Erika Swyler

@erikaswyler.bsky.social

660 followers 318 following 3041 posts

Novelist. Garden variety weirdo. Unrepentant typo queen.
Books: We Lived On the Horizon (Atria, 1/14/25), Light From Other Stars, The Book of Speculation.
She/her (all pronouns are fine)
linktr.ee/erikaswyler

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:36 UTC

COVER REVEAL!!! I'm so grateful to @reactorsff.bsky.social for giving WE LIVED ON THE HORIZON's gorgeous cover a grand introduction. Design by Laywan Kwan, art direction by Jimmy Iacobelli!
reactormag.com/cover-reveal...

3 replies 4 reposts 20 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 16:07 UTC

gah, that's gorgeous!

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 15:51 UTC

thank youuuuuu!

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 15:03 UTC

For me it's one of those "where can journalists even work these days" moments. I totally understand unsubscribing! As ever there's a flattening of the situation going on.

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 14:45 UTC

Sarah, when I tell you I cried... They *get* it. The process was so lovely. They asked what covers I love, what I thought of when I think of the book, listened to meabout my weird synesthesia with novels being colors. This is how it's supposed to be. I'm so damn lucky.

0 replies 0 reposts 5 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 14:25 UTC

Also, B&N is running a pre-order sale for members! 25% off me seems like a steal.
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-lived-o...

0 replies 1 reposts 3 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 14:19 UTC

OMG you *must*

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 14:00 UTC

🤖🦿👁 (I promise these emoji will make sense when you read it.)

0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:59 UTC

You all rock my socks off. Thank you so much!!! ❤️🚀🚀

1 replies 0 reposts 3 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:58 UTC

This *might* be why I have strong negative opinions about what we're currently calling "AI"

0 replies 3 reposts 7 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:44 UTC

KAT you are on my "better get her an ARC" list! I really love this lil' book too. (okay, it's kind of mammoth for me, but here we are.)

0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:38 UTC

Preorder Link!!!
www.simonandschuster.com/books/We-Liv...

(Please do share far and wide, and yes, I'm going to be insufferable about book.)

1 replies 2 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 13:36 UTC

3 replies 4 reposts 20 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 11:11 UTC

The carriage museum I work at begs to differ, Bee. 🧐

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 20:47 UTC

tbh, feels like the right treatment for Freud. Well done, small human. Well done.

0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

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Adrienne Celt @celtadri.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 19:21 UTC

New story in The Florida Review! Very excited about it.

0 replies 2 reposts 3 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 15:50 UTC

I do the same thing. Congratulations on finding it!!!!!

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 14:30 UTC

Keyboard warriors are *something.* But they do remind me that I need to spend more time at the museum talking to actual people though. (Museum guests are total delights 98% of the time.)

0 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 14:21 UTC

I've tried to become more adept at politely shutting that kidn of stuff down, but OOF is it hard, especially when my gut reaction is to cry like the overly-sensitive little animal I am.

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 13:06 UTC

Haven't had a woodchuck sighting in a few days. I should probably go plant something I *really* don't want eaten.

0 replies 0 reposts 3 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 19:26 UTC

Egad. I lock myself out of the internet for a few hours and return to people discovering that yes, I'm an allegorist. Yes, you can read my books as being literally about circus mermaids, time machines, and truly sentient machines, but you'll miss most of the fun.

0 replies 0 reposts 5 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 16:51 UTC

Um, lemme know when you need early readers because that is very much exactly my jam.

0 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 16:04 UTC

Zach, I really love this. (Also, HECK YEAH new Zach Powers book in '26!!!)

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Reposted by Erika Swyler

Zach Powers @zachpowers.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:45 UTC

Is my new story the world's greatest work of literature? It's about tiny UFOs versus frisbee dogs, so YES. "Very Good Dog" now online in the ASP Bulletin: theaspbulletin.com/very-good-do...

1 replies 2 reposts 4 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:33 UTC

Seeing some weird stuff about what people deduce about artists based on their work. (Most of it 20/20 hindsight.) As someone who intentionally works in allegory (though it's NEVER marketed that way), people are givingh way too much weight to literal readings of texts.

3 replies 7 reposts 43 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:05 UTC

Oh yeah. That site has one of my books extremely confused with The Night Circus. AI is very A and not at all I.

0 replies 0 reposts 5 likes

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Sarah Weinman @sarahweinman.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 10:32 UTC

I was angry and wrote about it.

19 replies 109 reposts 287 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 21:54 UTC

Hell hath no fury like a chicken in a MOOD.

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 21:51 UTC

Mochi finally realized she she's allowed to jump into the hay box. She's trying to eat her way to the bottom. I'm so proud. 🥹

0 replies 2 reposts 17 likes

Reposted by Erika Swyler

KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 20:04 UTC

Also: Get off your arse and vote. My constituency was won for Labour by 15 votes. A high turnout from the French sorted this. You don't vote? Well, the fash do. If you're replying to this with why it's ideologically impure for a truly left wing person to vote, please just block yourself, I'm tired.

6 replies 206 reposts 636 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 18:23 UTC

Ok. The UK and France have lowered my base level of panic, like, half a notch. Well done, good people. Well done.

0 replies 0 reposts 9 likes

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Sarah Weinman @sarahweinman.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 18:12 UTC

!!!!

0 replies 1 reposts 6 likes

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G. Willow Wilson @gwillow.me
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 15:34 UTC

We’ve returned to the olden days, when word-of-mouth was the only real way to advertise. As an author, if you enjoy a book, please: tell your friends. Your group chat, your sewing circle, your family WhatsApp, your work Slack, the voice channel of your MMORPG guild, anything.

21 replies 474 reposts 1139 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 01:55 UTC

Right?! And they bust out the German lyrics! A blast!

0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 07, 2024 at 01:39 UTC

I genuinely enjoy Goldfinger's cover of 99 Red Balloons (Punk covers are delightful more often than not.)

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 15:02 UTC

Yessss. I'm so excited for you!

0 replies 0 reposts 3 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 14:50 UTC

NORTH WOODS, and it's a vibe.

0 replies 0 reposts 3 likes

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Laura Brady @laurab7.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 12:43 UTC

How the women who ran libraries during the Harlem Renaissance built collections and, just as important, communities of writers and readers. www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/a...

0 replies 28 reposts 58 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 14:17 UTC

Hi. There's a big assumption going on here that no discernment was exercised during primaries, down ballot voting, protesting, funding, or anything. We're at a pretty different point in the process now, sadly. Have a good one!

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 12:55 UTC

I have a nice thing to share next week. That's a strange and unusual thing these days.

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 06, 2024 at 00:04 UTC

Exactly

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 05, 2024 at 14:03 UTC

It feels RIGHT. Public humiliation, but make it ~zany~ could fix a lot of things here.

0 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

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Lauren Olamina @olamina.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 05, 2024 at 13:14 UTC

This is pretty great.

No subscription required for this article; gift link.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

1 replies 42 reposts 83 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 05, 2024 at 00:09 UTC

Attention: The AKC Diving Dog Challenge is on ESPN right now. Maybe you need some happy dogs.

0 replies 0 reposts 3 likes

Reposted by Erika Swyler

Janet Yellin' & Screamin' & Cryin' @kellylink.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 17:51 UTC

Anyway, if anyone wants book recommendations right now, tell me 2 writers you love & what you’re in the mood for.

49 replies 18 reposts 71 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 15:08 UTC

I think you can take a breath. I'm not the paper. And yes, there's a lot of sadness and anger. I'll remind you that we don't know each other, this is the internet, and I'm not really the right outlet for your feelings at the moment.

2 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 15:03 UTC

Yes. Several, in fact, some of who I count as friends, who have done mindful journalism for decades.

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 15:01 UTC

Moving on: I just steam cleaned under the stove. I've seen things no human should.

1 replies 0 reposts 5 likes

Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 14:58 UTC

Finding another position in journalism is more than an uphill battle at the moment. Entirely switching fields requires already having a significant safety net to allow you to start again from scratch. Again, great if you can do it! Not really an option for a lot of folks.

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Erika Swyler @erikaswyler.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 14:52 UTC

I think that's wonderful in theory, but far less possible in practice.

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes