Internalized phobias // who can tell what stories Intro & Summary Apparently two monthly book clubs weren't enough for me, because I decided to join a third – giving myself less than two weeks to read the 405-page Mary: An Awakening of Terror in addition to my standing reading obligations. And I'm glad I did! Nat Cassidy's novel is a compelling one, with a satisfying level of horror aiding the exploration of an often overlooked and rarely discussed topic: society's dismissive view of aging women. Spoilers ahead. I won't go into it here, but I'll warn that this book does contain some violence against animals, in case you're thinking of picking it up yourself. Cover of Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy Mary: An Awakening of Terror follows – you guessed it – a woman named Mary, who is approaching the age of fifty without having lived very much life. If not for the violent and disturbing prologue which straightforwardly establishes that she's secretly quite messed up, born at the same instant a serial killer was struck down and later seen eating pinned bugs from a museum as a young child, Mary would appear entirely innocent and unimposing at the start of the novel. She spends her days cataloguing the tomb-like basement of a bookshop, and her only hobby seems to be collecting and talking to small porcelain figurines she refers to as her 'Loved Ones'. But Mary has a problem. She can't look at the faces of women her own age without seeing them rapidly age and rot before her eyes. She can't even look in the mirror for more than a few moments without fainting. Of course she goes to the doctor (or at least a free clinic, American healthcare being what it is), but he's happy to write it all off as side effects of her perimenopause, with perhaps a little hysteria for good measure . Soon after, Mary gets fired from her job – her boss having meant to do so weeks ago but having forgotten about her – and hears from her horrible Aunt Nadine who needs someone to help her out around the house back in her hometown of Arroyo. Nadine is predictably abusive, the town is predictably creepy, and over time Mary learns the story that many readers will have put together from the prologue. Fifty years ago, a serial killer named Damon Cross went around gaining the trust of lonely middle-aged women before murdering them and removing their faces. (Towards the end of the book, we learn that his own abusive father had locked him in a bathroom with the decomposing corpse of his mother for three days as a young child. Funny how that works.) Mary realizes that she's possessed by Damon, that he is seen as a prophet by the town, and that the head-covered ghosts she sees around the town are his victims. Ultimately, it's revealed that her condition is simply because Damon can't stand to look at the faces of middle-aged women (let alone Mary's own face) and that by accepting herself for who she is – and letting the ghosts rip and tear Damon – Mary can finally overcome her problems. The ghosts – named after the Furies towards the end – also massacre the town cult, which ends up getting blamed on the most innocent woman in the world (also around her fifties) because it was convenient to the authorities. Meanwhile Mary vows to travel with her Erinyes entourage and exact some more violent revenge – seemingly against her former boss for firing her – but is conscious of the fact they will turn on her in time. Art by MK Cooper The Good and the Superfluous The more horror and thriller stories I engage with, the more I appreciate the rare few which truly allow their characters to act with reason and intelligence as they come into contact with inexplicable forces. Mary: An Awakening of Terror mostly works for me on this front. Mary is actively looking for solutions to her problem from beginning to end, and ultimately only fails to find them in most cases because the people she turns to are secretly members of the cult. It's a little frustrating that she never even considers turning to Nadine – a conspiracy theorist and amateur paranormal investigator – for help, but also entirely understandable given their relationship. On the other hand, it gets harder and harder to sympathize with Mary each time she refuses to acknowledge the strange moments she finds herself in before and after Damon takes over. (Granted Carole and partially Wallace are red herrings, but there are still 4-5 moments any sane person would be questioning more than Mary does.) A little mindfulness would go a long way with this woman, but alas. I personally could have done without the cult plotline, which at the best of times felt tonally out of place and at the worst was just hollow conflict in Mary’s way. I can see why Cassidy chose to employ it: isolating and gaslighting Mary, adding a mysterious and claustrophobic atmosphere, connecting past and present. But between Damon’s rambling being taken as scripture, the odd shoehorning in of the desert and the random eye tattoos it really feels like bloat, which no one needs in a book over four hundred pages long. Perhaps leaning more into Mary and Damon’s internal lives could have been more rewarding, whether or not you then (much later) reveal that a cult has been influencing Mary’s experiences. On the subject of past mirroring present, I really liked the epigraphs seemingly pointing at Damon’s initial killing spree but ultimately being revealed to be about current events. Internalizing Societal Fears The greatest strength of this novel has to be the way Cassidy explores Mary’s internalized fear, disgust and hatred toward people like herself. As with many speculative fiction stories, this real phenomenon is made literal here, by having Mary see herself and others through Damon’s traumatized, demoniac eyes. (Though I'm not entirely sure why it only became a problem when Mary herself reached that age. Maybe until that point she had also been simply ignoring older women around her?) I don't think it's a stretch to say that a lot of the evil in our world stems from internalized self-hatred very much like what Mary is experiencing. Trump would never have won a first term, let alone a second, if he hadn't been preying on followers' internalized classism, racism , homophobia , misogyny and more. How much bullying and violence is simply the result of seeing someone else be comfortable owning something that you've been taught to repress? 'Pride and Prejudice', art by Hana Choi Who can write what stories? Here's the twist, if you haven't guessed it yet: Nat Cassidy, author of Mary: An Awakening of Terror , is a cisgender man. He goes into the issue in the book's appropriately titled "Afterword—or—What's This Asshole Doing Writing a Book About Menopause?" – which I highly recommend reading if you're interested. (I'll hyperlink it here , but who knows how long until this file gets taken down.) His gist is that he's not 100% sure he's allowed to tell this story, but that he feels it is an important story to tell and that: " All I can really do is present this story as effectively as I’m capable of, honoring the material with all the humility, curiosity, honesty, and due diligence possible. " His goal in the afterword is not to shut down criticism but to start a conversation. And I think, as Haley Newlin at Cemetery Dance seems to agree, this is the best possible approach to the situation. Things get problematic when authors flagrantly steal stories, claim they have the authority to speak for groups of people they don't belong to, and when they refuse to engage curiously and respectfully with the subject they want to write about. It's plain to me that Cassidy fits into none of those categories, but kudos to the guy for still welcoming conversation on the topic! Art by Anna Christenson Conclusion While Mary may have offered me a little frustration here and there, I'm very glad to have read this book on a topic that's almost never been mentioned, let alone focused on, in anything I've read previously. I also come away with a great deal of respect for Nat Cassidy, who has clearly put a lot of care and thought into a potential issue that many authors would rather to simply ignore than to engage with at all – much like how a certain fictional town dealt with women of a certain age. Mary reminds me in some ways of Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, which explores post-apocalyptic transphobia with similar attention to internalized fears. Felker-Martin has had a week , so consider buying or borrowing her book(s) if you're so inclined! Let me know if you'd be interested in reading more reviews like this, where I give more summary of the text in addition to exploring its themes & meaning for us as individuals and a society. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Reflecting our fraught humanity Beyond the Pop Culture Phenomenon A Song of Ice and Fire  and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones  encompassed a good portion of my life from 2012-2018. I read the books at least five times, I awaited each new episode with immense anticipation, and I spent many hundreds of hours devouring fan commentary, theories  and analysis online. And clearly I wasn’t alone: the world also went mad for this series. Even six years after the TV finale, studios are still desperately trying to grab the throne left vacant by this multi-billion dollar franchise. (Very much including HBO, with both House of the Dragon  and the upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  running off of scrap bits of lore from author George R.R. Martin’s mind.) But today I want to look past all the fluff – the money, the attention, the brilliant imagery , Winds of Winter progress, even the shit show ending – and back to what truly makes this story great. To quote the man himself: "I've always agreed with William Faulkner—he said that the human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about. I've always taken that as my guiding principle, and the rest is just set dressing." - George RR Martin. Daenerys Targaryen, by Josu Hernaiz Family, Duty, Honour What that quote generally refers to in A Song of Ice and Fire is the frequent tension between a character's values, beliefs and/or desires. This tension is often rooted in and exacerbated by the fact that many values and beliefs are imposed on characters externally, by their society and family. It's tough to beat Jaime's quote on the subject: “ So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.” I won't embed another video, but you can find his monologue here as well . The relative morality of the three Lannister children is always up for debate , but it's clear as day that there is a (battered, broken and discarded) good man somewhere in Jaime's psyche. The violent, corrupt and frankly evil path always just proved easier for him, right up until he loses his sword hand and must grow in new ways. Jaime Lannister, by TeiIku Though Jaime's might be the most extreme arc, he's far from the only example. Ned Stark has been tormented for fourteen years by his lie that saved Jon Snow's life, and has perhaps redoubled his dedication to honour and loyalty as a result. His story ultimately shows that some loyalties should be upheld higher than others: protecting his sister's child, staying with his family and adoring subjects when Robert came calling. Theon Greyjoy was raised as a prisoner of the Starks, but was treated as one of Ned and Catelyn's own children. But he is also a young man in a culture which prizes proving oneself, and his attempt to gain his father's approval by betraying the Starks leads to horror upon horror for himself and the people he grew up with. Like Jaime, Theon is currently (pre- Winds of Winter ) on the cusp of becoming a new, better man. But can these characters really be redeemed? Robb & Jeyne/Talisa, Jon & Ygritte, Tyrion & Shae, Arys & Arianne, Daenerys & Daario, Cersei & Aurane (lol) – each obviously its own situation, but also connected by a theme of love and desire at odds with honour and duty. Likewise there are at least a dozen characters putting personal/familial revenge over any attempt to better their own lives – let alone anyone else's. And I think it's important that there's no consistent moral here: Ned dies for being too honourable, Robb for following his heart, Joffrey for being an absolute little shit. Every situation is different, and it's the choices that define these characters. It feels a little like what I was writing about here , in that there have to be limits to how far we are willing to follow absolute ideals of honour. Asha at the