour from top to bottom reveals a series of practical design choices. The bean hopper is generously proportioned with a wider diameter than previous Barista models, allowing it to comfortably hold a full 340 gram (12 ounce) bag of coffee. A twist-to-lock mechanism seals the hopper’s base for mess-free bean swaps.
This is not a small machine, so it's best to have a second person helping you. If not, slide it out sideways on the floor. That amount of styrofoam makes me eco-heart bleed a bit. Do better, Breville! I didn't even know the machine was sideways until I removed half the styrofoam (there's so much of it). But look at all the accessories! Almost there and unwrapped - all the accessories, and more plastics. All unwrapped (still some sticky tape to remove), and you get a sense of all the stuff that comes with this machine. No knockbox though, that's reserved for the flagship machines only. Double wall filters? Oh yeah - look at the graphics: they are for people who use grocery store / costco coffee. Lots of sticky tape on the machine to hold down various parts. Remove it all. The top plate on this machine seems to be plastic, which is a bit different from other models.Hidden beneath this hopper is a significant internal hardware upgrade: a set of Baratza’s M2 conical burrs, precision-milled by the European firm Etzinger. This is a notable component, as it is the same burr set found in dedicated grinders like the Baratza Encore ESP Pro. For the user, this means the potential for a more consistent grind particle size, a key factor in improving the taste of the final espresso shot.
At the rear of the unit, the 2 litre (68 fluid ounce) water reservoir is designed for easy access. It can be filled in place or removed entirely using its sturdy handle. It incorporates both a magnetized low-water sensor and Breville’s integrated charcoal filter system. This filtration benefits flavour and machine longevity by reducing scale buildup.
Still features the adjustable burr system Breville's had for decades now, but it does have the M2 Baratza Burrs A closeup of the M2 bottom cone burr. The hopper is a newer design, wider, but also squatter, to fit under more cupboards. Not stepless like the new Oracle Jet is, but still a nice system. The reservoir design has that neat flippy lid thing, and a built in handle for removing entirely and filling at the sink. Don't fill at the sink. The only button on the entire machine, and one of only three physical touch points (the other two being the lever, and the grind setting dial).The front of the machine is starkly minimal. Aside from a single, backlit power button, all user interactions are channelled through the large, vibrant colour touchscreen. This approach looks clean, but it also means every function, even a simple group flush, requires interacting with the screen, which can be less immediate than a physical button.
Below this screen is the main workspace, organized into three zones: the integrated grinding and tamping station on the left, the 54mm grouphead in the centre, and the automatic steam wand and hot water tap on the right.
The star of the left side is the “Impress” tamping system, activated by a large, mechanical side lever that provides satisfying, tactile feedback. On the right, the steam wand itself has a more robust, multi-part construction that feels more premium than those on other Barista line machines. The high-polish stainless steel backsplash looks sharp but is a fingerprint and splash magnet that requires frequent cleaning.
The Touch Impress when powered down. Very minimalist, with one visible touch point. Inside the Impress Tamper housing, you can see the tamper is at a 90 degree angle when not in use. This allows coffee to fall into the portafilter from the grinder. The Bean Hopper holds 12oz, and has a tight sealing lid. The PF is Breville's top of the line 54mm, with upgraded handle, all stainless steel. Shots still curl a bit from the spouts. The portafilter slots nicely into the Impress cradle, and the machine registers its insertion. The lever on the side is easy to use and gives good tactile feedback. The hot water tap comes from the back left of the grouphead, and aims water right into the centre of a cup on the tray. This is the nib that registers the temperature being read off the steam pitcher's surface.It might sound odd to positive-focus on a drip tray, but I have to give Breville credit here. I’ve handled the trays on nearly $10,000 prosumer machines that feel like flimsy, cheap afterthoughts (yeah, looking at you La Marzocco). By contrast, this one is robust and exceptionally well-finished. Pulling the entire unit out reveals the hidden accessory storage inside. It’s a great spot for stashing less-used items like the backflush disk, single basket, or cleaning tablets.
The included accessory kit is comprehensive. You receive four filter baskets (two single-wall for fresh coffee, two double-wall for pre-ground), a quality 480 ml (16 ounce) stainless steel milk pitcher, the water filter assembly, and a full suite of cleaning supplies. A standalone tamper is notably absent, as its services have been made null and void by the machine’s internal tamping system. Weirdly, the machine does come with Breville’s Razor tool, which seems a bit redundant. And the multitool for cleaning the steam wand doesn’t actually fit the new steam wand on this machine (for removal of the tip, at least).
