Fandoms Assemble - September 2014

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THE SELFIE CRAZE

Ah, selfies. Some people love them, others hate them and some love to hate them. Me? I like them. I think they’re great.

People have enough selfconfidence and love for their body that they can post photos of themselves for the world to see. I don’t see any problems with it. However, sometimes the craze can get out of control, leading to people or animals getting hurt because of it. To be more specific, black cats.

Updaters Rae—Creative Director Victoria—Publicity Imi—Chief Updater Beth—Ariana Grande, Phandom Cian—Harry Potter, Once Upon A Time, Percy Jackson, Jessica—Doctor Who, Marvel, Sherlock Lisa—Jedward Saffy—Divergent, Lord of the Rings, The Mortal Instruments Soshin—Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend

Seventy percent of the one thousand cats abandoned in the RSPCA’s care are black, simply because they do not look good in photos! As a black cat owner myself, I can vouch for them. Sure, maybe their features do not show up as clearly on camera as other cats’ do but that is no reason to abandon them. Surely they deserve as much love as the next cat, despite the colour of their fur? If people are taught to never judge a book by its cover, they should be taught to apply the same principle to pets: never judge a cat by its colour but by its personality instead. Hopefully, the cat selfie phase will die down soon so that black cats can get rehomed and live happily.

Find out what some of our updaters are loving right now

CIAN I’ve just

finished Homeland which was amazing!

IMI I'm loving

rereading old favourites and marathoning Buffy (I have managed to get to 19 and never watch it, oops).

Find out what some of our workers are loving right now

Workers

EMILY Right now

Eleanor—Editor

I’m obsessed with the Dustlands Trilogy by Moira Young. The first book is called Blood Red Road and I highly recommend it. It is massively underrated.

Natasha—Beta Reader

ELEANOR

I watched the whole of Pushing Daises in less than a week—it’s just that good!

Beth—Fashion Stylist Em—Upcoming Books/Films Emilie—Interviewer Emily—Grammarian Emily—Agony Aunt Emma—Illustrator Eve—Columnist Jessica—Fandom Updater Lauren—Stargazer Lily—Music Editor Saffy—Book Reviewer

STOP MAKING

MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLEHILLS

It might just be my personality to extensively over-worry, but we all have that odd moment in our everyday lives where we just make a huge fuss over nothing (some of us have a daily occurrence of this).

Looking at the big picture later on we realise that we have overreacted, and there was a very simple solution to what we had a near panic attack about. Usually this happens after an emotional whim where we have consumed over 2,000 calories worth of Nutella. These occurrences happen very often for me, and similarly for a lot of others. I made note of this when I realised that my friends must get bored of me daily contacting them to help calm me down: "but I have nothing nice to wear and everyone will judge me!" Just to realise the next day that people don't care what you wear.

So I have come up with two solutions for this, which I’m slowly putting into practice. Firstly, address the problem and find a solution; is it really such a big problem? Write it down if that helps you, and come back to it later.

Secondly, if there is no solution then realise, what the hell is the point in worrying about it now? If you're

worrying about embarrassing yourself, then come to terms with it and see there's nothing you can do, and what happens will very simply happen.

On a side note, I just wanted to say that I’ve demoted myself due to FA being way too time consuming. Even though it’s like a child to me, I want to move onto other things and so this will be my last editor’s letter. I will still be part of FA and help out as much as I can. Most importantly, I will be working more on the online side of the magazine, especially since we now have a website (it’s early days but it will be growing so get involved)!

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HOT

Ice Bucket Challenge Loads of celebrities are doing it—from John Barrowman to Oprah Winfrey. Either pour a bucket of ice cold water over you or donate money to ALS (also referred to as motor neurone disease (MND)) charities. Have you done it yet?

Strong Females Although they are still few and far between, nothing makes us smile as much as a strong, well-written female character. And no, this does not mean changing their name from ‘Steve’ to ‘Sue’ at the last minute.

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Historically Inaccurate Shows We do love period dramas such as Robin Hood, Merlin or Atlantis. However, more often than not, the shows are inaccurate. Robin uses words that are way ahead of his time and Jason is involved in myths 6 are just plain wrong. that

New Albums For some people, a new album from their idol is like Christmas. A new album doesn’t just mean new music, it means far more than that.

A new album means concerts, interviews, and, for some, even a new era.

Film Book Covers

Some people hate them whilst others value the content of the book more than the cover, but what do you think about Spoilers novels with covers to do If a book has been out for with the films?

months it’s okay to let slip that Dobby dies. But if it’s been out for less than a month then just don’t. Take it from us; it’s Terrible Book To Film better to be safe than sorry.

And if it’s less than a week we Book to film adaptions are only have one question: how amazing, - we love them here do you read that quickly? at FA—except when they’re not. If a film is going to be an adaption, and is advertised as one, then the script writers could take more from the books than the characters.

Percy Jackson—take note!

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Fandoms Assemble’s

Fanfiction

Dictionary AU | UST

AU | UST

alternate universe (or AU) n. a fanfiction in which something major is different to the show/book/film/comic.

otherwise badly done. The female counterpart to a Marty-Sam.

beta reader n. someone who reads fanfiction before it goes online to check it for mistakes and make improvements. crossover n. a fanfiction that incorporates characters, events, places, ideas, etc. from more than one fandom. drabble n. (half drabble, double drabble) 1 a fan fiction that is no more than one hundred words. 2 a fanfiction that is not exactly one hundred words but is very short. fluff n. a fanfiction containing adorable romance between two characters. If it makes you squeal it is most likely to be fluff. genfic n. fanfiction which is rated G to PG and contains no sexual or overly graphic violence and relatively little cursing.

Mary-Sue n. any original female character which is too perfect, too extreme or

original character (or OC) n. any character who is not in the series and is created by the author. out of character (or OOC) n. 1 when a canon character acts in such a way as to be totally contrary to how they would in the series. 2 a term used by roleplayers when they want to do something as themselves rather than as their character. plotbunny n. an idea which sticks in your head and you feel the need to write it even if it goes nowhere or keeps going off into other ideas. pre-series n. a story which is about events occurring before the series began. songfic n. a fanfiction based on a song or includes a song. unresolved sexual tension (or UST) n. interactions between characters that aren’t expressly sexual but have sexual undertones. Two characters could be dancing closely but then are interrupted.

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@EdsheeranMega @EdsheeranMega is a Twitter account dedicated to Ed Sheeran, run by Shannon since 2011. Shannon discusses Ed’s new album ‘X’, dream collaborations, and why she thinks Ed is a great role model.

When did you first become an Ed Sheeran fan?

I became an Ed Sheeran fan when I heard his Nandos Skank collaboration with Example. I then went to his ‘+’ album signing where I saw him play live and met him; I became a huge fan when I went home and listened to the album.

Why did you decide to dedicate a Twitter account to Ed? To be honest, I thought if I dedicated a Twitter to Ed, he would follow me and we could talk and be-

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come friends! It didn't happen, obviously, but I met some other lovely fans instead!

What is it you love most about Ed? I love his childish mannerisms and down-to-earth personality.

@LittleBirdsUSA and @CityofAngels2fly, they’re great ones.

Have you seen Ed live before? Do you plan to in the future?

I’ve seen Ed live over 20 times and plan to see him another 12 this year alone.

What makes Ed such a good role model?

Do you have a favourite Ed Sheeran account?

