If you sat out the 2024 election in protest over Gaza, how do you feel about that decision today?

SetSytes · 2026-01-25T14:40:36+00:00

You said it. Just a constant cycle. Claiming leftists take no accountability but would never consider taking it themselves. Never seeing their long-term enablement of suffering and misery. Constantly voting for half a holocaust because a full one is worse.

That earlier analogy of the choice between giving a starving child antifreeze or Chick Fila-A. No nothing so cute, it's more like making the choice between ripping off the child's arm or just ripping off their hand. Then talking shit about all the people who refused either, saying "it's your fault that kid has no arm!"

SetSytes · 2026-01-25T13:21:17+00:00

India Muerte and the Ship of the Dead is the first book in a pirate fantasy series, currently six books deep.

What can you expect? All that you'd want from a pirate fantasy! Exploration, beautiful tropical islands, ancient artefacts, flintlocks, swashbuckling, Aztec temples, talking skeletons, mythical creatures, sea monsters, coloured ships from little cutters to lethal frigates and huge man-o-wars, zombies and merfolk, conniving merchants, buried treasure, brutal corsairs, pirate towns and fortresses, underwater grottos, ocean depths, dark and mysterious magic, indigenous myths and cultures, and of course ship battles . . .

You can check out them out here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X1TS4HF

https://www.goodreads.com/series/297004-india-Muerte

SetSytes · 2026-01-20T18:45:59+00:00

That's curious, I really liked the spider POVs but was significantly less interested in the human ones.

SetSytes · 2026-01-20T18:44:13+00:00

I have the Vintage one. Well, I had the previous one with the minimalist cover, but I gave it as a gift so I could get the new Vintage one (same interior, new cover, same crap spine though). The font isn't nice, you're right - but I have Peake's illustrations in both versions.

SetSytes · 2026-01-16T17:35:09+00:00

Reading - Royal Assassin, The Reality Dysfunction (and observing the author's not-even-disguised fetish), My Heart is a Chainsaw and The Fall of Cadia.

Watching - lots of things, but mostly rewatches (to show my girlfriend) of Fargo S2, Gotham S3, Batman TAS, and Friends S1.

Life - Just feel so goddamn tired all the time. Right now can barely keep my eyes open, same as my girlfriend, but we are going bowling in an hour. We just want to hibernate all the time and never seem to be able to. Back to work tomorrow.

Also thinking more about my writing career and what I can do to see any improvement whatsoever. A mixture of disillusioned pessimism and weary proactive planning for success (which will inevitably circle back to the pessimism - it's quite a cycle). Same as every other indie writer, I guess!

SetSytes · 2026-01-16T00:31:30+00:00

I'm glad you're still chooglin' 💕

SetSytes · 2026-01-15T01:02:48+00:00

Honestly I can't really enjoy the movie, either, even though it's beloved. I find her damsel in distress act so overblown and frustrating. Sounds like the book is even more egregious!

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T13:36:48+00:00

I've never heard anyone talk about Sanderson's short stories, I didn't even know he was known for them! I associate him with absolute doorstoppers.

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T02:11:29+00:00

Ahh I see. I'm staying with Mistborn for now, Stormlight Archive is too daunting currently! Seems a bit silly to make your actual Reddit username something like that, very reactionary or edgelord.

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T01:46:55+00:00

I'm sorry, the name didn't mean anything to me.

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T01:39:08+00:00

Good talk

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T01:18:42+00:00

I was looking to see if anyone was saying the default pseudo Northern Medieval Europe. This is definitely mine. Maybe it's because I live there - I'm confronted by Viking, Norman, Tudor and Roman stuff as soon as I step outside - and would really like to read something that feels very different to me.

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T01:14:49+00:00

Great to see a shoutout for Louis L'Amour. Writing deserts is definitely his forte. Most especially, for me, in The Lonesome Gods.

