Starter Villain – Beginner Schmuck

In seventh grade, Shannon—one of the popular girls—told a story about buying a fish at Petco with a friend and immediately dumping it onto the pavement. She and her friend felt bad for the fish after doing this, so they filled cups of water and splashed the fish occasionally to extend its miserable final moments…

There Is No Antimemetics Division – You Never Read This Review

It’s your first day on the job. The building has a familiar feeling to it, despite its incongruity. Your co-workers defer to you on all matters, though you are completely new to the scene. A crisis has erupted, and though everyone seems to know what they are doing, you are the last puzzle piece that…

The Exorcist – Possessed, Not Obsessed

Until I started reading The Exorcist, my knowledge of possession was strictly limited to the “Ghost Realtor” segment from Comedy Central’s Nathan For You. Now, I have a much better handle on the concept thanks to William Peter Blatty’s seminal book, which the front cover dubs “the most terrifying novel ever written.”A bold claim, and…

These Violent Delights Cover Photo

These Violent Delights – Guts & Glory

Gangsters can be monstrous, but what if there was an actual monster hunting the gangsters themselves? In These Violent Delights, author Chloe Gong places us in the middle of 1920s Shanghai when gang tensions are high and a monster is wreaking havoc. If you’re looking for a fast-paced story with a lot of action and…

East of West – Have You Heard The Message?

I’ve only recently begun to dabble in the world of comics, graphic novels, and manga. I’ve dipped my toe in a few times in the past, never fully committing to anything other than a few issues or volumes of the weirder stuff. My only real exposure to graphic novels prior to 2016 was Watchmen, a…

Defending Elysium: A Good Offense

Brandon Sanderson’s Defending Elysium treats readers to a short, fast-paced story set in the Cytoverse (Skyward). The story moves at the velocity of a spaceship; you’ll be able to finish it at lightspeed. Fans of the Cytoverse should consider this required reading for further context, while those who haven’t read Skyward can still appreciate the…