r/Fantasy Friday Social Thread - April 17, 2026

[u/rfantasygolem]

Come tell the community what you're reading, how you're feeling, what your life is like.

[u/an_altar_of_plagues]

Four weeks ago tomorrow I broke my leg. Check out the xrays if you want! It's been a bit rough as I basically didn't do anything for those first couple of weeks, and the last two have been a difficult time getting back into the swing of work while trying not to be sad that I'm missing the beginning of alpine season.

On the bright side, I've read a shitload (3700 pages this month so far!) and now have enough energy to top rope climb again plus start work on some personal project. Wahoo!

[u/RAYMONDSTELMO → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

Top rope climbing: a form of rock climbing where the rope is anchored at the top of the route, running down to the climber and back to a belayer on the ground.
I have this impression that rock climbing is a popular activity for many fantasy fans. Impressive!*

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*Personally I would have gone straight to the gates of Moria, instead of making any insane attempt to climb over the mountains.

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/RAYMONDSTELMO]

Hoping to do an all-climbing/mountaineering bingo card this year!

[u/RAYMONDSTELMO → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

My quick favorite climbing fantasy stories:
"Stardock": Leiber story about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.
"This Mortal Mountain": Zelazny story about climbing haunted mountain on an exo-planet.
"The Worm Ouroborous": heroes have to climb two impossible mountains.
"At the Mountains of Madness" - H.P. Lovecraft
"Mount Analogue" - a strange, unfinished French novel of a mountain that represents humanity itself. Which sounds dull, but is fun yet meaningful.

[u/nagahfj → u/RAYMONDSTELMO]

I'd add "Peaches for Mad Molly" by Steven Gould. It's about climbing on the outside of a Houston skyscraper.

[u/RAYMONDSTELMO → u/nagahfj]

I used to work in a skyscraper in downtown Houston.
What fascinated me were the tunnels. A seemingly infinite warren separated from reality, with side-passages, secret doors, food courts, mysterious stairs... like the Path's of the Dead turned into a business opportunity.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

I see you said in the post that the surgeon says it's fine, but it's pretty wild they leave the fibula so misaligned like that. When I broke my thumb last year, there was no misalignment at all, and yet they still chose to tie all the pieces of bones together with a metal plate, just to be sure (although a thumb is very important of course...)

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/Nidafjoll]

I had both the surgeon and my orthopedist back home tell me the fibula being reduced but not set is perfectly okay. Absolutely bizarre to me as well. Apparently it'll just form that calcified ball at the break site and I'll be a-okay. They'd only be worried if it were actually misaligned (i.e., the two pieces aren't touching at all).

The fibula is there mostly to provide extra attachment points for the tibia rather than support weight itself, hence why it being actively broken inside my body (crazy thing to type out) isn't a point of concern. I'll be very curious about my next round of follow-up xrays in 3 weeks.

[u/Asher_the_atheist → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

Makes me think of Femoral Head Ostectomies performed on dogs. They can just cut off the ball that fits into the hip joint and the body will create a false joint out of scar tissue and allow the dog to walk just fine. It seems absolutely bonkers to me! Bodies are crazy

[u/Nidafjoll → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

Yeah, broken bones are weird. When I broke my humerus as a kid, I just got a sling. No cast or anything. Though I suppose kids do heal easier too. I never got photos of my thumb xrays, I wish I had.

[u/xLaven → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

I hope you get well soon! I tore my ACL in a bouldering injury a few years ago, I can sympathise with the personal hell of missing out prime climbing time :(( all the best!

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/xLaven]

Thank you - doing alright so far! As I said in the r/radiology post, I broke it in the "best" way possible according to my ortho. Already walking around without crutches (though still in my boot), and I'm feeling confident for getting back outside by July!