#Russian meddling

[mumbledgrumbles]

Don't throw your vote away for Jill Stein who has zero chance of becoming president and has thrown Green Party resources in the garbage every four years.

What has Jill Stein's Green Party done for your local community (the one place third parties could actually make a difference, if they are serious)?

The Green Party in the US, unfortunately, is not serious.

[politicalantibody]

My distrust of Russians meddling in our democratic process has definitely reached a middle.

[tachiharastanacc]

Tachihara losing his brother and not understanding what he was feeling or how to deal with it since he was so young (5). And as he gets older, he starts to wonder if he really missed his brother or he missed the idea of having a brother.

He assumes that because he’s grown since then and it feels so distant that he could handle it if it were to happen now. Maybe that’s because he’s killed people of his own. But he never really wants to dwell on it.

Turns out. It’s not. It hurts just as much, but now he blames himself as well. Why wasn’t he there? Why didn’t he stop Fukuchi when he had the chance? If he’d just asked for help, this all could’ve been avoided.

He’s always been a loner to some extent, never good at processing feelings, always wanting to belong but feeling like he was an outsider.

It’s not until they’re all gone that he realizes how much emptier he feels without them.

Shunzen may have been his brother by blood, but as much as he doesn’t wanna face it. Tachihara barely remembers him.

He remembers them. He spent the last 6 years being raised by them. They always encouraged him, supported him, even when the government and fate itself were trying to control them. And yet.

He wasn’t there.

[lookninjas]

ABOUT FUCKING TIME

[aperfectphantom]

I know this is just Eurovision but I guess it’s important to mention it’s not really a shock how much europe sucks up to israel. Like it was surprising to me in the moment (I felt that their song was average) but when you think about it… Europe did everything for israel. Like it wasn’t israel on their own taking palestine and fucking up those existing communities and stealing their land. And it’s still not just israel committing horrible crimes against Palestinians now. Europe has always had involvement in the Middle East and especially palestine. Israel would not be a thing without them. And they continue to give israel support so they can continue all this violence against Palestinians. Europe does not see palestine like they see Ukraine. They are so far removed from the horrors that Middle Eastern people experience. They speak about peace and then fund and supply israel with anything they need. Not to mention a lot of Israelis are originally European. And this doesn’t just apply to Eurovision, but also any competition or event israel is invited to. Everyone was so quick to boycott Russia from everything… surely israel should get the same treatment.

[mr-moonfucker]

may aha look upon yer wretched soul

say "she's calling me" in my asks for 1-3 3 star propagation blessing(s)

or

say "nah id stay awake" for 1 weighted curio

[newshare24]

Romania scraps presidential election after alleged Russian meddling

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Romania’s constitutional court has cancelled a presidential election scheduled for Sunday after allegations that Russia used TikTok to promote the leading candidate. The decision to scrap Sunday’s run-off and annul the first-round victory of Călin Georgescu, who has…

[gurutrends]

Pro-EU leader wins Moldova election despite alleged Russian meddling

Moldova’s pro-EU President Maia Sandu has claimed a second term after a tense election run-off seen as a choice between Europe and Russia. The Moldovan Central Electoral Commission confirmed Sandu’s victory on Monday morning. With most votes counted Sandu had won 55%, and in a late-night speech on Sunday she promised to be president for all Moldovans. Her rival Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed…

[kjzx]

Hmm I can't place my finger on it but something about the slitherio starting screen feels new

[kenrakenokwaho]

Romania won, today, in the hybrid war launched by Russia during presidential elections. The Constitutional Court annulled the first round, and the process, which was vitiated from the very beginning, will be restarted from step one.

Everything after the president in office, Klaus Iohannis, listened to the people, and declassified all the documents about Călin Georgescu's Russian-supported campaign with shady financing and TikTok schemes.

The risk of having a pro-Russian president was too high to let things slide. We couldn't be another victim of Putin's meddling. The people who voted for Călin Georgescu scream that it's unfair, that their choice is being overlooked, but they forget that they aren't the majority. They are 2 million out of 19. Their self-proclaimed "Apostle" isn't what he says he is.

If the national institutions – having information on him from all the secret services – took CG seriously, we wouldn’t have reached this point.

The Sun will shine on us again!

