2026-10-24T13:57:28Z https://nostr.now Ododo Press https://nostr.now/npub1g8hz3su5jldpslxn6cndtljvskjlhrwrvp089w7ghpnjv4888t4qx2mep0 https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/accounts/avatars/116/233/525/957/321/280/original/fc7b09af91d4b5ea.png https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/accounts/avatars/116/233/525/957/321/280/original/fc7b09af91d4b5ea.png https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz957n7qqqn5s8eefm2c5wzsvug08mfcmfp6stlqwud00dj4jrnaszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5zcn5gc This #Halloween meet new creatures from African #folklore.<br/><br/>In Congo they call lightning Nzazi, and it takes the form of a kind of a dog, either red or black, with shaggy hair and a curly tail. When it comes down it gives one sharp bark – ta! – and with the second bark it goes up again. No charm can protect against it and no medicine person can avert its attack. <br/><br/>This book, free to download, has more wonderful monsters like this!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/</a> <br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #fantasy 2026-10-25T19:13:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9t4750aav63gx0yg5fcazlsqp56lrfhuulk2jxr44vllsx88ne7gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw54kjteg It&#39;s #Halloween so we share creatures from African #folklore that you perhaps haven&#39;t heard of. We start with Sechobochobo, of the Baila people in Zambia. It&#39;s a kind of wood-sprite described as a person with one arm and one eye, living in the forest; they bring good luck to those whoever sees them, but accounts vary, for elsewhere they say, whoever sees them will die.<br/><br/>Find more creatures in this book. Free to download for our subscribers<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/</a> <br/>#book #books #bookstodon 2026-10-19T18:27:28Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2m3cp4qe0r3ll526p3sm5vkxh8uqm6j9xzrg9mjf0ukagqleu0hgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5utftzs &#34;The storm fell from a blue sky. It started as a playful drizzle, with the sun still shinning, and then daylight went out and bucketfuls of water slammed against the glass doors of the supermarket, imprisoning Tom and several other people.&#34;<br/> <br/>So opens the eight story (with aliens and serial killers) in this fast-paced collection.<br/><br/>&#34;...well worth reading.&#34; Strange Horizons.<br/><br/>See a sample. Pre-order!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi #writingcommunity 2026-10-19T04:58:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst4763ryt9f8kezj3r4h2ln6ll2wvmpnjdlclt9zgge3xtwvpkkdczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5zyenl6 &#34;Kopet sat on the papyrus bed, watching his wife sleep. He had not touched her in five years. The last time he tried to kiss her, she had reported him to the abasura and they had jailed him for three days of hard labor.&#34;<br/><br/>So opens the seventh story in this fast-paced collection. This one is set in a grim and dark dystopia.<br/><br/>&#34;...well worth reading.&#34; Strange Horizons.<br/><br/>See a sample. Pre-order!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi #writingcommunity #writing 2026-10-18T05:03:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs99xk3ql8h7k5s0xspk2jcrnkc459hnyl6jzfdqecz7f6g9anlfwszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5ptztyv The spirit country can be reached through caves or holes in the ground; a favourite incident in folk-tales is the adventure of a person who followed a porcupine or other such creature into its burrow, and by and by ended up in the village of the dead. In this free book of African #folklore, you&#39;ll find a lot of such stories. The book is great for fun reading, world building, or #ttrpg Just sign up to our mailing list.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/</a><br/>#book #books #sff #bookstodon #amreading 2026-10-17T16:19:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp7plexk4gwprs6nfrlh0de9h4a0cqa0lw968f0nzn3q4caxtg3yqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5nutpqv He did not know how to talk to his daughter. Silence sat between them like a concrete wall. She hugged herself on the seat beside him, arms wrapped around her legs, chin pressed into her knees, eyes fixed on the window, watching the city fall away as they soared into the sky. <br/><br/>The opening lines of the sixth story in this thrilling collection, which Strange Horizons says is &#34;well worth reading.&#34; <br/>Read a sample. Pre-order!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi 2026-10-17T04:43:11Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp0epmf3vjf7k9uvu3dma2njevqwmjjxgqy77chkzudm7ev0t33kszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5fmxmj6 One legend has a strong resemblance to Hamitic tales of the serpent. Back when Imana talked with people, they said to a man, “Don&#39;t sleep to-night; I&#39;m coming to give you some good news.” The snake, hidden in the hut, overheard. The man kept awake till cockcrow, but sleep took him. He did not hear Imana. The serpent did, and answered (&#39;_&#39;)<br/><br/>Get this free book of African #folklore for fun reading, world building, or #ttrpg<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/</a><br/>#book #books #sff #bookstodon #amreading 2026-10-15T16:03:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdjj286akrakkvc2ns9rspdfq86m0nhaxqhkxcpjhrt3xkfsek8vgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5dfdyss &#34;The trial ended, but the firing squad could not proceed. The doctor was missing. After thirty minutes without word of his whereabouts, the sun became furious. It suspected the soldiers were only putting on a show and would release Mande when public interest in the case evaporated, so it tried to execute him.&#34; <br/><br/>The opening lines of the fourth story in this thrilling collection, a ghost story. <br/>Read a sample. Pre-order!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi 2026-10-15T04:36:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz8s5zpa9c7kp84pjm7dhmhhtvvnxsyfpjxy8s9rtveytw6ghw0fgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw57nj6z5 The Ngonde have a strange legend about one Ngeketo, once a supernatural entity of theirs, but now, as they say, worshipped only by the white people. He was the youngest of three, the others being Lyambilo (still worshipped by the Wakinga) and Mbasi, by some writers called ‘the Devil,’ though that is wholly foreign to African thought.