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spire-pod · 8 months

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▲ Audio Drama Recommendations - Week One!

Happy #AudioDramaSunday! Just in time for our first proper newsletter release! We've got a handful of sci-fi shows we'd like to recommend, as well as a full review of our favourite listen of the week to check out! If you'd like to stay updated on our show and see our weekly recs, you can sign up to our newsletter here!

This week, we’re rounding up a handful of other hard sci-fi shows that we’re a fan of. If you like Spire, odds are, you’ll like these guys too!

@station151podcast follows Antartica’s first and only astronomical radio observatory. Great pace, atmosphere and concept. I’ll always eat up AI characters (SPIRE audiences do not interact) and research station astronomy will always have a special place in my heart.

@wirelandranch is cosmic horror at its best. It’s sci-fi in the broadest sense, combining Americana with the psychedelic. Great sound design and certainly immersive. Sometimes I don’t know where I am when I listen to this. That’s good.

Edict Zero is a super unique cyber noir adventure. The sound design is literally crazy, and if you’re a fan of a bangin’ soundtrack (you are, you know it), you will certainly enjoy this. Cinematic, immersive. Slay.

And, our final recommendation is a show I’ve had the pleasure of listening to for the first time this week, @chainofbeing! Read our full review under the cut :))

Chain Of Being is a science fiction, narrative podcast, though honestly, I’d classify it as toeing the line of Weird Fiction, which is the greatest compliment I could give, considering it’s my absolute favourite genre. I will always adore a show that isn’t afraid to take itself to strange, unique places, and Chain Of Being commits one-hundred-percent to its atmosphere. It’s not the kind of show where you can just sit back and listen, it encourages you to meet it at its level, which I’ve found can be rare — especially in an age where most media will spoon feed you information — but very, very welcome.

Conceptually, the show is very strong. I love the combination of high Biblical concepts with hard sci-fi. It creates a deeply immersive atmosphere that you can lose yourself in, while still using just enough cues for a modern audience to enfold themselves in the world without too much separation. Its unique setting makes it stand out in the world of AD, and that’s only improved by the stellar sound design. Especially the first few remastered episodes are so deeply atmospheric and sonically unique, it feels greatly cinematic. The acting is great, and all voices are distinct and well characterised — which is often important in AD, especially one as high-concept as this, when the audience has so much to pay attention to. The writing is also clearly aware of the audience — knowing exactly what to do to engage them, while still respecting that they will do the work to fill in the blanks.

Highly recommend a listen, especially since their second season is in the works. Chain Of Being stands out in the landscape of audio drama as a great show. They’re crowdfunding this month too, so if you’re interested, definitely check out their own page here!

#audio drama #audio drama recommendations #fiction podcast #station 151 #wireland ranch #edict zero #chain of being #chain of being podcast

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lucidreamer-uwu · 2 years

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With You, For You [Featuring the demon brothers]

HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE LATEST SONG BY THE OBEY ME! BOYS, "WITH YOU"??? If you haven't, what are you doing????? LISTEN TO IT NOW IT WILL MAKE YOU MELT! This fic is inspired by the song "With You" by the Obey Me! Boys! Was literally listening to the song on repeat and got emotional over it as I was writing this so I HIGHLY recommend that you listen to the song first then read this while listening to the song ~ Anyway, enjoy!

Genres: Fluffy fluff, smol angst (bc I can't help myself but involve angst in legitimately everything HAHSDHA)

Summary: You come home to a surprise when the brothers sing you a heartfelt song that they themselves made just for you. You were feeling down lately up to the point where they started to worry, so they wanted to make you smile.

The lights of the House of Lamentation was dimmer than usual, yet the atmosphere felt calm and serene. It was contrast to its usual state. You had just come back from getting groceries for the week since it was your turn to go.