I have a few favourite fan accounts. I get most Ed updates from

Ed proves that hard work, determination and motivation can take you anywhere.

Also, he's just a really nice, caring guy and I think the majority of his fans look up to him for that reason.

him for that reason.

Is there anyone you want Ed to collaborate with in the future?

Tweet Corner:

Sam Smith, definitely.

Obviously Ed's new album has just been released, what do you think of it in comparison to the first?

I think he has really evolved with ‘X’.

There's a song for everyone, in almost every genre, and the production is impeccable. It’s beautifully put together.

Do you belong to any other Fandoms?

I love smaller fandoms like the passengers (Passenger) and nesbians (Nina Nesbitt).

Are there any Fandom-related events you're looking forward to?

Ed's new book titled 'Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey' - out in September in the UK.

Quick-fire Questions: Favourite Ed song: I can't pick a song; they're all my favourites!

Favourite Ed album: X Favourite Ed collaboration: Christina Perri—Be My Forever Favourite Ed moment: Telling national television that he passes out after the second round of intercourse.

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Aimee Richardson We've seen the new cast for Game of Thrones season 5 and Myrcella has been recast. Aimee isn't just a good actress but she's hilarious as well (see her Twitter @Aimee_P_R) and she will be sadly missed.

Blimey, Marvel Marvel, we salute you. Not only do you produce amazing comic books and films, but you have announced a female Thor and a black Captain America.

C’mon DC, you’re next.

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Commenwealth Games The 2014 Commenwealth Games were held in Glasgow. Emma Pooley’s last road race got her a silver as she helped teammate Lizzie Armitstead win gold. Tom Daley dived to victory, winning by a large amount. It was a great few days for England and Britain.

FANDOM Doctor Who

Season eight of Doctor Who kicked off with a bang. With opening credits designed by a fan and a very Scottish Peter Capaldi, we’re in for a great ride.

Not to mention the fact that Matt Smith’s cameo made us all weep.

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Elsa in OUAT We all love a bit of Disney, so it wasn't a surprise when the latest Disney princess film stirred up a craze. Elsa has become an all time favourite and now she's on one of our much loved TV shows.

Fault in Our Stars

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One of our favourite John Green books—although we love them all like they’re our children—hit the cinemas in June and made about $48.2 million on it’s opening weekend. So grab the tissues and settle down for the tenth or so watch.

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GOT gag reel The perfect end to any season is an hilarious gag reel, and the cast of Game of Thrones didn't disappoint. From Lena's funny faces to Nikolaj and Peter's dancing, as well as all the mistakes made that make acting look like one of the best jobs around.

Hobbit teaser trailer Get your tissues at the ready as it's the film which says goodbye. The trailer has been released for the final Hobbit film and includes very dramatic scenes. Plus, if you have read the book, we will be either sobbing or shaking with anticipation.

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If I Stay One of the anticipated book-to-film adaptations this year was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. And we were not let down. Not only was the book accuracy amazing, but Chloe put on a hell of a performance. Don’t forget your tissues!

ALPHABET Jungle Book remake Disney seem to have a reoccurring theme of remaking their most famous films in live action like, Alice In Wonderland. None other than The Jungle Book is next on the list. To top it all off, it has been rumoured that Bill Murray will play Baloo.

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Kim Kardashian game The game that created a fanatic craze where everyone wants to be an A list celebrity just like Kim Kardashian. Even when you've reached A list, you're so hooked that you don't stop playing, ever.

Lorde for Mockingjay OST Remember the Catching Fire song and hearing 'Everybody wants to rule the world'? Well now Lorde is going to be actually curating the Mockingjay— part 1 soundtrack. If it’s anything like her album Pure Heroine then we are sure to buy it.

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Mockingjay stills Numerous stills have been released from Mockingjay—Part 1, but until now we hadn’t had a photo of Katniss herself. The still is from the latest teaser trailer which debuted at San Diego Comic Con.

Naya Rivera’s marriage Naya Rivera married actor Ryan Dorsey in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on 19th July with just twelve guests and a minister present.

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Orlando Bloom and JB At a bar in Ibiza, Justin Bieber went up to Orlando to shake his hand, but was denied. He then muttered something about Bloom’s ex-wife, Miranda Kerr, causing the actor to throw a punch at Justin.

What makes it even better was that Leonardo DiCaprio was sitting at the same table as Orlando, and ‘flicked’ Justin away.

Paper Towns Another one of John Green’s bestselling books, Paper Towns, is being made into a film. It stars TFIOS’ very own Nat Wolff as Q and is set to hit cinemas in the US on the 31st July 2015. John will also be an executive producer.

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Quidditch World Cup Think the Potter Universe is over? Think again. The 2014 Quidditch World Cup was held on 11th July and was reported by Ginny Potter and Rita Skeeter. There were so many next generation feels.

Riordan’s not done yet After the success of The Son of Sobek, a crossover of Riordan’s Percy Jackson and The Kane Chronicles, the author released yet another book in which more of his wondrous characters from different eras meet—this time Annabeth and Sadie! It came out in April and is called The Staff of Serapis.

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Summer in the City The highlight of SitC 2014 had to be Emma Blackery shaving her head and raising £26,001 for 5 charities. Watch it here.

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Teen Wolf Teen Wolf season four has contained plot twist after plot twist and has kept us on the edge of the seat. Now we know who the benefactor is, will Scott and the gang be able to stop the deadpool before every supernatural being in Beacon Hills is wiped out?

University goals The Riot Club is a movie out in September about a group of freshers at Oxford University who join the infamous Riot Club and watch how they make or break their reputations. Most importantly, it stars Douglas Booth, Sam Clafin, and Max Irons. Yes please.

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Vidcon Vidcon 2014 was probably the largest one to date. The Green brothers talked about how great of a website and community Youtube is while Troye Sivan dropped his album Trxye.

Wizarding World expansion The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has always been a place to visit , but now more than ever. They have just created—hold on to your hats—Diagon Alley. Just make sure you pronunciate when travelling by floopowder.

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X tour Ed Sheeran announced dates for his UK & Irish autumn tour. He starts in Dublin 3rd October and ends in Glasgow on Halloween.

Y Not The festival season is drawing to a close, but if you went to one this summer then you will have made memories to never forget. From small festivals like Y Not, to world-renowned festivals like Glastonbury. Don’t miss out!

Zoella’s new book Youtuber Zoe Sugg’s debut novel, Girl Online, is set to hit the bookshops 25th November. The book centres around Penny, a girl who blogs about her life under the alias GirlOnline. When she moves to New York, she meets Noah and is soon falling in love. But he too has a secret, one that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover.