The top plate of the drip tray is well made, intricate, and very inexpensive to replace (take that, La Marzocco). Sliding out the Drip Tray reveals a staple of many Breville machines: a hidden accessories drawer! More details on the tray - under the metal grid is this plastic underlay which catches stray grinds, and organizes the way the tray works overall. When first unpacking, there's a little box inside the accessories tray. Among the included accessories, is this blind filter insert, to be used with the single shot double wall basket. Breville includes the Razor with this machine which is a bit... weird, considering this is an auto dosing, assisted tamping machine. There's also this multitool which is used to clean and remove the steam wand tip, and other parts of the machine. Problem is, its removal tool doesn't fit the Touch Impress' new steam wand. The tray in place, does the job and looks great.Dimensionally, the unit measures 36 cm wide, 34 cm deep, and 41.5 cm tall (14.2 x 13.4 x 16.3 inches). It feels planted and secure on the counter, thanks to excellent high-grip rubber feet that prevent it from sliding when locking in the portafilter.
The Touch Impress, placed on our demo bar, even before removing the faux sticker on the front screen. Connect with us on Social Media MastodonInstagramFacebook-f Search coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.Using The
Breville clearly wants you to get started on the Touch Impress without ever opening the manual, and to their credit, they make that easy. The moment you press the power button, the touchscreen lights up with a soft chime and begins guiding you through setup like a friendly assistant. It feels more like setting up a phone or tablet than an espresso machine, but it works.
The machine starts by asking a few practical questions. It wants to know what kind of milk you use, so it can adjust its frothing routine for dairy, oat, soy, or almond milk. Then it has you test your water hardness with a small strip and enter the result. From that, it automatically sets up reminders for descaling, which helps protect the machine from scale buildup and keeps the coffee tasting consistent. It is clear this product was designed for people who want good results without thinking about maintenance.
The first time (and every time) you start up the machine, you see this pretty latte art and hear a chime. Setting the date and time, for the machine to have its automatic functions. The machine walks you through an initial setup. The machine shows you all the accessories that come with the BBTI. Next comes the water hardness test, which you can skip (really, don't skip this). Use this to measure the water out of your sink, not the filtered water in the machine. Compare the results with what you see on screen. The machine is now priming itself, and filling in some water to the thermojet and lines. Water being flushed through the steam wand, automatically. The machine volunteers to give you a few tutorials to get you familiar with the BBTI and all it can do.Once setup is done, you are ready to make your first drink. You pick a beverage from the touchscreen, lock the portafilter into the cradle, and tap the grind icon. The machine doses automatically, and when the grinding stops, you pull the large side lever. It feels solid and mechanical, almost like pulling a gear shift. The Impress tamping system presses the coffee with even pressure and finishes with a small polishing twist, leaving a clean, level puck. For anyone who has tamped unevenly in the past, this part is genuinely satisfying.
The smart dosing feature looks for a target puck height rather than a specific weight. If the height is too low, the screen prompts you to grind a little more. Once the correct level is reached, the machine remembers that dose for next time. It is a simple but clever way to help beginners achieve consistency without using a separate scale.
The grind setting itself is still adjusted manually using the dial on the side, but the machine gives feedback after each shot. It times the extraction and then suggests whether to go finer or coarser next time. It is not magic, but it saves new users from guessing blindly.
Breville advertises its ThermoJet heating system as ready in three seconds, and technically that is true. The water is hot almost instantly. The problem is that the grouphead and portafilter are still cold, and if you brew right away, the shot will come out sour and under-extracted. The solution is to run a blank shot first to preheat the metal parts, which works fine, but the process is slower than it should be. You have to dig through the drink menu on the touchscreen every time to do this. A simple flush grouphead button on the main screen would make a big difference.
Once properly preheated, the espresso from the Touch Impress is quite good (bordering on world class at times), but its real strength is its relentless consistency. After dialing it in, I was pulling nearly identical shots time after time using the timing and yield weights from CoffeeGeek’s standard espresso machine test parameters (we could not set the initial dose weight; relying instead on the machine’s preset volumes). FYI, that formula is 18.5g in, 45g yield, in around 25-30 seconds (without preinfusion) or 35-40 seconds with preinfusion.
Here’s the process in action.
