#autism creature lincoln real

[macksartblock]

my tablet’s actin up so here’s the worst college students ever ig

[elisehboyleblogs]

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

Prompts for creative writing enjoy a trendiness nowadays, especially on blogs that offer ever-expanding lists (Prompt #452: The color blue -Write about something blue!). While there’s definitely some value in these lists, it’s an approach to prompts that aligns with the idea of “giving a person a fish” – or in some cases hundreds of fish at a time. In this article we’ll explore another approach: “Teaching a person to fish,” as the old adage advises, so that you can create your own prompts for a lifetime of creative writing.

How to Create Your Own Writing Prompts

(Not 365, not 700+, but an infinite number of writing prompts)

This approach to creative writing prompts works by asking the aspiring author to engage with their environment and imagination. It takes practice (like becoming a successful fisherman also does), but once you learn how it works and make it part of your writing life, the dividends pay off over and over again.

A combination of prompt lists and self-prompts can help you write a better book.

LISTS OF CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

By category, with additional tools for self-prompting

Fiction writing prompts

Create a fictional explanation for a current event

Imagine another (secret) side of a former president

Describe the journey of a young boy/girl from Europe to America in the 19th Century

Self-prompt: The best fiction comes from truth. Think about a true story. What about it can be fictionalized? Maybe ALL of it! What characters and details in the true story inspire wonder in you. Feel it and write it.

Creative writing prompts for adults

Unusual dynamics in a romantic relationship

The effects of varying amounts of alcohol on a household

How parenthood/grandparenthood changes people

Self-prompt: Presumably you are an adult. Do you always feel like one?Act like one? Why or why not? Think and feel about what it means to be an adult. Freedom? Responsibility? Ask other adults. Write it all down.

Science fiction writing prompts

What if aliens lived among us?

What would the ideal spaceship for humans be like?

What if pollution created a new species of mutant “Bigfoot” creatures?

Self-prompt: Do you own a telescope or binoculars? Take a closer look at the world around you. You can even do this without any equipment. Meditate on the millions of stars and planets in the universe. What thoughts come to mind? Where do your feelings lead you? What fictional ideas resonate with you? Write it all down.

Creative nonfiction writing prompts

Write about a true story in reverse chronological order

Tell a true story as seen through several people’s perspectives

Add a vivid dream sequence to a biographical story

Self-prompt: Think of a true story that fascinates you. In what way(s) could you write it to make the telling equally fascinating? Let your imagination run wild.

Realistic fiction writing prompts

What if our election system completely failed?

How would a priest or pastor deal with his/her own disease of alcoholism?

What would it be like for a boxer if he never won a professional bout?

Self-prompt: In the previous prompts, you’ll notice that conflict is essential to a good story. How can your fiction writing elucidate a real conflict in the world today? The conflict(s) can be major or minor; it’s HOW you write about them that matters. Put your deepest thoughts and feelings about fictional (and real) conflicts down on paper.

Historical fiction writing prompts

What if one of the framers of the Constitution had been a communist?

What if Julius Caesar had not been assassinated?

What if President Lincoln visited ghosts at a cemetery? (By the way, in the mid-2010s, author George Saunders wrote an acclaimed book of historical fiction on exactly that. The book is Lincoln in the Bardo.)

Self-prompt: Generally speaking, great writers are great readers. Writers historical fiction, as a rule, should know their history. Books on historical events and figures are readily available at any public library, as are copies of historical films. Travel, reading, and movies make for excellent prompts in this genre.

Most great writers are/were avid readers. Don’t skimp on this important element of good book-writing.

Fiction writing prompts for adults

Raising children diagnosed on the autism spectrum

Your first foray into entrepreneurship

A relationship that just keeps getting better and better

Self-prompt: What makes the adult writer different from the youth writer? Adult writers seek writing prompts that are not for children for the same reason they can trust themselves with self-prompting: greater life experience. Use your experience in your writing. Want more prompting than that? Go out and gain MORE experiences.

Weird writing prompts

Net-fishing the high seas for canned tuna

A day in the life of Tiny Tim

The land of talking backwards

Self-prompt: This category of prompts puzzled me a bit when I first encountered it. Do we REALLY need prompts for WEIRD? In THIS world?? Just look out your window! Take a walk on ANY street in America! Well, of course I’m partially joking here, but the point I want to make is that, as writers – as artists – we don’t need prompts for EVERYTHING. Weird is everywhere. We only have to open our eyes, ears, minds… and notebooks.

Inspirational writing prompts

Your earliest memory of your family’s faith

How could Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophies benefit us today?

Moments of everyday grace

Self-prompt: One might look at this prompt category and think, “Well, isn’t this really searching for inspiration to write about inspiration?” In a way, yes, but is that such a bad thing? I think of the humble person of faith who wants to serve but perhaps doesn’t know exactly how to do it. Whether a kindhearted person is looking for creative writing prompts on line or self-prompting by searching the soul or talking with a faith leader, the virtue of their search can be admired.

Book writing prompts

An issue in your life that has been unresolved for a long time

Settings and characters from a vivid dream

Thoughts and feelings on a person you have long admired

Self-prompt: Though the idea of writing a book might seem daunting, your choices in taking the first step – as you see above – are nearly endless. Stephen King goes so far as to suggest deciding on what your book is about when you begin your second draft. So where you start, or what prompts you to start, is not as important as where your writing takes you.

Your personal experiences are of utmost importance in writing a great book. Share them generously, in your own way, and always be open for more.

Book prompts for writing

A history book to inspire historical fiction

Works of Charles Dickens to inspire young adult (YA) fiction

A book of the Bible to prompt inspirational writing

Self-prompt: Looking for writing prompts for a book? Look no further than… a book! Some of the best writing prompts for books can be found in existing books. Going a step further, books in public domain offer stories, characters, and concepts you can use in your own work – all free of charge!

Video Transcript:

Hello to all aspiring authors and entrepreneurs out there. I’m Robert Nahas, Founder and CEO of Writer Services. Today we examine the popular practice of using creative writing prompts to generate ideas. The concept behind prompts is that writers who want to practice their craft every day will inevitably run out of ideas on what to write about. In this video, we won’t go into the pros and cons of writing every day, but I will take you through two distinct approaches to prompts for creative writing.

First is the process you might have seen online, where somebody makes a list of scenarios, characters, places, or even primary colors, and the writer is then supposed to practice their daily writing using one or more of those ideas, or prompts.

The second is a more organic approach. One where the writer takes a little time and effort to create their own prompts. This might involve taking a pen and paper and going outdoors for an hour; visiting the local coffee shop and discreetly observing your surroundings: the cafe workers and other patrons as they come and go. Even just picking up and going into a different room in your home can really get your ideas flowing. It’s about changing your environment and really EXPERIENCING things in the world, instead of just on a computer with a list of prompts that someone thought up for you. Experience life and let yourself really THINK and FEEL. Write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The world itself is out there waiting to prompt you in unexpected and wonderful ways.

And as always, I’d love to hear your comments and questions, so please take a moment to leave a reply below. You might also enjoy subscribing to our RSS feed, so you’ll be alerted as soon as our articles and videos are posted each week. Thanks for watching. I’m Robert Nahas. See you again soon.

The post CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS appeared first on Writer Services.

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS published first on https://writerservicesblogs.blogspot.com

[writerservicesblogs]

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

Prompts for creative writing enjoy a trendiness nowadays, especially on blogs that offer ever-expanding lists (Prompt #452: The color blue -Write about something blue!). While there’s definitely some value in these lists, it’s an approach to prompts that aligns with the idea of “giving a person a fish” – or in some cases hundreds of fish at a time. In this article we’ll explore another approach: “Teaching a person to fish,” as the old adage advises, so that you can create your own prompts for a lifetime of creative writing.

How to Create Your Own Writing Prompts

(Not 365, not 700+, but an infinite number of writing prompts)

This approach to creative writing prompts works by asking the aspiring author to engage with their environment and imagination. It takes practice (like becoming a successful fisherman also does), but once you learn how it works and make it part of your writing life, the dividends pay off over and over again.

A combination of prompt lists and self-prompts can help you write a better book.

LISTS OF CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

By category, with additional tools for self-prompting

Fiction writing prompts

Create a fictional explanation for a current event

Imagine another (secret) side of a former president

Describe the journey of a young boy/girl from Europe to America in the 19th Century

Self-prompt: The best fiction comes from truth. Think about a true story. What about it can be fictionalized? Maybe ALL of it! What characters and details in the true story inspire wonder in you. Feel it and write it.

