New Book Releases, September 2026: New Dystopian Satire Books

Posted on by Megan

I’ve been in a mood for dystopian stories after finishing The Epoch Rite of Passage. I went looking for some new ones to add to my TBR pile, and I found a few that look interesting. These dystopian novels lean more toward satire rather than romance–just as I like it. One thing they have in common? They all feel a little too close to home. Here’s hoping they also offer glimpses of more positive paths forward.

First up…

NØT NØW

by Neil AnthØny

A speculative thriller about engineered consciousness, surveillance, and resistance. From the jacket copy: “In 2063, the State does not simply watch its citizens. It scores them, allocates them, corrects them, and improves them. Behaviour is currency. Compliance is survival. The body is no longer private property.”

What you’ll find inside: thought-provoking and fast-paced storytelling, great world-building.

Get the Book

The Hunger of Those Who Built It

by Wendy Waring

A multi-perspective novel set in a near-future Paris reshaped by climate urgency. An environmental engineer’s good intentions have less than desirable consequences as she sets out to rescue the world with a green urban project–that a future niece must now live in.

What you’ll find inside: thought-provoking and lyrical storytelling, immersive world-building.

Get the Book

Buzzard

Inez Ray

A novel that explores the current trajectory of women’s loss of agency. From the jacket copy: “In 2086, corporations are monitoring fertility. Abortion is illegal. And the last woman alive who can perform the procedure is in hiding.”

What you’ll find inside: thought-provoking and gripping storytelling, fiction that pulls no punches.

Get the Book

That rounds out our list of new releases to read if you love dystopian satire. But if you burn through all of those this weekend and find yourself wanting just a little bit more dystopia, I have a trilogy that explores a very similar dynamic. It’s called The Epoch Rite of Passage, and you can find the first book right here.

Want more news about upcoming books that are a little different?

New Book Releases, September 2026: Books Set in HELL

Posted on by Megan

I just finished another Corbin Kohl book, and I started wondering… are there other books out there set in Hell? Of course there are! I went looking for some new ones to add to my TBR pile, and I found a few that really piqued my interest. They’re not just set in Hell, but they look fun and funny, too, and as I dug into them, I realized there had something else in common as well: they’re all workplace comedies.

New Book Releases September 2026: Books set in Hell

First up…

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell

by Mackenzie Reed

This one’s set in Hell by way of an insurance company and Times Square in New York. It follows a twenty-seven-year-old receptionist and her secretly-a-demon-hunter boss as they descend into Hell to rescue a coworker.

What you’ll find inside: cozy horror, twists and turns, snarky dialogue, slow-burn paranormal workplace romance.

Get the Book

Finished Business

by Victoria Brun

This one is set in Hell by way of a consulting firm run by a demon. It follows a dead young professional and her two ghostly colleagues–a 1930s housewife and a coconut octopus (love it!)–who set out to turn a startup company that helps ghosts complete their unfinished business into the next big thing.

What you’ll find inside: humor, satire, quirky characters, business parody.

Get the Book

Soul Proprietor

by Stephanie Vance

This one is set in Hell by way of Portland, Oregon. It follows a “salesfiend” intent on ascending to Hell’s C-Suite when she accidentally breaks one of Hell’s commandments and must accept a humiliating bargain in order to save her promotion.

What you’ll find inside: quirky characters, including a fire-breathing dachshund, and more depth than you might initially expect.

Get the Book

That’s it for today!

If you’re looking for something to read while you wait for these, check out the Corbin Kohl in Hell series. It’s the series that inspired me to do this post and, strangely enough, it is also a workplace comedy.

Want more news about upcoming books that are a little different?

Trigger Warning for The Epoch Rite of Passage

Posted on by Megan

I’ve been thinking about whether or not to include a trigger warning for The Epoch Rite of Passage. My kneejerk reaction to trigger warnings is that I don’t like them. I don’t like spoilers for a book I’m about to read.

For the first book I did that I thought probably needed a trigger warning, I put a link in the front of the book for anyone serious about needing to read it. It seemed to work fine. No one complained.

But if you keep the content warning really high-level with absolutely no details, are you really spoiling anything? Or are you actually just giving a little extra hook, maybe even convincing someone on the fence to read the story?

I’m liking this idea, this idea of using the trigger warning as a hook into the story. In fiction, the general rule is that you’re never supposed to “tell” (because you’re supposed to “show”). But in a trigger warning—you get to tell. You get to say, look at all this interesting stuff that happens in the book!

Last night I felt the urge to draft something of a hookish trigger warning to include in the first book of The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy.

