literature

Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.

The birth
Peter, the lord of the manor, could never stomach the sight or smell of blood. Just one drop and he’d be out cold. He hadn’t even wanted to be in the room for his wife’s labor, but she insisted he not miss out on the birth of their first child. He woke up to the iron and salt scent of blood overwhelming his nostrils. His last memory before the black was of the cold, unforgiving floor but when he opened his eyes he saw that he had been laid out on the chaise in the corner of the room, but there was no one in sight. Where was his wife? Where was the midwife who was helping to bring his child into the world? And where was the scent of blood coming from? As his senses began to come back into focus, the shapes around him became clearer. The panic began to rise in him. There was a mound of bloodied rags in the middle of the floor, there was a lot of blood in those rags. Too much. He scrambled from his resting place to the pile, and to his horror he realized it wasn’t made of rags, but of flesh. Glinting in the firelight was a mangled mass of metal that resembled the insignia of the healer’s academy. The midwife. The edges of his vision began turning black again but he fought it; forced himself to breath.
By Dee Adair5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Last Thing to Burn" by Will Dean
Will Dean's novel "The Last Thing to Burn" is twisted and incredibly written. The voice comes through in amazing accuracy and we can tell that some very deep research into voice and authenticity has been done in order to make this as realistic as possible. I first heard about this book through other people online who had been reading the same thing. The reviews ranged from average to pretty good. But honestly, I think that the true depth of this book is either being missed or not appreciated as much as it should be.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
The Fire in the Glass
The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson is the first book in the The Charismatics series. It is a historical fantasy novel set in Pre-World War I London. The protagonist of the book is Lily, a young woman with psychic abilities. Through one of her visions, she foresees a murder and the story follows her as she does everything she can to stop the killer who is targeting mediums in the city. Throughout the book she is accompanied by Lord Strangford. Strangford is one of a number of people with strange abilities that have been dubbed "Charismatics".
By MATTHEW FLICK5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Sanatorium" by Sarah Pearse
I actually read this book because it was the Reese Witherspoon Book Club's pick of the month for February of 2021 and I finished it with only a day to spare, so forgive me if I am a little late with my review. It took me a while to process everything that happened. Written in a compelling fashion with obvious attention paid to the place and the history of place, there is a lot to be said about these dark and engaging descriptions of the building which litter the book and turn the atmosphere right the way around so that everything becomes a shadow. When it comes to the characters, I feel like there could have been more done with them apart from their very obvious functions with Isaac being there to lure his sister back into a familial relationship whilst also making her question her every move. I think that it is important to remember that the place is also part of the cast in this book - the hotel itself is a character and if we start off believing that then I think we will be pleasantly surprised as we read on.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
The Abyss Walkers Journal
Wendy sighed as she saw Nik bouncing over to her, she had hoped to make it to the Chain Mailed before anyone caught her. "Where are you off to in such a rush?" Nik asked with a beaming smile.
By Mayra Coffel5 years ago in Geeks
Legacy
Aislinn stumbled as she exited the offices of Bryan, Steinman and Stark. She reached for the wall to steady herself as the large yellow envelope slipped from her bag.
By Cynthia A Fortier5 years ago in Geeks
Misplaced Belongings
I've lost count of how many important little belongings I have lost. Wallets, IDs, phones, watches. I tend to misplace things. Or, rather, things tend to disappear. Because they always seem to reappear. Right where I first looked for them. My wife tells me I just miss them the first time. She says the second look is the lucky one, that my wallet, my ID, my phone, had really just been there all along. But there’s a tingle that tells me otherwise. They pop out, and then pop right back in, like a cigarette break. I’m sure of it.
By Trin5 years ago in Geeks
Siya
Siya wiped her forehead as she watched the sunset over the hills, she was exhausted and the heaviness of the basket that was tied around her waist did not help her feel any better. As always, she was the only person left in the coffee bean fields; the other workers had left hours ago but this did not bother her. She would stay as long as she had to until her basket was filled;. “Done” she whispered, standing and stretching her back. She looked over the endless rows of coffee bean fields that stretched over the land past what her eyes could see , “Feels like my dreams, they are as endless as the coffee bean fields.” She shook her head clearing her thoughts as she had to hurry home before it got too dark. She was grateful for the coolness of dirt against her feet as she made her way through the path. With each step she took deep breaths of air until it was no longer thick with the greenery of the fields, this meant that she was close to her home. The sound of a familiar cry in the distance caught her attention, Siya held on to the basket of coffee beans and picked up her pace almost running towards the sound.
By Shonta Norwood5 years ago in Geeks
COVER REVEAL: Brazenly Daray by Jessamyn Kingley
It's rare that an author can capture fantastical fantasy and heart stopping romances - Jessamyn Kingley has achieved both in her many works of fiction. I'm pleased to share Kingley's latest book cover reveal. Find out more details below!
By Ted Ryan5 years ago in Geeks
Between the Pages
Once upon a time, I was young like you, thought Frances, as a teenager held the door for her at the bookstore. Now, I’m the toad-faced crone, like something out a fairy tale. She was reminded of the Perrault story about a girl whose kindness to an old woman left her enspelled. Every word that fell out of her mouth would be accompanied by precious gemstones. Too bad I can’t cast spells. Make that girl’s day. Or life. She cackled to herself at the absurdity as she put a shopping bag stuffed with new writing supplies into the car.
By WordSmithtress5 years ago in Geeks
Going Once, Going Twice
The esteemed Hollywood filmmaker Allen Apollo Jakobsen died from a heart attack on a blue April morning. He was hardly fifty-nine. The obituary printed in The Atlantic highlighted his record for the highest harvest of Oscars and Golden Globes any director had ever made. The Huffington Post editorialized how Jakobsen had changed the face of cinema more than any other individual in the modern century. Vogue regaled the legend of a troubled Jewish kid who ran away from home to chase the stars. The New York Times’ obituary was not really an obituary at all, but a lukewarm applause, followed by the much more lucrative headline: Hollywood Legend’s Death Surfaces Over $15 Million in Gambling Debts.
By E. G. Foutz5 years ago in Geeks
3 Autobiographies by Actors
I think that secretly, we all want to know where our favourite actors of the screen came from, what they did to get famous and the inner pitfalls of their lives that make them that slight bit more like us rather than the Hollywood star normally fed to us by the media. Throughout the years, we have had an amazing array of autobiographies by actors including Marlon Brando, Sir Charles Chaplin and even Katharine Hepburn. In this list, I would like to go over three more. Some you may or may not have read but are still super interesting to get your teeth into.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks