Culture Consumption: June 2026

Books

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poetry collection, Night Owl feels like an object of grace. Separated into phases of the night, these poems reflect on the beauty of dark, quiet moments, reflections on the natural world, and the joy of human connection as beings interwoven with the world. Her writing is lush, but accessible, drawing the reader into the author’s emotional landscapes.

Books Finished This Month:

1. Night Owl by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Total Books for the Year: 17

Still in Progress:

Evil in Me by Brom; The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand, edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene; and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

Short Stories & Poetry

A selection of works I recently read in journals and online publications, with a few lines from the text shared here.

Science Fiction: “We, the Fleet” by Alex T. Singer (Clarkesworld):

Poetry: “In Hell" by Shannan Mann:

Poetry: “To the Sea” by Anis Mojgani (Poem-a-Day):

Web Comic: "Diablo Immortal: Sin Eater," written by Benjamin Wagner, with art by Christopher Mitten (Blizzard)

Movies

I’ve been following the backrooms across the internet for some years now, first via video games inspired by Kane Parsons’ series of short films and then finally working through the series of shorts themselves. Each short film is a tiny fragment, exploring these strange liminal spaces, spaces where the unsuspecting find themselves lost and corporations seek to monetize the impossible.

So, when I learned that Parsons was directing the Backrooms feature film for A24, I was immediately excited — and I quite enjoyed it. The main character stories are the least interesting part of this movie (despite fantastic performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve), but what it lacks in character development the movie makes up for in atmosphere. The strange, endless rooms of dingy yellow walls and dirty carpet are evocative and eerie, and I loved just watching people wander through these spaces, discovering one unsettling thing after another.

New-to-Me Movies Watched Last Month:

1. Backrooms (2026)

2. Hot Fuzz (2007)

3. A Cursed Man (2024)

Television

In Pluribus, Earth is taken over by a kind of alien hive mind, a shared consciousness that remakes humanity. Except there are a few people who seem to be immune, including Carol (Rhea Seehorn). The first episode, in which Carol witnesses the world’s collapse over little more than an hour and looses her wife in the same moment is both devastating and horrifying. And the show only gets more interesting from there, exploring what it means to be human, the nature of consent, and the ability to find compassion even when another’s existence is vastly different from yours.

I finished Widow’s Bay, and it was an incredibly powerful ending to the season. So much is revealed about these characters, about the island, and about the evil that lurks there — and yet so much remains a mystery. The way this show manages to balance satire with true horror, while holding true to its emotional core, is truly masterful.

Both Widow’s Bay and Pluribus are on AppleTV, which is becoming my favorite streaming service. So far, the streamer seems to have a clear voice, offering a range of interesting shows with unique perspectives. It also isn’t afraid of being quirky or strange, reaching for the unique to appease specific audiences, rather than striving to achieve some kind of bland, universal appeal.

Games

Tell Me Why (Dontnod Entertainment) is a narrative adventure game about two twins separated from each other after one of them kills their mother in self defense. Reunited as adults, they return to their family home to clean it out and try to understand why their mother suddenly attacked them. Using the Voice (the ability to share their thoughts), the twins are able to delve into the past, replaying their shares memories (which sometimes differ, depending on their individual perspective).

On the whole, I enjoyed Tell Me Why. I liked the exploration of memories and the way they allowed for the exploration of intense, personal moments between the characters. Though, it would have been interesting to see this mechanic explored more in the game. Certain elements of the storyline and some of the choices the characters make didn’t quite resonate with me, but I still got swept up in the story and enjoyed uncovering the past with these characters.

As a side note, the game is set in Alaska, where I spent part of my elementary school years and where I spent almost every summer following our move to California. I love the state, and seeing the beautiful mountains and lakes and pine trees filled me with joyful nostalgia.

I started playing God of War: Ragnarok (Santa Monica Studio), which picks up some years after the events of the previous game. Kratos and Atreus are in hiding from Freya and the other Norse gods, who have taken issue with the father’s and son’s actions — with Freya viciously attacking Kratos in the name of avenging her son.

