New Worlds: Colonial Subjects
This week the New Worlds Patreon is taking a look at a motif that speculative fiction is starting to more frequently view from the opposite side of yore: the colony. Comment over there!
Posts Tagged ‘book view cafe’
New Worlds: Imperial Ambitions
Last week’s New Worlds Patreon had to leave out one particular type of political unit because it was — very appropriately — too large to fit into that essay. So this week we’re looking at empires: comment over there!
A couple of pieces of news
Book View Cafe is fifteen years old! Which means we can trust it in the kitchen. Long-time readers of the blog know that we’ve had a tradition of posting recipes; now two dozen of us have come together to publish a cookbook. For my own contributions, I chose dishes that have acquired odd names in my household; buy the book to discover the delights of Lorem Ipsum Salad, Garbled Pasta, The Four Cs, Yoon Stew (yes, named for Yoon Ha Lee . . . though not made with bits of him), and The Transitive Property of Marjoram!
And in other news, I finally have a publication date for the audiobook of The Waking of Angantyr! It will be out on December 19th, just in time for Christmas (you know, if the holiday season makes you crave bloody Viking revenge epics — well, given family stresses, it might . . .). The pre-order links haven’t yet gone live at retailers, but I will remind closer to the pub date!
New Worlds: Countries, Kingdoms, States
The November theme for the New Worlds Patreon has looped back around to government, so we’re starting off with a look at what meaning is embedded in the words we use for different kinds of political unit. Exciting, I know — but actually quite revealing! Comment over there.
New Worlds: Blood Sacrifice
It’s a topic often treated very sensationally, but the New Worlds Patreon had to get there eventually: we’re talking at last about the blood sacrifice of animals and humans. Comment over there . . .
New Worlds: Offered in Sacrifice
No, the New Worlds Patreon isn’t talking about human or animal sacrifice — not yet. (That’ll be next week.) Instead we’re looking at some of the places where sacrifices are made and the reasons for them, and the use of inanimate objects for the purpose. Comment over there!
New Worlds: Saints and Miracles
Having talked about sanctification last week, now the New Worlds Patreon turns to the holiest people of all: saints! Comment over there.
New Worlds: Sanctification
New month, new theme! The New Worlds Patreon is pivoting back toward religion, with a look at what gets sanctified and how. Comment over there!
New Worlds Theory Post: Unfortunate Implications
As many of you know, when there are five Fridays in a month, the New Worlds Patreon devotes the fifth one to a theory post! This month we’re looking at the unfortunate messages your worldbuilding may send, whether you intend it to or not — comment over there.
New Worlds: PTSD
For the end of a mental health month, the New Worlds Patreon asks whether more of our fictional characters should have PTSD from the plot . . . comment over there!
New Worlds: Treating Mental Afflictions
Having looked at the broad topics of mental illness and intellectual disability, now the New Worlds Patreon turns its attention to the question of how societies have generally responded to those afflictions. Warning: the answer is often “not well.” Comment over there . . .
New Worlds: Intellectual Disability
With the theme of the New Worlds Patreon for September being the mind and its ailments, this week we take a look at some of the causes and effects of intellectual disability, especially in history. Comment over there!
New Worlds: Mental Illness
It’s hardly the cheeriest subject for me to be posting about on my birthday, but since my New Worlds patrons kindly allowed me to sub in posts about labor issues for August, the topic they’d voted for got pushed to September . . . and that means we’re talking about mental illness today! Comment over there.
New Worlds: Corvée
The New Worlds Patreon is closing out a labor-focused month with a different angle on the topic: forced labor, of the sort generally grouped under the term “corvée.” Comment over there!
New Worlds: Collective Action
Having looked at the basic ideas of guilds and unions, the New Worlds Patreon now turns its attention to the question of how such groups (and others) can achieve their goals. Short answer: collective action! Longer answer: comment over there . . .
New Worlds: Workers Unite
This week the New Worlds Patreon arrives at the reason I asked my patrons if they’d be all right with me delaying our August poll results until September: labor unions, i.e. the groups that are very much in the news right now, striving to protect their members against rapacious corporate interests. We’ll get to strikes and other such actions next week, but for now, comment over there!
New Worlds: One Guild to Rule Them All
Thanks to the flexibility of my patrons — who allowed me to swap in a timely replacement for the winner of the topic poll for August — this month the New Worlds Patreon is looking at some labor-related economic topics. We’re starting off with guilds — comment over there!
New Worlds: Internal Security
A month that started off with foreign diplomacy winds up spying on citizens at home, as the New Worlds Patreon takes a look at internal security. As usual, comment over there!
New Worlds: Spies Like Them
Diplomacy and espionage: they go together like peanut butter and the knife you use to spread it over bread. The New Worlds Patreon is taking a look at intelligence work — your comments over here will hopefully not self-destruct any time soon.
New Worlds: Diplomatic Emissaries
For diplomacy to have a chance, you need the right person to be conducting it. The New Worlds Patreon takes a look at the diplomats themselves — comment over there!