After making a quick stop to the kitchen to unload the bags of grocery items, you curiously explore the house, trying to find anyone really. It was suspicious enough that it was too quiet, but why was Beel not in the kitchen at this time? It's his usual schedule to be there by now, but he wasn't.

As you walk the halls, you start to hear a faint melody when you neared the living room.

*"With You" starts playing*

A piano note starts to play. Is that Belphie's voice? You ask yourself when you heard mellow singing. It was followed by Asmo's silky smooth voice, then Levi's low-modulated one came afterwards. You were confused, but you followed their singing until you find yourself face to face with all the brothers dressed up in suits and holding each their own wireless microphones as background music played from out of nowhere.

You sensed magic in the air. It wasn't the same magic that you usually feel around the house or the whole of Devildom, it was more subtle and delicate. It felt like love. Pure love.

"With you" The pause made your heart race. "My love forever..." They sing in harmony, synchronizing their tunes to blend in an augmented rhythm. Music danced along with the brothers' voices, reinforcing their charisma.

As they continued to sing the chorus of the unfamiliar, but heartfelt song, a pang in your heart made your chest throb as you heard the brothers sing in front of you, their eyes, all fixated on you alone. You've never seen them wear such serious faces before. What's going on?

Mammon, despite the inconsistent eye contact he held with you, had a light tint of red across his face. Nevertheless, he seemed sincere with his singing. Satan, for the first time ever, did not have a cynical smile plastered on his face. He looked vulnerable and genuinely seemed like he meant every word that came out of his mouth. Beel's smile lit up the whole place, outshining any other light that emerged from the sides of the dimmed room. Lucifer sang with such grace, it was enough to make you weak in the knees. Asmo was always emotional and now wasn't an exception, but the soft look in his eyes made his smile glow in a way you've never seen before. You knew Levi had a great voice, but you never knew that one day you'd be able to hear him sing YOU a song without stuttering or backing out. And Belphie was giving the performance his best, wholeheartedly smiling with utmost affection he made clear and obvious for you.

Their voices converge once more, bringing the music they made together more influence, causing you to sway.

"With you. My love forever..."

It suddenly became hard to swallow, as if you were trying to ingest a large pebble down your throat. You felt your hands grow cold as you clasped them together close to your chest. The familiar feeling of tears that welled up behind your eyes emerged from its sides, threatening to fall.

You don't know what was happening right now or why the brothers were doing this for you, but every second of this moment was meant to be savored. You would remember this day, this moment, for the rest of your life, and for all of time. You were sure of it. This magical moment was more than just a dream.

Belphie and Asmo approaches you as they sing, taking your hand and leading you to the center of the room to stand in the middle of everybody. You were within the brothers' close range, and it made your face heat up immensely despite your glossy, teary eyes.

As they each sing a line for you, they came close to say it to your face to show their sincerity. Your tears had long fallen from your eyes, and each time they did, one of the brothers would wipe them away, caressing your face in the process.

*"With You" stops playing*

The song ends in a satisfying note and you were left to look anywhere but at them. How could you face them in the state you were currently in? You couldn't.

"O-oi-!" Mammon stutters. You could practically feel the way he was just as flustered as you were. "Whaddya think you're doing, human?" He'd try to play it off cool. "Oooh~! Do you like our little surprise for you, my dear MC~?" Asmo, hugs you, reverting back to his usual self.

Before you could even think of what to say in your speechless state, Lucifer strokes your head. "Did you like it, MC?" He'd ask, and all you could do was nod with more tears welling from your glassy eyes.

In the moment of everything, you were finally able to muster up a few words to ask what this was all about.

"We hear you cry in your room late in the night, MC" Satan points out. Wait what...? Your face heats up for a whole different reason now.

"Yeah, and we didn't wanna be a bother by asking you about it" Belphie yawns, leaning on you. This makes Mammon scowl at his brother, wanting to shove him off of you. But this time he held himself back for your sake.

