S&M's

Had the thought that the deluge of AI slop is likely to lead to a resurgence in human editors whose job is to review and recommend content. Which would be HILARIOUS.

A FINAL ROUND of Kickstarter add-ons are here! 🔮🌙 Grab an ebook from author @aijiang.bsky.social or a critique and SIGNED COPY from @ivygrimes.bsky.social, author of Violet Lichen's upcoming folk horror THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR. Available only on Kickstarter! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...

What environmental issues give nightmares to horror writers? Bestsellers like Jeff VanderMeer, Stephen Graham Jones, and Elizabeth Hand shared their fears. https://therevelator.org/horror-writers-environmental-scare/

Apoca-lapse (noun): When you stop thinking about how the world is going to hell for a few minutes.

"They grow on the trees with wings like white petals and shining green halos like the portraits of saints that hang beside her bed." 🌼⛪ Announcing the First Place winner of our FLORA - FAUNA - FUNGI microfiction contest: "Angels in the Forest" by @jesswriting.bsky.social! 🌟

My story, "Angels in the Forest," won first place in @apexmag.bsky.social and Violet Lichen Press' ECO24 microfiction contest. I'm very excited to see it published. www.apexbookcompany.com/blogs/frontp...

The "Drawn by Tolkien on an unused page from a University of Leeds examination booklet" aspect of this REALLY speaks to me. Like, this man just needed to let a map POUR out of him and used whatever piece of paper was closest.

I am loving the trend in publishing right now where they spray the edges of the books in pretty colors. I see a book with sprayed edges and a little voice in my head goes "my precious..."

I recently discovered that a library in Wisconsin used a short story of mine that @apexmag.bsky.social published years ago for their short story book club. And they paired me up with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Probably the best compliment I've ever recieved. www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

I don't really care if the future is short videos. I like words. Words have gotten me this far and I'm gonna stick with 'em for the duration

It's been more than six months since I first came across this short by @catvalente.bsky.social, but I also find myself thinking about it again since reading her latest.

😭😭😭 This flash is so packed with emotion. A metaphor for what we judge as worthy of saving and what we think should be let go. But every small thing counts and everything adds up. In the end we might end up much lonelier than we thought. by Will McMahon in @lightspeedmagazine.com

I just read "Through the Machine," a story about actors becoming commodities in the world of AI from @lightspeedmagazine.com. It made me think about writers. When people ask AI to write a story in the style of ____, the writer isn't going to get royalties. www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/thro...

Descendent by @aliettedebodard.com is about as woman called to become a dragon -- about leaving the ones you love behind and what it means to be left behind. I lost my dad a few years ago and this story resonated beautifully. It meant a lot to me. frictionlit.org/descendant/

I know we don't feel like there's much to celebrate this July 4th. It's been a rough several years. So I want to talk about how we're making history right now.

"seven ribbons" by @bethgoder.bsky.social from @apexmag.bsky.social is about sisterhood, rebellion and borders: their power, their arbitrariness, and how the way we think about borders shapes us. Beautiful story and very inportant right now. www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

Spec fiction is full of retellings of timeless classic tales. "When He Calls Your Name" by @catvalente.bsky.social from @uncannymagazine.bsky.social breaks the mold by choosing a much more modern source. It's beautiful, thoughtful, and very clever. www.uncannymagazine.com/article/when...

June 18, 2025

I recently read "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars" by @premeemohamed.com from @strangehorizons.bsky.social. The story uses magic and mentorship to talk about creative burnout. As someone whose burnout cost me, for a couple years, the creative spark that keeps me writing, this story means a lot.

Phoebe and I are watching Leverage: Redemption together. Look at this magnificent floof.

I need a to-do list that hunts me down with the ruthless tenacity of the Duolingo owl.

Thank you.

Mallory, a Luther College student (biology / anthropology) made this amazing nod to the white rabbits in the Southern Reach novels.

Really enjoyed "Red, Scuttle When the Ships Come Down" by @wenyilee.bsky.social over at @uncannymagazine.bsky.social. Really well written, well told story that unfolds perfectly. www.uncannymagazine.com/article/red-...

As a kid, I thought being the person who came up with clever names for nail polish colors would be a cool job. Now, I really want to name this color "Conspiracy Theory," because it looks like each nail is wearing its own little tin foil hat. I think I may not be cut out for that job.