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Horoscopes

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Aries

Taurus

Something good will happen in your fandom

You will find a new singer who will be great

Gemini

Cancer

There will be new photos of your OTP

You will find a new book

Leo

Virgo

You will find a new book that you will love

You will re-read your favourite book

Libra

Scorpio

You will find a new band that will be brilliant

You will fangirl/fanboy a lot over your favourite fandom

Sagittarius

Capricorn

You will watch a new TV show

You will ship new people

Aquarius

Pisces

You will join another fandom

You will have some new photos from your fandom

FANDOM WEEK OF FOOD

MONDAY

If you have ever seen a Game Of Thrones: Lemon cakes TV show or film or read a SERVES 12 PREP 15 MINS BAKE 20 MINS book series, more often 175g plain flour ½ teaspoon salt NOTE: To the best of our knowledge, than not you will have ¼ teaspoon baking powder buttermilk is not widely available ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda in the UK, so here is a simple subseen amazing dishes and 1 tablespoon lemon zest stitute: Mix one teaspoon of lemon juice 85ml lemon juice or white wine vinegar with 120ml treats. We’ve gone the ex- 120g butter milk and let stand for 5-10 120ml buttermilk [see note] minutes. tra step further for you, 250g caster sugar so you don’t have to. We 12 egg lemons have gathered up seven 1) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Boil lemon slices for about 15 in water and 100g of sugar. Grease and line a muffin tin recipes for you (all tried minutes with butter, vegetable oil or non-stick spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and tested, of course) so 2)bicarbonate of soda, and salt to combine. In another bowl, beat butter and 100g of sugar until light and fluffy. you can dedicate a whole 3) Beat in eggs, then beat in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice lemon zest. Beat in flour mixture and then buttermilk. week to recreating those and 4) Place 1 lemon slice in the bottom of each muffin cup. Divide between cups, pouring over the lemon slices. Bake until wonderful foods you batter cakes are firm and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from and leave them to cool. read about or see on your oven 5) Mix together remaining lemon juice and sugar. Poke holes TV screens (or laptops). into the cakes, then slowly pour lemon and sugar mixture over None of the recipes shown here are Fandoms Assemble’s own and have been taken from various websites. Full credit goes to those who wrote the recipes.

the cakes. Let them set for 5-10 minutes.

6) Remove cakes from muffin cups and serve lemon slice side up!

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TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

The Hunger Games: Frothy raspberry soup

Doctor Who: Raspberry s Dodger remix)

SERVES 6 PREP 50 MINS REFRIGERATE 60 MINS 500g raspberries 355ml vanilla yoghurt 120ml pomegranate or cranberry juice 100g caster sugar 470ml double cream 1tsp vanilla extract 1) Wash berries, setting aside a few nicely-shaped small berries for decorating afterwards. Place the remaining berries in a blender and pulse chop them until they have broken apart.

2) Press the berry mush through a sieve to separate seeds from the juice and pulp.

Add the juice back into the blender. Add yoghurt, pomegranate or cranberry juice, and half of the sugar, blending until mixed. Transfer into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

3) In a bowl, add the double cream, the rest of the sugar and the vanilla. Whip the cream on a low speed, increasing as needed until the cream has very soft peaks and a frothy texture.

4) Add the raspberry/yoghurt mixture to the blender. Pour in the whipped cream and puree for a couple of minutes. Refrigerate until serving.

5) To serve, pour into bowls and decorate with mint leaves and the reserved raspberries.

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SERVES 14 PREP 20 MINS BAKE 25 M 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 100g icing sugar 125g unsalted butter, softened ICING 50g icing sugar drop of pink or red food colouring

1) Preheat the oven to 150째C. Put th bowl and work together with your han 2) Lightly flour a work surface and ro dough will be very crumbly, so you m two large sheets of greaseproof pap rounds, then cut a 1cm circle in the transfer to a baking tray lined with b minutes until barely golden at the edg 3) To ice, mix the icing sugar with a enough to drizzle. Place the biscuits baking tray, so the excess icing can icing over the biscuits in thin lines.

4) For the filling, beat the icing sugar, cream until thick. Spread over the rem to the centre of the filling. To finish, to

THURSDAY

shortbread (Jammie

Lord Of The Rings: Lembas bread SERVES 10 PREP 15 MINS BAKE 15 MINS

MINS FILLING 100g icing sugar 50g raspberry jam 75g clotted cream

he flour, icing sugar and butter into a nds until smooth. oll out the dough to 0.5cm thick. The might find it easier to roll it between per. Using a 5cm biscuit cutter, cut 28 e centre of half the biscuits. Carefully baking parchment. Bake for about 25 ges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. a few drops of cold water so it’s soft with the holes on a wire rack over a drip away. Using a spoon, drizzle the

340g strong white flour 1tbsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 113g unsalted butter 73g brown sugar 1tsp of cinnamon ½ tsp maple syrup/honey 160ml milk/double cream ½ tsp vanilla extract

1) Preheat the oven to 220°C. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix the ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2) Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix them thoroughly into the mixture.

Add the milk/cream and the vanilla and mix them until a thick dough forms.

3) Roll the dough out until it as about ½” thick. Cut out 3” squares and score two diagonal lines from corner to corner on each square with a knife.

Transfer them onto a baking tray.

4) Bake for about 15 minutes (although it does depend on the thickness of the bread) until it is golden brown.

half the raspberry jam and the clotted maining biscuits, adding a ¼ tsp of jam op each with an iced biscuit.

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FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Divergent: Dauntless cake

Harry Potter: Pumpkin pa

SERVES 10 PREP 50 MINS BAKE 30 MINS

SERVES 6 PREP 30 MINS BAKE 1 HOU

CAKE GANACHE 300g caster sugar 600g plain chocolate, finely chopped 175g plain flour 235g double cream 170g cocoa powder 2tbsp golden syrup 2½ tsp baking powder 75g unsalted butter, softened 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1tbsp caster sugar pinch of salt 1tbsp water 235ml buttermilk NOTE: 3 large eggs To the best of our knowledge, buttermilk is not widely available in the UK, so here is a simple substitute: mix 2½ tsp vanilla extract one teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar with 90g unsalted butter, softened 120ml milk and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

235ml hot coffee 1) Preheat the oven to 165°C. Line three 8” (20cm) round cake tins with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and vanilla. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee.

2) Using an electric whisk, beat half of the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat in half of the coffee mixture and then the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures. Pour the batter between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are springy to the touch. Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

3) For the ganache, bring the cream and golden syrup to the boil in a small pan.

Immediately pour over the chocolate and let it stand in a warm place for five minutes. Gently whisk the ganache until smooth. Whisk in the butter until incorporated. Refrigerate for half an hour, stirring frequently until the ganache is thick.

4) In a microwave safe bowl, combine the sugar and the water and heat for 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Take one cake layer and brush lightly with the sugar syrup before adding some of the frosting to create and even layer about a centimetre thick. Repeat with the remaining the cake layers, piling them on top of each other as you go. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Let it stand for at least an hour at room temperature before eating.

FILLING 2 eggs 400g canned pumpkin 2250g caster sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ginger ¼ tsp ground cloves 350ml evaporated milk

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1) Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put all mix them together. Pour the mixture the oven. After 15 minutes, lower th another 45 minutes.

2) For the pastry, put the flour and th the oil into the boil and mix it thorou and mix it all together thoroughly.

3) On a lightly floured surface, roll th Using the rim of a small bowl, cut circ 4) Place about two tablespoons of th each circle and fold the dough over. fork. Cut vents in the top of the pas knife.

5) Place the pasties on a baking tray a

SUNDAY

asties

Supernatural: Apple pie

UR 45 MINS

SERVES 6 PREP 30 MINS BAKE 55 MINS

PASTRY 400g plain flour 1 ½ tsp salt 175ml vegetable oil 175ml water

the filling ingredients into a bowl and e into an oven proof dish and put it in he temperature to 175°C and bake for

he salt into a bowl and mix them. Put ughly. Put the water into the mixture

he pastry out until it is about ½” thick. cles out of the pastry. he pumpkin mixture into the middle of Crimp the edges of the pasties with a sties with cooking scissors or a sharp

and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

FILLING 140g golden caster sugar 1tsp ground cinnamon 2tbsp cornflour 600g Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced

PASTRY 400g plain flour, plus extra for rolling 2tbsp caster sugar 1 lemon, zest only 250g cold butter, cut into cubes 1 free-range egg, beaten with 2tbsp cold water 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze with milk

1) For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and lemon zest into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture forms a dough. Set aside a third of the pastry.

2) Roll out the remaining pasty on a lightly floured surface until it is the thickness of a pound coin and 5-7cm/2-3” larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and lower it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly onto the dish and up the sides, making sure there are no bubbles. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 200°C and place a baking tray in the oven to preheat. For the filling, mix the sugar, cinnamon and cornflour in a large bowl.

Stir in the apples. Place the apple filling into the pie dish, making sure that it rises above the edge. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg.

4) Roll out the reserved ball of pastry. Cover the pie with the pastry and press the edges together firmly to seal. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry, then either shred the edges with the sharp knife or use a fork to imprint the edges. Make a few small holes in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with the beaten egg and milk mixture. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown all over and the apples are tender.

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CONFES I love Doctor Who, but I cannot be bothered to watch all of the Classic Epiosdes.

I feel like Peeta is too desperate for Katniss’ love and attention and that Katniss never really liked him in the first place.

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I am fully aware that Martin Freeman is far too old for me, but I still find him attractive.

SSIONS I can’t stand Captain America.

He’s just annoying.

I don’t like it that Ron ended up with Hermione and Harry with Ginny. It doesn’t feel right to me and I don’t think it ever will.

I dislike how most of the Castle fandom seem to only be in it for Caskett. THERE’S MORE TO THE SHOW THAN JUST THE SHIP.

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MISTREATED MINORITIES VS MISUNDERSTOOD MAJORITIES Youtuber WhatAFangirl shares her views

Equality: the state of being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities.

Equality is something that has always been lacking in society, and the minorities of this world are always the ones who suffer. Whether it’s your skin colour, your sexuality or your gender – be it the gender you were born with or not – there will always be a majority whose voice will be louder, a voice that more people listen to, a voice that is more ‘relatable’. But in 2014, the need for change is becoming more and more apparent. Users of popular internet sites such as Tumblr are coming across more and more instances where equality is missing, and making strong attempts to educate those unaware of ‘injustice’. However, in attempts to educate, are the ideas of ‘equality’ being replaced with ‘silencing majorities’ and ‘misinterpreting movements’?

from behind computer screens, and the blog would be removed immediately. And let’s not forget the connotations of ‘white girl’.

Automatically assuming any girl who orders Starbucks, wears leggings or uses Instagram is somehow worse off as a person is bad enough, but referring to her skin colour in order to somehow strengthen this image of a naive 13 year old is more than a little insulting. Sure, white people aren’t being aggressively beaten in the streets because of their colour, but that doesn’t hide the fact that people are mistaking ‘acceptance of other races’ for ‘mocking the majority so the minorities feel more accepted’.

This attitude does affect minorities, however, because there are many people who use this as a defence when they are openly racist. Too often people say ‘if black people can call themselves n*ggers, why can’t I?’ or ‘if you can call me a white girl, why can’t I call you a ch*nk?’ There is a simple solution to all of this: don’t use people’s races against them, and don’t use racial slurs.

Slavery is one of the prime examples of issues that oppressed racial minorities. Slavery still occurs today, in countries all over the world, The feminist movement has been present for and to completely ignore the presence of centuries, and unfortunately many men slavery would be naive and ignorant. seem to mistake modern feminists However, that does not mean it with the stereotyped image of is a justified reason to hate ‘bra-burning-man-hatingall white people, or to run Femi-Nazis’.

What’s blogs called worse than this stigma FEMINIST ‘thisiswhiteculture’. If is the fact some a white person were women play up to the advocacy of women's rights on to make a blog full of this. Feminism is violence in the world ground of the equality of the sexes. the idea that caused by African women are treated MISANDRIST American’s or equally to men. It is Asian races, ‘racist’ would be screamed

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a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against men.

NOT that men should be stripped of their rights and all power should be moved

to women. Feminism = equality, not misandry.

If you hate men, say it. That’s okay. You may get some hate, in the same way you would hate on a man who claimed to hate all women. But it is wrong to channel your hate behind the label of the equality movement. It taints the image of those out there who strive for the rights of women to be equalised, for behaviours to be identical for all genders, and for women to live free from fear or persecution around the world.

Another equality movement that is being misunderstood on the internet is the LGBT movement, which aims to create equality for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In this movement there are often more supporters for LGB than T, but simply because there are more openly gay or bisexual people than there are transgender people. In the UK, statistics in 2011 showed that 545000 people in the UK identified as gay; however there wasn’t even a survey for transgender members of the population, though it was estimated at 0.1-5%. These minorities are the ones that have caused most controversy, and struggle to get their voices heard over the ‘straight allies’ who don’t have to struggle with day-to-day life troubles of being openly LGBT. But there have been several instances where trans people have decided to run ‘anti-cis’ blogs. True, there aren’t many, but those who do take such a strong view on ‘anti-cis’ people they send messages telling cis people to kill themselves and saying that the only way trans people can ever hope to feel safe is for anyone else to be removed. As with the ‘feminists’ who only hate men, there aren’t thousands of anti-cis people out there, but they are louder and more aggressive, so this behaviour shouldn’t be ignored, because in the future it could lead to some stereotyping of the transgender people who simply want to live their lives with the rights they as people deserve.

an image of a middle-aged straight white man from a wealthy family who’s wealth and stature makes him closed-minded and ignorant. The majorities of the world do have opportunities in life that minorities sadly do not LGBT yet,

Lesbian

Gay

Bisexual

Transgender

however there are many people working hard to try and bring about change and equality to all. Attacking majorities is not a way to bring about equality, just as attacking minorities will not prevent the change that is inevitable. Hate breeds more hate, so instead of turning against each other, all races should all fight for equal rights for all races, men and women should not see each other as enemies but instead accept that change needs to occur and join together to make it happen, and that trans and cis should not mock each other but band together in an attempt to bring justice and create a safe living environment around the globe where people are comfortable to be themselves.

The idea of ‘privilege’ amongst the majority is slightly tainted, with the word often conjuring

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DRESS LIKE

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift is no stranger to style. In 2014, she has displayed her many tastes in vintage and classic designs. She demonstrates this here in an edgy, but girly outfit for out on the town. Taylor wears a black tank top with black shorts and some black tights. To make this outfit even more edgy we chose a pair of imitation leather shorts to wear. To keep warm, she wears a light crochet sweater, and for shoes we chose a silver pair of ballet flats.

To accessorize, Taylor is wearing a small pendant necklace, red lipstick, and she's carrying a black handbag.

H&M £12.99/$17.95

H&M £6.99/$9.95

H&M £3.99/$5.95

TOPSHOP £4.50/$10

TOPSHOP £8/$16

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FOREVER 21 £19/$24.80 FOREVER 21 £16.75/$19.80

ZARA £29.99/$49.90

DRESS LIKE

ED SHEERAN

Ed Sheeran might be telling us in his new album that he should win worst dressed, but when red carpets roll around he sure can clean up good. This year at an Elton John Aids Foundation event, Ed Sheeran wore a casual, but cool outfit. Here Ed wears a black t-shirt with a black blazer, and a pair of dark wash jeans. To brighten up his professional look, he chose a pair of bright red basketball sneakers, which makes the look fun.

H&M £29.99/$49.95

H&M £14.99/$14.95 FOOTLOCKER £89.99/$69.99 H&M £7.99/$9.95

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FANDOM UPDATES What is happening in the fandom world right now

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THE CASUAL VACANCY

DOCTOR WHO

Jk Rowling is back with her newest book, The Casual Vacancy. BBC One and HBO have teamed up on this book-to-TV adaption. Filming has already begun for this project, and will star Michael Gambon as Howard Mollison, Keeley Hawes as Samantha Mollison, and Rory Kinnear as Barry Fairbrother.

There will be three episodes in the season, each lasting an hour long.

Season 8 of Doctor Who has premiered (August 23rd, 2014) and now we’ve seen Peter Capaldi in action! Peter has apparently been very forceful with his new role, stating that if he’s going to do this, he’s going to do it right. We’ve gotten three new teaser trailers leading up to this point, mainly showing the different villains that are going to face the Doctor; we’ve seen the return of the Cyberman (backstage photos) and heard the Daleks speaking directly to the Doctor, as well as many new foes. The Doctor seems to be questioning the kind of man he is, and even Clara thinks he’s lost himself. The series continues on BBC One!

HARRY POTTER

MARVEL

Unfortunately, we’ve lost another actor who helped create the magical world that we fell in love with. Actor Dave Legeno, known for his role as Fenrir Greyback in the Harry Potter movies, amongst other films, has died.

Guardians of the Galaxy premiered and we were delighted to find that it was more of a comedy, rather than something that would make us cry over lost lives and friendship. It was still a serious and heartwarming movie, but it had a certain aspect of comedy that we don’t normally see in Marvel movies. Many premiere posters and trailers came out before the movie, giving us a closer look at the relationships and characters.

New Age of Ultron (Avengers 2) stills have been released for the upcoming movie that will air next year. Captain America, Iron Man and Ultron have made the cover of Entertainment Weekly following ComicCon. The group made quite an entrance at ComicCon - Robert throwing roses (swoon), and Chris grabbing everyone’s boobs; we also welcome two newcomers, Aaron TaylorJohnson and Elizabeth Olsen!

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films of September

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September means back to studying and back to working in spare time, whether that be a job, coursework, or homework.

When September comes you find yourself thinking, “What the hell did I do with my summer?” That would be the downside to September, but on the upside: you just start courses, so actually there’s not as much work. Which means time to take a break and just sit down with a funny movie such as Bad Neighbours. And you may have money left over from summer: so you can go to the cinema and watch one of your favourite book adaptions. Before I Go To Sleep follows an amnesiac woman awaking everyday and remembering nothing. Starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong. The movie opens on the 5th September, until then, why not try the book by S.J Watson.

15th September Season 4 of our favourite post-apocalyptic show, The Walking Dead, is on DVD now. It contains all 16 episodes, deleted scenes, and documentaries

29th September 300: Rise of an Empire is the action packed prequel to 300. When unlikely allies form & wars begin, who will be victorious?

8th September Dave Franco and Zac Efron partying in a frat house, what more could you want from Bad Neighbours?

1st September Peter Parker and Gwen are back swinging through New York in The Amazing Spider— Man 2. When trouble occurs, Peter links it to one thing… Oscorp.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

I have to admit that I once had my reservations when it came to ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and author John Green; but after reading his acclaimed novel and watching the film, all those judgements have well and truly vanished.

It seems that all anyone can talk about these days is John Green; whether you love him or hate him, people are sure making a lot of noise about his work.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is said to be Green’s greatest novel, and I can’t help but agree. I’ve tried reading some of his other works, but they just don’t do it for me, whereas, I read ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ faster than I’ve ever ready any other book, and cried my eyes out at it, too. It’s true that many find his work too pretentious with all his metaphors and deep quotes, but I don’t think it’s all bad. Anyone who uses Tumblr will be aware of the ‘it’s a metaphor’ gag, and even though most

are hating on John Green’s work with their jokes, he must be somewhat good to cause such a stir.

Calling ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ the movie of the summer would be totally fair; thousands of fans have been waiting with tissues at the ready to see the epic love story hit screens, and now that it’s finally here, we just can’t get enough.

Not only is ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ a heart-wrenchingly adorable love story between two teenagers, but also a sincere look at the disease that far too many have had to deal with. Writing a story about teenagers with cancer is kind of brave; dealing with such a topic requires a certain level of delicacy, and I think John Green has written with the right amount of respect and grit, making the novel and film all the more heart-breaking.

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books of September and Noah used to be incredibly close twins I’ll Give You The Sun Jude with a to-wish-for lifestyle, but three years on Jandy Nelson

and Jude and Noah barely speak. Something has happened to cause this divide between the two.

They each have half the story to tell, and if they find their way back to each other, they can remake their world.

I’ll Give you the Sun 16th Sept

From two of our favourite authors comes a tale centering on the students of a magical academy, Magesterium. In this novel a student comes to Magesterium against his will—is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth much more twisted than that? Is there ever a distinction between Good and Evil?

The Iron Trial

Holly Black/Cassandra Clare

The Iron Trial (Magesterium#1) 9th Sept

Heir Of Fire Sarah J Mass

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Lost and broken Celeana’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend; he will pay for what he did. All her answers lie in Wendlyn, but her darkest demons share the same place. Will Celeana find her strength to win her own battles and keep her loyalties to the ones she loves? g Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) 2nd Sept

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER MORGAN MATSON While the description paints this book as a romance, my opinion is that this book is about family and love and friendship most of all. The novel centers on Taylor Edward and her family coming to terms with some devastating news, accompanied by a subplot around rekindling childhood relationships. It’s a more subdued novel than the blurb and cover may imply, with some heavy emotional content, along with the fluffy lightness of a summer read.

Taylor’s family reconnects through emotional and physical circumstances, learning to draw strength and comfort from each other, to reassess their relationships and what’s really important. It’s a simultaneously heart-warming and heartwrenching premise.

Matson develops a cast of characters around Taylor who are quirky and wonderful. Her family are loving, but they don’t seem like caricatures of an idea;

they are all so human and real.

Taylor reunites with her former best friend, Lucy, amidst a great deal of awkwardness, but their friendship redevelops realistically. Lucy wasn’t nice to Taylor, but she doesn’t fall into that trap of being “mean girl”. Henry, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, is also portrayed well. The way he and Taylor reconnect is touching and sweet.

I’m glad Taylor rebuilt these relationships through facing the past and making amends, rather than using the emotional pull of her family’s situation – Matson focused firmly on Taylor’s development as a character.

I was slightly disappointed with the reason behind Taylor’s lost relationships as it was built up to seem huge, especially since Henry and Lucy hold a grudge five years later, and the flashbacks to her twelve-yearold life got rather tedious at times. For me, it was an enjoyable and touching read with just the right balance of emotion between laughter and tears.

SYNOPSIS Taylor’s family isn’t close, and when they receive some devastating news they decide to spend one last summer together. Joined by two of Taylor’s childhood friends who she thought she’d never see again, they go to their old lake house, to get to know each other again. As the summer progresses, her family grow closer, but they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock.

Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

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SO YOU’VE READ ‘SECOND CHANCE SUMMER’ BY MORGAN MATSON AND ENJOYED IT? WHAT NEXT?

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UNBREAK MY HEART— MELISSA WALKER

WHILE HE WAS AWAY— KAREN SCHRECK

Clementine Williams fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and is vilified, heading into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat, which would normally make her break out in hives. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

The day David left, I felt like my heart was breaking. Sure, any long-distance relationship is tough, but David was going to war--to fight, to protect, and to put his life in danger. We'll talk, we'll email, and we won't let anything come between us. I can be an army girlfriend for one year. But will my David be the same person when he comes home? Will I? And what if he doesn't come home at all?

WAITING—CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS

PERFECT ESCAPE— JENNIFER BROWN

Growing up in Africa and Latin America as the children of missionaries, London and Zach were as close as could be. Then Zach dies, London’s father is distant and her mother won’t speak. The days are filled with what-ifs and whispers: did Zach take his own life? Was it London’s fault? She finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself.

Kendra has always felt overshadowed by her older brother, Grayson, who has OCD. The only way Kendra can stand out next to Grayson is to be perfect, and she has perfection down to an art, until a cheating scandal threatens her flawless reputation. Kendra decides to drive away from it all with Grayson asleep beside her. But eventually, Kendra must stop running and come to terms with her brother, and her past.

Editor’s pick:

BOOK CLUB

American Gods by Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman mixes folklore, mystery and road trips to create this wonderful cocktail that is American Gods. It is definitely unlike any book I have ever read before. The story revolves around Shadow who, once released from prison, is offered a job by the alluring Mr Wednesday. However, some of the scenes are fairly crude and so the book is only really suitable for those 15+.

Over to you @covenlana I am in love with Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

The book is full with both action and mythology, yet also has elements of romance to spice it up.

@trevilles The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner is really good. It’s got so many plot twists that if I wasn’t reading it on my kindle I would have thrown the book into the sea straight up.

See what’s on our staff’s bookshelves

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami Haruki Murakami is a popular Japanese author whose writing has a unique sort of surrealism and fantasy—it’s been described as feeling like remembering a dream you’d forgotton. I’d recommend any of his novels, but my personal favourite is Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which has two parallel plots and captivating story.—Victoria (@TimelineNargles)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak The book seems slightly strange at first, as it is narrated by death, and he writes the first few chapters in an intriguing way. However, once you are into the book, death starts to tell the story of a girl called Liesel Meminger, also known as the book thief, and her adventures in Germany during World War II. You really warm to the characters, and trademark parts of their personalities make you smile as you read it.

Despite the fact that this book made me smile, it also left me sobbing on a balcony in Crete. It’s heart-wrenching, and certainly left a mark on me when I had finished reading it. Zusak writes the book in such a way that you grow attached to the characters, and that’s what every good book should do. .—Eve (@jilyinthetardis)

Read an absolutely magnificent book recently, and you can’t help but want to share it with the world?

Tweet us and it will appear here!

Don’t forget to hashtag it. #fabookclub

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Everything you need to know so far about

1989

Each physical copy will include one of five collectible sets of 13 exclusive polaroid pictures. The deluxe album will contain three bonus songs and three of Taylor’s song writing voice memos documenting the early creation of three songs on the album.

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The album is out on 27th October and a deluxe edition will be available too.

The first single and video is called Shake It Off and was first performed live at the VMAs.

It is Taylor Swift’s fifth studio album and her first official pop one.

HEDLEY The Vancouver four piece is a Pop-Rock band and was

could reach and personally thanking us for attending

formed in 2003. It consists of lead

vocalist Jacob

and supporting them is a testament to how humbled

Hoggard, guitarist Dave Rosin, bassist Tom MacDonald,

and down to earth they are, further drilling in the point

and drummer Chris Crippin.

of how relatable of a band they are. The crowd and

Jacob Hoggard became a Canadian household name after appearing on Canadian Idol back in 2004, Hoggard reached the top three to win a bet against his friends and then dropped out to proceed with his hometown band, Hedley.

Hedley were full of adrenalin and enthusiasm, really making

it

a

truly

memorable

experience.

’Wild Life’ is an album that is heading for radio domination; like many of their albums it is a journey that plays up to the pit falls and rewards of life, as shown in tracks like ‘Parade Rain’ and ‘Anything’.

Starting out as a more raw and grunge style band with

‘Anything’, being the first track, shows a completely

their firsts hits such as ‘3 2 1’, ‘Narcissist’, and ‘Trip’

different side of the band, which I certainly wasn’t

they have become new men, reinventing themselves to

ready for, but after revisiting, I think it is brilliant. I

ditch Hoggards’ Canadian Idol image (which was

would heavily recommend watching their music video

interpretive dancing to Bowies ’Space Oddity’ in a blue

as a comment on the ridiculousness of modern pop-

spandex suit) to a look of tattoos and progressively

culture and proof that this band will never take

more radio-ready sounds as of their fourth studio

themselves seriously, yet delivering a strong message

album ‘Storms’ (released November 8th, 2011). The

of not letting others tell you what you can’t achieve.

album’s catchy, relatable lyrics, sounds of balladry

This album has a little bit of everything, from the

acoustics to synth-pop beats, range from mellow, heart-

country sounds of ‘Mexico’ to the slower ballads of

felt songs such as ‘I Won’t Let You Go (Darling)’ to the

‘Wild Life’.

upbeat sounds of ‘Hot Mess’. This album delivers a range of emotion from light to dark, providing a song for both good and bad days, giving us all ’a little strength to go on’.

One of my personal favourite tacks on this album is ‘All The Way’, as it really does a fantastic job of showing off Hoggards’ amazing vocal range since he really had a chance to let loose; I just wish there were a couple

I was fortunate enough to see them perform their first

more songs like this one! As the band shed their punk

London gig at the 100 Club on the 28th of May. Right

sound to transform into a more pop-focused band, they

from the moment they entered on to the stage it was

still manage to maintain their anthems, capturing the

clear that their genuine connection with the fans is

nature of life and going against the grain in what truly

such a strong one, shaking hands with all those they

is a wild life.

FANDOMS ASSEMBLE 31 25 23 39

SPIN-OFF

For some fandoms, like The Vampire Diaries, one TV show isn’t enough. But why can’t there be spin-off shows for every fandom?

ALLY A SAVES THE DAY

GRED AND FORGE

Ally A Saves the Day is a spin-off from Teen Wolf that centres on Allison Argent (Crystal Reed). Having found out what her family really do for a living, she joins her father, Chris Argent (J.R. Bourne), protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Allison attempts to hunt monsters whilst at the same time juggling high school and her werewolf boyfriend, Isaac Lahey (Daniel Sharman). She is often joined by the ‘gang’ to help her fight monsters, including her best friend and banshee Lydia Martin (Holland Roden), Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), and "Stiles" Stilinski (Dylan O'Brien). However, something much worse than a Kanima is lurking in the shadows for Allison as she repeatedly sees her dead aunt wherever she goes.

Gred and Forge is a spin-off from the Harry Potter series that centres on the Weasley twins Fred (James Phelps) and George (Oliver Phelps). The show begins with the twins leaving for Hogwarts in their first year and then documents their Hogwarts career. Along with Peeves (Rik Mayall), they soon become the best mischief makers the school has ever seen, since the Marauders left in 1978. Not only are they pulling pranks—and girls—left, right and centre, but they also set up their own business through an owl-post service, selling joke products like Extendable Ears and Skiving Snackboxes. Between pranks, girls and quidditch, the twins seem to have it all covered. What they do not seem to realise, however, is the storm that is brewing in the form of long hair and curves.

