Sean Dillon
@seanmdillon.bsky.social
Fond of theater-making, improv, horror, books, cats, dinosaurs, and houseboats.
Latest read.
The all-powerful child is a well-worn horror trope, but the author manages to squeeze a solid plot and some very evocative imagery out of it. Biggest complaint is that the protagonist is an annoying actor-improviser stereotype. The afterward leads me to believe that so is the author.
The all-powerful child is a well-worn horror trope, but the author manages to squeeze a solid plot and some very evocative imagery out of it. Biggest complaint is that the protagonist is an annoying actor-improviser stereotype. The afterward leads me to believe that so is the author.
November 16, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Latest read.
The all-powerful child is a well-worn horror trope, but the author manages to squeeze a solid plot and some very evocative imagery out of it. Biggest complaint is that the protagonist is an annoying actor-improviser stereotype. The afterward leads me to believe that so is the author.
The all-powerful child is a well-worn horror trope, but the author manages to squeeze a solid plot and some very evocative imagery out of it. Biggest complaint is that the protagonist is an annoying actor-improviser stereotype. The afterward leads me to believe that so is the author.
Latest read.
Bryson is great at what he does. My only two complaints? He ends of disease and death, which left me unsettled. And he reads his own book… and as an American who spent most of his life in Britain, he doesn’t have an accent, but he DOES pronounce a number of words the English way. Odd.
Bryson is great at what he does. My only two complaints? He ends of disease and death, which left me unsettled. And he reads his own book… and as an American who spent most of his life in Britain, he doesn’t have an accent, but he DOES pronounce a number of words the English way. Odd.
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Latest read.
Bryson is great at what he does. My only two complaints? He ends of disease and death, which left me unsettled. And he reads his own book… and as an American who spent most of his life in Britain, he doesn’t have an accent, but he DOES pronounce a number of words the English way. Odd.
Bryson is great at what he does. My only two complaints? He ends of disease and death, which left me unsettled. And he reads his own book… and as an American who spent most of his life in Britain, he doesn’t have an accent, but he DOES pronounce a number of words the English way. Odd.
Latest read.
Sometimes I can’t quite get a bead on Sedaris. Surely one of the funniest writers alive. But as he writes about topics like his sister’s suicide, I sometimes feel like his blunt openness is just another facade to hide behind. He confounds me.
Sometimes I can’t quite get a bead on Sedaris. Surely one of the funniest writers alive. But as he writes about topics like his sister’s suicide, I sometimes feel like his blunt openness is just another facade to hide behind. He confounds me.
November 9, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Latest read.
Sometimes I can’t quite get a bead on Sedaris. Surely one of the funniest writers alive. But as he writes about topics like his sister’s suicide, I sometimes feel like his blunt openness is just another facade to hide behind. He confounds me.
Sometimes I can’t quite get a bead on Sedaris. Surely one of the funniest writers alive. But as he writes about topics like his sister’s suicide, I sometimes feel like his blunt openness is just another facade to hide behind. He confounds me.
Latest read #2
More non-fiction. Very interesting, if oddly written. The same author, looking at the same topic - often using the same examples and anecdotes - but through a variety of different lenses. Felt kinda… recursive?
More non-fiction. Very interesting, if oddly written. The same author, looking at the same topic - often using the same examples and anecdotes - but through a variety of different lenses. Felt kinda… recursive?
November 5, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Latest read #2
More non-fiction. Very interesting, if oddly written. The same author, looking at the same topic - often using the same examples and anecdotes - but through a variety of different lenses. Felt kinda… recursive?
More non-fiction. Very interesting, if oddly written. The same author, looking at the same topic - often using the same examples and anecdotes - but through a variety of different lenses. Felt kinda… recursive?
Latest read #1
My therapist is urging me to work more non-fiction into my reading, so I started here. Do I now understand Quantum Physics? Absolutely not. But I think I now don’t understand it a little bit better. A quick and wittily written read.
My therapist is urging me to work more non-fiction into my reading, so I started here. Do I now understand Quantum Physics? Absolutely not. But I think I now don’t understand it a little bit better. A quick and wittily written read.
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Latest read #1
My therapist is urging me to work more non-fiction into my reading, so I started here. Do I now understand Quantum Physics? Absolutely not. But I think I now don’t understand it a little bit better. A quick and wittily written read.
My therapist is urging me to work more non-fiction into my reading, so I started here. Do I now understand Quantum Physics? Absolutely not. But I think I now don’t understand it a little bit better. A quick and wittily written read.
Latest read… sort of.
Book seemed very familiar right away… about halfway through realized that yes, I had read this in the last couple years. Still: really wonderful, creepy, highly original stories. Struck by the way many of them don’t have an ending so much as just… stop.
Book seemed very familiar right away… about halfway through realized that yes, I had read this in the last couple years. Still: really wonderful, creepy, highly original stories. Struck by the way many of them don’t have an ending so much as just… stop.
October 29, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Latest read… sort of.
Book seemed very familiar right away… about halfway through realized that yes, I had read this in the last couple years. Still: really wonderful, creepy, highly original stories. Struck by the way many of them don’t have an ending so much as just… stop.
