#mysterious benedict society series

[cindyslesbian]

dare i say kathryn hahn fancast for nerissa benedict?

[s-che]

Parasitic Games

So I've been rewatching Gravity Falls, right? And reading the Book of Bill, of course. And also playing a lot of Cultist Simulator? Which is a weird one but also a very specific combination of vibes.

Anyway I blacked out and finally wrote a twin pair of journaling games, A CALAMITOUS COINCIDENCE and THE ALCHEMIST. I wrote them in my dark basement research center (apartment) while remembering only occasionally to fulfill my obligations to the outside world (still going to work, I guess) while attempting to string together the clues and assemble, at last, my magnum opus (get them on the actual page, or screen I guess).

Anyway, let's do some normal ad copy.

Calamitous Coincidence is based on stories of lonely investigators, clever children, and inescapable tragedy (like A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and Gravity Falls) while The Alchemist lets you jump right in to bullshit esoteric thinking inspired by absolute freaks like John Dee and Aleister Crowley (or Cultist Simulator and Susanna Clarke's Piranesi, which are the reasons I actually wrote it).

I'm really putting that religion degree to good work, huh?

Both games give you the tools you need to figure out who you are in the world, what you're looking for, and where you think you'll find it -- neither give you the answers you're looking for. You'll have to find those yourself.

Both games are prototypes, currently available on Patreon for anyone paying $3 or more. As always with my patreon stuff, I extremely, extremely encourage you to sign up for a month, download the stuff you're interested interested in, and then cancel. It still means a lot.

Both games have been setting my brain on fire for the last month and a half, and I'm glad to get them out into the world (even if they are still a little broken).

I hope you like them:)

[ace7librarian]

My favourite type of character is when they have a really obscure hobby or job and they're insanely passionate about it. They are the experts on something most people don't know exists. Hell yeah king, tell me more about Herpetologist drama. Tell me about my organs.

[ysabellious]

a late night show!kate wetherall doodle :)

[apollosopera]

NEW UQUIZ JUST DROPPED STAY CALM

based somewhat on the current TikTok trend of people discussing obscure books from their childhood. enjoy! let me know ur favorite books from when u were a kid!

[volunteerfelinedetectives]

Fiction concepts that hit different to the point where literally everything I’ve been obsessed with had at least one and no that isn’t even an exaggeration:

What if there was a fucked up seaside town

What if there was an extremely fancy restaurant/hotel/club but oh wait it’s fucked up actually

What if there was a prestigious school but wait, you guessed it, it’s kinda fucked up

What if there was a theme park/carnival/circus but HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT THAT WAS FUCKED UP

What if you went to a party and something *really* fucked up happened

What if you died and went to the afterlife and instead of it being a fair system of judgement it’s corrupt and fucked up

What if there was a place and it seemed enticing but now you can’t leave and philosophical questions are being raised about the balance between pleasure and living a meaningful life

What if there was a horrifically uncanny dream sequence that gives you chills and you have literally no idea why

What if you were plagued and haunted by the presence of a strange other world accessible from your home

What if the boundaries between reality and fiction were dangerously blurred

[sailforvalinor]

As a rebuff to the “Harry Potter is a himbo running on adrenaline and dumb luck” take: the difference between how Hermione is smart and how Harry is smart is similar to the difference between how Sticky is smart and how Reynie is smart in the Mysterious Benedict Society (a great series that I highly recommend for its wonderful representation of different kinds of intelligence): one utilizes pure information and memorization, the other utilizes mental flexibility and deduction. Both are equally valid, albeit different, forms of intelligence.

To illustrate further: at the beginning of the Mysterious Benedict Society, Sticky aces a test because he had all the information on the test memorized. Reynie aces that same test by figuring out that the answers to each question were hidden in the other questions on the test.

[mollyhats]

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society, try...

Book rec post!

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society for...

...found family of kid spies, try

City Spies by James Ponti

Brooklyn, a hacker, is recruited into a family of orphans who handle missions for MI6 under the protective eye of the eccentric "Mother," an agent who started accidentally collecting orphans while searching for his own lost children. If you love TMBS for a bunch of kids (and peculiar adults) forming a tight-knit family against a background of espionage, this book is perfect for you!

...the world of Stonetown and it's slightly off-kilter worldbuilding, try

The Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Milo lives in a smuggler's hotel with his parents, but he expects a quiet family Christmas--until guests start piling in, each with their own secrets and hidden agendas. Milo and his new friend Meddy decide to investigate, using a TTRPG as their guide. The connection to TMBS is harder to pin down here, but there's a definite vibe. They feel like they could take place in the same world.

...the puzzles, riddles, and games, try

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Before the grand opening of a new library, Kyle and several of his classmates are invited to a lock-in---but little do they know, they're in for a wild night of escape room puzzles that will require all of their gifts to solve. If you love the riddles and tricks of TMBS, as well as the ways the Society uses their different strengths to get through all kinds of puzzles, this is a great choice.

...a lonely kid passing strange trials to enter a new world and family, try

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan was cursed to die on her 12th birthday, but instead she's swept away to a magical world and offered a chance to participate in a series of trials to join the prestigious Wundrous Society and be safe from the curse. But there's so much she doesn't know, and the things she learns about this strange new world might pale in comparison to what she learns about herself. The trials she faces feel very similar to Mr. Benedict's, and there's plenty else to continue the comparison once we get past them (in either book): quirky mentors, lonely orphans, world-shaking plots, a strange school.

[pocket-sized-nightmare]

had some thoughts about two of the book series that shaped my life after discovering i was autistic and had adhd. both of them mean so much to me for different reasons and i’ve cried so hard over them multiple times

[official-l]

What was your favourite bedtime story when you were a kid?

It depends on what you consider a child. I enjoyed the Mysterious Benedict Society when I was 4 or 5, then moved onto A Series of Unfortunate Events, and after that I just read adult books.

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

[cindyslesbian]

uhh what happened to the Mysterious Benedict Society?!

[too-much-toulouse]

When the series’ characters are a load of supersmart kids, probably orphans, government and some group has beef with them, constantly in danger

[mysteriouseggsbenedict]

quotes from children's media that bring to my absolute knees:

"Perhaps because he doubted himself" and "remember the white knight" from The Mysterious Benedict Society

"I will love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire loves innocence, and as justice loves to sit and watch as everything goes wrong" from ASOUE

"I wonder why they didn't just change their story?" from Matilda the musical

"When I grow up, I will be strong enough to carry all the heavy things you have to haul around with you when you're a grown up" also from Matilda the musical because I'm deeply in love with all the songs

"Nothing's gone forever, only out of place" from Mary Poppins Returns

Bonus: I'm not sure if the sound of music counts as children's media, but the entirety of the song "Something Good" is up there for me, particularly the "nothing comes of nothing, nothing ever could" because it's a reference to King Lear hehe

[sarahthebookdragon]

I bring concepts for an Asoue/tmbs cross over

Ronda adopting the Quagmires triplets

Number 2 would despise Esme but like her fashion sence

Violet giving Sq. A very much needed hug,,

Olivia (the librarian) would definitely want to o join the mysterious benedict society and maybe want to adopt Sq?

Jerome and Mr. Benedict meeting and being like- "hey you kind of look like me-"

Violet and Kate being inventing buddies

Fernald (sp (hook handed man)) Fiona and Sticky talking ocean-y things together

Constance being annoyed by Carmelita

Hector and Mr. Benedict bonding over the fact that for different reasons they pass out then Ronda and Number 2 convince Hector to stay with them

Ms. Perumal and Olivia becoming besties <3

[hayleythesugarbowl]

╰┈➤ if you enjoyed these books growing up then 1) your sense of humor is immaculate and 2) you’re either in pre-med or you’re a detective there’s no in between