Fic: The Application of Science (Benjamin January mysteries, NC-17)

Title: The Application of Science
Author: Brigdh
Ratings/Warnings: NC-17 for explicit sex.
Disclaimer: The Benjamin January mysteries are by Barbara Hambly.
Notes: Many, many, many thanks to my betas, somebraveapollo and silverflight. This story took way longer to write than is reasonable, but they were immensely helpful.

Summary: “What does sex feel like?” Rose says, her voice drowsy and her head resting on January’s shoulder. “For you, I mean. I assume that the experience must be somewhat different for men, given the divergence in our bodily equipment.”
In which Ben and Hannibal attempt to help Rose answer that question.
(Set between Days of the Dead and Dead Water.)

7,249 words. Also available on AO3.


( The Application of Science )

Reading Wednesday

What did you just finish?
Shielding Her Modesty by Sita Bhaskar. Short stories, mostly set in Madras (Chennai), or about people from there. This was very well written, but I felt like most of the stories sort of... lacked a point. Nothing changed, no one realized or learned anything, nothing unusual happened. I liked reading them, but each story felt like the first chapter of a longer book, rather than something complete in itself. Still enjoyable, even if I'm not sure what the author was trying to say.

The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan. AHHH SO GOOD. This was AMAZING. Frederica "Free" Marshall is a suffragette and newspaper editor (the Women’s Free Press: By women, for women, about women) in 1870s England. Edward Clark is a forger and blacksmith, who is secretly a viscount, except his family thinks he's dead. Together, they fight crime Edward's evil brother! I love Milan's very slightly-alternate history and her approach to a lot of the tropes of Regency/Victorian romance novels. This is a book in which the hero proves his roguish-ness not by torturing a man (when he is working for said evil brother and the 'good guys' desperately need information) but by refusing to do so, having seen torture first-hand before. And the reward of becoming nobility is to donate your house and give your tenants voting rights. This book is wonderful and I love everything about it. It's funny and sweet and uncompromising and there are two gay romances in the background, and it's so good. I also just realized that Milan is self-published, which is really impressive. Go buy her books!

(Also, how excited am I for 'Talk to Me Sweetly', the next novella in the series? It is about a black woman named Rose who is really into math and science!)

What are you currently reading?
Delhi by Khushwant Singh. A novel that attempts to explain, retell, and describe Delhi, its history, its neighborhoods, and its people. (I was googling it just now, and found out that Singh died in March, which is really sad. He's not my favorite author, but it's strange to think I'll not see any new books by him.)

A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambly. YUP. The newest book in the series, Crimson Angel, is coming out soon (the UK release date is August 28th!) so I figured I'd reread the series in preparation.