Insert the portafilter into the grinder cradle. The machine is aware of the positioning. Touch the screen to start the coffee grinding. After tamping with the lever on the side, the machine registers the bed height and gives you a green bar and checkbox to say it's all good. Here's how the bed of coffee looks after dosing the correct amount and tamping with the side lever. The machine's display shows you how to correctly insert the portafilter. At this point you'd hit the brew button that shows up next. The shot begins. The double shot continues, developing nicely and with proper timing on the extraction, which the machine is registering. The shot is nearing completion. Again, the machine is also timing the shot on screen, and keeps track of the volume brewed.For most people, however, the real star of the show will be the Auto MilQ system. You’re essentially outsourcing the tricky skill of milk texturing and accurate temperatures to the machine. You just fill the pitcher, place it on the sensor, and tell the machine what you’re making. The result is a fine, pourable microfoam that it handles well even with non-dairy milks. For anyone buying this machine primarily for lattes and cappuccinos, this is arguably the feature that seals the deal.
The BBTI also lets you queue up the entire process in one go. Prep your portafilter, fill the milk pitcher, and place both in their respective places in the machine. Hit the shot button on screen, and also tap the steam milk icon right after. The machine will pull the shot, then immediately transition the Thermojet to steam mode, and automatically start steaming. You can come back about a minute later to find a nicely pulled shot and a pitcher of microfrothed milk waiting for your always-improving latte art skills. It even finishes by politely reminding you to wipe the steam wand, so it can even handle the nagging for you.
Brewing any milk based drinks with the Touch Impress is a "set and forget" kind of thing. Once the coffee's ground and tamped, insert the portafilter into the machine. Before starting the shot, fill your pitcher with cold milk and also place that in its spot, sitting on the temperature sensor nub. Hit the brew shot button to start the shot pull. As soon as the shot starts, hit the steam pitcher image on the screen to queue up the milk steaming. The BBTI lets you know the milk operation is now queued, ready to go as soon as the shot pull ends. The espresso brewing with the Touch Impress. The shot ends (37 sec!) and now the machine is heating up the thermocoil for 2 to 3 seconds before starting the steaming process. While auto frothing and steaming, the display gives a sort-of-live temperature display (it lags behind real time by about 2-4 seconds). The machine even reminds you to wipe down the wand after use.Unfortunately, the hot water function is deeply frustrating for Americano drinkers. One has to question if the Breville engineers even drink Americanos or Mistos. The automated settings are nonsensical for traditional recipes; the smallest preset dispenses 130 ml of water (a double shot needs only 90 ml), and you cannot stop it early. To add insult to injury, the water is a tepid 63°C (147°F). It’s a baffling design flaw.
What makes this flaw worse is that the Touch Impress cannot receive firmware updates. There is no Wi-Fi connection or USB port for new software. Whatever version the machine ships with is the one you will have for its entire life. For a product that depends so much on software, this feels like a huge swing and a miss.
Despite these annoyances, using the Touch Impress day to day is decently enjoyable. It is fast, intuitive, and clean to operate. You can stumble into the kitchen half-awake, tap a few icons, and end up with an espresso or cappuccino that looks and tastes a thousand percent better than what you would get from a capsule machine. Heck, it’ll probably be better than most cafés these days.
It is not made for people who want to learn the craft of espresso, but for anyone who wants café-level drinks with minimal effort, it comes surprisingly close.
Building a cappuccino, automatically, on the Barista Touch Impress. Connect with us on Social Media MastodonInstagramFacebook-f Search coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
advertise with us and reach a global audience. advertisers make this website possible. coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
advertise with us and reach a global audience. advertisers make this website possible. a coffeegeek advertiser and supporter.
want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.The Barista Touch Impress sits in a crowded field of machines that aim to blend traditional espresso mechanics with heavy digital assistance. They attempt to deliver a full bean-to-cup experience without requiring separate components like a standalone grinder, but this integration often comes with its own trade-offs. Its most direct competitors are found both within Breville’s own lineup and from other established brands.
Breville Barista Express Impress
The Express Impress is based on the Barista Express, with the assisted tamping system built in. It doesn't have drink recipes, and will not automatically froth your milk. But it is a great little machine with excellent, repeatable grinding and dosing.Its closest and most obvious point of comparison is its direct sibling, the Breville Barista Express Impress. This machine is the analog, more hands-on version of the same core concept. It features the same “Impress” intelligent dosing and assisted tamping system. However, the user experience diverges sharply from that point forward.
