Hardly anybody has chimneys anymore, so it's Santa dislocating his bones to climb through your letterflap like Toombs, wriggling and oozing through your drainpipes, surfacing, goggle-and-snorkel-clad up your toilet.

"And Tiny Tim, who did not die" = heartwarming, Christmassy. "And Tiny Tim, who would not die" = sinister, alarming.

It's Christmas Adam! My friends ironically called it that ("because Adam came before Eve") and it's stuck with me. So, happy Christmas Adam to all who celebrate!

LOVE Gay Santa! In 2021 the Norwegian Postal Service released this advert to mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality. The kiss is 😍! 🏳️‍🌈🎅😘🧸🇳🇴

Remember your vitamin d my little northern-northen hemisphere poopoos. The solstice may have been but it's still deep midwinter for you.

Eating like crap recently. Time for some healthier fare. At least until Christmas.

What a better way to start a Monday than with the second part of "A Jam's list to 2026 releases"? Second part of my most awaited titles for 2026 and that I hope to cover in the blog (depending on review copies and all): jamreads.com/articles/a-j... 💙📚

Io Saturnalia! I have a double page spread as 'la regina del grimdark' in the Italian equivalent of the Radio Times! #books #booksky #fantasy 📚📚📚🔥🔥🔥 www.radiocorrieretv.rai.it/raccolta/n-5...

The Purple Door - A Gator Days Christmas Special Part One Pages 1-4/12 Part Two coming December 24th

"ECO24 is a moving and thought-provoking collection featuring some of my favourite themes in speculative fiction." 🌱🌍 Wonderful review from Dr. Alice Violett for ECO24: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction! Read it here: www.draliceviolett.com/eco24-edited...

Unionizing is not as impossible as you'd imagine and discretely getting an experienced organizer's assessment of the company you work at is free

Reminder that companies are not their CEOs and workers at all levels are not cool with this shit, and should not have to tolerate unilateral decisions that undermine their work made by a single person

This is my story about growing old, regrets, and choices taken or not taken. I was quite pleased with it.

blergh, I HATE having to ask coz I know it’s super hard for everyone especially around this time of year… but I’m also about to hit negative balances and I don’t get paid til next Friday :/ been a real f’ing hard eight months tbh and I’m sorry everything is so awful ko-fi.com/mercwolfmoor

I intend to do some reading over Christmas and there's apparently a British tradition of reading scary stuff at this time of year. What's your favourite ghost / scary / dark stories? Good one you read lately?

And if you’ve made up terms (which, hey, we do a lot in SFF), that’s invaluable. ChatGPT won’t have any idea how to translate your bastardised scifi terminology of two words mashed into one, but a translator can see it and know what vibe you’re going for, and can double check with you if unsure.

I’m reminded of watching two old ladies ask a teenage goth for directions and she politely told them and when she was out of earshot one lady said “You know where you are with a goth”

God Rest You Scary Gentlemen… Papercut by my husband #GothicAdvent

Came up with a few ideas for secular activities (rituals?) to mark the winter solstice. Or new year, I guess. I'm a terrible artist but it brings me pleasure, and this is mostly for me. But if you want to, do your own terribly drawn list, with your own ideas!

Musicians with a Solstice Tree puppet, and two of the three folkloric Obby Osses who danced down the aisles of our village church at this year's Winter Solstice gathering. Photographs by Claire-Shauna Saunders. Dartmoor, Devon, UK.

Just finished del Toro's Frankenstein and I liked it a lot but holy shit ending it on a Byron quote is like... Wow.

July was yesterday, right? Well if you missed it flying by, July was when Godzilla as a Young Man named Mike by @bethkesh.bsky.social came out in @podcastle.org. Another of my favourites this year. #booksky 💙📚💙 📚🤖📚📚🪐

It appears as though SFWA has had a very quick change of heart and is now back on the right side of this. Shouldn't have happened in the first place. New Nebula Awards eligibility rules for generated text are now:

Hang about, is it Christmas next week? I'd best get on with writing those heartwarming seasonal wishes in cards, hadn't I. (Warning: Very, VERY, sweary!) youtu.be/RY6_rvUkB2s

A house that wakes? 👀🏚

Lovable Victorian Urchin's Guide to a Merry Christmas youtube.com/shorts/fLIh7...

