Month: April 2024

Gen Y and the Pre-Internet Age

Getting mugged by reality is a definitive experience of Generation Y. The last cohort with personal memories of the pre-9/11 world, Ys have entered middle age in a state of deep confusion regarding their place in society. So far, the story of their lives has been “Stuff yourself on fast…

April 30, 202419 Comments

Millennnials: Reaping the Cultural Whirlwind

A recurring theme of this blog is the widening gap between Baby Boomers and Millennials in terms of wealth distribution and cultural inheritance. The data paints a stark picture: Baby Boomers, through a combination of historical windfalls and economic expansion, have accumulated unprecedented wealth, wielding significant power and influence that…

April 29, 20247 Comments

Pump Up the Volume, Pump Up the Jam

A Gen X introvert's Baby Boomer dad uproots their family from New York and moves them across the country to a prefab Arizona suburb. Gifted a short-wave radio to keep in touch with his friends back east, the isolated and disoriented Mark finds an outlet for his existential angst as…

April 26, 202416 Comments

Elle Griffin: Shooting Holes in Oldpub

My valued neopatrons called my attention to this viral Substack post by author and editor Elle Griffin. In it, she shares facts that came to light in the US government's recent suit against oldpub giants Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. The main takeaway is that publishing house representatives…

April 25, 202414 Comments

Introducing Star Wanderers

Author JD Cowan introduces his latest swashbuckling sci fi adventure! Detective Ronan Renfield is a Galactic Enforcer sworn to protect the innocent and bring evil-doers to justice to maintain order throughout the stars. The Agent is a nameless knight errant tasked with hunting the most brazenly wicked and blasphemous who…

April 24, 2024

King Brandon Does it Again

In yet another definitive win for him—and Neopatronage—Fantasy King Brandon Sanderson has shattered a second crowdfunding record. Brandon Sanderson, the bestselling author known for his epic fantasy novels, has already raised more than $16 million on crowdfunding platform BackerKit since launching it earlier this week. Related: Neopatron Brandon It should…

April 23, 20249 Comments

No Gatekeepers Where There Are No Walls

My cherished Neopatrons and I were discussing the phenomenon of the indie author who goes back to signing with publishers. It's been fascinating to see this regression to the oldpub model the minute some realize the newpub model is obsolete. Falling back on the even more obsolete yet familiar instead…

April 22, 202412 Comments

How to Handle World Building

The one element that distinguishes science fiction and fantasy from the other flavors of adventure fiction is world building. If you’re a new SFF writer, learning how to craft vivid secondary worlds is a crucial skill. And mastering it takes finesse as well as creativity. But it’s not as daunting…

April 19, 20245 Comments

Wizards of the Coast President Resigns

The tabletop role-playing scene was rocked yesterday by news that Wizards of the Coast president Cynthia Williams is stepping down. Wizards of the Coast president Cynthia Williams is leaving the company at the end of the month. An SEC filing disclosed that Cynthia Williams, the president of Wizards of the…

April 18, 202413 Comments

The Pop Cult Demoralization Trap

For years I've been charting the decline of all pop culture media while urging people to stop consuming content by companies that hate them. Recent days have provided a plethora of case studies illustrating why. Take this exchange on X from just yesterday: Related: Mark Kern – Calling All…

April 17, 20245 Comments