Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · 10d

Another rave review (from Polygon!) for @themonstersknow.com:

"MAKING ENEMIES is a powerful resource that will kickstart the imagination of any game master... and examples provided here will help you become a better GM and improve basically any campaign."

www.polygon.com/keith-ammann...

You’ll never see D&D monsters the same way again after reading this essential TTRPG book

Keith Ammann returns with another invaluable resource for game masters and designers

www.polygon.com

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GMHakimVO @gmhakimvo.bsky.social · 12d

It's the honor of my life to have narrated @themonstersknow.com's new book, which released from @simonandschuster.bsky.social today.

I have one of Keith's books on my bedside table, and have been playing D&D since I was 8 and DMing since I was 16, so this was a Pinch Me moment for sure.

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Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · 16d

Howdy, writers!
I'll be closing to queries at the end of today (aka Friday, 10/3). The submissions have been coming in quicker that I can keep up.
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So I'm going to focus on reading all the lovely books that have already come in for the next few weeks and months.

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 19d

We are THRILLED to reveal the gorgeous cover for Isles of the Emberdark, a new Cosmere novel from none other than Brandon Sanderson, arriving February 3, 2026 from Tor Books

reactormag.com/cover-reveal...

Revealing Isles of the Emberdark, a New Standalone in the Cosmere Universe by Brandon Sanderson - Reactor

Sanderson's new novel navigates the seas and the stars of a far-future Cosmere...

reactormag.com

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Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · 20d

@TheEntireWorld do yourself a favor and subscribe today, they are doing amazing work!!

Nick Pinto @nickpinto.bsky.social · 20d

It is very dark out there for the news business. The old business models are fucked. Outlets are bending to authoritarian pressure. Now more than ever, we need worker-owned, subscriber-funded journalism.

How's that going at @hellgatenyc.com?

Pretty well, actually!

hellgatenyc.com/hell-gate-20...

Hell Gate 2025 Annual Report

As Hell Gate enters our fourth year, here’s how things are going. (Spoiler: Very nicely.)

hellgatenyc.com

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JABberwocky Literary Agency @awfulagent.bsky.social · 25d

New series alert!

@brandonsanderson.com and Peter Orullian are collaborating on The Strata Wars, debuting in 2026! The first book, SONGS OF THE DEAD, follows a struggling musician who wakes up in an alternate reality after his death 🎶

Check out the announcement here: people.com/brandon-sand...

Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian Team Up for 'Strata Wars' Fantasy Trilogy (Exclusive)

Authors Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian are teaming up to write a new fantasy trilogy. 'The Strata Wars', which debuts in 2026 with the novel 'Songs of the Dead', follows a struggling musician wh...

people.com

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Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · Sep 11

Order now while supplies last!!

DAW Books @dawbooks.bsky.social · Sep 11

🦟eBook Discount! ESPERANCE by Adam Oyebanji is only $2.99 on Kindle Monthly Deals. A whip-smart thriller that plumbs the depths of a seemingly impossible crime rooted in racism, intergenerational trauma, and an inhuman concept of justice.

buff.ly/F4C3OIL

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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · Sep 4

We took the paywall down on this one. defector.com/how-the-fuck...

How Are You Supposed To Get The COVID Vaccine Now? An Explainer | Defector

As the muggy malaise of summer winds down, you might find yourself interested in taking advantage of one of several safe and proven vaccines to help protect you from the inevitable brumal surge of res...

defector.com

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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · Aug 7

Thread.

It was a delight to be part of the GenCon Writers Symposium and I 100% recommend it for writers who want to learn about the current state of the writing profession, and for the writers who want to share their knowledge with others. Also, it was a hell of a lot of fun!

Maurice Broaddus @mauricebroaddus.bsky.social · Aug 7

Whew, I’m not gonna lie: I’m still in recovery mode from running the GenCon Writers Symposium and I’m taking it easy this week. I haven’t processed the weekend yet and I’m shocked by how few pictures I took. But I wanted to share a few thoughts:

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Maurice Broaddus @mauricebroaddus.bsky.social · Aug 7

Whew, I’m not gonna lie: I’m still in recovery mode from running the GenCon Writers Symposium and I’m taking it easy this week. I haven’t processed the weekend yet and I’m shocked by how few pictures I took. But I wanted to share a few thoughts:

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Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · Jul 29

Also, I will be paneling at GenCon's Writers Symposium this week (7/30 - 8/3) in Indianapolis!

Come find me at my events and have a great, nerdy time:

www.gencon.com/events?c=ind...

Gen Con | Gen Con Indy 2025

The Best Four Days in Gaming

www.gencon.com

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Brady McReynolds @bradymcagent.bsky.social · Jul 29

Happy to announce that am officially OPEN for Queries again!

If you've written something in the SF/F (or near-SF/F) genres please find me on QueryTracker here:

querymanager.com/Bradys_Inbox

📚‼️📚‼️📚‼️

Query Brady McReynolds at JABberwocky Literary Agency

querymanager.com

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · Jul 29

We are delighted to reveal the cover for @victormanibo.com's The Villa, Once Beloved, a haunting gothic about folklore, family, and postcolonial vengeance in the Philippines...

reactormag.com/cover-reveal...

Revealing The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo - Reactor

A dark history is unearthed amid crumbling façades in a new gothic horror arriving November 2025

reactormag.com

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Victor Manibo @victormanibo.com · Jul 15

Huge thanks to Christina and Reactor for including THE VILLA, ONCE BELOVED on this stellar list!

