First Go At Sketching Characters Of The Archive Undying, Which Is A Book You Should Read

i bring more memes

i said i was legally obligated to make memes and i meant it

the beginning

Happy 2025 here’s briar!! I was always fond of her design and her character so I’m very happy with this labor of love.

Also check out my instagram if you want to watch me lose my mind in live time while drawing (I post constant wips as I draw) ^^

phighting OC I drew for artfight

all character credits to TripleBaaambi <3

Reference images included for context, and the two different versions of the art

I'm convinced any negative reviewers/DNFs of The Archive Undying are mainly fantasy readers rather than sci-fi. I see people on goodreads complaining about there not being enough worldbuilding or explanations of what things are, that's just sci-fi! In the best sci-fi media we ride on vibes! Lack of exposition is a feature, not a flaw! We learn on a need-to-know basis, and this book is doing a really good job at that; when it's important, you'll find out what it is/how it works in a subtle, non-intrusive way. Until then, it's about people, and emotions, and scary robots with people (and probably emotions) inside, and you're just along for the ride.

I'm only 20% in and it's already so good, I can see this being a comfort book I reread multiple times. I can't wait to see where this series goes, what gets revealed in this book, and what we'll be left to speculate on until the next.

fresh midnight Question for you:

are there any TAU worldbuilding elements or character facts or whatnot that you wanted to include in the book, but ended up cutting? or alternatively, have any specific story elements you have a burning desire to talk about?

Hm! Some thoughts on queer stuff! Which is ambiently in the text but not so much defined.

I was interested in writing a world with multiple competing theories of queerness, none of which are "perfect" -- in the sense that none of these societies have managed genuine queer liberation (i.e., everyone has the freedom to be who and love however they want). They're not necessarily awful, though some definitely are, but none of it's ideal.

The dominant queer culture originates in the Immaculate Empire and gives us "hermit" and "widow" -- pretty binary terms for a specific variety of desire, often linked with a kind of gender performance. There is no similar term for bi/pansexuality, at least not in the common parlance, so if you're, say, a cis bisexual woman, you'd still be described as a widow, were you engaging in widow-like conduct. The understanding and room for transness is highly dependent on where you are; some states have done that particular brand of evil thing where they see providing trans care as a way to enforce state power, because it's a way to police the binary and deviations from it.

Outside the empire, we get the legacy of downworld "third gender" -- which is actually a catch-all term for queerness. It also...doesn't have any further distinctions. They lump the entirety together in this one category -- which is itself somewhat binarist, as it distinguishes "cishet" from "not that," even though it's on a different axis. So if it's particularly important to you to be perceived in a more specific way, welp! Good luck!! This might actually be pretty chill in a world where authoritarian powers weren't keen on destroying your existence. Unfortunately!

I also have thoughts abt the ways different character relate to these systems of identity and meaning; like Sunai is pretty comfortable swimming between them and has a more fluid sense of self, while Veyadi cleaves more to "hermit" as a term, even though he has a somewhat complicated relationship with it. Jin has latched onto "third gender" even though they're not as bound up in downworld culture as say, Oyu, who is from a downworld caravan, third gender, and presents in a distinctly hermit-like way. And Imaru is the ur-lesbian! Widow supreme! Next question!

This cat is so eepy, kitty is sleepy

Pinterest, my savior. The brainrot for The Archive Undying is so severe, but there is so little fanart I've taken extreme measures.