Creative writing prompts for adults

Unusual dynamics in a romantic relationship

The effects of varying amounts of alcohol on a household

How parenthood/grandparenthood changes people

Self-prompt: Presumably you are an adult. Do you always feel like one?Act like one? Why or why not? Think and feel about what it means to be an adult. Freedom? Responsibility? Ask other adults. Write it all down.

Science fiction writing prompts

What if aliens lived among us?

What would the ideal spaceship for humans be like?

What if pollution created a new species of mutant “Bigfoot” creatures?

Self-prompt: Do you own a telescope or binoculars? Take a closer look at the world around you. You can even do this without any equipment. Meditate on the millions of stars and planets in the universe. What thoughts come to mind? Where do your feelings lead you? What fictional ideas resonate with you? Write it all down.

Creative nonfiction writing prompts

Write about a true story in reverse chronological order

Tell a true story as seen through several people’s perspectives

Add a vivid dream sequence to a biographical story

Self-prompt: Think of a true story that fascinates you. In what way(s) could you write it to make the telling equally fascinating? Let your imagination run wild.

Realistic fiction writing prompts

What if our election system completely failed?

How would a priest or pastor deal with his/her own disease of alcoholism?

What would it be like for a boxer if he never won a professional bout?

Self-prompt: In the previous prompts, you’ll notice that conflict is essential to a good story. How can your fiction writing elucidate a real conflict in the world today? The conflict(s) can be major or minor; it’s HOW you write about them that matters. Put your deepest thoughts and feelings about fictional (and real) conflicts down on paper.

Historical fiction writing prompts

What if one of the framers of the Constitution had been a communist?

What if Julius Caesar had not been assassinated?

What if President Lincoln visited ghosts at a cemetery? (By the way, in the mid-2010s, author George Saunders wrote an acclaimed book of historical fiction on exactly that. The book is Lincoln in the Bardo.)

Self-prompt: Generally speaking, great writers are great readers. Writers historical fiction, as a rule, should know their history. Books on historical events and figures are readily available at any public library, as are copies of historical films. Travel, reading, and movies make for excellent prompts in this genre.

Most great writers are/were avid readers. Don’t skimp on this important element of good book-writing.

Fiction writing prompts for adults

Raising children diagnosed on the autism spectrum

Your first foray into entrepreneurship

A relationship that just keeps getting better and better

Self-prompt: What makes the adult writer different from the youth writer? Adult writers seek writing prompts that are not for children for the same reason they can trust themselves with self-prompting: greater life experience. Use your experience in your writing. Want more prompting than that? Go out and gain MORE experiences.

Weird writing prompts

Net-fishing the high seas for canned tuna

A day in the life of Tiny Tim

The land of talking backwards

Self-prompt: This category of prompts puzzled me a bit when I first encountered it. Do we REALLY need prompts for WEIRD? In THIS world?? Just look out your window! Take a walk on ANY street in America! Well, of course I’m partially joking here, but the point I want to make is that, as writers – as artists – we don’t need prompts for EVERYTHING. Weird is everywhere. We only have to open our eyes, ears, minds… and notebooks.

Inspirational writing prompts

Your earliest memory of your family’s faith

How could Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophies benefit us today?

Moments of everyday grace

Self-prompt: One might look at this prompt category and think, “Well, isn’t this really searching for inspiration to write about inspiration?” In a way, yes, but is that such a bad thing? I think of the humble person of faith who wants to serve but perhaps doesn’t know exactly how to do it. Whether a kindhearted person is looking for creative writing prompts on line or self-prompting by searching the soul or talking with a faith leader, the virtue of their search can be admired.

Book writing prompts

An issue in your life that has been unresolved for a long time

Settings and characters from a vivid dream

Thoughts and feelings on a person you have long admired

Self-prompt: Though the idea of writing a book might seem daunting, your choices in taking the first step – as you see above – are nearly endless. Stephen King goes so far as to suggest deciding on what your book is about when you begin your second draft. So where you start, or what prompts you to start, is not as important as where your writing takes you.

Your personal experiences are of utmost importance in writing a great book. Share them generously, in your own way, and always be open for more.

Book prompts for writing

A history book to inspire historical fiction

Works of Charles Dickens to inspire young adult (YA) fiction

A book of the Bible to prompt inspirational writing

Self-prompt: Looking for writing prompts for a book? Look no further than… a book! Some of the best writing prompts for books can be found in existing books. Going a step further, books in public domain offer stories, characters, and concepts you can use in your own work – all free of charge!

Video Transcript:

Hello to all aspiring authors and entrepreneurs out there. I’m Robert Nahas, Founder and CEO of Writer Services. Today we examine the popular practice of using creative writing prompts to generate ideas. The concept behind prompts is that writers who want to practice their craft every day will inevitably run out of ideas on what to write about. In this video, we won’t go into the pros and cons of writing every day, but I will take you through two distinct approaches to prompts for creative writing.

First is the process you might have seen online, where somebody makes a list of scenarios, characters, places, or even primary colors, and the writer is then supposed to practice their daily writing using one or more of those ideas, or prompts.

The second is a more organic approach. One where the writer takes a little time and effort to create their own prompts. This might involve taking a pen and paper and going outdoors for an hour; visiting the local coffee shop and discreetly observing your surroundings: the cafe workers and other patrons as they come and go. Even just picking up and going into a different room in your home can really get your ideas flowing. It’s about changing your environment and really EXPERIENCING things in the world, instead of just on a computer with a list of prompts that someone thought up for you. Experience life and let yourself really THINK and FEEL. Write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The world itself is out there waiting to prompt you in unexpected and wonderful ways.

And as always, I’d love to hear your comments and questions, so please take a moment to leave a reply below. You might also enjoy subscribing to our RSS feed, so you’ll be alerted as soon as our articles and videos are posted each week. Thanks for watching. I’m Robert Nahas. See you again soon.

The post CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS appeared first on Writer Services.

[richardkhaynes]

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

Prompts for creative writing enjoy a trendiness nowadays, especially on blogs that offer ever-expanding lists (Prompt #452: The color blue -Write about something blue!). While there’s definitely some value in these lists, it’s an approach to prompts that aligns with the idea of “giving a person a fish” – or in some cases hundreds of fish at a time. In this article we’ll explore another approach: “Teaching a person to fish,” as the old adage advises, so that you can create your own prompts for a lifetime of creative writing.

How to Create Your Own Writing Prompts

(Not 365, not 700+, but an infinite number of writing prompts)

This approach to creative writing prompts works by asking the aspiring author to engage with their environment and imagination. It takes practice (like becoming a successful fisherman also does), but once you learn how it works and make it part of your writing life, the dividends pay off over and over again.

A combination of prompt lists and self-prompts can help you write a better book.

LISTS OF CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

By category, with additional tools for self-prompting

Fiction writing prompts

Create a fictional explanation for a current event

Imagine another (secret) side of a former president

Describe the journey of a young boy/girl from Europe to America in the 19th Century

Self-prompt: The best fiction comes from truth. Think about a true story. What about it can be fictionalized? Maybe ALL of it! What characters and details in the true story inspire wonder in you. Feel it and write it.

Creative writing prompts for adults

Unusual dynamics in a romantic relationship

The effects of varying amounts of alcohol on a household

How parenthood/grandparenthood changes people

Self-prompt: Presumably you are an adult. Do you always feel like one?Act like one? Why or why not? Think and feel about what it means to be an adult. Freedom? Responsibility? Ask other adults. Write it all down.

Science fiction writing prompts

What if aliens lived among us?

What would the ideal spaceship for humans be like?

What if pollution created a new species of mutant “Bigfoot” creatures?

Self-prompt: Do you own a telescope or binoculars? Take a closer look at the world around you. You can even do this without any equipment. Meditate on the millions of stars and planets in the universe. What thoughts come to mind? Where do your feelings lead you? What fictional ideas resonate with you? Write it all down.

Creative nonfiction writing prompts

Write about a true story in reverse chronological order

Tell a true story as seen through several people’s perspectives

Add a vivid dream sequence to a biographical story

Self-prompt: Think of a true story that fascinates you. In what way(s) could you write it to make the telling equally fascinating? Let your imagination run wild.

Realistic fiction writing prompts

What if our election system completely failed?

How would a priest or pastor deal with his/her own disease of alcoholism?

What would it be like for a boxer if he never won a professional bout?

Self-prompt: In the previous prompts, you’ll notice that conflict is essential to a good story. How can your fiction writing elucidate a real conflict in the world today? The conflict(s) can be major or minor; it’s HOW you write about them that matters. Put your deepest thoughts and feelings about fictional (and real) conflicts down on paper.

Historical fiction writing prompts

What if one of the framers of the Constitution had been a communist?

What if Julius Caesar had not been assassinated?

What if President Lincoln visited ghosts at a cemetery? (By the way, in the mid-2010s, author George Saunders wrote an acclaimed book of historical fiction on exactly that. The book is Lincoln in the Bardo.)

Self-prompt: Generally speaking, great writers are great readers. Writers historical fiction, as a rule, should know their history. Books on historical events and figures are readily available at any public library, as are copies of historical films. Travel, reading, and movies make for excellent prompts in this genre.

Most great writers are/were avid readers. Don’t skimp on this important element of good book-writing.

Fiction writing prompts for adults

Raising children diagnosed on the autism spectrum

Your first foray into entrepreneurship

A relationship that just keeps getting better and better

Self-prompt: What makes the adult writer different from the youth writer? Adult writers seek writing prompts that are not for children for the same reason they can trust themselves with self-prompting: greater life experience. Use your experience in your writing. Want more prompting than that? Go out and gain MORE experiences.

Weird writing prompts

Net-fishing the high seas for canned tuna

A day in the life of Tiny Tim

The land of talking backwards

Self-prompt: This category of prompts puzzled me a bit when I first encountered it. Do we REALLY need prompts for WEIRD? In THIS world?? Just look out your window! Take a walk on ANY street in America! Well, of course I’m partially joking here, but the point I want to make is that, as writers – as artists – we don’t need prompts for EVERYTHING. Weird is everywhere. We only have to open our eyes, ears, minds… and notebooks.

Inspirational writing prompts

Your earliest memory of your family’s faith

How could Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophies benefit us today?

Moments of everyday grace

Self-prompt: One might look at this prompt category and think, “Well, isn’t this really searching for inspiration to write about inspiration?” In a way, yes, but is that such a bad thing? I think of the humble person of faith who wants to serve but perhaps doesn’t know exactly how to do it. Whether a kindhearted person is looking for creative writing prompts on line or self-prompting by searching the soul or talking with a faith leader, the virtue of their search can be admired.

Book writing prompts

An issue in your life that has been unresolved for a long time

Settings and characters from a vivid dream

Thoughts and feelings on a person you have long admired

Self-prompt: Though the idea of writing a book might seem daunting, your choices in taking the first step – as you see above – are nearly endless. Stephen King goes so far as to suggest deciding on what your book is about when you begin your second draft. So where you start, or what prompts you to start, is not as important as where your writing takes you.

Your personal experiences are of utmost importance in writing a great book. Share them generously, in your own way, and always be open for more.

Book prompts for writing

A history book to inspire historical fiction

Works of Charles Dickens to inspire young adult (YA) fiction

A book of the Bible to prompt inspirational writing

Self-prompt: Looking for writing prompts for a book? Look no further than… a book! Some of the best writing prompts for books can be found in existing books. Going a step further, books in public domain offer stories, characters, and concepts you can use in your own work – all free of charge!

Video Transcript:

Hello to all aspiring authors and entrepreneurs out there. I’m Robert Nahas, Founder and CEO of Writer Services. Today we examine the popular practice of using creative writing prompts to generate ideas. The concept behind prompts is that writers who want to practice their craft every day will inevitably run out of ideas on what to write about. In this video, we won’t go into the pros and cons of writing every day, but I will take you through two distinct approaches to prompts for creative writing.

First is the process you might have seen online, where somebody makes a list of scenarios, characters, places, or even primary colors, and the writer is then supposed to practice their daily writing using one or more of those ideas, or prompts.

The second is a more organic approach. One where the writer takes a little time and effort to create their own prompts. This might involve taking a pen and paper and going outdoors for an hour; visiting the local coffee shop and discreetly observing your surroundings: the cafe workers and other patrons as they come and go. Even just picking up and going into a different room in your home can really get your ideas flowing. It’s about changing your environment and really EXPERIENCING things in the world, instead of just on a computer with a list of prompts that someone thought up for you. Experience life and let yourself really THINK and FEEL. Write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The world itself is out there waiting to prompt you in unexpected and wonderful ways.

And as always, I’d love to hear your comments and questions, so please take a moment to leave a reply below. You might also enjoy subscribing to our RSS feed, so you’ll be alerted as soon as our articles and videos are posted each week. Thanks for watching. I’m Robert Nahas. See you again soon.

The post CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS appeared first on Writer Services.

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS published first on https://writerservicesblogs.tumblr.com

[luxus4me]

Webmonkey http://j.mp/2rw8GBB

This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. (Technically it starts June 21, but everyone knows it truly commences with the first three-day weekend during which it’s acceptable to wear shorts.) That means the time has come for taking hikes, playing frisbee, and spending long hours in a pool near you. But for a certain class of folks—the species known as “bookworm”—summer is the ideal time to practice their page-turning. But with so many new tomes hitting shelves, it’s hard to know where to start. Below are some of our favorite books of 2017. Pick them up; the last thing you’d want to forget on this Memorial Day weekend is a good read.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Saeed and Nadia meet and start dating. But, just as their courtship begins, the city they live in—an unnamed place full of migrants and refugees—starts to fall apart. Terrorism is on the rise, the government cuts off phone signals, and drones are surveilling everyone. As violence breaks out, the couple must flee. Much like Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad took the historical Underground Railroad and turned it into a fantastical subterranean railway, Exit West transforms the realities of the refugee crisis in its own otherworldly way. At a time when the fate of refugees is at the forefront of American political discourse, Moshin Hamid’s new novel is an important, and beautifully written, read. —Lexi Pandell

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer Shape-shifting biotech, giant flying bears, genetically-modified feral children—Jeff VanderMeer’s latest novel is as wacky as it is futuristic. The book centers on Rachel, a scavenger in a post-apocalyptic city who finds herself the unwitting parent of a piece of biotech that grows from a plant to many-eyed lamp to feathery octopus. The creature, which Rachel names Borne, initially learns through reading, but when it starts gaining knowledge by absorbing people whole, it threatens to take down the city’s fragile ecosystem of survivors. The story is delightful, as are all of the author’s zany little details (surveillance moss, anyone?). Fans of VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy won’t be let down. —Charley Locke

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn The last time Jeff Guinn went deep on a decade-defining cult commander, the result was 2013’s best-selling Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson, a thoroughly reported, vividly written biography that remained engrossing right up to the last page—even if you already knew the ending. Road to Jonestown is just as satisfying, a detail-rich accounting of how Jones—who led more than 900 followers to their deaths in a 1978 mass suicide—went from lower-tier preacher to social-justice champion to a pot-bellied, pill-zonked maniac. But it’s also a story of how American mini-empires are built, detailing the various hierarchies, rinky-dink scams, and byzantine infrastructures Jones established in order to keep acolytes in his grip. And while the book’s final chapters are just as unsettling as you’d expect, Jonestown’s biggest chilling effect is the realization that, decades later, we’re as susceptible as ever to the kind of swagger and fall-in-line group-logic that made Jones infamous in the first place. —Brian Raftery

Void Star by Zachary Mason Admittedly, there aren’t a lot of artificial intelligence thrillers out there to choose from, but if you have to pick just one, opt for the novel written by a guy with a degree in computational linguistics. In Void Star, Zachary Mason imagines a near-future where AI is embedded not only in our interactions, but in our brains. Mason’s AIs think in glyphs, or waves of data, and only people with cranial implants can understand them. His book follows three such individuals as they are pursued by a mysterious AI, a 150-year-old billionaire, and memory-ghosts. The plot may leave you scratching your head, but the scenes set in a San Francisco overrun with technology—commuters getting dressed in drone cars, tech magnates commissioning homes that’ll last a millennium, ambitious young men faking autism to get promoted at tech companies—feel eerily spot-on. —Charley Locke

Startup by Doree Shafrir On your summer trips, you probably want to escape office drama. We get that. But if you have a hard time turning off and find yourself binge-watching Silicon Valley, you’ll probably want to read Startup. Doree Shafrir’s debut novel follows several interconnected stories in New York’s Silicon Alley: Mack McAllister, famed start-up CEO spurned by a recent office fling; Isabel Taylor, said office fling who is now being harassed by her boss; Katya Pasternack, a chain-smoking reporter for a tech site; Dan Blum, Katya’s boss; and Sabrina Choe Blum, Dan’s wife who is struggling to stay afloat in a tech industry she barely understands. Shafrir is a senior tech writer for BuzzFeed and, though she has made it clear the story is not a roman à clef, it certainly mirrors drama she’s seen and reported on in the tech world. Startup is a dramedy-of-errors, a Shakespearean yarn of secrets, sex, miscommunication, misogyny, and money. And unlike so many other industry parodies, this story focuses largely on its female characters. Crack this one open on the beach and you just might find yourself a little more enlightened when you return to the workplace. —Lexi Pandell

Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer It’s got an Uber-ish network of flying cars that deliver you anywhere on the planet almost instantly, exquisitely racy scenes played out in Grand Siècle costumes, and a dark conspiracy. There’s also a little blue dog and a mysterious child who can turn toys into living breathing creatures and some American Psycho–level torture porn. Oh, it’s also got some potential incest, mysterious parentage, and patricide. And a cool tree that grows all the fruits. Ada Palmer’s Seven Surrenders, the second in the three-part Terra Ignota series, delivers all the imaginative, carnal futurism that make science fiction so enjoyable. Your pants and stomach will like this book. So will your brain (Palmer is a historian at the University of Chicago, after all): What do gendered pronouns do to your perceptions? Is it acceptable to sacrifice a chosen few for the greater good of the many? Is the wielding of feminine wiles a judicious use of soft power or a capitulation to the patriarchy? What is the nature of god, religion, revelation, and faith in a society that wishes to move beyond the destructive power of belief in the divine? Is a just, peaceful society even a good thing at all or does it ultimately serve to destroy the drive and ambition that can launch human beings into a flying-car future in the first place? Would you take orders from a well-read, thumb-sized Army major who has been touched into being by a golden child with the power to save the world or snuff it out altogether? After reading this book, you might. —Sarah Fallon

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Turns out, spousal squabbling and neighborly one-upmanship doesn’t end when life does. At least, not in George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo, which tells the story of over 100 ghosts left lingering in a cemetery. The title alludes to Willie Lincoln, son of Abe, who takes up residency in the graveyard after dying at 11 years old, but the beauty of the book lies in all the ordinary people who died with unresolved problems. There’s a couple arguing about who left the fireplace grate open, three young bachelors intent on having the best night ever, a gloomy guy who died right before consummating his marriage. Saunders’ unparalleled ability to create characters through specific verbal tics and concerns is at its finest here as he renders a whole boneyard of unimportant, easily forgotten people as quirky, urgently real individuals. And if you’re looking for something for a weekend road trip, try the audiobook, which features a staggering 166 voices, from Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally to Saunders’ mom and high school geology teacher. —Charley Locke

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin Fever Dream is best downed like a shot, gulped in one go. Samanta Schweblin’s novella, structured as a dialogue between a sick woman in the hospital and a boy at her bedside, unfolds like a surreal film that begins as body horror and pivots into a tale of ecological disaster. In just under 200 pages, the book explores the anxieties of mother-child relationships, the uncertainty of sickness, and the biological impact of genetically modified crops. The English title is certainly evocative of the sensation you get when reading the book, but the original title, Distancia de Rescate, better reveals the book’s themes. It translates to “Rescue Distance,” a measurement the main character calculates to determine how long it would take her to get to her daughter if she needed to be saved from harm. It’s an estimate she makes to comfort herself, but as Fever Dream unravels, it becomes clear that sometimes no distance is close enough. —Lexi Pandell

Dear Cyborgs by Eugene Lim Looking for an inventive story about a friend group of philosophically-minded superheroes? How about the tale of how comic books brought two young misfits together in suburban Ohio? Well, you’re in luck: In Dear Cyborgs, you can have both. The novel flips back and forth between the two plots, punctuated by brief notes addressed to—you guessed it—cyborgs. Along the way, there are kidnappers hiding out in the remote Himalayas and meditations on art as a form of resistance. The sequential vignettes of Team Chaos superheroes and alienated Midwestern preteens can feel jarring, but you might just find yourself charmed by this slim book of brusque sentences and odd, precise descriptions. And the last chapter’s union of the two narratives doesn’t disappoint. —Charley Locke

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