Here’s what I came up with:

The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy is a subversive dystopian political satire set in the increasingly techno-fascist world of the High States and includes scenes of authorized and state-sanctioned violence, fearmongering, gaslighting, spying, graphic language, theft, kidnapping, child endangerment, breaking and entering, blackmail, sexual assault, murder… you know, the usual stuff you see on the nightly news, up to and including a bloviating talking-head attempting to normalize it all. Mind your mental health and, if you need to, save this trilogy for another time. Otherwise, welcome to the High States—some say the greatest country in the world!
But don’t get too comfortable. It won’t exist like this for long…

What do you think?

[some time later…]

I just saw it in my email, after posting it, and I had some thoughts:

The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy is a subversive dystopian political satire set in the increasingly techno-fascist High States, a world with authorized and state-sanctioned violence, fearmongering, gaslighting, spying, graphic language, theft, kidnapping, child endangerment, breaking and entering, blackmail, sexual assault, murder… you know, the usual stuff you see on the nightly news, up to and including a bloviating talking-head attempting to normalize it all. Mind your mental health and, if you need to, save this outing for another time. Still here? Then welcome to the High States—some say it’s the greatest country in the world. Watch your Ps and Qs and don’t get too comfortable. It won’t exist as-is for long…

Halloween Books to Read by Mood

Posted on by Megan

Looking for Halloween books to read?

Halloween triggers a specific kind of urge to match your next novel to the season—and your mood. If you’re anything like me, your reading tastes tend toward books with some kind of fantastical element while at the same time fluctuating wildly along the tone spectrum from dark to light. Sometimes you crave deep, psychological chills that linger long after you turn the last page. Other times you want a thrilling supernatural mystery that will take you somewhere you’ve never been before. Later you might want to curl up under a blanket with a hot cocoa and a light-hearted novel that feels like hanging out with old friends.

Whatever you’re in the mood for, I’ve got you covered!

Here are three novels that hit that Halloween sweet spot from different points on the tone spectrum: dark, light, and gray.

1. The Dark End: Girl, Incorrupted (A Horror Story about Love)

If you want to dive straight into the deep end of the shadows this Halloween, Girl, Incorrupted sets the ultimate dark tone.

  • The Vibe: Ominous, Vaudeville, Obsession, Longing.
  • The Story: When Daphne James’s boyfriend jokes that he’d rather marry a local vaudeville starlet than propose to her, Daphne tracks down the performer. But the L’Aornum Theatre’s headliner isn’t just a talented performer—she’s a woman with a dark secret who takes a dangerous, personal interest in Daphne.
  • More: This is a horror story about love, a horromance that leans into the horror. It’s the go-to pick for readers who want secrets, gaslighting, psychological horror, a monster type they’ve never seen before, and who don’t need a happily ever after.
  • Bonus: Join my newsletter and get the Girl, Incorrupted prequel free. You can also read the first scene of Girl, Incorrupted at the bottom of the book page.

2. The Gray Middle: The Metanaut (Sci vs. Psy Supernatural Thriller)

If you want your ghosts more thought-provoking than spooky, then move into the foggy, ambiguous gray middle and choose The Metanaut.

  • The Vibe: Moody, intellectual, eerie, and grounded in high-stakes mystery.
  • The Story: Scientist Anja Copenhagen believes the supernatural is absolute nonsense. But when a strange paranormal anomaly shows up in the California Redwoods, she is forced to investigate the impossible and question every law of nature she’s ever known.
  • More: This captures that classic Halloween vibe with a typical type of Halloween character but without gore or too much spookiness. It’s eerie and atmospheric without being a full-blown horror story, making it the perfect middle ground for your Halloween reading pleasure.
  • Bonus: Join my newsletter and get The Metanaut’s deleted prologue. You can also read the first scene of The Metanaut at the bottom of the book page.

3. The Light End: Corbin Kohl Adrift in Hell (Cozy Low-Fantasy Fun)

If you love the irony of managing to be optimistic while finding yourself in Hell (or someplace like it), then slide all the way over to the bright side or the tone spectrum with Corbin Kohl Adrift in Hell.

  • The Vibe: Lighthearted, fun, funny, optimistic, and surprisingly comforting considering the setting.
  • The Story: Corbin Kohl is in Hell—or somewhere like it. Between the scorching heat and his unpaid gig working for “Management,” he just wants to figure out how to get home. But his first assignment—tracking down Management’s most wanted—introduces him to some likeable people and turns out to be weirdly fun.
  • More: Think “the light-hearted side of The Dresden Files meets Stephanie Plum adventures,” but set in a hot place with a fiery pit at the center.  It provides all the seasonal hell-and-brimstone imagery you could want for Halloween, but wrapped in a cozy, low-fantasy adventure that leaves you smiling instead of checking the locks on your doors. It’s a book that feels like a warm hug. And if you like it, you’re in luck, because it’s the first in a series.
  • Bonus: Read the first scene of Corbin Kohl Adrift In Hell at the bottom of the book page.

4. Bonus Halloween Book to Read on the Light End: The Skilled Clown’s Fear

Looking for something quick and light? Try The Skilled Clown’s Fear.

  • The Vibe: Lighthearted, clowning around, circus fun.
  • The Story: All clowns have some fears—silent audiences, broken props—but only poor Clarence seems haunted by this fear…
  • More: The Skilled Clown’s Fear is a light-hearted horror short story, and it’s free to read right now in my substack.

Happy Halloween Reading!

Halloween Books to Read from Dark to Light.

What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life? | Horror Story Quote

Posted on by Megan

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed lately by all the OPTIONS! and THINGS I MUST DO!*

So when I saw WP’s daily prompt—What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life?—this quote popped into mind:

[If a] decision [isn’t] an easy yes, then by default it should be an easy no. That’s just good life management.

— Girl, Incorrupted

I guess this post was an easy yes.

*Says who?

Megan Bledsoe writes stories with a touch of fantasy across three distinct emotional tracks: dark, light, and gray. Her next release is The Epoch Rite of Passage, a dystopian satire trilogy for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way.

If you could rewrite any book’s ending, which one would you choose? | Writing Optimistic Dystopian Fiction

Posted on by Megan

Which book’s ending would I rewrite if I could?

1984.

So I did rewrite it.

Let me back up.

“If you could rewrite any book’s ending, which one would you choose?”

This was WordPress’s Daily Writing Prompt today, July 27, 2026. When I saw it, it felt surreal, almost dreamlike. Because I literally just finished writing the last book in a trilogy that was inspired by a couple things:

ICE in Minnesota.

And the ending of 1984.

Worst Book Ending Ever

The MC in 1984 ends the book by saying he loves Big Brother? Seriously? No!

No, no, no!

Controversial, maybe, but… I’d kind of like to see dystopian satire books about authoritarianism and fascism and control and automated surveillance and all that stuff that nobody wants but just seems to be coming at us anyway (Your car gets to decide if you can drive? Seriously?) end with, oh, I don’t know… something better.

Hope, for starters.

A new, egalitarian way of living that treats everyone with respect and dignity would be amazing.

A glimpse of how we might get ourselves out of this mess—without resorting to the typical dystopian way of resolving things that I find so disheartening.

So I wrote it.

A third thing that inspired me

When Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, I read a post somewhere, written to Disney, that said something like, “Didn’t you watch Andor? It’s your own show!”

I haven’t seen Andor, but from what I can tell, it’s a high-fantasy type story. And it occurred to me that maybe, for some people, when a show’s world is too far removed from the real world, the themes don’t always hit home as strongly as they could.

So, I decided to write a dystopian trilogy that stuck to the real world—today’s real world—as much as possible.

What do you call dystopian fiction that’s partially ripped from the headlines?

Near-Future Collapse Fiction?

It took me three books, not one, to move the “High States,” a fictional country that looks a lot like the 2026 United States, from a growing fascist government into something better—to see if it was even possible—but I did eventually get the characters there.

It is possible.

And the last book shows how they do it.

Hopeful Apocalyptic Fiction?

Now if only the world could move in that direction, or something like it, without first having to suffer and learn the hard way that it didn’t have to be this way.

Megan Bledsoe writes stories with a touch of fantasy across three distinct emotional tracks: dark, light, and gray. Her next release is The Epoch Rite of Passage, a dystopian satire trilogy for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way. Read the first scene here.

Optimistic Dystopian Fiction

Optimistic Dystopian Fiction. The Precipice People is Book 1 in The Epoch Rite of Passage Trilogy, a dystopian satire trilogy for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way.   Optimistic Dystopian Fiction. The Shattered State is Book 2 in The Epoch Rite of Passage Trilogy, a dystopian satire trilogy for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way.   Optimistic Dystopian Fiction. The Poisoned Pieces is Book 3 in The Epoch Rite of Passage Trilogy, a dystopian satire trilogy for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way.

You feel it too, don’t you?

Posted on by Megan

That sense that the floor is falling out from under you?

The, “am I losing my mind, or is everything changing?” feeling?

You aren’t losing your mind. You are experiencing the dissolution of an old world and the painful, scary beginnings of something else—in short, a rite of passage. If you’ve been looking for a way to steady your footing and remember your own power in the middle of this chaos, then I’ve built a resource for you.

Get The Sovereignty Library

The Sovereignty Library is a curated list of dystopian novels that speak to the 3 mindset shifts that help—and might just be necessary—to get through a rite of passage. It’s a guide through the dissolution stage and the liminal stage to a point that by the time we’re in the reincorporation stage, we’re not just surviving but helping to create the new beginning.

Why I curated this library (and why I wrote the Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy)

Books are an escape. But some books offer more than just escape; they offer a worldview shift. The books in The Sovereignty Library (and The Epoch Rite of Passage) aren’t just about surviving. They speak to how sovereignty can emerge in impactful ways when things look the most bleak and survival and conformity are no longer enough.

I wanted to capture that precise moment when someone finally stops looking for permission, stops playing by the “official” rules, and realizes they have been free all along—and that they can act on that freedom even now.

The 9 books in the Sovereignty Library

The 9 books in The Sovereignty Library map that exact emotional trajectory. They each speak to a stage in a rite-of-passage transition—from the terrifying Separation of the old world, through the anxious uncertainty of the Liminal space, to the scary and satisfying moments of Reincorporation. It’s a resource you can use to both confirm that you are not alone in this historical moment and to help you navigate life going forward.

If you’re ready—or want to be ready—to stop asking permission, stop second-guessing yourself, and start building new, then…

Get The Sovereignty Library

Check your email immediately and find it in your welcome packet.

A Map of the Journey to Human Sovereignty

Posted on by Megan

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about the state of the world and the massive transition we all seem to be navigating. It’s what inspired my latest project, The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy. If you’ve been feeling like the old world is dissolving, I wanted to share a resource I built to help map the path forward.

This year it became absolutely clear to me that we are living through a massive, collective Rite of Passage.

If you feel like the world you loved has vanished, leaving you to navigate a landscape that no longer makes sense—you are not alone. You are not crazy. You are simply in the middle of a transition. We all are. But…

Why is this happening?
How do we get through it?
How will it end?

I felt compelled to explore these questions, and the result is The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy. (The first two books are available for preorder now, and I’m hard at work on the conclusion.) It seemed to me that people felt powerless in part because they couldn’t imagine change–both what it might look like when it was done or how to get there. So I put some characters into our world and propelled them toward a cliff to find out what will happen if we don’t change—and what’s possible if we do.

The characters aren’t just trying to survive a financial and societal collapse. That’s the first step, sure, but not the only one. The next steps are even harder: How do they reclaim their sovereignty in a world that has convinced them they don’t have any? And then how do they maintain their sovereignty and their humanity when its time to rebuild and the old “poisoned bricks” of control are the only tools they’ve ever known?

When I first started writing the trilogy, I broke this journey down into three stages—the stages of a rite of passage—to help me guide the characters:

  • Stage 1: Separation — The terrifying moment of realizing the system isn’t “broken”—it’s functioning exactly as it was designed, and to survive it you have to detach.
  • Stage 2: Liminality — The space between worlds, where you are free from the old system consciously but your body still has to live with in it and your subconscious is still reacting to its fearmongering and its “official” truths.
  • Stage 3: Incorporation — The act of co-creating a new order based on love, freedom, and individual sovereignty, rather than by fear, violence, and control.

I came at the story organically, but on a foundation of lots and lots of reading. I curated a PDF list of 9 books that speak to these three stages of a rite of passage into a resource I’m calling The Sovereignty Library.

This isn’t just a reading list. It’s a roadmap for anyone who is done waiting for the old world to fix itself and is ready—or wants to be ready—to start building something else entirely.

[Click here to get your copy of The Sovereignty Library]

When you download the PDF, you’ll get the list, plus my personal notes on how each book speaks to the stages in a rite of passage. By grabbing the library, you’ll also join my free monthly newsletter, where I share updates on my writing projects, book recommendations, and deeper dives into the themes of questioning reality in all its guises. You’ll also get a handful of other “goodies,” including a novella. Make sure you check your spam for the welcome email. That’s where the goodies are.

Get The Sovereignty Library

Request CORBIN 3 from your Library!

Posted on by Megan

Management’s serving cake? Obviously something’s up.

Corbin Kohl comes face to face with the City’s Stakeholders–the entities that even his boss fears–in book 3 of the Corbin Kohl In Hell Series, CORBIN KOHL CORNERED IN HELL.

If you want to order the book from your library (❤️), here’s the information you might need:

Title: Corbin Kohl Cornered In Hell
Author: Megan Bledsoe
Publisher: Arched Brow Books
Publication Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 978-1-969265-09-9 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-969265-10-5 (paperback)

What is this series?

The Corbin Kohl In Hell series is a fun and cozy low-fantasy mystery series that’s kind of like Jim Butcher / Dresden Files meets Janet Evanovich / Stephanie Plum, only set in Hell–or someplace like it. (If you know, you know.)

If you don’t want to wait for your library, you can join the adventure here. And if you’re new to the City, you can start from the beginning right here.

Have fun!