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A survey of furry story sites (by Watts Martin)
Hello r/furry!
Found myself wondering if there was a furry subreddit. Of course there is. Then I saw that the upvote/downvote buttons are pawprints and I'm pretty sure I suffered some sort of stroke or mild neurovascular attack of some sort. Also I think I may be the 2,500th subscriber. Cheers.
submitted by Wondertruffle[link] [10 comments]
Boys, Girls, and the In-Betweens
For many, perhaps most, it’s easy to envision furry as being made up in large part of gay males. Some evidence bears this out, even; results from the Furry Survey suggests that a majority of furry is indeed male, though the sexual orientation side of things suggests a different story, which is still, of course, far and above what’s considered standard in western society. The point of interest comes in the way gender and sexuality are explored strictly within the context of furry, whether through art or through text, particularly on the Internet.
I, admittedly, grew into the fandom with a similar mindset, expecting that it would be a warm and welcoming place for a young gay (as I identified at the time; things have since shifted) man, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. There was a very welcoming, bordering on celebratory, attitude towards non-heterosexual orientations, and there was certainly no shortage of guys around to fit into that niche. I came from a pretty standard family as far as gay kids from upper-middle class liberal America go, and even I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of acceptance and testosterone flowing around within the fandom. It definitely fit in well with my burgeoning sexuality, in that I had a lot of supportive people surrounding me and, to put it bluntly, a lot of choices for the targets of my affection. Even today, I’m surprised at how large a part sexual orientation plays in those that I meet, to an embarrassing point, in some.
More surprising than the gay men, however, was the women I met. Specifically, the discrepancies in gender ratios online versus that which I heard about and encountered at conventions, meets, and in person in general. This wasn’t some sort of taboo phenomenon, either. Some openly joked about how males on MUCKs were males, and females on MUCKs were probably males too. Others who were a different gender online from in person treated it as an open secret and joked about it often. Even those who didn’t joke about it weren’t coy about differentiating between player and character when talking online.
I’m sure that there as many, if not more, reasons for someone to have a character of a different gender from their player online as their are people who actually do that. In fact, there almost certainly are a good deal more reasons for someone to do that than there are people who do that, just due to the fact that people change over time.
Here now, I’ve been playing coy, and that’s probably not a good thing for writers to do. I know that this is the case because, in eleven years of being around within the fandom now, I’ve done my own fair share of playing around with gender and talking with those who do similar online, and I think I definitively state that there are several reasons for doing so. They can be divided into needs and wants: those things that are biological or psychological imperatives and those things that are more desires than must haves.
Topping the list of wants is likely the desire for heterosexual interaction – not necessarily just in the realm of sex, either. In a predominately male social group where sexual orientation is divided up fairly evenly, people have found a way to increase the amount of females available for this interaction through role play and art. When it comes to sex on the Internet, it’s then easier for people to find partners even if they’re playing the female role in the act. This has surely led to more than a few instances of relationships that have started based on this interaction and then failed due to that not actually being the case in real life.
Along with this is the same concept of exploration that is almost stereotypical in society at large, where gender and sexual orientation are balanced differently. Some players who identify as primarily homosexual may spend sometime playing with or as female characters as a means of experimenting more with a new experience. For some, it’s simply testing the waters, for others more of a kink type thing, something to indulge in that’s not quite the norm. In line with that, the Internet has certainly engendered increased sexual liberation, and some may find themselves exploring broader and broader areas of interest as time goes on, and playing as a female character may just be another way to branch out and have fun.
This ties a little into the separation between character and self. In these instances, the female character’s player likely retains a fairly solid sense of male gender, as opposed to the instance where the difference between player and character sex is driven more by a need. The net has definitely brought around several benefits, and the layer of anonymity inherent in interactions provides a unique outlet for gender dysphoria; that is, some will undoubtedly play characters of a different gender from themselves because that gender will more closely match the gender that they feel.
As a bit of an aside, it should be noted that there’s a difference between gender and sex, in this context. Sex is fairly easily defined as the biological make-up of the body, whether male, female, or intersex. Gender is a little tougher to pin down. It can be seen as a psychological thing, as in whether or not one feels comfortable or not (dysphoric) with one’s given sex. It can also be taken in a sociological context, as several feelings in regard to gender have to do with how one is perceived by others and what societal roles they fit into. While western society is heteronormative, gender can, like sexual orientation, be interpreted as a continuous scale from one extreme (totally masculine) to the other (totally feminine), meaning that these perceptions and roles can apply to portions of a person’s life rather than simply the entirety.
