It’s really frightening.

On the eve of Google deciding to destroy itself in the name of #AI, here's some more disappointing news from the literary world. I honestly can't fathom the desire to use AI at any point during my writing process. Coming up with ideas myself is part of the fun, and I trust my own research more.

Like with #ShyGirl, I wonder if catching an AI generated story--either by the Commonwealth Prize or Granta--could have been solved by having more staff. If you don't have enough people to take their time or do more than a casual copyedit, then more work like this will slip through the cracks.

So I've been working on a short story about AI, and I was going to submit it to Granta. Now...

😂😂😂

In just months, Zohran Mamdani has shown what politics looks like when leaders actually try governing for ordinary people instead of donors and cable news panels. Affordable housing, childcare, transit, workers’ dignity and immigrant protection are not “radical” ideas.

If the reporting on this is accurate, this is incredibly depressing. Even if Everlane doesn't disapper, it now feels as dead as People Tree and Thought. It would be nice if ethical brands stuck around and stayed ethical.

This list is getting a lot of flack, but the problem is not the books. It’s that the sample size is too small. You’re not going to get many interesting or obscure works when you only poll 150 people. (Never mind the demographics of those 150.)

A week on from the elections, and one thing I wish had been talked about...at all was that garbage #OnlineSafetyAct. Tumblr has now introducted age verification for UK users, further enshittifying my online experience, and I really wish candidates had discussed whether it was actually effective.

I've joined over 300 artists, arts organisations, academics, think tanks and campaigners who have signed this open letter. Add your name. Tell Scotland's political parties and cultural institutions to deliver a basic income for artists:

We lost Douglas Adams 25 years ago today. This has made a lot of people very sad and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

Koji Suzuki, the world-renowned novelist best-known for Ring, "Floating Water" (Dark Water), Spiral, and more horror stories, has died at age 68:

Incredibly happy about this! I loved hearing her speak the other week. She's going to do amazing things for the Southside!

Another criticism I have of this election cycle is, while I understand that the @scottishgreens.org want to celebrate small wins (which are important), I didn't hear a ton of talk about big wins. It's great to say "We want to get more seats!", but I also want to hear "We want to win the majority."

This. But also, I do think parties like the @greenparty.org.uk @scottishgreens.org underestimate how little people know about even basic parts of their policies. Not just how good a UBI is, but WHAT a UBI is. Simpler, clearer messaging and storytelling is needed to maximise the coverage you do get.

Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough. One of the most important natural history broadcasters, environmental educators and climate voices of our time. 💚

Not only are hardcovers art, but some books are MADE for hardcover. That 1000 page Pynchon might be lighter in paperback, but it is floppy and unweildy. Doorstop books need structure. I will die on that hill.

It's #ElectionDay! Wherever you are, make sure you get out and vote!

ICYMI - Our May The Fourth Gift Guide, for all your adorable #starwars #maythefourth needs. #starwarsday www.starburstmagazine.com/features/starbursts-may-the-4th-gift-guide-2026/

Next week its the Scottish elections - check here for the best voting options to keep out Reform and the Tories. Don't be like Blackburn. stopreformuk.vote

2026 Hugo Awards Finalists Announced Congratulations to everyone nominated. www.starburstmagazine.com/2026-hugo-aw...

This parent did the right thing, but because other parents did not, her daughter is dead. Vaccinate your kids, people.

OpenAI: We’re burning money like the Joker. A miracle needs to happen for us to turn a profit Microsoft: Please please use our AI systems, we’re teetering on the edge here Anthropic: I wonder what’ll kill us first: lawsuits, regulations or model collapse Media and universities: AI is here to stay

To everyone who criticises the @greenparty.org.uk @scottishgreens.org: it's entirely possible to tax the rich. You just do it. And if New York can do it, so can every other city in the world.

"Resurrected" - not "recreated" or "manufactured" or "animated" or "has his corpse dragged around by two charming young men who just want to enjoy their vacation."