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THE PATERNOSTER GANG

THE COLT DIARIES

The Paternoster Gang is a spin-off from Doctor Who that centres on Mme Vastra (Neve McIntosh), a female Silurian warrior, her maid, Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart), and the Sontaran nurse-turned-butler Strax (Dan Starkey). Working for Scotland Yard in Victorian England, the trio solve cases the police cannot. From humans like Jack the Ripper (Vastra found him “stringy, but tasty all the same”) to paranormal activities, the three rule London, and Vastra is even known as “The Great Detective”. Romance blossoms between Madame Vastra and her maid who, very early on in the show, becomes her wife.

They seem to have found the perfect balance between domestic living and paranormal investigations. However, what will happen when an old friend comes calling to test the trio to their very core?

The Colt Diaries is a spin-off from Supernatural that centres on hunter Samuel Colt (Sam Hennings). The show leads the audience through not only how Colt became a hunter but how he became one with enough knowledge to forge the Colt, a gun which can kill all but five beings in existence, and design the Devil’s Gate to keep a portal to Hell closed. Along the way the audience learn more about the lore Colt encountered in his life to make him so knowledgeable. However, Colt has his own personal demons to fight against too.

While forging the Colt and sealing Hell, the hunter faces many dilemmas and is forced to make sacrifices; sacrifices which will eventually lead him to be the man Sam and Dean met.

TV SHOWS 41

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IT’S ALWAYS THE FAVOURITE Don’t you just love the excitement of getting into a new book, film or TV show? It could be something you stumbled upon by accident or a suggestion from a friend. Either way, there’s something beautiful about watching or reading something for the first time and experiencing the thoughts and feelings of the characters as if you are Clary Fray or Athos the Musketeer.

COLUMNIST

There’s always a character that stands out more than the others. It could be because they’re attractive or they could be funny. They might have a dark and mysterious past or their personality could be quirky.

For whatever reason it is, this character has become your absolute favourite. Whenever they’re featured in a chapter or an episode, you enjoy it even more than usual.

However, absolutely everything changes when this character– the one you’ve been crying and laughing over for the past few weeks– is killed off. Suddenly, everything stops. Your favourite fictional character is dead and you can’t stop it.

Yes, you still enjoy the TV show or the book, but something is lacking. It can never be as beautiful as it was to begin with.

It doesn’t always happen to everyone though– some people have favourite characters that last for

YOUR FAVOURITE

FICTIONAL CHARACTER IS DEAD AND YOU CAN’T STOP IT seasons. They’re the lucky ones.

I, on the other hand, seem to have a bad habit of choosing the character who dies to be my favourite.

Fred Weasley is the prime example. As I read the Harry Potter books and watched the films, I fell in love with him. He was so funny and charming.

When I got onto reading the Deathly Hallows, I was completely shocked. Fred was the life of every party– along with George, of course– yet he was gone.

How can we stop our favourite characters from dying? We can’t, not without writing to the producers or author.

It can’t be a coincidence if we keep finding ourselves crying over our favourite character’s death. We must be drawn to them. Drawn to their beauty, their smile, their personality. The writers and the producers have to be drawn to them too.

They may know that the death of that particular character will have the strongest effect on the fans– and that’s why they do it.

You’re just going to have to hope when you find a new fandom to join that your character is invincible, or Captain Jack Harness.

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WE ALL WANT T

But these people deserve to be (at

ALBUMS:

MARI THE DIA

At first glance, Marina Diama monds, produces cute bubbleg dig a little deeper, it’s clear to see Her music is the embodiment of tod empowerment in general; ‘How To Be A step-by-step guide on how to break a man brilliantly calls the media out on its sexist w air of powerful femininity that she radiates; ing the concept of females being inferior, be stuck in your head for days. Marina ally something to marvel at. Case ‘Numb’. It seems that her only d waiting for what seems like a na announced that she’d st ject in early 2013, but w more on the subjec things take time, an to top the mast ‘Electra Hear does have cut out f

Family Jewels Electra Heart (2010)

(2012)

FAVOURITE SONGS:

Shampain, Teen Idle, Radioactive 44

TO BE FAMOUS

t least more than they already are)

INA & AMONDS

SIMILAR TO:

Lana Del Rey

andis, or Marina & The Diagum-pop songs, but when you e that Marina isn’t playing around. day’s feminist movement and female A Heartbreaker’ literally gives listeners a n’s heart, and ‘Sex Yeah’ shamelessly and ways. Marina’s retro fashion sense adds to the ; basically, she looks adorable while smash, all while belting out catchy songs that’ll a’s lyrics, which she pens herself, are ree and point: ‘Buy The Stars’ and downfall is that fans have been an age for a new record. Maritarted work on a new prowe have yet to hear much ct. I guess all good nd if Marina hopes terpiece that is rt’, she really her work for her.

Sky Ferreira 45

ALBUMS:

ECHOS

Echosmith captur sound of California in ‘Talking Dreams’; comp Echosmith’s music makes for track. Performing on 2014’s War Talking Dreams the US by storm, and I hope to soon; lead singer Sydney Sierota (2013) ly suited to singing cute love so in MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’), but are die rock tracks like ‘Come T great mix of the distinctive C stream pop. It’s common to being incomparable to the doesn’t seem to be the c shining the greatness of future records seems q it also seems that thing better for these four si

FAVOURITE SONGS:

Bright, Cool

Kids, Ran Off In The Night 46

SIMILAR TO:

SMITH Haim

re the carefree n their debut album posed of four siblings, r the perfect summer soundrped Tour, Echosmith have taken o see them overseas in the UK a’s haunting vocals are not onongs such as ‘Bright’ (featured e versatile enough to sing inTogether’, too, making for a California sound and maino see a band’s debut album eir later releases, but that case for Echosmith: outf ‘Talking Dreams’ with quite the challenge, but gs are only going to get iblings.

Foster The People

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ALBUMS:

LIGH The Listening

Siberia

(2009)

(2011)

Siberia Acoustic

Combine with indie quirky, heartf you’ll get Light singer-songwrit ‘Lights’ Poxleitn boundaries of gen gether deep lyric infused sound, creat you want to dance, b merising played acoust Lights is that her music c sage; songs like ‘Banner’ an ing of being able to fight wh give you a sense of self-belie ‘you still gotta light up’. The ov in Lights’ music makes for not ones that actually mean somethin but album ‘The Listening’, Lights h should expect a new record from h bound to be just as whimsical and fun

FAVOURITE SONGS: I Owe You One,

Frame And Focus,

Romance Is… Peace Sign 48

(2013)

HTS

SIMILAR TO: Sky

Ferreira

electro-pop e rock and felt lyrics, and ts. Canada-born ter Valerie ner pushes the nres by bringing tos with her synthting tracks that make but still sound so mestically. What I love about carries such a positive mesnd ‘Face Up’ give you a feelhat’s dragging you down and ef when Lights tells you that verall positivity and fun infused only songs that sound great, but ng too. Since the release of her dehas only gotten better and better; we her by the end of the year, which is n as her previous releases.

