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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 3h

54 - I mean I knew what I was getting into with Laymon but this was ABSOLUTE dogshit. Holy crap. There's a kernel of a good short story in here, padded out to 500 pages with some of THE worst misogyny I've ever read in a novel, even for something from the 90s app.thestorygraph.com/books/197d28...

app.thestorygraph.com

The Stake by Richard Laymon

In an abandoned hotel in a California ghost town, horror writer Larry and his friends make a chil...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

53 - A classic! Pretty good, bit heavy on the technical details (classic Crichton) but I kinda love the diagetic nature of the story (written as a non-fiction account of events). I think though the excellent movie version is a bit easier on modern audiences. app.thestorygraph.com/books/ea2c66...

app.thestorygraph.com

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

The United States government is given a warning by the pre-eminent biophysicists in the country: ...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Because I was sick the last week I'm barreling towards some hefty bills and behind schedule on things, so as usual just putting out my general call for commissions if anyone is interesting in maps, character sheets or other illustrations for their projects! contact here or pyxistyx2013@gmail.com

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

52 - 80% of this is a weirdly tame ghost story from Herbert - at least compared to The Rats trilogy and The Fog ...save for the final couple of chapters when things ramp up considerably. Great ending but fairly pedestrian ghost story otherwise. app.thestorygraph.com/books/3e4223...

app.thestorygraph.com

Haunted by James Herbert

Three nights of terror in a house called Edbrook. Three nights in which David Ash, there to inves...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

51 - a bit of a slog in places but otherwise a fascinating alien world survival / first contact story with a truly alien setting and intelligence, told from both human and alien perspectives. Fun to see corporate humanity bite off more than it can chew, too. app.thestorygraph.com/books/0e23c4...

app.thestorygraph.com

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

An utterly gripping story of alien encounter and survival from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the ...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

50! I mean...the premise is entertainingly fanciful but the execution is, even for the 70's, gross to the point of being DEEPLY unpleasant in places, especially when it comes to sexual violence. Not something i'd read again even for the bits I liked. app.thestorygraph.com/book_reviews...

app.thestorygraph.com

Reviews - The Fog | The StoryGraph

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I sit somewhere firmly in the middle of loving doing layout and loathing doing layout, (depending on what material I have to work with, usually). I do find it, as they say, a "mixed bag"! Anyway good luck! 👍

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

49! - A fast little read. Started off expecting it to be folk horror only for it to blend into something closer to strange time-straddling cosmic horror, and an excellent entry into the whole 'trapped in the woods and can't get out' subgenre! app.thestorygraph.com/books/d59fee...

app.thestorygraph.com

The Dark Between The Trees by Fiona Barnett

An unforgettable, surrealist gothic folk-thriller with commercial crossover appeal from a brillia...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

48! - Exile was a better read to me, with the focus very much on friendship and 'found family'. Drizzt giving himself over to the mercy of the deep gnomes just *desparate* to have someone to talk to is something in particular I found surprisingly moving. app.thestorygraph.com/books/a1fb3b...

app.thestorygraph.com

Exile by R.A. Salvatore

Dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden fights for his survival in the labyrinthine tunnels of the UnderdarkTen ...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

47! - There's a better version of Homeland that does something interesting and nuanced with Drow and 'nature vs nurture' buuut this is 2nd ed AD&D era D&D we're talking so...it's definitely not that. Still pretty entertaining though. app.thestorygraph.com/books/4de5fb...

app.thestorygraph.com

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore

Discover the origin story of one of the greatest heroes of the Realms--Drizzt Do'Urden--in this t...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I must have been sicker than I thought this past week. When someone pointed out that the art for the new Azure Bonds cover was modified, I thought they were talking about cropping and colour values... ...turns out I was missing a couple of key points that were staring me right in the face. 🤔

a comparison view of the old and new art for the Azure Bonds novel, both showing the main character Alias and her companion Dragonbait over her right shoulder, with the backdrop of the moon Selune and an ominous spiky tower. The older image on the left has Alias wearing a traditional 80s impractical chainmail bikini. The newer image on the right has the boob window area filled with a full chainmail chest piece, eliminating the substantial side boob (and definitely offering far more practical chest protection for a warrior).