Atreus is older, a young teenager now, and his powers are growing — sometimes in ways that he cannot control. He’s also desperate to learn more about who he is, why the Giants called him Loki, and what that means for himself and the world. Kratos, ever the protective father, is reluctant to allow this, but eventually concedes when he realizes that understanding the truth may be the only thing that can protect them.

I’m looking forward to returning to the world of Midgard, interacting (and fighting) more ancient gods, like Thor and Odin, and discovering how Kratos will grow his strength to fight even more powerful gods and monsters.

I replayed Unpacking (Witch Beam), looking for a comfy experience. The game is a casual puzzle game, in which the player unpacks boxes and places Sadie’s belongings in their right place each time she moves to a new home. We see her move into a college dorm, a first apartment with a roommate, and through various relationships. It’s a lovely little experience that can be completed over just a few hours — and it was just as satisfying playing it the second time around.

finity. (seabaa) is a simple puzzle game, involving matching colors to remove lines. Different modes provide various challenge modes and difficulties. The way tiles click into place is so satisfying. It’s a great iPhone game (available on Apple Arcade), if you want something that will allow you to idly pass the time.

Browser Games

I played several excellent browser games this month:

• "The Enemies Can't Hurt You" by SlimeWitch is a game poem that inverts the typical roguelike gameplay. As you move around a small grid, the monsters attack, but there’s no way to fend them off — and anyway, they can’t hurt you. It’s a lovely little introspective experience.

• "earthworm" by Yifan is a beautiful autobiographical that uses the simple gameplay to explore the ways memory can haunt us.

• "Glimby" by thecatamites is a funny interactive animal game. Glimby is a tiny character in a tiny room, and you can get to know him by clicking on objects in the room and discovering more about his world.

• “Late for Work” by Sunfarer is a beautifully evocative. The player wanders down an endless crowded walkway full of people with blurred faces. Every once in a while, the player is stopped by someone in the crowd, asking for help. I don’t want to say to much because I think you should play it, but I love the way it explores how our humanity can often overtake our humanity.

Demos from Steam Next Fest

I also played a number of demos from the Summer Steam Next Fest, which highlights forthcoming games being released on Steam.

Silver Pines (Wych Elm) is a survival horror about a detective searching for a missing musician in a strange town. As you progress, looking for keys to unlock doors and other puzzle items, you encounter strange, gnarled creatures that will violently attack you. Loved the style, gameplay, and story so far. Definitely going to play this one when it comes out. Comes out October 8, 2026.

Boreal Tenebrae Act 0: Sundowning (Snot Bubbles Productions) is a dark narrative adventure about two sisters in a small town full of mysteries. Gameplay involves exploring the town, solving puzzles, and unraveling dark mysteries. You swap between characters (even a cat!) to explore and solve the puzzles. Comes out on July 30, 2026, and its a prequel to Act I of the game (released in 2020) that I'm also planning to check out.

After the Wane (Nova-box) is a visual novel about a ballerina who joins a studio with deep magical secrets. The impressionistic-style animations are just stunning, and I'll be playing it for that alone — but the story is also compelling. Release date to be announced.

Imagine We Were Human (Vine Moss Games) - Imagine We Were Human features 12 mini games about humans making connections. Each game features its own gameplay and visual style intended to evoke a specific human experience. I particularly liked "Liminal Connection," in which two strangers passing each other in the hallway each day feel a sense of silent electricity. Release date to be announced.

Virtue and a Sledgehammer (Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour) is an action game about a woman contending with the actions of her sister, which she deems morally despicable. The player takes their sledgehammer and slams through the world, busting through walls, crushing computers, and dismantling robots. Comes out in 2026.

Technically, I didn’t really get to play much of this one (just a minute or two), because my janky Mac + Emulator setup would not allow me to do so. But everything about this game is my kind of thing, so I'm hoping I'll be able to play it some day.

Feed It (Games On A Chair) is a horror adventure game about having to feed the monster you live with. You can either feed the monster or feed yourself, each choice having its own consequences to the story. Inspired by Mouthwashing (one of my favorite games from last year), the game has a gritty, grainy style, and I'm curious to see more. Comes out August 17, 2026.

That's it for me! What are you reading? Watching? Loving right now?

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