NEW POST: What do the skazzerai actually WANT? And how are they connected to Dawn?? Final skazzerai essay pre-Dead Hand Rule (which you should pre-order if you haven't already) www.thehiddenschools.com/articles/wha...

Completely forgot that we're discussing DEAD COUNTRY and WICKED PROBLEMS this week! Join me tomorrow to talk at LENGTH about these books, then @maxgladstone.bsky.social will be on the subreddit on Thursday! www.reddit.com/r/CraftSeque...

Completely forgot that we're discussing DEAD COUNTRY and WICKED PROBLEMS this week! Join me tomorrow to talk at LENGTH about these books, then @maxgladstone.bsky.social will be on the subreddit on Thursday! www.reddit.com/r/CraftSeque...

Discworld QOTD, from Pyramids “No one is more worried by the actual physical manifestation of a god than his priests; it's like having the auditors in unexpectedly.”

"Hasn’t it ever occurred to you to ask what the skazzerai ARE? How you’d know one if you met it in the flesh. Of course not." WICKED PROBLEMS (next skazzerai essay coming this weekend)

NEW POST: What do the skazzerai actually WANT? And how are they connected to Dawn?? Final skazzerai essay pre-Dead Hand Rule (which you should pre-order if you haven't already) www.thehiddenschools.com/articles/wha...

Someone had blown the roof off. “Someone” was a cautious way to put it. No matter how complex the battlefield, when one of the people involved was a cackling skeleton wreathed in crimson lightning, he’d feel pretty good placing a wager as to the instigating party. “The boss is at it again.” WP

In the Boston-ish area? @maxgladstone.bsky.social will be discussing DEAD HAND RULE at Porter Square Books with @matociquala.bsky.social on 28 October! As I am in the UK I cannot be there, so you should go on my behalf and ask excellent questions. portersquarebooks.com/event/2025-1...

"Hasn’t it ever occurred to you to ask what the skazzerai ARE? How you’d know one if you met it in the flesh. Of course not." WICKED PROBLEMS (next skazzerai essay coming this weekend)

When I was little my aunt lived in the boring UK Boston. Not being aware that different places could have the same name, when I heard about US Boston I briefly thought my aunt randomly lived in America and somehow commuted to the UK every morning for work.

Also can somebody please update the Dead Hand Rule info attached to the new book at promo. It misspells Alt Coulumb every time.

In the Boston-ish area? @maxgladstone.bsky.social will be discussing DEAD HAND RULE at Porter Square Books with @matociquala.bsky.social on 28 October! As I am in the UK I cannot be there, so you should go on my behalf and ask excellent questions. portersquarebooks.com/event/2025-1...

The best time to start your necromancy cult was 20 years ago, The second best time is now.

Someone had blown the roof off. “Someone” was a cautious way to put it. No matter how complex the battlefield, when one of the people involved was a cackling skeleton wreathed in crimson lightning, he’d feel pretty good placing a wager as to the instigating party. “The boss is at it again.” WP

“So these are holy tunnels?” “No,” he said, with a sidelong glance at Mal. “Call on ancient chthonic powers once,” Mal said, “and some people never let it go.” “Her former master, in his self-centered righteous arrogance—” “Qualities possessed by no one else we know.” ...

“So these are holy tunnels?” “No,” he said, with a sidelong glance at Mal. “Call on ancient chthonic powers once,” Mal said, “and some people never let it go.” “Her former master, in his self-centered righteous arrogance—” “Qualities possessed by no one else we know.” ...

"I see you’ve already contrived to lose your shirt.” “I still have the jacket, at least.” The garment hung from his body in charred strips. She knew some people who would have bought the thing off the rack as designer-distressed, but calling it a “jacket” stretched her sense of tailoring. WP

“We don’t outsource catering. We only got an on-site Muerte Coffee because the toddlers threatened to unionize.” “Toddlers?” “Sorry, I imagine they prefer to be called junior analysts. At any rate, if you want an intro, we do coordinate sacrifice planning for a few demonic firms.” WICKED PROBLEMS

"I see you’ve already contrived to lose your shirt.” “I still have the jacket, at least.” The garment hung from his body in charred strips. She knew some people who would have bought the thing off the rack as designer-distressed, but calling it a “jacket” stretched her sense of tailoring. WP

“We don’t outsource catering. We only got an on-site Muerte Coffee because the toddlers threatened to unionize.” “Toddlers?” “Sorry, I imagine they prefer to be called junior analysts. At any rate, if you want an intro, we do coordinate sacrifice planning for a few demonic firms.” WICKED PROBLEMS

“Do you have any, I don’t know. Tips?” She looked away. “For dealing with Altemoc? Keep him away from grenades. He tends to throw himself on them.” WICKED PROBLEMS

It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay if you need to rest. Cthulhu has been in a death-like slumber for eons and he’s still a legendary cosmic horror. Take that nap if you need it — your cult can wait!