<br/><br/>This free book is full of wonderful #folklore from Africa, and could help in world building or in #ttrpg <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #sff #bookstodon 2026-10-14T15:58:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8vg5vspxl4qmk0wpmfmc6y2fq02kpwaaznl0l92c9qtsyf8q67mqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5v4kz4t &#34;The soldiers came shortly before sunrise. Obil was brushing his teeth in front of his muzigo. Most of his neighbours had arisen just before daybreak and were washing clothes, cooking breakfast on charcoal stoves in front of their doors, or cleaning their teeth and spitting into the gutter that ran through the compound.&#34;<br/><br/>The opening lines of the third story in this thrilling collection. <br/><br/>Read a sample. Pre-order!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi 2026-10-14T04:34:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgexyezycldrxyt66pcx874uywrmka589fk23qvknhallg4agqsdgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5dscgqe Many African people do not try to account for the origin of human beings as a whole. Their legends seem to assume that the particular people in question are representative of all human. They also don&#39;t distinguish between a non-human creator and the first human ancestor.<br/><br/>If you are curious about African world views, or want inspiration for #ttrpg characters or monsters or worlds, get this free book by subscribing to our list.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #folk #folklore 2026-10-13T15:51:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2ajvhyscyzmz8acgrwkwnw2f4p2s3rumm8jdyrvpxr7s0e3pv3lczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5m2ucvj &#34;Three years passed and it still hurt him. His hair turned grey with mourning and the wrinkles blossomed, making him look way older than sixty. He sat on a rocking chair, drinking banana wine from a gourd, eyes closed. The rain had just stopped. He listened to the music of water dripping off the grass roof. It rhymed with the wind...&#34; <br/><br/>The opening lines of the second story in this thrilling collection. <br/>Read a sample. Pre-order!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading 2026-10-13T04:32:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp22v6e564may7mygxqk6yenvevtgpfglzmchdj4f3sx7xa2cn0vszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5uf9466 Animals can change into human, or humans into animals; even today, people say it still happens: it&#39;s a favorite trick of the most wicked witch, who can also send certain animals on horrid errands. So the Zulu don&#39;t like to use the words ingwe (leopard) and impaka (wild cat). They call them by other names. But they think the cat, ikati, so beloved in the fediverse, is innocent.<br/> <br/>Read lore like this and more in our #freebook <br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/</a><br/>#folklore #folktale #book #books #bookstodon 2026-10-12T15:31:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq9crcq93w8yu9zaw4nnpe33axacut699n3hx46nf8gutp2lge7nszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw57j7a28 &#34;Nyapia and a two-year-old boy were starving under an orange grove. She could get food in Abedo, just a mile away, but everyone in that town was dead. If she went there, she would see the rotting corpses of people she had grown up with, her neighbours, her friends, her loved ones. But if she did not go she would watch the child die of hunger.&#34;<br/>The opening of the first story in a fast-paced collection of stories. Read a sample and pre-order:<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff 2026-10-12T04:27:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfd2cxcjc3uq9t9zkqj3jmgx665gdzduc90cun3lht9adxvffsltgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5rpckay &#34;Kopet sat on the papyrus bed, watching his wife sleep. He had not touched her in five years. The last time he tried to kiss her, she had reported him to the abasura and they had jailed him for three days of hard labor.&#34;<br/><br/>The opening lines of the sixth story in this fast pace collection. This one is set in a grim and dark dystopia. <br/><br/>Strange Horizons reviews the book: &#34;well worth reading.&#34; See a sample. Pre-order!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #amreading #SciFi #writing 2026-10-11T16:36:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsps94arptxde9r963323qjnvsvjhzk3w5ryyl0ff7ngpfry9nek0czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5mq75ls It is #solarpunksunday and if you are looking for a read, here is a story set in the near future in Africa, in a country without a central government or capitalism, where everyone participates in running the country and communities look after each other. But then, a colonizer invades to steal the tech that makes them a #solarpunk utopia, and the task of coordinating their defense falls on a grumpy grandma.... Read a sample and buy:<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/>#books #bookstodon #book #sff #SciFi 2026-10-11T15:20:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsd3408t2ypcf7pzwyngpfka8eenm94x7yetuywx2juct3er7tgqpczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5nu5tl6 Four weeks to the release of a revised edition of this collection of short stories. Strange Horizons says that &#34;A Killing in the Sun is the debut collection.... containing ten short stories infused with SFFnal tropes; from runaway bioscience to juju zombies to far-future dystopia. As a whole it&#39;s punchy and awkward and well worth reading.&#34;<br/><br/>You can read a sample chapter and pre-order it now on our site.<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #sff #SciFi #amreading 2026-10-03T07:17:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswczp6x5pzuyu6q9lssjxw64zz0jksdzkxnfj87s2ef0tqxvjyalgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5pxrh9a Get this free book, which is a folk history about the rise and fall of Shaka Zulu. It really is a fantasy story, in the sword and sorcery subgenre, but in this case it is spear and sorcery. A bit bloody, but fast paced and easy read. First written over 100yrs ago, this edition has been revised and edited for a modern audience, getting rid of racist words and ideas. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/">https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/</a><br/><br/>#book #bookstodon #fantasy #sff #writing #writingcommunity 2026-10-02T06:09:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp487e3ath2e8vh0338t6sfh9ml56pc0mv5rjv0ekfqn8ex29pcfszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5cz06et In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsr6ev0z993wk58rtjzr6j89muwwlnnvkxxt7uwkwnyp9ah6snr66qrukqmr'>nevent1q…kqmr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>That is an idea! Another story set outside this solarpunk country, and maybe featuring a character trying to escape into the utopia. Could work! 