After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
@megapolisomancy.bsky.social
Nonfiction about weird fiction at Seize the Press, Strange Horizons, Interzone, Los Angeles Review of Books, Nightmare, and Ancillary Review of Books, where I am also an editor. Also jazz, metal, leftism. he/him
https://doomsdayer.wordpress.com/writings/
https://doomsdayer.wordpress.com/writings/
Pinned
Profane Illuminations: An Initiation
Zachary Gillan Everyone knows that the short story is the ideal form for weird fiction. But why? What is it about the form and the genre that makes them so symbiotic? What might we learn by explori…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
I've been threatening for a while to start a column on collections of weird fiction, and so: Profane Illuminations, a quarterly series where I'll look at a few in tandem and see what threads I can draw out about their stories and the genre at large. Quick intro here, first full entry next week.
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
For the haters who say Big Fiction over-relies on allegory, my most explicit, spirited defense of allegorical interpretation. "Sociology and Allegory," published as part of a series on the sociology of literature in IASL. Lemme know if you want a PDF
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
Sociology and Allegory
The question of the relationship between internal and external analysis of literature remains open across disciplinary inquiries. Although Pierre Bourdieu claims to offer a definitive answer to the qu...
www.degruyterbrill.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:25 PM
For the haters who say Big Fiction over-relies on allegory, my most explicit, spirited defense of allegorical interpretation. "Sociology and Allegory," published as part of a series on the sociology of literature in IASL. Lemme know if you want a PDF
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Treason to patriarchy is loyalty to humanity
November 12, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Treason to patriarchy is loyalty to humanity
Treason to patriarchy is loyalty to humanity
November 12, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Treason to patriarchy is loyalty to humanity
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
November 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
On the other hand, if you are a hater, coffee after noon will lead to a sleepless night spent stewing over all the indignities and disappointments of the world
coffee at 2pm won't affect your sleep adversely if you are pure of heart and spirit
November 12, 2025 at 9:22 PM
On the other hand, if you are a hater, coffee after noon will lead to a sleepless night spent stewing over all the indignities and disappointments of the world
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
1: Weird horror
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you had to narrow the horror subgenres down to the ten most important, what would they be?
November 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
1: Weird horror
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
OMG! My first review for Dispelling Fantasies! Huge thank you to @danhartland.bsky.social for bringing my thoughts about genre into such a brilliant, nuanced conversation ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/11/12/s...
Snap! Criticism: Sanchez-Taylor and Onyebuchi
Dan Hartland What should you read if you want to understand what you’re reading? Gang, this column would of course advise that you read criticism. But there are other, and less eccentric, answers. …
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
OMG! My first review for Dispelling Fantasies! Huge thank you to @danhartland.bsky.social for bringing my thoughts about genre into such a brilliant, nuanced conversation ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/11/12/s...
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Toronto Public Library coming through with some great horror programming.
HELPMEET sicko-in-chief Naben Ruthnum discussing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS with all time greats Brian Evenson and Victor LaValle on Friday Dec 5th.
Online, free, and at lunch time (EST).
www.eventbrite.ca/e/classics-o...
HELPMEET sicko-in-chief Naben Ruthnum discussing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS with all time greats Brian Evenson and Victor LaValle on Friday Dec 5th.
Online, free, and at lunch time (EST).
www.eventbrite.ca/e/classics-o...
Classics of Gothic & Horror: At the Mountains of Madness
Join acclaimed authors Brian Evenson and Victor LaValle as they discuss H.P. Lovecraft's genre-bending masterpiece with host Naben Ruthnum.
www.eventbrite.ca
November 12, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Toronto Public Library coming through with some great horror programming.
HELPMEET sicko-in-chief Naben Ruthnum discussing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS with all time greats Brian Evenson and Victor LaValle on Friday Dec 5th.
Online, free, and at lunch time (EST).
www.eventbrite.ca/e/classics-o...
HELPMEET sicko-in-chief Naben Ruthnum discussing AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS with all time greats Brian Evenson and Victor LaValle on Friday Dec 5th.
Online, free, and at lunch time (EST).
www.eventbrite.ca/e/classics-o...
1: Weird horror
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you had to narrow the horror subgenres down to the ten most important, what would they be?
November 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
1: Weird horror
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2-10: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
November 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Ah!!!
Kris Davis Trio: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Ah!!!
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
New week at SH, and in Reviews we open with a doozy: @shinjinidey.bsky.social on Paul Kincaid's Colourfields (@briardenebooks.bsky.social). Who doesn't love reading a critic on a critic?
So much to pick out in this really productive dialogue. But key: "Kincaid is attempting to apprehend a public."
So much to pick out in this really productive dialogue. But key: "Kincaid is attempting to apprehend a public."
Colourfields by Paul Kincaid
Colourfields is constituted by tensions inherent to the genre.
strangehorizons.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:07 PM
New week at SH, and in Reviews we open with a doozy: @shinjinidey.bsky.social on Paul Kincaid's Colourfields (@briardenebooks.bsky.social). Who doesn't love reading a critic on a critic?
