Charlotte Ahlin is a writer, playwright, actor, and artist. She's a native New Yorker and a graduate of Oberlin College. She's also the Associate Artistic Director and Morale Officer of Fat Knight Theatre. Right now, she's reading science fiction from the '70s and drawing sad cartoons.
Latest Articles
5 Books I Was WAY Too Young To Read When I Did
I am of the general opinion that we should not put age restrictions on books. Sure, the simplest "I Can Read!" books might not be scintillating to highly educated 40-somethings, and I doubt that many toddlers are going to get a lot out of Infinite Je…
By Charlotte Ahlin
15 Books You Hated As A Teen — But Should Give A Second Chance As An Adult
For many reasons, high school English class has gotten a bit of a bad reputation. Remarkably few people think back fondly on their forced encounters with Melville or Salinger. Essentially no one feels gratitude for being made to read The Scarlet Lett…
By Charlotte Ahlin
The Creepiest Character In The 'Game Of Thrones' Books Is Basically A Terrifying Clown
The HBO show Game of Thrones has cut quite a few characters, both major and minor, from the original Song of Ice and Fire novels. They've cut warrior princesses and secret lady scholars, they've cut whole dang Targaryens and they've cut kick ass zomb…
By Charlotte Ahlin
Varys From 'Game Of Thrones' Might Have A Secret That Changes The Whole Story
In a series full of subterfuge, where everyone is plotting something, one devious spymaster reigns supreme: Varys the Spider. He's the guy behind the guy at any given time, the one pulling the strings that control the Seven Kingdoms. And in the HBO s…
By Charlotte Ahlin
The Inspiration For Dumbledore Makes His Entire Story Even More Heartbreaking
The classic wizard, with his long white beard and his starry cloak, has been around a good long while. Humans have always told stories of old, slightly befuddled men full of sage advice. We like our fatherly mentor figures to have magical powers, and…
By Charlotte Ahlin
15 'Game Of Thrones' Mysteries That Will Probably NEVER Get Solved
Anyone who reads or watches Game of Thrones is probably quite familiar with George R.R. Martin and his intricate mysteries. Fans are all waiting for answers to a few key questions, such as "Who will win the Iron Throne?" or "What do the White Walkers…
By Charlotte Ahlin
15 Times Famous Authors Got Extremely Shady About Classic Books
When we talk about "classic literature" we tend to act as if "the classics" are a clearly defined group of books. We go about as though everyone sees the literary merit of these classic books, with the exception of the occasional, sulky high school s…
By Charlotte Ahlin
11 Times 'Game Of Thrones' Was Inspired By Actually True Events
It's no secret that George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic borrows heavily from European history. I mean, if you make Ireland a little bigger, flip it around, and stick it to the bottom of England... you've got a pretty spot on map of Westeros. Maester Ma…
By Charlotte Ahlin
This Bookstore-Themed Erotica Will Help You Live Out Your Nerdiest Sexual Fantasies
Bookstores are a sacred space for book-lovers. Especially if that bookstore also has a coffee shop. But who among us has not had the occasional daydream about getting it on with a cutie in that oh-so-sacred bookstore coffee shop? Volumes Bookcafé in …
By Charlotte Ahlin
How A Sci-Fi Novel I Bought For $2.98 At The Library Changed My Perspective On Love
I first came across Helva, the titular Ship Who Sang, in a battered old book called Science Fiction A to Z. The library was selling their copy for $2.98. It was a vividly green "dictionary" of classic sci-fi stories, published in the '80s, with one s…
By Charlotte Ahlin
15 Creepy Short Stories That You Can Read For Free Right Now
Look, we all love Halloween times, what with all the pumpkins and the ghosties and the sheer terror lying in wait around ever corner. But why limit the emotion of fear to one measly month out of the calendar year? Why can't we all live in a state of …
By Charlotte Ahlin
The Faceless Men Might Be More Important To The Plot Of 'GoT' Than You Realize
If you're all caught up with George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books, you're probably wondering what the Faceless Men are up to over at the citadel. If you're all caught up with the HBO show Game of Thrones, but have not chosen to dedicate se…
By Charlotte Ahlin
This New Novel Is A Feminist Retelling Of The Story Of The First Witch In Literature
You might remember Circe as the beautiful enchantress from The Odyssey, famed for turning men into pigs. Or perhaps you only know her as a vague figure from hazy Greek antiquity, or as the namesake of the Game of Thrones character. But there is more …
By Charlotte Ahlin
This 19-Year-Old Was Bullied As A Kid — So She Wrote A Survival Guide For Others Like Her
Like so many kids in middle and high school, Aija Mayrock was bullied. She was harassed both in person and online from ages 8 to 16. She received hate mail and death threats from people she had never even met. But Mayrock knew that she wasn't the onl…
By Charlotte Ahlin
This Novel Made Me Love Horror — Even Though I Hate Being Scared
I have a problem with most horror movies and novels, and my problem is this: I am very easy to scare.
Any sudden movement or loud noise will make me jump, even if I know a jump scare is coming. Friends turning the corner too quickly, or my cat leapin…
By Charlotte Ahlin
The Story Of This Knight Is Barely In The GoT Show — But It's Super Important In The Books
There are many (many) mysteries in the Game of Thrones books that never quite make it into the show. And for the most part... I get it. I understand that when you're making a TV show, it might make sense to cut the subplot about Rattleshirt secretly …
By Charlotte Ahlin
The Sirens In 'The Odyssey' Are Actually Way Cooler — And Creepier — Than You Thought
The word "siren" means two things in our modern culture: a loud, wailing, warning sound, like you might find on an ambulance or firetruck, or a sexy lady mermaid who lures sailors to a watery grave. We generally use context clues to tell the two apar…
By Charlotte Ahlin
There's A Really Creepy Reason Why The Targaryens Are The Only Surviving Valyrian Family
Viewers of HBO's Game of Thrones and readers of Maester George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire can both tell you a few key facts about the members of House Targaryen: they're blonde, they're intense, and they like their dragons. Their mascot is …
By Charlotte Ahlin
15 Memoirs That Will Inspire You To Keep Writing That Book
If there's anything that writers like more than writing, it's writing about writing (that, and talking about writing about writing). And it makes sense: writing is a weird, lonely pursuit. You spend hours in a room, alone, typing and deleting one sen…
By Charlotte Ahlin
This Hilarious Short Story From 1930 Will Be All-Too-Relatable To Anyone With Sleeping Problems
I have often proscribed the writing of Dorothy Parker for matters of the heart. Admittedly, she's not the writer to turn to for comfort or encouragement. She's not the friend who'll cheer you up when you're down or buy you fancy bath bombs. But she i…
By Charlotte Ahlin
