Humanity survives an apocalypse, only to wake up on an alien ship and find out-plot twist-you’re alive because the aliens want to genetically merge with you.Â
It’s deeeeeeply unsettling yet breathtakingly written in a simple style, has a grippingly fast paced story line and asks all the big questions inbetween the lines.
This book WILL expand your imagination
Dec 21, 2024
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truly original sci fi while also making me think deeply about human nature
Mar 1, 2024
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Weird, poignant freaky sci-fi. I just read the first book (Dawn) and immediately went and got the second one. Just ignore the cover designs that don't match the tone of the books at all
Nov 21, 2023
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her brand of science fiction, specifically parable of the sower, speech sounds, and some of her other more grounded work is precisely what you're looking for i think. her genius is that while most of the sci-fi preceding her written by white men created far-flung worlds and futures to explore current questions, butler flipped the whole genre on it's head by interrogating the near-future as a consequence of the present and still calling it sci-fi because it still met all of the heuristics for the genre
parable of the sower will break your brain in a terrifying, constantly-looking-over-your-shoulder and never-looking-at-stuff-the-same way but perhaps now more than ever that is a testament to her genius as a writer
Feb 11, 2025
Top Recs from @chilly_olive_heron
— untangling a necklace with a needle for someone
(my dad used to do this for me when I was younger, felt like such a delicate ritual)
— sitting on a couch with someone (aka your current crush) and both caressing a cat that’s between you and the other person
…a silent „we’re both here, coexisting, vibing„ moment
— braiding someone’s hair
(the gentle tug, the trust, the rhythm)
— tuning a violin or a guitar
(recently watched my friend do this and she was so intimate with her instrument, fine-tuning every string, taking her time… it was kinda mesmerizing)
— asking someone about their perfume
(I noticed you, I want to remember how you smell)
— people in busy public places that close their eyes and hold still for a moment just to soak in some precious sunrays
Loved this question!
Jan 19, 2025
Is a Soviet sci-fi film (by Andrew Tarkowski) that follows three guys who head into this mysterious area called "The Zone."
There’s supposedly a room there that grants your deepest wish, but it’s a weird, eerie place that messes with your mind.
The whole thing feels surreal and philosophical, making you think about life, desires, and what we’re all really after.
It’s haunting, beautifully shot, and sticks with you long after it’s over
Oct 26, 2024
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In German, Weltschmerz-literally “world-pain”-is that melancholic realization that the world, with all its flaws, suffering, and brokenness, falls painfully short of how we feel it should be. It’s not just personal sadness, it’s more like an intellectual reckoning with the gap between reality and its potential beauty.
Right now, the world’s on fire (literally and figuratively), and Weltschmerz captures the vibe perfectly. Think of it as a big, collective sigh-beautifully sad, hopelessly existential, but also oddly comforting, like listening to a Lana Del Rey song. Or the 2012 tumblr era.
When I was a teenager, I’d feel down out of nowhere-like a weird, weighty sadness without a clear cause. My mom would look at me and say, “Ahhh, Weltschmerz,” like it explained everything. And honestly? It kind of did. It wasn’t about a bad grade or drama with friends. It was just there, this intangible ache tied to something bigger, like feeling the weight of the world without knowing why.
the twist is: Weltschmerz, rooted in Romanticism, isn’t entirely hopeless. Yeah, it aches, but it’s the kind of ache that inspires. Great art, big ideas, it all comes from that mix of sadness and longing for something better. So yeah, Weltschmerz might be beautifully tragic, but it’s also a quiet relief, like sighing out everything heavy and feeling a little more connected, a little more human!
Jan 12, 2025