Kill Your Darling is a bleak novella about grief, obsession, and what storytelling can (and can’t) do for the broken people left behind.
The setup is simple. Forty years ago, Glenn Partridge’s teenage son was found dead in a vacant lot, his face wrapped in duct tape, cartoon eyes drawn on. No suspect, no closure, no justice. Glenn never let go. He’s called the police for decades, chasing leads that evaporate. His wife, long-suffering but not entirely without humor, signs him up for a writing class at the library. Rule number one: write what you know. So Glenn writes about Billy.
The act of writing gives Glenn’s grief a shape, maybe even a purpose. But the more he writes, the more his story begins to evolve. The creative process plays an important role here, and it’s blurring the line between catharsis and obsession.
It’s fun, but not in the usual sense. The opening alone will knock the air out of you, and Chapman doesn’t soften the blow. Glenn isn’t even all that likable - he’s bitter, obsessive, prickly. The grief transforms him into a monster of sorts as he try to wrestle meaning out of chaos.
At just under 170 pages, it’s a quick read. The writing is taut, vivid, and at times cruelly funny in the way real tragedy can be. This book won’t make you feel better, but it will make you feel.
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SPFBO Champions' League - 10 Questions for the Champions
First of all - congratulations! You already conquered SPFBO once, which means you’ve been scientifically certified as Awesome. But now… it’s time for the Champions' League. One winner to rule them all. Ten champions enter, one leaves with eternal bragging rights (and maybe a trophy if Mark can source one).
Before the games begin, we’d love to hit you with 10 questions:
· Looking back to when you entered SPFBO, did you ever imagine your book would take the top spot? What made you take the plunge and submit?
o Good lord no, I never genuinely expected to win. I had made a habit of submitting a book each year, because it was fun and I wanted to enjoy the community. And then, for some reason, Small Miracles just kept… persisting. I would say that right up until the day it won, I was expecting it to be knocked out at any moment!
· How has life changed since winning SPFBO? More book sales? Wild parties? Paparazzi at your grocery store?
o The parties remain tame, I’m afraid. (Attendees still include my husband and the cats.) I’m very pleased that Small Miracles has attracted its own little following due to its SPFBO win, though, as it’s otherwise considered a lesser-known book of mine. It’s very special to me, and I’m glad that people are reading it!
· Many champions talk about the pressure of following up a winning book. Did you feel that? How did it shape your next projects (if at all)?
o I think I must have a very relaxed attitude about books, actually. I don’t tend to feel pressured to make each one better than the last—mostly because each book is very different from the last, and therefore difficult to compare. To be fair, though, I came by this attitude honestly, in the way that most authors do: I wasted ten years of my life trying to write a perfect magnum opus, and then realised that at some point, you just have to grit your teeth and publish something. I compare everything to that useless ten years of work now, and say to myself “at the end of the day, publishing something is still better than publishing nothing—so finish what you’re working on, and stop worrying.”
· There are nearly 3,000 SPFBO entries out there. What, in your opinion, helped your book climb to the top?
o My god, why would you ask me this question? There’s no good answer to this question! Either I try to guess why my book won a competition and end up sounding like an egomaniac, or else I say I just don’t know. Er. I suppose that I’m very obsessive over readability. I have a background in technical writing, and I do literally go line-by-line through my books making certain that there’s only one way to read something, and that each sentence flows naturally into the next sentence. I’m always very concerned about my neurodiverse readers and my second- or third-language readers, and I want them to be able to enjoy the text without struggling. That doesn’t mean I give up on having a style of my own; it means that I have to work even harder to prioritise clarity while still adding flair on top of it. I don’t allow myself to slide on either one.
· Imagine your main character finds out they’re competing in the Champions' League. Are they thrilled? Terrified? Confused? Demanding a rewrite?
o Gadriel has no idea how she’s conned her way here, and frankly, she thinks you’re all bonkers for letting her get this far. She’s not going to dissuade anyone, mind you—but she won’t be putting in any further effort. That’s on you for expecting better from a mediocre little devil.