Hold on. They hear you cry at night? Talk about embarrassing?! You totally thought no one could hear you! You became bashful and everyone could tell.

"Is it because of what the students keep talking about at RAD?" Beel confronts, straightforwardly, earning an unamused face from Levi. "Way to start, Beel" he says, sarcastically.

The students at RAD didn't have anything against you personally, some of them even liked and looked up to you, but they all had one thing in their minds. That the brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos, the angels, and even Solomon, were only all over you because of the exchange program. Once you were finished with it, they couldn't care less of what you were getting yourself into. Those thoughts that they shared gradually crept up on you and consumed your head.

It was silent for a moment. Mostly because Beel got it right down to the letter. So you kept your head low, and your finger intertwined with each other. You felt ashamed to doubt the friendship you shared with everyone, but your insecurities got the better of you.

"W-well" Mammon was first to break the silence. Everyone's attention was now on him, including yours. "You're stupid to believe them ya know" he says.

"What...?" You whisper.

Lucifer smiles at Mammon briefly, then to you. "Mammon's right. You are an important part of our lives, MC. Nothing can change that. The student exchange program might have started our relationships with you, but it most certainly won't end it."

You could feel yourself about to break into tears once more, so you cover your eyes with your arm and managed a "thank you" in between hiccups.

"Is that why you all looked so serious just now?" You ask once you've wiped most of the tears away and compose yourself.

"Well, it was Levi's idea" Belphie says. Levi on the other hand starts to panic, eager to find someone else to put in the spot light. "Y-y-yeah, but Mammon did most of the work-!"

"H-ha?! I-it's not like I did much-!" Mammon, blushes as well. "P-Plus! Beel's the one who carried us throughout the song!"

Beel tilts his head at his older brother, then points to Asmo. "I think Asmo made the song better though"

"Oooh~ I know I was the most stunning and everything but did you all see how cute Belphie was when he sang so eagerly~?"

Belphie pouts, slightly embarrassed and looking to the side. "Why me? Satan's the one who was singing with his whole entire existence being poured out..."

Satan pulls a face similar to Belphie's and shuts his eyes, arms crossed. "Go blame Lucifer for that. He was trying to upstage us all and I wasn't about to lose to him"

"I take it that was a compliment?" Lucifer would smile at the fourth born. And just like that, the brothers would go into pointless banters, making the House of Lamentation lively once again.

You could only smile as you cringe at their behavior. Are they really fighting about not being the best? Usually they'd fight about being the best. Instead, they keep passing that honor to one another. Is this normal? Should you be worried?

Meanwhile, you all didn't notice your extra audience peering in from behind the living room doors.

"I must say, that performance was extravagant! The brothers really care about MC that much, huh" Diavolo would whisper, careful not to let you all notice.

"It was splendid indeed, young master." Barbatos would agree. "However, Lucifer would not be fond of us intruding and spying on them like this, my Lord"

Beside the two, the residents of Purgatory Hall poke their heads through the door's little opening. "I wonder what they would do if we kidnapped MC while they're fighting like that. I doubt they'd notice" Solomon shows a scheming smile.

"Let's not do that and let MC handle them like always" Simeon opposed the sorcerer's suggestion with a twinkling smile while Luke frowns below them all. "Those demon brothers should pay more attention to MC! Maybe we should take them!" he says, determined.

"Now now, Luke" Simeon sweat drops. It was slightly worrying how much of an influence Solomon was having on Luke by now. They even sometimes share the same sentiment...

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explosionshark · 1 year

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hi! what would u say are starter metal bands/albums/songs for people who have never listened to metal? i'm interested in exploring new genres but i know NOTHING about metal and you seem to know quite a lot!

See I love trying to answer this question but it's honestly a little tricky! The thing that makes metal so great imo is the fact that there's a billion subgenres. But that's also what makes it hard to find the right recommendation for someone off the top of your head! I might send you a metalcore song that does nothing for you, but if I had gone with like. Stoner metal or something you'd have found your niche.