Kingsmoot, by Marc Simonetti Fighting for a Better World In spite of all the deeply personal conflicts above, the series also makes room for characters whose vision extends beyond their own skin and kin. Asha Greyjoy is actively attempting to reform the Iron Islands from their reaving ways into a people who might be able to get along with the rest of the world they inhabit. She probably would have gotten away with it too, if not for her meddling apocalypse-seeking uncle . Daenerys Targaryen is trying her best to abolish slavery and make the East a better place; is it really her fault that she's kind of awful at it? Hers is also a powerful story of claiming agency for herself in spite of the half-dozen men vying for control over her at any given moment. Why shouldn't she try to help others find the same freedom she did? Jon Snow, after two profound struggles with his vows, fights corruption and abuse within the Night's Watch – ultimately being elected Lord Commander and executing Janos Slynt. He fights to have the Watch ally with the Wildlings, recognizing their shared humanity and that the Others represent a far greater threat to all life. He fights to keep the Watch independent of King Stannis' control and does his best to keep the (four?) factions at Castle Black from each others' throats. Jon Snow & Ghost, by TeiIku It's been pointed out a million times before, but the Others are quite a profound representation of how crises are treated in our own world. No one ever wants to believe that the status quo will change, and many will even deny it with proof right in front of their faces. Global warming was the original intention behind the image – and remains brutally powerful – but it's hard not to also see a metaphor for COVID, Gaza, the rise of fascism and so much more. Ditto for the villains . It's hard not to look at the proliferation of successful, evil assholes in the world and see them remarkably well-reflected in characters like Tywin, Littlefinger, Cersei, Euron, Aeron, Qyburn and many more. There are also a lot of people out there who, like Tyrion, may be sure they are in the right even while acting with outright evil. The Others, by Marc Simonetti My Watch Continues... Of course, the series isn't perfect. As House of the Dragon demonstrates, it was never necessary for this world to be so utterly lacking in diversity. The Mhysa scene at the end of season 3 was rough on that front; though later seasons were also just rough on every front. I also think more queerness would have elevated the series; show-Oberyn alone should make that abundantly clear. But I think the point remains that the series explores a lot of fascinating ideas, situations and conflicts – all of which now tend to get buried beneath the fluff of the franchise. I once thought that this was the only book series I needed, since it had everything. Obviously I've grown quite a bit since then, but a remnant of that idea remains. There is simply a lot of real, raw humanity in these books, and thus they can teach us a lot about ourselves. -- Y'all, I was born in 1996 – the year A Game of Thrones was first published. It's been half my life since A Dance with Dragons was released in 2011. What do you think, will we ever see Winds of Winter ? Would you be interested in reading more in-depth stuff about this series, or are you glad it's mostly in the past? Let me know! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Celebrity culture is holding us back Who? What? Rebecca F. Kuang is a prominent speculative fiction author whose published works include: The Poppy War Trilogy (which I wrote about back in my third ever post ), Babel (which I recently mentioned here ), Yellowface and the newly released Katabasis . I first encountered Kuang when I was getting back into reading in 2022 and The Poppy War happened to be among the dozen or so modern fantasy novels I initially purchased. I loved the dark setting, the morally grey characters and how Kuang was inspired by both real historical events in the Sino-Japanese Wars and real Chinese mythology of the cardinal gods and shamanistic practices. This ability to weave bits of reality into fiction is something I always appreciate, from novels like Chain-Gang All-Stars to Demon Copperhead . Kuang uses this technique, alongside drawing from her own personal experiences, in Babel and Yellowface as well, and I imagine Katabasis will demonstrate the same – though presumably Kuang herself hasn't been to hell and back. Yet, try to discuss R.F. Kuang's works online – god forbid on Reddit – and you'll inevitably run into incredible amounts of hate, derision and dismissal. It's surprisingly loud and unified, and fairly unique besides: even objectively problematic authors are treated more leniently. So what gives? And how can we learn from it, as individuals and as a society? (Also, in case you missed it last week: one of my short fiction stories – “The Litany of Renewal” – has been published in the first issue of Vellum Mortis , a free e-zine by the fine folks at Memento Mori Ink & Crystal Lake Publishing! You can find the issue here  if you’re interested in giving it a read.) R.F. Kuang, original photo by The New York Times What it's definitely not... ... is her age, gender, race, education, talent or success. Obviously, no decent person in their right mind would say such a thing; they raise a hundred other concerns that I'll get to in a moment. But it's truly strange to me – hence writing this article – what a disproportionate amount of hate Kuang gets for her five novels, the first of which she published at just 22 years old. I personally despise 'romantasy' and much of the YA love triangle drivel that preceded it, but you don't see me (or pretty much anyone) lambasting these authors every time they are brought up. These books are derivative of derivatives of derivatives of derivatives of derivatives at this point, but no one particularly cares – they stick to their own lane and let other people enjoy what they (for some reason) enjoy. So are Kuang's books truly so much worse than that ? Or are there perhaps some other, undisclosed biases coming to the forefront and being held aloft by mob mentality? Original Covers for The Poppy War trilogy, art by JungShan Chang Criticism & the Spotlight So what are those hundreds of reasons people give for their disdain? Well, pretty much anything you can think of. Bland writing style, bland characters, preachy, over-reliant on exposition, lacking subtlety, poorly researched, anti-British Empire (lol), stuck up, overhyped, privileged, extreme changes in characters and one-note characters (both leveled at Rin from The Poppy War ), etc. etc. I'm going to set aside the criticism of her writing style because, again, there is (objectively) much worse out there that receives none of this hate – and also because I've never had a problem with it, and in fact have enjoyed it plenty. I'm also going to set aside the criticism of her moral character and privileged upbringing. Maybe she is the worst and most privileged person on the planet (even in this hypothetical I will have to say aside from Trump), but she's still telling more progressive stories than 99% of authors today. Yellowface is a clever satire about appropriation and Babel features queer, diverse characters attempting to topple an oppressive colonialist regime; very few of even my favourite authors can really match that. Alternate cover for Yellowface , by pen.silly Then there's the research, for which people eviscerate every perceived mistake Kuang makes: about the Sino-Japanese conflict, about the publishing industry, about Oxford University and languages and literally everything else. And sure, some of it – particularly that brought by Chinese people and historians – is probably valid. But in general: this is fiction, gang. It's her world and her book, and she can do what she wants. The Poppy War trilogy isn't even set in our world, but even Yellowface and Babel owe readers no more perfect accuracy about the world than Green Eggs and Ham does. Authors make mistakes – or intentionally alter details – all the time. Why burn Kuang alive for it? Celebrity Pull back for a second and I'm sure you can see parallels – probably more than I do, considering my lack of pop culture knowledge. But I think Taylor Swift is a decent comparison, no? Celebrity and the spotlight demand controversy and divided opinions. If a lot of people like something, it’s human nature that someone else will hate it with every fiber of their being. And it does seem like the publishing industry has been pushing Kuang as a celebrity since day one. Marketing her books universally and making their presence inescapable – a precursor to Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing , perhaps. As someone who doesn't particularly care for either Swift's or Yarros' work, I can suddenly find a little empathy for peoples' frustrations. But it's still ultimately ridiculous to skewer Kuang for the popular attention she receives, just as it would be pointless for me to insult Yarros for receiving similar endorsements and attention. Don't hate the player, hate the game. And admittedly, the game – celebrity culture – sucks . Even when it's not proving that the system is rigged , it's perpetuating blatant lies about the American Dream, beauty standards, endorsed products, mental health and so much more. The fact that it now also controls what people read, the perspectives and experiences they interact with, is terrifying. Babel (2022) and Katabasis (2025) by R.F. Kuang A Healthier Approach? First off, for the love of god (preferably not the Phoenix , but you do you), live your own life and don't compare yourself to anyone you see online . By the same token, try to think for yourself rather than simply imbibing what others are saying around you (I still struggle with this, especially generalized statements made by people I trust). Remember that so much of social media & pop culture – including advertisements and paid reviews of Katabasis or Onyx Storm – only exists to make money off of your attention, and I promise it will become easier to ignore. In place of the predatory online world, cultivate real community! Discuss novels with a book club, and hey, maybe everyone will hate a book, but they'll probably have more meaningful reasons for doing so. Any other tips you have for leading a more productive, less celebrity-focused life? I'd love to hear them! Katabasis discussion coming in a few weeks, as you may have guessed. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Themes of Skeletá and the evil of false dichotomies Short & Sweet + Published! I wanted to quickly share up top that one of my short fiction stories – “The Litany of Renewal” – has been published in the first issue of Vellum Mortis , a free e-zine by the fine folks at Memento Mori Ink & Crystal Lake Publishing! You can find the issue here  if you’re interested in giving it a read. Today is also the last day of a family vacation I’m on, so I’ll be trying to keep the piece fairly short. Gives you more time to check out the story, perhaps? As you may be able to tell from the title and music video above, I’m writing today about the song ‘Satanized’ off of Ghost’s 2025 album Skeletá . If you missed it, I’ve previously discussed ‘Marks of the Evil One’,   ‘Lachryma’ , ‘Missilia Amori’ and ‘Umbra’  off this fantastic album, as well as ‘Twenties’  off of their 2022 album IMPERA . Covers for Skeletá and IMPERA Skeletá vs IMPERA Speaking of those two albums, I thought it might be helpful (for myself as much as anyone) to bring up a few details Tobias Forge has shared about his creative process and vision. In an April interview with Mixdown , he spoke to the fundamental difference between the two: “Then conceptually, having written IMPERA  that was shining a light onto outward factors like societal structures, I knew when I made IMPERA  that I want to make another record that is completely— not devoid of criticism if you will, but the challenge was to make a whole record where there’s a certain degree of introspection going on.” IMPERA , as seen in ‘Twenties’, is for the most part an examination of figureheads, institutions and systems of power. It is a reflection of the horrifying rise of fascism and demagogues in the world – not unlike the many novels from the past decade which have engaged with the same ideas. I've seen speculation that Forge became a little disillusioned after more recent events – who hasn't – and that this played a role in Skeletá being as inward-facing as it is in comparison to IMPERA . (For what it's worth, I feel like I've walked down that same path from criticizing the obviously corrupt structures to working on understanding what is going wrong at the human level in our society.) Skeletá is dedicated to examining the inner life and the human condition, which I think my previous discussions have represented fairly accurately. Even Tobias says there is still a little criticism to be found within, which may or may not tie into my analysis of 'Marks of the Evil One'. I also have a bit of a crackpot theory about a possible inspiration for the album as a whole, but I'll save that for another time. Papa V Perpetua fan art, by More-Breakfast-8266 Satanized & Dichotomies If I had to pick one song to exemplify Skeletá , it would certainly be 'Satanized'. After all, it was both the first single released and offered our first look at Papa V Perpetua, the supposed brother of and long-awaited successor to Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV. Moreover, the song beautifully ties together the album's themes with the band's, merging introspection with religion and (of course) a little bit of crude double entendre. Rather than go line-by-line through the song's lyrics – find them here – I'll examine the story and message as a whole. 