I’m running out of ways to visually promote Generation Mechs, so here’s me right now working on the *next* book I’m accepting orders for GM until Sunday night. If you email me before then but end up placing an order on Monday or Tuesday, that’s fine. Details in pinned post

If the excerpts are anything to go by, this is going to be an amazing read about an era of Transformers fandom that I had no idea existed 🤩 Super-excited for my copy to arrive!

Order window closes this Sunday, then that’s that (Sorry for all the hawking, but — as I may have said in the past — whenever I promote the book I get new enquiries, so people are still learning it exists…)

A good headline/hook from @tfw2005.bsky.social here. Click through to find an extract from Generation Mechs, the new book that tells you *everything* you need to know about Transformers in the 1990s. Order window closes Sunday

Generation Mechs is *out now* and shipping worldwide. If you’ve contacted me about TF books in the past you should have received an email about how to get Gen Mechs (check your spam if not). Newbies should email [email protected] for pricing and shipping info

Preview text? Don't mind if I do.

So damn hyped to get this book 💥💥💥

For the curious, here’s the first of two extracts from Generation Mechs, my new book on all things Transfomers (especially fandom) in the 90s. See pinned post for ordering info, but be quick: last orders will be taken at the end of this month medium.com/@jamesrobert...

There’s a relatively high concentration of folks on here who bought Gen Mechs at TFN last year, so: if I was to publish an extract to give people a sense of what it’s about, which chapter/section/topic should I choose?

Your penultimate reminder that Generation Mechs — a detailed, wide-ranging, pop-scholarly account of G1’s rise and fall, and the parallel development of “analogue era” fandom — is available to order for just two more weeks. See pinned tweet for details

25 years ago I published a Transformers novel. 23 years ago it was reviewed in the Harvard Crimson. And zero years ago (i.e. now) you can buy Generation Mechs, about TFs and fan culture www.thecrimson.com/article/2003...

Get a load of this fucking nerd Wanna find out why some 80s kids did this instead of smoking, shoplifting, worrying about nuclear war and looking in skips for copies of Mayfair? Read GENERATION MECHS, the definitive account of the first Transformers fans - see pinned tweet

We’re pleased to announce the publication of a new history of Doctor Who, examining the programme from a queer perspective for the first time. You Are Not Alone: A Gay History of Doctor Who is written by @patrickmulkern.bsky.social and will be released on 25 May. Order now from tenacrebooks.co.uk/

Anyone on the left who wasn’t actively involved from 2015-19 needs to know what’s coming. 1, they’re going to throw multiple, often contradictory lies at the wall to see what sticks. Polanski will be simultaneously weak and strong, timid and aggressive, passive and dictatorial, old fashioned and

Really shocked to hear about Rob Grant's passing. It's prompted me to dig out @jroberts332.bsky.social 's excellent interviews with Rob and Doug, which we ran in TV Years magazine in 2019.

Please forgive another little push for Generation Mechs: Transformers Fan Culture in the 90s, which is available to order until the end of March. New photos attached. The book doubles as a meticulous account of Transformers in the 20th century, commercially and culturally

Everything you ever wanted to know about 20th century Transformers. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Email [email protected] to find out how to get a copy

It is a /Tome/ that is wildly enjoyable to read! Weird and unexpected insights, and generally fan culture being what it is is really interesting to see dissected like this

New JRo book! New JRo book! New JRo book!

100% recommend - absolutely awesome read that dives deep into a fascinating time in Transformers history and community - one that only James could bring to together with such form and clarity ❤️‍🔥

I was lucky enough to pick up Generation Mechs at TFN last August (along with some other great books 😎) I cannot recommend it enough!

Been anticipating this for years! I was one of the many folks interviewed and I'm eager to finally see it all in print! Back in the 90s, I experienced a tiny piece of the Transformers fanzine scene, so I'm looking forward to getting a broader view into that part of history.

Generation Mechs is *out now* and shipping worldwide. If you’ve contacted me about TF books in the past you should have received an email about how to get Gen Mechs (check your spam if not). Newbies should email [email protected] for pricing and shipping info

James Roberts (and his artistic collaborators) run on the IDW TRANSFORMERS, specifically MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and LOST LIGHT remains one of the all time GREAT comics runs in my opinion. : | Not TRANSFORMERS runs...COMIC RUNS. They are ASTONISHING comics to me. Incredible.

I really enjoyed this recent deep dive interview into MTMTE, my formative comic book reading experiences, Lost Light lore, and mapping real world politics onto stories about giant robots open.spotify.com/episode/0tSL...

