Steampunk Gypsy

November - particularly this November - is the perfect month to delve into horror. As a genre, horror is supposed to dredge up fear, dread, and the particular type of suspense that makes you want to avoid what you know is coming even while you rush straight into it. It may seem odd to purposefully chase those emotions, but horror can be very cathartic. Horror is a very diverse field, and the evil we face might be supernatural, preternatural, or entirely human and banal. While the plot lines focus most often on death, destruction, or the demonic, the stories often explore more pressing societal fears and turmoil. A book about zombies, then, might be an author's commentary on globalization and the stifling of individuality or censorship and forced conformity - or it might be just a great story about brain-eating undead folk.  November's Main Read is brought to you by the master of horror himself, the King of Hell (although he's sort of throneless at the moment), Crowley. C...

For October, we're looking at Post-Apocalyptic stories! While the basic premise of the genre is pretty clear - civilization has ended; now what? - there are a few defining features that may have slipped your notice. Typically, the end of the world (or, at least, mankind's dominance of it) has occurred realistically: disease, war, famine, global natural disaster, and the like. More often than not, we did it to ourselves, and possibly the rest of Earth's inhabitants, too. There's nothing left to do but pick up the pieces. But the genre does insist that we look at a few questions along the way. What could we have done to prevent this?  A very important question, as we're in a great position now to actually prevent whatever disaster the author portrays, and one that usually more particularly concerns itself with the ethics of modern technology. How can we fix this? Most often, what's left after the apocalypse is a failing and oppressive system - even if that syste...

This month, we're doing things a little differently - rather than focusing on a particular genre, we're looking at a theme! We're going to be talking about something universally appreciated, a core aspect of civilization and community building - food. If there is one constant across every culture, it's the feast - and for September we're picking an entrée and a side dish from a real smorgasbord of books, fiction and nonfiction, centered around food! From novels whose plots are built around restaurants or festivals to cookbooks to histories of particularly beloved ingredients, any foodie will find intellectual nourishment to their taste. September's Main Read is brought to us by Dean, who has more than a bit of experience with diners and dives across the U.S. - it's seldom possible for a hunter to get a homemade meal, although you'll never find one without plenty of salt. Check it out: Retro Pies: A Collection of Celebrated Family Recipes   Dean...

It has been a very hot month, hasn't it? For August, we're focusing on Romantic Fantasy - a subgenre of Fantasy with elements of Romance. While the romantic relationship will be the obvious focus, other relationships - including social and political ones - are often explored, as well. Magic and supernatural creatures make appearances, as well, but fantasy is often the motif or setting for the primary discussion of relationships. The main characters tend to be young people striving to find themselves and their places in the world around them; like Romances generally, Romantic Fantasy tends towards happy endings. Caution: while the focus is on romance and not sex for its own sake, there are occasionally depictions,sometimes graphic, of sexyfuntimes - and not always between two humans. August's Main Read is brought to us by Spike! (While he is definitely a bad guy, he has a soft spot for romance - and isn't ashamed to admit it. What's not to love?) Check it out: ...

For July, we're going to take a look at modern mythology - a special type of retold tale! Retold tales in general are a neat genre - they take familiar and important stories, ones that have already had a great deal of impact on our lives, and twist them up a bit. By introducing new themes and sometimes controversial ideas into a familiar setting, the author can lead the reader to new perspectives and a chance to reevaluate our own long-held beliefs and cherished traditions in someone else's context. A comfortable story made discomforting can be a powerful thing. Mythology retold is especially interesting - we can see the gods wrestling with the same issues we face, and learn to look at each other differently. This month's Main Read was chosen by Loki - he thinks it's about time someone heard his  side of events. Check it out: The Gospel of Loki I know a tale, O sons of earth. I speak it as I must. Of how nine trees gave life to Worlds That giants held ...

[First off, an apology: this was supposed to be a  nonfiction month. We were going to look at historical nonfiction. Why did we end up with alternate history? I'll answer that in a bit.] "What if...?" is probably a question better asked before making big decisions - but, occasionally, it's fun to ask afterwards, too. Alternate history does just that - questioning what might have happened had a few changes been made to the past. Usually, the author investigates the question pretty straight-forwardly, just presenting the story as though history had been different; sometimes, though, the author has something (like time travelers) actually change history. Either way, the author can play with how one or a few simple changes could ripple into major differences in parallel worlds. Our Main Read this month comes courtesy of the Doctor, who swears it was history when he last spoke to me. (What exactly did he say to Socrates? He refuses to answer.) Check it out: Lion...

This month, we're boldly going where...well, many readers have gone before, actually. Science fiction is a well-known genre, but one of my favorites, nonetheless! Science fiction is a type of speculative fiction that incorporates scientific (or pseudo-scientific) tropes like space exploration, extraplanetary colonization, time travel, parallel dimensions, alien encounters, and the like. Generally, science fiction has some grounding in actual science (although some stories cross the line into science fantasy). Although there are several subgenres, our Main Read this month - chosen by The Clockwork Man - is hard science fiction, characterized by a strong connection to physical sciences. Check it out: The Three-Body Problem The Red Union had been attacking the headquarters of the April Twenty-eighth Brigade for two days. Their red flags fluttered restlessly around the brigade building like flames yearning for firewood. Her life torn apart by China's Cultural Rev...