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

On 7/31/2019 Trump has a private meeting with Putin. On 8/3/2019, just 3 days after his private meeting with Putin, Trump issues a request for a list of top US spies. By 2021 the CIA reports an unusually high number of their agents are being captured and/or being murdered. During the search executed at Mar A Lago the FBI find more documents with lists of U.S. informants on them.

A Timeline

• FBI wiretapped Russian gambling ring headquartered at Trump Tower for two years - March 21, 2017

• Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador - May 15, 2017

• Trump, Putin Meet For 2 Hours In Helsinki - July 16, 2018

• Rand Paul Goes To Russia And Delivers Letter For Trump, Marking Our Era Of Irony - August 9, 2018

• Following the Money: Trump and Russia-Linked Transactions From the Campaign to the Presidential Inauguration - December 17, 2018

• The US extracted a top spy from Russia after Trump revealed classified information to the Russians in an Oval Office meeting - September 10, 2019

• Trump’s Loose Lips Force US to Extract Spy From Kremlin - September 10, 2019

• Was Mar-a-Lago Trespasser a Tourist or a Spy? A Judge Said Her Story Didn’t Hold Up. - November 25, 2019

• Trump downplays massive cyber hack on government after Pompeo links attack to Russia - December 19, 2020

• Russia has been cultivating Trump as an asset for 40 years, former KGB spy says - January 29, 2021

• There was Trump-Russia collusion — and Trump pardoned the colluder - April 17, 2021

• Longtime GOP operatives charged with funneling Russian national’s money to Trump, RNC - September 20, 2021

• Captured, Killed or Compromised: C.I.A. Admits to Losing Dozens of Informants - October 5, 2021

• Files Seized From Trump Are Part of Espionage Act Inquiry - August 12, 2022

• Ex-Clinton aide implies 'President of France' file found at Trump's home during Mar-a-Lago raid could be valuable to Putin as 'kompromat' - August 13, 2022

• Inventing Anna: The tale of a fake heiress, Mar-a-Lago, and an FBI investigation - August 22, 2022

• Russians used a US firm to funnel funds to GOP in 2018. Dems say the FEC let them get away with it - October 30, 2022

• Trump makes shocking comments about trusting Putin over US 'intelligence lowlifes' - January 31, 2023

• Russia's Prigozhin admits links to what US says was election meddling troll farm - February 14, 2023

• GOP operative sentenced to 18 months for funneling Russian money to Trump- February 17, 2023

• Trump allegedly discussed US nuclear subs with foreign national after leaving White House: Sources - October 5, 2023

• 'So appalled': What witnesses told special counsel about Trump's handling of classified info while still president - April 24, 2024

🤔🤔🤔

[the-daily-bugle-official-blog]

Dear readers, over the last few days I have been attacked and personally threatened for trying to speak the truth behind our government, though now I believe I have found the root of all the problems in our country and the corruption behind our systems of power. Vital SHIELD, SWORD and governmental documents have been revealed to the Daily Bugle so we can finally reveal how deep this problem goes.

The truth is that for the longest time, even after HYDRA supposedly 'fell' along with SHIELD, our country has remained infested with foreign agents, whether 'redeemed' or not. There have also been members of the secretive Russian 'red room' program who are also hiding among us, trained assassins who could snap at any moment. This is a severe security threat to the people of America and the world, but we have luckily been shared the names and details of some of these traitors and infiltrators.

There are too many of the ex and current red room members to count, but we have several, including some previously mentioned on the Daily Bugle:

Katalina Anaya Yelena Belova Vera Heladottir-Banner Alena Kotich Androva Kotich Elianova Krevki Alena Romanoff Belladonna Romanoff Daniella Romanoff Lana Romanoff - Campbell Natasha Romanoff Rosalie Romanoff Yekaterina Romnoff-Barnes Pytor Romanov Ekaterina Solenski Willow Stark Alina Sunover

As well as several ex-HYDRA members or those with connections to HYDRA:

Natasha Afinona Aleksandra Barnes Daniel Barnes James Barnes Benjamin Emerson Garren Farley Scarlet Frey Finnian Holloway Hunter Jones-Westwood Nina Kovna Luke Lawrence Evelyn Lune Viktor Malric Jade Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Wanda Maximoff Nikolai Müller Story Right Charlotte Rogers Moth Rogers Iyla Romanoff-Danvers Atlas Romanoff-Maximoff Elizabeth Rumlow Elijah Smith Valerie Smith Rebekah Solenski Cameron Stark Donna Stark Nadia Stark Jamie Todd Enela [No last name given] Eros [No last name given] Miko [No last name given]

Its a lot to unpack, for sure, and there's plenty of familiar names on these leaked files. President Barnes and his family are obvious, as well as the Romanoff and Maximoff families being well known ex-red room or HYDRA members. President Barnes's HR representative and long time opposer of this company Story Right also seems to have a past affiliation with HYDRA, interesting...