Book seemed very familiar right away… about halfway through realized that yes, I had read this in the last couple years. Still: really wonderful, creepy, highly original stories. Struck by the way many of them don’t have an ending so much as just… stop.
Latest read.
4 novellas, 2 already made into films. My main complaint of King’s full novels is that they tend to sprawl. Not the case here. Delightful.
4 novellas, 2 already made into films. My main complaint of King’s full novels is that they tend to sprawl. Not the case here. Delightful.
October 21, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Latest read.
4 novellas, 2 already made into films. My main complaint of King’s full novels is that they tend to sprawl. Not the case here. Delightful.
4 novellas, 2 already made into films. My main complaint of King’s full novels is that they tend to sprawl. Not the case here. Delightful.
Latest read.
Accidentally found myself reading a “teen chick lit” horror novel, but not mad at it. Nice character development, an original plot, and one of the least forced-feeling romance sub-plots I’ve read in some time. And well-read on the audio, which makes a huge difference.
Accidentally found myself reading a “teen chick lit” horror novel, but not mad at it. Nice character development, an original plot, and one of the least forced-feeling romance sub-plots I’ve read in some time. And well-read on the audio, which makes a huge difference.
October 14, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Latest read.
Accidentally found myself reading a “teen chick lit” horror novel, but not mad at it. Nice character development, an original plot, and one of the least forced-feeling romance sub-plots I’ve read in some time. And well-read on the audio, which makes a huge difference.
Accidentally found myself reading a “teen chick lit” horror novel, but not mad at it. Nice character development, an original plot, and one of the least forced-feeling romance sub-plots I’ve read in some time. And well-read on the audio, which makes a huge difference.
Latest read.
Enjoyed it. Past and present play out in parallel as a woman returns to a childhood home her father claimed was haunted and wrote a book about. Lots of questionably reliable narrators, creating a fun tension around whether it was indeed haunted or not, and the implications of that.
Enjoyed it. Past and present play out in parallel as a woman returns to a childhood home her father claimed was haunted and wrote a book about. Lots of questionably reliable narrators, creating a fun tension around whether it was indeed haunted or not, and the implications of that.
October 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Latest read.
Enjoyed it. Past and present play out in parallel as a woman returns to a childhood home her father claimed was haunted and wrote a book about. Lots of questionably reliable narrators, creating a fun tension around whether it was indeed haunted or not, and the implications of that.
Enjoyed it. Past and present play out in parallel as a woman returns to a childhood home her father claimed was haunted and wrote a book about. Lots of questionably reliable narrators, creating a fun tension around whether it was indeed haunted or not, and the implications of that.
Latest read.
As a fan of SGJ’s later work, it was interesting to read one of his earliest. I also struggled to finish. This was suffused with a slick, cynical self-awareness that felt like it was trying way too hard to be cool. Glad he grew out of that.
As a fan of SGJ’s later work, it was interesting to read one of his earliest. I also struggled to finish. This was suffused with a slick, cynical self-awareness that felt like it was trying way too hard to be cool. Glad he grew out of that.
October 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Latest read.
As a fan of SGJ’s later work, it was interesting to read one of his earliest. I also struggled to finish. This was suffused with a slick, cynical self-awareness that felt like it was trying way too hard to be cool. Glad he grew out of that.
As a fan of SGJ’s later work, it was interesting to read one of his earliest. I also struggled to finish. This was suffused with a slick, cynical self-awareness that felt like it was trying way too hard to be cool. Glad he grew out of that.
Latest read. This one was okay. Neither the prose nor the plot was especially head-turning, but it did get more interesting toward the end.
September 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Latest read. This one was okay. Neither the prose nor the plot was especially head-turning, but it did get more interesting toward the end.
Latest read… and 50th of the year!
It was fine. Supernatural escape room(house) revenge horror. Seemed like it was maybe going to say something interesting about perspective/memory/gaslighting/wholiveswhodieswhotellsyourstory… then didn’t.
It was fine. Supernatural escape room(house) revenge horror. Seemed like it was maybe going to say something interesting about perspective/memory/gaslighting/wholiveswhodieswhotellsyourstory… then didn’t.
September 17, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Latest read… and 50th of the year!
It was fine. Supernatural escape room(house) revenge horror. Seemed like it was maybe going to say something interesting about perspective/memory/gaslighting/wholiveswhodieswhotellsyourstory… then didn’t.
It was fine. Supernatural escape room(house) revenge horror. Seemed like it was maybe going to say something interesting about perspective/memory/gaslighting/wholiveswhodieswhotellsyourstory… then didn’t.
Latest read.
A truly original and horrific take on the Christian mythos, against the backdrop of plague-era France. Gets kind wild in its late chapters, but never totally loses the thread.
A truly original and horrific take on the Christian mythos, against the backdrop of plague-era France. Gets kind wild in its late chapters, but never totally loses the thread.
September 10, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Latest read.
A truly original and horrific take on the Christian mythos, against the backdrop of plague-era France. Gets kind wild in its late chapters, but never totally loses the thread.
A truly original and horrific take on the Christian mythos, against the backdrop of plague-era France. Gets kind wild in its late chapters, but never totally loses the thread.
Latest read. Honestly not sure what to think of this one. Feels like I’m reading it outside its cultural context. Saw it described as Kafkaesque, and that’s probably about right. Not especially a feel good read, though at least it is relatively short.
August 31, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Latest read. Honestly not sure what to think of this one. Feels like I’m reading it outside its cultural context. Saw it described as Kafkaesque, and that’s probably about right. Not especially a feel good read, though at least it is relatively short.
Latest read. A pretty good contemp folk horror book. As so often in witch horror, a witch isn’t actually the problem.
August 30, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Latest read. A pretty good contemp folk horror book. As so often in witch horror, a witch isn’t actually the problem.
Latest read.
Started strong, with an examination of the mechanisms of habit… though short on practical guidance. But then goes downhill, positively presenting the darks arts of retail manipulation and social religious indocrination, and treating addiction dismissively as just another habit. Ugh.
Started strong, with an examination of the mechanisms of habit… though short on practical guidance. But then goes downhill, positively presenting the darks arts of retail manipulation and social religious indocrination, and treating addiction dismissively as just another habit. Ugh.
August 24, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Latest read.
Started strong, with an examination of the mechanisms of habit… though short on practical guidance. But then goes downhill, positively presenting the darks arts of retail manipulation and social religious indocrination, and treating addiction dismissively as just another habit. Ugh.
Started strong, with an examination of the mechanisms of habit… though short on practical guidance. But then goes downhill, positively presenting the darks arts of retail manipulation and social religious indocrination, and treating addiction dismissively as just another habit. Ugh.
Latest read. Enjoyed very much. A satisfying fantasy revenge fantasy set in the witch trial era. Decidedly more feminist than — say — The Crucible.
August 23, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Latest read. Enjoyed very much. A satisfying fantasy revenge fantasy set in the witch trial era. Decidedly more feminist than — say — The Crucible.
Latest read.
Despite being set largely in the Twin Cities and NY in the early 2000s —very relatable — and the quality of the writing, the whole thing was a slog. Probably because there wasn’t a single likable character… generally a dealbreaker for me.
Despite being set largely in the Twin Cities and NY in the early 2000s —very relatable — and the quality of the writing, the whole thing was a slog. Probably because there wasn’t a single likable character… generally a dealbreaker for me.
August 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Latest read.
Despite being set largely in the Twin Cities and NY in the early 2000s —very relatable — and the quality of the writing, the whole thing was a slog. Probably because there wasn’t a single likable character… generally a dealbreaker for me.
Despite being set largely in the Twin Cities and NY in the early 2000s —very relatable — and the quality of the writing, the whole thing was a slog. Probably because there wasn’t a single likable character… generally a dealbreaker for me.
Like Ward’s “Last House on Needless Street,” I suspect I might have had a different reaction under different circumstances.
The first twist had me “Hell yes,” the second, “Oh, cool, “ the third, “Oh!The remainder… felt arbitrary and performative.
I would still give it 4/5.
The first twist had me “Hell yes,” the second, “Oh, cool, “ the third, “Oh!The remainder… felt arbitrary and performative.
I would still give it 4/5.
August 14, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Like Ward’s “Last House on Needless Street,” I suspect I might have had a different reaction under different circumstances.
The first twist had me “Hell yes,” the second, “Oh, cool, “ the third, “Oh!The remainder… felt arbitrary and performative.
I would still give it 4/5.
The first twist had me “Hell yes,” the second, “Oh, cool, “ the third, “Oh!The remainder… felt arbitrary and performative.
I would still give it 4/5.
Latest read. TBH, this was a "because it is available from the library RIGHT NOW" pick. Wildly exceeded my expectations. Won me over with a lot of specificity, heart, and twistiness.
August 8, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Latest read. TBH, this was a "because it is available from the library RIGHT NOW" pick. Wildly exceeded my expectations. Won me over with a lot of specificity, heart, and twistiness.
Just... gonna set this down here...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
August 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Just... gonna set this down here...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
Opening Thursday.
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
July 30, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Opening Thursday.
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/f...
Latest read. It was fine. It just wasn’t the B-movie slasher the cover had me expecting. Mostly a sibling drama, and I didn’t like any of the siblings. Mileage may vary.
July 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Latest read. It was fine. It just wasn’t the B-movie slasher the cover had me expecting. Mostly a sibling drama, and I didn’t like any of the siblings. Mileage may vary.
Latest read. Dark magical realism stories embedded in a dark magical realism framing story. Not honestly sure what I think of this one. The frame implies some sort of unifying… something… but it wasn’t there for me. Might have liked it better as a straight-up short story collection.
July 27, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Latest read. Dark magical realism stories embedded in a dark magical realism framing story. Not honestly sure what I think of this one. The frame implies some sort of unifying… something… but it wasn’t there for me. Might have liked it better as a straight-up short story collection.