In Santa Claus is Coming to Town, "He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake" makes more sense when you realise "behave for fuck's sake you little shit or Santa's NOT COMING" wouldn't fly on the popular hit parade.

The first step of course is to watch this wonderful video by @ramsesthepigeon.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxfx... >

Christmas can be exhausting for autistic people. Here are a few reasons why and what you can do to help the autistic people in your life (and yourself!)

Scotland must always remain a welcoming country for migrants and refugees. It's not illegal to seek asylum and refuge here, no matter the circumstances.

Tried to keep my Top 2025 reads to 25, but a few extra snuck in...! Here's a wee thread of all of my favourite genre books that I read this year - horror & gothic, sci fi, eco fiction, fantasy, and blends of them all! 🧵👇✨📚

Early next year I will be launching the kickstarter for my very first audiobook! Read by @mhairi-bee.bsky.social. You can sign up to stay updated by clicking "Notify me on launch" on the preview page today - www.kickstarter.com/projects/tri...

Do you like folk horror? Isolated communities? Something weird in the woods? An outsider drawn to a pagan place who cannot leave? An absolute killer twist? Yes, you do. Treat yourself or a loved one to WITHERED HILL for Christmas.

People in and near Glasgow, I’m thrilled to participate in this panel on Scottish Speculative Fiction next month at Waterstones Glasgow Argyle Street! Tickets available via link: www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...

Merhopt

Oh yeah! You had that cool Godzilla story too! Glad to have that on the list 🌟

It's #BookQW, so let's have the build up to an inadvisable excursion! #BookQuoteWednesday wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/nove...

It is Book Quote Wednesday and the word is 'follow'. In this extract from "Song, Stone, Sail, Bone" by Juliet Kemp in Wiz Duo #2, Sir Cade's client is riding into trouble. #BookQW wizardstowerpress.co...

This is brilliant!

AWARDS ELIGIBILITY I have nothing for consideration this year, so instead I'm going to share and repost some of the other great work I've seen that's eligible for awards 🏆 Feel free to reply with your own and share people's posts. Thank you 🙏

Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild Snakes Snakes Snakes Snakes Kangaroos. What do you want, I'm Australian.

Here's a graphic for my personal categories, but also a link for full lists including anthologies and artists and editors who should also get their flowers! 💐It's like the credits at the end of the film... emfaulds.com/news/end-of-...

Well, guess this is happening. The version number seems apposite. ( Waterfox is a version of Firefox without AI shoved in, so if you're unhappy with the latter's pivot to AI, perhaps you'll be trying this today, like me. www.waterfox.com/download/ )

🚀 A reminder to all members that Fission #5 is available to download from the member site 👉 see 'Members Digital Editions' under 'Publications' 👈 you can also buy the paperback on Amazon! It's a very strong selection of stories, perfect for some Christmas to New Year reading 🎄

I never feel more calm and purposeful than when I am in the midst of an actual life or death crisis. But getting on a plane?? Medicate me 😂

Just finished Song, Stone, Scale, Bone by @julietk.bsky.social A fab tale with swords and bone magic and dragons and a whole lot of heart. I already read the brilliant Bring me Home by @bethkesh.bsky.social so now I can heartily recommend this whole book wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/nove...

Thought about it for a hot minute

Orphean sprig! Melting baby! Warm chihuahua! #EdwinMorgan reading “Trio”, published in The Second Life (1968) and recorded by Ewan McVicar in 1990 at Tower Studio, Glasgow 🎄❄️

Would love to be able to figure out how to remove this hate symbol from my Word screen.