So much to pick out in this really productive dialogue. But key: "Kincaid is attempting to apprehend a public."
So much to pick out in this really productive dialogue. But key: "Kincaid is attempting to apprehend a public."
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Hey, if you have an MM (especially SF, fantasy, and horror) book out in 2026, let me know!
November 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Hey, if you have an MM (especially SF, fantasy, and horror) book out in 2026, let me know!
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
As "AI" slop becomes more and more inescapable, I think about this wonderful, funny, creepy story by @thomasha.bsky.social every day:
clarkesworldmagazine.com/ha_11_23/
(btw Thomas Ha if you read this I rly want to know if it's "muhb" or "moob")
clarkesworldmagazine.com/ha_11_23/
(btw Thomas Ha if you read this I rly want to know if it's "muhb" or "moob")
The Mub by Thomas Ha
Clarkesworld Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine and Podcast.
clarkesworldmagazine.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:12 PM
As "AI" slop becomes more and more inescapable, I think about this wonderful, funny, creepy story by @thomasha.bsky.social every day:
clarkesworldmagazine.com/ha_11_23/
(btw Thomas Ha if you read this I rly want to know if it's "muhb" or "moob")
clarkesworldmagazine.com/ha_11_23/
(btw Thomas Ha if you read this I rly want to know if it's "muhb" or "moob")
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
"Is it a stretch to rejoice in the fact that that elision of boundaries defies fascism’s hysterical insistence on clean lines and demarcations? Probably. I’m thinking it anyway." 🔥
If anyone is looking for something to recommend for any awards you might be associated with, "Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism" by Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social deserves all the awards. Essential reading.
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism
Zachary Gillan I have been thinking, for obvious reasons, about living in a world of reactionary politics, and about the political valences of the irreal, and about ARB’s insistence upon the radica…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
"Is it a stretch to rejoice in the fact that that elision of boundaries defies fascism’s hysterical insistence on clean lines and demarcations? Probably. I’m thinking it anyway." 🔥
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Great essay.
If anyone is looking for something to recommend for any awards you might be associated with, "Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism" by Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social deserves all the awards. Essential reading.
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism
Zachary Gillan I have been thinking, for obvious reasons, about living in a world of reactionary politics, and about the political valences of the irreal, and about ARB’s insistence upon the radica…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 9, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Great essay.
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
A despicable death cult masquerading as a country.
September 24, 2024 at 11:24 PM
A despicable death cult masquerading as a country.
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Cheating and picking two:
1) the foreword to Thomas Ha’s UNCERTAIN SONS AND OTHER STORIES, because I love the stories and it was great to work with Thomas and Michael at Undertow.
2) “Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism”, because it’s kind of a précis of everything I’ve been doing.
1) the foreword to Thomas Ha’s UNCERTAIN SONS AND OTHER STORIES, because I love the stories and it was great to work with Thomas and Michael at Undertow.
2) “Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism”, because it’s kind of a précis of everything I’ve been doing.
November 9, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Cheating and picking two:
1) the foreword to Thomas Ha’s UNCERTAIN SONS AND OTHER STORIES, because I love the stories and it was great to work with Thomas and Michael at Undertow.
2) “Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism”, because it’s kind of a précis of everything I’ve been doing.
1) the foreword to Thomas Ha’s UNCERTAIN SONS AND OTHER STORIES, because I love the stories and it was great to work with Thomas and Michael at Undertow.
2) “Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism”, because it’s kind of a précis of everything I’ve been doing.
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
"She saw the branches drop about his steps and hide him. His figure faded out among the speckled shade and sunlight. The trees covered him. The tide just took him, all unresisting and content to go. Upon the bosom of the green soft sea he floated away beyond her reach of vision...He was gone."
November 10, 2025 at 12:20 PM
"She saw the branches drop about his steps and hide him. His figure faded out among the speckled shade and sunlight. The trees covered him. The tide just took him, all unresisting and content to go. Upon the bosom of the green soft sea he floated away beyond her reach of vision...He was gone."
November 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
I spent a good chunk of the past 11 months angry, angry at what this regime is doing to this country.
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
November 10, 2025 at 3:16 AM
I spent a good chunk of the past 11 months angry, angry at what this regime is doing to this country.
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
But im feeling levels of unbridled rage that I have not felt in years after watching the democrats negate their biggest win in years with a deal that gives the regime an even bigger victory
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
Wow
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Wow
Reposted by After leaving Vienna, and long before you come to Budapest,
So, so good. Well worth your Sunday reading time!
If anyone is looking for something to recommend for any awards you might be associated with, "Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism" by Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social deserves all the awards. Essential reading.
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism
Zachary Gillan I have been thinking, for obvious reasons, about living in a world of reactionary politics, and about the political valences of the irreal, and about ARB’s insistence upon the radica…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 9, 2025 at 9:15 PM
So, so good. Well worth your Sunday reading time!