I did the bike-to-a-library thing in my time (and sometimes to a more distant one where my reading privileges weren't limited). ...Somewhere in his letters, CS Lewis remarks on how impossible it is to keep a young reader away from what they want to read. Tech is smarter now, but so are kids. 😏

💚 PASSED 💚 Glasgow Greens' motion in support of Trongate 103 has passed, with £200k of property support for cultural organisations. However we also want a long-term solution & urge City Property to make a sustainable future of Trongate 103 in the interests of culture not capital ✊

One of my favourite YouTube accounts is #NotJustBikes, and his latest video should be required viewing for anyone who lives in an even slightly urbanised area. #cars #anticar www.youtube.com/watch?v=umgi...

A really good article about the whole #ShyGirl debacle and #AI in publishing. The article is skeptical about publishers' response, but I do think, if publishing houses want to avoid more costly scandals like this, they SHOULD hire more staff. (Cont.)

Climate has almost disappeared from our conversation. But it remains the most pressing challenge of our times. Last week the WMO said the planet is “more out of balance than at any time in observed history.” Energy security and climate security are not competing priorities.

Scottish Green Councillors & Candidates supported the rally to save Trongate 103 today ✊ Our Councillor Group have tabled a motion seeking urgent action for Trongate 103 from the Council & City Property, & get Glasgow's culture thriving with investment & support across Governments again 💚

Don't have a book (Yet? Yet.), but I barely yell about my short stories after they get published, and that is just as much of an oversight as forgetting to yell about a book. So...here's a scream into the void. www.oficmag.com/store/p/issu...

see? here's the thing. A lot of people are like, the earth is fucked, it's beyond salvation, it's hit the tipping point, but time and time again we see that if we just fucking fixed the problem, it rebounds so incredibly fast. Imagine what could be done if people actually cared

"The basic income was life-changing. Only months into the scheme, I found out I was pregnant. The basic income helped me decide to have my baby, knowing I could continue creative work and keep my small studio space... The basic income gave me more freedom to experiment in my work." DO UBI FOR ALL.

Our dependency on fossil fuels makes us vulnerable. Wars across the world are pushing up prices for households in the UK. Why keep waiting for the next crisis? We need to transition to clean power as fast as we can to protect people and our economy. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Love this experience by one of the basic income pilot participants in Wales. They got £1,290 a month after tax for two years (about $1,862/mo), and at first they planned to not get a job, but then after getting into the pilot, they changed their mind, because why not do more to get more money?

Apparently, this was caused by a vape shop. I didn't need another reason to hate vaping, but "our product can set fire to historic buildings" is a good one.

Petition for saving Trongate 103 is up... c.org/mBbd9KpS7c

Climate breakdown is occurring more rapidly with the heating rate almost doubling, according to research that excludes the effect of natural factors behind the latest scorching temperatures. #climatecrisis #auspol www.theguardian.com/environment/...

You know, if you rip out all the ammenities for student accomodation, students won't actually want to live in your city and stay in your accomodation. @glasgowcc.bsky.social

With THE BRIDE! hitting cinemas today, we’ve slashed 50% OFF our BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN tribute issue in the character’s honour! If you haven’t already, grab this essential companion piece at half price all week long, exclusively through our store: starburstmagazine.store/products/sta...

Surely nothing bad has ever happened when a critical mass of the population feel that their future has been ripped out from under them and that the only thing they have to look forward to is the steady erosion of their standard of living. Surely that always turns out fine.

Raising the rent to "four times its current level" is absolutely despicable. Rethink this @glasgowcc.bsky.social.

Here's my answer to the question in the headline: they should govern it...by not resorting to it. By sidestepping its use. By going on without it. By. Not. Using it. AI can be manipulated and you can be fed falsehoods and you could spread them to millions of people before you realize. Don't use it.

It's Starburst Magazine day! In our Spring issue, I take a look at the fantastic, action-packed #anime #BloodTheLastVampire, while over in the Book Wormwhole, I break down Amin Maalouf's gender dystopia "First Century After Beatrice". #scifi #books #film #fantasy #horror #tv

Aboslutely fantastic, and SO encouraging as Scotland heads into its own elections in May. The Green Party has always been happy to gain votes, but this makes it clear that they can aim to WIN. @glasgowgreens.bsky.social @scottishgreens.org

The damage we're doing to the planet--and ourselves--to avoid writing an email.

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland. And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.

This is why taxing the super rich is so important. Free university is a net positive for Scotland. Cutting it would be detrimental to not only individuals, but the country as a whole.

He says he can’t be bought. £13.2 million says otherwise.