THE READING ROOM
Notes from
other worlds.
Book recommendations, mythology, science fiction, favorite tropes, and occasional dispatches from behind the stories.
FEATURED READING
Found Family in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Why the Crew You Choose Hits Harder Than Blood
Sci Fi · Tropes & Worldbuilding · Uncategorized
Found Family in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There’s a moment in almost every great sci-fi or fantasy story where it happens. The ragtag group of misfits (the ones who […]
LATEST FROM MSK
Keep exploring.
Choose a doorway: deep water, distant planets, beloved tropes, or the stories behind the stories.
Tropes & Worldbuilding
Beyond Kings and Queens: Exciting Opportunities in Worldbuilding
I get it, we all love a good monarchy. There is something so primally satisfying about a story centered on […]
Tropes & Worldbuilding
Folklore’s Shadow: How Modern Fantasy Reshapes Our Fear
Folklore has always given us monsters that reflect what scares us most. Spirits, demons, shapeshifters, and creatures lurking at the […]
Fantasy Deep Dives
Sounds Like Magic: Scoring Fantasy Worlds in Fiction
Okay, here’s a weird but persistent question that’s been living in my brain lately:What do fantasy worlds sound like? Not […]
Fantasy Deep Dives
Oceanic Infrastructure and Floating Fantasies: Could I Actually Write High Fantasy?
So here’s what’s been circling in my head lately: coastal cities in fantasy. Not just pirate hideouts or storm-battered ports, […]
Fantasy Deep Dives · Uncategorized
The Unsung Heroes of YA Fantasy: Why I’m Obsessed with Background Characters
Lately I’ve been thinking about the quiet ones. Not the brooding heroes or the villains with tragic pasts. I mean […]
Fantasy Deep Dives · Uncategorized
YA Fantasy Meets Real-World Ritual: Finding Magic in the Familiar
Lately I’ve been thinking about rituals. Not the spell-slinging, tower-shaking, lightning-crack-across-the-sky kind. I still love those, obviously. But I’ve been […]
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M.S. KAMINSKY
OTHER WORLDS. STORIES THAT STAY.
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