“Can I get you anything?” “Clothes,” he said. “And a bourbon.” “And some sleep,” Abernathy added. “Tomorrow, I have to tie you to a chair.” WICKED PROBLEMS

“Do you have any, I don’t know. Tips?” She looked away. “For dealing with Altemoc? Keep him away from grenades. He tends to throw himself on them.” WICKED PROBLEMS

“Can I get you anything?” “Clothes,” he said. “And a bourbon.” “And some sleep,” Abernathy added. “Tomorrow, I have to tie you to a chair.” WICKED PROBLEMS

“She could hear the spiders coming. She needed a body to fight them. I gave her one. Tara found out, and she was angry. Scared. I thought she was trying to hold us back. Keep us under control. That she was jealous or scared or lying. I…we…I hurt her. I’ve been running ever since.” WICKED PROBLEMS

The various comments in the Craft Sequence about things resembling machine learning being summoned demons stuck with me and I still sometimes call AI systems eldritch abominations to this day.

I saw the Next to Normal proshot in cinemas yesterday and I remain absolutely FERAL for this show. Had the luck of seeing it on Broadway when I was 18, but then it didnt transfer. I even looked at getting the rights to try and put it on at uni. I saw it twice in London. Now the proshot. Emosh.

“She could hear the spiders coming. She needed a body to fight them. I gave her one. Tara found out, and she was angry. Scared. I thought she was trying to hold us back. Keep us under control. That she was jealous or scared or lying. I…we…I hurt her. I’ve been running ever since.” WICKED PROBLEMS

Tonight, she was trying out a nightmare-based match service, which sorted Prospective Matches by “probabilistically verified demonic algorithms,” which were the magic words kids were using to summon and bind investors this year. WICKED PROBLEMS

Right wing demo in London looks fucking terrifying. Stay safe, friends.

Tonight, she was trying out a nightmare-based match service, which sorted Prospective Matches by “probabilistically verified demonic algorithms,” which were the magic words kids were using to summon and bind investors this year. WICKED PROBLEMS

He saw her then with the eyes of faith. She had been laid low in the way of a God: torn between commitments and contradictions, unable to make the world as she wished. Now her power was unraveling—even that which kept the God in flight. WICKED PROBLEMS

"No one wanted to take that risk, after what it cost Ajaia to stop the webs.” “Webs?” “We had to call them something. The more ordinary a word, the better. If you let the grand weirdness get to you, next thing you know you’re speaking in All Capital Letters.” WICKED PROBLEMS

NEW POST: Wicked Problems Story So Far Need a reminder of Wicked Problems before Dead Hand Rule? Well you're in luck, I've summarised the entire thing right here for you: www.thehiddenschools.com/articles/sto...

This is my vision for Belladonna Albrecht

NEW POST: Wicked Problems Story So Far Need a reminder of Wicked Problems before Dead Hand Rule? Well you're in luck, I've summarised the entire thing right here for you: www.thehiddenschools.com/articles/sto...

He saw her then with the eyes of faith. She had been laid low in the way of a God: torn between commitments and contradictions, unable to make the world as she wished. Now her power was unraveling—even that which kept the God in flight. WICKED PROBLEMS

They gathered on the foredeck for a council of war. It was an odd assembly, Abelard thought: a Craftswoman, a priestess of Kavekana, a whatever-Caleb-was, their billionaire host, and Abelard himself. WICKED PROBLEMS

There had been a Tara Abernathy before the world began to shape her—a girl who wanted to travel, to learn, to grow, who wanted to see pyramids and dragons. That girl came from somewhere, from Pa’s stories and Ma’s long memory and their hopes for a daughter who would reach beyond. DEAD COUNTRY

They gathered on the foredeck for a council of war. It was an odd assembly, Abelard thought: a Craftswoman, a priestess of Kavekana, a whatever-Caleb-was, their billionaire host, and Abelard himself. WICKED PROBLEMS

3. If you see content that disturbs you, immediately (or as fast as possible) go and play 20-30 minutes of Tetris (or any other fast-paced game with your eyes sweeping over the visual field that has caused visual artifacts to linger when you close your eyes for you in the past).

“That’s the trade you make when you learn the Craft, a trade no one in the Hidden Schools will ever tell you about save with whispers about students who strayed too far and fell: you trade compliance for power. You have strength so long as you use that strength to stay inside the lines." DC

“That’s the trade you make when you learn the Craft, a trade no one in the Hidden Schools will ever tell you about save with whispers about students who strayed too far and fell: you trade compliance for power. You have strength so long as you use that strength to stay inside the lines." DC

I should ask a question then vanish for 24 hours more often, some really interesting comments downthread

I keep seeing takes that the Craft Sequence is set on an alternate history Earth, or a way in the future post apocalyptic Earth. This feels so wrong to me, but I see it enough that I feel I must be missing something. Other than the places being similar to ours, what points people this way??

Genuinely answer, I think it depends on your audience. I've worked with several orgs since the bsky switch who haven't managed here because their audience is elsewhere. Maybe they joined a year ago but have left since. And with no algorithm, only your followers see you. If your engagement metrics-

Raising kids: - requires a lot of money - takes 18 years - exhausting Raising a demigod from the netherworld: - requires an occult ritual - takes 18 minutes (give or take, depends on how up on ancient Sumerian you are) - thrilling

There had been a Tara Abernathy before the world began to shape her—a girl who wanted to travel, to learn, to grow, who wanted to see pyramids and dragons. That girl came from somewhere, from Pa’s stories and Ma’s long memory and their hopes for a daughter who would reach beyond. DEAD COUNTRY

"The Badlands are full of leaky ordnance from the Wars. The landscape’s twisted, and reality shifts out underfoot. Knowing what direction they’ve gone won’t help you pass through a labyrinth trap, or climb out of a pitcher pit, or skirt an edge storm.” DEAD COUNTRY