😊 2026-09-28T16:44:11Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgjew2dwmsyhz0mpws2gwgr2qjlrcp6why2anr8s5zp2qzqmrze3czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5wttwu7 This #solarpunksunday read a novella about a grandma who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized country when a colonizer invades. A review by Nerds of a Feather says it &#34;resembles classic hard SF, except this time it’s about finding a creative solution to a puzzle of political theory instead of rocket science.&#34; The book imagines a future without central governments, or capitalism. <br/><br/>Read a sample and buy: <br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #solarpunk #SciFi 2026-09-27T15:03:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs88md53v89edp8weq48kqxfp8kg6hz736940fsu3swv8e0nnr55sczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5mm3rmz Cover reveal! I&#39;m working on a new collection of short stories, which is on pre-order and will release on 1st January 27. They are mostly horror stories, some with familiar creatures like vampires and zombies, others with stuff you will perhaps be reading about for the first time. Most of the stories will be published for the very first time.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-the-eater-of-happiness/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-the-eater-of-happiness/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #Horror #writing #writingcommunity #blog #art<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/324/405/602/492/268/original/5272a95aad9d0ab9.jpg"> <br/> 2026-09-24T05:55:55Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9hy6up5vn2an3hdlhv2mzk4h42jhyvy422fhcyrwxelh3hhc2wsgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5r8n3wr New #folktale after a hiatus, and this one is from the Xhosa people in South Africa, and it has all the goodies of folk lore. A haunted ground. A spirit bird that makes milk. Children outwitting their greedy parents who would rather see them starve than share the milk from the bird. It&#39;s dark, but has a happy ending, sort of.<br/><br/>See more like this #OdodoStories <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-bird-that-made-milk/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-bird-that-made-milk/</a><br/><br/>#fantasy #ttrpg #shortstory #folklore #folk #blog 2026-09-17T16:40:14Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsggugcd84l6skhgszeph5n20sa38l2l6h6m09vw9q8wg442ycs8vczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5xg087h A couple more kinds words for this novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree. <br/><br/>&#34;...just finished it; it’s so very tightly plotted. Enjoyed it very much....&#34; Clare<br/><br/>&#34;...really enjoyed it!&#34; Joakim<br/><br/>It&#39;s a #solarpunk story about a grandma who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation, though she is uncomfortable around people. <br/><br/>You can read the first chapter for free here (and order from us, or any major e-book store):<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#books #book #bookstodon #sff #sciFi 2026-09-14T15:34:22Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqsfmx28s9v3txcvlwes8h3j54ddlm8zuqsueh48l7537yugsacaszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5c3ttwf &#34;No snakes are killed in this land, for whoever kills a snake commits a heinous crime and carries the shame of it all the days of their life. It is said that by this act they have cursed their ancestors and shamed them by killing their messenger.&#34;<br/><br/>This book, Chaka, is a dark fantasy, but it is a glimpse into the ways of life and belief systems of an African community before colonialism. <br/><br/>Free download to our subscribers!<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/">https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #amreading #sff #fantasy 2026-09-06T07:11:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdqx2wnlstyakxnz8z6dzde0rn2kslryt5zxk0a2pflqhwsnzpu7czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5lct534 Enjoy such folk tales in this free book:<br/>&#34;A woman was alone and sick, too weak to make a fire, she feared dying of cold. She cried in despair: “If only I had someone to split the wood, even if it were Thunder itself!” Then clouds appeared, the sky was overcast; it grew dark as night in her hut, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Then came a flash of lightning, and she saw Thunder standing before her, with a little bright axe.&#34;<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/</a><br/>#books #bookstodon #folklore #folk 2026-09-03T11:11:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsd7uv5l5egum3r7axwc8qmrzq2weggtymm7474wpx3mre8nwvs3eqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5ln80ca Free book! A dark fantasy novel that is like The Lord of the Ring if Sauron was the main character. <br/><br/>First published in 1931, written by Thomas Mofolo in his native language, Sesotho (from Lesotho) and then translated into English. In this edition, I&#39;ve edited out racist and problematic words, and changed the dialogue into something suitable to modern audiences. <br/><br/>It&#39;s an easy read, fast paced, and very dark.<br/><br/>Subscribe to download<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/">https://www.ododopress.com/novels/chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #fantasy #horror<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/196/382/359/932/301/original/b142df803fa7e95f.png"> <br/> 2026-09-01T15:02:33Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqstgzxtaxx24zg6969qg8530cflrhud0mquzqu8lmq5tt3xdtgs8tqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5hqyz9h Today at a festival in Kampala, we had a good time selling books and discussing EciFi stuff. 0urs was the only table with books in the speculative fiction genre, and it drew some small attention, though some people would quickly walk away when they saw it was spec fic books. Kampala readers prefer self-help titles, which is sad 😊<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/174/905/338/753/456/original/ad42a0c173a5055f.jpg"> <br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/174/906/932/015/706/original/8e2fc481b6471167.jpg"> <br/> 2026-08-28T20:03:06Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqat2an3wnpl3nfch3fzpzczrnnmh47ljvxqkmr0yh248tjt26x2gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5pmce2h In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv7j9dk2aj3mwylmfy7pxhncf3lnd2qykmjz540r8zj3xf9c9agygneupxg'>nevent1q…upxg</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>So I looked again at the cover, and decided I didn&#39;t like the blue. It was so over saturated, and kind of took away focus from the main character, and then tweaked the background a bit, and the overall image. This is perhaps why you need to hire someone else to do such work for your books! Enjoy, and you can read about the cover reveal here, with excerpts from this fantasy novel from the 1920s.