Gender identity is always a sticky issue to get around, as it doesn’t have quite the recognition that sexual orientation has, and thus has less support behind it, both from medicine and psychology, as well as society at large. Many don’t understand the issues surrounding gender, and it’s difficult to comprehend what exactly is involved when gender and sex don’t match up. Despite my own experiences with being in a relationship with a transgender person, I didn’t quite understand things until only rather recently.
The reason I’m writing about this at all, and still having a hard time not being coy or dancing around the issue is that it’s difficult for me to speak about openly. That I have any problems at all with my own gender identity was very difficult for me to admit to myself and is harder still to admit to anyone else. This is the first time I’ve mentioned it to anyone besides my partner and one or two close friends, actually, and it worries me that I’m doing so in so public a fashion, but it is pertinent. As with sexual orientation and coming out, it’s the type of thing one fears losing friends and family over, and with myself, it led to a period of depression earlier this year lasting several weeks.
The reason I even bring it up, though, is simply to make the point even more clear on the importance of gender within furry, the fandom which is so welcoming of those within it that the answers pertaining to sexual orientation in the furry survey suggest a truly equal distribution of the sexual orientation spectrum (this in comparison to the oft-quoted 10% thrown around in reference to homosexuality in western civilization at large). The fact that one can create a character with which they strongly identify in terms of gender and sex online can be an important psychological outlet. I can say first-hand that the discomfort felt during sex when one’s gender and sex don’t line up is intense and, when your sexual partner is your significant other, deeply upsetting.
Interactions online blur the line between the two socially accepted genders even further, as it introduces the possibility of playing out roles that even more closely match one’s gender than society – or biology, for that matter – will allow. To pull some examples from recent art that’s been floating around, if one identifies as mostly masculine with some female attributes, one’s character could be a mostly male hermaphrodite, or, if even less masculinity feels right, a (and I feel the need to prefix this with my personal dislike of the term) ‘cunt-boy’. The whole spectrum of gender can be expressed in your character with that layer of anonymity the Internet provides, including even lack of gender or inherently hermaphroditic species such as chakats.
The whole idea of mixed genders within the fandom wasn’t something that I ran into until I had been exploring furry for a few years. I didn’t really understand them or people’s reaction to them for quite a while. The whole concept seems to be fairly divisive, with people taking either a firm stance against or for the whole concept. On one hand, I’ve heard mixed genders of different sorts described positively as “more fun, since you can stack them so many ways” and negatively as “guys just wanting to play with boobs and dick at the same time”. I certainly can’t speak for everyone involved and don’t care to try and change anyone’s mind, but my own opinion is decidedly positive: if the character fits the gender, excellent! If it really is just about sex and playing Tetris with warm bodies, well, sex is good too.
Furry is very much a sexual subculture, when taken as a whole (though not perhaps as much as people think). It’s not surprising, then, that gender plays so large a role within the fandom, both online and off. It is an integral part of sexuality. If the fandom is so sexually liberal as compared to the world it inhabits, yet is a subset of that world, it really makes me wonder how much of this is going on within humanity as a whole. Are we all so evenly distributed in terms of sexual orientation, and the bipolarity of western society just prevents that from being expressed? Are issues of gender versus sex more prevalent than it appears? And, with a few exceptions, are we really as on our own as it seems when it comes to mixing biological sex in one body? Hardly questions for a dumb blog on furries to answer, but interesting all the same.
He is Monkey!
One of the most popular and well-known furries in history (no, really, we mean it!) is Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King of Chinese legend. His story, Journey to the West, has been covered in movies, TV, plays, and of course comic books many times. And now here we go again with the latter, in Monkey King Volume 1: Birth of the Stone Monkey, a new full-color graphic novel from JR Comics. “Cited as one of China’s greatest novels, Monkey King follows the adventures of Sun Wu Kong, born from a stone on Spring Mountain and given the title of Handsome Monkey King, who seeks to learn the secret of eternal life. Under the tutelage of Master Puti, Sun Wu Kong becomes incredibly powerful, but his hubris grows until he has run afoul of the gods, who dispatch an army to subdue the Monkey King.” Here’s a write-up from Sci Fi Genre. Monkey King is coming to stores at the end of November.
image c. 2011 JR Comics
Clarification on furry definiton
My friend is confused, and we were having a long ass discussion. He asked, are the cat people from skyrim, and the animal people from WoW considered furry?
submitted by asciicat[link] [16 comments]
03 - Anyways
03 - Anyways
03 - Anyways - Me, me, me... me too. Sasha grills Portzebie on many frequently asked questions about himself and his artwork.
