Tea is social, religious, therapeutic, symbolic of status and more Everyone Loves Tea When you've read enough books of any genre, you begin to recognize patterns in how certain ideas are mirrored and paid homage to by many authors. In a way, that's what inspired me to begin writing this blog: realizing how dedicated many speculative fiction writers are to pointing out systemic injustices in our world by portraying them through a fresh, fictional lens. It's no coincidence that so much of science fiction and fantasy deals with issues of corruption and colonization when they are and have been the fundamental sources of so much pain in our own world. Then – not unrelated – there's tea, which shows up just about everywhere in speculative fiction once you start looking for it. I first became conscious of this trend when reading discussions of Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch novels , then grew more interested when I recently read Becky Chambers' A Psalm for the Wild-Built . Tea is a surprisingly deep and ingrained symbol in both worlds, being the civilized drink in Leckie's Radch and serving as the medium for Sibling Dex's therapy work in Chambers'. So today I want to take a look at a few of the many stories where tea plays a cultural or narrative role and note any commonalities that arise. This won't constitute the deepest look at any of these books, but may either inspire you to read them or inspire me to write more concretely about them in the future! Without further ado, let's take a sip. By Yuumei Wenqing What is Tea? Don't worry, I'm not actually writing an essay here on Camellia sinensis – but you're welcome to read up on the history of tea in our world if that's of interest to you! This question comes up in Leckie's novels, and I think it's an interesting idea to briefly consider with regard to many ideas as they're depicted in speculative fiction. As I already mentioned, Leckie depicts tea as a core part of Radchaai 'civilization' in the books – at one point this gives to an argument about 'real' tea when the characters are presented with a non-Radchaai culture's take on the drink. It's not made clear that either version of 'tea' has significant that of our world, beyond the idea of adding ingredients to boiling water. The novels don't necessarily even depict a humanity that arose from Earth, their origin so obscured by the depth of time. The same is true of most of the books I'll be discussing today, and likewise their 'tea' might or might not technically match our understanding of it. But the authors are using the term with our understood meaning in mind, and to have us bring our expected associations to the term. In North America, coffee and alcohol play the role that tea does in many of these stories. They serve as the medium of many social interactions, have varieties which indicate status and fashionable taste and can even play a role in religious ceremonies and (informal) therapy. A generous observer from the Radch might well call these drinks tea, even if it is a deeply uncivilized variation. The Imperial Radch novels by Ann Leckie, Cover Designs by Lauren Panepinto Examples Near and Far Tea is such an accepted part of both life and fiction that it easily melds into the background until you begin actively looking for it. I've therefore been rather surprised to realize it's harder to find books that don't mention tea than those that do. To be fair, many books are fairly straightforward in their depictions. Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota series associates tea with meetings between the aristocracy and their political games; Josiah Bancroft's Books of Babel take inspiration from historical England and subtly use tea to contrast its noble and working class characters. Even in Tamsyn Muir's 10,000 years-distant The Locked Tomb series, tea serves as a standardized drink in addition to providing some relief from the characters' physical and mental exhaustion. Arkady Martine's Teixcalaan and especially Katherine Addison's The Cemeteries of Amalo series come closer to Leckie and Chambers in the level of importance they place on tea; even though I can't parse Thara Celehar's frequent thoughts on his preferred varieties, they evoke for me the way many people speak about wines or IPAs. Tea is also deeply restorative in both of these series, just as Sibling Dex aims to provide the perfect brew of tea to their clients in Psalm . The Cemeteries of Amalo by Katherine Addison, art by James Paul Jones I think this is the first time I've written about it – and what a strange angle to first approach this book from – but Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself uses tea to great effect in just a single page. The recently introduced wizard Bayaz brews and drinks it, offering some to protagonist Logen who refuses. It's a short scene, but it does a lovely job of establishing Bayaz' worldliness and wisdom in addition to foreshadowing the fact that he is very much from a different time and looks down on the world as it now exists. (Also a fun contrast to his introductory scene , but that's perhaps for another time.) Speaking of topics I should devote more time to, the proliferation of tea along with notions of civilization in series like The Imperial Radch and Teixcalaan has very real roots in our own world history. China introduced tea to Japan and Korea along with small elements of culture and religion; the British Empire later brought tea to every corner of the globe, alongside all the other new standards of 'civilization'. Leckie even subtly mirrors the British Empires's economic motivations in Ancillary Sword , with a prominent tea grower exerting influence and trying to defend her profits. Too Many to Count Seth Dickinson's Masquerade novels mirror a pre-Age of Exploration Europe, where tea is still associated with deep mysteries of the world. Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire links tea with a few of its greatest schemers and has its more straightforward characters rebuff it, playing off of similar associations of aristocratic socializing as Terra Ignota and mirroring the Bayaz/Logen conversation from The Blade Itself . I could (obviously) go on. While researching, I learned that Leckie (and perhaps other authors) were inspired to include and explore tea to such an extent by C.J. Cherryh's The Foreigner series; I sadly haven't read that one yet, but have recently started into some of her other work. Given the ratio of tea being featured in books I've read, I have to imagine it's also present in thousands more that I haven't. Are there any in particular that come to mind for you? Or are there any of these books that you'd like to learn more about? I'd absolutely love to hear! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

I wrote my previous Severance post a little early I Was Wrong A little over a month ago I published my piece on Severance Season 2's Faster, Smarter Storytelling ; I was feeling very high on the show after the first four episodes of the season and thought the consistent pacing of narrative beats up to that point would be indicative of how the rest of the season would go. The reality was a little different, but not entirely in a bad way. Before I get into specifics, my opinion on this season and where the third might go: I think this is a great reminder about cautious optimism ! I tend to be extremely skeptical about mainstream TV and film, but once I'm on board with a piece of media I'm a committed fan. As I've discussed before, my ADHD is always shaping my perspective into false dichotomies where a sliding scale would be more appropriate and useful. So although it's sometimes tough for me, I think it's important to maintain a balanced perspective on some things; enjoying them while still holding a little skepticism in reserve. The reverse – trying things you're highly skeptical about – certainly has value too. Anyway, let's get into Severance . ( Spoilers for Severance Season 2 below.) "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor" by Danny Aviles Borrowed Time In my previous Severance post I was ecstatic about the rapid-fire pace of revelations and plot developments in the first four episodes – I believed that the showrunners were setting a brisk pace because they had vast worlds to explore and were writing smarter TV, with less time taken to explain things to audience members who weren't paying as much attention. (Even back in 2019 a poll suggested 88% of American viewers were using a second screen while listening to TV in the background – since then companies like Netflix have intentionally dumbed down their content so as not to alienate and confuse this disengaged audience.) While the first four episodes of Severance 's second season were certainly running at double speed, in reality this wasn't quite establishing a trend but rather simply borrowing time from the rest of the season . Episodes 5-9 advance the plot very little in their own right, instead working to process and flesh out many of the implications from 1-4. Dylan & Gretchen, Helly & Mark, Milchick & Ms. Huang, Burt & Irving, Helena & the gang, etc. – we saw the main action of these relationships early on, then had to catch up on the emotional implications for most of the rest of the season. Unfortunately, the pattern my brain had found early on just left me wanting a return to the faster pace and I found these episodes to be a bit of a slog. This was definitely exacerbated by episodes 7 & 8 being entirely dedicated to Gemma and Cobel respectively. I can certainly see the value of both – Gemma's journey is particularly touching, and important if she's stepping into a larger role in season 3 – but they also spelled doom for any hope I had of the gang's plot and character arcs moving much further this season. "Severance" by lunarelles Misaligned Understanding And ultimately, my frustration arises from the simple fact that my expectations grew a little distant from what the showrunners were clearly aiming at. The first four episodes seemed to indicate a renewed interest in strange worldbuilding and in the relationships