Amanda Downum
@stillsostrange.bsky.social
SFF writer, mortician, and monster about town. She/her.
Adding this to my slides on holy relics next semester!
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Adding this to my slides on holy relics next semester!
Reposted by Amanda Downum
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
I need to set the arterial system to music so my students remember it.
November 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I need to set the arterial system to music so my students remember it.
8th graders aren't really the age group I'd choose to talk to about a career in mortuary science, but it turns out they enjoy playing with modeling wax.
October 21, 2025 at 7:52 PM
8th graders aren't really the age group I'd choose to talk to about a career in mortuary science, but it turns out they enjoy playing with modeling wax.
Reposted by Amanda Downum
What happens in the group chat stays in the group chat…until it doesn’t.
CONFESSIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAT IS OUT NOW!
Want copies of my cozy Deer Hill Anonymous books of your own? You can order from anywhere, request at your library, or get a signed copy from my friends at One More Page.
CONFESSIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAT IS OUT NOW!
Want copies of my cozy Deer Hill Anonymous books of your own? You can order from anywhere, request at your library, or get a signed copy from my friends at One More Page.
October 21, 2025 at 1:34 PM
What happens in the group chat stays in the group chat…until it doesn’t.
CONFESSIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAT IS OUT NOW!
Want copies of my cozy Deer Hill Anonymous books of your own? You can order from anywhere, request at your library, or get a signed copy from my friends at One More Page.
CONFESSIONS FROM THE GROUP CHAT IS OUT NOW!
Want copies of my cozy Deer Hill Anonymous books of your own? You can order from anywhere, request at your library, or get a signed copy from my friends at One More Page.
This week I'll be working a career fair for thousands of 8th graders. Pray for me.
October 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM
This week I'll be working a career fair for thousands of 8th graders. Pray for me.
Reposted by Amanda Downum
As someone on day 3 of a migraine, this is a little too close to the bone
"Are my migraines hormonal, or am I thinking too hard about how Peter Thiel has more money than all nurses on Earth combined?"
Is It Perimenopause or the Fascist Death Knell of Late-Stage Capitalism?
Are my hot flashes due to an estrogen imbalance or a rapidly warming planet hastened by unaccountable oil barons who own our elections? Am I irrita...
buff.ly
October 18, 2025 at 9:47 AM
As someone on day 3 of a migraine, this is a little too close to the bone
Reposted by Amanda Downum
Book bub deal for A PHILOSOPHY OF THIEVES! www.bookbub.com/books/a-phil...
A Philosophy of Thieves by Fran Wilde - BookBub
Leverage meets Parasite meets Six of Crows in multi-award winning author Fran Wilde s thrilling, high-tech adventure heist wrapped in a gaslamp fantasy where thieves are entertainment for the wealthy....
www.bookbub.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Book bub deal for A PHILOSOPHY OF THIEVES! www.bookbub.com/books/a-phil...
The handsome skeleton on the left is Fred. His friend with the hat doesn't have a name yet. Suggestions?
photo by @stillsostrange.bsky.social
August 27, 2025 at 9:04 PM
The handsome skeleton on the left is Fred. His friend with the hat doesn't have a name yet. Suggestions?
Reposted by Amanda Downum
photo by @stillsostrange.bsky.social
August 27, 2025 at 8:58 PM
photo by @stillsostrange.bsky.social
Reposted by Amanda Downum
The WFA-nominated collection of weird fiction by @stillsostrange.bsky.social is $1.99 in ebook currently!
www.bookbub.com/books/still-...
www.bookbub.com/books/still-...
Still So Strange by Amanda Downum is only $1.99 - BookBub
Discover the magic and supernatural creatures that flourish in the dark corners of seductive worlds Indulge in this breathtaking fantasy anthology from an author whose prose is intoxicating, sensual, ...
www.bookbub.com
August 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The WFA-nominated collection of weird fiction by @stillsostrange.bsky.social is $1.99 in ebook currently!
www.bookbub.com/books/still-...
www.bookbub.com/books/still-...
Reposted by Amanda Downum
Norwegian home invasion.
August 17, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Norwegian home invasion.
Reposted by Amanda Downum
today we learn about formaldehyde with @stillsostrange.bsky.social in today's Ask A Necromancer!
"To be clear, a dead body in and of itself is nothing to be afraid of, even a smelly one. [...] Dead is not the problem; it’s the pathogens that may still be alive."
⬇️💀🖤
psychopomp.com/deadlands/is...
"To be clear, a dead body in and of itself is nothing to be afraid of, even a smelly one. [...] Dead is not the problem; it’s the pathogens that may still be alive."
⬇️💀🖤
psychopomp.com/deadlands/is...
Ask a Necromancer: Fun with Formaldehyde - PSYCHOPOMP.COM
To be clear, a dead body in and of itself is nothing to be afraid of, even a smelly one. We’ve moved beyond the miasma theory of medicine. Dead is not the problem; it’s the pathogens that may still be...
psychopomp.com
August 11, 2025 at 1:38 PM
today we learn about formaldehyde with @stillsostrange.bsky.social in today's Ask A Necromancer!
