Weekly Roundup: August 28th - September 2nd
I’m e rathke, the author of a number of books. Learn more about what you signed up for here. Go here to manage your email notifications.
This Week’s Posts
Tuesday: My ongoing project on the Harry Potter series continues with The Half-Blood Prince. I have complicated feelings about the series, but I have, ultimately, enjoyed writing these essays. This is a good one! Next month, I finish the series with an extravagantly long essay (over 30 pages) on The Deathly Hallows.
Wednesday: Paying subscribers received Chapter Seventeen of Emrys the Fool and free subscribers received Chapter Fifteen. If you received neither, there are instructions here on how to get these in your email.
Thursday: The Past and Future of Wolf.
As the two year anniversary of Wolf approaches, I laid out some changes that will be happening in the coming year. 2023 was a big year of growth and experimentation with this newsletter and while I’m mostly very happy with it, there are a few things I’m working towards, including a magazine for original fiction, new benefits for paying subscribers, and a whole mess of novels.
Friday: Not posted at this here substack, but my children’s storytime podcast continues with Chapter Nine of A Pirate’s Life. This is the story I’ve been telling my son for a few months and began recording for him on his Yoto Player. With that in mind, this is a story meant for children and so share it with a child.
A young boy named Carrot who wants to become a pirate. Chapter Nine involves coming home. I messed up the scheduling and so it’s not yet on your podcasting platforms, but it will be soon. In the meantime, catch up from the beginning!
Music by my good friend Bart Larsen.
From the Archives
Sometimes I like looking at paintings.
Listening
For those looking for a discussion about game design and theory, well, have I got something for you!
This episode reminded me of everything I have always hated about philosophy. Now, some people will tell you I’m a real dumdum, and they’re probably right, but I sure do hate philosophy and especially the kind that relies heavily upon abstraction and thought experiments.
This one is more interesting, but in the first few minutes they referenced that Stuits episode several times so I had to go back and listen to it first.
Anyway, I’m enjoying this podcast, which is something I say almost never.
Working on a few things related to this, probably.
Reading
I don’t know nothing about this writer, but this is a fun, wild ride about the Digimon anime. Just recently, I was talking to my brother and trying to explain to him how bizarre and dark this show ostensibly made for and marketed to eight year olds was.
I mean, I thought I was watching knockoff Pokemon and then people just started dying!
Who would have guessed that I’d enjoy reading about Final Fantasy? This is a hint about something else I’m cooking up for all of you.
is currently playing through the Pixel Remaster and is up to FFIV so there’s a lot to chew on over there right now if you’re a Final Fantasy fan.A fascinating look at Harmony Korine, whose movies I don’t even like! But he’s up to some wild stuff.
And an interesting look at the history of Google search by
.Watching
Columbo sure is a great show.
Read something annoying this week related to this game and so I’ll be responding possibly this upcoming week but maybe not until the following one.
Who knows how schedules work?
What Else?
Iron Wolf is still newly out and could use its first review!
Gonna keep recommending The Dadpod Gamescast! The next episode is about Megaman, and who doesn’t love the blue bomber? Expect that next week.
I hope you give us a listen. Like and subscribe and review and all that. You can subscribe here at substack or at wherever you like to listen to podcasts, like Spotify and Apple.
Wrote the rules for a textless pokemon style card game yesterday that I'm designing for kids who can't read yet. If anyone wants to draw me some monsters, let me know!
That’s it from me.
Anyway, read my books that are currently out. Then review them.
Thank you.
My novels:
Glossolalia - A Le Guinian fantasy novel about an anarchic community dealing with a disaster
Sing, Behemoth, Sing - Deadwood meets Neon Genesis Evangelion
Howl - Vampire Hunter D meets The Book of the New Sun in this lofi cyberpunk/solarpunk monster hunting adventure
Colony Collapse - Star Trek meets Firefly in the opening episode of this space opera
The Blood Dancers - The standalone sequel to Colony Collapse.
Iron Wolf - Sequel to Howl.
Some free books for your trouble:
Wolf.
Howl.
Thanks for the shoutout, man! Was a blast trading Final Fantasy observations with you this week.
Curious to know what got you riled up with Sea of Stars.
I did read a reviewer say no one on the game “changes” or has a true character arc... might have been Polygon. Hasn’t marred my interest in the game. It looks amazing.