between the core group of characters, but in reality they were making room for the latter half of the season to move in new directions. If anything, the brief conflict with Helena served as a way of wrapping up and saying goodbye to the core MDR group before they all went their own ways. It's also difficult to separate my feelings about the latter half of the season from Cobel's presence and role in it. Even learning that she invented the severance procedure doesn't help me contextualize her alien, off-putting screen time and Devon's strange trust in her. Visuals aside, the end of episode 9 was maybe the least interested I've ever been in a supposed cliff-hanger. Personally, I think putting Cobel in the first half then bringing back Reghabi would have been far more rewarding. Then you could even have Mark's reintegration have actual implications this season, beyond putting him out of commission for half of it. That's maybe the biggest offender for me in terms of being misled by the early episodes; if it's going to take active steps to complete his reintegration, why even start him down that path? A shadowy, not quite sharp Sword of Damocles hanging over innie Mark's head? And for a final time, I just have to express my disappointment in how little we really got of Dylan, Helly and especially Irving this season. At least Helly clearly has an essential role still moving forward; the other two feel barely relevant if they're even returning – incredibly rough for how interesting Irving's outie had been set up to be. Eyes Forward But there's no use dwelling on what might have been. My expectations for Severance going forward are drastically different than they were just a few weeks ago, and that's fine! To be fair, it was always difficult to imagine the show maintaining such a breakneck pace while retaining some quality and not completely jumping the shark in terms of its worldbuilding. It's clear that season three will focus on the mess of relationships between the Marks, Helly/Helena and Gemma – but beyond that, who the hell knows? It's not like the innies have a job anymore, and the secrets of the Lumon building seem to all be on the table. I'm sure the writers will come up with something, though. If you've made it this far, thanks very kindly for putting up with my ranting! Let me know if you'd be interested on another Severance piece on what I enjoyed this season and crackpot attempts at predicting where the next one might go. In terms of managing expectations, I think this has also reminded me that all-out dedication to a piece of media isn't all that helpful to enjoying it. Let's all work on finding a middle ground between hyper-fixation and absent scrolling, shall we? Until next time <3

Forget Emilia Pérez , this is the 2024 film representation we deserve Worlds Apart from the Mainstream Given the year we're having, with trans identity being attacked on all fronts, it only made sense to see the Oscar-winning team behind Emilia Pérez – a film nominally about trans issues, even if it came off as lazy at best – say not a single word to or about the trans community during their acceptance speeches. But that's been talked to death already. Today I want to recommend another film, starring two queer actors and envisioned by a trans director, which attempts to convey a part of the trans experience to its audience. I Saw the TV Glow is a strange, beautiful piece of art that I hope you'll consider watching if you haven't already. It's labelled as horror, but not for any overwhelming gore or jump scares; the horror is partly atmospheric but mostly arises from the very real emotions the film and characters manage to convey. So beware on that front! I'm going to get into spoilers below , so again consider seeing the film first before reading ahead ( here's a tool to check where it's streaming in your country). Without further ado, let's enter the Pink Opaque. Official Trailer (A24) Weird Fiction If you've read many of my posts on writing & narrative , you'll know I love stories that ask me to question my basic assumptions about a world and/or introduce me to new ideas for how to tell stories. One film I've previously written about for this reason and which lives in my head rent-free is The Lobster , probably my favourite Lanthimos film alongside Poor Things . Another is I'm Thinking of Ending Things , which probably deserves its own look eventually. I Saw the TV Glow maintains a similarly strange atmosphere throughout, but mainly caught my fascination (on this front) with a brilliant one-two punch. The film is about teenage Owen & Maddy's love of a TV show called 'The Pink Opaque', which sees two friends contending with psychedelic supernatural entities each week. The show and its character designs are wonderfully absurd – which makes it all the more poignant when Maddy later tries to convince Owen that The Pink Opaque is their real world, and that this life is a prison imposed on them by the show's antagonist Mr. Melancholy. Even before we get into the trans allegory in a moment, I found this to be an incredible narrative twist. Inception played a little with the idea of questioning reality, but I find this film hits me a lot harder when the viewer has such a sense of Owen's longing and dedication to the show and its world. Its hazy, dream-like nature makes the question even more surreal, evoking the moment you wake up from a dream and struggle to decide what's real. Owen has spent his life feeling alienated and uncomfortable in his own skin – doubly so since Maddy's disappearance and The Pink Opaque's apparently simultaneous cancellation. Then suddenly Maddy returns and suggests another life could be his: one as a confident and able woman, in the world of his dreams. If only he would take the leap of faith. Fan Poster by Izzy Heartfelt Allegory And it's terrifying! Even though Owen isn't particularly happy in his life and has seen Maddy gain assurance in accepting she's actually Tara from the show, becoming Isabel is still a gut-wrenching prospect. It would mean sacrificing everything, and even in the best case scenario he would be consigning himself to constant struggles with Mr. Melancholy and his henchmen. (Hopefully the trans imagery is fairly clear, but to state it outright: By embracing a trans identity and transitioning, Owen would be risking all current relationships and be consigned to a lifetime of hate and discrimination – just for the chance to live a happier, truer, more fulfilling life.) He ultimately can't take the leap. Maddy/Tara disappears apparently forever, and in the final scene we see him twenty years in the future – still at the same miserable job, invisible and bent under the weight of his life. But we also see that he still remembers The Pink Opaque with fondness. With the final line, we're reminded that "there is still time" – a line from Maddy and a promise that even though you might have been happier to take the leap long ago, now is the next best chance you're going to get. Fan Poster by Aleks Phoenix There is Still Time It's a brutally emotional ending, to say the least. It truly struck home for me, not just in terms of my gender identity but also for the years I feel I've lost to undiagnosed ADHD and social anxiety. Thankfully, it's just a film: whether Owen finally takes the leap or not, his life is his own. Just as mine is mine and yours is yours. So whatever it is, there is still time. Also, huge kudos to queer lead actors Jack Haven and Justice Smith, who killed it despite the odd choice to have them speak in an uncomfortable monotone throughout. I already praised The Pink Opaque's visuals but the whole film was beautiful too. Anyway, thanks for reading and until next time <3

We need to stop blindly worshiping intelligence without humanity "I've learned that intelligence alone doesn't mean a damned thing. Here in your university, intelligence, education, knowledge, have all become great idols. But I know now there's one thing you've all overlooked: intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn ...Intelligence is one of the greatest human gifts. But all too often a search for knowledge drives out the search for love...Intelligence without the ability to give and receive affection leads to mental and moral breakdown , to neurosis, and possibly even psychosis.” ― Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon A Man Divided This week I re-read Daniel Keyes' 1966 novel Flowers for Algernon , about a mentally disabled man who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. We witness Charlie's journey through his own 'progress reports', written at intervals over the course of less than a year; they depict his transformation from a hopeful but oblivious man into one who can't help but look down on the intellectually inferior world around him. It's a good book (albeit with some outdated language), and I may well write more about it in the future – perhaps for its use of mirroring, its epistolary format, its depiction of changing relationships, who knows – but today I bring it up because it strongly reminded me of a fascinating character from (what else) The Stormlight Archive . ( Spoilers for the first four novels .) Taravangian is one of three characters known to have received a blessing and a curse from the Nightwatcher (another being Dalinar, which I discussed here ). He asked her for "the capacity to save humankind", and received boons of increased empathy and intellect. His curse is that he would never benefit from both at the same time: each day he wakes somewhere different on a sliding scale between overwhelming compassion and outright genius. I'm confident that Taravangian was inspired at least in part by Flowers for Algernon , given the quote above discussing this very concept. Taravangian, by Noutsa.kh 'He Would Save Them All' Taravangian is a King defined by the philosophy that the ends always justify the means ; further believing that it is his place as a ruler to take responsibility for the small evils that will buy a greater good for everyone. It's no coincidence that this directly conflicts with the "Journey Before Destination" ideal of the Knights Radiant, which emphasizes doing the best you can every step of the way. Taravangian is a perfect villain because he is absolutely certain he is the hero of this story. And his curse has only amplified his devotion and zeal, allowing him to plan for and define 'the greater good' without his moral and emotional conscience getting in the way. Which is exactly how he created ' the Diagram ', his near-indecipherable master plan scrawled over every surface of his bedroom on his most intelligent day. And wouldn't you know it, this unhinged plan to save the world calls for a whole lot of evil on the path to installing Taravangian as absolute ruler over all. Meanwhile, Taravangian and his trusted few have strict rules in place to limit his action on days of increased compassion; ensuring that his kind and humane side can't interfere. Is this how the blessing and curse were meant to be used? Wind and Truth answers, but that's a topic for another time. Taravangian's Intelligent & Emotional Selves, by sithface Interlude: Musky Parallels I think part of the reason Taravangian's (and to some extent Charlie's) journeys ring so powerfully to me is because we see this every day in our world. Intelligence is seen by many as being wasted on science when it could be maximizing profits for massive corporations; these same people see compassion and human decency as laughable if not dangerous. To restate something from a few posts back , Elon Musk literally called empathy the "fundamental weakness of western civilization" in the midst of his ongoing attempt to seize unilateral control over the American government. I would say it's exactly like Taravangian except Elon isn't even particularly intelligent – our society's worship of financial success just paints him that way. No one asked Elon to personally (corruptly) save the world, just as no one asked Taravangian. But throw out empathy and narcissism can take you a long way. It could even let you seize the opportunity to become a god. Taravangian Ascending to Odium, by Daitengu_Koh A Little Hatred for Seasoning Rhythm of War has a lot of heart-stopping moments – I discussed Kaladin's last week – but Taravangian's is easily the heaviest blindside to an unsuspecting reader. At this point he has betrayed the protagonists more than once, his Diagram is irretrievably off track and he seems genuinely on the verge of recognizing the error of his ways before facing punishment. His arc has to be done, right? After all, he was only ever going to be an elderly, philosophical and political opponent on the heroes' way to dealing with greater evils. But yet. By a complex series of factors coming together , Taravangian stands before the god Odium on his most emotional day with the deadliest weapon in the universe within his reach. He strikes down the ten thousand-year-old Rayse, connects with the Shard of powerful emotions thanks to his own state on that day and Ascends. Narrative perfection. We barely knew Rayse, beyond the vague notion that he was wearing away to nothing under prolonged contact with the Shard of Passion. We know Taravangian, we feel his sickening but wholehearted belief that he's the hero and will save the world. We know and see his willingness to commit vast amounts of evil in the pursuit of the greater good. He's terrifying in the best way possible. Taravangian as 'The Wheel of Fortune' Tarot Card, by Tara Spruit Looking Forward I think I'll return in the near future to look at how Taravangian's story continues in Wind and Truth . Suffice to say that until the book came out in December, a lot of questions plagued the fandom: does he retain his blessing and curse in godhood? Is this really part of Cultivation's plan? Will he save them all? Stay tuned to find out! But I bring that up because it feels like we're at that stage with Elon's ascension. Will Project 2025 succeed in """saving""" the world by destroying everything good and decent in America? Terrifying in the worst way possible. If you're interested, I've written a few times about leadership and power before – I think my piece Sacrifice: Robin Hobb & House of the Dragon is particularly fitting as contrast to Taravangian's philosophy. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Sanderson’s take on Bridgerton is a perfect first step into the Cosmere Three Beginnings for the Price of One My recommendation of Mistborn: The Final Empire is slightly different from my previous 'Starting Points' articles, which prioritized highlighting gentle and thoughtful first steps into the world of speculative fiction as a whole. If you're entirely new to science fiction & fantasy, I'd recommend checking out those on either The Thief or Piranesi first. But there's nothing wrong with diving right in to Mistborn either – especially if you have some background in spy/heist thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction and the like. It's a book that manages to both exemplify many common themes of speculative fiction and conjure a wonderfully unique setting that will forever set it apart. Luthadel Ball, by Scarvo It is also the first book of the (theoretically, only seven are out so far) sixteen-book Mistborn saga, Sanderson's goal for which is to explore the effects of his magic system on three (now five) eras of human technological development. Finally, it is Sanderson's recommended starting point in his Cosmere reading order . His books are becoming more and more interconnected of late, meaning sticking to just one series is getting more difficult. Thankfully the Cosmere is excellent, as you'll quickly find if you decide to give Mistborn: The Final Empire a go. (The book has been published as Mistborn, Mistborn: The Final Empire and The Final Empire , I'll stick to the first from here on out!) Minor thematic spoilers ahead as I share what I love about the novel and what makes it well worth a read nearly two decades after its 2006 publication. Vin, by Dealunart One Last Job, for a Cause Mistborn takes place in The Final Empire (who'd have guessed?), a cruel world of choking ash and brutal oppression under a mysterious immortal tyrant known only as The Lord Ruler. The nobility rule in his shadow, living in luxury and opulence off the toil and suffering of the enslaved Skaa; both groups believing the nobility are genetically ordained to be superior due to their stature and occasional access to metal-related magic, called allomancy. Mistborn Opening Scene, by Francis Goeltner Sanderson took inspiration for this imbalanced world from pre-Revolution France (also why there are so many French-sounding names). Though still a sad norm in 2006, this also means the cast is almost entirely white – especially frustrating compared to his diversity in The Stormlight Archive , begun just four years later. But that is a real part of speculative fiction's history, so at least you'll get a genuine genre experience. So, what do you do when your people are dying under the shimmering heels of the aristocracy; when you've barely escaped hell on [Scadrial] and finally have the means to fight back? You plan a fun heist, of course! (And socialize at some lavish balls that would put Bridgerton to shame.) Kelsier's Crew, by Katie Payne Heists are great. Recruiting , scouting , planning , improvising when things go wrong and glorying in the clever twist to end it off. Somehow pulling a heist in an oppressive, apocalyptic city with stylish magic against nigh-unbeatable overlords makes this one even better. The crew is excellent, though Vin being the only girl is another annoying reminder of this genre's history. (Thankfully, Sanderson has his eye on this issue as he plans for Mistborn adaptations.) Kelsier is a charismatic leader and mentor to Vin, Breeze and Ham are funny while having hearts of gold, Dockson and Marsh are intelligent and carry a weight of history on their shoulders. Sazed, by Shuravf But Sazed, the lone foreigner in the story whose Terris people are treated somehow worse than the Skaa, is up among the best characters – full stop. Philosophical and resourceful, Sazed's calm and responsibility play a significant role in balancing Kelsier's tendency toward passionate action and in guiding Vin as she enters their world. Into the Mists This book is a triumph of atmospheric worldbuilding and tension, of heart-wrenching moments and of successfully implementing a unique, rigid magic system. I highly recommend you give it a try! Vin at Kredik Shaw, by Evan Monteiro The audiobook is currently included with Spotify Premium, the details of which you can find in my article on getting the most out of that feature ! If you've already ventured into the Cosmere or are curious about what else it has to offer, I've previously written about Dalinar , Transhumanism in the Cosmere , predicting Wind and Truth , explaining Stormlight titles and in reference to recent events . I plan to feature another Cosmere novel, Tress of the Emerald Sea , as an alternate Starting Point in the future – partly since Brandon has also recommended it as the place to begin . Whatever you're reading, enjoy! Until next time <3

