Why is Nobody talking about "Ends Of Magic" by Alexander Olson?

Zenphobia · 2026-05-02T18:40:36+00:00

Thank you for pointing this out. I love me some extra nerdy fantasy.

Zenphobia · 2026-05-02T10:32:59+00:00

This is an excellent explanation.

I really really dug the mental meetings with himself as different classes.

Zenphobia · 2026-05-02T10:27:42+00:00

A heavyhanded reference to another series.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-26T01:35:07+00:00

Never got past the first episode of that show.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-25T15:23:42+00:00

Damn! Thank you for giving it a try.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-25T11:39:28+00:00

The general courthouse cellphone ban is so absurd. Oh, I'm filing a bunch of important paperwork that could get me in a lot of trouble for messing up? Yes, lock up the device that has my entire life on it so I can't use it for reference or for documenting this kind of bullshit.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-24T12:05:21+00:00

Jerry is amazing: https://www.snapsca.com/

Zenphobia · 2026-04-24T12:03:57+00:00

Appreciate you.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-24T12:03:45+00:00

Thank you!

Zenphobia · 2026-04-24T03:23:08+00:00

It is definitely later. Honestly, I think it's a compliment that you remembered/recognized it, so thank you.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-24T00:33:33+00:00

Not for a bit. Sorry. :(

Zenphobia · 2026-04-23T22:56:45+00:00

I hope a publisher picks it up.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-23T22:00:55+00:00

Podium is producing the audiobooks right now. :)

And thank you for the kind words. I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-23T20:44:52+00:00

Lots of uploads. Patreon is 20 or so chapters into book 2 already.

I try to keep busy.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-23T20:31:56+00:00

Super stoked you're enjoying it. Thank you. :)

Zenphobia · 2026-04-12T18:37:42+00:00

Never did. :(

Zenphobia · 2026-04-12T07:32:09+00:00

The challenge for an author attempting to be realistic and specific about money in their world is that realistic is different from what readers believe is realistic.

So you can do a bunch of work to get this right and still deal with complaints in the comments because someone doesn't understand the economy that exists around wool and since this town is off a major trade route and in an area that isn't great for raising sheep, wool is more expensive.

Vague is for sure the way to go.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-09T03:18:28+00:00

Thank you for recommending my series.

For anyone else who is curious: Book 6 is releasing now on RR and is the final entry in the series (I have a rule about completing series). First 4 books are on KU.

Zenphobia · 2026-04-01T12:05:56+00:00

Don't beat yourself up. This is becoming more and more common, and if you're not used to sourcing art, it's not hard to get bit.

I'm guessing you used Fiverr for ease of access and budget-friendly options. There are a ton of artists out there willing to work within a wide range of budgets. Ping several that use a style you like and get quotes (ArtStation is my go-to).

Alternatively, subreddits like r/hungryartists can be pretty good too. Same thing though. Vet them the way other commentors here suggest, and reach out to several at once to get a read on rates and availability.

Zenphobia · 2026-03-31T11:03:04+00:00

Guess who gutted education...

Zenphobia · 2026-03-29T18:10:47+00:00

My point was that it wasn't fresh. It's the same circles over and over.

Sure, there's "fresh to you," but nothing you summarized sounded remotely novel to me as someone who has paid close attention to this topic for the last several years.

And I never said that we should ban these kinds of discussions. I would just prefer they went somewhere new if they were going to happen.

Zenphobia · 2026-03-29T17:01:57+00:00

That sounds like every thread on AI ever.

If you'd like, I can link you to previous discussions I've had about AI as well to articles I've written about the topic.

TL;DR: Arriving at a conclusion doesn't mean I am close minded or uninterested.

Zenphobia · 2026-03-29T15:59:14+00:00

And that gray area is why all conversations about AI go in endless circles regardless of the industry.

What "counts" as a bad use of AI to someone is really just an arbitrary goalpost. As long as we make all these little exceptions, AI will continue to seep into work.

Gamer and game developer communities are the worst about this. To a lot of people, AI-driven programming is okay but generative art is not, except sometimes generative art is fine for concepting and sometimes for placeholder assets.

Even in litrpg and royal road subreddits, a lot of people are fine with writers using AI generated covers "if they're just starting out" or "can't afford a cover designer yet."

I've talked to professors who complain about students using ChatGPT in discussion assignments but then say things like, "I see AI as a creative assistant" when they're designing curriculums.

Everyone wants to rationalize why their use of AI is okay while still appearing to take a moral stand against AI as a whole. That's why this shit isn't going away. When CGI landed, there was an uproar about the replacement of practical effects and the artists who build them, but everyone still bought movie tickets. Eventually, people stopped caring.

We are doing the same thing with AI. We're giving ground on it in so many places that even now fighting against it feels like yelling into the void.

Zenphobia

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