More cosy debates
Further to my cosy existential dread post I read Computer Friends on cozy fiction which links to Legends, Lattes, and Lament: The Necessity of Pain in “Cozy” Fiction
And I don't disagree.
Of particular interest: 'These books dominate queer literary markets'. Do they? Are cosies more likely to be queer? If true, I can believe it. Legends and Lattes kicked a lot of this off. I wasn't into it, for many of the reasons outlined in the article. Also, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. There's so much despair in LGBTQ+ communities and in the world generally. I'm not smart enough to think about how all this coincides. But I can believe it.
My wife brought this article to my attention, and left a comment about me: Bones That Rattle: Cozy Games Are a Lie. Which is a good-natured response to What is a 'cozy' game?.
And it's true. I do play Skyrim like it's a cosy mushroom-picking sim. It is obviously not. Stardew has its wildly frustrating bits and I don't go in the mines. I liked Bear and Breakfast when it was just picking up litter, exploring, and decorating. By the end it was just admin. I love Tiny Glade (still maddening when I can't get something to work) and I think of it more as a toy than a game - that is high praise, not disparagement. I just want to drive around on GTA watching the sun set and listening to music.
I don't want to fail. But I end up having to hand off the controller to my wife to complete levels on various games - apparently buying a game isn't enough, I actually have to be good at it to get the whole thing?
Also! At some point I put a link to this video about Analog ways to share your art into this post draft... and I don't know why exactly but I'm leaving it in because it's a nice video.