Dark and Wondrous - it's in the trees! it's coming!
@darkandwondrous.bsky.social
Fight fascism!
Writer, science-y person, dad, caregiver, wants to be an artist when he grows up.
SFF & moody existential horror. Dada, deco, noir, philosophy. Yunnan tea & long walks on the beach.
Monsters, John, monsters from the Id.
He/him
Writer, science-y person, dad, caregiver, wants to be an artist when he grows up.
SFF & moody existential horror. Dada, deco, noir, philosophy. Yunnan tea & long walks on the beach.
Monsters, John, monsters from the Id.
He/him
Icy moons rule.
November 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Icy moons rule.
there's something here that doesn't make sense; let's go poke it with a stick, charlie brown
November 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
there's something here that doesn't make sense; let's go poke it with a stick, charlie brown
my father has not engaged in conversation for at least twenty years; the monologue is his preferred mode of discourse, Charlie Brown
November 25, 2025 at 2:43 PM
my father has not engaged in conversation for at least twenty years; the monologue is his preferred mode of discourse, Charlie Brown
Thread
(image from below with alt text:)
(image from below with alt text:)
November 25, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Thread
(image from below with alt text:)
(image from below with alt text:)
In the Vorkosigan books (woman author ofc) hero Miles carries on a loving sometimes-romance with 8-foot Sergeant Taura—a beastly, engineered super-soldier—for a decade or more. He saves her life after her makers deem her an expendable failure.
Fan art often seems to minimize her animal appearance,
Fan art often seems to minimize her animal appearance,
November 24, 2025 at 7:50 AM
In the Vorkosigan books (woman author ofc) hero Miles carries on a loving sometimes-romance with 8-foot Sergeant Taura—a beastly, engineered super-soldier—for a decade or more. He saves her life after her makers deem her an expendable failure.
Fan art often seems to minimize her animal appearance,
Fan art often seems to minimize her animal appearance,
Ugh, I hear that. And feel similarly.
FWIW, some galaxies from ESA's Euclid space telescope (as it carries out its dark sky survey).
Hope you don't mind if I post them here.
FWIW, some galaxies from ESA's Euclid space telescope (as it carries out its dark sky survey).
Hope you don't mind if I post them here.
November 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Ugh, I hear that. And feel similarly.
FWIW, some galaxies from ESA's Euclid space telescope (as it carries out its dark sky survey).
Hope you don't mind if I post them here.
FWIW, some galaxies from ESA's Euclid space telescope (as it carries out its dark sky survey).
Hope you don't mind if I post them here.
🎵There's a little black spot on the sun todayy
Same old theeeng a-as yesterday...🎶
Same old theeeng a-as yesterday...🎶
November 23, 2025 at 4:01 AM
🎵There's a little black spot on the sun todayy
Same old theeeng a-as yesterday...🎶
Same old theeeng a-as yesterday...🎶
"Than take me away from all this DEATH."
November 22, 2025 at 1:45 PM
"Than take me away from all this DEATH."
November 22, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Hahaha! I hadn't read this when I replied to OP, but I see we have the same, um, eyeworm!
November 20, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Hahaha! I hadn't read this when I replied to OP, but I see we have the same, um, eyeworm!
My top3 can't miss movie cliches
1. Donald Pleasence speaks any line with his trademark chilling, slightly-uncanny intensity switched on
2. Person who's ~never driven HAS to drive—bc EMERGENCY!—somehow pulls it off
3. Protagonist gets, ignores the "you're in over your head" lecture from a baddie
1. Donald Pleasence speaks any line with his trademark chilling, slightly-uncanny intensity switched on
2. Person who's ~never driven HAS to drive—bc EMERGENCY!—somehow pulls it off
3. Protagonist gets, ignores the "you're in over your head" lecture from a baddie
November 18, 2025 at 4:40 AM
My top3 can't miss movie cliches
1. Donald Pleasence speaks any line with his trademark chilling, slightly-uncanny intensity switched on
2. Person who's ~never driven HAS to drive—bc EMERGENCY!—somehow pulls it off
3. Protagonist gets, ignores the "you're in over your head" lecture from a baddie
1. Donald Pleasence speaks any line with his trademark chilling, slightly-uncanny intensity switched on
2. Person who's ~never driven HAS to drive—bc EMERGENCY!—somehow pulls it off
3. Protagonist gets, ignores the "you're in over your head" lecture from a baddie
Updates from the Curiosity team had been held up by the Shutdown, but now they're starting to catch up:
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
November 18, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Updates from the Curiosity team had been held up by the Shutdown, but now they're starting to catch up:
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
"Before Curiosity landed 13 yrs ago, the science team eyed all the geologic wonders scattered across the flanks of Mount Sharp…[lately] we've been exploring the heart of one of these…wonders—the boxwork structures…this expansive network of ridges & hollows…an exercise in systematic detective work."
November 18, 2025 at 3:25 AM
"Before Curiosity landed 13 yrs ago, the science team eyed all the geologic wonders scattered across the flanks of Mount Sharp…[lately] we've been exploring the heart of one of these…wonders—the boxwork structures…this expansive network of ridges & hollows…an exercise in systematic detective work."
Excellent
November 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Excellent
Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
November 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
I've been trying to broker a deal, but Cthulhu tells me they're not in the mood to talk.