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

book 46? - Azure Bonds! A real blast from the past. It's not my *favourite* 2nd Ed book series but still entertaining enough, and holds up reasonably well. (I still have the 2nd ed AD&D module on the shelf too, funnily enough). app.thestorygraph.com/books/db46f2...

app.thestorygraph.com

Azure Bonds by Kate Novak

The first novel in the now-classic D&D trilogy set in the Forgotten RealmsAlias is a sell-swo...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

heeey, those maps all look familar 😅

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

DOMAIN (Rats Book 3) Definitely the best of the three books but paradoxically, the one that didn't really NEED 'the Rats'. On its own it's a perfectly good 80s Nuclear Bomb horror scenario from the time of Threads and THAT helpful government pamphlet. app.thestorygraph.com/books/0c1bb8...

app.thestorygraph.com

Domain by James Herbert

The long-dreaded nuclear conflict. The city torn apart, shattered, its people destroyed or mutila...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

LAIR (The Rats Book 2). Eeh, I mean it's more rats. More quirky grungy 80's English...charm? Is that the word? Switches the setting to the woods instead of the city gives it a unique feel compared to the first, but it's not my favourite of the trilogy. app.thestorygraph.com/books/53ee73...

app.thestorygraph.com

Lair by James Herbert (2-Feb-2012) Paperback by James Herbert, James Herbert

The mutant white rat had grown and mated, creating offspring in its own image. They dominated the...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

hey there! I'm a cartographer with some experience of cyberpunk focused maps, if that's of any interest! (previous works include the new 2045 city map for Night City and several Night Market Maps for Cyberpunk Red) smackfolio.wordpress.com

smackfolio.wordpress.com

Saga Illustrates

Art & Illustration

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Going back to the classics for book 43! You can practically smell the sideburns in this 70's debut. It's...pretty basic, by today's standards if i'm honest, but still entertaining enough. I'd still love to see a movie adaptation at some point though! app.thestorygraph.com/books/46db1a...

app.thestorygraph.com

The Rats by James Herbert by James Herbert

The first victim was a former paper salesman drinking himself into oblivion down by the docks. Ne...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I read this : disjointed. My ghasts, absolutely flabbered. Many paragraphs, no proper sentences. Wow. The bin? In it goes!

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

"Spread Me" is a WEIRD fucking book (also..a weird *fucking* book). The premise (The Thing but the MC is super horny for viruses and slime mold) is just a bit too silly for my tastes. Luckily it's super short. Also very queer, so plus points there. app.thestorygraph.com/books/9c7f9f...

app.thestorygraph.com

Spread Me by Sarah Gailey

Spread Me is a darkly seductive tale of survival from Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Li...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Life hack for when you're too sleepy in the morning and need to wake up quickly. Stub your ingrown toenail against any solid wood or metal object. INSTANTLY AWAKE.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

hey hey! My comp copy of Night City turned up today. Niiice. These were both very fun and VERY different types of maps to work on!

a colourful theme park style map showing the different districts of Playland By the Sea, a theme park that's been taken over , I believe, by feral youth gangs. The park is split into six colour coded districts with a key showing all the locations on the right.

the credits section of the book, centred on me! With the cartography credit (and also above in interior illustration as I also worked on a couple of the gang logos)

The front endpapers of the book, which open out into a two-page version of the new Night City map. It's a simple grid-based city map with a cool blue, grey and yellow design to look like a digital map in some sort of navigation device perhaps.

The front cover of the Night City 2045 book, with a purple/red hued futuristic cyberpunk cityscape stretching out in front of a moving hover-car with two people perched on top, seemingly tracking a second vehicle in the distance. The text on a black bar at the bottom of the cover read : A city sourcebook for Cyberpunk Red.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Channeling every mystery podcast i've ever listened to for part 2 of my All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl playthrough for Solo September! www.patreon.com/sagaillustra...

patreon.com

Solo Sept 2(b) - ANB@TMO episode 2 | Saga Mackenzie

Season 1 Episode 2 How sure are you that you are in full control of your faculties. Pretty secure I’ll bet. I know I am. These days at least

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

luckily someone was in and could let me in the door, else i'd still be standing in the rain until the reception opens at 9! :D

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

ok. remembered my drawing tablet today...check. Power cord for laptop...check. Scotrail card with ticket on it...check. We are GOOD to GO! Let me just let myself into the studio with my key and fob and... I'll just.... ....

static.klipy.com

Fozzy Bear's Facepalm Moment

Alt: Fozzy Bear's Facepalm Moment with the word fuck appearing in comic sans

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

For my second solo game in this 'Solo September', I'm opting for "All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl"! Which I picked up from Tabletop Scotland end of last week. I've technically already played through one mystery - I now just need to write it up properly! www.patreon.com/sagaillustra...

patreon.com

Solo September 2(a) : All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl | Saga Mackenzie

For my second solo game in this 'Solo September' I picked up a copy of All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl' at Tabletop Scotland and tho

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

why has my book reads thread been so quiet of late? Because I was reading IT again, a book that takes 9 million years to finish! Not much to say - it's real good, probably bloated in a lot of places and naturally I skipped over the weird sex bit. Classic King. app.thestorygraph.com/books/b2cf19...

