SkywardStrange

Skye - she/they 🩷💜💙 Horror aficionado 💀 Prairie varmint 🦫 Cringe but free 🤡

3892 points

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My Taste

Nightwatch on the Hinterlands (The Weep, #1)

Reading...

15%

The Decagon House Murders (House Murders, #1)

32%

13%

40%

16%

19%

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves

15%

21%

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

37%

Without a Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult

20%

SkywardStrange commented on scifi_rat's update

scifi_rat finished a book

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)

Matt Dinniman

The apocalypse will be televised! A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible. In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground. The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe. Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style. You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big. You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game—with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy. They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.

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136

SkywardStrange is interested in reading...

Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins: A Trip Through the World of Animal Intoxication

Oné R. Pagán

Oné R. Pagán, author of Strange Survivors, returns with a book full of unforgettable stories and odd facts about the surprising cravings a wide variety of animals indulge when it's time to unwind. From the cup of coffee that jumpstarts the day to dangerously addictive drugs, the recreational use of plants with psychoactive properties has a long history among humans. But, as with many things, it turns out that other animals got there first. From parrots to primates, consuming medicinal chemicals is an instinctive behavior that helps countless organisms fight infection and treat disease. But the similarities don’t end there: Like us, many creatures also consume substances that have no apparent benefit…except for inducing intoxication. In fact, animals have been using drugs for recreational purposes since prehistoric times. We may even have animals to thank for the idea—legend says that coffee was discovered by observing the behavior of goats that had eaten it. In his previous book, Strange Survivors, author and biologist Oné R. Pagán introduced readers to some of the truly bizarre strategies animals use to survive in the cutthroat world of natural selection. Now, in Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, he sheds light on the surprising cravings they indulge when it’s time to unwind. In this book, you’ll get an eye-opening glimpse into the mind-altering behavior of the non-human members of the animal kingdom, spanning insects to elephants—including the dolphin species that apparently likes to pass around an intoxicating pufferfish as if they were sharing a joint. Combining fascinating science with humor and enthusiasm, Pagán’s latest is full of the kind of unforgettable stories and odd facts that you’ll find yourself repeating to everyone you meet. From fruit fly happy hour to the evolutionary reasons behind nature’s drugs, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins takes you on a trip through the colorful world of animal intoxication—and along the way, explores what this science reveals about the surprising connections between all the world’s creatures.

SkywardStrange commented on a List

23h

Horror x Poetry

by SkywardStrange

51 books

Poetry is an art form that can be used to interact with a lot of themes - my favorites are when dark topics or the horror genre itself come into the mix.

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The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On

SkywardStrange made progress on...

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

Ronan Farrow

37%

SkywardStrange made progress on...

This Is My Body

Lindsay King-Miller

22%

SkywardStrange started reading...

This Is My Body

Lindsay King-Miller

A gripping, emotional, and darkly funny queer horror novel about family trauma and possession, for fans of Rachel Harrison and Catriona Ward.Single gay mom Brigid always thought that cutting ties with her extremist Catholic family was the best thing she could have done for her daughter, Dylan—and for herself. But when Dylan starts having terrifying fits of unnatural violence, Brigid can’t shake her memories of a girl from her childhood who behaved the same way . . . until Brigid’s uncle, Father Angus, performed an exorcism.Convinced that her daughter is suffering from demonic possession, Brigid does the thing she told herself she’d never she goes home. Father Angus is the worst person she knows, but he’s also the only person who can help her daughter.But as Brigid starts to uncover secrets about Father Angus, that long-ago exorcism, and her family’s past, she realizes that she and Dylan have never been in more danger.This Is My Body is a piercing journey into religious trauma and childhood shame, building towards a heart-pounding twisty climax that will spin your head all the way around.

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133

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When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World

Suzanne Simard

The trailblazing scientist who pioneered the concept of sophisticated communication between trees returns with a book that places nature’s own cycles of renewal at the center of a powerful vision for the future of our forestsWith her bestselling book Finding the Mother Tree, forest ecologist Suzanne Simard introduced the world to the profound intelligence and interconnectedness of trees. Now, with When the Forest Breathes, she uncovers the ways that nature’s deep-rooted cycles of renewal can ensure the longevity of threatened ecosystems.Raised in a family of loggers committed to sensible forest stewardship, Simard has watched as timber companies leave forests at higher risk for wildfires, water crises, and plant and animal extinction. But her research has the potential to chart a new course. The forest, she reveals, is a symphony of finely honed cycles of regeneration—from mushrooms breaking down logs to dying elder trees passing their genetic knowledge to younger ones—that hold the key to protecting our forests. Working closely with local Indigenous communities, whose models of responsible forestry have been largely dismissed, Simard examines how human interventions—particularly destruction of the overstory's mother trees—endanger new growth and longevity. If we can honor the tools that trees have honed for sharing intergenerational wisdom, she argues, we can protect these sacred places for many years to come.As she considers how older living things facilitate the conditions for new growth to flourish, Simard faces parallel rhythms of loss and regeneration in her own life, watching her two daughters grow into adults and savoring her final days with her ailing mother. Animated by wonder for our forests and the intricate practices of caretaking that have long sustained them, When the Forest Breathes is a vital reminder of all the natural world has to teach us about adaptability, resilience, and community.