<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/</a><br/><br/>#books #freebooks #bookstodon #fantasy #fantasyart #sff<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/155/519/595/246/079/original/af525105b72e5600.jpg"> <br/> 2026-08-25T09:51:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqnfuz7wldel2mds4eshksvdq67m4f0czr3l8puwl6wmudx0r7haczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5v7lc06 Praise for A Killing in the Sun.<br/>“Straight up loved it… Dilman’s writing style flows off the page and I lost myself in each and every story. Seriously, I can’t praise this collection of stories enough.” Muuka, in Another Drop of Ink<br/><br/>You can pre-order this collection of short stories from all the major stores. There is a sample story available to read at <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #book #sff #SciFi #amreading 2026-08-25T05:14:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsv7j9dk2aj3mwylmfy7pxhncf3lnd2qykmjz540r8zj3xf9c9agygzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5p4zy40 Cover reveal for our new book, Chaka by Thomas Mofolo. We&#39;ll release it in a week&#39;s time, having edited it to make it palatable for the modern reader. We will give it away free to subscribers of our newsletter. It&#39;s a fantasy novel that, I believe, is a documentation of what folk were saying about Shaka Zulu around about the time of his reign. Enjoy the cover, and you can grab the artwork to use as wall papers for your devices.<br/> <br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-chaka-by-thomas-mofolo/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #fantasy #sff<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/150/352/936/812/482/original/8adf488fadd4359a.png"> <br/> 2026-08-24T11:41:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs23k2kktxu0ux254luzuhp29gdagxksj97vv3ppsymdnuhhvwqskqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5fuj9ky So a book club in Kampala is discussing our book in their next meeting, and we are excited to hear what they will say about it. It is a physical meetup, but they sometimes have online chats as well.<br/><br/>You can get the book here, for free to our subscribers, <br/><br/>www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/<br/><br/>#freebook #book #books #mythology #folklore #bookstodon<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/132/190/212/748/817/original/702b97b460bcd63b.jpg"> <br/> 2026-08-21T07:01:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvwv6fpjw4wzhxqfw3nhfzz0cxn7wkpf7f6fqkgwwj304epmyl93gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5mdxh4v “This short story collection is sheer entertainment with a thick seem of seriousness…. The beauty of these stories is that each in their own way shows a human side, of people who love, hate, fear and yearn. Dila’s wonderful imagination lifts this collection into an alien yet familiar space, where the ‘other’ is lampooned in a fantastical way.” <br/><br/>Available for pre-order. Read a sample story here<br/>www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/<br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #SciFi 2026-08-18T05:34:53Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsyg7e7cr4q5dhet2v47e4x0tsq3f83f8c3q9qz3kn93h6egaj2zuszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5z7udfr Breakfast on a Sunday morning could look like this; soft boiled eggs and kabalagala, (pancakes made in Uganda from cassava flour and overripe bananas) and a good read, a #solarpunk story about an old woman who has to organize the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades. <br/><br/>You can read a sample chapter and get the book here;<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#solarpunksunday #book #books #bookstodon #sff #SciFi<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/103/514/579/953/417/original/ee02f9f6afb21512.jpg"> <br/> 2026-08-16T05:26:12Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszu4nmpfds8dcttv6h6mgyqlf4stc5h7x0ugpyz3xsy6vrm5cj3sgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw582rjxr The stuff you find in this free #book : &#34;In a tale from Botswana, the children are pursued by an ogre, take refuge up a tree, and are rescued before it cuts it down by a &#39;great thing called Phuku-phuku,&#39; which is not further described. What seems to be a parallel version attributes the rescue to “a great bird,” which “hovered over them and said, ‘Hold fast to me.’”<br/><br/>Subscribe to download<br/><br/>www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/<br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #mythology #folklore 2026-08-15T15:52:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsf4n078lr3j7npm7g30rgfghj5v89mn49qjr5z44se2j82rwgvadqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5pv69u2 &#34;I really enjoyed reading this, so utopian and dystopian at the same time&#34;<br/><br/>Here is a selection of what readers are saying about The Blossoming of the Big Tree. We will keep adding more to this page as they come along, and we hope it can convince you to read this story, about an old woman who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades, though she is the reclusive type of person.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/praise-for-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/praise-for-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #solarpunk #sff #sciFi 2026-08-14T08:11:49Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsx7gdsu290grn5czrfpvs5zy92sm0l8g0n0a5zdq6y8km2d2ulevgzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw50p2lsc Free book! The Myths and Legends of the Bantu and Other Africans is now available for download to email subscribers, and will be free until the end of the month.<br/><br/>This is an entertaining book that brings you a wonderful world of legends, folklore, and amazing creatures that will fuel your imagination.<br/><br/>It might be of interest to #academia <br/><br/>Get it here<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/</a><br/><br/>#freebook #books #bookstodon #mythology #folklore<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/030/969/964/473/349/original/6d7fd47599070158.jpg"> <br/> 2026-08-03T09:47:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr9ez8g9gjpskerj6v7nqxtqeyawzwgjsxxvgjkwh5chuevxgqpyqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5aq3sdd Cover reveal! So finally getting ready to finally share this book with you in a day or two, and in this blog I give hints on what inspired the cover artwork. (I don&#39;t know if it is an improvement from the previous version, but hope you enjoy it!)