The Express Impress uses an older, slower-to-heat thermocoil system. While slower, it has the advantage of heating the entire machine, including the grouphead, for better temperature stability on the first shot. This is unlike the Touch Impress, whose fast Thermojet only heats the water, leaving the brewing components cold. The Express Impress is also controlled by an array of physical buttons and dials. It features a prominent pressure gauge, which provides visual feedback that can be useful for users interested in learning about extraction. The process of manually steaming milk, while requiring practice, also offers a higher ceiling for control over texturing for latte art. For many, the lower price point ($799.95 USD / $1,149.95 CAD) will be a deciding factor. (nb, as of this writing (Oct 15, 2025), it is on sale in Canada for just $900, making it an extraordinary value)
Breville Oracle Jet
The Oracle Jet (on the right) during our heavy head to head testing against the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier machine. The Jet also comes with a very nice knock box, about a $40 value, and has OTA updates.Moving up the Breville hierarchy is the new Breville Oracle Jet. Priced at $2,000 USD ($2,999CAD, currently on sale for $2400CAD), it is positioned as a more advanced machine. For the $500 price difference over the Barista Touch Impress, the Jet includes several key hardware and software differences.
The Oracle Jet is built around a commercial-style 58mm portafilter and grouphead, allowing for larger, more traditional espresso doses up to 22g. Its tamping system is fully automated and internal, requiring no lever pulling from the user. It comes with a very nice and upgraded knock box, and the Jet’s completely new grinder has stepless adjustments for more precise control.
Crucially, the Jet also features a dual Thermojet heating system, with one dedicated to rapidly heating the grouphead, directly addressing the Touch Impress’s issue with cold-start temperature stability. Most importantly, the Oracle Jet is the first Breville machine with internet connectivity, allowing for Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware updates, a massive advantage.
While both machines feature the same automated MilQ system, the Jet’s superior hardware and updatable software make it a more advanced machine. At full retail price, the Oracle Jet’s upgrades may justify the extra $500 investment. However, the decision becomes much more difficult when the Barista Touch Impress is found on sale, as its value proposition increases significantly.
De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro
De'Longhi's flagship is their shot across the bow against Breville's highly automated espresso machines. We haven't formally tested this model, but did have a few hours' work with one.Outside the Breville ecosystem, a strong competitor is the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, which competes at a similar price point of $1,299.95 USD (often on sale for $1000), and $1899.99 in Canada (often on sale for $1500). This machine targets the same user with a different technological approach. It also integrates a grinder with an assisted “Smart Tamping Station” to ensure a level, consistently tamped puck without the mess of loose grounds.
It uses a dual heating system for rapid transitions between brewing and steaming and offers two separate milk systems. It has both a manual, pro-style steam wand for users who want to practice latte art and a separate, fully automatic “LatteCrema” system for one-touch convenience. This combination of features offers a flexibility that will appeal to some buyers.
Ninja Cafe Luxe Pro
The Luxe Cafe Pro offers an incredible bang for your espresso buck. Longevity may be a concern, especially with getting after warranty service.Finally, a noteworthy budget competitor is the Ninja Café Luxe Pro. Priced around $750 USD (prices are up because of the Trump Tax), and $900 Canadian (a better deal these days because of the USA tariff nonsense) it’s roughly half the cost of the BBTI. For that price, it also offers an integrated grinder, a lever-based tamping system, and a hands-free automated milk frother. It even includes a wider array of drink options, from ristretto and lungo to larger brewed coffees.
This feature parity is notable, but there are key trade-offs to consider. Ninja is a recent entrant into the espresso market, compared to Breville’s decades-long track record. The Ninja’s versatility is also accessed via a complex, button-driven interface, which contrasts with the single, guided touchscreen on the Barista Touch Impress. Differences in component quality, such as the BBTI’s premium Baratza burrs, also likely account for the price gap.
At full retail, the price difference is stark. However, the Barista Touch Impress is occasionally on sale, sometimes as low as $1000USD. This narrows the gap considerably, shifting the decision from one of pure budget to a choice between the BBTI’s user experience and the Ninja’s button-based functionality.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us.Conclusion
After a few weeks with the BBTI, a clear picture is emerging. Let’s be clear: this machine isn’t a tool for the aspiring artist. It’s a high-end appliance for those who want a great result without serving an apprenticeship.
If you want to graduate from capsules for better espresso but are intimidated by the learning curve of a traditional setup, this machine is for you. It delivers on its core promise: providing repeatable high-grade espresso shots and a high level of automated milk frothing, especially for non-dairy milks.
