"'Othello listening to Iago? Dumb as hell. I would never do that,' says a person who watches insanely toxic relationship advice videos on the internet." this essay is great

just finished THE NOH MASK MURDER by Akimitsu Takagi (translated by Jesse Kirkwood) and i don't remember the last time a book hit me this hard. a genuine classic that brought me to tears.

ICYMI

in the hospital for a blood clot near my liver. i’m ok. take care of yourselves, friends.

working on a heartbreaking Pokémon story tentatively called “Flowers for Dragalge,” narrated by a Charmander who takes an experimental medicine that evolves it all the way to Charizard before failing and devolving back to Charmander again

maybe this time, he says, on the 6th repair of the espresso machine

one of Humble Bundle's offerings this month is 18 Maigret books by Georges Simenon, which is awesome.

i'm thinking about doing a live reading of Nuzzi's entire book and selling tickets to raise funds for a charity that teaches kids not to read

link only, because the art's got an explicit tag in defiance of reason. The Neon Church #14, "Yourself," a story about thankless jobs, alienation, depression, parasitizing loneliness, practicing sounding like the old you, and none of it is metaphorical. theneon.church/issues/14-yo...

My new story, #14 from THE NEON CHURCH: "Yourself." "It takes practice. But you have to learn to sound like yourself." --- A story about memories, cabinets, thankless jobs, imposters, the body horror of performance, and bosses that don't listen because of unidirectional ear wires.

Finished @older.bsky.social 's POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES last night. It was very good, changing the rules before the series codifies a formula. I appreciated the clear-eyed portrayal of a 2nd party confronting a partner's "melancholy" with an open heart, as a melancholic myself.

Always a good day for new Brian Evenson

nothing will keep me up, vigilant for november tornadoes, like listening to the wind as the temperature drops 50 degrees overnight

this was unintentional

My wife/bff @jeanschwab.bsky.social is crocheting a character from my WIP. This is both inspiring and incomprehensibly terrifying.

Just 6 days from the release of my new short story collection, TO WONDER AND STARSHINE, publishing via Trepidato! This is a charmer, filled with warm-hearted #fantasy and #scifi tales, from alternate realms to Appalachia to the galaxy! Order from your favorite bookseller. #books #newbooks

800 new words in the novel project this morning. It feels good to get back to the routine.

Finished THE LADY KILLER, Masako Togawa's 1963 mystery novel last night. It's sharply drawn with a unique structure, and surprised even a jaded reader like me. Also Togawa herself led a life as fascinating as her fiction: "singer/songwriter, actress, feminist, novelist, lesbian icon."

“I’m making a pirate AI. His personality is based on Jack Sparrow from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, and Jack Sparrow from DEAD MAN’S CHEST.”

People desperate to get to the wallet inspector’s before it closes, as all their push notifications from the wallet inspectors count down until the end of the early adopter bonus

Thinking about where educators & colleges are getting this pervasive idea that AI is inevitable and we have to jump on board or get left behind. For the record, I don’t think that’s true. That message is coming from the companies making & selling the tech. That should be a red flag to slow down.

For the first time in 2 years, Ava’s tests are clear. When her dad told me I was so relieved I cried. Today he told me NMDP has already identified matches through Ava’s drives. Thank you, everyone, so much, for everything.

Ten writers by whom you've read more than 5 books: 1. Guy Gavriel Kay 2. Oscar Wilde (I'm counting plays) 3. Brandon Sanderson 4. Robert Jordan 5. NK Jemisin 6. Ursula Le Guin 7. Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis 8. CJ Cherryh 9. Clarence E Mulford 10. Robin Hobb

1. Tanith Lee 2. Rachel Pollack 3. Diana Wynne Jones 4. Ursula LeGuin 5. T Kingfisher 6. Victoria Goddard 7. Antonia Forest 8. Margaret Mahy 9. Terry Pratchett 10. Martha Wells