Why I write and what I've written What, Why and When I Write (Master List Below) When my Storytelling & Narrative instructor at college – author Kern Carter, check out his work! – introduced our class to the idea of short-form writing on Substack, he asked us to come up with a promise we were making to ourselves and our readers. What, why and when we would write; to help define scope and build trust. This is what I wrote back in October 2023: [My promise] is to share socially significant themes in the media I consume, and critically engage with them through my own experiences and other relevant works. When a reader opens my newsletter/blog, they will find: a) A new perspective on a social issue – perhaps one they were unaware of b) A new great piece of media recommended to them – or analysis that brings back fond memories if they’ve already engaged with it c) Tools with which they can more critically engage with the media they consume. And I hope I've lived up to that, at least in part. 'A new perspective' is a little ambiguous given that I'm often writing about looking at the world through the eyes of different characters and the worlds they inhabit, but I suppose I'll stand by either meaning. But since I'll be pinning this as a place for readers for interested in my work to go, I wanted to offer a 2025 update to the statement informed by my experience of writing for over a year. My Promise I currently write two articles per week, publishing them on Thursday and Sunday evenings on my website, Medium and Substack. In these articles, I reflect on socially significant and/or narratively compelling themes of media: usually books, but occasionally film, TV or music. Occasionally I'll pull the lens back slightly and discuss the experience of engaging with media, with hopes of helping more people pick up these inspiring stories in this age of TikTokification. My reflections on a given text are often in reference to my own experiences, other fiction and/or commentary from other people with knowledge of the field. My goal is to write articles with application to current events, our society, the craft of writing and/or personal growth – so that you can hopefully gain something from reading my work. In my ‘Swift Riffle’ posts I explore a theme or topic (often representation) throughout the speculative fiction I’ve read; looking at the impact and relevance of the theme in multiple works with an eye for any trends that emerge. Of course these are also a place where I hope you might find new stories to enjoy! Likewise, ‘Starting Points’ is a very direct recommendation of a jumping-in book for aspiring and seasoned SFF readers alike. I discuss what I love about the book, why it might be a good fit for you and what expectations you might want to approach it with. I also love to hear from anyone who takes the time to read what I write! If you know of examples for topics I'm writing about, if you noticed something I missed or if you have any recommendations of your own, please send them my way! — Art: Whenever possible, I like to share fan art related to the media I'm writing about. My goal in doing so is to: bring attention to talented artists, offer visual examples of characters and scenarios I'm discussing and to push back against the overwhelming tide of AI slop online. If you're an artist who wants your work removed from one of my posts, please reach out and I'll do so as soon as possible. Art by Francesco Denicolò My Posts Below you can find every piece I've ever published (new posts may take a little time to be added). If you're looking for a specific idea, character, book, author, etc., you can always use the Search function on my website to find any places I've mentioned them. Starting Points Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief Susanna Clarke's Piranesi Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn What is House of Leaves? Part One: The Navidson Record Part Two: Zampanò Part Three: Johnny and Pelafina Seth Dickinson's The Masquerade Part One: Colonization's Porcelain Grin Part Two: Control, Compliance and Rebellion Part Three: Facing the Future Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota Reflections on the CEO Shooting & Themes of Speculative Fiction Choosing Humanity: A Vision of Achievable Utopia Part One: Earth is the Universe Part Two: The Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb Dying Earth and Her Broken God Lyctors & Gender Dysphoria Part One Lyctors & Gender Dysphoria Part Two Einherjar: Commander Wake Gideon & Harrow Explained Tamsyn Muir's Impeccable & Imaginative Style Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive Wisdom from the Edge The Flaw of Predicting (Wind and Truth) Why 'Wind and Truth'? The Stormlight Archive Titles Explained Empathy Can Still Save Us Journey Before Destination [One] Taravangian & Saviours No One Asked For K.J. Parker's The Siege and Other Works K.J. Parker's World of Deadpan Fantasy Core Ideas of K.J. Parker's The Siege Trilogy Core Ideas of K.J. Parker's The Siege Trilogy (Addenda) Trump and K.J. Parker's Sashan Truth Becoming Transhuman Part One: The Cosmere Part Two: Children of Time Part Three: Of Masks and Wolves Lyrical History, Education and The Book of Fire Ghost's Twenties: A Grim Vision of Trumpism Design Your Universe: Think for and Be Yourself Vampires Part One: Ageless & Imminent Part Two: Puzzling Reflections Part Three: Who are We? Part Four: The God of Endings Review & Analysis Part Five: Let the Right One In Review & Analysis Part Six: Midnight Mass Review & Analysis Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch A Book that Redefined Speculative Fiction Who are you, Really? Fractured Identity & Ancillary Justice Swift Riffle Gay Representation in Speculative Fiction Lesbian Representation in Speculative Fiction Neopronouns in Speculative Fiction Non-binary Characters in Speculative Fiction Part One Non-binary Characters in Speculative Fiction Part Two Cozy/Hope-Punk: Heartwarming Tales for Dark Times Lev Grossman's The Magicians Adulthood, Brutally - or, the Brakebillsroman Boundless Possibility: Narnia and The Magicians Short Fiction Class Trip Misc. ADHD Reflections How to Finally Read more Great Books, with ADHD Tranquility in Strength (Thara Celehar) Misc. Philosophical Reflections Loss of Humanity: Gaza and The Poppy War (& the first 'My Promise' statement) The Hidden Message of the Dune Books Obsession's Folly: Pitcher Plant Spotlight & Analysis Sacrifice: Robin Hobb & House of the Dragon A Mind Unburied: Inside Out 2 & Dimension 20 Villains to the Core: Trump and his Fictional Counterparts Cosmic Horror & Corporate Dehumanization in Severance Misc. Writing & Narrative Reflections Perspective, Plot and World: What Makes Great Speculative Fiction? What Makes a Good Read? Footnotes: From Citations to a New Style of Storytelling Lost & Found: Entering New Worlds Gender Bias Eliminated (Mostly) - The Unbroken A Song of Ice and Fire: The Extraordinary Symbolism of the Stag and the Wolf Lessons in Storytelling from Squid Game Season One Elder Race: Clarke's Third Law, Squared Severance Season Two's Faster, Smarter Storytelling The Saint of Bright Doors: Lost in the System Misc. Reading Reflections & Recommendations Audio vs. Physical Books: Reading into Storytelling Traditions Frustrated by a Book? Put it Down, For Now Descent into Madness: A Song of Ice and Fire Audiobooks on Spotify: Details, Tips and Recommendations 5 Phenomenal SFF Stories you can Read in 5 Minutes or Less 4 Engaging Books I'm Thankful for Reading in 2024 Misc. Personal Reflections What am I Doing? Mindfulness & The Hyperion Cantos Live, Laugh, Murderbot Alone in the Tower of Babel (Books of Babel) Looking Back at a Year of 'Prose and Context' Today's AI Must Die With Video/Podcast This is How You Lose the Time War

What Kaladin Stormblessed taught me about my mental health The Storm Returns I was harshly reminded yesterday that improving one's mental health is never a linear journey. I've made a lot of progress in recent months and years towards understanding who I am and how my brain works, and towards becoming more confident at things that have always been uncomfortable for me. But yesterday it just took a few simple factors coming together to make me feel like I'd returned to ground zero; overstimulation and anxiety paralyzing me in the middle of a social gathering just like they would back in high school. But I also know it wasn't actually a total reset, thanks in no small part to reading Kaladin's harrowing journey in Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive . I've written about The Stormlight Archive half a dozen times at this point, most recently in my look at non-binary characters across speculative fiction; I also have a piece explaining the books' titles which might serve as a bit of a recap if you need it! (I'm thinking of making a master list of my posts to improve navigability, but for now you can always search my website to find all my mentions of a book, character, author, etc.) (Kaladin-focused spoilers for the first four Stormlight books below.) Kaladin and Sylphrena, by MyCKs The Immortal Words As I've written about before with Dalinar , Stormlight is as much about its characters' internal struggles as their physical and societal ones. The Knights Radiant essentially gain their magical powers by growing and improving as people, as symbolized by the first words they all must swear: "Life before Death, Strength before Weakness, Journey before Destination." I find these words deeply meaningful, and I'm hardly alone – here's just one thread where readers discuss what they personally take from them . To me they are fundamentally about mindfulness; taking things a step at a time. And speaking of, while I'm sure I'll return to reflecting on the words more in the future, today I want to talk about Kaladin. Sole Survivor I won't go into full detail here: Kaladin's journey through the first five Stormlight novels is long and difficult, to the point of deeply affecting many readers. His main internal journey is with depression, fueled by no small amount of survivor's guilt and reaching back into his childhood when he was vulnerable to seasonal affective disorder during the long weeks of constant rainfall known as ' the Weeping '. Kaladin is a good person, with a strong sense of morality and compassion – a phenotypical fantasy protagonist if you ever saw one. Yet he is consistently met with callous societal injustice, and his attempts to heroically right these wrongs always seem to get the people around him hurt or killed. Things get very, very dark for him as his mental association between heroic action and painful loss grows. Kaladin at Honor Chasm, by Jessi Ochse But Sylphrena, his fairy-like Spren companion, convinces Kaladin to keep fighting. Their growing bond grants him the ability to protect his fellow Bridgemen , to begin training them and take the first steps towards becoming the heroic leader he was meant to be. And if mental health was a linear journey, that would be that; problem solved, character arc complete. No, that's only the first (admittedly very big step) Kaladin takes. His