So firstly, I know R.F. Kuang is talked about a lot here, to the extent that she often feels unfairly dragged. I don’t want to contribute to a pile-on, and I wouldn’t post this if I didn’t feel like I was contributing to a conversation, but one criticism I very rarely see is how she writes about (or doesn’t write about) class.

To give some background without revealing too much personal info, I grew up in a deprived area in northern England and ended up doing well enough academically to study Classics at Oxford. This was fairly recent (late 2010s). My experiences there were mixed – my accent was mocked, I was told I shouldn’t be able to study Classics if I hadn’t done Latin at school, the area I’m from was ridiculed, etc, etc. People not from the UK are often not aware of how deep-rooted classism is here, and how English culture especially is so mired in elitism, but I became quite painfully aware of it over the course of my degree. So I went …

I just watched this great video that breaks down a lot of traits that real world religions have that a lot of fictional religions lack. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pjrrUZeJMSo Here are the 4 traits he brings up:

1. Syncretism: how it absorbs and adapts the cultures around it

2. Ritualization: prayers, offerings and routines that structure day-to-day religious practice

3. Material religion: “stuff”— buildings, shrines, food, statues, clothing, etc

4. Lived religion: how religion is practiced by everyday people (not necessarily the official doctrine)

I’m curious what books you think do or don’t contain these elements. I think a lot of writers get caught up in mythological worldbuilding without thinking about how the religion would actually play out.

However, I think The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin and The Silt Verses (a fiction podcast) are amazing examples of religious worldbuilding that check all of these boxes. Perdido Street Station and The Blacktongue Thief also have well written …

Link to Daniel Greene video.

Leaving Audible. A company trying to create a forever monopoly and lower the already substandard support authors receive doesn’t deserve my support. So on Monday, I am spending my last credits, as to not to dilute my support for authors who I want to get paid, then ending my membership.

Will try to buy on authors websites etc

EDIT: some commenters have rightfully pointed out that I unfairly blamed the New Yorker reporter’s biases on RF Kuang, and that the “Ten Circles of Hell” are actually the “Eight Courts” (I read the eARC a while ago.) Those sections have been amended accordingly. I have also amended a sentence in Part 4 that wrongly conflates literary and non-Western fiction.

TL;DR: This book, while ambitious and freshly cutting at the start, fell short in good storytelling. RF Kuang should fire her editor. She should also stop being lazy with fantasy.

I wrote this review because I read Katabasis with a few friends as an eARC, and as an author/reader myself, I cannot believe the good press currently coming out about this novel. I wouldn’t have a problem with this- or Kuang as a fellow author, though this is the first novel I’ve read from her- if the praise weren’t so uncritically shining, and were the story’s construction not so obviously mediocre. 

Before we begin, I’ll …

I don’t mean just “great” or “fun,” but a book that earns a perfect score because it does something extraordinary whether that’s delivering cinematic action, emotional devastation, unforgettable characters, or the rare mix of epic scope and tight storytelling. I’m curious which standalones gave you that this is why fantasy matters feeling, and why they hit so hard for you.

Note: I am not trying to be hateful or make light of your favorite story. Please read the whole post before enacting judgment upon myself. It’s also fine to disagree with me and I would love to hear your reasoning behind it.

I recently picked up *The Name of the Wind* and I LOVED it. The descriptive text, the atmosphere, and the slow, steady world-building were all fantastic. The more I read, the more I became enthralled with this world and Kvothe’s history. That is, until I reached The University.

It felt like the story and writing had jumped off a cliff. The text became less descriptive, and the atmosphere from the first chapters was gone. But the worst part for me was that the book began to feel more like an anime power fantasy than anything else. I get it; Kvothe is a gifted young man. However, his exploits (or maybe the way they are presented) feel like they belong in something like *SAO* or Mushoku Tensei. Not to mention, the characters in this section feel …

I went to see Weapons on Friday night (at a very cute drive-in, very retro, very charming), and of course, I loved it. Very nicely done, absolutely charming, full of cute kids, and an adorable childish-looking adult professional woman made up to look like Madonna in Papa Don’t Preach, all battling evil together.

Its tenor reminded me of Roald Dahl and his charming comedy worlds, full of plucky innocent wide-eyed boy heroes-and the odd girl- struggling against horrific evil - sometimes immediate family, but other times forces that they couldn’t even begin to understand- just that they were out to harm them.

I read a lot of Roald Dahl - in fact his short story “The Hitchhiker” was one of my first reading bonding experiences with my mom- she read it, in an old paperback “Tales of the Unexpected”, with a purple and orange cover- told me to read it, and then later we went out and had knickerbocker glories. I wonder if they still serve them in British …

I’m not the first person to read this book, nor do I have any super profound thoughts on it, but every page just hits like a freight train. The lack of internal monologue from any character just makes every single downright vile action seem so much more sudden, and it really drives home the fact that every character, action, and motivation’ exigence is evil. Each and every time you think a character is going to do anything remotely good, or even neutral, it’s like Cormac McCarthy is reading your mind and says “watch this shit”. The fact that the characters give no reasoning for their senseless violence is gut wrenching, and the only character that does provide reason is so goddamn cunning, for a split second I’m like “that makes perfect sense”. the judge isn’t just manipulating the characters, he even briefly charms reader, sometimes I felt like what the judge was saying was valid, even though I knew he’s indescribably horrible. What other books have characters that are so charismatic …

F22 here; I’m quite tired of the “strong female must be arrogant/violent/bossy/cool/overpowered” trope. I want relatable girls that are smart and important to the plot but still tender, soft, kind and well..female.

Anything comes to mind?

Also: you can enjoy whatever you want, each trope has its audience.

I’m looking for science fiction novels where science drives the story or is the main framework through which the author presents things. Fancy technologies and gadgets alone don’t count.

I love books where physics, biology, astronomy, math, computer science, or even linguistics (e.g. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis) actually shape the plot or solve problems.

Favorites that do this really well, IMO: Blindsight, Diaspora, Children of Time, The Martian, 1984 (for its focus on linguistic determinism).

Any other novels like this?

Thanks!

One of the most influential and striking cover artists doesn’t have his own art book? Please tell me I just haven’t been looking hard enough.

Anyone got any recommendations for recent* science fiction (novels, short stories, web-fiction, films I suppose) which has a great, science-fictional concept that feels New?

*Let’s say since 2012 or so.

Advanced alien species could be on our own planet. What book captures this wonder?

Hey r/movies, I’m Elijah Wood. You might’ve seen me in things like Lord of the Rings, Yellowjackets, Wilfred, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Maniac, The Monkey, Everything Is Illuminated, and other stuff. I’m also in The Toxic Avenger. It’s unrated, and it’s only in theaters starting this Friday 8/29/25.

Here’s the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKe0pep35gQ

Set in a fantasy world, following janitor Winston Gooze, who, after a freak accident, transforms into a mutant vigilante known as Toxie. Armed with his mop, the unlikely hero battles freaks, gangsters and corrupt CEOs while trying to save his relationship with his son.

Directed by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore) and produced by Troma Entertainment. It also stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Piage, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, and Kevin Bacon

Tickets/info:

https://toxicavenger.com/

Ask me anything reddit! Back at 12 PM PT/3 …

Hey r/movies, I’m Stephen King. You might know me from Stand By Me, It, or Shawshank Redemption, but my latest project is actually the first book I ever wrote. The Long Walk hits theaters on September 12. Ask me anything about the book or movie.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtUHeMQ1F8

In a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest in which they must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or risk execution. The contest ends when only one walker remains alive.

It stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Roman Griffin Davis, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Tut Nyuot, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, and Josh Hamilton.

I’ll be back on Wednesday ⁸⁄₂₇ at 12:00 PM ET to answer your questions.