Newsletter - July 2024

What Is Dan Writing?
Still plugging away on Dark One, though I've also been doing a lot of worldbuilding for my new Cosmere series. I want to dip into a bit of conlang (constructed language) for it--not at the level of Klingon or Quenya, but something fun and nerdy that we haven't really seen in the Cosmere before.

What Is Dan Reading?
Right now I'm reading The Art of Prophecy by Wes Chu. It's wuxia chinese fantasy expertly crossed with western epic fantasy, and every word of it is delightful. Wes is mostly known for his science fiction, but his fantasy chops are super strong and his characters are, as always, super fun to spend time with.

What Does Dan Recommend?
I have become obsessed with the video game Helldivers 2. It takes everything that's great about team shooters and PvE chaos and mixes it together and delivers it flawlessly. It's one of the best designed games I've ever seen--even the difficulty levels are a seamless part of the gameplay, and its unlock system for new weapons and cosmetics is balanced and achievable and decidedly non-predatory. The satire is brutal if you're paying attention but easy to ignore if all you want to do is kill bugs. I can't say enough good about this game.