<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-african-people/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-african-people/</a><br/><br/>PS. I&#39;ll release the book for free to subscribers of our newsletter by 1st August, so be sure to sign up!<br/><br/>#blog #writing #writingcommunity #book #books #bookstodon #mythology #folklore<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/117/002/609/400/111/697/original/2ec345aa70c7e34e.jpg"> <br/> 2026-07-29T10:02:42Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsg8r0pflzpdr3pcafvl8mw8d0u2u5qrd5u6de3eldykkdupwh4vxczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5n235my Until the end of the month, you can get this book at 25% off as part of the Smashwords Summer Sale. This is an Afrofuturistic solarpunk story about a 70yr old woman who has to coordinate the defence of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades, though she suffers from social anxiety, and they have no weapons and no army.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1977090">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1977090</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #solarpunk 2026-07-27T04:55:04Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsttel5dlgtcqd8qhw74vjyk6t390jhf5508jcvy0ra9mut8s28rfczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5edh6na This folk tale, from Angola, is grim, dark, and very weird. It reminds me of the perfect gentleman in Amos Tutuola&#39;s epic fantasy, The Palmwine Drinkard (based on folk tales), where a spirit borrowed body parts from several people so it could pass off as human in a market, but in this instance, several supernatural creatures take bits and pieces off a grandmother for various uses. <br/><br/>See more #OdodoStories <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/two-young-men-and-their-grandmothers/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/two-young-men-and-their-grandmothers/</a><br/><br/>#folklore #books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #sff 2026-07-21T12:13:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8ny4v0twc5aaf20zq4nym6a9msdpx5x9nchj29nx7g93tg56tggqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5tya3tk &#34;You know the failure modes that democracy can fall into: the formation of cliques that don’t share information, the hoarding of resources facilitated by positions of high prestige, the avoidance of accountability after decisions are made in secret. It’s a massive challenge to devise a system of full and equal participation, and a no less daunting one to keep it in healthy functioning condition.&#34;<br/><br/><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1">http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1</a><br/><br/>Read the book<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #bookreview 2026-07-18T12:18:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvye0gsh2myea22jxvkftdvszy4xfr6s52t3saqzm4cwpsr4e0ryczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw59rv2j8 Here is a new folk tale, and it&#39;s themed on one of the most popular topics in African folk lore, the world of the dead. Many Africans believed the dead continued to live in another country under the ground, and you could go there if you were unlucky. This is what happened to Mpobe, who was a hunter in Buganda.<br/><br/>See more folk tales like this #OdodoStories <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/mpobe-the-hunter/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/mpobe-the-hunter/</a><br/><br/>#folk #folklore #mythology #writing #writingcommunity #africa 2026-07-12T20:32:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdg7vk59mhkqpv7e03p3e3hn2x9mr6cg6jqd34kuy9x95raatz7cczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw59j26g0 “This short story collection by Ugandan writer, Dilman Dila, is sheer entertainment with a thick seem of seriousness…. The beauty of these stories is that each in their own way shows a human side, of people who love, hate, fear and yearn. Dila’s wonderful imagination lifts this collection into an alien yet familiar space, where the ‘other’ is lampooned in a fantastical way.” <br/><br/>Available for Pre-Order<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #sff #sciFi 2026-07-10T10:24:51Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsyn2dazwzm5g38cpwlve4q50a306cypakqp7wec5xjcypy9xa474gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5sk2a85 The next few months are going to be busy, as I work to bring out a lot of books, some of them are my own, which had gone out of print. Others are public domain works, which I&#39;ve edited to remove problematic and racist works. But most will be new books, short story collections, for I have a lot of unpublished stuff just lying around. Get a sneak peak in this blog post.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/coming-soon-books-to-expect-in-the-next-few-months/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/coming-soon-books-to-expect-in-the-next-few-months/</a><br/><br/>#blog #writing #writingcommunity #books #bookstodon 2026-07-01T11:56:25Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp4latkvs0ptpdhppe3l063kjhrk6upjd066hrct8uygk9hwklssszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5fzupuj Our next book is up for pre-orders, with a release date of 1st September 2026. This is a reprint of my first collection of short speculative stories, A Killing in the Sun, which came out in 2014. The rights reverted to me after the publisher went burst and I begun to think of a small press to give books like this a second life.<br/>There&#39;s possibly every genre in this collection, horror, aliens, robots, fantasy, and Sci-Fi<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #sff 2026-06-30T12:49:24Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswkqmugdpzlxfpketgw49ynv73utlxdcwec6ty9mxxcd8p4hepgfczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5pmq24e A man set a trap, but it caught a bird that sung to him with a beautiful human voice. Still, he ignored the warning signs, and took it home to cook it, and eat it....<br/><br/>New folk tale is up, from the Lango people of Northern Uganda. <br/><br/>See more folk tales like this #OdodoStories <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-enchanted-guinea-fowl/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-enchanted-guinea-fowl/</a><br/><br/>#folklore #folk #writing #fantasy 2026-06-29T20:23:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp4lnflflv466qnaq2d2npu64c9l90mgfp7j5s0fr4e6548ma3vhszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5l57tcu This #solarpunksunday take a look at a review of our novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, coming out in two days, and the reviewers got the gist of the theme on power and decentralized governance. The review contains some mild spoilers, though.