Years Before The Covid Pandemic Began, Author Naomi Kritzer Wrote The Charming, Emotionally Genuine Short

Years before the covid pandemic began, author Naomi Kritzer wrote the charming, emotionally genuine short story "So Much Cooking," which was a pandemic log through the eyes of a cooking blog. The premise is that the author is a home cooking blogger raising her kids, and then a pandemic hits--and bit by bit she's feeding not only her own, but her sister's kids, some neighbors' kids, and so on, in a situation of pandemic lockdown and food shortages.

It's very good, and was prescient for a lot of the early days of the covid pandemic. I found myself returning to it often in the first couple of years because of how steadfast it was in its hopefulness.

Last year she wrote a novelette, "The Year Without Sunshine," which attacks a similar problem in a similar way; instead of pandemic, this one is about the aftereffects of a distant nuke or a massive volcano explosion (it doesn't say), which has churned a great deal of dust into the air, causing massive damage to society and agriculture. The story covers one neighborhood, pulling together to keep each other alive--not through violence, but through lawn potatoes and message pinboards and bicycle-powered oxygen concentrators.

I recommend both stories. They're uplifting in a way that a lot of what I see lately isn't. They're a bit of a panacea for constant fearmongering about intracommunity violence and grinding hatefulness. We can be good to each other, if we try.

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Shooting star. Alienist and neurologist. 1919.

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I remember discussing Tintin casting choices with a friend from Germany and remarked how it was odd he often has an English accent in adaptations rather than a Belgian one, and my friend just replied "that's because Tintin gives incredibly strong English boy energy (derogatory)"

Here in the UK there's a lot of weird classism tied into accents. Today accent diversity and representation in broadcasting is actively pursued but in Tintin's time there certainly was a preferred accent to have.

imagine this exchange happens between pages 28-29 in The Crab with the Golden Claws

Aegon the conqueror inverted. 🐉

Or, none of the Targs in ASOIAF ever fight and they all get married and live happily ever after.

About the kiddos.

So In this universe I think Danny probably married Aegon first, because he would have already had the iron throne. Jon wasn’t in the picture when Rhae would have been conceived. So everyone at least knows for sure that Rhaenys is Aegon’s.

Rhaenys is pretty much her namesake/aunt come again. She’s a spitfire and always getting herself into mischief. She’s Aegon’s pride and joy, and Danny’s eternal headache.

Visenya is the second oldest, but it’s a little unclear time wise who’s her father. Danny and Jon didn’t get along at first when they first got married, and it seemed they only really slept together out of ‘duty’. It was only after Visenya was born that Jon and Danny actually started falling for each-other, at the urging of Aegon who was getting annoyed with the both of them and all their pent up sexual frustrations.

Elaena, is the curious middle child. She’s the spitting image of Danny. And a quiet little toddler who spends most of her time nuzzled against Ghost’s fur. Like Visenya, no one is exactly sure who her father is, either Jon or Aegon— but in private both king consorts quietly boast they are in fact her father.

The only boy, and Jon’s only ‘confirmed’ heir is Aemon, who was conceived whilst Aegon was away with negotiations in Essos. He is evidently a Stark in blood, and looks just like a young Jon. He’s a sullen, soft little toddler who prefers not to speak much. Thankfully for him, his three older sisters make talking rather pointless. Obviously there is the implied issue of his birthright, as the only boy against Rhaenys, the eldest daughter. But with a boy so young, and a queen regnant ruling Westeros, the issue isn’t quite a priority just yet.

Lukash. Main male character of the story. Another character sheet for the "Forest Song".