That said I recently made a playlist for a friend asking me the same question. I tried to throw in an array of different styles. Check it out if you have Spotify! Feel free to skip when a song isn't working - there might be something you like more further on

Aside from that, click below for a couple of recommendations for stuff I find to be more accessible/appealing to a broad audience

Sleep Token - here's an alt metal band that's really blowing up right now! They're about to release their third LP. I'd suggest checking out a few of the singles they've already put out for it. This band has been great for attracting new folks to metal: they play with a lot of different genres and while they certainly have heavy moments, I feel like their pop-friendly approach makes them a good band to on board people to the genre.

Invent Animate - this is a metalcore band that also just put out an early contender for Album of the Year imo. There's a mix of harsh and clean vocals, a very atmospheric sound throughout, and a good mix of technically impressive instrumentation and strong hooks. If you like this sound I'd suggest checking out other bands like Spiritbox and Bad Omens.

Lacuna Coil - hey, do you like Evanescence? Do you like beautiful women with incredible singing voices? This band might be for you. I'd recommend their 2002 record Comalies to start, or you can check out their most recent album as well. If you like this sound, you might be interested in checking out bands like Epica or Ad Infinitum next!

Iron Maiden/Judas Priest - interested in a more classic sound? Maiden and Priest were two titans of an era called NWOBHM (the New Wave of British Heavy Metal) - characterized by fast, aggressive music and clean vocals that tend to be on the higher end. I'd highly recommend Number of the Beast for Maiden or Screaming for Vengeance if you want to get into Priest. If you're looking for contemporary bands playing with a similar sound, I'd suggest Sumerlands or Sonja, who both had excellent records last year.

Nu Metal/Alt Metal - sometimes it can be tricky to talk about these genres because people get very passionate and nitpicky about the terms. But generally speaking if you like the sounds that dominated the metal/hard rock charts around the turn of the century you might like the following bands: Kittie, Slipknot, Tallah, Nova Twins

Post-hardcore/metalcore - more into that MCR-ish emo sound? Try Static Dress or If I Die First! Not super heavy, but still with an edge. These are young bands who are again playing in a very 00s space.

Deftones - here's a band that I find pretty accessible! There's definitely a heaviness, but there's also a strong shoegaze influence that creates an opportunity for some really beautiful songs. This band has been active since the 90s, huge catalog of great albums. Start with White Pony. There are a lot of bands right now who are very influenced by Deftones - if you like this band check out Loathe or Moodring next

Stoner/Doom - we're talking about big fuzzy riffs here! Slow/mid-tempo songs usually with a longer song length than more punk-influenced subgenres. Try bands like Windhand, Faetooth, Red Fang, or King Woman

No Harsh Vocals Please - okay, like heavy sounds but don't like the screaming? Check out these bands: Katatonia, Evergrey, Unleash the Archers

There's so much more I could get into but I need to stop eventually. I hope you find something you like somewhere in these recommendations! If you do, feel free to come back to me with what worked for you and I can offer more suggestions along that line.

Happy listening 🤘

#i need a music tag i don't hate #metal

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randalsgrave · 2 years

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Sweetness and Light: Part One

IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE AHHHHHHH

I gotta be honest, this first part takes off with all the grace of a baby pilot (which is to say none) - I was enlisted during my time in the navy and had little to zero access to what fancy people in planes do, and it shows a bit in this first part. I did as much research as I could, but past a certain point, I just winged it and hoped that it sounds sort of like the communication you'd hear between flight ops and a pilot. If there are any fancy navy people (officers) that would be willing to help a former enlisted peasant be sort of on the money with this, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I will love you forever.

ANYWAY. THIS THING IS LIVE!

It's about as normal of a day as it gets for Lieutenant Katie 'Sand Trap' Garland, until it isn't.