'Satanized' is about a member of the Catholic clergy struggling with his (statistically and thematically the character is almost certainly male) vows. The song contains a Latin reading of Corinthians 6:19, and it's not difficult to see how Ghost is playing with the word 'membra' (members) in relation to the character's faith and vow of chastity. He compares his bodily urges to an 'incurable disease', a 'demonic possession' and a 'deadly affliction', and prays desperately to God to relieve him of his torment. Of course, the urges themselves are then compounded by his guilt over them: 'a monster eating him' and 'a sickening heartache slowly tormenting his soul'. He sees his thoughts as 'blasphemy' and 'heresy' since they go against everything he has been taught, and believes that by giving in just once he has condemned himself to Satan – 'Satanized', if you will. Once he does finally give in, he's 'no longer sure' whether he wants or needs God's remedy. While this could be because he's finding a healthy middle ground between absolute obedience and full Satan-worshiping, I think it's more likely that he's just fully switched: the line "I'm laicized " strongly implies that he has either voluntarily or forcibly left the clergy at the end of the song. I think what Ghost is getting at here is that this kind of all-or-nothing, black-and-white thinking is incredibly dangerous – perhaps especially when imposed on someone externally, with their career, life and eternal soul on the line. The band is all about discussing the failings of organized religion, and you can be sure they've touched on this topic before – the line " It's the continence of bishops with their choirboys en-suite " from ' Kaisarion ' immediately comes to mind for one. I've written before about false dichotomies – the suggestion that there are only two distinct options when in fact there is a spectrum – in relation to gender, us-vs-them thinking, guilt and more, and it's never proven to be a good or helpful idea. What use is a (religious) counselor to anyone if he's being eaten alive by shame over his own humanity? Not much, compared to one who recognizes his own shortcomings and can empathize with others. Papa V Perpetua fan art, by Guido Giminez Go with Grace I actually really like that Tobias Forge puts a line between criticism and introspection in his quote above. Skeletá isn't about judging our interiority, but simply about recognizing and expressing it. Just as repressed priests have been shown to exercise their frustrations in extremely dangerous ways, many in our society bury every aspect of themselves that doesn't fit within traditional values and expectations. And look where it's gotten us. As with other times I've discussed these false dichotomies (and just most of my posts I suppose), I'll suggest that mindfulness is a powerful tool for recognizing when our thinking has become narrowed – either by internal cognitive distortion or societal programming. But more specifically, I think this topic also needs a reminder to practice self-forgiveness and give yourself a little grace. Look at the Serenity Prayer that I discussed a few weeks ago! Or to look at it another way, Satan wants a lot more from you than a few miniscule indiscretions. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

One of my many passions & the lessons I take from it Evolution of a Form Never heard of Dimension 20 ? Binged every season? Either way, welcome – this article is for you! Dimension 20 is an actual play show featuring a cast of actors, improvisers and comedians playing a variety of tabletop role-playing games – most often, a slightly modified version of Dungeons & Dragons . The show began in 2018 with Fantasy High and has flourished ever since, with 26 seasons available to stream as of August 2025. The show follows in the footsteps (and success) of earlier iterations of actual play, including but not limited to Acquisitions Incorporated , RollPlay , The Adventure Zone and, of course, Critical Role . (Many would argue with my inclusion of RollPlay , a relatively small and long defunct show, among this list, but it's what first got me into the space! I even wrote a little about it back in one of my earliest articles .) Dimension 20 and shows like it are built on group storytelling , with player-controlled characters navigating a world imagined by a Game Master, who – alongside the fickle chaos of dice rolls – also determines whether the characters succeed or fail at the actions they attempt. So what sets Dimension 20 apart, when the titanic Critical Role franchise has spawned books, TV shows, board games and far more? I'll argue that the show's strict structure, its cast & atmosphere, and its audacious imagination make it a veritable masterclass in storytelling – in addition to being so endlessly entertaining. Dimension 20 Logo & Posters Clearly Defined Structure One of the most intimidating and intriguing aspects of sitting down to play – or watch – a game of Dungeons & Dragons is its open-ended nature. Players can [try to] have their characters do literally anything; the game also puts no limit on how long you play, either within a single session or across a campaign. Suffice to say that it's difficult to tell a strong, coherent story when you're never sure whether it will last two more hours or two hundred. And that's if you've got a dedicated and focused group – it's all too easy for real life discussions or random in-game nonsense to halt or derail a story otherwise. I have a lot of love and respect for Critical Role , but it's hard to stay invested sometimes when they devote a couple 3-4 hour episodes to shopping and inter-character drama. The open-ended structure makes it hard to have confidence that the pace will pick up again soon; even less that when it does, it will be toward something I'm interested in. Of course, this is also true for many stories in other media! Whether it's a cheap TV show dangling a mystery it'll never satisfyingly answer or a book with a dismally bland sub-plot, my attention won't hold on forever. Dimension 20 solves this problem almost accidentally. When Collegehumor (now Dropout) ordered the first season, 'Fantasy High', they specified a certain number of episodes to be filmed in a short period of time – completely normal for most productions, but surprisingly rare among actual play shows, which tend toward filming weekly. Also unique was their production budget: where even Critical Role started quite humbly, Dimension 20 featured its signature Dome , beautifully handcrafted maps and miniatures, and character art from the word go. Between the season length and need to produce so many materials ahead of time, Game Master Brennan Lee Mulligan was forced to prepare the entire overarching story in advance – and has done so for (almost) every season he's run since. This strict structure, understood by everyone at the table, both helps to maintain a steady pace and ensures that seasons have a recognizable narrative arc. It also allows the cast's comedic chops to shine, by easing the narrative impetus from them and giving them strange and unique spaces in which to improvise and explore. And, sidebar for those content creator enthusiasts out there, these comedic moments are ultimately one of the biggest factors in Dimension 20 's – and frankly all of Dropout's – success. These amusing, approachable moments go viral like wildfire on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, attracting more people to watch the show. Whereas even the best moments from shows like Critical Role – e.g. bath , goldfish , cupcake – require a fair bit of context to appreciate fully. Characters from Dimension 20: Neverafter, art by Giuseppe Lama and Victor Van Dort Cast & Atmosphere I’ve recently been focusing on injecting more life and momentum into my own fictional characters and scenes, which can otherwise feel like blank stepping stones between important moments and exposition. Dimension 20  carries a completely opposite feeling, bursting at the seams with irrepressible energy and often infecting the viewer with the same. As trained actors and improvisers, the cast are remarkably adept at finding a tone and holding it – while also making room for their usual comedy, even amidst more serious seasons like 'A Crown of Candy' ( Game of Thrones in Candyland) and 'Neverafter' ( Grimm's Fairy Tales -inspired horror). With more and more seasons piling up, Dimension 20 also offers a lesson in making a core theme and structure appealing to different audiences and in experimenting with different genres. Whether what you're doing seems to be working or not, it can be refreshing and rewarding to try something new every now and then. Frankly, I was incredibly skeptical when I first saw the trailer for Dimension 20: Cloudward Ho! – the currently airing season of the show. It seemed like it would be overlapping a lot with previous seasons, both in theme and its characters. Hard not to, after seeing so many adventures featuring this core cast. But it turns out it's just plain excellent. Beyond the initial familiar-seeming premise, this season has revealed itself to be powerfully focused on discovery and exploration – areas of storytelling near and dear to my heart – for the first time. They're also playing a bit with expectations by having four of the characters be older adventurers coming out of retirement and guiding the younger two, which greatly helps to distinguish the tone and cast alike from previous entries. Characters from Dimension 20: Cloudward Ho!, art by Cait May Worlds of Wonder I've said time and again around here that imaginative worldbuilding can capture my attention like nothing else, and Dimension 20 is no exception. From the simple magic-as-technology of 'Fantasy High' to the hilarious Tolkien reskins in 'Escape From the Bloodkeep' and gruesomely violent food in 'A Crown of Candy', the show always offers a unique twist that you just don't see in a typical game of D&D – or in most other stories, for that matter. This dynamic only feels like it's increased over the years and as a small team of writers has joined Brennan and other GMs in putting together these worlds. 'Cloudward Ho!' alone has already showcased a plethora of fascinating ideas – including a Roman-esque legion body-swapped into velociraptors, and a mindboggling world structure – and I'm not even halfway through the season yet. Like most stories I love, Dimension 20 also does its best to impart a bit of wisdom and explore some complex ideas from time to time. I wrote about one such example a while back , comparing Dimension 20: Mentopolis with Inside Out: 2 and seeing what they both had to say about the workings of our minds. But even when it's more subtle and integrated into the fabric of the story and strange world, the show offers lots of useful insights and even a sense of belonging that can be hard to find when consuming other media. The Wurst from Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey, art by Amy Reeder See you at Basrar's! As usual, this piece turned out a little longer and a lot more rambly than anticipated – not something that would happen if I learned from Dimension 20 and planned out my writing better from the start! A final bit of praise and reason to watch: this show and community are among the most inclusive and welcoming you'll find online. As a non-binary person who's been using they/them pronouns for almost seven years, it's sad to say that representative media is still astonishingly rare. Not so on Dimension 20 , and I'll always love it for that. Have you seen the show? If not, consider checking out the first episode here – if your mind isn't blown by the end of episode two, I'll owe you an ice cream. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

