Rynling R&D

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I think I can achieve the first four on my own; but, for the fifth, self-publishing really isn't going to cut it. Unfortunately, that’s not up to me, so it’s definitely worth focusing on what I can do without the approval of gatekeepers.

The art and animation are extremely impressive!!

Unfortunately, all of the movie’s jokes are in the trailer...

...or in the sections with Star Fox, which are surprisingly well-written.

Mostly it’s just a movie for kids, though. It has all the charm and creativity of the first movie, but it leans into speaking to a target demographic of 5-8yo children. The theater in West Philly where we went to see it was filled with little kids, and they really seemed to love it.

I liked it okay, I guess. There’s definitely enough Bowser/Luigi material to work with!

Return to Grace (on Steam here) is an atmospheric sci-fi walking sim that takes about an hour and a half to finish.

You play as Adie, a space archaeologist who’s searching for a legendary AI named Grace on the Ganymede moon of Jupiter. Inside the immaculately preserved ruins of a structure built to worship Grace, Adie encounters various aspects of Grace’s personality, who communicate with her through her digital wristband. As she explores the beautifully appointed space station, Adie searches for the answer to a mystery that’s gone unsolved for more than a hundred years: why did Grace suddenly disappear?

The game’s story is well-paced and engaging, and the voice acting is excellent. Return to Grace also showcases one of the most visually striking examples of retro futurism I’ve encountered. The references to everyday 1960s architecture and interior design fit the world and its themes perfectly, as do the more elevated hints of Art Deco.

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In the end, Return to Grace is a short but thought-provoking narrative adventure filled with uniquely stylized artistic flourishes, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of What Remains of Edith Finch and Outer Wilds.

Take It from Me: An Agent’s Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734107/take-it-from-me-by-alia-hanna-habib/

This book is an approachable and interesting read, but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. There’s no secret sauce, unfortunately. I think a lot of this translates to fiction writing as well. But essentially, this is how you get an agent:

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Basically, though, it all boils down to “platform.” In other words, the agent has to know who you are beforehand. So good luck with that.

I thought about this while taking a nice walk outside, and the conclusion I came to is:

People enjoy simple but tasty little snacks.

In terms of what becomes popular, I'm firmly of the opinion that numbers aren't something you can control. Reception has nothing to do with quality or community, but rather being the right person at the right place at the right time. (Although writing smut about m/m ships in popular fandoms helps.)

Also, mainly from futzing around on Tumblr, I get the sense that a lot of people are suffering from lowkey insomnia these days (I wonder why!!!!) and "turn your brain off" fantasies seem to be in demand and very much appreciated.

In any case, I actually enjoy writing tasty little snacks. I should write more of them. 🍹

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I’m slowly clawing my way out of a horrible pit, but I’m starting to feel the sunlight on my face. Here’s to brighter days and warmer weather ahead. Eid Mubarak! 🌿

Moonlit Waters
https://nocmar.bandcamp.com/album/moonlit-waters

This is very chill and ambient dungeon synth that's largely unremarkable save for how relaxing it is. Still, I will always prefer human-made lofi dungeon beats over the madness-inducing AI slop that has infested YouTube.

My favorite track is "7. Ancient Birchwood."

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It’s been a rough two weeks. Due to current events, everything feels bleak and hopeless at the moment. Much love to everyone out there making art, despite everything. Despite everything. Despite everything!!

This is what made me happy last month (better late than never):

With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun (on Crunchyroll here) is a 24-episode anime from 2020 in which every episode is exactly one minute long. The anime is exactly what it says on the label, which is a cute slice-of-life comedy about pets. It’s a great way to turn off your brain and relax.

Paranoia Agent (on Crunchyroll here) is a twelve-episode anime produced by the legendary Satoshi Kon. It originally aired in 2004, and it’s got an edgy obsession with urban psychological horror that was popular at the time. The quality of the episodes is somewhat uneven, and there are aspects of the writing that come off as slightly silly here in 2026, but I still consider it a miracle that this anime exists. And the opening theme song is super catchy.

Yokohama Station SF (on Amazon here) is a three-volume seinen manga about a postapocalyptic future in which a train station has expanded to cover the entirety of Japan’s main island. The uncanny architecture and liminal spaces are fantastic, and I also love the worldbuilding and character stories.

The Historian (on Amazon here) is a 700-page monster of a gothic novel originally published in 2005, and it’s about three generations of an academic lineage traveling through Europe in order to hunt down Dracula. This is the third time I’ve read this book, and every page still feels like a masterpiece.

How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed (on Amazon here) is a short essay collection from 1993 about the author’s career as a journalist in Yugoslavia. A lot of what The Historian is actually about is Communism in Eastern Europe (particularly Hungary and Bulgaria), and reading the novel made me nostalgic for Slavenka Drakulić (the journalist)’s writing, which is in fact as entertaining as I remember.