"To be clear, a dead body in and of itself is nothing to be afraid of, even a smelly one. [...] Dead is not the problem; it’s the pathogens that may still be alive."
⬇️💀🖤
psychopomp.com/deadlands/is...
"To be clear, a dead body in and of itself is nothing to be afraid of, even a smelly one. [...] Dead is not the problem; it’s the pathogens that may still be alive."
⬇️💀🖤
psychopomp.com/deadlands/is...
The things I find in my classroom.
July 13, 2025 at 12:55 AM
The things I find in my classroom.
Reposted by Amanda Downum
"You know, as an example, red lead was used to make cheddar... A can of coffee could be coffee, but it could be ground bone, or charred shells, or dirt." Deborah Blum on our bad food past -- and how to avoid it being our future:
buttondown.com/theswordandt...
buttondown.com/theswordandt...
How to Not Get Poisoned in America
The minute I saw that Robert Kennedy Jr., a notorious disease-loving health crank, was going to be responsible for the nation’s health—and the health of its...
buttondown.com
April 30, 2025 at 4:11 PM
"You know, as an example, red lead was used to make cheddar... A can of coffee could be coffee, but it could be ground bone, or charred shells, or dirt." Deborah Blum on our bad food past -- and how to avoid it being our future:
buttondown.com/theswordandt...
buttondown.com/theswordandt...
I'm sharing some of my early Ask a Necromancer essays on Patreon, and hopefully answering new questions. Check it out, all you morbid children.
www.patreon.com/posts/130698...
www.patreon.com/posts/130698...
To All the Morbid Children | Amanda Downum
Get more from Amanda Downum on Patreon
www.patreon.com
June 5, 2025 at 7:38 AM
I'm sharing some of my early Ask a Necromancer essays on Patreon, and hopefully answering new questions. Check it out, all you morbid children.
www.patreon.com/posts/130698...
www.patreon.com/posts/130698...
I forgot to share the final version of my emotional support severed head from last semester.
May 28, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I forgot to share the final version of my emotional support severed head from last semester.
Remmick is a perfect gentleman about everything... except banana flavored amoxicillin. I'd probably choose violence too if someone tried to squirt that down my throat, so I can't really blame him.
May 28, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Remmick is a perfect gentleman about everything... except banana flavored amoxicillin. I'd probably choose violence too if someone tried to squirt that down my throat, so I can't really blame him.
Does anyone know anyone in a driveable-from-Richmond area who could adopt my handsome friend? My house is at cat-pacity, and I don't want to turn him back outside knowing he's FIV+.
May 27, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Does anyone know anyone in a driveable-from-Richmond area who could adopt my handsome friend? My house is at cat-pacity, and I don't want to turn him back outside knowing he's FIV+.
Cat update: Remmick got in a carrier more politely than any cat I know. Poor baby is FIV positive and needs antibiotics for his mangled ear, but is otherwise doing well at the vet.
May 27, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Cat update: Remmick got in a carrier more politely than any cat I know. Poor baby is FIV positive and needs antibiotics for his mangled ear, but is otherwise doing well at the vet.
Guess who came in for dinner? Now I just have to convince him to get in a carrier tomorrow morning without murdering me.
May 27, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Guess who came in for dinner? Now I just have to convince him to get in a carrier tomorrow morning without murdering me.
This is Remmick. He believes in equality. He wants to come inside. He wants your stories and kibble. He's going to receive some bonus healthcare next week. If anyone has a few extra dollars they could contribute to fellowship and love (and vaccines and flea treatment), we would be truly grateful.
May 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This is Remmick. He believes in equality. He wants to come inside. He wants your stories and kibble. He's going to receive some bonus healthcare next week. If anyone has a few extra dollars they could contribute to fellowship and love (and vaccines and flea treatment), we would be truly grateful.
I'm going to start posting flyers around campus inviting people to join me in donning dinosaur costumes and benignly rampaging.
March 19, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I'm going to start posting flyers around campus inviting people to join me in donning dinosaur costumes and benignly rampaging.
Yesterday I got MOHS surgery. The process was pretty cool and the doctor didn't mind my constant nerd questions. The local anesthesia and Tylenol have definitely worn off now, though.
March 6, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Yesterday I got MOHS surgery. The process was pretty cool and the doctor didn't mind my constant nerd questions. The local anesthesia and Tylenol have definitely worn off now, though.
Okay, context for my severed head collection. The head on the left was my (in progress) final project for Restorative Art in mortuary school. He was made with Plastilina art clay. The head on the right is my current project, using Dodge's modeling wax. (1/?)
February 23, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Okay, context for my severed head collection. The head on the left was my (in progress) final project for Restorative Art in mortuary school. He was made with Plastilina art clay. The head on the right is my current project, using Dodge's modeling wax. (1/?)