Livia J. Elliot ~ Author & Podcaster
@liviajelliot.com
Literary speculative fiction author, fusing political theory, psychological depth, and philosophical horror. I write for readers who read to solve.
https://liviajelliot.com/links/
https://liviajelliot.com/links/
Flatlands. Sheer speculation on unknown dimensions, and written by none other than a Square. This is an old book, published in 1884, and it does not fit neatly into modern-day publishing categories.
It is also a social critique of Victorian Society (1/3)
It is also a social critique of Victorian Society (1/3)
November 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Flatlands. Sheer speculation on unknown dimensions, and written by none other than a Square. This is an old book, published in 1884, and it does not fit neatly into modern-day publishing categories.
It is also a social critique of Victorian Society (1/3)
It is also a social critique of Victorian Society (1/3)
Part of that speculation involved giving these nearly omnipotent beings a leader who is even more unknowable to them—The Rector.
Their intentions form the largest arc of the entire series.
But that's a secret for later 😉 (6/6)
Their intentions form the largest arc of the entire series.
But that's a secret for later 😉 (6/6)
November 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Part of that speculation involved giving these nearly omnipotent beings a leader who is even more unknowable to them—The Rector.
Their intentions form the largest arc of the entire series.
But that's a secret for later 😉 (6/6)
Their intentions form the largest arc of the entire series.
But that's a secret for later 😉 (6/6)
The other Orders study different sciences: physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering. Each Order applies its discipline through a posthuman lens—and each has its own name in the text. (4/6)
November 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The other Orders study different sciences: physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering. Each Order applies its discipline through a posthuman lens—and each has its own name in the text. (4/6)
The alchemists in my series, Records of The Orders, diverge from traditional eldritch portrayals.
They are not reckless forces or ancient tentacled horrors, and they weren't born before humanity.
So what are they? A thread👇🏻 (1/6)
They are not reckless forces or ancient tentacled horrors, and they weren't born before humanity.
So what are they? A thread👇🏻 (1/6)
November 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The alchemists in my series, Records of The Orders, diverge from traditional eldritch portrayals.
They are not reckless forces or ancient tentacled horrors, and they weren't born before humanity.
So what are they? A thread👇🏻 (1/6)
They are not reckless forces or ancient tentacled horrors, and they weren't born before humanity.
So what are they? A thread👇🏻 (1/6)
Today on the Substack, I break down how Borges deployed these "destabilising adjectives," and how writers can use them to shift tone with surgical precision.
Full essay here ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/liviajel... (4/4)
Full essay here ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/liviajel... (4/4)
November 26, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Today on the Substack, I break down how Borges deployed these "destabilising adjectives," and how writers can use them to shift tone with surgical precision.
Full essay here ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/liviajel... (4/4)
Full essay here ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/liviajel... (4/4)
Borges could change the entire mood of a scene with *one* adjective.
Not a dramatic one, but an unexpected one.
➡️"The *unanimous* night."
➡️"An evening that was *near, yet infinite*."
➡️"A mirror that *troubled* a hallway."
Why do these work? A thread 👇🏻 (1/4)
Not a dramatic one, but an unexpected one.
➡️"The *unanimous* night."
➡️"An evening that was *near, yet infinite*."
➡️"A mirror that *troubled* a hallway."
Why do these work? A thread 👇🏻 (1/4)
November 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Borges could change the entire mood of a scene with *one* adjective.
Not a dramatic one, but an unexpected one.
➡️"The *unanimous* night."
➡️"An evening that was *near, yet infinite*."
➡️"A mirror that *troubled* a hallway."
Why do these work? A thread 👇🏻 (1/4)
Not a dramatic one, but an unexpected one.
➡️"The *unanimous* night."
➡️"An evening that was *near, yet infinite*."
➡️"A mirror that *troubled* a hallway."
Why do these work? A thread 👇🏻 (1/4)
THE OMENS OF WAR
A story shaped by ideas.
Political theory, psychological depth, minds in conflict.
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy
A story shaped by ideas.
Political theory, psychological depth, minds in conflict.
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy
November 23, 2025 at 6:45 PM
THE OMENS OF WAR
A story shaped by ideas.
Political theory, psychological depth, minds in conflict.
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy
A story shaped by ideas.
Political theory, psychological depth, minds in conflict.
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy
The Roman-esque setting of The Omens of War, held in a tense Nash equilibrium, allowed me to explore how fear, honour, and interest collide—and how they can also function as forms of deterrence.
But that part deserves its own thread. (6/6)
But that part deserves its own thread. (6/6)
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
The Roman-esque setting of The Omens of War, held in a tense Nash equilibrium, allowed me to explore how fear, honour, and interest collide—and how they can also function as forms of deterrence.
But that part deserves its own thread. (6/6)
But that part deserves its own thread. (6/6)
Thucydides—Athenian historian, general, and chronicler of the Peloponnesian War—famously proposed that states go to war for three reasons:
Fear, honour, interest. (2/6)
Fear, honour, interest. (2/6)
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Thucydides—Athenian historian, general, and chronicler of the Peloponnesian War—famously proposed that states go to war for three reasons:
Fear, honour, interest. (2/6)
Fear, honour, interest. (2/6)
I read plenty of non-fiction, especially on comparative politics and the causes of war. Thucydides' analysis of why states choose conflict helped shape the political foundations of The Omens of War.