But this convenience comes at a price, and not just the monetary one. In exchange for the automation, you give up a lot of granular control. This isn’t just about tweaking for fun; it’s about the ability to adapt to different beans or correct a shot that’s pulling too fast or slow, a capability the machine deliberately abstracts from the user. You also have to live with its quirks, like the mandatory pre-heating and the poorly designed hot water function.
At its full retail price of $1,499.95 USD ($2,149.95 CAD), its value proposition is complicated. For $500 more, Breville’s own Oracle Jet offers significant upgrades like a 58mm portafilter and OTA firmware updates. Meanwhile, competitors like the Ninja Café Luxe Pro offer a surprisingly similar automated feature set for roughly half the price.
The value of the Barista Touch Impress hinges heavily on the times Breville puts it on sale. It is occasionally discounted, sometimes dropping as low as $1,000 USD retail. At that price, it becomes a much more compelling middle ground, offering a more premium build and user interface than the Ninja without the steep cost of the Oracle Jet.
This is our First Look. The real test is how this complex piece of technology holds up over the long haul. Will the software remain snappy? Will the automated systems prove reliable? We’ll be putting this machine through a comprehensive, long-term review to answer those questions and more.
In the meantime, if you own one or are on the fence, we want to hear from you. What has your experience been? Let us know in the comments below.
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"Yesterday’s medical breakthrough was a new drug. Tomorrow’s breakthrough is the intelligent algorithm that designs the drug, the connected device that delivers it, and the data stream that confirms it worked."- Futurist Jim Carroll
This single idea captures the profound shift underway in healthcare.
Success is no longer measured by a single intervention, but by the intelligence of the entire system of care. It's a big undertaking, but one full of opportunity. Over the years, I've keynoted dozens of healthcare conferences, leadership meetings, and events, and have been writing on the topic extensively. Heck, in 1997, I released a book that predicted much of today's landscape called Good Health Online, not to forget that I predicted today's healthcare reality crisis - almost exactly as it is unfolding now - back in 2017.
Let's dig in.
If I look back at the topics I've covered, it's clear that the future of healthcare is being redefined at blinding speed. These are the 10 powerful trends creating both unprecedented challenges and massive opportunities.
The shift to preventative medicine
The acceleration of medical science
Bio-connectivity & the virtualization of care
The rise of the empowered, connected patient
AI-driven diagnostics and treatment
The data-driven healthcare dashboard
The gig economy and the "just-in-time" medical professional
The redefined pharmacy
Longevity science and brain health
The blurring of industriesAll of this spells big opportunity - but also involves a huge effort.
The forces at play—accelerating science, transformative technology, and the empowerment of the patient—are not cyclical trends but the agents of a permanent, structural reinvention of the industry. The opportunities for innovation are immense, but they will not be captured by those who cling to the models of the past.
The future of healthcare will not be defined by a single piece of legislation or a singular miracle cure, but by the relentless pace of scientific discovery and the bold leaders who are willing to challenge the status quo. The future belongs to those who are fast, and the race to reinvent healthcare is on!
Read the whole post.
----
**#Healthcare** **#Innovation** **#Prevention** **#AI** **#Technology** **#Medicine** **#Digital** **#Transformation** **#Personalized** **#Future**Futurist Jim Carroll covers the healthcare topic regularly in his blog - you can find dozens of posts at https://jimcarroll.com/category/health-care-trends/
-
(Note. The bit about watching/listening and Tagliavini refers to a Reddit post in which I asked about four different versions of La Boheme that I have in my large list of opera links. Also, Schipa is still my favourite singer of all time. But Gigli is second, Tagliavini is third, and Battistini is fourth.)
"I just finished listening to La Boheme from 1938. I say "listening" because several people mentioned that I said "watching" in the post where I was trying to decide on a version. I am totally blind, so it's all listening for me, whether there is a video or not. But I'm accustomed to saying "watch" when referring to things that I find on Youtube, which is odd, as I usually download them as mp3s, but anyway. This is the full opera.youtube.com/watch?v=mE5vRfD7uC…
This is the libretto that I used.
opera-arias.com/puccini/la-boh…
The first act basically told the story of the characters themselves. The second made me laugh in several places. Marcello and (Musetta were quite funny, in general. Poor Alcindoro) kept trying to calm Musetta and was ultimately stuck with the bill, but that was clever. The third, of course, was more serious, and forshaddowed things to come. I'm glad the fourth act had some comedy in it, because the ending was heart-breaking. Even though I knew what would happen, it was played so well that it brought me to tears, and I had to calm down before writing this review! Even Schipa himself couldn't do that, and I have the last scene with him in it! Gigli was an absolute master of this role, and while complaining about his sobs in other instances may be justified, he used them expertly in this performance, and truly brought the character of Rodolfo to life. What really surprised me is how much I liked Licia Albanese. I am usually not a fan of high-pitched female voices, but for some reason, I liked her, and the chemistry between her and Gigli's characters could be felt. I am really glad that I chose this version and would highly recommend it to anyone."
