[ SECRET POST #5551 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5551 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


01.
[Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao]



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02.



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03.
[Venom]


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04. https://i.imgur.com/M0aDyxc.png
[OP warned for NSFW image]


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05.



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06. [SPOILERS for In Sound Mind]
























Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #794.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Okay so I'm confused. Every online media outlet reporting on this book seems to claim that the story is an actual re-imagining of that particular Chinese Empress. It literally says "historical reimagination of Wu Zetian" in many articles. Which would put this in line with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Journey to the West and such, as mentioned elsewhere in these comments. Not weird.

BUT this secret and other comments seem to indicate that the story is NOT an AU of the historical figure but something entirely original? And that it also name-drops other historical figures? From the same time period? From different time periods?

Like, which is the case? Weird or not weird? Or is the book a re-imagining of Wu Zetian that ALSO features AU historical figures from totally different periods of history for no reason? Because that would be the weirdest case, like you're trying to have things both ways.

[(Anonymous)]

Well, it's definitely not historical. It's futuristic, with a post-apocalyptic feel where society appears to have returned to some historical ways of living and cultural values in rural areas, but with technology still existing and advancing. It's not really a reimagining of the story of Wu Zetian, other than in the loosest sense of being a story of a woman rising to power by ruthless means because that's the only way to do it in a society that devalues women. The character is named after her because of that, but it's more as an homage meaning to say that she's supposed to be, like, literal future-AU Wu Zetian.

[(Anonymous)]

"it's more as an homage meaning to say" - I accidentally an important word in there, I meant "it's more as an homage, not meaning to say"

But I mean, fantasy historical and post-apocalyptic tales borrowing elements from different time periods is normal? Your generic super-serious "medieval" European fantasy novel will use elements of the real world that span about 900 years, as the Middle Ages did. Not everything "medieval" existed at the same time.

[(Anonymous)]

I guess this would be alternate history with fantastic elements rather than history *history*, which would still fit alright into that tradition. Really it's gonna come down to how many historical figures are named and who are. For example, I could deal with Elizabeth the First In Spaaaaaaace. And if she dates Francis Drake the cyborg space pirate, that's alright too. You can still call that a re-imagining. But if Space Elizabeth's nation goes to war against Genghis Khan's intergalactic empire, that won't work for me.

[(Anonymous)]

It wouldn't work for you but it sounds baller to me

[(Anonymous)]

since it was the author themselves who kept announcing the book as a "re-imagining" i feel like that just makes it plain false advertising.

[(Anonymous)]

It’s not a faithful retelling, but it’s not as random as OP implies either. It’s Treasure Planet, but with Chinese history.