Received a book proposal ... from my dad, a retired scientist with validation issues, who thinks The Peachfield Press (science fiction, fantasy, all and only my own work) could publish his post-retirement research on the geology and history of a Scottish region. Dear god.

Me: the term romantasy is bad enough, we don't need more--- Publishing: HORROMANCE! SCIMANCE! ME: No, please,wai--- Publishing: COSIMANTACY! FORROR! HOSY! COSICOSIRPGEESEE! YOUCANTSTOPMESY! Me: *crawls into hole to die* Publishing: HORROBBIT!

This should be a scandal, but the government response seems a collective shrug.

Over at SH, @kateem.bsky.social on Vonda N. McIntyre's final novel, published on May 15 by @timmi.bsky.social. What emerges, bitter-sweetly, is "an epic fantasy voyage" which adopts a fascinating approach to historical fantasy ... and, in more ways than one, leaves us asking what might have been.

It takes a lot of symptoms for me to conclude I am ill and should attend to getting better. Flu-like sticky cold, painful throat, lethargy. Water bottle, nice thick book to fall asleep over, ibuprofen, sofa, visiting cat, sunshine, large Japanese handkerchiefs. White blood cells: do your work.

I have a review in @strangehorizons.bsky.social ! I read Vonda N McIntyre's last novel, found in an advanced draft in her papers after she died. The Curve of the World is out on 15th May from Aqueduct Press.

Slightly increase a band. Steeleye Cubit

Guess who's come for a visit?

Now THIS is how to write a positive TV show review. Don't have Disney, haven't seen Series 1, may have read bits of the book as it was passed around surreptitiously in school, but I'd read more of Sarah Dempster's reviews. Meets the moment gloriously. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝖄𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝕬𝖌𝖔… The Eye delved into Christopher Harborne's background - his dual identity, his cryptocurrency connections, his enormous political donations - long before his undeclared £5 million personal gift to Nigel Farage. From the Private Eye archive. Issue 1511, December 2019.

Why would we want to learn from our pasts, or ponder the power of the written and spoken word, or explore the deep questions of humanity? According to the University of Hertfordshire, we wouldn't. They've just cut all of our undergrad Humanities programmes

Gorgeous little Iron Age gold quarter stater from Cunobelinus' reign, AD 1-40. Found in Warwickshire, a long way from his southeast English heartland. 🏺

Sharing, without comment, British newspapers’ depictions of the only Jewish person currently leading a UK political party . Times. Mail. Telegraph. Sun.

Get the fuck away from Chrome if you can www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-...

Saw the image, thought Matt Damon was Josh Brolin so assumed it was for Dune III. Zendaya must be bored of desert wear. In other news Damon is two years younger than Brolin so that's a surprise. I thought Brolin was much older. Zendaya is 26 years younger than Damon. Hope she's a weaver.

Your preferred Star Wars reference you *still* use in a domestic setting? 'This is not the [insert name of object under discussion] you are looking for.' #Maythefourth

Have been waiting with novel 2 on hold while it was read by a complete stranger, also a @bsfa.bsky.social member, and it came back today. Absolutely brilliant criticism, good suggestions for improvement, and so many useful ideas about what to cut, tweak, foreground and develop. Thank you, Bill! 💙📚

Nearly done. 🧶

This is monstrous. Not the Israeli government's first monstrosity, but a continuing strategy of monstrousness. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

it’s worth reading every word of this brilliant, excoriating column by Fraser Nelson

This is the most specific job I have ever seen sharing it on the off chance one of you know someone who: - Is UK based - Looking for flexible, part time work - Has an academic/research background - Wants to build a research grants program - Loves hedgehogs 🦔🦔🦔

Look at these ridiculous floofy white peonies the size of a plate. 🌱💮

New review by me in The Friend, for fans of #graphicnovel and twisty 18thC US Quaker history. (Free to read.) thefriend.org/article/quak...

Went to Cardiff for the terrific Gwen John exhibition at the National Museum of Wales, and this book just leapt into my arms. I did pay for it. 🎨

Wilfredo is 10 years old. Last week, he represented himself in immigration court. His mother, Nexoli, was detained in Houston and has been locked up and away from her son since December. Now, DHS wants to send him to Ecuador—a place he has never been and knows no one.

Does anyone based in (or with knowledge of the TTRPG scene in) Edinburgh know of any RPG groups, youth groups etc that might be interested in donations of TTRPG books? I have masses of things I'm unlikely to ever play and a desperate need to reclaim space

Time for a wee bit of Shetland witchery? New stock of paperbacks printed by a proper printer in the UK. 💙📚 'A cosmic-level brawl ... a perfectly pleasant, low-stakes coven story ... an extended meditation on what it means to belong somewhere' (GNH) peachfield-press.sumupstore.com/product/the-...

Pay attention if you’re even thinking of voting Reform.

Ooof. Am at the agony stage in my WiP when I am writing bits that don't connect, I don't know what the ooomph mechanism is and cannot see how any of this going to find an ending. None of the plot component lists ring bells, and I don't know what the Big Fantasy Element is for. I hate this stage. 📚💙

Geroge. Harrassed.

Tadpoles wiggling their tails with enthusiasm, feeding off barley straw. Then along came a pond skater ... and just ignored them.

Finally got the hang of knitting brioche stitch at a Wonderwool class. Good grief it's complicated. But I can see how, once you've memorised the rows and directions and the blinkin' yarn over, it'll be easy. Maybe. 🧶

Looking forward to reading what @theguyliner.bsky.social has to say about the moon landing incident. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Texas tech now bans students from writing about LGBTQ issues in any form. Mentions of gender identity, orientation etc in textbooks must be skipped. Deafening silence so far from all the brave heterodox free speech absolutists www.erininthemorning.com/p/texas-tech...

Post you in another country. Me in Venice, Italy, 2011.

I thought I'd given up being shocked by US self-degradation. But this clear explanation really shocked me. (I'm not even a lawyer.) Do read: it's free. And if you're holding your nose about Substack, get over it; you're missing out on important information. substack.com/inbox/post/1...

This is not right. Get him retired.

Back in the recording room and we are all rather keen to record these finds. 🏺

The first tree peonies are OUT. But the pearlbush has been at it for a week. 🌱

Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. I've also lost a child due to lowering of community immunity to a preventable but killer disease. Bloody vaccinate. Only selfish people don't. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...

🎶 Happy Paperback Publication Day to me...🎶 🎵 Delighted to report that Wildly Different: Five Women who Reclaimed Nature in a Man’s World, and Rebel women between the wars: Breaking Boundaries 1918-1939 are both out between beautiful soft covers today. Thank you @manchesterup.bsky.social

When you use AI to do your writing, you are telling your audience: “I deserve your attention, but you do not deserve my effort.”

'Bell removed Romeo and Juliet from his syllabus because “in Act III, Romeo and Juliet have sex, and that falls under this very broadly defined sexuality [topics ban].” He also didn’t teach about Joan of Arc this semester.' What an actual lack of freedom of speech looks like in universities. 3/3

Growing new roots from air and the ghosts of drinks long past for these sedum cuttings before potting them up. 🌱🌵

Coachella is trying to wipe all of the footage of The Strokes protest set so I’m gonna post it here. The last images on the screen made me cry.

A small realistic story. Not much more than 500 words.