progression as a Knight Radiant requires him to grow in ways that are often uncomfortable: swearing to protect even those he hates, accepting there are those he can't protect and more. It's painful, but he grows as a person and as a hero over the course of the books. There's a moment toward the end of Rhythm of War where Kaladin is in the greatest despair we've seen since he took that first step on his path to wellbeing. His powers have been almost completely stripped from him along with Syl's companionship, the world is completely against him and his attempted heroics have just led to the death of one of his closest friends. He feels exactly like he's back at the beginning; perhaps worse for how pointless all his erstwhile efforts have been. But Kaladin isn't alone; he has done a lot of good and has (very powerful) people in his corner who are able to offer shelter and solace in the storm. He's able to pick himself up once more. "You told me it would get worse. It will, but then it will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you, Kaladin: You will be warm again." Hoid to Kaladin - Brandon Sanderson , Rhythm of War Kaladin, by NovyIsPainting Taken to Heart Ooof, I'd forgotten how hard that quote hits. Obviously everyone's journey is different – I don't think there are any evil gods focused on turning me into their champion, like Kaladin had to deal with – but I think Sanderson did a truly beautiful job of capturing what one person's might look like. I think I was able to bounce back from my experience yesterday a lot faster than I might have, thanks to having experienced Kaladin's story and others like it. Journey before destination. There will be sunshine again. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Wisdom from a sad gay elf for archvillain Elon Musk, ADHDers and everyone "The fundamental weakness of western civilization is empathy." - Elon Musk When I wrote a month ago that Empathy Can Still Save Us , I naively believed that no one would stoop so low as to actually demonize the concept in and of itself. But here we are, facing down some absolutely evil villains as they do their best to strip the US Government and sell it for parts. Empathy needs to go both ways if it's going to get us anywhere, but Musk is making it clear that that won't happen anytime soon. I don't know what the answer is. As I wrote back in December , Luigi Mangione offered us all a look at one potential solution. That action mirrored the philosophy of Sniper, a fascinating character from Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota : Assassins are always evil and despised (even when our effects are good, we’re still a bad means to a good end) until tyrants crop up. Then suddenly assassins are heroes, lifelines; suddenly we alone have the power to save the world without a revolution and the destruction revolutions bring. – Ada Palmer , Seven Surrenders It's frankly difficult for me to see a middle road right now. Speculative fiction is littered with violent revolutions; the few exceptions I can think of rely heavily on empathy and appeals to shared 'humanity'. But I'm also growing to understand that my ADHD often leads me to dichotomous thinking, so I look forward to having my eyes opened! This week I was re-listening to Katherine Addison's The Witness for the Dead and was struck by a poignant moment of reflection experienced by the book's protagonist. Is it a world-saving insight for us? Probably not, but I love this series and character and wanted to talk a bit about it. ( The Tomb of Dragons comes out March 11, so now's the perfect time to get into the series!) The Cemeteries of Amalo Series by Katherine Addison Steadfast Devotion I mentioned Thara Celehar very briefly in my recent look at the ' Cozy/Hope-Punk ' genre; he was a side character in Addison's The Goblin Emperor before getting his own series. These books are an ingenious weaving of heartfelt, personal stories with worldbuilding to rival Tolkien – I'll do my best not to get lost in the linguistic tapestry Addison has crafted. Celehar is an elven priest of Ulis : god of death, the moon, dreams, rebirth, and the wronged. He is a rare Witness for the Dead, having the gift to commune with the souls of the deceased and get a sense of their final moments. The books see him using this ability to help find justice for the less dead ; victims otherwise overlooked by society. Of course, Addison established with some dark humour that Celehar is far more often called upon to locate and/or disambiguate the deceased's will, by family members eager for inheritance. Thara Celehar, by Oakantony Celehar's calling makes many people uneasy around him; he is quiet, thinks of himself as socially awkward and says he prefers talking to the dead over the living anyway. Witness for the Dead establishes that he is remarkably capable with every part of his role: withstanding and quieting the supernatural dead, acting as a therapist for the living and communing with hundreds of spirits in a day. He has witnessed utter horror (sometimes many times over) and remains steadfast. Celehar is also gay in a society that looks harshly on homosexuality – especially among priests. His tragic backstory, in which he chose his faith over the life of his lover, hangs over him both internally and through the gossip that follows him. Between his calling and his sexuality, Celehar is used to being a pariah and pushed around by priests of similar or higher rank. There are many who care for him too, and he is truly passionate for his calling, but the abuse still weighs heavily on him. Thara Celehar, by Calastrophe Subjected to a divine ordeal to prove his innocence before the public, Celehar reflects on the relationship between power and conduct: I found I was saying an old Ulineise prayer under my breath, a prayer that asked for quiet—for peace and for silence—and itself twisted and turned around the line strength in tranquility and tranquility in strength . I’d always understood “ strength in tranquility” and taken “tranquility in strength” to mean that if one was strong, one could make the tranquility one needed. But now, twisting and turning through the corn maze, I began to see it differently, that “tranquility in strength” meant having the strength to keep one’s tranquility of mind, no matter what the world brought. It meant being tranquil—peaceful—even when one was strong, not bullying or picking fights. It meant, I thought with a flash of asperity, not being irritated with one’s prelates for things they had not done and could not help. - Katherine Addison , The Witness for the Dead I appreciate that Addison included Celehar's initial interpretation as context for the growth of understanding he's experiencing in this moment. That first impulse, the idea that with enough strength one can enforce peace, feels deeply relevant to the world around us. Every nation, corporation and leader wants to impose their will upon the world – but Musk really exemplifies them all, burning all around him to accrue as much money and as many offspring as possible. Contrast that with Celehar's new understanding of tranquility in strength; being strong enough to show compassion and respect even – especially – when more powerful . Is that ultimately just another way of saying empathy? Maybe, but I think it also says something about how we conduct ourselves. Pick an adage and it fits: happiness comes from within, be the change you want to see in the world, love your neighbour, etc. Thara Celehar feeding stray cats, by ace-artemis-fanartist Assuaging Guilt Of course, Celehar's internal realization about the nature of power can't change the ways of the people around him. But he can finally recognize their mistreatment for what it is , after spending so long guiltily questioning himself and his faith. He knows that he is doing his best helping the living and the dead alike; while the guilt from his traumatic past won't disappear, he can be more mindful about how he lets that affect the here and now. That's certainly been a hard lesson for me to learn over the last couple years. Hyper-fixation makes it so easy to take on guilt for things I couldn't have known or controlled. But sometimes we just have to recognize that we can only truly help ourselves; to find our tranquility in strength. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

How form & content unite in two chapters from Vajra Chandrasekera's self-reflective novel Mimesis I've always been fascinated by moments in books and other media where the way the story is being told mirrors or emphasizes its content or message. It's hard to find a perfect term for this idea in books and film; mimesis is the best the internet could offer me. Video games actually have their own term: ludonarrative describes the relationship between a game's story as it is told to the player and the story the player experiences through actual gameplay. If two 'Game of Thrones'-licensed video games use the same cutscenes and dialogue but one uses slot machine mechanics and another is a political real-time strategy game, one will clearly have stronger ludonarrative than the other. Video games must constantly think about the relationship between form and content, meaning dissonance between the two will be remarked upon far more often than harmony. The same isn't particularly true for other media, where giving attention to this relationship is rare. Purposefully creating dissonance would probably just come off as bad writing/editing/directing; imagine a deeply heartfelt moment in a film edited with the velocity of an action scene – it's nonsense. Therefore when I write about mimesis you can assume I'm talking about positive relationships between form and content, where they support and strengthen each other. House of Leaves ' warped text layout is a strong example of this, sharing the characters' discomfort and difficulty traversing the House with the reader as they work through the book. Another classic example is Moby Dick , where narrative progress is routinely paused for long (non-fiction) chapters about whale anatomy, whale painting, whale hunting, etc. in order to mirror the feeling of a long sea voyage . The Saint of Bright Doors , by Vajra Chandrasekera The Saint of Bright Doors The Saint of Bright Doors is a fascinating novel following the life of Fetter, who was fathered by the godlike cult leader Perfect and Kind, mothered and raised by Mother-of-Glory and expected to kill them both: The Five Unforgivables are, in order of severity, matricide; heresy leading to factionalism; the sancticide of votaries who have reached the fourth level of awakening; patricide; and the assassination of the Perfect and Kind . By definition, they cannot be forgiven and cannot be redeemed. That means that if you commit any one of them, the cult will hunt you for the rest of your life, and make your name a curse for generations to come. Your mission is to commit them all . Your father abandoned us. We were unchosen, cast out of his eschatology. We are going to destroy your father’s cult and salt the earth where it falls. - Vajra Chandrasekera , The Saint of Bright Doors Adult Fetter ultimately finds himself in the city of Luriat and attending a support group for fellow 'unchosen': chosen ones of various religions and traditions who were either cast out or escaped before fulfilling their calling. It's a wonderful concept, and Chandrasekera doesn't shy away from exploring the various traumas the unchosen have experienced. Fetter, torn of his shadow and trained over years for a single violent purpose, finds he is truly unremarkable in the context of this group and takes comfort in the solidarity their meetings provide. But back to mimesis. This whole novel reminds me a little of Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream , where the writing and pacing evoke an unreal, nightmarish experience for the reader mirroring the character's experience. The Saint of Bright Doors places the reader very much in Fetter's perspective and closely mirrors his experiences. When Fetter is sick or despondent and unaware of the world around him, so are we. When he is alert and interested, we get details of and reflection on events. There’s actually a great reason for this too; but I won’t spoil the ending today. Instead, let’s follow Fetter to prison. At one point the story finds Fetter attempting to return to Luriat after visiting home. He is at one of his lowest points, and so pays little heed to the fact that the city is on high alert for travelers due to an ongoing plague.  He’s stopped at the train station, can’t provide his papers and barely responds to questioning. And just like that, he is consigned to the system. Still highly despondent, he vaguely believes that it will all be sorted out while reacting very little. His first two jails pass by quickly - though not without their own eerie moments - before he finds himself being led through the gate of a large prison camp. Fetter bears strong narrative and physical resemblance to a certain figure The Prison Fetter is assigned a district while entering, but he "clutches at and immediately loses" its number, so decides to simply pick a direction and start walking: The prison camp is at least as enormous as Fetter assumed it could not possibly be. He has no idea how deep it goes. He seems to have entered an entire town with its own neighbourhoods and a grid of roads that grows more haphazard the further he walks. He travels for weeks , working for food and shelter where he can and confident that the outer fence of the prison will surely be just a little further. It isn't. This prison camp is far larger than the city itself, made up of thousands of neighbourhoods with their own makeshift governments and economies. Guard stations become less and less common the further Fetter walks; mail and summons to court are unheard of in distant districts. Eventually long stretches of emptiness divide the districts, only connected by dirt trails. My favourite scene of the novel sees Fetter reach a tiny district in a marshy land. He encounters a familiar face from the city, who earnestly believes he and his sister are simply traveling home and has no concept of the prison that supposedly surrounds them. Is it possible the walls went up around him, or has he forgotten his incarceration? The book doesn't answer, because just as Fetter begins to wake up to this bizarre world a guard arrives on a motorcycle with a summons for him. It turns out this was his assigned district. Closest Districts of the Prison, art by Philip V. While hardly essential to the book’s plot, these two chapters stood out for how powerfully they capture the feeling of being washed away and lost in an alien environment, at the mercy of forces beyond your control . The system forces Fetter to simply survive, giving him no time or capacity to question the dream-like illogic of his situation. For a time he joins the rest of the prison population in apparent non-existence, utterly lost in a system that otherwise places great care in categorizing its citizens. By uniting the framing of Fetter's perspective with a surreal setting and elusive plot, Chandrasekera achieves a mimesis that captures a real feeling of powerlessness and disorientation. Many people will seemingly live and die within this endless, apathetic prison and might even forget their circumstances – just as they do in the oppressive systems of our own world. Set Free Of course (un)chosen Fetter is the exception to the rule, however much he might crave to truly disappear. His release is only secured because his father, the Perfect and Kind, has summoned him. This is another small point of mimesis, the plot employing an unavoidable call to adventure to reign in its reluctant protagonist. There's much more to reflect on in this book. The perspective mirroring Fetter's mood is similar to how the world around him is revealed to have been shaped by his father's whims. Fetter and the other unchosen are all reflections of the groups that produced them; their hopes, fears and dreams. The Saint of Bright Doors has a lot to say about identity, existence and so much more. Consider giving it a read! Thanks for joining me for this little fever dream, until next time <3

"We all create stories to protect ourselves." – Johnny Inside a Dead Man's Trunk Welcome back to my series looking at Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves . If you missed them or want a refresher, here's Part I: The Navidson Record and Part II: Zampanò . For a highly simplified recap: a blind man named Zampanò wrote a chaotic academic manuscript summarizing and analyzing The Navidson Record , a documentary/found-footage film about the Navidson-Green family and their eldritch new home. You may be a little confused as to why I've made such a big deal about The Navidson Record not existing; this is fiction, of course it doesn't exist in our world! But remember, we're looking at layers upon layers of subjective reality here. What's important is that The Navidson Record doesn't exist in Zampanò's world, which he happens to share with a young man named Johnny Truant – our third narrator for this tale. I should mention here that House of Leaves uses different fonts for its narrators, so that the reader can distinguish text written by Zampanò (Times New Roman), Johnny (Courier), Pelafina (Dante or Kennerley), The Editors (Bookman), and for very brief sections by Will, Tom and Karen. This mainly functions to separate Zampanò's academic writing from Johnny's rambling and editing visually, but also serves as yet another source of mystery when it comes to which fonts the various extra content is written in. Johnny and his friend Lude find Zampanò's manuscript in his boarded up apartment, not long after the elderly man's death. While Lude dismisses the trunk filled with manic scribblings, Johnny feels the need to take a closer look. Like his predecessors, he seems to have a hole in his life that he believes might be repaired if he can only solve this puzzle. That, and he genuinely doesn't want to see Zampanò's apparent life's work go to waste. It's Johnny (and later The Editors he sends the House of Leaves manuscript to) who must discover and deal with the fact that The Navidson Record and many of its associated articles don't exist. Johnny Truant, by spiderziege "This is Not For You" These are the first words of Johnny's you read in the book, and brilliantly take the place of a dedication for House of Leaves . The meaning has been debated for twenty-five years, but on the most basic level it demonstrates that neither the book or Johnny are going to be particularly friendly to the reader. Johnny takes it upon himself to turn the manuscript into a book, and so is responsible for a great deal of House of Leaves ' structure (including the very strange parts, such as in chapter IX). He also follows Zampanò's example of using footnotes, offering clarity and commentary on the text and his editing choices. Yet his mind also seems to wander in the midst of writing, leading to footnotes spanning multiple pages where Johnny digresses about his life. We learn that Johnny works in a tattoo parlour, parties with Lude, has a crush on a dancer named Thumper, is a habitual liar and had a troubled childhood in foster care after his mother was institutionalized. He writes about his progress with the text itself; research he is conducting and contacts he has found. Johnny Truant Footnote Roulette, by dzsverycoolart3 We also watch Johnny's life degrade around him as he spends more and more time and energy on House of Leaves . His hygiene, sleep and diet are replaced by substance abuse, lost time and hallucinations of the Minotaur coming to kill him. At certain points his narration rivals The Navidson Record for which is the more alien tale; at others events in his life seem to perfectly echo events in the film (quite possibly he's finding prompts for his unreliable narration). That's Johnny! Some readers say they fully skip his rambling, others say it's essential in tying the whole book together. I lean towards the latter, partly for the text's own merits and partly because of the greater context of The Whalestoe Letters. Cover of The Whalestoe Letters by Mark