Zeitgeist
Sub Categories:
Turnings
Book & Movie Reviews
News
Culture & Politics
Genre Analysis
Zeitgeist 101
Zeitgeist: How Shifting Public Attitudes on the U.S. Military Are Reshaping Storytelling
Two U.S. military veterans discuss how attitudes toward service members have changed since the Gulf War, the rise of military “zero-defect culture,” the impact of the Afghanistan withdrawal and COVID-era policies on morale and recruitment, and how these shifts are influencing a new generation of military fiction.
Zeitgeist: Cozy Fantasy and LitRPG SURGE as Hottest Niches in 2026
A summer 2026 K-lytics report reveals fantasy titles are outselling science fiction by nearly four to one, driven largely by romantasy and the rapidly growing LitRPG subgenre.
Zeitgeist: Why Vigilante Stories Are Seeing Chart Topping Popularity
Explore the rise of vigilante fiction as it captivates audiences and challenges traditional storytelling in books and films.
Zeitgeist: Happy Birthday, America. History Says You Should Be Dead
According to The Fate of Empires, a 1976 essay by British General Sir John Glubb, empires come with an expiration date. That date is 250 years. America hits that number this weekend, and half the internet has noticed. For some, the intense celebration this weekend is...
Zeitgeist: The UK Rape Gang Inquiry Report Is Out
A break down of the UK rape gang inquiry report: its staggering scope, why British citizens are afraid to speak, and what authors can do about it.
Zeitgeist: In a News Scene Dominated By The Heavy, Let’s Take a Look At the Fun Around the World
Foreigners are falling in love with America’s heartland, barbecue, and massive portions — and it turns out culture makes the best fiction settings.
Zeitgeist: Gen Z Men See the System Rigged Against Them
Uncover the challenges faced by Gen Z men feeling alienated from institutions and seeking solutions for the future, and discover how authors can help change it.
Zeitgeist: Pope Leo XIV Gives Catholic Novelists Green Light to Use AI
Explore the pope’s encyclical on AI, a profound critique urging transparency and human oversight in artificial intelligence.
Turnings
Turnings
Zeitgeist: Steak & Shake
A fast-food company poised to do very well in the new zeitgeist. I was the fastest-growing fast-food company in the country last year.
Zeitgeist: Davy Crockett King of the First Turning
America has had two kings and neither of them were Arthur. Our kings were Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Elvis Presley the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Zeitgeist: Mary Poppins: From Grimbright to Nobledark
his conversation unpacks how stories reflect cultural “turnings” in the zeitgeist, using Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Marines in wartime, and superhero tales as case studies.
Zeitgeist, Dystopian Fatigue, and the Rise of Ruthless & Noble Heroes
Explore the cultural vibe shift reshaping reader preferences and learn what sells now and where fiction is headed next.
How to Write Stories Readers Will Love by Knowing the Zeitgeist
If it takes you two years to write a book, you owe it to yourself to ask the...
News
News
The Week That Changed Indie Publishing: KDP Royalties, Book Pirates, and AI Audio Theft
Amazon expands KDP’s 70% royalty to $12.99, authors battle book piracy, AI audiobooks spark controversy, and new K-lytics data reveals Fantasy’s booming market. Plus: Spotify, Xbox layoffs, EU surveillance, and more publishing news.
250 Years Ago, Indie Publishing Made America
America turns 250 from a publishing revolution and your KDP dashboard. A founding father craft lesson, plus KDP terminations, Deckle 1.3 update, Fable 5 safety, and empire death clock.
New BookFunnel Features CRUSH Amazon
BookFunnel launches multimedia bundles Amazon can’t match, KDP’s Global Fund grows while traditional publishing shrinks, a prize goes to a story flagged as 100% AI, Kobo rejects 45% of submissions to fight AI, Apple raises Mac prices, and the Pope has a message for every author.
Kindle Unlimited Pays Indie Authors Record-Breaking Royalties
Amazon smashes the Kindle Unlimited record, Gavin Newsom buys his way onto the NYT bestseller list, the US government kills the most powerful AI model available, MailerLite slashes free accounts, and a suppressed UK report hits 32 million views.
Men Buy Books and Women Borrow Books
Women aren’t buying new books, AI is fixing manuscript pacing, and a $10 tool builds your entire book promo schedule. Here’s what the data says.
Zeitgeist: Gen Z Men See the System Rigged Against Them
Uncover the challenges faced by Gen Z men feeling alienated from institutions and seeking solutions for the future, and discover how authors can help change it.
Will “Free” Libby Ebooks Bankrupt Libraries?
Publishing news for indie authors: Payhip adds free sales tax handling, libraries flag ebook checkout fraud, LGBTQ children’s book sales collapse, Audible launches a loyalty program, a $107 app challenges Vellum and Scrivener, AI brain fry hits creative workers, and what storytellers must know about Gen Z men.
No ISBN Means No Copyright Protection for Indie Authors
KDP lowers print costs, AI pirates monetize stolen audiobooks, authors lose Meta lawsuit standing, the Enhanced Games flop, and Pope Leo XIV embraces AI.
Genre Analysis
Genre Analysis
Zeitgeist: Cozy Fantasy and LitRPG SURGE as Hottest Niches in 2026
A summer 2026 K-lytics report reveals fantasy titles are outselling science fiction by nearly four to one, driven largely by romantasy and the rapidly growing LitRPG subgenre.
Zeitgeist: Capturing a Shifting Zeitgeist of Paranoia, Betrayal, and Disrupted Domestic Normalcy
The March 2026 K-lytics report on psychological and domestic thrillers paints a picture of a genre in explosive transition. What was once a niche reflects profound changes in consumer demand and the broader zeitgeist.
Zeitgeist: Mystery Thriller Suspense K-Lytics Report
Kindle trends show that techno thrillers are up 49%. Find out what this says about current readers and publishers.
Zeitgeist: Hormonal Birth Control May Quietly Change What Romance Readers Crave in Male Heroes
Prescription medications are changing women’s preferences, from who they find attractive to what kind of heroes they want to read in their fiction.
Zeitgeist: Romance Dominates Kindle But Shows Signs of Maturing
Highlights of the romance genre based on the new k-lytics report.
Zeitgeist: Conservative Art
Why do conservative and Christian authors struggle with creative fiction while Tolkien and C.S. Lewis created timeless classics? This video explores the critical difference between identity-based storytelling and character-driven narratives that resonate with readers.
Zeitgeist: K-lytics Cozy Fantasy
Cozy Fantasy is surging with unprecedented demand that far exceeds supply, creating a massive opportunity for authors who understand this genre shift.
Zeitgeist: Christmas Romance vs. Paranormal Romance
Thomas Umstattd, Jr. and Jonathan Shuerger cover highlights from the K-lytics report showing trends in the Christmas and Paranormal romance genres.
Book & Movie Reviews
Reviews
Zeitgeist: Why Vigilante Stories Are Seeing Chart Topping Popularity
Explore the rise of vigilante fiction as it captivates audiences and challenges traditional storytelling in books and films.
Zeitgeist: First Turning Noblebright vs. Second Turning Grimbright
Thomas and Jonathan map classic films onto the Noble/Grim + Bright/Dark axis, the four-quadrant version of the Strauss-Howe generational turnings.
Zeitgeist: Project Hail Mary Rockets Past $226 Million at Domestic Box Office
Project Hail Mary has crossed $430 million worldwide at the box office. Find out what its success reveals about what readers and want and how authors can connect.
Zeitgeist: One Piece Passes Superman as Best-Selling Comic with 600 Million Copies
One Piece has officially hit 600 million copies in circulation worldwide, matching and effectively surpassing Superman’s nearly 90-year sales record in under 30 years.
Zeitgeist: AI as Metaphor: Corporations, Pagan Gods & the Managerial State
For the past 40 years, AI villains in fiction have been metaphors for the soulless managerial state that stripped human agency throughout the 20th century.
Zeitgeist: Davy Crockett King of the First Turning
America has had two kings and neither of them were Arthur. Our kings were Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Elvis Presley the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Culture & Politics
Culture
Zeitgeist: How Shifting Public Attitudes on the U.S. Military Are Reshaping Storytelling
Two U.S. military veterans discuss how attitudes toward service members have changed since the Gulf War, the rise of military “zero-defect culture,” the impact of the Afghanistan withdrawal and COVID-era policies on morale and recruitment, and how these shifts are influencing a new generation of military fiction.
Zeitgeist: Happy Birthday, America. History Says You Should Be Dead
According to The Fate of Empires, a 1976 essay by British General Sir John Glubb, empires come with an expiration date. That date is 250 years. America hits that number this weekend, and half the internet has noticed. For some, the intense celebration this weekend is...
Zeitgeist: The UK Rape Gang Inquiry Report Is Out
A break down of the UK rape gang inquiry report: its staggering scope, why British citizens are afraid to speak, and what authors can do about it.
Zeitgeist: In a News Scene Dominated By The Heavy, Let’s Take a Look At the Fun Around the World
Foreigners are falling in love with America’s heartland, barbecue, and massive portions — and it turns out culture makes the best fiction settings.
Zeitgeist: Light, Fire, and Clarity: What the Latest Baby Name Data Tells Us About the Shifting Culture
Explore the trends in baby names in 2025. Discover how names reflect clarity, light, and strength and the changing zeitgeist.
Zeitgeist: Globalists vs. Nationalists: What the UK and Japanese Elections Tell Us About the Changing Culture
Reform UK, Japan’s landslide, and the AfD surge reveal a global culture war. Here’s what the nationalist realignment means for your books and marketing.
Zeitgeist: Southern Poverty Law Center Indictment Exposes Alleged Fraud, Accelerates Vibe Shift on Racism Accusations
a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on April 21, 2026. The 11-count indictment charges the SPLC with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
Zeitgeist: What Do Americans Consider Immoral?
Pew Research Center Survey Exposes Deep Divides in American Views on Morality...
Zeitgeist 101
Zeitgeist 101
Zeitgeist: Pope Leo XIV Gives Catholic Novelists Green Light to Use AI
Explore the pope’s encyclical on AI, a profound critique urging transparency and human oversight in artificial intelligence.
The Cultural Zeitgeist Shift That’s Making Indie Authors Rich
Discover the cultural shift in zeitgeist that reflects the changing preferences of American readers.
Zeitgeist, Dystopian Fatigue, and the Rise of Ruthless & Noble Heroes
Explore the cultural vibe shift reshaping reader preferences and learn what sells now and where fiction is headed next.
The Sci-Fi Zeitgeist Has Shifted: What Authors Need to Know
Dive into the essentials of writing a sci-fi novel amidst evolving themes like population collapse and AI advancements.
How to Write Stories Readers Will Love by Knowing the Zeitgeist
If it takes you two years to write a book, you owe it to yourself to ask the...
How to Write Enduring Bestsellers with the Two-Act Chiastic Structure
Struggling to write your three-act story? Discover another story structure from ancient history that will satisfy your readers and help you finish your book.
How to Write Novels Men Want to Read
Explore the reasons why men may not be reading novels published by big publishers. Find out how this product-market mismatch affects male readership.
How to Write for American Readers – An Author’s Guide to America’s Regional Cultures
To write for American readers, you must understand which American readers you’re targeting. Learn how American culture differs by region so you can write what resonates.