Good Scoop

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/19/the-big-idea-holly-seddon/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58312

If everyone had less than an hour to live, would your actions in those moments matter more or not at all? Author Holly Seddon explores this question in the Big Idea for her newest novel 59 Minutes, taking a closer look at whether people are capable of being kind and good up until their last breath. When the rules no longer apply, who would you choose to be?

HOLLY SEDDON:

The terrifying premise of 59 Minutes is that everyone in the UK receives an alert to say nuclear missiles are on their way, and the characters have a race against time to get to their loved ones to say goodbye. I’m very proud of this hook, I know it grabs people’s attention. 

But the theme, the big idea, behind the hook is, How do people behave when all the usual rules no longer apply? 

This has always interested me. It’s what draws us to shows like The Sopranos, where characters operate in a world that eschews the rules most of us live by, often running within the guard rails of a whole different set of rules. It’s why films like The Purge are so compelling. 

But even if the rules go up in smoke, I have to believe, as a human trying to negotiate my way through this life, that most people are good and well-meaning. 

So, in writing 59 Minutes, I was in a constant dialogue between that good and bad human impulse. The selfless and the selfish. 

Because some people really would use their last minutes to do terrible things. A last hurrah. You only have to look at the boom in crimes that happened under the cover of darkness in the blacked out London of World War Two to know that. Muggings. Sexual assault. Even murder. The serial killer Gordon Cummins who murdered four women and attempted to murder two more over a six-day period in 1942. 

But I have to believe that plenty of people, plenty more people, would have sacrificed their own safety to help other people. They always do. 

When I first had the idea for 59 Minutes, and started to cautiously tell people the premise to gauge their reaction, I noticed the same thing happened repeatedly. Their eyes would glaze over, they’d clearly stop listening to me waffling on and then they’d snap back to attention and apologize. What they said next was always a variation on the same thing. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking what the hell I would do.” 

I understood. That is the universality of the hook – every one of us if forced to confront extinction would have somewhere we wanted to be, some people with whom we wanted to spend those last minutes. But what if, like in the novel, it’s not that simple. What if missing children need help, do you stop and lose those minutes? What if you are forced to choose between your own safety, and the safety of someone you loved? 

In writing this book and asking my readers to consider such existential questions, I couldn’t shy away from them myself. I’d like to think that, if not brave, I would at least be kind right up to the end. But we all like to think we’d be heroic, don’t we? 

So what about you? What would you do if the usual rules of the world just no longer applied. How would you spend your final minutes? 

59 Minutes: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s|Simon & Schuster

Author socials: Website|Instagram|Facebook

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/19/the-big-idea-holly-seddon/

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Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/15/small-business-saturday-face-by-kelsi/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58230

For all my Dayton and Cincinnati readers, I have an excellent small business recommendation for you today if you find yourself in need of a makeup artist or esthetician! A few weeks ago, I was a bridesmaid in my friend’s wedding, and she had a makeup artist from West Chester come up to Englewood to do all of our makeup. As someone who never does their makeup, I love having the opportunity to have it professionally done for me, and usually the only time that happens is when I’m in a wedding. So I always hope that it turns out well since it’s such a rare occasion for me.

Thankfully, Kelsi is a very talented makeup artist, and everyone ended up looking amazing! She was able to do a variety of looks, as I wanted soft glam with false lashes, while the matron of honor wanted a very natural, subtle look with no falsies. Everyone was a little different, and Kelsi listened to everyone’s requests perfectly. She totally nailed my eyeliner wing and sparkly rose gold eyeshadow, and I felt so pretty.

While I was in the chair and Kelsi was working her magic on me, we ended up talking a little bit and right off the bat I really loved her energy. She was friendly and accommodating and I found her to be very funny, as well. I enjoyed talking with her and decided that I would really like to book a facial with her at her studio sometime. So I did! And I drove all the way down to West Chester this past week to get a Pumpkin Spice Facial.

Let me tell you, this facial was totally worth the drive. I loved how cute Kelsi’s studio set up was, it was very comfortable and relaxing. The bed was heated and the blankets were so soft and comfy. Though the Pumpkin Spice Facial comes with some pre-determined items like the Pumpkin Perfecting Mask by Circadia as well as the Hydrating Marshmallow Mask, she customized some of the other items based on my skin’s needs. I was particularly dry from the colder weather, and she adjusted the facial accordingly.