Worldwide orders accepted later this month. I’ll post something here, promise

I’ve posted an update on the Generation Mechs orders situation on Instagram and it’s too long to reproduce here (translation: I am busy and lazy). Head over to j.roberts332, it’s the latest post

"It is one of The Divine Comedy’s finest records and it draws from many of the most powerful elements of his musical instincts" - @justplayed.bsky.social Read in full: www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-... #TheDivineComedy #RainySundayAfternoon @clashmusic.com

Welp, it’s time to publish this: Bluesky Moderation has affirmatively dropped the ball with respect to allowing the transgender community on this site to protect itself. I have a blocklist, titled “Transphobic”. You can’t see it. Bluesky Community hid it.

The belief that poverty and homelessness are about "individual choices" didn't arise on its own. It was manufactured through decades of messaging designed to protect the policies and interests that create mass precarity. As this new poll shows, that propaganda campaign has been wildly successful.

Crafty friends The Divine Comedy have the most wonderful new song Invisible Thread. It’s lovely but also I’m in bits now. youtu.be/5VXSQQ5YDIU?...

We’re happy to share the English PDF of our recent James Roberts Q&A with Chinese fans!Huge thanks to @jroberts332.bsky.social As James requested, please note: James agreed to a Q&A session as part of the arrangement that sees his MTMTE notebooks distributed to Chinese fans. PDF link in comments

I did a birthday present to myself: a video essay about the two versions of Star Saber and how interesting they actually are when compared to one another, and how they make an accidentally perfect dark mirror of the other! Also is it gauche to tag @jroberts332.bsky.social, youtu.be/fikyQz97Coc

"Every single person in my store is supportive and accepting of who I am, including my boss, the other managers, and every colleague in every part of the store. At times my workplace is the only safe space in my life which is a bit sad."

She’s an Irish national. Is No 10 going to make a similar threat to everyone outside Britain who supports PA?

The recent publication of Generation Mechs by @jroberts332.bsky.social has reminded me of the work I started on this reissue of some of the best bits of my 90s Transformers Fanzine. Originally I was going to do this as a printed zine but so far the page count is close to 80+ pages which would make…

Generation Mechs update: I want to solicit orders ASAP. I’ll be sending the books out in bespoke card packaging for extra protection; I’m waiting for the supplier to send a sample so I can calculate precise shipping costs. After that I’ll make a noise on here and other platforms

Book’s out

The final book release from me in 2025 is this:

Cover reveal! Generation Mechs: Transformers Fan Culture In The 90s, the first release from Empurata Books, is out next month — and this is what it looks like. 496 pages, hardback, embossed cover, spot-varnished dust jacket and 3 x 12-page glossy inserts featuring hi-res photos of 60+ TF fanzines

It’s utterly grim that the framing of political stories by political editors is “what does this mean for the prime minister’s authority” instead of “how many disabled people will starve or trans people won’t get the support they need”. It’s like football commentary rather than serving the public.

The Cass Review has not been peer-reviewed. But it has now been critiqued in depth and from every angle and fully discredited as pseudoscience by ELEVEN peer-reviewed publications. So when the government uses the Cass Review to justify any policies it is not “following the science”.

So! Here’s a glimpse of the worlds that await you inside Generations Mechs, the definitive critical and cultural guide to being a Transformers fan in the 1990s, when (for most of the decade) it looked like we’d reached The End Of The Road

Generation Mechs - a favour This will be a thread, so bear with me. Gen Mechs is going to print in a few weeks. I’ll be selling and signing copies at @tfnationltd, and then later in the year I’m going to make it available to order, as I’ve done with the MTMTE notebooks

We're proud to be sponsoring TFN attendee Josh, who is raising funds for an aid-giving trip to Cambodia. He'll be building schools, kitchens, bridges; planting trees & cleaning up beaches. Please support if you can - full details below! tfnation.com/blog/20... #TFNation #Transformers

Coming in August…

Thank you to everyone who came over to chat and buy books at the TFN mini-con. I’ve been a sick boy for a few weeks and nearly had to cancel; obviously glad I didn’t. Special shoutout to the grown adult who said that they started reading MTMTE aged 11, making me crumple to dust

Just a reminder that I post book updates etc on Instagram as well as on here (and sometimes I forget one platform, and sometimes the other): j.roberts332

The cover to the new book (by @AdamRRoberts) has gone down *very* well, so here it is in higher-res “real object” form