Ellie

Goulding

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ALBUMS:

THE SUMM

Arizona five-piece T duce some of the m around; their pop-pun Love Like This Everything’s Fine want to dance and go on bums as your soundtrack.

(2009) (2011) makes you forget about you of growing up, because they m free seem like so much fun. D (female drummers seem to be male-centric as Rock, so it’s a see a woman in this field), m before you know it, you’re Legendary singer Brian Dales’ me (2013) never fail to put a smile something so empowe along to ‘Jukebox (Li got rock and roll, y right’, because, rea

FAVOURITE SONGS: Papercut, About A Girl, Boomerang

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MER SET

SIMILAR TO:

The Summer Set promost feel-good tracks nk sound makes you a road trip, with their alThe Summer Set’s music ur worries and defy the idea make being young and careDrum beats from Jess Bowen, somewhat scarce in a genre as always a refreshing change to make you tap your feet, and e dancing around to lead elodies. The Summer Set e on my face, and there’s ering about screaming ife Goes On)’:- ‘If you you’re gonna be alally, you will be.

We Are The In Crowd

All Time Low 51

BLUEBOTTLES AN ORIGINAL STORY BY LOUISE (@COLINMORGAY)

SET IN A WORLD WHERE HUGS ARE ILLEGAL

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BLUEBOTTLES The back alleys of London are dark and dingy, and often rarely inhabited by people other than vagabonds.

The past remains scattered and broken throughout in the form of twisted chargers battling with computer mice, their choice of weapon being smashed light bulbs. The alleys serve as a window to the past, reminding people of someplace better and a time before the war.

The fluorescent street lamp at one end of the alley flickers irregularly. It holds up long enough to illuminate a figure. The young girl’s hair tumbles down behind her and her ripped jeans and large jumper suggest she is one of them, yet her fake nails, kept in pristine condition, prove otherwise. There is a

rustle in the battlefield of technology and she jumps, her fingers tap, tap, tapping against her side. Steadily, she picks her way through the limp corpses before stopping halfway down, her fingers still beating out a rhythm on her leg.

“H-Hello?” she whispers into the darkness. Not even her echo replies. She gulps but it is drowned out by the bull inside her chest, hammering at her ribcage and wanting to escape. She wonders if they could hear it if they listened hard enough.

“I have money,” she blurts out. She must have said something right, as two shapes grow from the shadows.

“How much?” one asks. She had expected him to have

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sunken eyes and an ashen complexion and is almost lost for words when he does not.

“Five hundred pounds,” she tells him, gaining confidence whilst doing so. “How much will that get me?”

“Twenty seconds,” he grunts, his face a blank canvas showing no emotion. The figure next to him steps forward. His face is still soft and he has not yet been scarred by adulthood. “You’re not a… you know, a Bluebottle, are you?”

He staggers backwards into the darkness having been smacked by the first man. The comment, “shut your face, Oleraceus,” joins him swiftly.

The man twists back to the girl, demanding an answer to the question Oleraceus had asked. A small shake

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of her head satisfies him.

“You will pay half now and half at the end,” he orders, laying out his hand, palm up, expectantly.

“This is my, uh, my first time,” she tells him as she nervously hands him half of the money.

Any confidence she once had vanished when the boy was struck.

He smiles grimly as he counts the money with expert hands and pockets it. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

She nods and takes deep breaths to ease the nauseous feeling in her stomach. “Oleraceus,” he barks to the shadows, “bring me the egg timer.”

Oleraceus emerges from the dark and places the egg timer on an upturned crate. The girl gawks at it as for her it is a thing she has only heard of in myth and legend and only seen in fairy tales. She reaches

her hand out to touch it before recoiling at the slap by the other man. His glare is enough to tell her without words that she is allowed to look but not touch.

He opens his arms and gestures for her to walk towards him. She shuffles forward until she rests her head on her chest. He wraps his arms around her and the timer starts.

Three seconds shoulders relax.

in,

her

Five seconds in, she wraps her arms around him.

Seven seconds in, she feels all her worries and problems escape her.

Nine seconds in, she starts to feel happy again, for the first time in years.

Ten seconds in, a siren wails in the distance.

With haste they break apart, dread encroaching the man’s features. “Bluebottles,� he whispers harshly.

A blanched Oleraceus appears and exchanges a fearful glance with the other man. The two dealers dart away into the night leaving the girl abandoned.

When the policeman reaches the alley he finds a ringing egg timer, signalling the end of the battle, and one fake nail, broken and dirty.

If you would like to submit any fanfiction, original prose or poetry to be showcased, email it to us at fandomsassemblefiction@gmail.com or tweet us at @fandomsmagazine.

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AGONY AUNT REPORTING FOR DUTY

Q

I have a fandom twitter account, which I like to keep a secret. It's totally anonymous so nobody who knows me in real life would know it was me; this way I'm not afraid to tweet my true opinions and can fangirl without being judged.

However, recently someone from my school followed me on my fandom twitter, and although I have never talked to her, I know from my friends that she is extremely bitchy, and wouldn't think twice about telling the entire school about my potentially very embarrassing tweets.

She hasn't said anything to me at school yet, but for the past couple of days since she has been following me, I've been too scared to tweet anything and I am now rapidly losing followers. Please help.

Anonymous twitter accounts are a great way to be able to express yourself, make online friends, and can be a form of escape from stressful, ordinary life. It's because of this that I personally believe that these twitter accounts should be kept separate from your everyday life, and certainly from any girl who would possibly 'expose' you.

However, I sincerely think that it must just be a coincidence that she has followed you if, as you said, your account is totally anonymous. She is probably just a fangirl herself! If you are really worried though, the best thing would be to just block her, that way she would have no access to your account at all.

A

Q

I really think that I am addicted to my iPhone, I find myself wasting entire days lying in my bed on twitter, tumblr, instagram and playing games. Its the first thing I look at when I wake up in the morning- in fact it also serves as my alarm clock, I've tried to give it up in the past but the longest I've gone without it is 4 days before I caved. I want to be able to enjoy my summer outside with my friends, not sitting indoors staring at a screen.

A

As I'm sure you know, this is a pretty common problem. Smart phones are great for keeping in touch, and really useful at replacing necessities like alarms and calendars. But, as the saying goes, everything in moderation, and it is certainly easy to cross that line in to addiction. What I would suggest is not suddenly giving up your phone completely like you have tried in the past (as I said they are very useful) but gradually cutting down until you feel you have reached the perfect balance between phone and "other stuff" time. Some ways to get you motivated to cut down include: Writing a to-do list for the summer, (things like decorating my bedroom or going running are great things to put on it as they are productive too) and trying to tick off at least one activity on it each day; turning your phone to the fullest brightness setting so that the battery runs out quicker and you are forced to do something else while it charges; giving yourself time restrictions on certain apps that you usually waste a lot of time on; giving someone else your phone to look after for a short while so again you are forced to go and do other things.

Don't forget to start tweeting again!

Wishing you the best,

AA

AA

Send your problems to faagonyaunt@gmail.com for our Agony Aunt to answer.

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Kaylie (@CapnAmeowica)

Meg (@BENEDlCTCUMBERS)

FAN

Sheridan (@J2_lover)

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Remember to email us your fan art to fandomsassemblema

ART

Kaiya (@relahventharry) Imogen (ginnyweasleys)

Amy (@Shadowfaxed_)

agazine@gmail.com or tweet it to us at @fandomsmagazine

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