Hi everyone, I'm organising a conference in Leuven, 4-5 June, and you're all invited*! It's called 'Performing evil: the mediation and display of diabolic spectres 1700-2000' and here is the call for papers (get in touch if you'd like a pdf!). Please share widely! *to submit an abstract before 21/3

critics say

Even if it worked flawlessly, there is no ethical use of genAI in scholarship. The models are plagiarism engines, they are trained on stolen works, training relies on exploited workers in Africa, and the environmental costs are phenomenal. Adherents seem to hand wave all of these issues away.

So happy to see this published today! Great end to the week and I was so honoured to be a part of it 💞 rdcu.be/e77Xp

An incredible time looking at the archives in @royalarmouries.bsky.social today, and (alongside some technical difficulties) a wonderful time giving my talk! Huge thank you for having me. www.youtube.com/live/L6TOa-w...

In exciting news, I'm looking forward to next month when I'll be in Leeds at the Royal Armouries Museum to give a talk about Alien, weapons, and gaming! royalarmouries.org/leeds/whats-...

Waow, ces illustrations par Nico Delort ! www.nicolasdelort.com/illustration

We’re excited to announce Scholar’s Codex – a new anthology where academia explores the games of FromSoftware. Beautifully produced as a premium hardcover and illustrated by acclaimed artist @nicodelort.bsky.social. #eldenring #darksouls #bloodborne 💙📚 www.tuneandfairweather.com/products/sch...

I can finally talk about the Scholar's Codex! I'll do a bigger post later, but it's been announced but I was so so thrilled to be a part of the academic discussion of FromSoftware games (with truly gorgeous art FYI). www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Ko...

Last chance for tickets! I'm very excited for this show and hope to drum up an enthusiastic crowd. Edinburgh folks: 'Horror Films as Therapy' workshop, Saturday 8:15pm at Banshee Labyrinth. See you there! @madelinepotter.bsky.social @gnofhorror.com www.noisyghost.co.uk/event-detail...

I love a mock viva on Teams where the call freezes on their frowning expressions, it’s great for the self esteem 🥲

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is increasingly likely to be regarded as an unworldly weirdo for objecting to casual use of AI

I’m at a seaside writing retreat and have just realised that I’ve been sat for over an hour with no music playing through my headphones and feeling slightly sillier for it.

Just sharing the most terrifying image in horror game history

It’s been almost a month since I submitted and I completely forgot to mention it but… #PhDone 🥳

I don't know what it says about the PhD process when I have 5 days until submission, but I've been listening to Mad Father's "old doll (out of tune piano) slowed" on a loop for too many hours.

📢 Tomorrow I will be speaking about fictional games and speculative literature. Join us online at 17:30 CET [email protected] @konstantinosd.bsky.social @indigitalgames.bsky.social #gamestudies #scifi

The comments section on my thesis document is growing (fast) instead of shrinking. I fear we’ll hit 400+ before my lead supervisor is done

Have you got your ticket? A live performance and a cocktail/mocktail hour with specially designed recipes also happening! Tickets can be purchased from the Eventbrite- www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/romancing-... You can also get tickets here - buytickets.at/romancingthe... (we pay less fees)

Huge thanks to everyone at the Otherworldly Entertainment conference (and @dreframss.bsky.social for organising!). It was an amazing time filled with an inspiring series of talks (and so many new games for my wish list!)

Last week we hosted the fantastic Otherworldly Entertainment conference on horror, gothic & occult themed videogames @ucph.bsky.social. It was such an inspiring event with so many great talks incl. keynotes by @enwright.bsky.social & @kirstinmills.bsky.social. Thanks to everyone who participated!

For my next (and maybe last!) conference, I'm bringing a disposable camera so I can go around and explore properly

Would it be weird to make my presentation all pixel-art-game themed?

I'm collecting the creepiest supernatural stories listeners have heard for a podcast episode! They just need to be stories someone told YOU about somewhere that you were. I'll read out the strangest or most fascinating ones on the podcast episode. Drop yours here: forms.gle/WzXyGZLoe8iL...

Just witnessed a man come into the tube with a loose article and read it standing, no leaning, no hands - surfing the tube with the power of academia

The Princess Bride is playing at the outdoor cinema tomorrow and you had better believe that I will be there, quoting along.

Finally finished booking my flights for the Otherworldly Entertainment conference, fully thrilled to visit again!

The whole ‘perfection is the enemy of done’ is killing me right now

If anyone needs an excuse to watch more horror: boxd.it/HD5f2

The same magpie has been rocking up to my window in the morning for a few days now and I’m getting distinctly ‘quest giver’ vibes from it

Managed to salvage my (terrible, handwritten) notes from @horrorstudies.bsky.social 2025 so that I could make a Letterboxd to-watch list

Very excited to see everyone at @horrorstudies.bsky.social tomorrow, always a thrill 👻

Can’t believe I’ve marked so many student essays about the orgasm gap that it’s boring now

Have somehow made the same mistake I made two years ago (at the same conference) and booked my conference accommodation near the wrong campus - at least this time it’s summer so I won’t be wandering back in the dark, small wins!

My horror lecture will probably be the last thing I teach this semester, I’ll try my best not to traumatise all my students before summer 😅

Horror Studies Now 2025 here I come (again) 😍

🚨CFP - FINAL REMINDER🚨 The Dark Arts Research Group at the Univ. of Copenhagen is hosting a 3-day conference in August 2025. The CFP is still open and we have some small bursaries available. Deadline for proposals is today (31 March 2025). Please share! Details 👇 engerom.ku.dk/english/rese...

Exciting things coming soon! In between the horrors, of course

Excited to be talking all things hauntological and gaming next week at the Spectral Landscapes conference in Louisiana (having to do online for my talk unfortunately!) :)

The pain and horror of manually moving an article-worth of references from one style into another. 0/10 I do not reccomend.

I beg someone to tell me what the referencing style is for the Aries journal? Harvard, Chicago, MHRA...? My institution doesn't have access (rip). #academicsky

Highly recommend playing The Quarry with everyone taking control of two characters and viciously judging their motivations and personalities

I finally caved and got a letterboxd but my opinions are heinous and I don’t wish to be perceived so…?

Had a sinking feeling that I had forgotten something and checked around all my tabs just to realise I missed a call for an incredible gaming conference that had been on my list for MONTHS.

I truly don’t know what this says about my editing strategy, but I’ve been listening to clown music, looped, all day.

Signs I’m overstaying my PhD welcome: my card expired over Christmas

EXCITING NEWS! The annual 'Goths for Breakfast' charity day will be on 15th February. A whole day of Gothic classes, workshops and events to raise money for 'Magic Breakfast' who provide free breakfasts for hungry kids. I need volunteers for one hour sessions - talks or creative workshops!

13! It would have been 15 but two students scanned their card and left (I see everything)

Last seminar of the year for one of my modules today, I'm mentally placing bets on how few students I'll have.

Nothing feels like ‘I should quit’ more than failing miserably at a weekly film quiz