The most fearsome killer and greatest hope Doom & Gloom If my recent posts about the grim but fascinating worlds of The Black Company and The Tyrant Philosophers series – or, you know, real life – has got you down at all, have no fear! These books are so, so much darker. Content warning right up top for discussion of violence, familial conflict, toxic relationships and suicide. Also, moderate spoiler warning for both novels beginning in the next section. I think Paul Murray's The Bee Sting is worth most readers' time if you have the stomach for tragicomedy, while B.R. Yeager's Negative Space is for a more niche audience looking for cosmic and existential horror. Both are also surprisingly queer! I certainly found both novels to be gripping and surprisingly rich with meaning – thus this article – but I would struggle to claim that I 100% enjoyed them. As with House of Leaves and The Secret History and Shiva Baby and Tender is the Flesh , I think the authors are conveying other feelings and even experiences through their work. And as with all of those stories, their method in doing so has a lot to do with perspective. (While I think The Secret History also fits in perfectly with my discussion today, I'm going to leave it for its own eventual article. If you've read it, hopefully you'll see the parallels to Richard's story yourself!) Covers of The Bee Sting and Negative Space Structural Perspective Fundamental to both of these novels is how their stories are told, with a small group of individual, fallible perspectives comprising the reader's entire understanding of the world. The Bee Sting is told by the financially hurting Barnes family: Dickie is the father, Imelda the mother, Cass the daughter and PJ the son. Negative Space is told by three teenagers – Jill, Ahmir and Lu – living in a small town rife with suicides. Both are also missing key characters' perspectives – the artistic negative space which draws attention and gains meaning by its very absence. In The Bee Sting this is Frank, Dickie's younger brother whom Imelda was supposed to marry. (Arguably also Ryszard, though he's ultimately just a fairly straightforward villain.) In Negative Space this is Tyler, classmate of the other teens and apparent perpetrator of the town's horrors by drug-infused rituals. I find this structure can very effectively convey the inner lives of characters (e.g. Imelda's sections in The Bee Sting being full stream of consciousness), helping the reader to empathize with their unique human struggles while also telling the story as they experience it. This is at its strongest when those human struggles clash with other other point-of-view characters: giving you both sides of a conflict, asking you to empathize with each and forcing you to watch in horror as they fail to reconcile. Romeo & Juliet , anyone? Personally, I find it a bit validating to see these characters struggle in the same ways I do. Ahmir and Jill, both craving Tyler's affection, are unaware of each other's pain and of the extent of Tyler's evils. Lu and PJ just want to reach out and connect with Jill and Cass respectively, but the latter pair are too absorbed in their own worlds to even perceive it – let alone empathize with them in any way. Dickie is spiralling faster and deeper than anyone can recognize, and his refusal to communicate means that no one can help him in time. The Bee Sting 's Barnes Family, art by Katty Huertas Subjective vs. Objective It's been ten months or so, but we're back here again! I was actually thinking of mentioning KJ Parker in the intro as another author who plays with dark comedy, so it's funny to run into him again now. Both The Bee Sting and Negative Space are told entirely from subjective – individual, biased – perspectives. Do the events our characters experience have any relation to the objective – factual – reality of their worlds? Absolutely no one can say. But I think most readers would agree that The Bee Sting envisions a fairly stable and realistic world (Rose's magic notwithstanding), within which the Barnes family (particularly Dickie) are spiralling and struggling to stay in touch with reality. Negative Space , on the other hand, seems to depict layers upon layers of unreality and dream logic. I want to examine just Dickie and Jill/Ahmir here, as arguably the most poignant examples from each book. I won't quite reveal the ending of either, but will go over many of the stepping stones – so final spoiler warning! Art by M.K. Cooper / Bearded_Artist_Studios Dickie's perspective is saved until last in The Bee Sting . From Cass', PJ' and even Imelda's points-of-view, we see him as fairly simple and affable; sure he's apparently sunk the family business, but even that was mostly the recession's fault. Other than one moment where PJ sees Dickie blanche after being stopped by Garda , the main thing we know about him is that he's definitely not his dead brother Frank. Then we get Dickie's perspective, and we learn that he's gay; that he had a loving partner right up until Frank's death and his shotgun proposal  to Imelda. We learn that he's deathly terrified of coming out to his father – doubly so because he's paid €50,000 of the family business' money to Ryszard, who's blackmailing him over an affair the two had. Combined with constant arguments with Imelda and rejected attempts to connect with Cass, Dickie ends up getting really into survivalism in the woods behind the family home. Suffice to say, events conspire against him. He gets E. coli (and possibly worse) from contaminated well water, seeming to leave him with some kind of brain fog; Ryszard demands more money and begins posting evidence online; he chooses to be laid off rather than come clean; his buddy Victor buys him a gun to hunt grey squirrels, introduces him to conspiracy theories and over time helps to build a sense of imminently looming apocalypse in Dickie. Regardless of the outcome, hopefully it's clear just how far Dickie's subjective reality – of preparing to face his imminent doom, weapon in hand – is from his objective reality, where he's a single uncomfortable conversation away from living a relatively normal life. Art by M.K. Cooper / Bearded_Artist_Studios Part of what makes Negative Space so haunting is how it captures the feeling of growing up in and trying to leave a small, problem-riddled town. (Not that I've had that experience, but I've read my fair share of books about it.) Not just the aforementioned dozens of annual suicides, but also prolific substance abuse, violence and a cutthroat social landscape. Add to that an almost nauseating dose of the 'Adults are Useless' trope and you begin to get the smallest sense of what this book contains. And I don't know if I can convey much more than that, both because you have to read it and because I read it in one afternoon over a month ago and the details have become a little washed out. But: Teens die and go to hell and return changed. Lu, who is transgender, learns a sacred masturbation ritual to keep her safe from the evils Tyler has reawakened. Both that ritual and Tyler's require a fictional drug called WHORL that consumes the town and leaves it in absolute desolation once supplies run out. After years of suffering and struggling, Jill and Ahmir manage to leave the town. And their lives outside aren't perfect, but they're as close to a stable, objective reality as this novel gets. They are safe, their trauma is painful but it is behind them, so long as they don't return. But, like the Overlook presenting Jack with alcohol out of thin air , the town cheats. Ahmir receives a call from his sister begging him to return, which it turns out she didn't place. Jill's new girlfriend pushes and pushes to visit her hometown until she finally relents, having allowed her history there to fade and become numb. And of course the small town (and alternatively/simultaneously their addictions, their toxic relationships, generational trauma, etc.) immediately lashes onto them; The Bee Sting also very much emphasizes the danger of first Dickie and then Cass returning to their own small town and the foetid whirlpool that is the life they had escaped. Again, subjective reality fights tooth and nail to bring us out of the illumination and clear air of objective reality. Usually our individual quirks don't lead to us being utterly consumed and led astray, but they can if we're not careful. Art by M.K. Cooper / Bearded_Artist_Studios Takeaways Don't return to your small home town, apparently. But more seriously, be mindful in how you engage with your past and with other people. Everyone has their own subjective crises going on, but by reading books like these I think it becomes easier to be more cognizant and maybe even bridge the gap between us as individuals. Talk to someone! Preferably not ChatGPT because it's just going to say whatever you want to hear, but even it would probably have steered Dickey, Jill and Ahmir off of their courses. Read more books. Y'know, I just don't think there's a visual medium that can possibly teach empathy and convey human experiences as well as books do. I lived seven (fairly miserable but complex) lives reading just these two books! In the end, it's all about perspective. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

My favourite Adrian Tchaikovsky series to date, with a dash of Brandon Sanderson (An excellent music video and very relevant to the books!) A Prolific Writer Fans of speculative fiction make a lot of jokes about Brandon Sanderson's ability to turn out his novels at a consistent, rapid pace – especially considering the community's frustration with the slower pace of other popular authors . Sanderson has published roughly 25 works since 2020, including a fair number of novellas, short stories and co-authored books. Adrian Tchaikovsky ( traditionally spelled Czajkowski ) has actually published a similar number in the same time frame, and for my money his work might be more consistently enjoyable. (Or maybe I'm still just a little irked by The Frugal Wizard's Handbook . ) Alien Clay and Cage of Souls are great standalone novels; Firewalkers, Ogres and Walking to Aldebaran fascinating novellas; I bounced off of The Final Architecture a little but still have the utmost respect for its brilliant worldbuilding. I've previously written about Tchaikovsky's incredible Children of Time series in relation to ideas of transhumanism and about how his novella Elder Race plays with Clarke's Third Law. Last week I introduced his The Tyrant Philosophers series and discussed how its first entry explores ideas of oppression and revolution. Today I want to share some of my favourite examples of worldbuilding in this series, and to point out parallels to ideas in other works where I've found them. Spoilers ahead for City of Last Chances , House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith – and the first four books of The Stormlight Archive . The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky, cover art by Joe Wilson Everything Stormlight Okay, so maybe there's another reason I brought up Sanderson in the intro. As you might be able to tell by how often I bring it up, Sanderson's Stormlight Archive takes up a lot of space in my mind. Perhaps that's why I can't stop seeing parallels between that series and The Tyrant Philosophers ... or perhaps Tchaikovsky read the series and found it as fascinating as I did. (The bonus is that while The Tyrant Philosophers has zero fan art as yet, Stormlight has plenty to share!) Points of Egress The Anchorwood & Waygrove are easily among the most intriguing mysteries Tchaikovsky has established. Copses of trees which occasionally open up to a forest between worlds ( though no pools here as far as we know ), maintained by masked hivemind cultists and home to utterly alien monsters. These groves – two of an estimated five or six in the series' world – represent the possibility of freedom and escape from persecution for oppressed people in the cities of Ilmar and Alkhalend, in the first and third books respectively. Of course, they also represent the possibility of unlimited places to colonize for the titular Tyrant Philosophers of Pallesand, and it's no coincidence that the series opens with one such attempt going horribly wrong. The world of Stormlight  (and the Cosmere as a whole) has Perpendicularities, which likewise allow for people to travel between worlds – and in the case of the Oathgates, across a single world like the groves have allowed. While Sanderson hasn’t gone as much into these places as symbols of hope and freedom, they are always important locations where stories tend to converge. Honor's Perpendicularity, art by Marie Seeberger Otherworldly Warrior & Weapon Zahel in Stormlight  is a man from another world (and another book ), who has travelled through a Perpendicularity and now searches for a great and terrible weapon (Nightblood)  that he helped to create and vowed to safeguard. In the meantime, he makes a life for himself as an ardent and helps out the protagonists in a number of small ways; even while showing off alien magic and speaking like no one else does. In The Tyrant Philosophers , Hellgram is a man from another world, who has travelled through the groves and now searches for his wife – who he describes as the perfect weapon, and for whom he served as handler and guide. In the meantime, he makes a life for himself as a bartender/bouncer and helps out the protagonists in a number of small ways; often demonstrating knowledge of alien technology and magic and speaking like no one else does. (His wife also turns out to be the massive many-eyed centipede monster which some baddies were using as their Sarlacc Pit ; which is one of the best twists I’ve read in a while.) These books are more self-contained than you might expect for a fantasy series, but there are certainly overall themes and a few characters who make consistent (if small) appearances, often with new names and little explanation as to their intervening lives. Suffice to say that it was incredibly satisfying to see Hellgram and the Missus return in the third book after being absent in the second. Vasher & Nightblood, art by ToastSamurai Reproach & Revel Another incredibly eerie aspect of Ilmar in City of Last Chances is the district known as the Reproach, entering which is a death sentence for just about anyone. We later learn that the area was cursed by the ancient, aristocratic Varatsin family on the brink of destruction; or perhaps that they inextricably bound themselves and their spirits to it. Anyone who enters will eventually begin to hear proud, courtly music and to perceive all the Reproach's inhabitants as beautifully appointed nobility and partygoers. Before too long, their entire personality will be erased and replaced with that of an ancient Varatsin courtier, partying for eternity. Unfortunately, the reality is that the district is in shambles and these dancers and courtiers are emaciated husks, kept playing out the hallucinatory theatre until their last breath. Tchaikovsky's descriptions are vivid and horrifying, but perhaps the pinnacle is the one figure not possessing a husk: the spirit of the Varatsin Duke is instead a roiling mass of rats in the shape of a man, chittering to subjects who hear a voice of utmost royalty. The Varatsin Court, art by Holly Humphries An absolutely chilling moment in Stormlight is Shallan's attempt to access the Kholinar Oathgate while the city is under enemy occupation. She discovers a sprawling and lavish party surrounding the structure; people mindlessly enjoying hedonism and consumption in the outer ring and crawling madly with overindulgence on the inner, heaps of expensive food rotting around them while the city starves. As Shallan deduces (upon seeing the eldritch abomination sprawling over the Oathgate), this is the influence of Ashertmarn, the Heart of the Revel and one of Odium's nine champion Unmade. Part of what makes the Unmade so compelling is that they aren't all big monsters; Ashertmarn preys on corruption, Nergaoul on anger and bloodlust, and both offer interesting conflicts with different morals than simply 'stick them with the pointy end'. Queen Aesudan under Ashertmarn's influence, art by Soph Peralta Gods, Spren and Magic Much of the magic in The Stormlight Archive comes from humans (and singers ) interacting and bonding with spren – faerie-like beings made from small pieces of the god-like Shards. These bonds often constitute relationships requiring faith, respect and Oaths – as I've discussed previously . Kaladin bonds with Sylphrena, Shallan with Pattern; each an individual relationship with a creature they alone can perceive (at first). If there's a central character of The Tyrant Philosophers so far, it has to be Yasnic (who goes by Jack in the second and third books). At the beginning of the series he is the last, utterly destitute priest of 'God' – a healing deity with strict rules against violence and, for his clergy, most earthly pleasures. Yasnic alone can see and hear the doll-sized being, but nonetheless sacrifices his every earthly possession so that God can be comfortable and the slightest bit appeased. Of course, healing turns out to be a pretty important trick in a world as violent and oppressive as that being created by Pallesand, and so God ends up spreading the love a little – if extremely grudgingly or when Yasnic explicitly doesn't want Him to. Yasnic is also eventually able to see other forgotten gods littering the streets of Ilmar, and saves many from destruction at the hands of the Pals. We also see a few other characters who are the last disciples of their deities, not at all dissimilar to Radiants and their spren in Stormlight . Cryptic Spren, art by Ben McSweeney In my last post I wrote about how the Pallesand were ever-hungry for magic in all forms – whether it be gods, cultural artifacts or even people – that they could 'decant' down into the pure magic that powers their empire. There's actually a similar idea in Sanderson's Cosmere, where different groups are taking the magic from different Shards and 'purifying' it for universal use. Notably this has yet to be presented anywhere near as horrifyingly as in Tchaikovsky's books, but with beings like the spren just sitting there... it may only be a matter of time. Cover art for City of Last Chances , by Joe Wilson Lightning Round and Finish So, there's also full-on demon summoning and necromancy in The Tyrant Philosophers. (The third book also hinted at lycanthropy; I truly don't think anything is off the table here, which is kind of perfect.) Notably, both of these skills have been used only practically so far: zombies, ghosts and demons as weapons, the latter also for various forms of physical labour and sex work. It will be interesting to see whether Tchaikovsky eventually explores the knowledge-seeking side of these disciplines, which many other stories tend to focus on. The third book showed a wide variety of peoples and creatures that have come through the Waygrove from other worlds in search of a home, and who have come to arrangements with the local human population. Again, I love how this shows that there are endless possibilities here but that the world has rules which are going to be followed. I've also gotten ~four pages into Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series and am already curious whether the alien Tesemer are somehow from that world. (And if anything screams Sanderson, it would be connecting your books together like that.) There's also a thousand-year-old wizard and his gay demon lover, a sealed tomb with the ancient undead rulers of a forgotten empire, the magical Divine City (certainly inspired by Sanderson's Elantris ) , and probably five more incomprehensibly brilliant elements in each of the books to come. Not to mention that oh-so-secular Pallesand is now apparently struggling to put down not one but two religions cropping up amongst their ranks – both gods of which Yasnic personally delivered from doom only recently. I'm sure I'll write more about this series; I love it to bits. Consider giving City of Last Chances a try if I've managed to pique your interest to any degree! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Insights into the complexities of enacting societal change Books of a Theme In the past week I read – or perhaps more accurately devoured – City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the first two books in his Tyrant Philosophers series. I knew going in that this man is a genius, but these novels still utterly blew me away with their complex themes and terrific worldbuilding (I'll save my in-depth praise for the latter for another time.) Given the title of the series, it should be no surprise that it prominently explores the attempts of Palleseen colonizers to impose their doctrine of 'perfection' upon other peoples and cultures. They have it all figured out, after all, so why shouldn't they fight tooth and nail to share their insights with everyone else? This may sound eerily familiar, if you've read my posts on Seth Dickinson's Masquerade series . (Or, I suppose, if you have a good grasp on world history.) Dickinson likewise has Falcresti philosophers actively pursuing a doctrine which will 'perfect' the world around them, creating a global homogenic society ruling itself on behalf of the colonizing elites. And although it's been almost two years since I read it, I think it's also worth adding Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang to the conversation. Certainly Professor Lovell and his associates are certainly Tyrant Philosophers in their own right and Kuang's magic system bears thematic similarities to Tchaikovsky's, but most of all because it is another book about the complexities of revolution. Spoilers below for The Traitor Baru Cormorant (2015), Phoenix Extravagant (2020), House of Last Chances (2022) and Babel (2022), plus a few references to other works by these authors. The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky, cover art by Joe Wilson Fantastical Tyranny We could talk almost forever about the evils of empire & colonialism in the real world. I touched on it a tiny bit in relation to Seth Dickinson’s Masquerade novels , which approach the topic from a fairly grounded perspective and without adding magical complications. The first book I read which truly embraced the implications of supernatural colonialism was Yoon Ha Lee’s Phoenix Extravagant , where the colonialists drew their magical power directly from the destruction of colonized peoples’ cultural and historical artifacts. This revelation deeply moved me at the time, and did so again when I saw similar ideas in House of Last Chances and Babel . Tchaikovsky’s system is most similar to Lee’s, although in his series it is magical artifacts, people and gods from different cultures forcibly ‘decanted’ into pure magical power that the Palleseen use for everything from their gun-like batons to lighting streetlamps. Kuang’s fascinating system is based on translation, with British Translators wringing magic from the meaning that is ‘lost in translation’ when moving from one language to another. Each such act can only be done once, meaning that the British are forever desperate to plumb new languages for the power that runs their Empire. Kuang posits that : "Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes." Thus each of these stories see the fabric of colonized cultures being mutilated for the direct empowerment of their oppressors, feeding the leviathan so that it can hunt yet more prey. Part of this process is a loss and homogenization of cultural identity, which in turn makes room for the influence of the colonizer's culture and doctrine. Aside from the mirror these stories hold to real history, do you know of an older fictional story/idea that all three authors might be drawing inspiration from? One friend compared it to Marrow Thieves (2017), but I wonder whether there isn’t a popular, definitive work that first dreamed up this metaphor for colonial violence. Students from Babel , art by Andreani Rahma Lighting the Spark Under the yoke of these many faces of evil are characters asking questions that feel more relatable every day: Is change possible? What will it look like? When will it happen? Would it surprise you to learn that none of these four stories present a particularly happy outcome? In Phoenix Extravagant and Babel (and even House of Open Wounds , to an extent), the simple truth is that a small group of people aren't going to be able to topple massive institutions in a single move – even with their hands on the vital magical core of the oppressor's power. Babel even sees the students trying to appeal to the populace once they've acted, but the effort is too little and too late; the narrative entirely out of their hands. Even though they ultimately remove British access to magic, it's unclear whether the status quo will change much at all. City of Last Chances depicts the colonized city of Ilmar as actively considering revolution even before the chaos of the plot begins. The Siblingries (unions), Vultures (street gangs), Ravens (conspirators from the old aristocracy), Herons (river gangs), Shrikes (violent anarchists), Gownhall students and even the Palleseen occupiers all get chapters where they raise those very questions I put above. The issue, as you might guess, is that each group has their own answers to those questions. Ilmar's occupation is a very recent development, and these factions still hold a lot of resentment for each other; even if less than they hold for the Tyrant Philosophers. When the spark is lit, the students, workers and a few Shrikes make a valiant stand. The Vultures don't help directly, but get rich and spread chaos by raiding the occupiers' administrative centers. The Ravens, with the most resources and influence, don't raise a finger, because they fear a liberated Ilmar where they aren't on top. The flame is extinguished pretty quickly, but not without a ghost/zombie dance party/army and a lot of freed demons giving the occupiers a real headache. (Stick around for that worldbuilding post, I told you it was good!) 