What is surprising is the number of Starks on these lists. Tony Stark's daughters Cameron and Willow, his sister Nadia, and his granddaughter Donna all have connections to the two groups. His daughter Serena also MAY HAVE a connection of some kind to the HYDRA AI program Project Galatea, though we do not have more details at this time.

Several ex-HYDRA and even still active handlers such as the almost unnamed Eros, Enelia, both with no last names, Viktor Malrik and Benjamin Emerson were also revealed to still be at large, along with their assets. Several are also extremely overpowered such as Elianova Krevki, who is part celestial.

Multiple of the people on this list have changed their names to blend in with everyday society, such as Alina Sunover, who changed her name to Kit Holloway, and Rebekah Solenski who changed hers to Anika Summers. Pytor Romanov is also trying to pass as a Spiderman variant, proof that our heroes MIGHT BE just as untrustworthy as the supposed villains they fight

The Smith/Farley siblings, assassins and mutants who have meddled with time and space in their own rights, especially with Valerie Smith’s connection to Willow Stark, previously mentioned on this list, and the new Ronin terrorist who has been confirmed not to be Clint Barton. Moth Rogers is known to be connected to the Lehnsherr-Barnes family, another hive of suspicion and doubt.

Even further proof shows that Evelyn Lune, one of our own Avengers, has a darker side still loyal to HYDRA that could ALLEGEDLY snap at any moment. Similarly with Nadia Stark and an alternate version of James Barnes who still work occasonally with the group. These people are POTENTIALLY untrustworthy and a POSSIBLE threat, and in fact many Avengers were once members of HYDRA and the Red Room are now Avengers or close to the Avengers, such as Natasha Afiona, Charlotte Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, James Barnes and many more. The controversies just keep piling up.

Many of these members have direct and indirect familial or social ties with one another, and there are rarely ones by themselves. Whatever the case, these people were raised or trained by dangerous groups who wish to control world politics and bring about an end to democracy and the world as we know it, thus making them a POSSIBLE threat and liability to a safe America.

So what can you do to stop this threat? Well we at the Daily Bugle believe an official and public registration for these people should be in order, so call up your local representatives, send messages and open letters. If you see anyone who looks suspicious or out of place, do not feel afraid to inform the authorities, or your neighbours who might be at risk. Remember: these files are not complete and these POTENTIALLY dangerous people are most likely not the only ones out there, so stay alert and stay safe. Many are calling into question President Barnes’s leadership, especially since his sudden departure and reappearance at the White House after our last article about his family. He may not be able to handle this problem considering his personal investment in keeping this story quiet, but the Daily Bugle will not be quiet! To join our daily newsletter comment underneath one of our posts to be added to the list. Be sure to comment your thoughts about the threat HYDRA and the Red Room still pose below, or leave an anonymous submission to get potentially featured in a later news story.

And before anyone asks, I made sure that my lead editor was off sick while publishing this so you will not be hearing from him. The truth deserves to be known. Also no I do not proof read my writing, that's for people with the woke mind virus

– J Jonah Jameson

@playingwithwater @the-best-black-widow @your-fav-russian-assassin @over-bi-the-wayside @natt-romanoff @official-tasha-romanoff @official-natasha-romanova @elia-theassassin @thecrazyrplayerosie @project-traveler @live-to-see-another-death @alenaswidowbytes @natalia-reflecting @natalia-alianova-romanova @redroom-peterparker @doctor-mindweaver @official-buckybarnes @nadia-stark-official @hydra-bucky @androva-thewidow @alena-kotich @the-cheesy-romanova-campbell @the-good-redheaded-witch @alenaswidowbytes @little-lost-prince @hydra-handler @thatone-midgardian @project-traveler @reia-creations @multifandomer537 @oh-to-be-a-murderer @dont-touch-my-gun @daniel-barnes-the-ghost @ghostblade-official @handler-benjamin @capt-scarlett-frey @luke-lee-lawrence @c4m3r0n-st0n3 @cypherlune @jade-lopez-maximoff @official-pietro-maximoff @silentdeath-a175 @story-from-hr @guardianof4elements @the-best-duck-tamer @backupwintersoldier @jamie-todd-red-knight

//if I forgot anyone im sorry this one had a lot of people in it, also as always none of this is meant JJJ is just an asshole who hates everyone. also sorry this took so long to make i got rlly sick but IM BACK NOW IDIOTS SO MORE FAKE AND BAD NEWS FROM OUR LEAST FAVOURITE NEWS GUY. Don't worry about lead editor Jay, he has been cursed with the same cold as me

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: cosmic horror that would appal H.P. Lovecraft, part 1

From the vast void of space and other dimensions to the suffocating pressure of the deep ocean and subterranean caves; aliens and fish people and eldritch gods; madness and seeking to make the unknowable known: lovecraftian and cosmic horror comes in many shapes.

If you're anything like me, you go wild for this shit, but also think the genre's namesake can go fuck himself. Thankfully, many writers have embraced the genre over the years, and a great deal of them have eschewed Lovecraft's bigoted ideas. Here is a selection of cosmic horror that would've appalled Lovecraft and delights me. These are books about and by queer people, women, disabled and neurodivergent people, and people of color; books that ask you to sympathize with (and perhaps even romance) the monster; books that re-imagine Lovecraft's own myhtos into something less hateful yet still genuinely scary. Enjoy!

For details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emryss*

Aphra and her brother are the only survivors after the government raided their home, Innsmouth. Their only living family are the amphibian people of the deep, whom they will one day join, but until then they are bound to land where they struggle to build new lives for themselves after the great loss of their home and loved ones. Then rumors start to spread of a russian agent seeking dangerous and ancient magic, forcing Aphra to involve herself as they try to stop it. Does contain horror elements but is generally a much more optimistic look on cosmic horror than most lovecraftian stories, told from the perspective of one of his monsters. Lots of focus on found family and rebuilding of community and fairly light on plot, but also unflinching in its portrayal of real as well as cosmic horrors.

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante*

Sapphic horror re-imagining of several of H.P. Lovecraft's works from the point of view of the women sidelined as victims in the originals. Forced to abandon her not-quite-human children to escape a cult seeking to sacrifice her, Lavinia nearly dies from exposure in the woods. She's saved by the prickly Asenath. The two women find themselves growing close as Lavinia regains her strength. But Asenath's own dark past is catching up, as she too begins to transform into something not entirely human. Beautiful and unsettling with heavy body horror as well as more human horrors such as emotional and sexual abuse.

The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus & Guillermo Del Toro*

In 1960s America, Elisa works as a cleaner in a government facility when a strange fish man is brought in to be studied. An immediate connection sparks between the two, but his time is running short as plans are to vivisect him. Alongside her colleague and her reluctant neighbour, Elisa must find a way to save him before he's laid under the knife. Less horror than most books on this list, The Shape of Water is nonetheless a beautiful romance about embracing (and being) the other in a world that wants you gone. If you like the movie, you likely also enjoy the book.

Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa

Sapphic, surreal and episodic horror vibe. Following the directions of an urban legend, university student Sorawo finds her way to a reality populated by horrifying creatures from ghost stories and modern urban legends which induce fear and madness in those who interact with them (of which I’m sure you’ll recognize many). Here she teams up with fellow explorer Toriko, both to find out more about this strange world and to help Toriko find a missing loved one. Also available as a manga and (one season of) a pretty middling anime.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

Sapphic, horror with adult and genuinely scary scooby gang vibes. Once, Andy, Kerri, Nate, Peter and their faithful dog were known as the Blyton Summer Detective Club, until they hit their fateful final case in 1977. Now, the year is 1990, and the group hasn’t gathered in years. Tomboy Andy is wanted in at least two states; Kerri, former kid genius, is tending bar; and horror nerd Nate is in a mental institution in Arkham. At least he still has the company of jock-turned-movie star Peter - except Peter has been dead for years. Now they must all come together to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago.

Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas & Marie Enger

Graphic novel, inspired by The King in Yellow. Dr. Amal Robardin, Lebanese immigrant and a therapist in training, finds herself in over her head when assigned her first client. Yasmin is a schizophrenic suffering from nightly terrors that seem all too real, and when Amal fails to give her the support and answers she needs, she disappears. Desperate to fix things, Amal goes racing after her - and ends up in a world of eldritch nightmares, more real than she ever imagined.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant

Novella. After Harlowe's parents were killed by a cult, she was sent to be raised by her grandparents. There she ended up becoming part of a group of teen detectives. As the group grows up and starts splintering into adulthood, Harlowe decides to find them one last mystery to solve: the secret of Spindrift House, a manor of murky origin, surrounded by dark mystery. Entering the manor, the group is eager to solve its secrets - but Spindrift House isn't one to give them up easily.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Novella. Re-imagining of one of Lovecraft's stories. Tommy is a hustler struggling to get by; when the elderly Robert Suydam hires him to play guitar at a party, Tommy is quick to agree. But Suydam is seeking something vast and Outside our reality, inviting Tommy to take part. Meanwhile, private detective Malone repeatedly harasses Tommy and his family in his hunt for proof against Suydam's activities. A bleak look that puts the apathy of eldritch gods against the closer-to-earth evil of human bigotry.

Sawkill Girls by Clair Legrand*

Young adult. The isolated island of Sawkill Rock has secrets. It hosts the legend of a local monster, and the very stark reality of decades of girls going missing, never to be found again. Now, three girls stand at the center of the horrific mystery. If only they can come together, perhaps they can save future generations of girls from a monster that may very well be real. Asexual and sapphic main characters, including a sapphic romance. Not as heavy on the cosmic horror as other titles on this list, but the monster certainly leans hard into it.

Blindsight by Peter Watts*

Vampires, post-humans, aliens, and questions on the nature of consciousnesses, oh my! A ship is sent to investigate the sudden appearance of an alien vessel at the edge of the solar system, but the crew isn’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. Because the aliens are intelligent, but they are nothing like us - to them, we may be nothing but a mistake to be wiped out. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you’re okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

The Scourge Between the Stars by Ness Brown

Novella. After having failed at establishing a new colony, starship Calypso fights to make it back to Earth. Acting captain Jacklyn Albright is already struggling against the threats of interstellar space and impending starvation when she´s thrown a new danger: something is hiding on the ship, picking off her crew one by one in bloody, gruesome ways. A quick, excellent read if you want some good Alien vibes.

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann*

AKA the book the put me in an existential crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired sci-fi where reality is warped and artificial gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Not too long ago, Earth was destroyed by the Architects, alien beings of massive proportions who seemed hardly aware of humanity's presence as they reshaped our entire planet into a twisted work of art. In their defense, humanity created super soldiers able to communicate with the enemy where no one else could. At once, the Architects disappeared without a trace. Fifty years has since passed, and Idris, one of the soldiers, has neither aged nor slept since, working on a freelance salvage vessel. But when he and his crew stumble on a sign that the Architects may be returning, they must embark on a race to find out the truth.

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

Zan wakes without memory, a passenger aboard one of the living world-ships of Legion, a fleet of decaying generations ships. Told she’s the salvation meant to free them from the fleet, Zan is flung head first into a brutal and bloody conflict. This book fucked me up when I read it. It’s weird, it’s gross, there’s So Much Viscera, there are literally no men, it has living spaceships and biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable, where humans are nothing but part of an ecosystem that cares little for their well-being. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

Sapphic. Vivian Liao is a highly successful innovator, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew and fears the government may be coming for her. As she goes into hiding, she attempts to pull off one last stunt that could fix everything - but something goes wrong, and suddenly Vivian finds herself waking up in the far future, under attack by an army of robots in space. Hoping to find her way back home, Vivian must assemble a crew of dangerous outlaws to help her hunt down the Empress of Forever, the all-powerful entity who pulled her into the future. While overall a space opera in genre, Empress of Forever also features a cosmic horror threatening the entire universe.

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

1960s Polish classic, more existential and philosophical than horror, with an exploration of how we may never understand the nature and motives of a truly alien mind. Arriving on a station orbiting the planet Solaris, Kris Kelvin is meant to study the strange, possibly sentient ocean that covers its entire surface. But the effects of the ocean are far reaching - Kelvin finds the crew of the station secretive and unstable, and is shocked to wake one day to the embodiment of a long dead lover. Was it created by the brain-like ocean, and if so, why?

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling*

Possibly one of the most unsettling and claustrophobic books I’ve ever read. Gyre, a caver on an alien planet, ventures into the dark and dangerous underground, guided only by her handler, a woman who has no compunctions on using and manipulating Gyre as she sees fit to obtain her own secretive goals down in the caves. Alone iton the dark, Gyre must struggle to keep hold of her sanity. Sapphic in the messiest of ways.

Levithan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Jim Holden and his crew are ice runners in a system on the brink of war, tension rising between the inner planets and the inhabitants of the belt. When the crew comes across an abandoned ship, they come into possession of a secret that may light the spark of war. Crossing their path is detective Miller, searching for a missing girl tied to the mysterious ship. More dangerous than even impending war is the truth behind the girl's disappearance, leading to a secret billions of years in the making. It has slept for longer than humanity has been aware, but now, it is waking up. It has a job to do, humanity be damned.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

For decades, Area X has been completely cut off from humanity. The only ones to enter are small organized expeditions, many of which never return, or return… wrong. We follow the latest expedition, its participants known only as the anthropologist, the psychologist, the surveyor, and our narrator, the biologist. As they enter into Area X to try to find out its secrets, only one thing is for sure: they will never be the same again.

Out Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armifield

Miri thought she lost her wife Leah when her deep-sea mission ended in a catastrophe. But Leah was miraculously returned to her - or so it seems. Because something happened down there, deep in the ocean, and whatever it was, Leah has brought it back with her. Surreal and strange, Our Wives Under the Sea will not answer all your questions, but it will give you a unique experience.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Five New Yorkers find themselves experiencing strangeness as the city itself begins to wake up. They are its soul, its avatars and its protectors, and now they must keep it safe as it wakes and something alien and eldritch attempts to kill it before it’s even fully born. Mix of sci-fi, supernatural, and lovecraftian horror. Multiple pov characters of varying queer identities. Tries to bite off a bit more than it can chew but is also very inventive and unique.

The Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

Sapphic. Nix Marr is a soldier and damned good at it, but that doesn’t prepare her for her next mission: bodyguard for Subarch Kessandra, beloved royal and Nix’s bitter ex, as she ventures into the underwater city of Fall to seek the cause of a bloody murder spree and a possible deadly contagion of madness. But Kessandra has enemies, the answers she seeks marking her as a possible threat for the nation’s rulers. On their way in an isolated and enclosed underwater ship, the contagion catches up, and Nix will have to put her hurt feelings aside if the two are to arrive alive. Not quite as scary as it could be, but with some very fascinating lore and world-building.

Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

The only thing extraordinary about Nick Prasad is his best friend Joanna "Johnny" Chambers, genius child prodigy. But when Johnny invents a new, clean energy source, the two are dragged into a race to save the world. The invention has attracted the attention of something ancient and dark, searching for a way into our reality, hoping to rule over humanity. Only Nick and Johnny can stop them, but as rifts between them grow wider and old gods loom nearer, they may not manage it in time. More coming of age and adventure than horror, but does feature an interesting take on elder gods mythology.

Leech by Hiron Ennes*

Unbeknownst to humanity, a sentient hive mind has taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity of unknown intentions. Leech hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. It’s spooky and a bit weird and wildly creative, and does some neat things with gender.

Family Business by Jonathan Sims

By the author behind the Magnus Archives. When Diya’s childhood best friend and roommate unexpectedly passes away, Diya falls apart and, among other things, loses her job. When she’s offered a position at Slough & Sons to clean up after the deceased, she sees no other recourse but to accept. Her new job is grisly but important, and Diya starts to get back on her feet - until strange visions of a terrifying man and the dead’s last moments start to haunt her. Slough & Sons are hiding something, and it’s up to Diya to find out the truth. No romance, bisexual main character and trans woman side character.

The Hollow Ones by T. Kingfisher*

After having divorced, Kara moves to stay with her uncle and help him run his museum of curiosities, until one day she discovers a hole in the wall of his house. The hole leads to a strange bunker, and beyond that, a dark and dangerous world beyond her understanding. In the company of a friend, she goes to explore this world, but quickly comes to regret her decision to do so. No romance, major gay character, at once funny and deeply creepy.

Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*

Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.