BobxFemale!OC. F/C: Kacey Rohl

Word count: 1.6K

WARNINGS: Colorful language (it's the Navy, come on now); not beta-read (we die like men); minor editing

A/N: Name of this story comes from the song 'Sweetness and Light' by Lush. If you haven't heard it before, I highly recommend giving it a listen; lyrically and atmospherically, it encompasses everything I imagine Katie and Bob's relationship to be. <3

Enjoy!

***

The air is home and god, is there no place like it.

For Lieutenant Katie ‘Sand Trap’ Garland, it’s the single best feeling in the world. Fly once in an F-18 Super Hornet or fly a million times, it’s always the same when she’s up in the air: euphoric, exhilarating, comforting.

Freeing.

It’s a sunny, balmy Tuesday in July, any given day in Norfolk, and she sits in the cockpit of her jet, waiting for the snap of the aircraft carrier catapult that will send her hurtling off the deck of the USS Harry S Truman. One hand flexes, curls around the center stick between her knees, and the other rests on her thigh, fingers drumming in idle anticipation. This is always the worst part - the moment right before take-off. It’s too much time where she’s focused and dialed in but nothing’s happening. It’s too much time for her to get twitchy - and nobody likes it when a pilot is twitchy.

Fortunately for Katie and everyone else on board, it’s a short-lived moment.

Soon enough, orders and authorizations are crackling through her comms system, and before she knows it, she’s snapping her right hand up and firing off a salute to the Shooter, who returns the salute, then wheels his arms to the right and points straight down the runway.

What follows is undoubtedly one of the most gasp-inducing moments in a fighter pilot’s career: the catapult slams forward, and the jet is all but thrown off the carrier. There’s a split-second drop - and then, with a blast, Katie is airborne, pinned into her seat with a gasp, climbing higher and higher towards the sun and the endless blue above her, free at last.

She cuts left and away from the Truman, circling out into open territory above the Chesapeake, heavy on the throttle as she punches it. She is master of all, beholden to none but herself and her own skill, and the F-18 is her instrument, her weapon of mass destruction and awe. Up here, in the air, she is in control, in the zone…

Home.

The air is home and god, is there no place like it.

Incidentally, Katie’s home is being used for practicing high-speed maneuvers today. It isn’t long before she’s got company up in the air, company in the form of two other F-18’s controlled by equally self-assured pilots, who fan out behind her to form an arrow, piercing the sky and the clouds before them.

“Joker, this is Dragon. All present and accounted for up there?”

Katie briefly glances down at her radar display, nods at the two small dots trailing behind her, holds up her mouthpiece to speak. “Sand Trap to Dragon, all present and accounted for. Radar shows two on my six.”

“Copy that Sand Trap. Execute high-speed maneuvers.”

“Roger that Dragon.”

“And Sand Trap? One barrel roll without reason and your ass is grounded on no-fly status.”

Katie can’t help the impish grin that spreads across her face. “C’mon now sir, I can’t help that I’m in my comfort zone up here.” It’s a good thing no one from ops can see her; she’s pretty sure she’d get chewed out for that snark otherwise. Knowing her luck, she probably will later.

No matter. It’s not enough to bring her down. Hell, up here? Nothing can bring her down. She is unstoppable.

“Just do what you’re scheduled for. No funny business.”

“Roger that Dragon. Sand Trap, over and out.”

And with that, Katie clips in her mouthpiece, pushes down her sun visor, and punches off in a burst of raw sonic power.

Time to get down to business.

***

Two hours later, high-speed maneuvers have been completed, and Katie and the others have touched back down on the Truman, exhausted, but satisfied with the work they’ve put in and the contrails they’ve left behind - all in a day’s work, and all according to plan.

If only the same could be said for the rest of the afternoon.

Not even seconds after finishing debrief, Katie finds herself being whisked down the Truman’s p-ways and into the office of the ship’s air boss. Well boy howdy, she thinks as she smooths down the flyaways wisping from her braid and steps into the small compartment. Must’ve done something to piss him off today.

Turns out, she couldn’t be farther from the truth. No sooner does Katie open her mouth to say good afternoon than the air boss silences her and orders her to sit - and he wastes no time in delivering news Katie never thought she’d hear in her lifetime.

Surely there must be some mistake. Her? Going TAD? To fucking TOPGUN? It’s whiplash unlike anything she’s ever dealt with before.

“Garland, are you even listening to me?”

Katie blinks, frowns. “What makes you think I’m not, sir?”

“I dunno, I tell you you’re being sent to North Island and you don’t say a goddamn word. Begs the question, don’t it?”

“Well trust me, sir, I heard you. Just… What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’, Garland? Do I need to spell it out for you?”

“I mean, forgive my disbelief here, sir, but are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else? I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a one-percent pilot.”

The air boss drags his hand down his face, looking for all the world like he’s about to slam it into his desk. Clearly, this isn’t the reaction he expected from her, far fucking from it. “Lord gimme strength - look, be modest and say what you want, but someone in leadership seems to think otherwise, all right?” He pauses for a moment, settles back into his chair with a weighted sigh. “Couldn’t have come at a better time, if you ask me.”

‘Couldn’t have come at a better’ - what the fuck? What’s THAT supposed to mean? “…Meaning?”

“With all the new talent coming in, we’re starting to lose our edge,” he explains. “Blue Blasters ain’t what they were ten, fifteen years ago. Now, like I already told you, be modest and say what you want, but leadership seems to think you got what it takes. This squadron needs someone sharp, smart, and focused, someone who can take what they learn and pass it on to the new guys, give us that edge back.”

“…Someone like me,” Katie clarifies, voice slow. Holy Christ, he’s not kidding.

The air boss nods. “Bingo.”

It’s now Katie’s turn to sink back into her seat, and she does it with a hard exhale, her hands flexing and gripping the armrests as she processes the information. Mother of Jesus, this is real; this is actually happening. Is she going to puke? She’s not entirely sure. Her stomach is simultaneously twisted in a paralytic knot and turning somersaults, elated fucking somersaults. It’s the best kind of nausea she’s felt outside of pulling 7 G’s in her jet and she’s not sure if she can keep it in.

Somehow, she manages. She swallows thickly. “Got any paperwork for me to look at, sir?” she rasps. Were it not for the gravity of the situation, she’d be embarrassed at how ridiculous she sounds.

The air boss wordlessly produces two sheets of paper from the stack on his desk, and Katie takes them into her hands, blue eyes roving over the boxes and paragraphs typed on them. Someone is already several steps ahead of her; the documents she holds are signed and stamped orders for TAD, complete with allocated per diem, notes on BOQ lodging at NAS North Island, and a no-later-than date of 27 July…

Which is a week from today.

Oh holy shit.

“The NLT date is next week.”

“Yep, sure is.” He says it in such a way that Katie would think he’s talking about the weather, like it’s the most normal thing in the world that she’s now got no time to get her affairs in order before vanishing to the west coast.

“That’s not a lot of time to get things figured out.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“Not like you’re giving me a choice,” Katie grumbles under her breath. Christ, she hasn’t even left the east coast yet - hasn’t even left the boat, for the matter - and this is already turning into a pain in the ass.

“We all gotta make sacrifices for our career at some point, Lieutenant. If you want it, you’ll make it happen.”

Damn him, he’s right. Katie might’ve walked into this meeting with no clues or expectations, and she sure as shit might not have been expecting an engraved invitation to Fighter Weapons School, but it’s not like she’s going to turn it down. She loves flying and being a pilot, far too much to let this opportunity go to waste.

She heaves a long sigh. “Can I at least put in leave and give myself time to drive out there?”

“Hell, I don’t care what you do,” the air boss shrugs, “so long as your butt’s in the schoolhouse by Monday. Fill out a leave chit and I’ll have it signed off by close of business today.”