'Revolution', by Jan Kasparec All of the above stories look like happy fairy tales compared to The Traitor Baru Cormorant . For most of Dickinson's novel, Aurdwynn's goal of overthrowing their Falcresti occupiers seems to have similar issues to those faced by Ilmar: too many factions with different goals and timeframes, impossible to align into a meaningful resistance. Aurdwynn rose up once before in living memory, the failure of which bruised the ego of the nation and weakened their rebellious spirit (and ostracized Tain Shir , as I recently wrote about). But between Falcresti traitor Baru and Aurdwynni Duchess Tain Hu, they manage to forge a new rebellion. They cut deals, assure loyalty and prove the cause in a dozen ways in order to get some of the Aurdwynni Duchies into their corner. It's an absolute triumph of political maneuvering for an inspirational cause... right up until the book's title proves itself doubly true. Baru's mission from Falcrest was to foment a second rebellion that might otherwise have been another decade in the making; to expose any disloyalty, no matter how deeply hidden. As I've discussed in my other posts on The Masquerade , she has a reason for doing so: hoping to destroy all of Falcrest from within. She's also not even the only one to betray Aurdwynn for that goal, as she later learns her co-conspirator Xate Yawa has also been made a Falcresti cryptarch. (I also still intend to write a post dedicated to Baru and Tain Hu, the relationship which defines so much of the series and especially Baru's struggle with her double betrayal.) Baru Cormorant, by Caio Santos Birds of a Feather I find it intriguing that all four books I discussed today have a bird-related theme to one degree or another. Even outside of the oh-so-American eagle, I suppose that birds represent a yearning for freedom that is highly relevant to each of these stories. (Might be worthy of a Swift Riffle post at some point?) These stories are filled with characters (and even societies) experiencing deep internal conflict between loyalty to their cultural history and the oppressive will of colonizing forces. How long can anyone sit by and watch their way of life be ground up for fuel before they try to take a stand? How the hell can you ensure that when you do rise up, people will follow? Hope is a shockingly rare sight here, and I think it's partially because these authors understand and want to convey how difficult and complex it is to achieve real change. Heroism and bright ideas are far from enough; movement needs to be systemic and grounded if it is going to have a chance. --- Ended up being a bit more general than I initially intended, but also far larger a topic. Let me know if you'd be interested in a deeper look into anything I brought up today! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Stormlight , Midnight Mass , Existence and mental health reflections Coalescing Thoughts It's been a frustrating week to live in my head. (When is it not, you might ask, and touché good reader. Point well made.) You see I've lately been pushing myself to be more socially active again, after a number of bad and mixed experiences and even more periods of inadvertent isolation . Getting out more has been highly rewarding: I've met lovely new people, picked up new interests and even found myself exploring different parts of the city I've lived in all my life. It has also meant confronting my lifelong nemesis, social anxiety, at every turn. The beast rends and tears at me on battlefields old and new, growing on my spilled blood and expanding to demand my attention at all hours. And of course its threats are empty... except I have been wrong about that before. What if I am again? This post will follow up on ideas from a number of previous entries, including ADHD & Guilt , ADHD, Queerness, Chaos & Categorization and Journey Before Destination [Part I] . Consider checking back with those for additional context! As usual, I'll hyperlink others as they come up. Anyway; writing about The Shining and Doctor Sleep last week (and getting a thoughtful reply from a kind reader!) got me thinking once again about Midnight Mass , and specifically about how the show brilliantly ties in the ' Serenity Prayer ' with Riley and Father Pruitt's personal struggles. The prayer is strongly associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, and its most common wording reads: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." – (First attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr in 1932.) Father Pruitt from Midnight Mass , art by greerby Application Now obviously, you can take or leave God , and even the idea that this needs to be a 'prayer'. Invoke whatever force you like! In Midnight Mass , Riley ultimately acts on behalf of his friend Erin, humanity and – simply but profoundly – himself. I think an entirely reasonable Serenity Affirmation could read: "I [will] have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Either way, it conveys an important idea – especially if you let it grow with you. (Not that  long ago, a younger me probably dismissed it as little more meaningful than ‘ Hang In There ’ or ‘ Live, Laugh, Love ’.) Many things in our lives are beyond our control: events of the past, the feelings and actions of other people, the unpredictable world around us. The main thing we do have control over is ourselves. And of course it is essential that we be able to tell the difference*. *(Granted there's a huge ambiguity here in how we as individuals relate to societal issues – our level of responsibility, the possible impact we can have and whether that anxiety/guilt is ultimately productive – but that's a topic I'll leave for another time, if not another writer.) I can only ever uphold my end of any social situation; the rest is entirely out of my hands, no matter how many seconds or hours I spend crafting a message, or mentally simulating possible outcomes. Such thinking, that just a little more effort or analysis will eliminate anxiety, is as flawed as the anxious thoughts themselves. That way lies only madness . I can't say that internalizing these words has instantly slain my demons, but it has at least quieted them. To reference one of those previous posts , it calms the hell out of the ADHD maelstrom in my mind to simply cross off a task that would otherwise fester and mutate. As for more tangible problems, I can only do my best to watch out for them and avoid them. Art by MK Cooper Stormlight Examples This is a post about mental health, so you know I'm obligated to bring up The Stormlight Archive ( light spoilers ahead, including for Wind and Truth ). I previously wrote about the first Ideal of all Knights Radiant in the books – "Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination" – as being an incredibly important reminder of the ups and downs in anyone's attempt to improve their mental health. It turns out Kaladin's journey also ends up touching on similar ideas to the Serenity Prayer, with his Second, Fourth and Fifth Ideals reading: "I will protect those who cannot protect themselves." "I accept that there will be those I cannot protect!" "I will protect myself, so that I may continue to protect others." As I established in that previous piece, Kaladin is a quintessentially good, heroic character who desires to fight injustice and save innocent lives wherever and whenever possible. His Second Ideal is his declaration that he will do what good he can, his Fourth is his acceptance that there are situations beyond his control and ability to intervene, and his Fifth is his recognition that he must approach his work mindfully. (Perhaps a bit of a stretch on connecting that last, but I think there's a parallel there.) I think the Serenity Prayer also ties directly into Dalinar, Szeth and Shallan's experiences with guilt, as I discussed in this piece . It's fascinating to me that many readers see Dalinar as irredeemable after seeing his past atrocities in Oathbringer , and I think that opinion is mirrored by many characters in Sanderson's world. Yet Dalinar accepts that he cannot change the past and (I think) does his absolute best in the present. What more is there? Kaladin & Syl, art by Ari Ibarra Firefly (Adieu) Gosh, wouldn't it be cool if the Serenity Prayer came up in Firefly or Serenity ? The themes are certainly there, with a found family coming together to improve their lives and make what differences they can. I'll very much need to re-watch the series before I write about it, but hopefully that day will come. I sincerely hope the title didn't mislead anyone! Say it with me now: "I [will] have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Ghosts are the least of anyone's problems in Stephen King's landmark novel The Overlook Hotel Welcomes You Over the past couple weeks I listened to The Shining  (1977) and its sequel Doctor Sleep  (2013) on audiobook – while also attempting to take up running, as though Jack Torrance or Rose the Hat (whose title 'Queen B*tch of Castle Hell' I love a little too much) were on my tail. I tend to gravitate to the science fiction and fantasy realms of speculative fiction, but as I covered a few weeks ago , horror is also a core part of the genre. I’ve touched on it a bit, mostly in my Vampires series – where I even discussed another King novel in ‘Salem’s Lot  – but today I hope to demonstrate the powerful way horror can convey aspects of the human condition. You might be more familiar with Kubrick’s The Shining  (1980) film than King’s novel, and if so, that knowledge should serve you fine. However, the film does diverge in various ways (many of which King famously disliked ), so don’t be surprised if some aspects are unfamiliar.  