"Since I mentioned being caught between Gigli and Tagliavini in my other post, here is Che Gelida Manina by both of them.
Gigli
youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ba_MSygG…Tagliavini
(I am providing two versions because he sings them quite differently. The first is extremely sweet and the second less so, but it still sounds like it's before the voice change. I have always loved his version, but I don't know how he would handle the rest, particularly the really dramatic parts.)
1
youtube.com/watch?v=ux1QuTbQsc…2
youtube.com/watch?v=2DdPoNsTRD…Now for Schipa.
youtube.com/watch?v=gqcuAAA_2m…
And this is the final scene that I mentioned in my review. Naturally, it is played well, as Schipa always sang everything beautifully. But Gigli added his own elements to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=IMTQ7gGyuw… "
Since I mentioned it, here is my large list of operas.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/242…
#BeniaminoGigli #FerruccioTagliavini #Gigli #LaBoheme #opera #Puccini #review #Tagliavini #TitoSchipa #Schipa
-
(Note. The bit about watching/listening and Tagliavini refers to a Reddit post in which I asked about four different versions of La Boheme that I have in my large list of opera links. Also, Schipa is still my favourite singer of all time. But Gigli is second, Tagliavini is third, and Battistini is fourth.)
"I just finished listening to La Boheme from 1938. I say "listening" because several people mentioned that I said "watching" in the post where I was trying to decide on a version. I am totally blind, so it's all listening for me, whether there is a video or not. But I'm accustomed to saying "watch" when referring to things that I find on Youtube, which is odd, as I usually download them as mp3s, but anyway. This is the full opera.youtube.com/watch?v=mE5vRfD7uC…
This is the libretto that I used.
opera-arias.com/puccini/la-boh…
The first act basically told the story of the characters themselves. The second made me laugh in several places. Marcello and (Musetta were quite funny, in general. Poor Alcindoro) kept trying to calm Musetta and was ultimately stuck with the bill, but that was clever. The third, of course, was more serious, and forshaddowed things to come. I'm glad the fourth act had some comedy in it, because the ending was heart-breaking. Even though I knew what would happen, it was played so well that it brought me to tears, and I had to calm down before writing this review! Even Schipa himself couldn't do that, and I have the last scene with him in it! Gigli was an absolute master of this role, and while complaining about his sobs in other instances may be justified, he used them expertly in this performance, and truly brought the character of Rodolfo to life. What really surprised me is how much I liked Licia Albanese. I am usually not a fan of high-pitched female voices, but for some reason, I liked her, and the chemistry between her and Gigli's characters could be felt. I am really glad that I chose this version and would highly recommend it to anyone."
"Since I mentioned being caught between Gigli and Tagliavini in my other post, here is Che Gelida Manina by both of them.
Gigli
youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ba_MSygG…Tagliavini
(I am providing two versions because he sings them quite differently. The first is extremely sweet and the second less so, but it still sounds like it's before the voice change. I have always loved his version, but I don't know how he would handle the rest, particularly the really dramatic parts.)
1
youtube.com/watch?v=ux1QuTbQsc…2
youtube.com/watch?v=2DdPoNsTRD…Now for Schipa.
youtube.com/watch?v=gqcuAAA_2m…
And this is the final scene that I mentioned in my review. Naturally, it is played well, as Schipa always sang everything beautifully. But Gigli added his own elements to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=IMTQ7gGyuw… "
Since I mentioned it, here is my large list of operas.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/242…
#BeniaminoGigli #FerruccioTagliavini #Gigli #LaBoheme #opera #Puccini #review #Tagliavini #TitoSchipa #Schipa
-
(Note. The bit about watching/listening and Tagliavini refers to a Reddit post in which I asked about four different versions of La Boheme that I have in my large list of opera links. Also, Schipa is still my favourite singer of all time. But Gigli is second, Tagliavini is third, and Battistini is fourth.)