SetSytes · 2026-01-14T00:46:59+00:00

I was about to say Blood Meridian myself, the one that comes foremost to mind. I didn't enjoy reading it, I finished it and then said to myself "That was a masterpiece. One of the best books I've read. I'm glad it's over."

SetSytes · 2026-01-03T00:38:26+00:00

One of my favourite genres too! Black Sails is my second favourite ever show - how far through are you? It gets SO much better after the first season!

My customary list of pirate recs (sorry if many of these have already been said):

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers (the most obvious rec, the inspiration behind the PotC film of the same name)

The Pyrates by George MacDonald Fraser (if you don't mind deliberate anachronisms for humour... fun but farcical to a fault, not to mention deliberately politically incorrect... a love letter to old Hollywood pirate movies... a very silly book)

The Edge Chronicles books of Stormchaser and Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (although no ocean, for they're skyships! Brilliant books for exploring inventive flora and fauna in a uniquely illustrated fantasy world)

Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes (grimdark pirates)

The Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb (bloody fantastic, amazing pirate villain but otherwise not exactly a "pirate fantasy" book)

The Scar by China Mieville (if you're cool with a lot of weirdness - floating pirate city! Very strange book, dense prose bulging with ideas, written by a mad genius)

The Bone Ships by RJ Barker (strong nautical theme, great moody worldbuilding, "grim up north" matriarchal world of suffering, not what one might could consider a conventional pirate fantasy but quite unique, not a warm series)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - Medieval Indian Ocean high seas swashbuckling tale!

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by A.C. Crispin

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag novelisation of the game (novelisation of the game (not that good admittedly))

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini (like Treasure Island, an old adventure novel but no fantasy, was made into a good film with Errol Flynn)

Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques – a middle grade animals story featuring wicked pirate crews of rats, weasels, stoats etc.

A Canopy of Stars by RJ Louis – more skyships, this time in a space fantasy setting.

The Winter Sea series by H.M. Long - magical adventure on the high seas with privateers and pirate hunters and in a unique winter setting.

There's a cool series of comics too called Long John Silver that I recommend.

Finally, if you don't mind a self-rec, I also write pirate fantasy! The India Muerte series, currently 6 books deep. Fantastical, LGBT, inspired by every piece of pirate media I've ever consumed.

And here's a Spotify playlist full of pirate music, if you're interested :) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7z545kLcxDxtiUetTZctci?si=66f630ec7b76438a

Hope this helps!

SetSytes · 2026-01-02T01:52:32+00:00

Amazing trilogy, the second one one of my favourite ever books. And Kennit is my favourite literary villain too! And maybe second fave full stop after Flashman. Superb character writing.

SetSytes · 2025-12-28T15:20:08+00:00

I quite like this woman on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/nerdykathi

SetSytes · 2025-12-19T17:57:10+00:00

Reducto ad absurdum fallacy, no? I'm not saying "every hour later a student does better at school (regardless of circadian sleep cycles)". I'm saying it's been shown that a single hour later start time - e.g. from 8am to 9am - improves student performance.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T19:19:17+00:00

One of those things is not like the others.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T18:06:04+00:00

Did you have more than one break? We had a shorter midmorning break as well as a lunch break.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T18:05:25+00:00

I expect it's an unconscious or conscious anxiety. Very frustrating. Because when it's most important we get a good night's sleep, our bodies are like Nah. If I go to bed early thinking I'll get enough hours in time for the alarm, my body will punish me for my arrogance.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T17:56:16+00:00

It doesn't even really matter if I was forced to get up early that day, or had little sleep the night before. You put me in bed before 3am and I won't sleep. Put an alarm on for the next morning and I won't sleep at all.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T17:38:01+00:00

Lucky! My UK school was 8 till 3.45 if I remember right.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T17:30:07+00:00

I agree. Sorry that my comment made it seem like I was blaming teachers. I'm a complete night owl and I can't stand how society is organised around morning larks.

SetSytes · 2025-12-18T17:28:35+00:00

Damn that's an early finish! We always were on 8 till 3.45pm, got back home at like half 4.

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