I find it fascinating that, when tasked with directing the film adaptation of Doctor Sleep  (2019), Mike Flanagan chose to make a sequel to both  King and Kubrick’s stories by carefully weaving together elements from each. So, spoilers ahead for all four of these works (but mostly the two novels). The Overlook Hotel, design by Studio Muti for Ster-Kinekor Generations & Cycles of Abuse At the beginning of Kubrick's 1980 film, Jack Torrance (hauntingly portrayed by Jack Nicholson) is a man already at least halfway down the road to his monstrous transformation. The novel depicts a much more sympathetic figure, in no small part because we spend most of the novel inside Jack's head. One of the most harrowing parts of these books is how King portrays generational cycles of trauma, abuse and other behaviours. We learn from Jack's memories in The Shining that his own father was an incredibly abusive alcoholic, and see him wrestling with that part of himself throughout the book – prompted by the evil Overlook Hotel itself, looking for the emotional lever that will transform Jack into its weapon. When he later stalks the halls, calling his son a "pup" who "needs to take his medicine", he is directly mimicking his own father and simultaneously perpetuating the abuse Jack and his own mother suffered. Part of what makes Doctor Sleep (2013) such a successful sequel is that it shows adult Dan Torrance – who survived the Overlook and his father's rampage at the age of five – now struggling with many of the same issues Jack faced. We see Dan at rock bottom as an alcoholic, getting in fights and occasionally hearing Jack's threatening voice in his head. He steals from Deenie and her toddler son Tommy and ultimately leaves them to die, inverting the role of the protective father figure just like Jack does. At the end of the novel, Rose the Hat pushes on the evil in Dan to have him kill Abra, just as the Overlook pushed on it in Jack to have him kill Dan: Now it’s the morning after and I need to take my medicine. It’s what you wanted to do when you woke up next to that drunken whore in Wilmington, what you would have done if you’d had any balls, and her useless whelp of a son for good measure. Your father knew how to deal with stupid, disobedient women, and his father before him. Sometimes a woman just needs to take her medicine. – Stephen King, Doctor Sleep But Dan resists, rejecting the cycle of hate and abuse: " MY FATHER KNEW NOTHING! " What allowed him to break free more meaningfully than Jack? Any number of things, I think: being educated about his Shining, having Abra and Billy nearby to help him, and most of all his twelve years with Alcoholics Anonymous. Jack Torrance, by Biffno Living with Addiction I've lately realized that the novels I've read about addiction ( Demon Copperhead , The Goldfinch , Martyr! , and Family Meal  to name a few others) have been consistently more engaging and interesting to me than the average. Likely there's some bias involved – popular novels recommended to me vs. random sci-fi/fantasy I pick up – but I also tend to believe that these stories are strengthened by inherently sympathetic but flawed protagonists, the looming threat of relapse and the interpersonal connections that make up both a character's support structure and scars of their troubled past. It's worth noting that in addition to genetic tendency toward addiction, the Torrance men both likely find solace in alcohol's ability to mute their innate Shining. (This is confirmed for Dan and speculation about Jack, who almost certainly unknowingly possessed the same abilities and sensitivities to some degree in order for the Overlook to be able to influence him at all.) Doctor Sleep confirms that Jack Torrance never went to AA, though Dan reflects that it might have done him good – potentially even saving him from the Overlook. Instead, Jack's arc reminds me more of the film Another Round (2020), with he and his drinking friend Al simply deciding to reign things in after a single rock-bottom moment, without seeking any external help. ( King confirmed that Dan's rock-bottom scene with Deenie and Tommy intentionally mirrors Jack's). When Al – Jack's only support outside his family – turns on him, it makes it all the easier for Jack to relapse. Dan Torrance & Azrael, by ImpossiblyCleverDreamer Of course, Jack's relapse shouldn't be possible regardless: the Overlook has been emptied of alcohol, and the long roads to any liquor store are buried beneath meters of snow. To me, the scariest supernatural part of the story is the Overlook conjuring alcohol out of thin air in order to coax Jack's worst self back out of the shadows. And it doesn't feel at all like a reach, or a moment of the story breaking reality, because of how well King establishes the deep, bacchanalian corruption of the hotel. Dan Torrance, on the other hand, reaches out for help and finds it. His journey isn't easy by any means – Stephen King himself has been sober since the '80s and is certainly writing from experience – but he learns to live with the horrors of the world on his own terms and with a healthy support network around him. As such, he's ultimately able to be there for his niece when she needs it, rather than turning on her like Jack turned on him. Dan Torrance & Abra Stone, by ImpossiblyCleverDreamer Toxic Relationships I think Wendy's story is often overlooked in discussion of The Shining , possibly because of how little of it is portrayed in the film. I spent close to an hour trying to find access to a book called The Shining Reader (1991, edited by Anthony Magistrale), which features a number of essays on the book including some on Wendy, but had no luck. Please get in touch if you have access to it! Wendy's story is of a woman perpetually questioning her marriage, weighing the difficulties of a divorce against the strain and trauma of living with Jack for both Danny and herself. Informing her judgment are her complex experiences and relationship with her own divorced parents: Wendy's mom actively blames her for breaking apart their own marriage, while simultaneously seeming to dislike Jack's presence in Wendy and Danny's lives. It's again fascinating that things genuinely seem to be on the path to working out for the family before they take up residence at the Overlook: Jack has quit drinking and their marriage has found a patch of stability. Yet the supernatural evil of the hotel re-opens each and every wound it can find, with alcohol and misunderstanding and isolation. Jack's struggle with alcohol and rage is a gripping character arc, and so is Wendy's struggle for her marriage and the wellbeing of herself and her son. These are the human, relatable issues that make The Shining such a compelling, devastating story – and the supernatural only serves to heighten its tension and tragedy. Wendy, Danny and Jack Torrance, art by Yokiteryokiter Doing Right by Yourself and Others Ultimately, these books impart a message about doing your best: for you, and for everyone around you. Reaching out for help, whether regarding addiction or abuse. Helping others where you can, as Dan does by ensuring people pass on peacefully at the hospice and by coming to Abra's aid against Rose and the True Knot. Recognizing the evil in yourself and in the world, and doing your best to protect the next generation from it. The generational trauma, addiction and abuse inherent to the Torrance family are a central pillar of these two books, so it's masterful to see King end the story by having Dan caution Abra (Jack's granddaughter by another woman) against the same issues he's faced. Thankfully, because Dan helped himself, he will now be there to help Abra – very much unlike either Dan or Jack had when they needed it. A couple final notes I didn't find a place for earlier: In Doctor Sleep , Dan reflects that he experienced his father's alcoholism through the Shining and that he "spent a lot of years trying to quench that thirst"; implying a third layer to why Dan picked up the bottle. Though Dick Hallorann teaches Dan to trap the Overlook's ghosts away in mental lockboxes, Dan says he was unable to do the same for his alcoholism – I found this a very clever reflection of how we can distance ourselves from external/past trauma but must deal with internal/current issues head on. Mike Flanagan, who directed Doctor Sleep , certainly also took inspiration from these books for his miniseries Midnight Mass , which I love to no end. Both deal with addiction and relationships, and you don't have to squint too hard to see the True Knot as vampires either. Check out the series (and the film) if you haven't! That's all for now! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Demons and shadows, religions and sorcerers, the Company and the worlds At the Shadowgate This piece is a continuation of my discussion of Glen Cook's The Black Company series of novels, so kindly consider looking at my previous post if you haven't already. I'll also be including more spoilers today – mostly about the world, rather than the plot – so turn back now if you want to read the books unsullied. I'll be continuing my overview of speculative fiction elements I love in this series, and which are still rarely matched by other works. I'll also point out those bits that don't work for me, and therein reflect further on the idea that we can both love and hate aspects of a thing – a concept that seems to be a little lost in today's world of cancelling, blocking and ghosting. Life is complex! And art must imitate life, because The Black Company is plenty complex too – both in its story and as a piece of literary history and art. The Lady (right), Feather & Journey, by Wayne Reynolds Magnitude & Depths of History Time is one thing Cook does very well in The Black Company . For starters, the ten book series takes place over the course of more than forty years: readers witness as age creeps up on the young and middle-age men of the Company like Croaker and Goblin, as it shrivels and claims senior members like One-Eye and the Captain, and as it sees the Company recruit younger generations like Murgen and Sleepy. Then there's the history of the Company itself, known only by the annals Croaker studies and contributes to. The annals are the Company's identity just as much as its current members are, but the shadows of time have impacted them as well. The original texts, explaining their mysterious origins in Khatovar and initial purpose, are long lost – as are portions of their more recent history, excised by previous annalists for reasons unknown. (If these ideas about memory & identity fascinate you as much as they do me, consider giving Piranesi a read; I also briefly discuss similar ideas in regard to vampires here .) The Prisoner under Father Tree, art by Martin Tomsky The passage – and cyclical nature – of time is everywhere in this world, with life and society shaped by endless conflict as I mentioned last week but also with the scars left by powerful sorcerers long past. Think of how figures like Alexander, Genghis, Caesar and Hitler warp history and the world around them – then give them overwhelming magic with which they can extend their own lives and decimate nations with the wave of a hand. That's certainly Cook's vision behind figures like the Dominator and 'the Prisoner', both of whom display world-shattering sorcery during their few moments of freedom in The White Rose . But a secret of long speculative fiction series is that escalation is inevitable – even if the Company and their allies only barely overcame those historical figures, with every advantage on their side. So, the rest of the series so far focuses on Kina. Murgen seeing a vision of Kina and the Year of Skulls, art by Didier Graffet Real-world Inspiration I love Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos , and so towards the end of last year I tried to read his first horror novel, Song of Kali (1985). Good grief is that novel offensive to Indian peoples and cultures with its attempted depiction of Kolkata as the most evil city on Earth – it was so bad that it even made me rethink my opinion of Heart of Darkness in addition to, you guessed it, The Black Company . (Book 4: Shadow Games sees the Company travelling south and features a riverboat sequence through swamps and jungles that calls Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now heavily to mind, so suffice to say that Cook certainly wasn't unaware of the comparison.) I'll lean on the impeccable authority of TV Tropes for what Cook does here: From The Books of the South onwards, the series takes place in a fantasy counterpart of India, complete with pseudo-Muslims and pseudo-Hindus. The latter even have the practice of suttee and their own thuggee cult (neither of which are even renamed). Not to mention the goddess Kali in the form of Kina. While Taglian territories are Indian analogues, the Shadowlands specifically encompasses the state of Rajasthan. Stormgard/Dejagore/Jaicure is Jaipur, a burg of a city and the capital of Rajasthan, which shares the dry climate of Jaipur; And the gobsmackingly huge Overlook fortress whom borders the Plain of Glittering Stone has its counterpart of named Chittor, which is also gobsmackingly huge and on the southern edge of the province. Beyond geographical similarities, even the name (and the in-universe meaning of it) of the Shadowlands bares striking resemblance to Rajasthan... No, I mean the Shadowlands' other name, Ajastan, the one that means "The Land of Many Kings" (none of which were mentioned by name, as Sleepy notes). ( Source ) At the same time, the Nyueng Bao are based heavily on the Khmer Krom  people indigenous to southern Vietnam and the Nar from Gea-Xle draws on stereotypes about proud African warrior societies.  