All in all, January was a pretty good month for the Apparition Lit editors. We launched our inaugural issue (which you can find more info about here), uploaded the fantastic stories and poetry, and had many wonderful submissions for our first Flash Fiction contest! Our Managing Editor Tacoma even completed a residency week for her MFA (read about it!) and got to shine like the shiny diamond she is.
In between the revolving doors of airports, flu, and jobs, we found some amazing works this month that we want to share with you. One of the most interesting things about being a writer is that inspiration can come from anywhere, which is why you need to round out your interests. You’ve got to learn, to read, and to research. And you’ve got to be excited about it.
This is what excited us:
Rebecca
Videogame: Although it’s two years old, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend Firewatch. When it first came out, Firewatch caught a lot of attention because of its beautiful art style and the mystery at the heart of the story. It also caught a lot of flack because the game was much shorter than people expected and there wasn’t a weird twist like Inside. But I loved Firewatch. I love the unsettling woods, the constant waiting and walking, the feeling that there’s someone watching you play. I think about Firewatch a lot when I’m writing. There’s something satisfying about never getting the story you were expecting. If you’re not a big gamer, or not especially skilled, Firewatch is a great game to start with since it’s click-based.
Tacoma
Book: I’m late to the party with this one, but I finished Turtles All the Way Down by John Green this month, and I absolutely fell in love with Aza. This was my first John Green book but now I understand why he’s such a big name in the Young Adult genre. The emotional depth of Turtles All the Way Down, combined with a point-of-view character I found all too relatable, cinched this as a 5/5 star book for me.
Amy
Science Fiction Short Films: If you’re like me, you ran out of things to binge watch on Netflix/Amazon/Hulu while recovering from the flu. Folks, have I got a treat for you! Dust Films is a collection of unique, well-produced Science Fiction Shorts. So far we’ve watched only a handful on their YouTube channel, but super happy to have such a huge catalog available to dip into between episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and The Good Place (and writing and reading, of course). From the few I’ve watched, I can recommend Glow, The Black Hole, and Ana. Let me know your favorites in the comments!
Clarke
Podcasts: I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately and have some new favorites. Houston We Have a Podcast, launched in 2017, is the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center and features scientists, engineers, and astronauts talking about space exploration, space food, space robots… pretty much all the space things. If you enjoy StarTalk, you’ll probably dig this too. Deadly Manners is a 10-episode murder mystery series in the style of old-timey radio drama. The story takes place at a fancy dinner party in 1954. Murders happen. Chaos ensues. Tensions rise. Accusations fly. Red herrings abound. And all to the smooth narration stylings of LeVar Burton, who is just the best. I also sorta want to be a foley artist now.