<br/><br/><a href="https://vector-bsfa.com/2026/06/25/no-one-at-the-centre-reading-dilman-dilas-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://vector-bsfa.com/2026/06/25/no-one-at-the-centre-reading-dilman-dilas-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>The book is available for pre-order, though if you buy from our site you can start reading it.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/>#review #reviews #bookreview #bookreviews #books #bookstodon<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/827/250/717/443/163/original/1ccd8f4d4010e61b.png"> <br/> 2026-06-28T10:33:29Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswyaw60gzwj2dkyjtqsc6any95pxesgfe90sej3q7u5s8dcpvvawczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5rhh8cc 4 days to the release of this #solarpunk story, about an old woman who is struggling to fit in because her village has a tight sense of community, yet she doesn&#39;t like being in the company of other people, and so when the duty of coordinating the defense of their decentralized nation falls on her, she fears she won&#39;t make it.<br/><br/>Read a sample chapter and pre-order!<br/><a href="https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/> #books #book #sff #sciFi #bookstodon<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/818/333/092/683/932/original/8667fc6042d9d500.jpg"> <br/> 2026-06-26T20:41:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs94q3uylqzrdxgcx7d672u5gq6r3h5sxac6utzvcnw8fstm3yvhyczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw53e20v6 Cover reveal! Here, I talk about the inspiration for the cover of my novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, and the process of making it.<br/><br/>I know, it&#39;s weird to change the cover six days before release, but I thought I should give it a new look, as the earlier version had a plainer background. I hope you enjoy this one, and hope it&#39;s not confusing since you are used to seeing the green stuff.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #solarpunk #sciFi #sff #writing #writingcommunity #blog 2026-06-24T17:38:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz8kffvepl97q3yu0vcu7f2re396e07r399amrz6pzkhmk5qv7u6gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5fyqm3q RE: <a href="https://mograph.social/@dilmandila/116765555339595828">https://mograph.social/@dilmandila/116765555339595828</a><br/><br/>So as we prepare to start delivering audio books, we did a test with a short story, and I&#39;m now looking for feedback on what it actually sounds like, if it is technically competent, and if the narration style is okay for something that will go on sale? See the link in the original post. :-)<blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/note140h95avcfml4ccv9uqwt0ld4hf4mst4l4ee7v730guvff49kxpfsmufq3a" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">note140h…fq3a</a></span><br/> </div> Need feedback. I narrated a short story to test making audio books, and could use honest opinions on how it sounds, the technical quality, and also reading/narration, or anything that I need to improve before I embark on an actual projects.<br/><br/>I recorded on Audacity with a Rhode NT1 5th Gen, a bright mic, so it needed lots of post-processing in DR Fairlight. <br/>Is it working? Any tips?<br/><br/>See it here (length 20mins, size 30mbs)<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/short-story/noel-in-my-town/">https://www.ododopress.com/short-story/noel-in-my-town/</a><br/><br/>#audiobook #audio #writingcommunity #writing </blockquote> 2026-06-17T16:19:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9cyfwcwmxsfku3allzmn3p0gk975fe2g692f5xdynxraspewp9dszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5q39m4r About two weeks to release our first novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, a #solarpunk story about an old woman who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades. We are running campaign for reviewers on NetGalley, but if you are not on it and would like to give the book a review, send a DM!<br/> <br/><a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516">https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516</a><br/><br/>If you are a reader, it is available on pre-order<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #sff <br/>#bookreview #bookreviews 2026-06-14T19:12:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfz8aee54epjw86a733dkhh35mkrpx07h5lqej9pe2fcsfjkzcf6gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5jypl7h I got distracted with making a short film, but now back to sharing African folk lore, and this time it&#39;s an article about Yakan, a movement that swept through these parts in the early 1900s, mixing religious beliefs and military action against colonizers, for it used magic water that protected rebels from bullets. This has given me fodder for some of my stories, and those who write #fantasy might find it useful.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-magic-water-inspired-anti-colonial-rebellions-in-east-africa/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-magic-water-inspired-anti-colonial-rebellions-in-east-africa/</a><br/><br/>#folklore #blog #writers #writing #writingcommunity 2026-06-11T10:34:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdw7phnglz2953s4emmeqynmle77kx98pfhk29yzuw0hc9nexjt0czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5klgr2s This is a periodic reminder that our first novella is on pre-order, and it&#39;s the story of a 70yr old autistic woman who would rather grow her beans in peace, but a superpower is threatening her decentralized country and she has to coordinate their defense, though they don&#39;t have an army, or even weapons. <br/><br/>You can check out a sample chapter on our website, or on major stores.<br/><br/><a href="https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/">https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/</a><br/><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #writers #writing #writingcommunity #solarpunk #sff #sciFi<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/539/843/932/132/342/original/7e5ebcf2330efd02.jpg"> <br/> 2026-05-08T16:25:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspvr0p4xusfwakwcu80kqupfkvdkpyhmwya2mxm8txa5wjccxgtpczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5l4xp7z Hare returns in another tale from the Nandi, and still their deeds are mischievous and very dark, but there seems to be a morale to the stories: never trust a stranger with your child.<br/><br/>Enjoy this and other folk tales from Africa via #OdodoStories <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-baby-sitter/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-baby-sitter/</a><br/><br/>#folklore #folktale #blog #writing #writingcommunity #horror 2026-05-08T13:17:31Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvhyvjm9ylem6y9h79pr8r8nurwutjhv5eecp5973kk98uzlfdcxczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5jt9ukj Are you a reviewer? This May we run a campaign for our novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, about a 70yr old woman with social anxiety, struggling to fit in a village with a tight sense of community. She has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades to steal the tech that makes them a #solarpunk utopia. You can request a copy on #NetGalley or DM us.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516">https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516</a><br/>#book #books #bookstodon #review #reviews #writingcommunity #solarpunksunday 2026-05-03T09:42:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8vqwddywe4k3sr3qh6gfkn6a89m758c0ea7zrqlghy7a86j2g86czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5k6xt78 Some best friends are not what they seem. In this re-telling of a folk tale from the Nandi, in Kenya, a once happy relationship takes a very grim and very dark turn after a pet cow gives birth. <br/><br/>We regularly share folk stories from African cultures via #OdodoStories and we hope you enjoy this one!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/primal-feast/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/primal-feast/</a><br/><br/>#folklore #folktale #blog #writing #writingcommunity #africa #kenya 2026-05-02T19:00:42Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqgu5de8ndjua9pspwvuuqxsxn5z52y0ll3umlsq3cuqxrj5rcutszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw50f20y8 A sultan&#39;s son and his best friend go on an adventure in the high seas, but they get shipwrecked. The sultan&#39;s son and a slave are the only survivors, and their fortunes change.<br/><br/>This folk tale from Zanzibar kicks off our quest to bring back long dead stories via #OdodoStories The title, &#39;An Indian Tale&#39;, reflects Zanzibar&#39;s unique history as it hosted many African and Asian people. It was once the capital of Oman. <br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/an-indian-story/">https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/an-indian-story/</a><br/>#folklore #blog #writing #writingcommunity #folktale 2026-04-30T13:04:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsg859yx9r87uu2hncdqsl32upm5xw82wyzvp5r6jhqhrw8tlcjfzqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5wfwypq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgal4af4t8uj6ge2l0kdpk93plc45eu7cy2f95v0em87fpz5kv6dqdk0th7'>nevent1q…0th7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The final script in this collection of short screenplays is Saving Mugisha, which was a film made in collaboration with a civil society organization. It&#39;s about a boy suffering bullying because he wets his bed. You can watch the film here<br/><a href="https://tv.dilstories.com/w/rpTMrphEZv3ndvXs4RBSob">https://tv.dilstories.com/w/rpTMrphEZv3ndvXs4RBSob</a><br/><br/>But it&#39;s always nicer to read the screenplay, so get your free copy here.<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/><br/>#film #movies #screenplay #books #bookstodon 2026-04-24T16:26:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgal4af4t8uj6ge2l0kdpk93plc45eu7cy2f95v0em87fpz5kv6dqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5krpt5m In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfxnmtn7pq9ln5g8ltywr7pxe5ck6fd8wzk962p4uugfkjhg5w2yqx4xe0l'>nevent1q…xe0l</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Next #screenplay is Her Fearing Friend, which I wrote in 2012. At that time the Ugandan Parliament was proposing a heinous law (&#34;Kill the Gays bill&#34;) so some artists created works about #LGBTQia This short script is a boarding school romance between two girls. &#39;Fearing friend&#39; is how they referred to secret lesbian relationships in the 80/90s, public enemies, secret lovers. This never got produced, but enjoy a free copy here! <br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/>#worldbookday #lgbtq #books #bookstodon 2026-04-23T11:39:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfxnmtn7pq9ln5g8ltywr7pxe5ck6fd8wzk962p4uugfkjhg5w2yqzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5vkack9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspxh6j09q3nv9kf9fhqs4md3hs3fdnrnhhc40qftcsf5ku2w8u3vs8fa3yd'>nevent1q…a3yd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Angels in the Sun Beam is the story of a 10yr old girl and her plot to take her older brother, who is bedridden with a severe disability, to school. It is a sweet story, with a happy ending for the both children, and if the film is ever made perhaps it will bring a tear or two to your face.<br/>Download this free eBook, a collection of short screenplays, from here<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/>#free #book #bookstodon #screenwriting #writers #writing #writingcommunity 2026-04-15T16:21:52Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspxh6j09q3nv9kf9fhqs4md3hs3fdnrnhhc40qftcsf5ku2w8u3vszypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5djcctp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0vsqndpuxxhz5fyk3kpjd0x44zejt0pxsqw78v2kndcpj5ccfu6c7puq6z'>nevent1q…uq6z</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The next screenplay in this collection of short scripts, Adyeri, is a cheesy horror story about a man who hears voices of a woman he is infatuated with, leading him on to believe that she is in love with him, though when he approaches her the story is different and the result is more sad than terrifying. You can read this and other scripts in this free ebook, which has a diversity of genres. <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/><br/>#horror #books #bookstodon #screenwriting #free 2026-04-14T16:33:56Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0vsqndpuxxhz5fyk3kpjd0x44zejt0pxsqw78v2kndcpj5ccfu6czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5ahz6x9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfnglfe608f0sjmk7nf4g23k57u6w847pdvldyqr4efw5fwf8ll4qafv890'>nevent1q…v890</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>This collection has two versions of the screenplay of What Happened in Room 13, a first draft and the shooting draft.It&#39;s about an adulterous affair gone wrong. The woman ends up dead and the man has to hide the corpse. <br/><br/>It&#39;s a short film, a dark comedy and a thriller, with over 8 million YouTube views, but you can watch it on #PeerTube <a href="https://tv.dilstories.com/w/nN68boejMs8ENY78M1tjNo">https://tv.dilstories.com/w/nN68boejMs8ENY78M1tjNo</a><br/><br/>Download a free copy of the script here<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/>#book #bookstodon #film #filmmastodon #movies #screenwriting 2026-04-11T23:18:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfnglfe608f0sjmk7nf4g23k57u6w847pdvldyqr4efw5fwf8ll4qzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5mx5g0c In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9wf3lvx24rc9zm7pwe8zm6crcrfrdyg03nw3akawqswxelemajmcntre0x'>nevent1q…re0x</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The third #screenplay in this free ebook lends the collection its name, and is a story that started with the title. Home Is A Fine Place To Die. I asked myself what kind of tale would fit such a poetic line, and ended up with the drama of a family who are tired of becoming refugees every time they hear a gunshot; their husband and father wants to keep fleeing, though home might be the safest place!