SkywardStrange is interested in reading...

The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and the Man Who Captured Lincoln's Ghost

Peter Manseau

A story of faith and fraud in post–Civil War America, told through the lens of a photographer who claimed he could capture images of the dead. In the early days of photography, in the death-strewn wake of the Civil War, one man seized America’s imagination. A “spirit photographer,” William Mumler took portrait photographs that featured the ghostly presence of a lost loved one alongside the living subject. Mumler was a sensation: The affluent and influential came calling, including Mary Todd Lincoln, who arrived at his studio in disguise amidst rumors of séances in the White House. Peter Manseau brilliantly captures a nation wracked with grief and hungry for proof of the existence of ghosts and for contact with their dead husbands and sons. It took a circus-like trial of Mumler on fraud charges, starring P. T. Barnum for the prosecution, to expose a fault line of doubt and manipulation. And even then, the judge sided with the defense — nobody ever solved the mystery of his spirit photography. This forgotten puzzle offers a vivid snapshot of America at a crossroads in its history, a nation in thrall to new technology while clinging desperately to belief.

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The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating Heart Cadavers--How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death

Dick Teresi

Important and provocative, The Undead examines why even with the tools of advanced technology, what we think of as life and death, consciousness and nonconsciousness, is not exactly clear and how this problem has been further complicated by the business of organ harvesting.Dick Teresi, a science writer with a dark sense of humor, manages to make this story entertaining, informative, and accessible as he shows how death determination has become more complicated than ever. Teresi introduces us to brain-death experts, hospice workers, undertakers, coma specialists and those who have recovered from coma, organ transplant surgeons and organ procurers, anesthesiologists who study pain in legally dead patients, doctors who have saved living patients from organ harvests, nurses who care for beating-heart cadavers, ICU doctors who feel subtly pressured to declare patients dead rather than save them, and many others. Much of what they have to say is shocking. Teresi also provides a brief history of how death has been determined from the times of the ancient Egyptians and the Incas through the twenty-first century. And he draws on the writings and theories of celebrated scientists, doctors, and researchers—Jacques-Bénigne Winslow, Sherwin Nuland, Harvey Cushing, and Lynn Margulis, among others—to reveal how theories about dying and death have changed. With The Undead, Teresi makes us think twice about how the medical community decides when someone is dead.

SkywardStrange is interested in reading...

Beast: Werewolves, Serial Killers, and Man-Eaters: The Mystery of the Monsters of the Gévaudan

S.R. Schwalb

A “gripping and suspenseful account” of a baffling killing spree in eighteenth-century France and the fear surrounding the mysterious “Beast of Gévaudan” (Publishers Weekly). Something unimaginable occurred from 1764 to 1767 in the Gévaudan region of south central France. Over the course of three years, in the remote highland, over a hundred people, mostly women and children, were murdered. Appalled reports of the events—considered to be one of the world’s first “media sensations”—suggested that a real-life monster was on the loose. As panic spread, alarmed rural communities were virtually held hostage by the unseen marauder. Louis XV even deployed dragoons and crack wolf hunters from far-off Normandy and the King’s own court to destroy the menace. Despite extensive historical documentation, no one could agree on the origin of the terror. A feral serial killer? A werewolf? An unknown animal species? Or, as was proposed by the local bishop, a scourge of God? To this day, debates on the true nature of La Bête continue. With historical illustrations, composite sketches by the author, on-the-scene modern-day photographs, and autopsy analysis, Beast takes a fascinating look at all the evidence, using a mix of history and modern biology to advance a theory that could solve one of the most bizarre and unexplained killing sprees of all France’s infamous Beast of the Gévaudan—a tale that still captures the imagination and has found its way into modern culture through films like The Wolfman, novels like Patricia Brigg’s Hunting Ground, and a History Channel documentary.

SkywardStrange commented on grimbl's update

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The Art of the Occult: A Visual Sourcebook for the Modern Mystic

S. Elizabeth

A visual feast of eclectic artwork informed and inspired by spiritual beliefs, magical techniques, mythology and otherworldly experiences. Mystical beliefs and practices have existed for millennia, but why do we still chase the esoteric? From the beginning of human creativity itself, image-makers have been drawn to these unknown spheres and have created curious artworks that transcend time and place – but what is it that attracts artists to these magical realms? From theosophy and kabbalah , to the zodiac and alchemy ; spiritualism and ceremonial magic , to the elements and sacred geometry – The Art of the Occult introduces major occult themes and showcases the artists who have been influenced and led by them. Discover the symbolic and mythical images of the Pre-Raphaelites ; the automatic drawing of Hilma af Klint and Madge Gill ; Leonora Carrington 's surrealist interpretation of myth , alchemy and kabbalah ; and much more. Featuring prominent, marginalised and little-known artists , The Art of the Occult crosses mystical spheres in a bid to inspire and delight . Divided into thematic chapters (The Cosmos, Higher Beings, Practitioners), the book acts as an entertaining introduction to the art of mysticism – with essays examining each practice and over 175 artworks to discover. The art of the occult has always existed in the margins but inspired the masses, and this book will spark curiosity in all fans of magic, mysticism and the mysterious .

