Snailey > Recent Status Updates

Belsen Express (1975) Fritz Leiber
Glad to see that the desire to see racists who feign apathy to human suffering suffer in the manner of those same people hasn’t changed since the 70s.

Smoke Ghost (1942) Fritz Leiber
I imagine people in the 40s felt the same way reading this as I feel when someone mentions an iPhone or TikTok in modern fiction. The themes are relevant now as they were then.

The October Game (1948) Ray Bradbury
Can you imagine having a husband?
Not one unnecessary word. Love this one.

Jerusalem’s Lot (1978) Stephen King
Surprisingly not about vampires like Salem’s Lot.
I’ll give him this one, the climax is very cool. I am always a fan of the found manuscript trope, especially when the end isn’t annoyingly artsy and vague.

Also so far both these stories have been horror which I did not expect.

The Whimper of Whipped Dogs (1973) by my problematic fave, notorious piece of shit Harlan Ellison. I love a Kitty Genovese inspired story even though the whole thing was made up and the bystander effect is a myth. Extra distressing to read on a crowded subway. 10/10.

Note to self, find out of Ray from Girls was named after Ray from this story bc that would make a lot of sense.

Conquest of Gola (1931) by Leslie F Stone. Love the grotesque description of the human body. We really are disgusting and badly designed.

The Star Stealers (1929) by Edmond Hamilton. Better story than at least 3 of the original Star Trek movies. One of my favourite alien race conceptualizations in a short sci fi.

The Comet- W. E. B Du Bois
Relevant and frustrating, one of the best speculative short stories ever written, and particularly emotionally moving for its length.

The Doom of Principal City- Yefim Zozulya
“Uprising is a savage matter. A pointless one too… We want to have your old, beautiful culture in the cellar so to speak, and to age it like wine.”

This book needs a different cover so bad. I skipped over it in a store so many times thinking it was booktok slop.

Mechanopolis- Miguel de Unamuno
I like to think that this is the story that inspired, also the universe in which Disney’s Cars takes place.

Elements of Pataphysics- Alfred Jarry
Sweaty nerd poking fun at a different flavour of sweaty nerds in 1893 makes the sweaty nerds in 2025 argue online about whether or not the story is sci-fi.

The New Overworld- Paul Scheerbart
Utopian fiction that reads like history with no character development is valuable and interesting idc.

I just want to talk to everyone who said the shifting perspective in this book was annoying.

The Triumph of Mechanics- Karl Hans Strobl
Nazi author jumpscare

Sultana’s Dream- Begum Rokeya
I love misandry <3
Also casually depicting solar panels and helicopters in 1905??

The Star- H. G Wells.
I feel like a kid hearing for the first time that the sun will explode one day.

Currently furious <3

No Sandersonian boring opening, picking up right where we left off, excellent

Having trouble caring about Jodahs as much as Lilith or Akin. Since this is the last in the trilogy I hope she wraps up on a broader note.

Where does she keep getting new clothes to take off??