<br/>Download a free copy <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/>#books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #film 2026-04-10T14:42:38Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9wf3lvx24rc9zm7pwe8zm6crcrfrdyg03nw3akawqswxelemajmczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5wzgjsk In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8ykqrn6gzum0zcys09lyh79mpy7y0s4fmh8pk3guxfzfxxw8hg2gey3r32'>nevent1q…3r32</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The second screenplay in this collection, which is free to download until the end of this month, is titled Under Sarah&#39;s Bed, and is set in the classic, perhaps cliche, genre of a monster under the bed. It was a script written to learn the basics of filmmaking, and you can laugh at the film here <a href="https://tv.dilstories.com/w/c8W7M9NxC5yNZab7EHEHGP">https://tv.dilstories.com/w/c8W7M9NxC5yNZab7EHEHGP</a><br/><br/>A copy of this book, is available here<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/><br/>#writers #writing #books #bookstodon #monster #sff #writingcommunity 2026-04-08T11:54:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfq8zdsh9v9mj28hsfpj6d775tsj2k9k88w6pt0pef69dcgrgdwugzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5c3kg2d Cover Reveal! Here is our next book, which opens for pre-orders soon, and it is a reprint of what some scholars say is a landmark publication, the first single-author collection of speculative stories from an African author (based on the continent and in contemporary times, we believe). First published in 2014, it went out of print when the original publisher folded. We are proud to bring it back to life!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-a-killing-in-the-sun/">https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-a-killing-in-the-sun/</a><br/>#books #bookstodon #sff #sciFi #writing #writingcommunity #blog<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/313/918/428/409/245/original/ef876405d1760d32.png"> <br/> 2026-03-29T18:49:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8ykqrn6gzum0zcys09lyh79mpy7y0s4fmh8pk3guxfzfxxw8hg2gzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5aqg4q0 Want to read screenplays? Here is a link to a free book with 9 short scripts of diverse genres. The first, After The Silence, is the sad and melodramatic story of a woman who speaks out about the abuse she experiences in her home, but no one believes her. It is set in a small town of Uganda, and can be read as a handbook of what a victim of domestic violence would go through to get justice in a such a place.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/">https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/</a><br/>#writing #writers #writingcommunity #books #bookstodon 2026-03-28T14:16:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszqedd9zvjp0f2vs489wre5xp8zz6tyde0evfzvr64j58ufwh4a3czypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw58w8e5j In Malawi a being called Chiruwi is believed to haunt lonely places in the forest, carrying an axe. It has one eye, one arm, one leg, the other half of its body being made of wax. It challenges any person it meets to wrestle with it; if the person can overcome it then it offers to show them “many medicines” if they will let it go, and tells them the properties of the various trees and herbs. But if the person is thrown “they return no more to their village; they die.”<br/><a href="https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/">https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/</a> 2026-03-26T18:27:24Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9qs7zme2lrhqglxrggjd688l36r3xhs4sshm6uax0mcf307p825qzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5gkk0n6 The first review of our novella is here, and it gets a Nerd Coefficient of 8/10. The review describes the theme of the book and the governance model it fantasizes about, and adds that &#34;There’s a sense in which The Blossoming of the Big Tree resembles classic hard SF, except this time it’s about finding a creative solution to a puzzle of political theory instead of rocket science.&#34; <br/><br/>Read review<br/><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1">http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1</a><br/><br/>Pre-order here<br/><a href="https://www.dilmandila.com/donate/wind-a-solarpunk-short-film">https://www.dilmandila.com/donate/wind-a-solarpunk-short-film</a><br/><br/>#books #bookstodon #writing #sff 2026-03-25T06:55:55Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxhyhvfdxdpg8rmfjt0jvdcxsz55sls5fwgrqegxq4gpxstytakygzypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5s2ypf7 Cover reveal! We&#39;ve edited this book for modern readers. It&#39;s an important documentation of African cultures. The original, written 100yrs ago by a racist anthropologist, had a lot of problematic texts, misinformation, and hallucinations of colonialists. We had to weed all that out, and it was a hectic job that took so much longer that planned. Now we are done, the cover is here, and now we hope to release it in a few weeks. To get updates <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/newsletter/">https://www.ododopress.com/newsletter/</a><br/><br/>#bookstodon #books #folklore<br/> <img src="https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/243/858/692/223/350/original/637220b6206f4c94.png"> <br/> 2026-03-17T09:51:33Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz9s7jjzj7ladpkshnwfupy75nv6zykzsunqn0xyn0tn99vwjvmvczypq7u2xrjjta5xru60tzd407fjz6t7udcds9uu4mezuxwfj5uuaw5r3qe8n Our first post should be an #introduction so here we go. We are a small press based in Uganda/East Africa, and we are passionate about speculative fiction. We publish #SciFi #fantasy #horror #solarpunk #afrofuturism and #africanfuturism books, and we also love #folklore so you should expect to see regular posts about African folk lore. This will be our only social media presence.<br/>Here is our website.<br/> <a href="https://www.ododopress.com/">https://www.ododopress.com/</a> 2026-03-15T18:42:39Z