Plus, I added on a dermaplane, and it was a totally painless and comfortable experience! Not that a dermaplane should ever really hurt, but Kelsi had a particularly gentle approach when using the blade that was much appreciated.

Before starting our session, Kelsi asked if I wanted a “yap sesh” or a “nap sesh,” and I love the consideration of this question. Do I want to chit chat or do I want to relax and drift off? Normally, I’m more a fan of the latter, but I enjoyed talking to Kelsi so much at the wedding that I wanted to converse more, so I went ahead and ordered a Yappaccino (aka I opted to talk to her more).

In between sharing recommendations of where to find the best espresso martini in Cincinnati and talking about weddings, I was treated to a truly excellent facial that felt incredible. Between Kelsi’s massage techniques and her running jade combs through my hair, I was becoming more destressed by the second. It’s so nice to find an esthetician who has immaculate vibes and provides amazing service! At the time I got my facial, I just so happened to catch a promotion she was having. It was a 50% off special on the Pumpkin Spice Facial, and I felt so lucky I managed to be included in that window when the special was happening. Thank you for the amazing deal, Kelsi!

Kelsi also agreed to a mini interview, so please enjoy these couple of questions I threw her way:

Q: What got you into the makeup and skincare scene?

A: I’ve always had interests that were adjacent to the beauty industry; I was always the girl with my nails painted in middle school (even though we weren’t allowed to have them painted) and I was definitely a victim of the 2016 makeup craze! I have a friend that does hair who pitched me the idea of being a makeup artist for her bridal team in 2019, and everything took off from there!

Q: What’s your favorite look to do on a person? Glam? Natural? Halloweenie?

A: I love a good solid soft glam that reflects the personality of the person wearing it. Makeup is so personal, it’s always so fun learning what makes someone feel beautiful. Whether it’s the waterline black liner you’ve been rocking since the 90s or a signature red lip that you wouldn’t feel like yourself without! My favorite glam is a look that makes my client feel like the best version of themself!

Q: What’s been your favorite part of having your own business?

A:  My favorite part of owning my own business has been being able to customize the services I offer so I know I’m only doing things I’m passionate about. I love being able to offer fun seasonal facials, I love doing bridal makeup, and I love a good lash and brow transformation! I think it’s so important when you’re in a creative industry like this to only do things you’re passionate about so your heart can really be in it and your work will reflect that sincerity.

Q: What’s something you’ve really enjoyed about your work, and one thing that’s challenging?

A: Something I’ve really enjoyed about my work is being able to connect with so many lovely people! It’s so easy these days to feel cynical about the state of the world and the people in it, but I’ve found that there’s so many beautiful people out there if you let yourself find them. One thing that’s been challenging has been pushing myself harder on slow days when it’s easy to be lazy and pessimistic. I knew when I opened my suite this year that things would be challenging to start out on my own, but I’m constantly reminded how lucky I am to be where I’m at, and I’m so excited to see where I’ll be 5, 10, and even 20 years from now!

There you have it, folks. If you have a kid going to prom in the Spring, you’re an Ohio bride in 2026, or you just want to treat yourself to a lovely self-care moment and get a facial, Kelsi is your girl.

You can book a facial service through her website, or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok. I know I definitely need to book myself a Peppermint Hot Cocoa Facial for the holidays.

Have you been part of a wedding before? Do you like getting your makeup done? Would you try the Peppermint Hot Cocoa Facial? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!

-AMS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/15/small-business-saturday-face-by-kelsi/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58230

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/13/the-big-idea-theodora-goss-3/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58247

Reality is both objective and subjective, but what if reality could be fundamentally changed just by enough people thinking about it really hard? Author Theodora Goss is here today not only to present her newest collection of short stories, but to make you question our very reality and what it means for something to be considered “real” in society. Follow along in the Big Idea for Letters from an Imaginary Country, and contemplate reality along the way.

THEODORA GOSS:

One of my favorite writers is Jorge Luis Borges, and one of my favorite stories by Borges is “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius.” I’ll try not to spoil the story too much, but if you haven’t read it and would like to before finding out what I’m going to say about it, don’t look any further. Instead, go find a copy of Borges’ short story collection Labyrinths. Once you’ve read the story (and every other story in the collection—you will inevitably want to read them all), you can come back here.

All right, let’s keep going. “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius” is about a secret society that creates an encyclopedia for an imaginary world named Tlön. Because the encyclopedia describes that world in so much detail, it begins to materialize; objects from Tlön being to appear in our world. Eventually, our world starts to become Tlön—the imaginary world has taken over the real one. This concept inspired two of the stories in my short story collection Letters from an Imaginary Country: “Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology” and “Pellargonia: A Letter to the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology.” Imaginary anthropology is just one of the imaginary sciences; one can also study imaginary archaeology, imaginary sociology, imaginary biology—and certain fields, such as economics, may always have been imaginary anyway. They are based on the Tlön Hypothesis: that if a group of people imagine something, describe it clearly and in sufficient detail, and get enough other people to believe in it, that thing becomes real. So imaginary archaeologists can imagine and then excavate an ancient civilization. Imaginary biologists can imagine and then locate a new species of animal. Practitioners of imaginary anthropology can imagine and then travel to contemporary human societies—countries like Cimmeria and Pellargonia. Of course, creating these societies can result in unexpected consequences, which is what my stories are about.

On one hand, the Tlön Hypothesis is a fantastical element—of course we can’t create reality just by imagining it. On the other, it’s fundamentally and demonstrably true. We can’t create real reality through imagination, but human beings don’t live most of their lives in real reality—where we find trees and rivers and mountains. As far as we know, other animals spend their lives in that reality. But we human beings spend most of our lives in an imagined reality that includes, and counts as “real,” countries and governments and corporations. I’m drawing here on Yuval Noah Harari’s idea, described in Sapiens, that any human society is largely an “imagined order.” We are born into that order, and its rules and values tell us how to live. We think of that order as “real” because it seems as natural and inevitable to us as trees and rivers and mountains. In the United States, we believe that we have a constitution (not just a piece of paper with writing on it) and that we spend money (not just other pieces of paper with more writing). We have also created a social structure that enforces those rules and values, so that if we steal pieces of paper with one kind of writing (doodles on napkins, for example), no one will care—but if we steal pieces of paper with a different kind of writing (like hundred dollar bills), we will be put in prison.

You could say I made up the Tlön Hypothesis because it seemed like a cool idea for my story. However, the Tlön Hypothesis is also the basis for human civilization—a society comes into being because we imagine it, and the only way to change that society is to imagine another order for it. (We had better get on that quick, by the way, because our “real” reality is starting to destroy the actual real reality, including trees and rivers and mountains, as well as the animals to whom they are crucially important.)

All of the stories in Letters from an Imaginary Country are, to a certain extent, about how we create the world through telling stories about it, whether those stories are fairy tales or academic papers. They are about the power of language, which I think is our main human superpower—the ability to communicate with one another in complex ways, and to create social structures because we agree on certain things, or wars because we disagree on others. All the great things we have achieved as a species are a function of our ability to communicate, as are all the terrible things we have done throughout human history. Indeed, the idea of human history itself depends on language.

I suppose if I want a reader to get any central idea from my collection, it’s that we have the power to make and remake our world through language (which is why writers, who seem so powerless in our capitalist system, are the first targets of authoritarian regimes). So let’s use language carefully, clearly, well. I’m certainly not the first writer to say this. George Orwell said it in much more specific detail; Ursula K. Le Guin, with much greater eloquence. But it’s worth repeating as many times as we need to hear it.

You might not get that particular point from reading my stories, at least not consciously—after all, I hope they are also fun reads. Feel free to enjoy them without philosophizing too much. But I’m grateful for the opportunity to philosophize here, and to talk about why I wrote them as well as how much I owe to an amazing writer named Borges.

Letters from an Imaginary Country: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Bookshop|Powell’s

Author socials: Website|Facebook|Instagram|Bluesky

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/13/the-big-idea-theodora-goss-3/

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