“Sounds good, sir.”

By this point, the conversation is effectively finished, and recognizing that, Katie rises from her seat, salutes the air boss, and turns to leave. Just as she’s turning to leave, though, he stops her, reaches out and shakes her hand with a firm grip.

“You give ‘em hell out there, Sand Trap. Put ‘em through their paces.”

Katie smirks. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

Then, she’s off, stepping through the hatch and back out into the p-way, the door clanging shut behind her.

She’s not even five steps away from the air boss’s office when her knees buckle beneath her and she’s forced to brace herself against the bulkhead with her arm. The other hand clenches her chest, wheezing with shock and barely-contained, joyous laughter.

She can’t believe it. She’s going to be a student at TOPGUN. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s hers.

North Island isn’t going to know what hit them.

#top gun maverick #robert bob floyd #bob floyd #robert bob floyd x female oc #female oc #lewis pullman #bob my beloved #movies #top gun #film #top gun: maverick

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explosionshark · 1 year

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book asks: 3, 6, 10, 11, 20

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Red X by David Demchuk - this was the first book I read this year and it's stuck with me this WHOLE time. It's a tough book to describe succinctly - it's a supernatural horror novel fictionalizing the events surrounding the very real disappearances of men in Toronto's gay village between the 70s and the 00s, but interspersed with non-fiction essays by the author. The relationship between queerness and horror is one that's fascinating to me and Demchuk really tears into it here. Cannot recommend it highly enough, though I'd check storygraph for triggers if you're a sensitive reader.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - one part moody, existential relationship novel, one part Lovecraftian body horror. It's gorgeously written, bracingly sad, and the dread is smothering. Very atmospheric and contemplative, while still maintaining a sense of urgency.

Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk - this was so much fun. It combines a few things I love - a good noir detective story, some urban fantasy, lesbians. It follows a supernatural PI attempting to solve a series of grisly murders in 1940s Chicago - with her life on the line.

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp - OKAY TALK ABOUT FUN. I listened to this on audiobook and really recommend the format, actually - the narrator was great. The book is presented as the posthumously published final book of Jack Sparks - think of the shittiest, most miserable VICE-style journalist you can imagine, now have him set out to disprove the existence of the supernatural, only to end up immediately possessed. Sounds good, right? It IS. I'm REALLY stoked to read more Arnopp next year

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - the only non-fiction in my top 5 this year. This book, as you can probably tell, is a historical biography of the five "canonical" victims of Jack the Ripper. It's less true crime than you'd think - there's very little in the way of grisly details of the crimes. Instead, Rubenhold chooses to focus on putting together as compete as possible a biographical record of each of the women, while helpfully contextualizing the facts of their lives with details of Victorian-era life. The dismal similarities between recent "culture war" rhetoric and the attitudes of Victorian moralists were striking, depressing, and vital to understand. It made this book feel even more timely.

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

ooh yeah a bunch. I have a bunch of sequels I mean to read and didn't get to - most notably the last two books of the Foundryside series and A Desolation Called Peace. Also The Thousand Eyes, which is the sequel to The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood. God, I suck at sequels I'm so bad at reading sequels. I wanna get better. Also I was going to finally read Ghost Story by Peter Straub this month, but I haven't gotten to it. I'll save it for next year, I think.

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

Our Wives Under the Sea, I think. Really striking.

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

The most extreme example was probably Dracula which I happened to read like a month before Dracula Daily kicked off lmao. But yeah - I'm not super well read when it comes to pre-1900s fiction. I was surprised by how readable it was. Certainly not without its issues, but it was REALLY fun and now I've unlocked a whole literary canon of Dracula spin-off works. I'm so stoked.

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

So embarrassing but my most anticipated release was Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez which I haven't actually read yet. I bought myself a copy for Christmas! I'm gonna read it next year!

end of year book asks

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