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Frankenstein by mary shelley

Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus— The original Frankenstein story, written in 1818. Shelley started writing this when she was only 18, publishing it at 20. It’s a great, beautifully written horror story, and maybe the first novel ever in the sci-fi genre. It covered so much more ground than I was expecting it to. Other books I’d call spooky: The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf: A spooky Swiss/German folktale novella about a haunted medieval village. It’s also old (1842) but you wouldn’t really know. I rec’ed House of Leaves a little while ago, which is another, more contemporary and post-modern, horror story. I wouldn’t call Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy primarily a scary story, but it’s amazing and the final chapter is the most chilling passage of any book I’ve ever read.

@slowdazzle

Sep 27, 2024

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when things get dark

My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic. Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machado’s The Husband Stitch continued Carter’s legacy I’m a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialist’s hat or Skinder’s Veil Shirley Jackson‘s The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection “When Things Get Dark”, a collection inspired by the tone of Jackson’s work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.

@mouse

May 22, 2024

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Weird creepy magical stories

I’ve loved a good weird, creepy, and/or magical story ever since I first read The Bloody Chamber. Here’s a few I recommend: Stranger things happen - Kelly link white cat, black dog - Kelly Link her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Angela Carter the Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana Enríquez When Things get dark - Edited by Ellen Datlow The Frangipani Hotel - Violet Kupersmith

@mouse

Feb 20, 2024

Top Recs from @taterhole

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Never changing

My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebody—be it a relative or one of my best friends—was to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too 💌

@taterhole

Feb 23, 2025

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SURFING THE TIDES OF THE EVERYONE TAB

I am a woman of the people

@taterhole

May 28, 2025

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Rejecting the Commodification of the Self

I’ve been thinking about how much of social media is centered around curating our self-image. When selfies first became popular, they were dismissed as vain and vapid—a critique often rooted in misogyny—but now, the way we craft our online selves feels more like creating monuments. We try to signal our individuality, hoping to be seen and understood, but ironically, I think this widens the gap between how others perceive us and who we really are. Instead of fostering connection, it can invite projection and misinterpretation—preconceived notions, prefab labels, and stereotypes. Worse, individuality has become branded and commodified, reducing our identities to products for others to consume. On most platforms, validation often comes from how well you can curate and present your image—selfies, aesthetic branding, and lifestyle content tend to dominate. High engagement is tied to visibility, not necessarily depth or substance. But I think spaces like PI.FYI show that there’s another way: where connection is built on shared ideas, tastes, and interests rather than surface-level content. It’s refreshing to be part of a community that values thoughts over optics. By sharing so few images of myself, I’ve found that it gives others room to focus on my ideas and voice. When I do share an image, it feels intentional—something that contributes to the story I want to tell rather than defining it. Sharing less allows me to express who I am beyond appearance. For women, especially, sharing less can be a radical act in a world where the default is to objectify ourselves. It resists the pressure to center appearance, focusing instead on what truly matters: our thoughts, voices, and authenticity. I’ve posted a handful of pictures of myself in 2,500 posts because I care more about showing who I am than how I look. In trying to be seen, are we making it harder for others to truly know us? It’s a question worth considering.

@taterhole

Dec 27, 2024