November 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
I've been trying to broker a deal, but Cthulhu tells me they're not in the mood to talk.
What an actor.
In addition to his movie career, I'm so glad Kotto got to sink his teeth into Giardello for a few years on Homicide.
I gotta watch Blue Collar again, it's been decades.
In addition to his movie career, I'm so glad Kotto got to sink his teeth into Giardello for a few years on Homicide.
I gotta watch Blue Collar again, it's been decades.
November 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
What an actor.
In addition to his movie career, I'm so glad Kotto got to sink his teeth into Giardello for a few years on Homicide.
I gotta watch Blue Collar again, it's been decades.
In addition to his movie career, I'm so glad Kotto got to sink his teeth into Giardello for a few years on Homicide.
I gotta watch Blue Collar again, it's been decades.
Dad's watching How to Steal a Million—a movie I don't know but omg Peter O'Toole+Audrey Hepburn, 2 of the most-fun-to-watch actors ever!
O'Toole's face is just delightfully expressive.
*yep for those who've been following, my dad's still here! He hit 98 last Spring. Hospice is about to kick him
O'Toole's face is just delightfully expressive.
*yep for those who've been following, my dad's still here! He hit 98 last Spring. Hospice is about to kick him
November 15, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Dad's watching How to Steal a Million—a movie I don't know but omg Peter O'Toole+Audrey Hepburn, 2 of the most-fun-to-watch actors ever!
O'Toole's face is just delightfully expressive.
*yep for those who've been following, my dad's still here! He hit 98 last Spring. Hospice is about to kick him
O'Toole's face is just delightfully expressive.
*yep for those who've been following, my dad's still here! He hit 98 last Spring. Hospice is about to kick him
*those of us WHO understand this
November 15, 2025 at 5:29 AM
*those of us WHO understand this
Certainly with all that subtle detail it has an especially-elusive quality in reproduction, so I'm glad you got to see it!
( ALTHOUGH, Walmart has a garish, 'museum-quality' canvas reproduction for under $100—and they've only distorted the aspect ratio by a factor of 2 or so! )
( ALTHOUGH, Walmart has a garish, 'museum-quality' canvas reproduction for under $100—and they've only distorted the aspect ratio by a factor of 2 or so! )
November 14, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Certainly with all that subtle detail it has an especially-elusive quality in reproduction, so I'm glad you got to see it!
( ALTHOUGH, Walmart has a garish, 'museum-quality' canvas reproduction for under $100—and they've only distorted the aspect ratio by a factor of 2 or so! )
( ALTHOUGH, Walmart has a garish, 'museum-quality' canvas reproduction for under $100—and they've only distorted the aspect ratio by a factor of 2 or so! )
Ah! So cool.
I'm a fan of Ernst's work (& surrealism generally), & have been lamenting that to see much of it in person would seem to require touring Europe—so this is welcome news!
Can you tell me, does the Premonition of War/Monsters section include his stunning, terrifying Hearthside Angel?
I'm a fan of Ernst's work (& surrealism generally), & have been lamenting that to see much of it in person would seem to require touring Europe—so this is welcome news!
Can you tell me, does the Premonition of War/Monsters section include his stunning, terrifying Hearthside Angel?
November 14, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Ah! So cool.
I'm a fan of Ernst's work (& surrealism generally), & have been lamenting that to see much of it in person would seem to require touring Europe—so this is welcome news!
Can you tell me, does the Premonition of War/Monsters section include his stunning, terrifying Hearthside Angel?
I'm a fan of Ernst's work (& surrealism generally), & have been lamenting that to see much of it in person would seem to require touring Europe—so this is welcome news!
Can you tell me, does the Premonition of War/Monsters section include his stunning, terrifying Hearthside Angel?
Yep. Even though they had to retool it for the digital era, the original Trek FX were no slouch, exceeding what the TV audience was used to.
Lost in Space seemingly also had $, but compare Trek with times The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits messed with spaceships & you can really see the difference
Lost in Space seemingly also had $, but compare Trek with times The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits messed with spaceships & you can really see the difference
November 12, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Yep. Even though they had to retool it for the digital era, the original Trek FX were no slouch, exceeding what the TV audience was used to.
Lost in Space seemingly also had $, but compare Trek with times The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits messed with spaceships & you can really see the difference
Lost in Space seemingly also had $, but compare Trek with times The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits messed with spaceships & you can really see the difference
One of the all-time classics of imaginative cinema—an inspiration for the delightful practical/in-camera FX in more recent wonders like Prince of Darkness & Bram Stoker's Dracula.
November 12, 2025 at 7:27 AM
One of the all-time classics of imaginative cinema—an inspiration for the delightful practical/in-camera FX in more recent wonders like Prince of Darkness & Bram Stoker's Dracula.
November 11, 2025 at 4:32 PM
A 'mag well' is apparently a flared base attached to the bottom of the grip, which makes reloading faster and easier under high-stress conditions (like when Black Widow has to go up against the Winter Soldier or, y'know, antifa).
November 11, 2025 at 2:09 AM
A 'mag well' is apparently a flared base attached to the bottom of the grip, which makes reloading faster and easier under high-stress conditions (like when Black Widow has to go up against the Winter Soldier or, y'know, antifa).