Screenshot of Reactor magazine webpage. Headline reads: 30 More SFF Titles to Look Forward to in 2025. Subhed: Here are 30 more standouts to put on your TBR for the second half of this year!
BY CHRISTINA ORLANDO
PUBLISHED ON JULY 15, 2025

Below, a collage of various book covers, then below that, a placeholder cover for The Villa, Once Beloved next to a writeup that reads: It is annoyingly unusual to see a gothic set anywhere non-Western — most commonly we see English moors, Southern estates, New England mansions-but there's been a real boom of modern gothics that acknowledge there are crumbling houses, rich dipshits, dead spouses, and generational trauma everywhere, and thank god for that. Victor Manibo's latest takes us to a coconut plantation in the Philippines, and the Villa Sepulveda. The funeral of Raul Sepulveda (who may or may not have been killed by a demon) brings the family back to their ancestral home (which may or may not bring bad luck to its inhabitants). Adrian, the grandson brings along his girlfriend Sophie, who feels removed from her Filipino heritage, and is excited and nervous to connect with her roots. Only the Sepulvedas are... not great people. Of course they're not-they're rich and have ties to other rich and powerful families. When a typhoon causes a landslide that traps them inside the villa, tensions begin to build, and secrets get exposed.
Plus, there is the matter of the family curse, and Don Raul's mysterious death, and the terrifying things happening to Sophie at night... Manibo weaves the tumultuous history of the Philippines with folklore and family drama to great effect-kinda like if Knives Out had a sleep paralysis demon sitting on its chest. (November 25, Erewhon)

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Rebecca Eskildsen @rebeccaesk.bsky.social · Jul 9

Writers! Come talk to me on July 26! I'll be at the VIRTUAL New England Writing Workshop. Anyone can attend, doesn't matter where you live!

Writing Day Workshops @writingdaywksp.bsky.social · Jun 5

Summer is generally a time when publishing slows down, which can be a little frustrating for querying authors. If you're looking for an opportunity to keep your querying journey moving, consider pitching an agent, live, from the comfort of your own home! writingdayworkshops.com/blog/pitch-a...

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Tim Chawaga @timchawaga.bsky.social · Jul 8

SALVAGIA is part of the Barnes & Noble pre-order event! Pre-order numbers are really important for me and a little discount is great for you, win-win!

@diversionbooks.bsky.social @barnesandnoble.com #salvagia

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Janelle Shane @janelleshane.com · Jun 30

And to be clear, this applies to AI summaries of anything where the information needs to be accurate.

The summary *might* be accurate if you’re lucky, but there’s no reason it has to be.

Suzan the chalant goth @sillysyntax.bsky.social · Jun 30

Youtube shoved a commercial at me with a guy saying how much he loved that AI could summarize contracts and how much time it saved him and I screamed.

Never sign anything like that. You must read the contract. My agent reads my contracts but I read them too.

This is very dangerous.

KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com · Jun 30

I just received a contract on Docusign for review and signing, and it offered to give me an AI-generated summary that I could read instead to save time.

That's AN AI-GENERATED SUMMARY ***OF A CONTRACT***, in case you need to let that sink in.

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DAW Books @dawbooks.bsky.social · Jun 23

Science Magazine's print Summer Reading List states that Esperance"boldly combines the genres of murder mystery and science fiction to produce a compelling novel -- which alone is no easy feat -- that explores social structures and cultural history."

Science Magazine: buff.ly/TYTNkXb

Esperance - Astra Publishing House

“[D]extrously blends genres in this suspenseful sci-fi mystery…. Rob Hart and Blake Crouch fans should check this out.” — Publishers Weekly “Lovers of sharp, fast sci-fi from the likes of […]

buff.ly

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Charlaine Harris @realcharlaine.bsky.social · May 2

thrillerfest.com?fbclid=PAQ0x...

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Jim C. Hines @jimchines.com · Jun 3

Good morning, and Happy Tuesday!

I’ll be spending a good chunk of today doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) over on the Reddit Fantasy community. In case anyone wants to swing by and ask about Kitemaster stuff or … pretty much anything else, really.

www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/...

From the Fantasy community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the Fantasy community

www.reddit.com

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DAW Books @dawbooks.bsky.social · May 30

May was full of science-fiction fun packed with action and adventure! Keeping us on our toes, we could not put these books down this month!

Esperance: buff.ly/1W2ZrLE
Ghostdrift: buff.ly/jeM8J92

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Russ Bengtson @russbengtson.bsky.social · May 28

retweeting this just for the graphic, 10/10

Hell Gate *subscribe today!* @hellgatenyc.com · May 28

Yes, it looks like the Knicks are cooked—but looks are deceiving. The reality is that the Pacers play bloodless basketball in a soulless ethanol state that isn't even in the top 3 of corn producers in the country—they are number 5—they are the BALTIMORE ORIOLES OF THE CORN DIVISION.

Knicks in 7.

The Knicks Have the Pacers Right Where They Want Them

Also, fuck Indiana.

hellgatenyc.com

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Zeno Agency @zenoagency.bsky.social · May 22

ESPERANCE by Adam Oyebanji is out today in the UK!

zenoagency.com/news/esperan...

Published by @arcadiabooks.bsky.social; available in print, eBook, and audiobook (read by Délé Ogundiran).
@awfulagent.bsky.social

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Jordan Hamessley @thejordache.bsky.social · May 21

ONE OF THE BOYS is a NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

This book deserves all the praise it's getting and THANK YOU to the indies for supporting this brilliant book at this moment in time when trans athletes are under attack.

Thrilled for @dirtbagqueer.rocks and @capaciousmood.bsky.social! WHAT A TEAM!

victoria zeller (buy ONE OF THE BOYS) @dirtbagqueer.rocks · May 21

TODAY HAS GOTTEN STRANGER

against all odds??? ONE OF THE BOYS is a new york times YA bestseller????????

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