Exploring the greater Substack universe
What the guy you're reading is currently reading
It’s been a relatively quiet week for me as I continue to work on a build document for my next book while also taking time to catch up on a lot of shows and games I’ve ignored over the years. That means it’s been a bit quiet on the writing front, but I have been building out the DC: A New Dawn archives as well.
You also might have seen the announcement of the return the Wrestling Deep End this week as well. I’m bringing back my long-form thoughts on wrestling as a once or twice a month article. Like DC: A New Dawn, it has its own individual feed. If wrestling content isn’t your jam, you can turn off updates for specific feeds by clicking “manage subscription” from the dropdown on the Pulp Empire main page.
Because I don’t have a lot of my own writing to talk about, I thought I’d use this as a chance to recommend a few other Substacks I read on a regular basis.
Lyz Lenz is a fellow Cedar Rapidian. I’d argue she’s one of the best journalistic opinion writers in the country as well. Men Yell at Me updates multiple times a week with thoughtful commentary on the state of the world, from commentary on horrible takes from other journalists to thoughts on what divorce and womanhood mean in modern America, to her regular Dingus of the Week. Lyz pulls no punches in her writing, and I believe more people should follow her thoughts on modern America.
I’m not a big horror reader. I’ll pick up a book every now and then, but it’s not my usual genre of choice. Yet I read this weekly column by one of horror’s most notable writers without missing an issue. While his subject matter doesn’t always fit neatly into my interest range, his thoughts on the workings of the industry of writing are always useful to anyone out there with any inclination to study the business side of things. It doesn’t hurt that Brian seems to just genuinely be a pretty good dude too.
The Bottom Feeder is the home of Jeff Vogel, an independent video game designer making RPGs through his Spiderweb Software for nearly thirty years. He splits his irregular updates between industry talk and extended analysis of famous game functions that work or don’t. It creates an interesting juxtaposition but also serves to explore how narrative storytelling works across different forms. (It doesn’t hurt that he makes some incredibly well-written games as well.)
You can check out more of my Substack likes here. If you would like to join the fun yourself and show some love to Pulp Empire like I do these great publications, sign up for Substack below.
Currently reading: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind by Jackson Ford.
Currently listening: Stick Season by Noah Kahan.
Currently watching: The Wire Season One. Warrior Nun Season Two.
Currently playing: Super Mario Bros Wonder.
Next time around, I’ll take a look at some of my favorites of 2023 in something between a year end list and a holiday gift-giving guide.
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I read Brian Keene, too. Having a more experienced author explain the business behind publishing genre fiction to you is always useful.