Murgen and his Nyueng Bao family, art by antablement34 Now, is taking inspiration from the real world inherently wrong? Does Cook reach Song of Kali 's level of extreme xenophobia? Absolutely not; but it does still come off as (at the very least) casually, lazily offensive to transplant real world history and beliefs directly into a fictional world and portray them as the greatest evil in existence. On a similar note, I really dislike the fate of the Nar in the books. These warriors are the spiritual and often biological descendants of the early Black Company, from the years they spent in Gea-Xle centuries before. They foreshadow the fact that the Companies of Khatovar were originally pure evil themselves, sent out to conquer and pillage in Kina's name. It's fascinating to see a group of them join up with the Company of the current day, and Mogaba later leading a fraction of them to mutiny is one of the most terrifying moments in the series. Yet the last loyal Nar survivors, Ochiba and Isi, are unceremoniously discarded off-screen in the same book that the Company's only other known Black characters – Blade and One-Eye – are killed. (Others, like Baldo and Heart-of-the-Lion/"Freak", are simply forgotten between books and presumed dead on account of general statements.) So glad that all these interesting characters were paved over to make room for the two alien teenagers I mentioned last time. On the other hand, the Nyueng Bao are handled pretty well. I'm not sure why Cook chose to spend six books with the Company in the South, fighting a rotating lineup of Soulcatcher, Mogaba and Longshadow on repeat, but here we are, and the Nyueng Bao characters are allowed time to blossom as a result. Murgen and Ky Sahra's relationship of course also produces Tobo, a remarkably talented young sorcerer now studying under the Lady with her powers reinstated. Tobo and the Unknown Shadows, by Bren Saxton Lightning Round! (I will finish with this today or so help me Croaker) 'Demons' in this world are simply beings summoned by wizards from beyond , and include everything from literal imps to dragons to people to the Father Tree itself. I love the way this broad categorization allows Cook to have fun in a fantasy setting while also keeping things mysterious and imbuing these creatures with a great sense of danger. 'Shadows' are undead souls bound into service by certain wizards, including the Shadowmasters who serve as villains for a number of books. They're another great example of how magic allows corruption and evil to spread through time; only millennia of conflicts and evil rituals would allow the sheer number of shadows that now permeate the worlds. Also fascinating are the 'Unknown Shadows' who behave more like Fey and are in league with Tobo. The Glittering Plain, where sixteen worlds (parallel universes?) meet and which is overseen by an ancient golem named Shivetya – whose body, godlike powers, immortality and responsibilities are taken over by an aging Croaker at the end of Soldiers Live . Kina herself is imprisoned beneath the golem, mirroring the Father Tree overseeing his unnamed Prisoner. I love this world-between-worlds and exploration stuff to no end – just take a look at my Narnia / Magicians and House of Leaves pieces. The mystery is heightened all the more by the Company's search for their origins at Khatovar, and the way their quest slowly gets stranger and stranger. Lady & Soulcatcher are still around at the end of Soldiers Live , despite the incredible amount of attrition suffered by the Company over the course of ten books and forty years (now in both our world and that of the series, funnily enough). The former even has her powers back now thanks to Croaker; I'll be utterly fascinated to see what plans Cook has for the pair of them going forwards. Shivetya and the Black Company, art by Didier Graffet Final Thoughts (For Now) I think it's fair to say that I do still like this series, despite its major flaws. I still have no intention of reading Port of Shadows , which is semi-canonical anyway. I'm also incredibly unsure about the four new books coming out over the next few years: both because of the direction Cook's writing seems to have gone in Port of Shadows and because we're dealing with an almost entirely new cast at this point – possibly led by Shukrat and Arkana, who just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention that Kina was finally defeated at the end of Soldiers Live , so another wild escalation is pretty likely. But just maybe, Cook will once again capture that feeling of the Company lost and alone against the world, traversing history and stumbling into mysteries while avoiding the footfalls of titans liable to crush them. Could we return to the North, to catch up with Whisper and the Master? Open up the thirteen closed shadowgates? Or find a way into other planes entirely, those from which wizards pull their chaotic and dangerous array of demonic servants? Or will there be another four-book war for Taglios, after its central role in the last six books? It will be very interesting to see. Would love to hear your thoughts! Have you been convinced to try the series? Never to touch it? How's your excitement vs. anxiety for Lies Weeping , coming this November? I'm sure I'll return to write more about these books at some point, but for now: Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Every month I like to showcase a book that brought me joy, and might do the same for you! July 2025 The Fox's Tower and Other Tales by Yoon Ha Lee A collection of incredibly short but awe-inspiring short tales from one of my favourite authors in the world. Each will astonish you in fresh ways, consider giving this a try if you're new to reading short stories. I'm reading this with my book club for this month too, so feel free to read along! ---------------- June 2025 All Systems Red by Martha Wells Murderbot just wants to enjoy its favourite media, but circumstances force it to engage with and protect a group of humans it eventually grows to appreciate. An incredibly queer book with explorations of life and neurodivergence, perfect for pride month! ---------------- May 2025 The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie Ancient gods feeling out their place in the world. Schemes to steal a throne amidst national danger. A moral about being true to yourself. This novel will open your eyes to new wonders while also touching your heart and soul. ---------------- April 2025 Semiosis by Sue Burke What does it mean to be alive? Could you apply your definition to plants? Prepare to have your preconceptions challenged by a heartfelt, fascinating look at first contact, reminiscent of  Children of Time ,  Arrival  and more. ---------------- March 2025 The Bees by Laline Paull A bee hive presented as a medieval castle rife with politics and court drama. Our perspective is that of a newborn queen, struggling to find her place against threats within and without. A brilliant novel that will raise your appreciation for our buzzing  friends – and hate wasps even more. ---------------- February 2025 The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison What would happen if a goblin unexpectedly became leader of the greatest nation in the world? Well in this case at least, the goblin is the kindest soul in the world and he’s here to teach these snobby elves some decency. ---------------- January 2025 Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher The New Year can be a great time to reflect on our past and grow as people. T. Kingfisher’s novella is a dark fairy tale with two lovable protagonists from different worlds doing exactly the same, and will start your year off on a wondrous new track. ---------------- December 2024 Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell Enter the expansive political starscape of Everina Maxwell’s imagination, through the eyes of two unexpectedly betrothed young men who must put aside their caution and learn to trust if they are to survive. ---------------- November 2024 Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee Yoon Ha Lee’s sci-fi epic is transcendent in its imagination of both the beautiful and the horrifying; sometimes together at once. Queer, political and similar to Seth Dickinson’s Baru Cormorant  novels, this book is perfect for anyone who wants to try something fresh and exciting. ---------------- October 2024 Wild Fell: A Ghost Story by Michael Rowe Canadian author and journalist Michael Rowe's novel is a remarkably queer entry into the horror genre, perfect for anyone looking for a few inclusive spooks this October! ---------------- September 2024 Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo If we’re going back to school this month, why not make it an occult-shadowed Yale seen through the eyes of high school dropout Alex Stern. Leigh Bardugo combines her proven abilities with her love for the setting and some chilling urban fantasy to produce a modern classic and staple of the dark academia genre. ---------------- August 2024 Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Colonization, postgenderism, artificial intelligence, religion, intrigue, ethics and more tea than you could drink in your lifetime. Ann Leckie’s breakout 2013 space opera opened up a universe of storytelling which has been explored by many of my favourite authors over the past decade. ---------------- July 2024 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula K. Le Guin is among the most important authors in the history of the speculative fiction genre. As a woman writing in a typically male field, Le Guin set the stage for many of my favourite storytellers today. First Published in 1968,  A Wizard of Earthsea  is both the original 'wizard school' book and stars Indigenous-inspired characters. It's short and sweet, so consider giving it a shot! ---------------- June 2024 Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly For Pride Month, a heart-gripping tale about loveable characters fighting to maintain their way of life in the face of misplaced fear and discrimination. As culturally relevant as it gets, and thrilling all the way. ---------------- May 2024 The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty For South Asian Heritage Month, a modern Fantasy classic about blood, djinn and choosing one's path forward. You'll need the stomach for some cutthroat politics, but will be rewarded with a novel which never refrains from taking the most stunning and intriguing course possible. ---------------- April 2024 The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin Environmentalism, prophecy, AIDS, magic, war and a family growing apart over the course of decades. This novel pulled me in and didn't let me go until I closed the final page in tears. Give it a look! ---------------- March 2024 Saga: Volume One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Romeo and Juliet, except their families are warring galactic empires and they must fight for their lives every day. A beautiful graphic novel with a brutal and heartfelt story to tell about humanity and choosing to survive in a world bent on the destruction of all you hold dear. ---------------- February 2024 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin Cities are people, people are cities. Racism is as insidious as any Lovecraftian monster. Jemisin explores these ideas and more through her love of New York City. ---------------- January 2024 Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse A new age has come for the world, and figures out of Indigenous lore have returned with claims of authority. An action-packed and heartfelt tale putting a refreshing spin on the urban fantasy and dystopian literature genres. ---------------- December 2023 The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins This book stands tall at the intersection between dark comedy, magic school, and cosmic horror. Content warnings aplenty, but this is a masterpiece of a debut novel. ---------------- November 2023 Inside Man by KJ Parker This short, hilarious novel dives into the morality of complicity in a world much like our own - just with exorcists and demonic possession. ---------------- October 2023 The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Brutal, emotional, and based on real East Asian history. This book explores ambition and the quest for vengeance thoroughly, with disturbing and fascinating results. ---------------- September 2023 The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons This mind-bending science fiction series examines the worthiness of humanity: as individuals, populations, and as artists. It grapples with religious delusions, artificial intelligence, and even colonialism while telling a lot of heart-wrenching stories.