Zilla Novikov's Blog, page 7

Sad Bastard Expectations

It’s 2025, and we’re sadder than ever!

Maybe it’s time for a Sad Bastard Cookbook sequel? Maybe a spin-off for parents of small children? Maybe both?

I’m new here. What’s a Sad Bastard Cookbook?

Glad you asked! We wrote a cookbook full of judgement-free recipes you can make when you’re suffering from mental illness, physical disability, poverty, or anything else late-stage capitalism throws up that makes basic self-care feel impossible. Some of the recipes were our own, some we collected from the community.

The ebook is free–you can download a copy here if you wanna check it out.

I’m a community! Or at least, a Person! Can I contribute my recipe for survival food?

YES PLEASE.

If you have a survival recipe that you make for yourself, or to feed a baby, toddler, or small child, please share that recipe here.

I’m a fan of the original Sad Bastard Cookbook—when will the new ones be here?

We really have no idea. We’re in the very early planning and writing stages of the two projects, but when we have more information, you’ll probably see it here first!

Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Here in the Night Beats Community, we embrace the unusual, the unexpected, the things which don’t quite fit. So of course we had to have Tom Norford here, to give us an interview about his collection of science fiction short stories which does exactly that. Tom, can you tell us about Anomic Bombs ?

Tom: Anomic Bombs is a collection of science fiction stories. They vary from semi-serious to outright silly, a tale of aliens commandeering the body of the wrong Taylor Swift due to an admin error being a prime example of the latter. One of the more serious ones is about an incel-type kid who develops an affinity with the angry alien locked in his barn. I’m a bit of a weirdo, I fear, and the stories are written with fellow weirdos in mind.

Zilla : What inspired you to write this book?

Tom: I’ve hawked my first novel, The Starved God, at various book events and craft fairs, but was a bit self-conscious at having only one book on offer. I had a few short stories knocking about which I’d written for my blog subscribers, and figured if I could squeeze out one or two more, I could release them as a collection. I got to work on a story which rapidly ballooned into a novella, and bundled it together with four shorter pieces. Retrospectively, I realised the stories were loosely held together by the theme of not fitting in.

Compared to my first novel, this collection is more accessible and light-hearted. The Starved God was a little dense for some readers, like some miserable 19th century Russian novel

Zilla : I love miserable 19th century novels! But I take your point. In your short stories, who was your favourite character to write?

Tom: Probably Tavian, a hog wrangler in the story “The Sacred Furcula of Yukiang the Bird-Whale.” He comes across like a simple country bumpkin, cap-doffing to his betters and overly attached to Janet the mad pack-sow, but is actually cunning and resourceful. A bit like a rough version of Wodehouse’s capable gentleman’s gentleman, Jeeves. For example, he gets his friend out of a scrape with an eldritch contraption powered by human brains by getting the thing stoned on the psychoactive weed he smokes habitually. (It makes sense when you read it. I think). I also like Tayler Swift, a Deliveroo driver who finds himself in the body of pop megastar Taylor Swift. He’s understandably discombobulated but makes the best of it.

Zilla : That sounds delightful! Is your work more plot-driven or character-driven? Or a secret, third thing?

Tom: Some stories are more character-based, others plot-driven, but overall I wanted to convey a sense of wonder, of novel things happening in novel places. You could call it environment-driven I suppose.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Tom: You can find Anomic Bombs here on Amazon and check out my Substack blog here. The blog is very silly. This is a Booklinker link to Anomic Bombs (so wherever you are in the world, it will take you to your own country’s Amazon store).

Book Report Corner

by Zilla Novikov

Amniotic fluid drained from my lungs; as they filled with air, a nameless horror bloomed, and I shrieked.

Abigail Patel didn’t come back wrong.

She was always exactly like this.

My mind began to clear. I was a baby. I’d been born. Something was wrong.

Reincarnation should be a fresh start, a second chance, but Abigail is reborn with all her adult knowledge, cursed to relive childhood, repeat her sins.

Would Faye spare me? Recover herself? Change? I did not believe people changed. My most shameful, my ugliest shortcomings did not feel like choices; they couldn’t be changed like changing a shirt. They were unalterable. To depend on hope that Faye would fix herself in this life, as I never had in the prior one, was to risk too much.

Gyre tells the story of the cycle of abuse, how it perpetuates itself, the way that perpetrator and victim are bound together by the endless loop.

Abigail, ashamed, overwhelmed by self-loathing, doesn’t believe escape is possible.