· Every author has that “this is never going to work” moment. Did you? How did you push through and keep writing?
o Small Miracles was an exercise in humour, and a lot of the chapters originally fell flat, for reasons I originally struggled to identify. Finally, I realised that almost all of the book’s humour comes from dramatic irony—and the best way to heighten that irony is often to change the primary viewpoint character of a chapter. It’s so much easier to make deadpan jokes about a situation when the character in question knows almost nothing about what’s really going on.
· Apart from your own novel, is there a past SPFBO book (any year, any entry – doesn’t have to be a winner or a finalist) you’d hype up to readers - maybe one you loved or thought deserved more of the spotlight?
o I thought A Rival Most Vial was an incredible romantic fantasy in so many ways! There was brilliant structure to it of the sort you only really appreciate if you’ve written a lot of romance. It had a lot of genuine heart to it, too. I got to judge that book myself, and I remember giving it very high marks. Truly, I think it was a perfect example of a book that both epitomised and improved upon its sub-genre of choice.
· What’s the project currently on your desk - and is it behaving, or making you question all your life choices?
o I am currently working on the second book in my Victorian Faerie Tales series, Rosemary & Thyme. It is… more or less behaving. But I tend to write very self-contained novels, and this is the first time I’ve written a book two that really requires readers to have finished book one. It feels oddly uncomfortable, like part of me is convinced that everyone will complain that it makes no sense unless you’ve read book one. Well, all right—a lot of people will complain about that, based on experience. But I need to convince myself that those people are not my intended audience.
· What’s one piece of writing advice you completely ignore - and one you swear by?
o If I could strike just one rule from every author’s mind, it would be that absolute stinker of “show, don’t tell”. It’s terrible. Every author thinks they’re beautifully implying things far more clearly than they actually are. Anyone who’s ever run a D&D game in their life knows that the players won’t pick up even half of what you lay down with your “very obvious” descriptions, and they’re definitely not going to guess the answer to your “very obvious” riddle. Readers are exactly the same. What I recommend instead of this rule is: “show, then tell.” Basically, once you’ve done all of your lovely descriptions, you’re obliged to briefly clarify what you meant by those descriptions as simply as humanly possible. It doesn’t take long, and it takes pity on your second-language readers, who just can’t fully digest a lot of metaphorical purple prose.
· Win or lose, your book’s in the top 10 of nearly 3,000. But personally, what would be your proudest writing achievement - published or still locked away on your hard drive?
o I think I might have a healthy mindset on this one? I’m very proud of everything I’ve already published. I’ve put a great deal of work and care into all of it. I’m also going to be proud to finish much of what I’m currently working on. I feel like every book I write has something special about it that doesn’t ever go away. If anything, I suppose I’m proud that I never settle for writing anything just for the sake of writing it. I always have a theme I’m working up to, or a narrative statement that I want to spend an entire book fleshing out, and it’s always something that I deeply care about.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mason Coile is the pen name of bestselling author, Andrew Pyper. Mason writes books that are distinct from Andrew's: short, twisty thrillers with a sci-fi bent and a strand of horror in their DNA.
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons (September 16, 2025) Length: 224 pages Formats: audio, ebook, paperback
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Podcast Reveal: Nerdy Nebula Podcast Nicholas W Fuller, Dana Lindamood, Dante Romero, Julian Grajales, ZB Steele, and Jeff Brown
(Nerdy Nebula podcast logo by Jeff Brown)
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Socials: https://linktr.ee/nerdynebulapodcast
Socials: https://linktr.ee/nerdynebulapodcast
Welcome to Nerdy Nebula Podcast, the ultimate sci-fi and fantasy podcast where the hosts will explore the best of nerd culture, from writing and reading, to sff movies, games, and more. Hosted by Nicholas W Fuller and a rotating crew of co-hosts (Dana Lindamood, Dante Romero, Julian Grajales, ZB Steele, and Jeff Brown), each episode dives into the stories, creators, and communities that make science fiction and fantasy so great. More often than not, the hosts will also be joined by a nerdy guest.
If you've ever been called a nerd for reading books or watching sci-fi/fantasy movies or spending your time with a game controller or math rocks, you're our people and you're definitely going to find something to like in our chats. Episodes will air weekly on Thursdays starting on October 16th.
Subscribe to their Patreon for early access to ad-free, extended episodes, or tune in every Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms. Plus checkout a small preview of what's to come via a small trailer with Nicholas W. Fuller.
AUTHOR INFO: J. D. Evans writes fantasy and science fiction romance. After earning her degree in linguistics, J. D. served a decade as an army officer. She once spent her hours putting together briefings for helicopter pilots and generals. Now she writes stories, tends to two unreasonable tiny humans, knits, sews badly, gardens, and cultivates Pinterest Fails. After a stint in Beirut, J. D. fell in love with the Levant, which inspired the setting for her debut series, Mages of the Wheel.
Originally hailing from Montana, J. D. now resides in North Carolina with her husband, two attempts at mini-clones gone rogue, and too many stories in her head.
Publication Date: January 23, 2020 Publisher: Whippoorwill Press LLC Page Count: 422 Cover art: Tatiana Anor Formats: ebook, paperback
Buy Savage Blooms
FORMAT/INFO: Savage Blooms will be published on October 9th, 2025 by Orbit Books. It is 464 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Adam has spent being told stories by his grandfather of an enchanted place known as Craigmar. So when his grandfather passes away, Adam, along with his best friend Nicola, decides to seek out the isolated manor in Scotland. But what starts as a simple holiday jaunt becomes something entirely else when Adam and Nicola not only find Craigmar, but meet its owner Eileen and her groundskeeper Finley. Adam at first is thrilled that Eileen will allow him to stay and investigate the manor's past in the hopes of learning more about his grandfather. But the longer Adam and Nicola stay at Craigmar, the more they become drawn into Eileen and Finley's seductive games - all of which may serve a nefarious purpose.
Savage Blooms is an atmospheric gothic tale that drags out a thin plot to an underwhelming conclusion. I will say that the author initially did an excellent job of setting up the tension and the mood. There's a fantastic sense of foreboding and all the hallmarks of the gothic romance the story wants to be. You have an isolated, decaying house, a windswept moor, and mysterious characters clearly harboring secrets. It isn’t long before we know that the family of Craigmar has a dark history tied with threatening faerie magic. I enjoyed the sense of danger lurking unseen and waited for the trap to be sprung.
Unfortunately, that’s about as much as you’re going to get in this 450 page book: unseen dangers. Information is revealed at a glacial pace. While there’s mysterious voices, strange lights, brief moments of peril, and the tease of a sinister plot, all that tension leads to a truly underwhelming finale. For hundreds of pages, Eileen and Finley’s POV chapters have them brooding over their guilt at how Adam and Nicola will feel betrayed when their plot is revealed. And yet when their grand plans came to light, it was absolutely nothing that lived up to my expectations for what their big evil secret could possibly be. It’s the kind of ending that makes you go, “I waited 400 pages for THAT?”
Here's the thing: I think the grand plan DOES make sense. It's just that there was such a build up and so much hand-wringing by Finley and Eileen over what they planned to do, that I was completely baffled at the simplicity of what they wanted, ESPECIALLY given that I had to wait until the last few chapters of the book to find out. If the reveal had come at the halfway point, it would have landed a lot better.
Given that this was marketed as erotica, I tried to go in open minded about some of the story elements I might encounter. I tried very hard to accept that four people come together (more specifically two pairs of people come together) and immediately all insta-lust after each other. And not only is everyone into everyone, everyone is okay sharing. This is an erotica, and the name of the game is people having sex. But by the end of the book, it was beginning to feel like the plot was a checklist to make sure that every single character had hooked up with every other character, and I found myself bored, not titillated.
