Weekly Roundup: August 7th - August 19th
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: Wrote a short analysis of why Cormac McCarthy’s writing is so addictive, why it feels powerful.
Wednesday: Paying subscribers received Chapter Fifteen of Emrys the Fool and free subscribers received Chapter Thirteen. If you received neither, there are instructions here on how to get these in your email.
Thusrsday: I interviewed Kathryn Vercillo, who writes about mental health and art.
Friday: Not posted at this here substack, but my children’s storytime podcast continues with Chapter Seven 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 Seven involves fighting a giant sea monster.
Music by my good friend Bart Larsen.
From the Archives
One of my favorite games I played last year. Shouldn’t take you more than 7-10 hours to complete, but it’s packed so full of narrative goodness that you may want to begin all over again.
Listening
I do love when people remix songs I already like and make them feel new.
Reading
Found this essay by
pretty fun and interesting. Who am I to disagree with a bunch of graphs?Reading about the 14th Century in Ian Mortimer’s biography of Henry IV. Also read Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey. I found it sometimes rather clumsy but overall a worthwhile read, especially if you’ve previously found The Odyssey a bit too difficult. Her translator’s note is worth checking out on its own, as she makes the case for the simplified, direct language she uses here.
Unfortunately, she’s not an especially artful writer.
Watching
Started watching Columbo. Also watched Rush Hour 1 and 2.
I love Jackie Chan.
What Else?
Iron Wolf is still newly out and could use its first review!
Gonna keep recommending The Dadpod Gamescast! This upcoming week, we’re discussing Street Fighter II.
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.
Still researching Tabletop RPGs for totally normal reasons and will hopefully have something to announce about this in the future. Also preparing a kickstarter to launch a literary magazine.
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 again for the interview and being a stop on my book's tour!