Gyre is a complicated, fascinating read that troubles you long after you finish reading. Recommended reading for a dark January night.

Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Cherry-Rose: Blood & Wishes is a fairy-tale that exists at the boundary of reality and fantasy, and a book that I unabashedly loved. We’re lucky enough to have Jeff Wiederkehr with us to tell us about his moody, atmospheric novel. Jeff, take it away!

Jeff: Cherry-Rose: Blood & Wishes is a horroresque fairy-tale retelling that turns wishing upon a star into an allegory for when wishes go wrong. Set in modern California, this coming-of-age story is woven with beasts, a Blue Fairy, and an unexpected romance all set against the backdrop of classic fairy tale horror.

Cherry-Rose finds herself reborn into a world that seems too good to be true, because it is exactly that. Too quickly her loving sisters vanish and the dark secret behind her mother’s magic is revealed. In time she breaks free from the isolation of the forest and her mother’s spell in the hope of finding her sisters. However, on the other side of the forest, she seems to have found more trouble than she had at home.

On the journey to find her sisters, Cherry-Rose is pursued by a gang peddling a drug called pixie-dust, she finds help in the form of a beastly mentor, and she is presented with the prospect of love in a world that just might be more dangerous than the forest filled with all of its chasing wolves.

Zilla : The theme of the cycle of abuse really spoke to me. Even Sal, who recognises the lure of the cycle, can’t stop himself from repeating it. Is it the animal or the human, the wolf or the mother, bear or father, which compels this cycle?

Jeff: That’s the thing, it is the great universal Mother-Animal-Man which is compelled by the Hunger. Mother, because it is the omnipresent. Animal, because it is hungry and it must eat. And the human, to ensure that the cycle is unbreakable.

Zilla : Everyone in this book has something they need to escape, whether it is in their past or present. Sometimes they run, sometimes they turn to the Blue Fairy, and sometimes they turn to blue pixie dust. How intertwined are these three options?

Jeff: These options, like the cycle of abuse, are inescapable, we have fight or flight, drugs and dreams, and … or death. Here we have the desire to escape, the desire for something other than our station, and we have methods of distraction (pixie-dust) and hope for something greater than ourselves (the moon, the stars, the Blue Fairy).

Zilla : There are many births in this book, but every birth comes with a death. Is the reverse true? Or is there death without birth?

Jeff: The silly answer, the quip of an answer, and the real answer are all the same: yes (to all).

Zilla : Many of the characters carry double names: Marybelle/Mother, Just John/Brother John, lost/Gideon, Sky Blue/Shy Blue. Often in stories, a character with two names chooses the second name for themselves, as a sign of agency. Here, both names are gifted to them by others, or represent their relationship to others. Is it possible for a person to define themselves?

Jeff: Possible? I could make an argument, that no one could do it without help. Foucault would say, we cannot be who we are until we see ourselves reflected back from another. Think about it, who would we be if we lived alone on the moon? All of our insecurities, our issues with our own bodies, the fight between who we want to be and who we think we should be … it wouldn’t exist. For me, I’d say that others are signposts, not intentionally guiding, but unconsciously showing us the ground we are standing upon. Cherry-Rose had to go through a lot to accept the truth that we all know and rarely accept and look where she ended up ~ you have to read the book to find out.

Zilla : You mix together the real and the unreal–Hollywood and William Hale Academy for Children of All Sorts, wine and pixie dust. What is the line between reality and fairytale? Is there a line?

Jeff: This is the fun of writing fiction. I wrote and wrote as if I were on the moon and then when I came back down to earth too soon, often I was shocked by what I read. Whenever that happened I’d stop writing until I could get back to the moon. At every turn, whenever I got insecure and wanted to tell myself that I had gone too far, that there is no way … I somehow found a way to go further. And in the end, when I had to write ‘The End,’ I was pleasantly surprised by how shocked I was. For example, the chapter titled Moon Love Ritual … it is bizarre and beyond and I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to spoil the fun. The intention was to blur all of the lines. To say, “Why not?, Why the hell not?!, Hell yes!” Because we, the reader and the writer, decide where all the lines go.

Zilla : And last but not least, I know there’s a Spotify playlist—can we have it?

Jeff: It is called Honey and Gold. You can find it here.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Jeff: Find me and the book at my website.

Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Danger and romance are hand-in-hand with Frankie Sutton’s paranormal romance, Vampiric Crush . Frankie, can you introduce us to your book?

Frankie: Shae Taizer hides in the protective Royale Realm, away from the reach of Gerard, the infamously manipulative Vampire King. She seeks a way to rid herself of the vampire’s crush on her, denying him an ally in his crushing quest for pleasure. She would rather die than become his Vampire Queen.

Her only plan is visiting the deadly Battle Realm. There, she hones her weapon and magic skills as a Deviant.

But after recalling a childhood of being raised among Civilians, she is gifted her own Pandora’s Box. She discovers a prophecy bonding her to two Civilians, Nickolas and Kiran. One is the key to defeating Gerard. However, reuniting with them ignites something more sinister—her own Vampiric Crush.

Zilla : What inspired you to write this book?

Frankie: Vampires such as Selene from the Underworld series and Saya from the Blood+ anime. And my love of swords, as well as Japan.

Zilla : Is there a visual image that inspired you?

Frankie: Oh yes. Back around 2000 I was part of a select group of Hollywood entertainers. Not mainstream, however. But they were professional tap dancers, singers, and actors. One of them was a female singer. She had a photoshoot and one of the pictures was her posing with a sword. I used that image as personal inspiration for my main character in Vampiric Crush.

Zilla : And that image inspiration made it to the cover, which is also a picture of a woman with a sword! I love that. Next question—if your characters met you, what would they say to you?

Frankie: I reckon they’d say, “Thank you for listening to us and sharing our story.”

Zilla : What background did you need to develop your story?

Frankie: When creating the prophecy for my ‘chosen one’, I discovered where exactly to set the story. Normally, the color blue isn’t associated with Halloween, but it fits for my story.

Zilla : What’s your next writing project?

Frankie: There’s actually two. One is a women’s fic inspired by my love of techno music and Celine Dion. The other one is an experimental dark fantasy—a short story collection that actually tells one whole story. It’s all connected!

Zilla : Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Frankie: Thanks everyone for taking the time to read about me and my creations. For more information about me, please visit BlueSky, Instagram, or my website. Vampiric Crush is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Walmart, Kobo, Bookshop.org or Books-a-Million.

Wrong Genre Covers

American Psycho as a political campaign book was suggested by Dale Stromberg. Have a funny idea for a Wrong Genre Cover? Email us at nightbeatseu@gmail.com, and if Rachel likes your suggestion, she’ll make it in a future issue. Or @ us on basically any of the socials.

Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Something about the world today just feels right for reading dystopias…and here’s April McCloud with a great one! April, can you introduce us to your novel, Switch ? 

April: A hundred years in the future, Complete Life Management is selling perfection in the form of the latest technologically enhanced bionic body, the Apogee. As an elite runner and inadvertent spokesperson for humanism, NYPD Detective Naomi Gate has eschewed vanity upgrades. However, if she hopes to survive in New York City’s fierce criminal Underground and find her wayward brother, she has no choice but to undergo an illegal body transfer. 

Plunging into the Underground’s den of black-market body modifications and bionic hit squads, it turns out to be the first of several body transfers. And as the stakes rise, Naomi fears the price for saving her brother may be the thing she values most—her own humanity.

Zilla : What inspired you to write this book?

April: The Switch is a work that focuses on embodiment, and what it can mean for a variety of marginalities (with special focus on trans people and disabled humans). Two ways in which I have personally learned to be more inside of my own body is through martial arts and zen meditation. The focus on our inner world coupled with tying that to our physical body, was a concrete way to explore the theme of what it means to be human in a world of advancing technologies.

Zilla : Do you have a playlist for your book?

April: I find music inspirational and for The Switch, I have different songs for the various energies of the novel. There’s Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels by Todrick Hall for the glorious gender-bending and chaotic pansexual vibe. On My Way by Alan Walker, Sabrina Carpenter, and Farruko, leans into the emotional heart of how hard it is to be a warrior. And Light ‘Em Up by Fall Out Boy for the sheer explosive fun of kicking butt and blowing stuff up.

Zilla : If you could meet your characters, what would the conversation look like?

April: I think if I explained to them that I was their author, they might just arrest me for violating the Geneva Convention’s rules against cruel and unusual punishment. Otherwise, though, I’d try to distract them with talk of running and weapons, as well as introduce them to my cat. If I could have any one thing though, I would want my character Inari to meet my cat who inspired her, also of the same name. It’s possible if they teamed up that they would take over the world, but there are some things that just can’t be helped.

Zilla : How much research did you need to do for your book?