"I just finished listening to La Boheme from 1938. I say "listening" because several people mentioned that I said "watching" in the post where I was trying to decide on a version. I am totally blind, so it's all listening for me, whether there is a video or not. But I'm accustomed to saying "watch" when referring to things that I find on Youtube, which is odd, as I usually download them as mp3s, but anyway. This is the full opera.youtube.com/watch?v=mE5vRfD7uC…
This is the libretto that I used.
opera-arias.com/puccini/la-boh…
The first act basically told the story of the characters themselves. The second made me laugh in several places. Marcello and (Musetta were quite funny, in general. Poor Alcindoro) kept trying to calm Musetta and was ultimately stuck with the bill, but that was clever. The third, of course, was more serious, and forshaddowed things to come. I'm glad the fourth act had some comedy in it, because the ending was heart-breaking. Even though I knew what would happen, it was played so well that it brought me to tears, and I had to calm down before writing this review! Even Schipa himself couldn't do that, and I have the last scene with him in it! Gigli was an absolute master of this role, and while complaining about his sobs in other instances may be justified, he used them expertly in this performance, and truly brought the character of Rodolfo to life. What really surprised me is how much I liked Licia Albanese. I am usually not a fan of high-pitched female voices, but for some reason, I liked her, and the chemistry between her and Gigli's characters could be felt. I am really glad that I chose this version and would highly recommend it to anyone."
"Since I mentioned being caught between Gigli and Tagliavini in my other post, here is Che Gelida Manina by both of them.
Gigli
youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ba_MSygG…Tagliavini
(I am providing two versions because he sings them quite differently. The first is extremely sweet and the second less so, but it still sounds like it's before the voice change. I have always loved his version, but I don't know how he would handle the rest, particularly the really dramatic parts.)
1
youtube.com/watch?v=ux1QuTbQsc…2
youtube.com/watch?v=2DdPoNsTRD…Now for Schipa.
youtube.com/watch?v=gqcuAAA_2m…
And this is the final scene that I mentioned in my review. Naturally, it is played well, as Schipa always sang everything beautifully. But Gigli added his own elements to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=IMTQ7gGyuw… "
Since I mentioned it, here is my large list of operas.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/242…
#BeniaminoGigli #FerruccioTagliavini #Gigli #LaBoheme #opera #Puccini #review #Tagliavini #TitoSchipa #Schipa
-
(Note. The bit about watching/listening and Tagliavini refers to a Reddit post in which I asked about four different versions of La Boheme that I have in my large list of opera links. Also, Schipa is still my favourite singer of all time. But Gigli is second, Tagliavini is third, and Battistini is fourth.)
"I just finished listening to La Boheme from 1938. I say "listening" because several people mentioned that I said "watching" in the post where I was trying to decide on a version. I am totally blind, so it's all listening for me, whether there is a video or not. But I'm accustomed to saying "watch" when referring to things that I find on Youtube, which is odd, as I usually download them as mp3s, but anyway. This is the full opera.youtube.com/watch?v=mE5vRfD7uC…
This is the libretto that I used.
opera-arias.com/puccini/la-boh…
The first act basically told the story of the characters themselves. The second made me laugh in several places. Marcello and (Musetta were quite funny, in general. Poor Alcindoro) kept trying to calm Musetta and was ultimately stuck with the bill, but that was clever. The third, of course, was more serious, and forshaddowed things to come. I'm glad the fourth act had some comedy in it, because the ending was heart-breaking. Even though I knew what would happen, it was played so well that it brought me to tears, and I had to calm down before writing this review! Even Schipa himself couldn't do that, and I have the last scene with him in it! Gigli was an absolute master of this role, and while complaining about his sobs in other instances may be justified, he used them expertly in this performance, and truly brought the character of Rodolfo to life. What really surprised me is how much I liked Licia Albanese. I am usually not a fan of high-pitched female voices, but for some reason, I liked her, and the chemistry between her and Gigli's characters could be felt. I am really glad that I chose this version and would highly recommend it to anyone."
"Since I mentioned being caught between Gigli and Tagliavini in my other post, here is Che Gelida Manina by both of them.
Gigli
youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ba_MSygG…Tagliavini
(I am providing two versions because he sings them quite differently. The first is extremely sweet and the second less so, but it still sounds like it's before the voice change. I have always loved his version, but I don't know how he would handle the rest, particularly the really dramatic parts.)
