About Castles in the Sky

Castle in the Sky is a metaphor for a new idea so powerful that it changes the way we see the world.

Castles in the Sky newsletter is a weekly dose of truth, beauty, and humor to combat intellectual loneliness and existential boredom. Occasionally, you will also receive book reviews, short stories, and other essays.

I am a bookseller by birth, professor by choice, and writer by vocation. I spend as much time as possible with my wife and daughter. Any free moment between those is spent daydreaming and reading books. Here are two lists that will give you a decent idea of what this Substack is all about.


Five most popular pieces of writing

  • A Requiem for Sean in D Minor: This is an essay about friendship, shame, addiction, helping the ones we love, and living with complex regrets. (TW: addiction, suicide)


Six sections of the Substack

  • Newsletter: Where I share (mostly weekly) updates on what I’m writing, what’s going on in my life, and what’s inspiring me or catching my attention.

  • Essays and Memoirs: Where I explore ideas and tell personal stories.

  • Fiction: Where I publish short stories and novel chapters.

  • Review & Commentary: Where I give thoughts on books, movies, essays, and other art (and the artists who make it).

  • Experiments & Meta: Where I put anything that doesn’t fit neatly into the categories above, and also where I put “directories,” whenever I have a series of related posts.

  • Meta & On Writing: Where I discuss this Substack and the craft of writing, as well as where I put “stubs” or links to my writing published elswhere.


Please send me an email if you have any questions or comments about any stories. I love to get reader feedback. 

Subscribe to Castles in the Sky

A weekly dose of truth, beauty, and humor to combat intellectual loneliness and existential boredom.

People

Charlie Becker
Writing Essays and Fiction at Castles in the Sky