Ten writers by whom you’ve read more than 5 books: 1. NK Jemisen 2. Anne McCaffery 3. Andre Norton 4. Kelley Armstrong 5. Elizabeth Moon 6. Octavia Butler 7. Louise Cooper 8. Tad Williams 9. Greg Keyes 10. Mike Jefferies

Ten writers by whom you're read more than 5 books: 1. T. Kingfisher 2. . Seanan McGuire 3. Adrian Tchaikovsky 4. Terry Pratchett 5. N. K. Jemisin 6. Martha Wells 7. C. L. Polk 8. Guy Gavriel Kay 9. Naomi Novak 10. Nghi Vo

Ten writers by whom you’ve read more than 5 books: (every time one of these comes up my brain decides "am eepy, how read, what is book) Tanith Lee T Kingfisher Premee Mohamed Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire Terry Pratchett Alan Dean Foster Ursula Le Guin Sheri S Tepper C J Cherryh Isaac Asimov

in no particular order: 1. Stephen King 2. Aaron Allston 3. T. Kingfisher 4. Naomi Novik 5. Anne McCaffrey 6. NK Jemisin 7. Brandon Sanderson 8. Robert Jordan 9. Leigh Bardugo 10. Holly Black

Ten writers from whom you’ve read 5 or more books: 1. Brandon Sanderson 2. James S.A. Corey 3. Jim Butcher 4. Martha Wells 5. Erik Larson 6. Malka Older 7. John Scalzi 8. N.K. Jemisin 9. China Miéville 10. Anderzej Sapkowski

Ten writers by whom you’ve read more than 5 books: 1. Keigo Higashino 2. Martha Wells 3. Jeff Vandermeer 4. Jo Nesbø 5. Jason Pargin 6. Malka Older 7. Seishi Yokomizo 8. Dan Abnett 9. Stephen King 10. P. Djèlí Clark

This exquisite @badhandbooks.bsky.social edition is the third time this collection of mine has been reprinted, so somebody must like it. Maybe you will, too! Pre-order today!

Issue 13, "A Leash Pulls," out now via @buttondown.com. You can read it at the website and subscribe, too. This is the first story featuring a character I fleshed out with @storyenginedeck.bsky.social, and I look forward to writing more in the world of BURY MY HEART IN THE DARK OF THE WOOD.

THE NEON CHURCH Issue #12 "The Hart" is out! "It emerges from the brush. It pushes itself on one—frond—or, or stomach-foot. The thing stops at the shadow of the treeline. The rabbit’s fur bristles. The air, empty of the starlings’ stupid back-and-forth, holds only the sour oil of his fear."

Support this fantastic arts and literature magazine by creative people. Also—I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH INSIDE!

It's here! It's ON. Reckoning 9, our guidebook to the ongoing global collapse, is underway starting today with cover art by Dante Luiz and editorials by @cgaubrey.bsky.social, @martin65.bsky.social and @priyachand.bsky.social: reckoning.press/reckoning-9/

Not 100% certain the strangers around me appreciate the fact-check if deer vomit. (I was almost certain, but why be _almost_ certain?) 2025's first issue of theneon.church will be out soon, directly inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and how it could have been worse for us.

Before the last issue comes out soon, catch up with previous issues, and subscribe for free: theneon.church/issues/10-a-...

"He walks past the body. He holds his right hand out, palm over it. As if to say, I’m sorry. As if to say, I’ll come back, and do this right. As if to say, You were real, once, but you aren’t here, any more. He doesn’t say anything at all." Issue #11 of THE NEON CHURCH, out now.

Catch up on last month’s issue of THE NEON CHURCH, “A short story.” before this month’s drop. Read it on our newly redone website!

Issue #10 of THE NEON CHURCH is out now, “End of the Road.” “Pash waits in a public place to talk to Walker Tilley for her school project. She’s told a friend her plans. But she doesn’t know Walker, or how he's going to react." Thanks to @buttondown.email for such an excellent platform, as always.