CONCLUSION: I would have given all that a pass if the premise had lived up to the promise. This is, after all, about an unnerving pair of people (Eileen and Finley) hiding dark secrets, who are slowly ensnaring another pair of people (Adam and Nicola) into their world. If the overall plot had moved faster and delivered a more satisfying ending, I would have said it was a solid read, if ultimately not for me. But unfortunately, Savage Blooms wastes its premise and atmosphere, leaving me uninterested in the sequel.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Adam has spent being told stories by his grandfather of an enchanted place known as Craigmar. So when his grandfather passes away, Adam, along with his best friend Nicola, decides to seek out the isolated manor in Scotland. But what starts as a simple holiday jaunt becomes something entirely else when Adam and Nicola not only find Craigmar, but meet its owner Eileen and her groundskeeper Finley. Adam at first is thrilled that Eileen will allow him to stay and investigate the manor's past in the hopes of learning more about his grandfather. But the longer Adam and Nicola stay at Craigmar, the more they become drawn into Eileen and Finley's seductive games - all of which may serve a nefarious purpose.
Savage Blooms is an atmospheric gothic tale that drags out a thin plot to an underwhelming conclusion. I will say that the author initially did an excellent job of setting up the tension and the mood. There's a fantastic sense of foreboding and all the hallmarks of the gothic romance the story wants to be. You have an isolated, decaying house, a windswept moor, and mysterious characters clearly harboring secrets. It isn’t long before we know that the family of Craigmar has a dark history tied with threatening faerie magic. I enjoyed the sense of danger lurking unseen and waited for the trap to be sprung.
Unfortunately, that’s about as much as you’re going to get in this 450 page book: unseen dangers. Information is revealed at a glacial pace. While there’s mysterious voices, strange lights, brief moments of peril, and the tease of a sinister plot, all that tension leads to a truly underwhelming finale. For hundreds of pages, Eileen and Finley’s POV chapters have them brooding over their guilt at how Adam and Nicola will feel betrayed when their plot is revealed. And yet when their grand plans came to light, it was absolutely nothing that lived up to my expectations for what their big evil secret could possibly be. It’s the kind of ending that makes you go, “I waited 400 pages for THAT?”
Here's the thing: I think the grand plan DOES make sense. It's just that there was such a build up and so much hand-wringing by Finley and Eileen over what they planned to do, that I was completely baffled at the simplicity of what they wanted, ESPECIALLY given that I had to wait until the last few chapters of the book to find out. If the reveal had come at the halfway point, it would have landed a lot better.
Given that this was marketed as erotica, I tried to go in open minded about some of the story elements I might encounter. I tried very hard to accept that four people come together (more specifically two pairs of people come together) and immediately all insta-lust after each other. And not only is everyone into everyone, everyone is okay sharing. This is an erotica, and the name of the game is people having sex. But by the end of the book, it was beginning to feel like the plot was a checklist to make sure that every single character had hooked up with every other character, and I found myself bored, not titillated.
CONCLUSION: I would have given all that a pass if the premise had lived up to the promise. This is, after all, about an unnerving pair of people (Eileen and Finley) hiding dark secrets, who are slowly ensnaring another pair of people (Adam and Nicola) into their world. If the overall plot had moved faster and delivered a more satisfying ending, I would have said it was a solid read, if ultimately not for me. But unfortunately, Savage Blooms wastes its premise and atmosphere, leaving me uninterested in the sequel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
Publisher: Tordotcom (September 2, 2025) Length: 128 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback
Order The Lost War over HERE
About Justin: Justin was a professional writer and editor for 15 years before his debut novel, Carpet Diem, was published in 2015. He wrote restaurant and theatre reviews, edited magazines about football and trucks, published books about fishing and golf, wrote business articles and animation scripts, and spent four years as the writer, editor and photographer for an Edinburgh guide book.
Justin now writes full-time and is a partner in his own publishing company. He also writes scripts with his wife Juliet, who he met through the BBC Last Laugh scriptwriting competition.
J. D. Evans writes fantasy and science fiction romance. After earning her degree in linguistics, J. D. served a decade as an army officer. She once spent her hours putting together briefings for helicopter pilots and generals. Now she writes stories, tends to two unreasonable tiny humans, knits, sews badly, gardens, and cultivates Pinterest Fails. After a stint in Beirut, J. D. fell in love with the Levant, which inspired the setting for her debut series, Mages of the Wheel.
Originally hailing from Montana, J. D. now resides in North Carolina with her husband, two attempts at mini-clones gone rogue, and too many stories in her head.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
Publisher: Solaris (August 12, 2025) Length: 178 pages Formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook
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