app.thestorygraph.com

It - Stephen King by Stephen King

It - Stephen King Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspe...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

www.patreon.com/sagaillustra... Delve, turns 35-42, in which we get overconfident about our combat prowess as we thwart a mini horror and a vampire queen...surely nothing can stop us now!

patreon.com

Solo September (1d) - turns 35-42 | Saga Mackenzie

Month 35 Our first excavation into the underworld uncovers an ethereal gate, a location through which any unit takes on the new ‘ethereal’ t

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

yeah yesterday techincally 😅

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

my little tabletop scotland birthday haul. Not too shabby. I was a little disappointed I couldn't spot a copy of the new Daggerheart expansion there, only to realise it was actually available in my local Waterstones, of all places, so grabbed THAT when I was back 😅

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Turns 13-24 of my delve play through, and the dwarves make an important new friendo www.patreon.com/sagaillustra...

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

WHY is this slop 'supported by the Highlands and islands climate festival ' !?! I mean ffs.

A genAI slop poster advertising an event that promises, among other things, 'a-i created videos: bringing stories to life ' the worst thing is proudly displaying a 'supported by the Highlands and islands climate festival badge'

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

it's definitely fun if you like drawing dungeon maps! I'm using the Biomes expansion as well for added content. Anna's working on a revamped version 2 at the moment as well which is exciting.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I've started with a fresh run through Anna Blackwell's 'Delve' (interrupted slightly while I head for Tabletop Scotland over this weekend, but i'll pick it up again afterwards) www.patreon.com/sagaillustra...

patreon.com

Solo September 1(a): Delve turns 1-12 | Saga Mackenzie

'Delve' is a solo dwarf-hold simulator and map making game by Anna Blackwell (https://www.blackwellwriter.com/) In it, you have to build up

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Starting off Solo September with some digging, via @annablackwell.bsky.social 's Delve which i'll be posting periodical updates for on the free side of my patreon page for as long as (a) I don't get bored or forget or (b) I dig too deep. www.patreon.com/sagaillustra...

patreon.com

Solo September 1(a): Delve turns 1-12 | Saga Mackenzie

'Delve' is a solo dwarf-hold simulator and map making game by Anna Blackwell (https://www.blackwellwriter.com/) In it, you have to build up

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

needless to say I would sooner gnaw my own thumbs off than willingly use any sort of genAI shit in any of my projects. Personal or commissions. 😤

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

OK, so the "to be continued" captions on two & three part episodes of GRIMM are delightfully silly.

A terrible photo of the "to be continued" screen from an episode of GRIMM. It just states "Oh" and then a bunch of random characters as a censored expletive.

Photo of another "to be continued" screen from a three parter episode of GRIMM, stating "This ain't over yet".

A To be continued screen from an episode of GRIMM stating "Oh come on, you knew this was coming". It is in the papyrus font which I think is actually a crime in some parts of the world.

The original "to be continued" text from an early episode of GRIMM where it just amends "sorry" to the end of TBC. Which is nice that a show apologises for leaving us on a cliffhanger for once.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Hrmmm....sounds like i'm running out of excuses not to jump back into my "For Small Creatures Such as We" campaign this september... 🤔

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Ehehehehe. *Grabby Hands* It has arrived!

a stack of freshly arrived books fulfilling my Legend in the mist kickstarter pledge. There are four separate books - the two core books (one for narrator, the other for players), a setting book titled hearts of ravensdale, and a thinner volume of prewritten general actions and examples of consequences for reference during games. Atop that is a box of 40 cards containing setting specific "challenges" as an easy reference, and also a faux-leather pouch containing two plastic acorn-dice that i will probably never use but look quite fun at least.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I'm not sure an extra baby would make much difference in a brawl to be fair. hard to get knuckledusters that small, for starters.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

i mean, granted, I guess i'm stupid enough to still be paying an exorbitant monthly fee for your shitty bloated, genAI infested, "industry standard" software...but I have my limits.

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Adobe. C'mon man. How stupid do you think I am?

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 20/08/2026

In the meantime, you can access the censored Amnesty reports on gender critical groups here. Make sure they cannot erase these documents from the internet. Like a snowball. dn711306.ca.archive.org/0/items/amne... A growing threat. archive.org/download/rep...

dn711306.ca.archive.org

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

just watching episode 1 and heck! You're not wrong. Appreciate the recommendation!

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Saga Mackenzie @sagamack.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

OK Nobody warned me that the (INCREDIBLY bad) 'new' Salems Lot movie has crossed that basically work like Leaf Blowers (except..for vampires, obvs). If I had a mouthful of coffee in me at that moment, it would have been all over the place now.

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