SkywardStrange is interested in reading...

The Art of the Occult: A Visual Sourcebook for the Modern Mystic

S. Elizabeth

SkywardStrange commented on SkywardStrange's update

SkywardStrange made progress on...

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

Ronan Farrow

38%

SkywardStrange made progress on...

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

Ronan Farrow

38%

SkywardStrange commented on SkywardStrange's review of How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures

SkywardStrange

Feb 24, 2026

5.0

Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0

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The amount of crying that I did while listening to this book has created a small ocean all my own. My heart is full of joy and sadness and wonder.

Do not come at this book looking for scientific rigor - that is distinctly not the point. Imbler weaves the wondrous nature of creatures in our oceans as metaphors for being alive, being human, being queer. I was captivated by the level of honesty and vulnerability that they present, sharing their experiences so generously that it was almost overwhelming. I connected with their path toward queerness, the battle with body issues and wondering if you're "queer enough." The joyousness of gathering for the Dyke March was beautifully captured in We Swarm.

Beyond the heart and grace of the content, Imbler's command of language is unmatched. They seem to consider each word carefully and revel in the magic of language, never shying away from a lush adjective or non-standard verb. The result is transcendental prose that flows like the lapping waves that serve as the background of the book.

To my beloved queer friends and folx beyond: read this. It will touch your soul.

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The Burn Line

Jonathan Sims

From the dark and twisted mind behind the podcast sensation The Magnus Archives comes a suffocating, socially charged nightmare that reveals how fear festers in the cracks of everyday life… Beneath the streets of London, it hungers… It's the hottest summer on record and the city is suffering. Prices are high, pay is low. And on one fateful morning five travelers find themselves trapped in a tube car deep in the London Underground. It will change their lives forever. By the time they leave the train they will be bound together as witnesses to a single horrific event. Something terrible, irreversible, and monstrous. Something hungry. But they can't remember what it is. On their own, they each begin to experience strange dissociative events. Time gets lost. Friends disappear. Something stalks them in the shadows. They make an unlikely team, but to remember what they encountered that day on the train, they will have to work together. Because now it's up to them to understand what horror they saw – and stop it in its tracks before it drags everyone else down below.

SkywardStrange commented on zeeee's review of The Decagon House Murders (House Murders, #1)

zeeee

Mar 31, 2026

4.5

Enjoyment: 4.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 3.0Plot: 5.0

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The Decagon House Murders takes inspiration from And Then There Were None, but adds multiple layers to the story that make the mystery more complex and entertaining. The book is written in a very mechanical way, where the prose is stripped down to just the facts needed for the mystery, almost like a game between the author and the reader, where you’re given just enough information to piece things together. This is apparently done on purpose and is called the Honkaku genre. It did take some getting used to, but the mystery itself is very intriguing and the book is very hard to put down.

Because of this stripped-down style, the book is missing some of the emotional impact that could have been felt with certain characters’ deaths, especially since the story doesn’t deeply explore the victims or fully ground their past actions. That’s why I really appreciated how the prologue and epilogue read almost poetic in contrast. It made the beginning and ending connect beautifully and gave those scenes a kind of emotional weight that elevated them.

SkywardStrange commented on karigan's update

karigan TBR'd a book

Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs

Jamie Loftus

Part travelogue, part culinary history, all capitalist critique―comedian Jamie Loftus's debut, Raw Dog , will take you on a cross-country road trip in the summer of 2021, and reveal what the creation, culture, and class influence of hot dogs says about America now. Hot dogs. Poor people created them. Rich people found a way to charge fifteen dollars for them. They’re high culture, they’re low culture, they’re sports food, they’re kids' food, they’re hangover food, and they’re deeply American, despite having no basis whatsoever in America's Indigenous traditions. You can love them, you can hate them, but you can’t avoid the great American hot dog. Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs is part investigation into the cultural and culinary significance of hot dogs and part travelog documenting a cross-country road trip researching them as they’re served today. From avocado and spice in the West to ass-shattering chili in the East to an entire salad on a slice of meat in Chicago, Loftus, her pets, and her ex eat their way across the country during the strange summer of 2021. It’s a brief window into the year between waves of a plague that the American government has the resources to temper, but not the interest. So grab a dog, lay out your picnic blanket, and dig into the delicious and inevitable product of centuries of violence, poverty, and ambition, now rolling around at your local 7-Eleven.

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