coolworld

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/27/the-big-idea-josh-rountree-4/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57014

Most grandmas play bingo, but author Josh Rountree’s grandma had a more occult hobby. Come along in his Big Idea as he tells you about ghosts, Texas, and his grandma, and how it all led to the creation of his newest novel, Summer in the House of the Departed.

JOSH ROUNTREE:

I do my best to put my heart on the page with every book and story I write, but Summer in the House of the Departed is especially dear to me.

The Big Idea for this one was simple – I wanted to write a story about a boy and his grandmother, whiling away the last weeks of her life in a haunted house while she tries to solve the mystery of death. But there is more to it than that. 

This little boy was me. And the grandmother was mine.

Sort of.

I grew up in a small West Texas town. Way out in the middle of nowhere would not be an inaccurate way to describe it.  My grandmother was a high school teacher in that same town who never met a stranger, and was beloved by her students. She taught English and Spanish and Folklore. And, sometime in her middle age, she started hunting for ghosts. 

That wasn’t really something that was done in that place, in those days. But soon enough, she became well known for collecting stories.  People would write her, call her on the phone, come knocking on the door.  She was the “ghost lady” and people knew she would listen if they reached out to her with their weirdest stories.

Soon enough she was going on ghost hunts of her own.  I recall her telling me a story about her hanging out in the middle of the night by a lake, looking for La Llorona. She had tons of cassette tapes with subject interviews, people telling their stories, and in some cases, ghostly noises she’d captured. She shared all of this with me, apart from anything she thought too frightening for a kid my age.

The scary stuff was the good stuff, though.

She planned to collect a lot of these stories in a book, but she passed away when I was a teenager, and was never able to finish.  For many years, I had the Big Idea that I’d pull all that together some day.  Finish that book.  But I’m not much of a non-fiction writer, and I wasn’t sure where to even start.

Still, the idea of doing something with her stories, and with those memories, hung on through the years. And eventually I decided to approach it through my fiction. 

Let’s be clear – Summer in the House of the Departed is entirely a work of fiction. Nothing in this story really happened this way, or at least not much of it.  But the book is alive with my memories of my grandmother, and the little boy in this book bears a pretty striking resemblance to me, way back in 1981. 

The portal in the sky. The occult rituals.  I added all that stuff.

But the ghosts?  Those all belong to my grandmother.

Summer in the House of the Departed: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s

Author socials: Website|Instagram|Threads|Facebook

Read an excerpt.

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/27/the-big-idea-josh-rountree-4/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57014

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/26/the-big-idea-deva-fagan/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57000

One wrong turn doesn’t mean you’re going the wrong way entirely, and in author Deva Fagan’s case, her wrong turns ended up steering her exactly where she needed to be. Follow along in the Big Idea for her newest novel, House of Dusk, as she takes you through the winding path that led to its creation.

DEVA FAGAN:

I’ve had a thing for labyrinths ever since I first saw and fell in love with Jim Henson’s movie Labyrinth (and not just because of the possibility that I might find David Bowie prancing around one of them). 

Part of what I loved was the word itself. We often use labyrinth and maze interchangeably, but they can also have very different meanings. Mazes are composed of false turns meant to confuse, to lead you astray, to entrap you. Labyrinths are slow spirals leading you ever towards the center, often used as a meditative tool for self-reflection.

In other words, you lose yourself in a maze, but you find yourself in a labyrinth.

And that’s where my Big Idea came from: a vision of an underworld where the spirits of the dead must navigate a seemingly endless labyrinth where they face all the emotional baggage that they brought with them from life. If they can leave those hates and sorrows and regrets behind, they find the center and are set free. If not, they risk wandering forever or being devoured by soul-devouring demons.

I knew it would be the key ingredient in a bigger story, an epic fantasy with a rich, complicated world and flawed but loveable characters. I just needed to find the book it belonged in.

Today, over twenty years later, that book, House of Dusk, is finally out in the world.

Why did it take twenty years? Apparently I had to walk a creative labyrinth myself, in order to find the center of this story; to give up the baggage of bad ideas and refine the good. Though honestly it felt more like a maze, most of the time. I kept taking one wrong turn after another. And by wrong turn, I mean writing entire full-length book drafts that I ultimately had to throw away.

Here’s a summary:

Wrong Turn #1: The Blade of Atropos

The story of a warrior princess with daddy issues trying to rescue a tithe of young people being sent to an enemy nation (à la Theseus and the Minotaur, in keeping with the labyrinth theme). It wasn’t a terrible book, but the worldbuilding was more interesting than the characters, and I was drawing too directly from actual Greek mythology, rather than building my own cosmology.

Wrong Turn #2: The Obsidian Shield

The story of a warrior princess with daddy issues AND a bunch of emotional baggage and regrets. I honestly can’t remember what her goal was, which probably means it wasn’t nearly as exciting as I thought it was. But I’m glad I went down this wrong turn, because it’s where I found a pair of characters I loved: a brother forced to become a brutal assassin in order to safeguard his sister, a sibyl being controlled and manipulated by powerful men.

Wrong Turn #3: Poison Maid

The story of a poison-skinned nun who has to team up with an enemy prince to bring about the long-awaited rebirth of the Phoenix-god and the downfall of an ancient evil. In this version the sibyl is the prince’s sister, and is mostly comic relief. Also there’s an adorable sphinx! This is the first version where I finally realized I ought to have one of the characters actually go into the Labyrinth of Souls rather than just talking about this cool thing and never showing it on the page.

Wrong Turn #4: Tears of Blood and Ash

In this version, the sibyl is now the nun (and brotherless!), and she’s watched over by a maid who is secretly a spy with a lot of emotional baggage. The two women end up having to ally to thwart their enemies, and ultimately travel together into the Labyrinth of Souls, where they each must confront their demons (and I finally realized that they were secretly in love with each other). 

Finally Finding the Center: House of Dusk

At last! I found my two protagonists: Sephre, the aging war hero who fled to a monastic life seeking redemption for her past misdeeds, and Yeneris, the spy posing as a bodyguard, slowly falling for an enemy princess whose prophetic visions are the key to her brutal father’s power.

So that’s how I finally found my way through the labyrinth. It was a long and often disheartening journey, but I know that House of Dusk would not be the book it is today without all those wrong turns. I worked hard to make this big idea into reality, and I’m so grateful and proud that it’s out in the world now. 

House of Dusk: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s|PRINT

Author socials: Website|Instagram|Bluesky|Patreon

Read an excerpt.

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/26/the-big-idea-deva-fagan/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57000

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/26/as-the-swallows-return-to-capistrano-so-does-the-pumpkin-spice-return-to-the-bradford-speedway/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56982

This is the true harbinger of the change of the season. Not the cooler temperatures, not the kiddos returning to school, not the imminent arrival of Labor Day weekend; no, it’s when the Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino powder mix is added to the flavored coffee machine and the little sticker slapped over the usual “Skinny French Vanilla” sticker.

The Pumpkin Spice sticker will remain there until mid-November at least, when it will be replaced with the Candy Cane Cappuccino sticker, or whatever the hell they’re calling their holiday-themed coffee powder this year. But until then! Pumpkin Spice shall reign supreme!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/26/as-the-swallows-return-to-capistrano-so-does-the-pumpkin-spice-return-to-the-bradford-speedway/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56982

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/25/shaving-for-society/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56958

A few weeks ago, my friend invited me to come to an amusement park with her. If you are an Ohioan or even in the neighboring states, you know that we are top of the game in the rollercoaster world. We were heading to Kings Island, which we both have gold passes for, so it was no trouble to drive a little south and ride some coasters.

The night before going to the park, I looked at the weather forecast and saw that it was going to be a brisk 90 degrees outside. Obviously, I would need to wear shorts and a t-shirt. However, it had been like, two weeks since I last shaved my legs, so obviously I was going to have to do that beforehand. But truth be told, I really didn’t feel like it. I didn’t want to shave my legs, but I had to if I was going to wear shorts the next day.

This thought process made me uncomfortable. Why was I so convinced that it was something that I had to do, a qualifier to meet if I wanted to wear shorts? Why was I telling myself that it was unacceptable to wear shorts unless I did something that I really didn’t even feel like doing?

For as long as I have been shaving my legs, which has been about fifteen years, I have always felt that it was something that I wanted to do. I don’t like having body hair, and I’ve always said that it’s just a personal preference for myself. Not having hairy legs is what makes me more comfortable in my body, and that’s just how it’s always been. So shaving my legs always made sense to me because it was something that I wanted for myself and for my body.

This was the first time I had thought to myself that I didn’t want to do it. And it was immediately met with, “well, I have to.” I do not like how that sounds! I don’t like my brain telling me that, because it made me question if the decision to shave was less of a personal choice than I thought all along. I also started to fear that everyone at the park would see my two-week-unshaven-legs and think I was some disgusting beast, some radical hippie that didn’t shower, all sorts of negative things.

I had been convinced that I had been shaving for me, not for others, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. I think I was, in fact, shaving for society. I do still think that I was shaving for me, too, because I really meant it when I said I don’t like body hair on myself, but how much of that “personal preference” is bias from society in the first place? Would I dislike body hair on myself even if the societal views on women having hairy legs was completely different? How many of our choices are really just society’s choices that we’ve convinced ourselves are our own ideals? Who’s to say?

I didn’t like that I felt obligated to do something, so I decided the best course of action was to not do it. Off to Kings Island I went, in shorts, with unshaven legs.

It made me uncomfortable. It was genuinely difficult to move through the world in a way that I felt was going to cause me to be judged by others. All day, I kept looking down at my legs, thinking I should’ve just shaved and then I wouldn’t feel so bad. But that’s not right, and I knew it.

I had to keep telling myself that it’s not my problem if other people are bothered by my leg hair. It’s not my responsibility to shave to make strangers more comfortable. If someone doesn’t like looking at me, they can avert their gaze.

I do not have to make myself uncomfortable to make others more so.

Having leg hair is harmless. I’m not hurting anyone by having it. In fact, it comes naturally on just about everyone. And we would never expect a man to not have it, or to shave it to make others more comfortable, so why the fuck should I have to? If men can walk around in their too-many-pockets-cargo-shorts with leg hair longer than their head hair, so can I.

Even though I just said all that, I think the hardest part for me is that I don’t actually want to have long leg hair, I don’t want to dye my armpit hair, or anything “radical” like that, I just want to feel okay with myself if I haven’t shaved for a week or two. I just want the option to not have to, without the self-consciousness that comes with it. I want to wear shorts when it’s hot and have stubble and not feel like there’s something inherently wrong and disgusting about me. I want to shave for me. Actually for me.

It’s not easy to change over ten years of mindset, thinking, and habits, but now’s a good time to start. Won’t you join me?

-AMS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/25/shaving-for-society/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56958

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/24/new-cover-yellow/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56947

Many years ago, I had a dream and that I was singing “Yellow” by Coldplay while accompanying myself on guitar, and eventually a crowd surrounded me and sang along. When the song was done, I looked to the assembled crowd and said how wonderful it was that we were all singing along. And someone said, “we weren’t singing along with you. We were trying to drown you out.”

Anyway, here’s me singing “Yellow” by Coldplay. And yes, I played guitar on it. So there!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/24/new-cover-yellow/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56947

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/21/parking-lot-kittens-ii-who-wants-a-kitten-or-two/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56931

The other day Athena noted that kittens had shown up in the parking lot of Bryant’s apartment. Sadly, between then and now one of the kittens succumbed to the dangers of outside living, and Athena and Bryant decided it was time to snatch the remaining trio of kittens and move them to a safer environment, i.e., our basement guest room. That cat-napping took place this afternoon and now we have the three kittens in the house. Here they are:

First, this cute little calico;

Then this dilute tortie;

And also this personality-filled black kitten.

We’re isolating them from the rest of the cats in the house until we can get them to the vet next week, but they certainly seem healthy and, once they got over being snatched and transported somewhere they’ve never been before, calm and baseline-level kittenish. The calico and tortie are almost certainly girl cats, genetically speaking; the black kitten is currently of indeterminate sex but I would bet on it being a boy. The three of them get along pretty well, which considering how Athena and Bryant found them, is not entirely surprising.

The plan now is to take them to the vet, confirm that they are healthy, and then either find them new homes or surrender them to a no-kill shelter. We can maybe take one of them (likely the black cat), but we’re also all right letting the entire trio go to safe and welcoming homes. So: If any of you are looking for a kitten (or two!), and can show up to take them away, we’ve got some available for you! Drop me an email (john@scalzi.com) and we can talk. These kittens are, as the kids no longer say, totes adorbs. They would love to come home with you.

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/21/parking-lot-kittens-ii-who-wants-a-kitten-or-two/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56931

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/20/enjoying-the-dog-days/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56918

And who better to enjoy them than Charlie? Honestly, this is a master class right here in making the most of a waning summer season. Get to it, Charlie!

How are you?

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/20/enjoying-the-dog-days/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56918

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/19/the-big-idea-michelle-knudsen/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56899

Escapism through reading fantasy is something we’re all familiar with, but is it always the best idea to ignore the rest of the world and to some extent, yourself? Author Michelle Knudsen explores this idea in the Big Idea for her newest novel, Into the Wild Magic. Come along to see how Knudsen weaves a message of morals throughout the magic.

MICHELLE KNUDSEN:

I never really know what a novel is about when I start writing it. I usually begin with a scene, a couple of characters, and the vague knowledge that something magical or horrible or supernatural will happen. Sometimes I write the scene and it goes into the metaphorical trunk. Other times, I feel that tingle of yes that makes me want to keep going. In this case, I wrote a scene between two girls in a schoolyard. I didn’t know anything about them or what their story would be, but I knew I wanted to know more.

Those two girls turned out to be Bevvy and Cat. Bevvy is lonely and bullied and longs to escape into her fantasy books. New girl Cat, we soon discover, has the ability to open portals into another world. She avoids using her power, for Reasons, but is soon forced to open one of her portals, dragging Bevvy through with her. The story has all the exciting things I love to put in my novels: magic, monsters, adventures, battles, strange creatures, complicated people, dangerous situations. It’s about the girls, their various secrets and fears, and their attempts to get back home. But underneath all of that, it’s about connection: about what it means to have a friend, and to be a friend, and how to find connection when it seems forever out of reach. 

Like (I assume) many speculative fiction writers, I lived in fantasy and science fiction as a kid to escape the realities of middle school and high school life. I wasn’t Bevvy; I was lucky to have some really good friends, but I definitely also had times where I felt very alone, like there was some reason I wasn’t able to connect with others, like there was maybe something wrong with me. It was fantasy and science fiction that got me through. Not just because of the fantastic or futuristic elements (although yes, those too!), but also because of the characters who existed in those incredible worlds and the larger-than-life struggles that brought out their truest (and often best) selves.

I still believe that a lot of what I learned about being a good person came from the books I read back then. They were fun and full of adventure and magic and robots and spaceships but also they were stories of people facing danger to help or save those they loved. They contained characters who showed up for each other in extraordinary ways, who loved each other despite none of them being anything close to perfect. They brought me hope that there were lots of ways to connect with other people in the world.

I write stories for all ages, and in my picture books as well as my novels, I find myself returning to themes of friendship and unconditional love and finding a place where you belong. Sometimes that place can be a person. Or a lion. Or a group of bunnies you thought you had nothing in common with but then you all bond at the monster truck show and you realize with unexpected joy that you now have a tiny, fuzzy friend-family for life. 

Part of the secret is always finding those who get you, who see you for who you are. But the other part is being able to see yourself, to accept that you are worth the love and friendship of other people (or lions, or bunnies). 

Bevvy starts this story wishing for a friend: just one. I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to tell you that she finds one, but more than that, she learns to be friends with herself. The magical world she encounters is way scarier in person than in books, and she has to navigate her new relationship with dodgy, difficult Cat while running for her life, facing danger, and getting swept up in a magical war. Even more frightening, she must make some hard moral choices that could mean losing the friendship she so desperately wants. 

Bevvy has to figure out who she really is and attempt to arrive at the place I hope all of us can eventually get to of deciding we are worthy of love and affection. And that we deserve to surround ourselves with others who feel the same way. 

Into the Wild Magic invites middle-grade readers to escape into a fantasy-world adventure, but I hope it also helps some of them think about the kind of person—and friend—they really want to be. (And also that they love the dragons and the tree magic and the kitten and the dog and the giant moths and everything else!)

Into the Wild Magic: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s|Lofty Pigeon Books (for signed/personalized copies!)|Kobo|Libro.fm|Audible

Author socials: Website|Instagram|Bluesky|Facebook|Newsletter

Read an excerpt.

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/19/the-big-idea-michelle-knudsen/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56899

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/17/the-shattering-peace-arrives-in-ohio/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56869

Krissy and I just got back from Worldcon and a box of these lovelies were waiting for us when we got home. In case you’re ever wondering if it gets old to get your author copies of a new book: No. No, it does not.

Soon you will have your own copies! In literally just under a month! There’s still time to pre-order from your favorite bookseller!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/17/the-shattering-peace-arrives-in-ohio/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56869

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/15/interviewed-in-the-atlantic-about-ai-slop/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56851

Earlier this month I wrote about someone using an AI-generated quote and attributing it to me (along with an AI-generated picture of me which looked nothing like me), and I was more than a little annoyed by it. Now my experience and the experience of others who have had this happen, is the subject of an article in The Atlantic, titled “Don’t Believe What AI Told You I Said,” by Yair Rosenberg. I can attest that, indeed, it’s me being directly quoted in the piece, so you have that much assurance. And yes, this is a problem that will not go away, and is indeed likely to grow over time. Be vigilant about who and what you quote, folks.

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/15/interviewed-in-the-atlantic-about-ai-slop/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=56851