Weird horse returns (& rambling about spec bio and hard scifi)

Fenn, my oldest character, gets a fresh design. as a foreword, i've decided i'm switching to they/them prounouns for them since it feels more aligned w their character. as a member of a shapeshifting alien dragon species w no distinct sexes, gender is a fairly abstract concept to a lot of individuals.

Fenn is a professional athlete who competes in flying races, but they're also good at running and swimming. the whiskers on their nose are soft, fleshy and sensitive, and the long ones are semi-prehensile. in a natural setting they would assist in searching the sea floor for crustaceans, now they are more useful for writing and opening bottles. 

despite being amphibious, the gills on Fenn's neck and chest don't breathe water but assist in the passive exchange of gases on land and work like an vehicle air intake system when flying. air passes in through their mouth and the vents on their collar and exits through the neck and flanks. Fenn also has lungs with external air sacs attached similar to avian lungs. it's a highly efficient respiratory system, which is necessary when your blood contains haemocyanin (Hc). Hc is an analogue to haemoglobin (Hg) but contains copper instead of iron, giving oxygenated blood a blue appearance. it is also less efficient at carrying oxygen than Hg. altogether having such large mucous membranes on the outside of your body might be great for gas exchange, but it also means when Fenn gets a cold they ooze snot everywhere. Fenn and many other dragons can also breathe fire, which is more like flaming projectile vomit with all the qualities of napalm... i'll get into that another time.

i would really love to get into more detail regarding speculative biology here (to the point were i've considered writing an in-universe scientific review article under the name of a different character, lol) but i don't have the time for it currently. i try to be as loosey-goosey as possible wrt science in my writing because otherwise i end up imposing unnecessary limits on myself, but spec bio i really enjoy and it's where i can allow myself to get into the details. i like the idea of writing "hard" scifi but the genre tends to be a bit of a mixed bag - i've read a bit of greg egan's work and i liked his scientific speculation but found his character writing to be intensely boring. on the opposite hand, going into massive depth on biological/mathematic intricacies can be a big barrier to readers who may otherwise enjoy your writing. (if anyone has any recs lmk, but maybe i'll give egan another shot.)

...actually, one writer who does brilliant hard scifi comes to mind. i read "The Maximum Softness Capable Of Being Exerted By All Machinery" by Porpentine Charity Heartscape, and i suggest you read it as well. you can find it on her website. it's also further proof that trans people are the best at cyberpunk. however i'm extremely disappointed i missed out on reading "I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter" by Isabel Fall before it got removed from the internet because the author suffered massive harassment (partially from other trans people!!). i'm not going to bitch about "purity culture", but i would really like to see a less reactionary attitude towards trans authors who express their unique experiences in provoking ways, especially when it is some of the most original work in a homogenous, social-media friendly ocean of content. i reckon i'm going to order the print copy of the Clarkesworld issue so i can read Fall's story myself.

anyway this has become extremely off-topic. things are rough at the moment, as they are for many people, and i'm trying to stay as much off social media as possible. more commission work and character sketches are on the way. take care everyone <3