"You can't put the genie back in the bottle" for generative AI, they say. But didn't we collectively decide to do that for human cloning?

Read 52 books this year, loved 10 of them (13, including rereads). My top ten is in the link below, along with a brief roundup of my writing year. Enjoy.

Read 52 books this year, loved 10 of them (13, including rereads). My top ten is in the link below, along with a brief roundup of my writing year. Enjoy.

Canberra Times, 18 December, 2025:

Bangers honestly. highly recommend

SALE: a 2-for-1 eBook deal for my debut novel, 36 Streets, and novella, Ghost of the Neon God - between them winning 4 awards (Aurealis x2, Ditmar x2). My work, 'Gloriously upholds the cyberpunk legacy' according to Locus Mag. Link below.

SALE: a 2-for-1 eBook deal for my debut novel, 36 Streets, and novella, Ghost of the Neon God - between them winning 4 awards (Aurealis x2, Ditmar x2). My work, 'Gloriously upholds the cyberpunk legacy' according to Locus Mag. Link below.

I spent November mentoring for an arts-based recovery program for military personnel and first responders suffering trauma and injury. A genuinely transformative program that proves the vital importance of creativity in the process of healing. Article in link below:

I spent November mentoring for an arts-based recovery program for military personnel and first responders suffering trauma and injury. A genuinely transformative program that proves the vital importance of creativity in the process of healing. Article in link below:

This is awesome. While I've had a few short stories translated, this is the first time for my of my novels (36 Streets). The Russian cover of my vehemently anti-imperialist book is excellent, and I love seeing this artist's interpretation of the protagonist, Lin Thi Vu. Link below.

This is awesome. While I've had a few short stories translated, this is the first time for my of my novels (36 Streets). The Russian cover of my vehemently anti-imperialist book is excellent, and I love seeing this artist's interpretation of the protagonist, Lin Thi Vu. Link below.

Read T.R. Napper's Ghost Of The Neon God" tonight. amzn.to/48nlqAD 📖👻 Gave me serious #Cyberpunk2077 meets #ThelmaAndLouise vibes. In a good way. #books #reading #ScienceFiction #SciFi #Cyberpunk @trnapper.bsky.social @titanbooks.bsky.social #BookSky

Was pumped when Beth & Adrian @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social asked me to write a story for their special cyberpunk issue. On top of that, somehow I got the cover art (look at the contributors to the issue - a truly stellar line-up). It's their first print edition, and I can't wait to get mine.

Is this cheese grater conscious? Many users feel they're talking to a real person. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.

Author copy mail is the best type of mail. Very pleased to be a part of the Austral Anthology and the year's best 'Robot and AI Stories' (about robot and AI, NOT written by)(@infinivoxsf.bsky.social). Links to each below.

This is the most Australian thing I have seen all week and it's a mood

Up until recently I was in a cyberpunk group on Facebook. On it, someone wrote a very long and very well received post on why AI in art is okay and fucking hell I'm just tired. The AI techbros are the real world manifestation of everything cyberpunk detests and warned against.

Up until recently I was in a cyberpunk group on Facebook. On it, someone wrote a very long and very well received post on why AI in art is okay and fucking hell I'm just tired. The AI techbros are the real world manifestation of everything cyberpunk detests and warned against.

Tim Hickson just uploaded an excellent, thoughtful video on his channel HelloFutureMe, exploring the trope: 'When a Character is a Weapon'. I was immensely gratified to see he'd included Lin Thi Vu from 36 Streets & The Escher Man. Well worth a watch (Link below).

Tim Hickson just uploaded an excellent, thoughtful video on his channel HelloFutureMe, exploring the trope: 'When a Character is a Weapon'. I was immensely gratified to see he'd included Lin Thi Vu from 36 Streets & The Escher Man. Well worth a watch (Link below).

Pleased indeed to see my debut, 36 Streets, make the all-time top ten cyberpunk list, alongside some true giants of the neon-drenched subgenre. Jonathan Cooke's Words in Time is a great channel - check out the full list in the link: youtu.be/HZOGEKl0naE?...

It’s a shame that GTA VI has been delayed but I’m excited by Rockstar’s promise that the extra time will allow them to give all the pedestrians in the game “a rich inner life” and “the capacity to actually experience pain”

lol

Roomba should have been a warning.

“I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. I'm 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak. ... The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, ‘What is your stance on AI?’ And my answer was very short. I said, ‘I'd rather die.’” 🫡

you don't understand. as someone who isn't inherently good at art, stealing paintings from the museum is the *only* way i'm able to express myself creatively. i wouldn't be able to paint beautiful portraits. but by breaking into a museum and stealing the paintings, now i am

To be clear: this is 'Best of' is about AI, not written or assisted by AI. As David Simon put it, I'd rather put a gun in my mouth than use than use LLMs in my writing.

Very cool, to say the least, to share a ToC with such a stellar list of writers in 'The Year's Best Robot and AI Stories'. Looking forward to getting my author copy.

Tawny frogmouth named 2025 Australian bird of the year winner

Baffling, depressing. George Miller's legacy is in part built on his commitment to practical effects, to loving attention to production, to encouraging and empowering human beings to painstakingly create items of beauty. Now he's defending slop. www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...

The Australian Ditmar Award ceremony was last night, and I was honoured to receive the nod for Best Novella. Ghost of the Neon God has now won the Australian double (Aurealis and Ditmar). Congrats to all the winners, and a huge thanks to all my readers.

Congratulations to @trnapper.bsky.social on winning the Best Novella at the Australian Ditmar Awards this weekend for GHOST OF THE NEON GOD! 🖤

The Australian Ditmar Award ceremony was last night, and I was honoured to receive the nod for Best Novella. Ghost of the Neon God has now won the Australian double (Aurealis and Ditmar). Congrats to all the winners, and a huge thanks to all my readers.

Ditmar voting closes tonight (the 25th). If you're eligible to vote, and you've read and enjoyed any of the short-listed authors, get on it.

Today (17 September) is the 1st anniversary of the publication of The Escher Man. Ten years in the writing (and trunking, and resurrecting). Big thanks to everyone who's read (and especially talked about, and reviewed). Cheers. @titanbooks.bsky.social

Pleased indeed to see my debut, 36 Streets, make the all-time top ten cyberpunk list, alongside some true giants of the neon-drenched subgenre. Jonathan Cooke's Words in Time is a great channel - check out the full list in the link: youtu.be/HZOGEKl0naE?...

Having just finished Napper's The Escher Man, I can confirm this will happen to you. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0df1...

I have no clue whether I will get my 9 grand (I have 3 books in the database, and they're registered in the US, but I'm Australian). However, two points: 1), I would never have licensed my work to these bastards, and 2) Their business model is based on theft - this case has to be just the beginning.

Honoured to have two of my works shortlisted for the Australian Ditmar Awards - 'The Escher Man' (novel), & 'Ghost of the Neon God' (novella)(both published by @titanbooks.bsky.social). Thank you to everyone who voted, and congrats to all the shortlisted authors. www.conflux.org.au/2025-ditmar-...

Ghost of the Neon God by @trnapper.bsky.social is one of my all time favourites. nappertime.com/my-books/

Huge milestone for my current manuscript, a dark fantasy epic (Have I made a massive error, switching genres and taking on a story so ambitious? I mean: yeah, maybe. But that's true of every novel, that creative leap of faith, without a net).

No, authors aren't burnt out because "writing without AI is slow" We're burnt out because we're paid dirt so we need day jobs to survive

Ah, here it is. 'Aren't AIs are people, too?" I engage with this claim in my Asimov's Novella, 'The Hidden God'. The protagonist (Izzy) is talking to an AGI (Huldo) about a tech baron (Bookman):

I wrote this article little while back, partly in response to seeing the same idiot comment over and again in threads about AI in art (the, 'AI is just a tool, like a camera' argument), but also to talk about how we can fight back. I put a lot of time into it, to make it worth a little of yours.

A small milestone for my novella, Ghost of the Neon God. 300 ratings on Goodreads and still going strong. Thank you to all who've read, enjoyed, and rated.

Voting closes tomorrow.

A small milestone for my novella, Ghost of the Neon God. 300 ratings on Goodreads and still going strong. Thank you to all who've read, enjoyed, and rated.

I haven’t been this excited for a bubble to burst since I was a toddler.

I'm not physically attending @seattlein2025.org, and the FOMO is crushing. My meagre compensation is the virtual panel. Times below are for Australian East Coast. But if you're in Seattle, why attend barcon when at 9pm and 1030pm Wednesday, you could be watching me?