I’ve written about publishing that if the % of people creating is lower than their presence as a random sample of the population then that’s not possible by accident - it’s structural racism through and through.

The Mark by Fríða Ísberg Set in Iceland on the eve of a vote as to whether to stratify society by those who can pass an 'empathy test' and those who can't Ísberg's novel is translated from the Icelandic by Larissa Kyzer and seeks to… https://stewarthotston.com/2025/12/25/the-mark-by-frida-isberg/

It is time. Merry Christmas you filthy animals.

2025 Headline of the Year nominee (April)

Tomb Raider season 2 on Netflix - in which the Orisha kick the shit out of an invading billionaire. It’s not without its faults but it is very, very good in a making good kind of way.

@alrutter.bsky.social please tell me Asunder is just book 1…

For the morning crowd

Book Review: The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman Second person present tense is the sexiest way to tell a story. A long and meaty review at the blog from @chloroformtea.bsky.social today: www.nerds-feather.com/2025/12/book...

Pavlova? Pavlova.

@runalongwomble.bsky.social morning. I’m half way through Asunder and really enjoying it so far.

My review of Néro which is, honestly, a lot of fun. stewarthotston.com/2025/12/21/n...

A Lord of the Rings cover band called Nothing But Thievesss

Color me shocked.

For anyone who may be hastily returning certain books they bought as Christmas presents, here's a thread of excellent children's books I highly recommend you buy instead: Loki A Bad God's Guide To Being Good by Louie Stowell Funny, chaotic and a little bit naughty okay, a lot naughty

I'm once again hunting artists 🔍 BAME and BIMPOC only please this time, for paid work! @hatchlingdm.itch.io and I are looking for those interested in drawing dragons, high-fantasy mechs, and nature vs. technology for our Daggerheart compatible sourcebook based on 'Dragon Dowser', the solo game!

Then that kindly Womble wishes you all a good fright with horror suggestions www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/12...

#bbcnews has sent a mealy mouthed teenager's response to my complaint about their coverage of Sandie Peggie. To take the complaint further I have to ring them (number only available by reading their entire complaints policy, no email...) on a supposedly 24 hour line. Except it's a mon-fri 9-5 line.

In light of the Levy Review potentially giving transphobes oversight of medical research on trans healthcare, Trans Safety Network recommend English trans people OPT OUT of their healthcare data being used in research. Information on how to do this can be found in the quoted post and thread.

This is great stuff and solid weaponry.

More Steve Rogers. Look i like his character but to bring him back is peak imaginative bankruptcy. They may as well have asked chatGPT to write the plot. I think we might be better off if the MCU simply took a five year break or something.

In the new year you're going to watch Netflix constantly debase itself to secure regulatory approval for its merger with Warner Brothers. This is just the start:

Waterstones likely to be listed (in London probably) next year by current owner Elliott as their exit strategy. There's a slim possibility it will be listed in the US (or a larger possibility of not happening at all) but a London listing is likely better for the business than a US one.

Ho! Ho! Ho! For the last time Santa Womble is back and this time for gifts for you or others we go to the realm of Science Fiction novels! www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/12...

I’m a Black staffer at WIRED. My position feels more precarious than ever. There’s a reason for that. www.wired.com/story/dei-di...

FOr 2025? Sinners, hands down.

I am in tears The Employment Rights Bill has passed the Lords and goes for Royal Assent this week Sick pay for everyone No more zero hours contracts No more trade union act 2016 years So much more Doing what you sent a Labour government here to do

Wake Up Dead Man review I had lots of plans for this review but then this one hit and honestly it says a lot of what I had in my head and does it fluently and with passion, so go and read this when you're done here. I'm not going to… https://stewarthotston.com/2025/12/16/wake-up-dead-man-review/

Kindness and empathy aren’t weaknesses, they are strengths. 300,000 years of human evolution hinge on our caring about and protecting one another. Hold onto it. Never let them make you forget it.

This is a superb piece on why Wake Up Dead Man is so damn fine.

🚨 The UK government just published a breakdown of the responses to its consultation on AI & copyright: - 95% of respondents want AI companies to pay for their training data (made up of 88% saying strengthen copyright law, & 7% saying leave it as is) 🧵 1/2

Fraser Nelson is the latest Farage apologist to dismiss the racism allegations against him, saying that there's never been any evidence of him ever being racist as an adult. Just completely untrue. There is extensive undeniable evidence of it www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/nigel-fara...

Ho! ho! ho! Santa Womble returns to you today and this time those delectable quick bites of reading - novellas to have a look out for if you want to treat someone or yourself www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/12...

The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party. Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar

My review of the Mandala Murders on Netflix now.

1/ You wouldn’t know it from the coverage, but two recent employment tribunal rulings have vindicated those of us who have said from the start that the Supreme Court judgment did not require the automatic exclusion of trans people from single-sex toilets and changing rooms. 🧵

I wish more of you were on signal as i hate facebook messenger.

while you are making your best-SFF-books of the year lists you COULD, I'm just saying, think about which of those books are relevant to the aims of the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, and which ones you might wanna nominate for the prize when nominations open in March just saying

This is why I came off Facebook for all but automated announcements. It's why I'm coming off there permanently across its platforms - it's a voice of conservative white supremacist America.

Hey folks -- Signal Boost time for this week's #TheFullLid and it's a little different this week. If you have a small business to promote (Etsy, redbubble etc), leave the details in a reply. Include the title and a link please, so folks can find it.

Just finished reading an arc of the fabulous, rich and politically dense Republic of Memory by @mahmudelsayed.bsky.social. You're going to want to add this to your 2026 TBR now.

The Project Hanuman audio book is out next week on the 16th. It's narrated by the really very excellent Zehra Jane Naqvi who hit the tone perfectly I'm very excited, so here's a preview from the first chapter. Available wherever you get your audiobooks #audiobook #scifi @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social

Today is mostly Amnesiac by Radiohead. This album is still a mood that reflects me a lot of the time.

You’ll be visited by three spirits.

Something pretty unique and a continuation of my love of Ram V’s work.

Like free books? Like writing about SFF and its visions? Then get involved. ARB does excellent coverage and thoughtful reviews/discussions of so much.

🚀 Members! Nominate your favourite works of the year to the BSFA Awards Longlist today! If you're not yet a member, it takes minutes to join - just go to www.bsfa.co.uk

A wild season 13 appears on the horizon, full of the cheer of the One Star Quiz!! That's right we will be bringing in the new year in the most smally like hand way on the 11th January with @stewarthotston.com @worrad.bsky.social Kayleigh Dobbs and @lauramauro.bsky.social adjudicating independently!

Ah the imposter syndrome phase of a WIP where i hate every single word. Regular as clockwork.

There’s a HUGE Elon Musk shaped hole in the Government’s new plans to improve our elections: shady billionaires like Musk can still donate massive amounts of money with no cap: effectively buying our democracy. Add your name to call for a cap on donations today: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...