1
youtube.com/watch?v=ux1QuTbQsc…2
youtube.com/watch?v=2DdPoNsTRD…Now for Schipa.
youtube.com/watch?v=gqcuAAA_2m…
And this is the final scene that I mentioned in my review. Naturally, it is played well, as Schipa always sang everything beautifully. But Gigli added his own elements to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=IMTQ7gGyuw… "
Since I mentioned it, here is my large list of operas.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/242…
#BeniaminoGigli #FerruccioTagliavini #Gigli #LaBoheme #opera #Puccini #review #Tagliavini #TitoSchipa #Schipa
-
(Note. The bit about watching/listening and Tagliavini refers to a Reddit post in which I asked about four different versions of La Boheme that I have in my large list of opera links. Also, Schipa is still my favourite singer of all time. But Gigli is second, Tagliavini is third, and Battistini is fourth.)
"I just finished listening to La Boheme from 1938. I say "listening" because several people mentioned that I said "watching" in the post where I was trying to decide on a version. I am totally blind, so it's all listening for me, whether there is a video or not. But I'm accustomed to saying "watch" when referring to things that I find on Youtube, which is odd, as I usually download them as mp3s, but anyway. This is the full opera.youtube.com/watch?v=mE5vRfD7uC…
This is the libretto that I used.
opera-arias.com/puccini/la-boh…
The first act basically told the story of the characters themselves. The second made me laugh in several places. Marcello and (Musetta were quite funny, in general. Poor Alcindoro) kept trying to calm Musetta and was ultimately stuck with the bill, but that was clever. The third, of course, was more serious, and forshaddowed things to come. I'm glad the fourth act had some comedy in it, because the ending was heart-breaking. Even though I knew what would happen, it was played so well that it brought me to tears, and I had to calm down before writing this review! Even Schipa himself couldn't do that, and I have the last scene with him in it! Gigli was an absolute master of this role, and while complaining about his sobs in other instances may be justified, he used them expertly in this performance, and truly brought the character of Rodolfo to life. What really surprised me is how much I liked Licia Albanese. I am usually not a fan of high-pitched female voices, but for some reason, I liked her, and the chemistry between her and Gigli's characters could be felt. I am really glad that I chose this version and would highly recommend it to anyone."
"Since I mentioned being caught between Gigli and Tagliavini in my other post, here is Che Gelida Manina by both of them.
Gigli
youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ba_MSygG…Tagliavini
(I am providing two versions because he sings them quite differently. The first is extremely sweet and the second less so, but it still sounds like it's before the voice change. I have always loved his version, but I don't know how he would handle the rest, particularly the really dramatic parts.)
1
youtube.com/watch?v=ux1QuTbQsc…2
youtube.com/watch?v=2DdPoNsTRD…Now for Schipa.
youtube.com/watch?v=gqcuAAA_2m…
And this is the final scene that I mentioned in my review. Naturally, it is played well, as Schipa always sang everything beautifully. But Gigli added his own elements to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=IMTQ7gGyuw… "
Since I mentioned it, here is my large list of operas.
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/242…
#BeniaminoGigli #FerruccioTagliavini #Gigli #LaBoheme #opera #Puccini #review #Tagliavini #TitoSchipa #Schipa
-
#PennedPossibilities 668 2/2 — Tell us how self and socially aware some of your [supporting characters] are. Are these two things connected in any way for them?
Ezekiel Stan is a villain, no mistaking this. He is very self-aware. He knows what he is doing, and understands he is both tyrannical and hypocritical—but he thinks he is carrying out God's will, is willing to accept judgment for his methods when he faces eternity. When EM Mars Corp. goes bankrupt, is cut off from Earth, and EM corporate governance continues on auto-pilot, Ezekiel, one of the seven Martian in situ board of directors, sees an opportunity to turn Mars into a religious utopia. He wants to fight the liberalism imported by contract colonial women who helped settle Mars after he helped complete the original settlements. He sees no role for women other than to support the men in their lives, to bear children, and to obey. He assumes the people he rules through intimidation and swift retribution share his values; he corrects those who don't. He corrected his son's girly-ness by breaking his arm when he found him helping out with women's work. His lack of social awareness when it comes to educated and martian-born women is an epic blindspot. He doesn't care what they think, or think that they can. Reina and May Ri (the MC) take advantage of this when he works to thwart progressive change.
[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#mystery #thriller#sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSMarsNeededWomen