Aetherloft, Chapter 3 A breeze carries the scent of rare flowers as Indigo adjusts zir uniform—a perfectly pressed black ballroom gown, showing off curves and colors that have no right to be there—while watching opulent guests from behind slatted screens. Chandeliers of spun ice refract rainbow light across a reception hall where Chastity and Drake […]
Mostly Harmless Magic, Chapter 3 Rue set her jaw, determination and frustration coiling inside her like wild vines. “How can I be a proper apprentice with those jars in such a state?” she protested, the words bursting out before she could hold them back. Granny Thorn’s eyes held a glimmer of amusement. “Proper, is it?” […]
Apocalypse Online, Chapter 2 “Humanity Will Persevere!” a poster next to Albion proclaimed. The restaurant itself felt like an afterthought, tucked into a corner of the sprawling bunker complex. Its steel tables and metal chairs were bolted to the floor, arranged with cold precision beneath fluorescent lights that cast a clinical pall over the space. […]
Mostly Harmless Magic, Chapter 2 Forty Years Ago Ethelwyn’s hands trembled slightly as she whispered the ancient words, her voice barely audible beneath the roar of the storm. The jar in front of her seemed to pulse with a life of its own, the viscous black substance inside shifting and swirling as if trying to […]
Apocalypse Online, Chapter 1 Albion sits on the underground train, watching the walls of the tunnel flicker by, an endless blur of gray. The train hums beneath him, vibrating with a steady monotony that matches the rhythm of his thoughts. He’s always liked tunnels. Their dark, constant lines make him feel as though he’s suspended […]
The Ocean Just Gets Me, Chapter 3 I count the days by the number of times Mom asks me to come eat. Sometimes I do—when Dad is out for a football game, when even I can’t ignore my hunger—but mostly I don’t eat. I hear them arguing through the walls again. “She’s always not hungry,” […]
Mostly Harmless Magic, Chapter 1 The town of Bramblehook was tiny compared to the Capital, yet still she was lost. Rue’s pointed ears poked out through a frizzy tangle of hair as she dragged her cart over another bump in the road. Plant cuttings tumbled over books, and both nearly tumbled over her. The town […]
Playground by Richard Powers – A Novel of Memory, AI, and the Planet’s Last Breath What happens when memory begins to fail—not just in a man, but in the world itself? 🌍 Dive into the literary, philosophical, and emotional depths of Playground by Richard Powers with Xynara & VORT, your favorite cosmic book club hosts! […]
What happens when humans try to tame the wild? 🤔 In this book review & analysis, we dive deep into Zane Grey’s classic Western novel, Wildfire, where a fiery mustang gallops through themes of freedom, love, sacrifice, and survival. Join Xynara & VORT, a curious alien and her robot companion, as they explore! 🔍 What […]
Who was Lord Dunsany, the forgotten architect of fantasy? In this episode, Xynara and VORT dive into the life and legacy of the man who shaped myth-making as we know it. From his aristocratic origins to his far-reaching influence on Tolkien and Lovecraft, we unravel the tale of a dreamer who built a kingdom of […]
Aetherloft 