Let me walk you through it 👇🏻 (1/6)
Let me walk you through it 👇🏻 (1/6)
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I read plenty of non-fiction, especially on comparative politics and the causes of war. Thucydides' analysis of why states choose conflict helped shape the political foundations of The Omens of War.
Let me walk you through it 👇🏻 (1/6)
Let me walk you through it 👇🏻 (1/6)
In today's Substack, I break down how two narrators describe the same space in different ways—one bitter, one analytical—showing how POV reshapes reality.
(Yes, the hallway scene is from my upcoming book, but the craft lesson applies anywhere.)
🔗 Here: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/narrators-...
(Yes, the hallway scene is from my upcoming book, but the craft lesson applies anywhere.)
🔗 Here: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/narrators-...
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
In today's Substack, I break down how two narrators describe the same space in different ways—one bitter, one analytical—showing how POV reshapes reality.
(Yes, the hallway scene is from my upcoming book, but the craft lesson applies anywhere.)
🔗 Here: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/narrators-...
(Yes, the hallway scene is from my upcoming book, but the craft lesson applies anywhere.)
🔗 Here: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/narrators-...
Two characters walk down the same hallway.
The father—the Centurion—sees only the nation's former glory, now defaced.
The son—the strategist—feels the weight of that history on his shoulders.
The hallway hasn't changed, but the storyteller has.
Let's unpack why. 👇🏻 (1/3)
The father—the Centurion—sees only the nation's former glory, now defaced.
The son—the strategist—feels the weight of that history on his shoulders.
The hallway hasn't changed, but the storyteller has.
Let's unpack why. 👇🏻 (1/3)
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Two characters walk down the same hallway.
The father—the Centurion—sees only the nation's former glory, now defaced.
The son—the strategist—feels the weight of that history on his shoulders.
The hallway hasn't changed, but the storyteller has.
Let's unpack why. 👇🏻 (1/3)
The father—the Centurion—sees only the nation's former glory, now defaced.
The son—the strategist—feels the weight of that history on his shoulders.
The hallway hasn't changed, but the storyteller has.
Let's unpack why. 👇🏻 (1/3)
Readers are discovering exactly what this novel is, and what it isn't. 👇🏻
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy #WeirdLit
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy #WeirdLit
November 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Readers are discovering exactly what this novel is, and what it isn't. 👇🏻
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy #WeirdLit
#SpeculativeFiction #WeirdFiction #PhilosophicalFantasy #WeirdLit
I'm grateful to the early readers whose insights helped me articulate the book more clearly. Their feedback highlighted what sits at its core: ideas in conflict, minds under pressure, and a world shaped by competing philosophies. (6/6)
November 15, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I'm grateful to the early readers whose insights helped me articulate the book more clearly. Their feedback highlighted what sits at its core: ideas in conflict, minds under pressure, and a world shaped by competing philosophies. (6/6)
So I've refined how I'm presenting it. Not because the book changed, but because the framing needed to match the kind of story it actually is:
"A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch intellects, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines." (4/6)
"A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch intellects, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines." (4/6)
November 15, 2025 at 11:09 PM
So I've refined how I'm presenting it. Not because the book changed, but because the framing needed to match the kind of story it actually is:
"A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch intellects, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines." (4/6)
"A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch intellects, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines." (4/6)
I've been thinking a lot about how to talk about my upcoming book, THE OMENS OF WAR. It's an unusual story: philosophical, psychological, political, nonlinear—and it took me a while to find language that truly reflects what it is.
Here's what's changing 👇🏻 (1/6)
Here's what's changing 👇🏻 (1/6)
November 15, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I've been thinking a lot about how to talk about my upcoming book, THE OMENS OF WAR. It's an unusual story: philosophical, psychological, political, nonlinear—and it took me a while to find language that truly reflects what it is.
Here's what's changing 👇🏻 (1/6)
Here's what's changing 👇🏻 (1/6)
A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch beings, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines.
⚔️THE OMENS OF WAR: A LITERARY SPECULATIVE FANTASY ⚔️
Coming February 2026! 🔗👇🏻
⚔️THE OMENS OF WAR: A LITERARY SPECULATIVE FANTASY ⚔️
Coming February 2026! 🔗👇🏻
November 15, 2025 at 7:35 AM
A philosophical fantasy of Thucydidean politics, eldritch beings, and psychological horror woven into fractured timelines.
⚔️THE OMENS OF WAR: A LITERARY SPECULATIVE FANTASY ⚔️
Coming February 2026! 🔗👇🏻
⚔️THE OMENS OF WAR: A LITERARY SPECULATIVE FANTASY ⚔️
Coming February 2026! 🔗👇🏻
What happens when the world isn't real and you can't escape?
New podcast episode just dropped. #PhilipKDick #Ubik, and the most asked question ever: What is Ubik?
Listen: youtu.be/B1Of8JYOJ-o
New podcast episode just dropped. #PhilipKDick #Ubik, and the most asked question ever: What is Ubik?
Listen: youtu.be/B1Of8JYOJ-o
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
What happens when the world isn't real and you can't escape?
New podcast episode just dropped. #PhilipKDick #Ubik, and the most asked question ever: What is Ubik?
Listen: youtu.be/B1Of8JYOJ-o
New podcast episode just dropped. #PhilipKDick #Ubik, and the most asked question ever: What is Ubik?
Listen: youtu.be/B1Of8JYOJ-o
📢PREORDERS ARE OPEN! 📢
My cosmic horror fantasy—a world of war, collapse, and impossible horrors—is now available for preorder on Amazon. Check my profile.
Thank you to everyone who's followed this journey from the prequel's release until now 🙌🏻
My cosmic horror fantasy—a world of war, collapse, and impossible horrors—is now available for preorder on Amazon. Check my profile.
Thank you to everyone who's followed this journey from the prequel's release until now 🙌🏻
November 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
📢PREORDERS ARE OPEN! 📢
My cosmic horror fantasy—a world of war, collapse, and impossible horrors—is now available for preorder on Amazon. Check my profile.
Thank you to everyone who's followed this journey from the prequel's release until now 🙌🏻
My cosmic horror fantasy—a world of war, collapse, and impossible horrors—is now available for preorder on Amazon. Check my profile.
Thank you to everyone who's followed this journey from the prequel's release until now 🙌🏻
It is yet another of these days in which I need a mildly impossible-to-get political history book, and am outright shocked by its price.
Why?
Why?
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
It is yet another of these days in which I need a mildly impossible-to-get political history book, and am outright shocked by its price.
Why?
Why?
It feels strange to ask, but this book means everything to me 🙏🏻
DANCE WITH ME is eligible for a nomination for #IndieInkAwards and your vote could help it find its way in. I would be endlessly grateful for your support.
Details in the reply 🙌🏻
DANCE WITH ME is eligible for a nomination for #IndieInkAwards and your vote could help it find its way in. I would be endlessly grateful for your support.
Details in the reply 🙌🏻
November 7, 2025 at 7:15 PM
It feels strange to ask, but this book means everything to me 🙏🏻
DANCE WITH ME is eligible for a nomination for #IndieInkAwards and your vote could help it find its way in. I would be endlessly grateful for your support.
Details in the reply 🙌🏻
DANCE WITH ME is eligible for a nomination for #IndieInkAwards and your vote could help it find its way in. I would be endlessly grateful for your support.
Details in the reply 🙌🏻
The eARC has been unleashed.
To those who waited in the dark: it is yours. Check your emails 👀
Thank you. For your faith, your curiosity, and your courage to enter this world before all others.
To those who waited in the dark: it is yours. Check your emails 👀
Thank you. For your faith, your curiosity, and your courage to enter this world before all others.
November 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The eARC has been unleashed.
To those who waited in the dark: it is yours. Check your emails 👀
Thank you. For your faith, your curiosity, and your courage to enter this world before all others.
To those who waited in the dark: it is yours. Check your emails 👀
Thank you. For your faith, your curiosity, and your courage to enter this world before all others.
Two days, and the doors to The Towers of the Orders of Alchemists will open. The eARC will be unleashed. The omens of war are near.
This is the last call. Sign up for the eARC! 🔗👇🏻
This is the last call. Sign up for the eARC! 🔗👇🏻
November 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Two days, and the doors to The Towers of the Orders of Alchemists will open. The eARC will be unleashed. The omens of war are near.
This is the last call. Sign up for the eARC! 🔗👇🏻
This is the last call. Sign up for the eARC! 🔗👇🏻
Cyberpunk, a genre with enormous gravity, one that all but subsumed the high-minded optimism of the sci-fi that preceded it.
This week we have an extra essay from guest writer @henryneilsen.bsky.social
Don't miss it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/slow-down-...
This week we have an extra essay from guest writer @henryneilsen.bsky.social
Don't miss it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/slow-down-...
October 31, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Cyberpunk, a genre with enormous gravity, one that all but subsumed the high-minded optimism of the sci-fi that preceded it.
This week we have an extra essay from guest writer @henryneilsen.bsky.social
Don't miss it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/slow-down-...
This week we have an extra essay from guest writer @henryneilsen.bsky.social
Don't miss it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/slow-down-...
This week's essay covers discusses how the order in which a character thinks about the world can be used to introduce a secondary world.
And yes, it's a paragraph from my upcoming book THE OMENS OF WAR.
Read it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/worldbuild...
And yes, it's a paragraph from my upcoming book THE OMENS OF WAR.
Read it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/worldbuild...
October 29, 2025 at 12:45 PM
This week's essay covers discusses how the order in which a character thinks about the world can be used to introduce a secondary world.
And yes, it's a paragraph from my upcoming book THE OMENS OF WAR.
Read it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/worldbuild...
And yes, it's a paragraph from my upcoming book THE OMENS OF WAR.
Read it: liviajelliot.substack.com/p/worldbuild...