Back at @booksontherise.bsky.social for the afternoon session, 'World building for fantasy and science fiction' with @sannewman.bsky.social @mhayinde.bsky.social @ianmcdonald.bsky.social and Samantha Shannon (btw, quotes (may not be exactly verbatim) in the alt text for all today's posts!)

Me: I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in buying a Switch 2. Nintendo: “Long ago, there was a land called Hyrule, created by—“

Oh no I just bought some more books 🫣📚❤️ @mhayinde.bsky.social @robinhobb.bsky.social

Reveal time! Cover + TOC for FIYAH Issue #39, Black Kishōtenketsu: fiyahlitmag.com/2026/06/16/f...

Heyo! The Literary Auction for Change is open, with agent critiques, signed copies, book swag, and more up for grabs. And all funds help support diversity in the publishing industry! I'm offering a 30-min AMA, which can also double as a short story critique: www.32auctions.com/organization...

I am delighted to announce the launch of Arcane Oblong Editorial and Design ✨ We are a small group of freelance book editors and designers who can work on your manuscript from the first page to galley proof stage—and now we're open for business! For more, please see our website: arcaneoblong.com

I realise I forgot to share photos of an author first! I was invited to join @justmarvewrites.bsky.social & @mhayinde.bsky.social on a panel in March at the Leicester Literary Festival - thanks @futureworldsprize.bsky.social for this opportunity! I had a fantastic time 🤩

One of our cats is unwell and has to wear The Cone of Shame. The cone lasted 5 mins in the car on the way home, and when we opened her carrier, we found she’d also urinated on it. Cats, man.

my brothers friend showed me ff7 when I was in elementary school I bet he felt a similar experience when I was playing for the first time. that game shaped my worldview more than any other piece of media

My kid’s friend is playing FFVII for the first time and I am SO INVESTED in his experience! I’m resisting the urge to pester my kid for hourly updates about how his friend is feeling and how much he loves it and why doesn’t he love it yet and surely he is obsessed by now and…

I would like the dystopia to stop now please.

The week that was - www.patreon.com/posts/and-sk... featuring Claire North, @rainewilson.bsky.social, @davegoodman.bsky.social, @mhayinde.bsky.social, @wtalabi.com, @edinburghsff.com and others. song teaser today is sad white reggae

Someone needs to tell Kemi Badenoch that the racists are never gonna love her, no matter how many of their dog whistles she parrots. Smdh.

And finally the #2026IgnyteAwards Community Award for Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre are: @augursociety.bsky.social @jasonsanford.bsky.social @sistahscifi.bsky.social @strangehorizons.bsky.social @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social

I love that the Ignytes have a Community Award. What a way to honor folks who do the work but don't always get celebrated for it.

So honored to be part of this wonderful ballot! 💜💜💜

incredible company. honored to be nominated, and thrilled that my debut novel, MOTHEATER, a weird, queer, witchy, appalachian eco-horror, has found some incredible friends.

What company. What an honor. What a blessed start to the week. #2026IgnyteAwards

Honored that the Ignyte judges chose "Uncertain Sons" as a finalist in the novelette category w/these wonderful stories. And because of the Ignytes, @undertow.bsky.social has made the story free-to-read online again. If you missed it, it's here. Thanks again! undertowpublications.com/uncertain-sons

I'm honored to be in the same sentence as my fellow finalists!

So many wonderful reads, orgs, & ppl on the Ignytes list! I'm EXTREMELY happy to see Ichthyosis by ML Krishnan @emelkrishnan.bsky.social included! @shingai-be-like.bsky.social & I are proud of everything we did with @fantasymagazine.bsky.social and it's SO COOL to see this story be celebrated!!!

The first SFF award I ever got nominated for was an Ignyte back in 2020. It’s a tremendous honor to see Call and Response nominated today, and in such splendid company

I’m an Ignyte Awards finalist! 🥹A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Novel category. It is such a joy and honour to appear on this list, and with such stellar names! Congratulations to all the finalists! Voting in all categories is open now!

Librarians, if you do collection development, displays, or lists based on awards, follow along with the Ignytes! Gonna be a great list of diverse titles.

The #2026IgnyteAwards Ember Award finalists for Unsung Contributions to Genre are: @arleysorg.bsky.social @davering.bsky.social @drkarenlord.bsky.social @marthawells.com @mauricebroaddus.bsky.social

#2026IgnyteAwards Creative Nonfiction finalists: Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler – Susana M. Morris The Outspoken and the Incendiary – Terry Bisson The Secret History of Indian Science Fiction – @gautambhatia88.bsky.social (2/2)

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Creative Nonfiction are: A Conjuror’s Manifesto: Notes on the Afrosurreal – @conjuringliteracy.bsky.social Photon Torpedoes Break the Space Muqarnas: SFF Audiovisuals and Anti-Muslim Violence – @tanawir.bsky.social (1/2)

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works (5/5): We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope: EDs. @drkarenlord.bsky.social @annaleen.bsky.social @older.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works (4/5): The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories: ED. @andrecarrington.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works (3/5): As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories: ED. @teresempierre.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works (2/5): Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity: ED. @leemandelo.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works are (this is going to be a long one): Detailed contributors on the following slides, but congratulations to @seraph76.bsky.social for Call and Response

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Fiction Podcast are: @bcsmagazine.bsky.social @escapepod.org @khoreo.bsky.social @lightspeedmagazine.com @nightmare-magazine.com

The Critic #2026IgnyteAward finalists are: @bookjockeyalex.bsky.social @gabino.bsky.social @mariahaskins.com @skiffyandfanty.com @vanessafogg.bsky.social

#2026IgnyteAwards Speculative Poetry finalists (2/2): The Language of Fireflies – @angelaliu.bsky.social cial The oblique light at Kakushima (a memory of persimmons) – @ryu-ando.bsky.social | 安堵 龍

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalist in Speculative Poetry are: After the Storm – Ishita Basu Mallik In an attempt to seduce Death my sister starts calling him Love – Karan Kapoor Set It Off (1996) – Fans’ Cut – Nova Cypress Black (1/2)

The #2026IgnyteAwards Short Story Finalists (2/2): Ichthyosis – @emelkrishnan.bsky.social ocial The Octopus Dreams of Personhood – @hannahyangwrites.bsky.social cial

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists in Outstanding Short Story are: Autogas Ferryman – @champwongs.bsky.social Because I Held His Name Like A Key – @aimeeogdenwrites.com Commensalism, Or the Labyrinth’s Vessels – @nkereuwxm.bsky.social (1/2)

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists in Outstanding Novelette are: Human Voices – @isabel.kim Never Eaten Vegetables – @hhpak.bsky.social Uncertain Sons – @thomasha.bsky.social We Begin Where Infinity Ends – @somtoihezue.bsky.social What I Saw Before the War – Alaya Dawn Johnson

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists in Outstanding Novella are: Audition for the Fox – @mcflycahill90.bsky.social Descent – @wtalabi.com Psychopomp & Circumstance – @edenroyce.bsky.social The Iron Below Remembers – @sharangbiswas.bsky.social The River Has Roots – @amalelmohtar.com

#2026IgnyteAwards Middle Grade finalists 2/2: ​The Glade – @jamsternazzy.bsky.social @simonkids.bsky.social @ssedlib.bsky.social The Island of Forgotten Gods – @victorpineiro.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Middle Grade are: Afia in the Land of Wonders – @miaaraujo.bsky.social Candace, the Universe, and Everything – Sherri L. Smith Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave – @allyoutthere.bsky.social (1/2)

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Novel: Young Adult are: Needy Little Things – @elledesamours.bsky.social @wednesdaybooks.bsky.social (S)kin – Ibi Zoboi The Leaving Room – @ambsmcbride.bsky.social They Bloom at Night – Trang Thanh Tran The Transition – @transhorrors.bsky.social

The #2026IgnyteAwards finalists for Outstanding Novel: Adult are: Cursed Daughters – Oyinkan Braithwaite Harmattan Season – @tochitruestory.bsky.social Motheater – @lincodega.com Song of Legends Lost – @mhayinde.bsky.social The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – @stephengrahamjones.com

And finally, a survey of orgs, mags, and other entities focused on speculative fiction, to determine where need might be greatest to help the field stay alive, whether it be through funding, outreach, or anything else. The survey is open thru 6/29. #2026IgnyteAwards airtable.com/appOgisruufu...

Hello hello and welcome to the shortlist announcement thread for the #2026IgnyteAwards, recognizing outstanding contributions to SFFH and its community in 2025! We are grateful to be supported this year by sponsors @bcsmagazine.bsky.social , @edmontonin2030.bsky.social, & @laworldcon.bsky.social

UK folks, let's jump on this AI regulation petition the Society of Authors emailed out! It's an actual parliament one so the government HAS to respond if it reaches the signature threshold. It calls for regulations to make AI developers disclose copyrighted works trained on. Sign & repost!! ❤️

Morning!

One Thousand and One Wishes by @rakanrrk.bsky.social The Sun Wells by @aiden-ng.bsky.social There Will Come Soft Rains by Jessica Tsang Zonbi by Zarah Elouis-Ro. 2/2

We're excited to announce the 2026 Future Worlds Prize shortlist: A Blade Drawn from Envy by Ty Ogunade A Corruption of Death by @hadiyahsama.bsky.social A Song of Shir’ja by Harps Aujla Crooked Straits by Olivia Ho 1/2