Ah yes this was the announcement I was waiting for before temporarily deleting my Twitter =)

oh hey want a mini-thread on Water Margin? I'll do a mini thread on why I love it (1) https://twitter.com/tordotcom/status/1316735851607601152

Water Margin is one of the "4 classic Chinese novels", basically one of the most famous novels in Chinese history. It was written in the 14th century and you would THINK it would be all dry and historical and boring

well

well

WELL

YOU WOULD BE SO WRONG (2)

It's often called a Robin Hood story though it predates Robin Hood, yes the Chinese invented everything even Robin Hood (I kid, I kid).

The heroes are all bandits who steal from the rich, DESTROY corrupt officials, and.... theoretically protect the weak / give to the poor (3)

I say THEORETICALLY because they are um

very

colorful?

They very often skirt the line on exactlyyyy being heroic. A lot of them became criminals because they were wanted by the law.... for things like murder. Or, er, cannibalism. Or seditious poetry! (4)

Take Song Jiang, the eventual leader of the bandits (very loosely based on a real person), who, uh, murdered his wife. But in a Confucian way! Totally okay! And he totally doesn't condone killing innocent people. Except when he does and they burn down whole villages LMAO (4)

Oops that was supposed to be (5). Anyway, how about Lu Zhishen? Good hearted dude, goes after a butcher who was abusing one of his concubines, punches him real hard. So hard his eyeballs and brains splatter out on the street in glorious graphic detail

Oh yeah, he DEAD (6)

I'm telling you, 14th century novels. THEY PULL NO PUNCHES ON THE EYEBALLS.

Lu Zhishen tries to become a monk, btw, and is an epic failure. Gets drunk, eats meat, destroys the monastery, all very cheerfully. He is a TERRIBLE monk. Just terrible. It's hilarious (7)

One of the most popular characters is Li Kui, who wields double axes and like.... really, really likes killing people. He goes down a busy street once when they're trying to escape and the other bandits are like "WTH why did you lead us this way --?" (8)

Li Kui: "Cuz the busy street had more people to kill! DUH! Not my fault you followed me, fuckers"

Another time he kills someone and then has nothing to eat and is like, "oh, well, I've got good meat right here! Yum!" (he's not even one of the DEDICATED CANNIBALS either) (9)

(he's very very vulgar it's super fun. I'M TELLING, YOU 14TH CENTURY NOVELS)

Anyway it's an extremely fun, vivid story that is a sprawling thousand-page book with 108 main characters. (I am, uh, condensing it) It's been adapted/retold across Asia MANY times but not rly here (10)

The misogyny, of course, is off the hook, but I can fix that *evil grin* Hence a genderflipped version heck YEAH.

If you're interested in the original, my best recommendation is the Water Margin podcast: http://www.outlawsofthemarsh.com/ 

It's SO GOOD. (11)

He's retelling it in English (it's not done yet--still ongoing), and with commentary!! so he explains a lot of the cultural references. Plus, he snarks about the story in absolutely delightful ways, HILARIOUS. And the Lego cartoons of the characters are absolute gold =) (12)

Now that I am unembargoed from talking about it you can expect a lot more tweets about Water Margin (the original) as well as The Water Outlaws (my version!). But FIN for now! (13/13)

Addendum: Oh hey I just realized I should be @'ing @chineselore when I'm recommending his podcast all over the place today! Didn't realize he was on twitter!

Follow for snarky Chinese lore and excellent Lego cartoons, and for the highly entertaining Outlaws of the Marsh podcast.

I also realized I talked a lot earlier about the original version and not what my version is doing woohoo anybody want a distraction from U.S. politics tonight? Of course you do

So the elevator pitch of my book is "genderflipped Water Margin"

Interestingly, the Song Dynasty (when Water Margin takes place) was QUITE progressive for women.... um, comparatively. So, yanno, still very patriarchal. But makes for this interesting push and pull, where women could go far but not too far. Frex were female military/&c but v few

Of course, I'm doing fantasy!China not real!China (not that the original Water Margin doesn't have magic--TOTALLY does, very nonchalantly). Anyway, about as close to real ancient China as Ye Olde Medieval Western Fantasy is to real old-timey Europe. Still! Song Dynasty inspired!

So let's take some of the main characters.

LIN CHONG the original: Arms Instructor in the Imperial Guard, totes unjustly framed by the main bad guy and forced into a life of banditry!

My version of LIN CHONG: Same, but she's worked up into the position of Arms Instructor in Ye Patriarchal Empire and well isn't it SHIT when her male boss frames her for an assassination attempt because uh he can

(did I mention this book is about taking down corrupt officials)

SEE HOW WELL IT WORKS IT TOTALLY WORKS!!

LU JUNYI the original: rich literati scholar dude and martial artist

LU JUNYI my version: rich literati progressive feminist martial artist with yanno LOTSA DANGEROUS IDEAS

also super gay

SONG JIANG the original: Remember this is the wife-killer but don't worry he sawed off her head super righteously *nod nod*

Also his recruitment tactics uhhhhh may involve some VERY SHADY DECISIONS but don't worry he's super heroic because we say so doncha know

SONG JIANG my version: Anti-heroine, ofc! Can't leave out the spouse killin but goes like this:

"I killed my husband," Song Jiang answered, very calmly.

"Why?"

"For all the reasons husbands so frequently need killing. But the law does not recognize a wife's rights here, alas."

Preserves the spirit of Song Jiang standing in a pool of his wife's blood holding her head and calling himself a hero, yup yup

oh and also gay

CHAO GAI the original: Generous badass martial artist village chief who banished some evil spirits in a hilarious manner & is pretty darn kind

CHAO GAI my version: Bigender eccentric who's a dude as the village chief & a woman as a bandit, also a ghost hunter & pretty darn kind

LU DA (ZHISHEN) the original: Ridiculously failed monk and punchy mcPuncherson who punches people so hard he accidentally kills 'em

LU DA my version: actually this one is pretty much the same. except female. XD

So yeah I hope you're as excited as I am. Oh & also my Lu Junyi is a science & explosives geek. Did I mention the Song Dynasty also saw an explosion in technology.... (paper money! printing! gunpowder! the compass!)

VERY EXCITING EPIC FANTASY MATERIAL YO!!! MAGIC & TECH FTW!!