Any fans of Renard/Jackal Queenston that can help me with something?
What happened to the album Down Here? I find it in pirated copies of Renard/Jackal's music, but it's nowhere on the website.
I personally think it has some of Jackal Queenston's best songs in it(I listen to it almost daily), and I actually want to pay for it some day soon.
submitted by DeplorableVillainy[link] [3 comments]
Typical Video Game unboxing thread on /v/
Video: Tokyo Researchers Build Facial Reactions into Cat Head
Author: GreenReaper
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have combined non-contact motion detection with animatronics to build a fursuit head which reacts to a performer’s facial movements.
The technology, exhibited at the 19th International Collegiate Virtual Reality Contest, allows the wearer to control the eyes and mouth; ear and eyebrow control is planned. [scottbob3]
Find the full article here: flayrah – furry food for thought
Creative Commons: Full post may be available under a free license.
PETA attacks Nintendo over fur-wearing Mario
They think the tanuki costumes that magically appear for him to wear are made from real animals.
FurCast Episode 60 – Odd Sexual Dice - Author: E-Mail Hidden (..::XANA::.. Creations) A slow intro to a fantastic episode. In fact, it’s perfect to leave you all with, since next week we’re in Chicago for Midwest FurFest 2011! After that we’ll be back f
Author: E-Mail Hidden (..::XANA::.. Creations)
A slow intro to a fantastic episode. In fact, it’s perfect to leave you all with, since next week we’re in Chicago for Midwest FurFest 2011! 
After that we’ll be back for more shows. Hopefully Paradox and Fayroe will get some quality pair-bonding time while they’re there! ;3
Download MP3 (Right-click, Save)
News:
Emails:
- Furry Raver – “Furry but not furry…anecdote”
- Crimson X – “Facebook Furs and Bday”
- Alan – “thank you + question ( with zero run on sentences )”
- Arleon – “Mental shift weirdness”
- Viktor – “Inspiration and art”
- The NonFurry – “Fur Questions from a Non-Furry”
Notes:
Find the full article here: FurCast
The contents of this Podcast may have adult language and adult themes. The content is not produced by Furry News Network, but is posted for your convenience.
FurCast Episode 60 – Odd Sexual Dice - Author: E-Mail Hidden (..::XANA::.. Creations) A slow intro to a fantastic episode. In fact, it’s perfect to leave you all with, since next week we’re in Chicago for Midwest FurFest 2011! After that we’ll be back for more shows. Hopefully Paradox [...]Book Review: “Flood Waters Rising” by E.M.A.Hirst
Author: Earl M.
Flood Waters Rising
In terms of something new, some stand alone, a novel of significant interest, I’ve waited for a long time. Something reminiscent of books in the time of early fiction/fantasy where nearly any character had that aura about them that they could be up on the chopping block with each new chapter, no one was safe. That while protagonist and antagonists were defined within their own spheres of plot importance, the supporting cast was outside this protective barrier that so many books keep them in, afraid to injure or destroy the equivalent of so much time and effort to bolster their story. This book is brave and gave everything it had to its tale of characters with no concessions to pity or impulses and it became a powerful story of fiction, standing on its own two feet because of it. Even if the story is, for the most part, surviving by characters alone.
I should talk about the flaws to start however and the cover is a good place to start, a conflicting set of ideas that just don’t mesh. The background is a simplistic styling of a floating city that is an excellent render of a looming cityscape that’s simple, but ominous with nice touches to an overly minimalistic composition which, unfortunately, only further separates the foreground elements which are done in an entirely different manner. The foreground element is much more textured and colorful compared to the drab colors used in the background, the foreground subjects seem very out of place and feel almost placed on top of the landscape section. The piece has the feel of a concept that was decided upon early in the process of the book and kept even when ideas evolved over time, which might have been purely a finance decision. I’ll just leave this at saying I’d wish the two points had been more effectively blended.
Also the technology of the story just seems…weird. It’s all very unorthodox and in most of the story that works in its favor to flesh out the world and make it feel more original, but especially when it comes to the weaponry the ideas just fall flat. They just sound so impractical to actually use for all the ingenuity in their creation; Balls of energy that burn fur and skin and odd bio-organic pods that explode on impact definitely added a flair of gruesome and threat to these weapons, but when all the rest of the story’s technology follow more practical guidelines these ideas of fancy just seem to feel even more out of place because of that. There are some elements that echo these ideas in the story as well, but not enough to really justify the outlandish nature that seems to pop up almost at random. I’ve always sided with the realism when it comes to tech use and is easily jaded on more unconventional weaponry, so you’ll just have to decide this yourself.