April: I had a lot of fun researching the current state of bionics. There’s incredible work being done with jaw-dropping results. My favorite spokesperson for bionics and physical disabilities is Tilly Lockey, who can often be seen showcasing her Hero Arms from Open Bionics. Odes to Tilly’s personal journey can be seen in my work, especially how unfair the health care system can be.

Zilla : What’s your next writing project?

April:I’m working on an adult romantasy, lovers-to-enemies novel that looks at the thin line between good and evil, and what drives us to both.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
April: The print book and ebook are available from Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/msz7pn62. You can find me at my website (www.aprilmccloud.com) on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50156312.April_McCloud) or on Twitter/Instagram (@mccloudwrites).

Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Sometimes we want to cuddle up with a cozy book in the dark of winter, and E. M. Anderson has just the thing! They’re here to tell us about their paranormal mystery, The Keeper of Lonely Spirits .

E.M.: The Keeper of Lonely Spirits is a queer cozy fantasy in which an old man cursed with immortality hunts ghosts rather than making mortal friends who will die one day. When the residents of an Ohio town beset by a vengeful spirit adopt him as their own, he must decide: leave to protect his heart, or stay to save their lives?

Zilla : What inspired you to write this book?

E.M.: There’s a soft old man character in my debut, The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher. While he’s a more minor character, he’s also one of my favorites. I really wanted to write a book about a soft old man, and then when my nesting partner drove us past a cemetery one day, I had a vision of a soft old man working the grounds. That was the initial inspiration for The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, although the main character is also inspired by my maternal grandfather in many ways.

Zilla : That’s very sweet—and shows that you’re a character-centered writer. If your characters met you, what would they say to you?

E.M.: I’m pretty sure my characters would mostly go, “DEAR GOD WHY” if they met me! Peter, the main character of The Keeper of Lonely Spirits, has even more reason to react to me that way than most of them do, between the immortality, the unsettling relationship with ghosts, and the sheer number of people he’s lost, but maybe he’d refuse to speak to me at all. Which is too bad, because I’d really like him to be my grandpa.

Zilla : Oh dear! Who is your favourite character you’ve written, and why?

E.M.: I love all my characters, but Edna Fisher—the titular character from The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher—is a massive comfort character. She’s the quintessential grandma, she’s cheerful, she’s always there for anyone who needs her, and she aggressively adopts every young person who walks into her life. No problem is too much for her, even if she has to sit and feel things about it for a while before tackling it. And even though she isn’t cursed with immortality, in my head she’ll live forever.

Zilla : What’s your next writing project?

E.M.: Currently, I’m partway through a second draft of a queer cozy mystery starring a grumpy old lightkeeper. I’m also revising another queer cozy fantasy for my publisher, MIRA; hopefully it’ll be cozy, anyway—it’s getting a tad dark. But the main character adores romance novels, so the book has sort of turned into a 1980s bodice-ripper thinly disguised as a fantasy novel.

Zilla : Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

E.M.: My website is elizmanderson.com, and I’m also elizmanderson on Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook (as well as a couple other platforms where I’m less active). Here are BookShop links to The Keeper of Lonely Spirits and The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, but a more complete list of retailers is available at my linktree (linktr.ee/elizmanderson).

Book Report Corner

by Dale Stromberg

Many of the pieces in yves.’s short fiction collection Something’s Not Right (2023, tRaum Books) could qualify as what Diana Callahan has called : stories which “place the fantastic alongside the mundane” within “a world very much like our own, except one thing is slightly… off.” yves.’s stories are brief, sometimes radically brief, and they deposit you directly into scenarios where the magical blends in to the humdrum, leaving you (just a few paragraphs later) imbued with a mood of unease, or sombreness, or amusement, or half-smiling hope.

yves. is gently playful with the genre conventions they toy with: horror, fantasy, the occult. We encounter fae folk, goblins, augurs, vampires, witches and the like. Sometimes these brushes against magic disquiet the reader (as magic should); other times the magic is part of the ordinary, and the emotion and charm of the work emerges in how it humanises the extramundane by pairing it with the struggle to make ends meet, the helplessness to resist our drab modern systems, or the tongue-stuck-to-roof-of-mouth hopeful anxiety of seeking to leap the gap so as to know and be known by another person.

Read the full review here.

Wrong Genre Covers

A Song of Ice and Fire as a hymn book was suggested by Zilla. Have a funny idea for a Wrong Genre Cover? Email us at nightbeatseu@gmail.com, and if Rachel likes your suggestion, she’ll make it in a future issue. Or @ us on basically any of the socials.