Z. Danielewski Pelafina Included in House of Leaves and also published separately with added material are The Whalestoe Letters , written to Johnny by his mother Pelafina during her time at the Three Attic Whalestoe Institute. The letters themselves are a heartbreaking chronicle of a woman who can't trust her own mind, reaching out over the course of years to a son suffering in foster care. Her journey of ups and downs – sending Johnny her love, begging his forgiveness, accusing him of ignoring her – is just the first layer. One of the letters, January 3 1988 The second layer of the letters are all the hidden messages Pelafina has included in efforts to bypass the eyes of the Institute's Director. These also range in their tone and content, from trying to signal Johnny to use the codes as well to accusing the Institute staff of sexually assaulting her. Perhaps the strangest one readers have found is the message below: Encoded message "My dear Zampanò, who did you lose?" And that's a hint at the third layer. How does Pelafina know Zampanò, given this letter predates Johnny discovering the trunk by years? One theory (with evidence for and against) holds that Pelafina wrote the entire book after losing Johnny in infancy. Another posits that Zampanò is Johnny's father – after all, he wrote nine months before Johnny's birth that he would create a son to live in the margins of his work (as Johnny does with his footnotes). And many more besides. I doubt every secret in The Whalestoe Letters has been found, and every hint has the potential to alter our understanding of the various narrative layers in the book. The Ending I left the first Part of this series without addressing the ending of The Navidson Record , so here it is. Navidson has traveled further into the darkness of the House than the size of the Earth should allow; is now stuck, faced with absolute darkness. He pulls out his only remaining source of light, a matchbook, and his only remaining source of fuel: a copy of House of Leaves . He burns it, savoring the last moments of light and life he will ever get – simultaneously burning the dark obsession of all four narrators in a moment of catharsis. At the same moment, having resolved their family and bond is worth fighting for, his partner Karen enters the House for the first time. She finds him immediately. After all, what else is there? He's let go of the darkness, and she's forgiven him for it. How does the book itself show up in the innermost, most fictional narrative layer? Great question! It's technically possible Zampanò could have guessed the title his successor would give the manuscript, but he also gets the book's exact page count correct. What the hell is real and what isn't? Johnny Truant's descent into madness, by ryn7285 What is House of Leaves ? And… do you see the terrifying beauty of this book? Like a fractal it is effectively infinitely complex; you could spend your life studying it and continually feel like you were making progress toward some greater understanding. House of Leaves  implants within the reader a trace of the very same obsession they have just witnessed in Navidson, Zampanò, Johnny and Pelafina alike. The reader gets to decide for themself how long and how passionately to follow that interest.  And when they’re done, I believe their experience with House of Leaves will improve them as a person. It’s a concrete example of a danger they’ve experienced through the text and personally walked away from. It’s a practice run at quitting an addiction, at avoiding spiralling thought patterns, at getting out of a bad situation.  That's my answer, for now, to what House of Leaves is. Yet I still feel the pull to look deeper – much stronger since finding out yesterday that Mark Z. Danielewski has released screenplays for a House of Leaves TV show , which (of course) raise exponentially more confusion about what and who is real in this story. (For instance, the script establishes that Danielewski himself is a fraud, while The Navidson Record is absolute fact.) With all we've been through in the past month, don't we deserve the cultural insanity that would stem from House of Leaves becoming mainstream? Let's get this TV show made folks. Fin I'm someone who has a tough time fully closing doors on things, so I won't promise that this is all I'll ever write about House of Leaves . Maybe I'll lose myself in theories about the Minotaur, or in interpreting the screenplays, and come back with a Part IV. More likely I'll reread the book and choose a motif or two to focus in on because there are many fascinating themes to discuss here – as well proven by Zampanò's own lengthy writing. This book is labyrinthine and abyssal, hilarious and heartfelt. I hope I've managed to impart some small sense of that to you. For one last time I'll encourage you to try it for yourself on a rainy day. If you do, I'd love to hear about your experience with it! Thanks for reading and until next time <3

My dear Zampanò , who did you lose? Narrative Layers Welcome back to my series attempting to answer the question: What is House of Leaves ? If you missed it, here's Part 1: The Navidson Record , where I introduced the centermost narrative in the book. Today I'll be ascending to the next narrative layer, that of The Navidson Record 's imaginator and critic: Zampanò. There will be spoilers , though again I'll do my best not to ruin the experience for any prospective readers. (For another narrative layer, the album above is by author Mark Z. Danielewski's sister Poe, and itself references House of Leaves .) To recap: The Navidson Record is a film created by Will Navidson, apparently out of real footage of himself, his family and his new House on Ash Tree Lane. Its release followed two previous, incomplete recordings of explorations into the House; reactions to which are included in the film, thanks to interviews conducted by Will's partner Karen Green. House of Leaves, by Rhys Wootton Zampanò So to pick back up, Zampanò conjured  The Navidson Record  and dozens of articles about it out of thin air in his creation of the manuscript that would eventually become House of Leaves . If you haven’t read the novel, you probably have a couple quite reasonable questions: who is Zampanò ? What articles? Does it help if I say that I’m asking the exact same questions, even after two complete journeys through this text? Taken at face value, Zampanó’s manuscript is a thoroughly researched analysis of The Navidson Record , including details before, during and after the film’s production and in dis cussion with many articles written about the film in the years since its release. It’s a longer form of the critical analysis essays  I wrote in the upper years of my bachelor’s degree; a much longer and more thorough version of what I write in these posts twice a week. Zampanò was a man in his 80s, who by all accounts had been blind for most of his life. In moments of confusion he would speak different womens’ names, speculated to be past romantic interests. He enjoyed walking in his apartment's small courtyard, accompanied by dozens of stray cats. It remains entirely unclear how the idea for The Navidson Record  and its critique struck him, but it seems unlikely that he inherited it from anyone else (like Johnny later does from Zampanò ); his chaotically scrawled manuscript is entirely his own. I ended the previous post by referring to Navidson’s fixation on the House’s ominous interior as an obsession. We can certainly see a reflection of this in Zampanò ’s manic creation and how he shuts out the world. But uniquely among the three (four?) narrators, we don’t see the genesis of Zampanò ’s obsession beyond a vague implication of it stemming from his age, blindness and potentially the people and relationships he has lost. To me this represents the real dangers of an empty life; the way the mind can begin honing in on random ideas that feel revelatory until you take a step away to find perspective. But I tend to believe Zampanò's manuscript began as a genuine creative endeavour, and only later did he find himself drawn to the same alien darkness that consumes Navidson. At that point, Zampanò seems to have responded in exactly the same as his protagonist: arming himself with scientific and literary reason and analysis to try to make sense of the void. Some of the strangest sections of Zampanò's manuscript involve detailed scientific analysis of the House, both in- and outside the fiction of The Navidson Record : an entire chapter explores the scientific and literary significance of echoes, while another goes into detail on attempts to carbon-date samples collected from the House (the deepest of which seem to predate the formation of our solar system – did I mention I love this book?). Zampanò, by r1gb0n3s An Academic He qualifies his analysis through references to works and insights of other writers, proper for such an academic project and as I discussed back in my footnotes post . But like any manic, sleep-deprived undergraduate writing against a ticking clock, Zampanò plays fast and loose with his sources. Many are completely fabricated, others have real authors, others exist but Zampanò's quotes from them are fake. There is a monstrous number of them, but the internet is full of heroes of all shapes and sizes: four years ago, a redditor shared a list of their research into the veracity of each and every one of Zampanò's references . What's particularly impressive to me is that Danielewski (and Zampanò) manage to weave all of these in so naturally. Every article feels perfectly tangential to the subject at hand, exactly as if you were writing on a new and unique topic but consulting authors in areas that you're bordering against. Just look through the titles and you'll see a vast swathe of the human experience; the breadth of subjects covered is why House of Leaves has been called an ' encyclopedic novel '. But Zampanò's scholarly bent also come across as powerful satire at times. He maintains a strict, academic air while devolving into long, painstaking tangents and while documenting and negotiating disagreements between his invented sources, often over the meaning behind a single frame of the film. But those details remain in the shadow of the simple satirical fact that Zampanò is a blind man writing feverishly about the meaning of a visual medium – which doesn't exist. House of Leaves, by   Yamiyo-no-Kage Ergodic This book has also been called ' ergodic ', meaning difficult to traverse. It's not a matter of vocabulary or font size either: it takes physical and mental work to read this book. House of Leaves may be 736 pages long, but only 528 make up its actual chapters. There is a plethora of appendices and exhibits in the back of the book that you can read and examine whenever you want; the text points you to a few of them at times, but each reader must decide for themselves when and whether to engage with those materials. If you're new to books with fictional footnotes, you must decide whether to pause mid-paragraph or even mid-sentence to see what additional context is being added, or whether to return to them later. House of Leaves in particular offers a dense labyrinth of lengthy and/or nested footnotes, such that you are often expected to read them for multiple pages before trying to find your way back to your spot in the main text. (Not unlike an explorer finding their way home via markers they left along their path.) Some people only ever read the main text, avoiding the footnotes and supplementary materials altogether. Even then their experience is ergodic, simply for how much they end up needing to avoid. And then there's chapter IX. (Warning, the image below may disturb you.) Portions of the page become their own tunnels through the text, carrying rambling footnotes listing equipment, architects, films and more. Text is rotated, formatting lines are everywhere. Can you spot the 'main' text on pages 134 and 135? Photo credit to Lindsey Canesco (Ok you got me, there isn't any on 135.) And to be fair, not all of the ergodic nature of this book is Zampanò's fault. After all, his manuscript ultimately amounts to a pile of miscellaneous papers stuffed into a trunk. It's another character, Johnny Truant, who tasks himself with assembling this into House of Leaves , and who is likely responsible for the alien formatting of so much of the text. You might be sensing a pattern here, as we traverse the narrative layers. Navidson and Zampanò, in whichever order you prefer, both becoming deeply fixated on an unconquerable idea. Will Johnny suffer the same fate? Yes. 1000%. --- I'll try to wrap this up in the next post with Johnny, the Editors and The Whalestoe Letters – but perhaps that will require another split. Thanks for reading and until next time <3

Growing tension in a film, a House and a relationship The House on Ash Tree Lane House of Leaves (2000) by Mark Z. Danielewski is the most unique novel I've ever read; very possibly the most unique novel ever published. It has been described as horror, romance, satire, encyclopedic, ergodic and much else besides. That's truly all I can tell you before my warning: if you want to experience this book for yourself, turn away now. There will be spoilers in these posts; but as usual my goal is to share what's fascinating about the text rather than ruining it for you if you have yet to read it. Still here? Well, the simplest way I can describe House of Leaves is that it is a story ( The Navidson Record ) within a story (Zampanò's writing) within a story (Johnny Truant's & the Editors' writing) within or adjacent to another story ( The Whalestoe Letters ). If that sounds structurally complicated to navigate, you'd be correct! Johnny's and a portion of Zampanò's narratives are told through fictional footnotes added to the 'main' text, while the Letters serve as an Appendix which the reader is pointed toward at a certain point. You may recall that in my post about audiobooks , I said adapting House of Leaves would be impossible – believe it or not, this is only half of the reason. I'll be approaching House of Leaves ' narrative layers by starting from the simplest and working toward most obscure by the end of the following post. So without further ado, let's talk about a movie that exists even less than you might expect. House of Leaves The Navidson Record The Navidson Record is presented as either found-footage horror fiction or as a genuine documentary, following the lives of Karen Green, Will Navidson and their children Chad and Daisy in the months after they move into the titular House on Ash Tree Lane (every instance of 'House' in the book is printed in blue text; I'll have to settle for capitalizing it here). Navidson is a fictionalized version of photojournalist Kevin Carter , known for and haunted by his prize-winning photograph of 'The Vulture and the Little Girl .' Karen & Will have moved into the House in hopes of allowing their relationship to heal, following Will's many long and stressful absences for work. He sets up cameras throughout the House "[hunting] for moments, pearls of the particular, an unexpected phone call, a burst of laughter, or some snippet of conversation which might elicit from us an emotional spark and perhaps even a bit of human understanding." It's clear that Navidson is used to navigating life from behind a camera and solving problems through it, and is attempting to do the same for his relationship with his family. Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect. Upon returning home one day, the family discovers that two doors bookending a short hallway have appeared on the upper floor of their home, somehow undetected by the motion-sensing cameras. Navidson's immediate fixation on this development is amplified when he discovers that, impossibly, the width of the House measured through this new hallway consistently exceeds the external width of the House by a quarter inch. Polaroids of the House on Ash Tree Lane (pg. 572) This is only the warm-up act to a story rife with strangeness, which sees Navidson call in first his brother then multiple veteran explorers to investigate the growing liminal space within the House: dark hallways, grand halls, a strange staircase and perhaps, just out of sight, a Minotaur (all references to the mythology of which are red in the book) roaming this alien labyrinth. Navidson wants once again for this to be a problem he can solve with his camera: to capture, encapsulate and understand it. But (other than the first and last Explorations) he gives into Karen's pleas to let someone else – explorers Holloway, Jed and Wax – take on the actual legwork. After all, Karen's attempt to reconnect with her partner has once again been overtaken by his devotion to his work; this time literally within their own home. But she simply can't get through to him, and must eventually escape with the kids. A fan-made version of "Exploration A" The film includes some interviews Karen conducts related to two early-released segments showing explorations of the House. This one seeks to explain Navidson's fixation: "Notice only men go into it. Why? Simple: women don’t have to. They know there’s nothing there and can live with that knowledge, but men must find out for sure. They’re haunted by that infinite hollow and its sense-making allure, and so they crave it, desire it, desire its end, its knowledge, its—to use here a Strangelove-ian phrase—its essence. They must penetrate, invade, conquer, destroy, inhabit, impregnate and if necessary even be consumed by It." As you'll see in the following post, all of these in-text interpretations are meant to be taken with a grain of salt: Danielewski is clearly having a lot of fun both engaging with and heavily satirizing critical analysis. Nonetheless, I think this is as close as the book gets to spelling out Navidson's need to categorize and understand the mystery in front of him, in spite of the much more concrete needs of his family around him. Exploration #3 , by Adrián de la Cruz The Explorations also seem to prove this idea, by constantly adding fuel in the form of new oddities to the fire of Navidson's interest. The space proves to be dynamic, both spatially and in response to the perception of its occupants: As Jed and Wax resume their climb back up the spiral Staircase, they discover every neon marker they left behind has been torn apart. Furthermore the higher they get, the more the markers have been devoured. Around this time, Jed also begins to notice how more than a few of his buttons have vanished. Strips of velcro have fallen off his parka, shoe laces have shredded forcing him to bind his boots together with duck tape. Amazingly enough, even his pack frame has “crumbled”—the word Jed uses. “It’s kind of scary” Wax mutters in the middle of a long ramble. “ Like you stop thinking about something and it vanishes . You forget you have pocket zippers and pow they’re gone. Don’t take nothing for granted here.” But the fates of the explorers and their struggle against the maddening, interminable darkness I must leave for you to discover yourself, if you so choose. I can promise it is eerie, fascinating and quite profound. If you want slightly more spoilers, the incredible video essayist Jacob Geller recently covered one deeply resonant moment from House of Leaves (and a couple parallels) in his piece " Fear of Dark ". A Book About a Film I'll wait to discuss the end of The Navidson Record until after we've checked in on the footnotes and annotations of Zampanò and Johnny Truant. That might sound a little strange; why pause watching Nosferatu to listen to some critic? But, well, it turns out that the entirety of The Navidson Record and the vast wealth of critical pieces written about it were concocted whole cloth by an old man named Zampanò. Especially impressive, perhaps, because for all the visual detail and focus on pictures and cameras in his recounting and discussion of the film... Zampanò is also blind. What is House of Leaves ? Navidson's fixation is a big part of it, but not the whole. I've so far avoided using the word 'obsession', but it moves the needle a little closer. Come back next time as we delve deeper into this bizarre masterpiece! Thanks for reading <3