As to why you should read Flood Waters the answer is simply characters. The overarching story takes a backseat multiple times to the personal story of Sithion and his struggles to live a normal life. Fraught with conflicting family issues as well as outside influences sending both him and the intertwining cast of secondary characters into danger, I became quite attached to them over time and it is here the book truly shines. Sithion is a tortured soul that is quite depressive more times than not, avoiding Cloud-like levels of emo only by the characterization of both him and the surrounding family members involved in the book as well as knowing not to draw such emotional moments out beyond they’re time. The reasoning gives us grounding to sympathize with him with the turmoil that comes from an abusive family and the connection to his family’s past. This line of plot follows throughout the book, building to a climax of significant proportion, something that’ll strike a heart string with anyone who has had an equal sort of family history. Always humble, he is a shy character built with care and skill to alleviate the depression without the dramatization becoming shallow. And he is good, unabashedly so, beyond his own goals he rises to help those who pull great lengths to coerce him. But not some white knight foil crafted entirely of wholesome morals or an arbitrary paragon straining under the weight of supporting pillars of virtue, unwilling to fight against the forces pushing against him. Instead you see him realize and accept the outside influences blocking him and does what needs to free himself from them. The most surprising turn of events was the immense push to always have a dialogue from the many supporting characters open between them ad Sithion. I found myself caring more about these secondary characters that would be one-sided archetypes or cannon fodder in another story, giving a vital amount of substance to a story that would lack without it
The antagonist is worthwhile only in his approach and dedication; beyond his innovative ideas, he’s there purely to be a motivator and concrete symbol of the evil to be vanquished like a traditional myth framework. His clear and purposeful drive towards evil plans is an interesting contrast to the complex and conflicting views the sides of good hold; while he dictates his plans in a direct, bold approach, the good befuddle simplistic ideas of revenge and salvation with prejudice and iability to let go of the past. Much the opposite than the allies of Sithion who are a almost rotating set of folk with their own agendas using both him and his name’s legacy more for their own needs than any care towards him. He does show through as more cardboard than I’d have liked, but he holds his own enough with personality and some interesting ideas of his own that it becomes a forgettable flaw.
The story and characters intermingle themselves as this story holds itself close to the characters and their own personal struggles far more than any other aspect. There is a plot of war that is in the background at all times, but it serves more to drive the characters constantly forward as well as to complement the mental turmoil with a strong share of physical danger and injury than any story of its own to tell. It’s a story of good vs. bad, classic in the idea but complex with its approach, adding multiple sides of different views when it comes to “the good” side, muddying the supposedly bias and short-sighted views from various parties as they vie for power or revenge or something else. This book is a strong, core example of a reluctant hero. Not from a half-hearted set of reasons, paper thin and flimsy excuses that can’t hold their own but an entire story of reasons that you can’t help but agree with by the book’s end. Its good then that the characters are memorable and well-crafted as they carry the weight of the story upon their shoulders at all times. The actual tangible plot exists purely, as I’ve already stated, it seems to drive the characters ever forward rather than a life of its own. All is written competently; you won’t be wondering what happened to this mini-arc or that plot hole that was dropped, but the golden glory of the story comes from Sithion’s journey for the simplistic and realistic goal of a normal life. And while the idea of someone coming into a position of either power or influence and striving immediately back to their normal life might come off on concept as clichéd, it’s done with such care to both the reader’s view of things and the reality of the story that it becomes believable and a worthwhile sounding goal.
The final question as always; do I recommend it? It may not be obvious at this point sure, but yes, definitely. Even if you don’t like the desert or fantasy but love character driven stories then I’d say definitely give the e-book a read at least. The characters are so riveting and full of grief and sympathy and hope and the goals are given such depth and heart behind them that you want to see where their actions will bring them next, hoping their goals are achieved. It does throw itself to the lion’s den by driving the story forward solely on character growth. If you find yourself unable to relate to the characters, you’ll find yourself alienated from the story entirely and hate the whole journey. But my opinion is that it’s a gambit worth the risk.
Flood Waters Rising is the newest novel from E.M.A. Hirst and centers on Sithion Flood as we follow him on a journey to rebel back against the may forces conspiring to use him and destroy him. Available as a e-book for sale on Smashwords for 4.99, (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73397) or as a paperback for 17.00 here https://www.createspace.com/3658807 . A sequel is planed though a date has been set tentatively at sometime next year.
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