With the Academy's allergy to horror, especially anything as 'simple' as vampires, and history of not giving awards to black creators, I can see this happening... (The anti-inclusion policies in the US probably add their weight on the scale too.)

Outer Wilds is one of the most frustrating games in existence, because the incredible power of the story is entirely about the experience of unravelling it and reaching the ending yourself. It's a wonderful ending that you then can't talk about without spoiling it for someone else. Aargh!

Finally started playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, with my spouse. When we got the camera, things slowed down significantly because it then became possible to take photos of the Vatican's cats - the discovery that these images are not saved somehow did little to help progress.

I'm so excited to see how this turns out! I adored Rogue Trooper as a kid. Hunky, shirtless, kind (to good people), honorable, and with a blonde mohawk - he was my role model when I was a child!

Least surprising outcome of the year.

App idea: something that turns clickbait headlines into old fashioned informative headlines so I can decide if I actually want to read more before I click.

Absolutely loved #PlayingGracieDarling on Netflix. Brilliant combination of spookiness, sleuthing, and repressed emotions in an Australian town. Great cast, atmosphere, and balance of scares without being formulaic Hollywood. Great work by everyone involved.

I’ve been seeing this cover over and over and I just… In the original you’re aware of the horror of falling, but the body positions of the workers are solid on the beam. Here, most of them should be falling off, yet they don’t, because they live in an unreal, consequence-free space.

TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque: "This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".

Another fine thread from Tom's wanderings.

If anyone cares at all, EV battery recycling is now hitting 99% recovery for important metals Please remind me again what the recycle rate for fossil fuels is interestingengineering.com/energy/recyc...

Settings> Accessiblity

Writers, filmmakers, artists, musicians...sometimes all of the above. Some of you are so wonderfully, maddeningly talented. Keep doing what you're doing. It's what makes this big, round place worth being on.

Why do you appreciate unions? I’ll start: Weekends off Paid vacations Work breaks Sick leave Paid holidays No child labor Safer working conditions Health care and retirement benefits

THREAD. 3 years ago, with no warning, a brilliant orange farm cat wandered over from the draughty barn where he had been living, in rural Cornwall, and decided he wanted to live with us instead. We decided to call him Jim. This is the first photo I took of him, on that night: December 1st, 2022.

Fancy giving thanks to people doing good work? gofund.me/c269df31d

You might not think you needed to see Kate Bush dressed as a bat today, but you were wrong.

Autocorrect has become our worst enema.

Good news: If you would like to watch Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants on YouTube I have done a painstaking 4k upscale of this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gW...

Maybe the uncanny unease of Hookland's lore is only considered 'cosy' because of the very visceral and visible terror of our everyday climate crisis political omnishambles Jackpot lives. Compared that, Miss Goodwin's dread about the tin sprites requiring payment in bread or teeth appears wholesome.

I'm losing my mind over how many reviewers are like "GDT's Frankenstein makes you wonder who the real monster is." THAT'S THE STORY! That's the story Shelley wrote!

sometimes an Oxford comma can make all the difference

I can't describe how beautiful tonight's murder of crows against a red sky was. I'm kindof emotional about it. 50% speed. Narrative video in next post 🪶

Last night I went to the Puca Festival in Trim, Ireland. It's all fun and games until someone unleashes a giant demonic hare.

I say we give the carnivorous death ball a go.

Any shares of this much appreciated! When my ex-publishers collapsed, taking over £20,000 of my earnings with them into the void, all my books suffered but none more than 1983. This is me trying to repair that. It’s about: Childhood Education Aliens Alpacas The East Midlands The old future we lost

🎃 happy spooky time 🎃

Accusations of hypocrisy only have impact if the target cares. For example, the Tories during Covid lockdowns were constantly and recklessly hypocritical, and didn't give a toss, yet they're the first to rage and demand action from Labour when there's hypocrisy.

It's kinda cool that Gary Larson is doing new cartoons because he picked up a digital tablet, taught himself how to use it, and it made him love drawing again. www.thefarside.com/new-stuff/

Proud papa moment: my son J published a letter in the @nytimes.com today (in print tomorrow) on the need to think our definitions of autism.

Hey #horrorwriting folks. Is #PitDark going to happen this year? I've deleted everything on the old bird place and really don't want to support that network anymore. Are we going to try PitDark on Bluesky?

Free online event about video game narrative <3

Thanks, New Yorker

September 30 October 1

Fun fact: One of EA's new owners, Affinity Partners (investment group founded by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner) has a similar logo to fictional Templar-run evil Assassin's Creed gaming company Abstergo Entertainment

THE MEME IS REAL

Waiting for Waiting for Godot.

Book Cover of the Day:

I watched The VelociPastor last night. I can confirm it is exactly as expected: knowingly rubbish and very good fun. I also admire the editing. With bad editing literally none of the jokes would have landed, but it's solid throughout and makes the film is fun and very watchable.

Hey, guys, bad news. Just been to the void and it's closed to any new screams. Apparently it's overflowing so we've gotta find somewhere else to unburden ourselves into the ether. I might try the abyss next, but I hear if you scream long enough, it'll start screaming back, which, y'know, fair.

the post office is a public service. it doesn’t need to make money. public transit doesn’t need to make money. the library doesn’t need to make money. some things exist for the public good and we desperately need lawmakers to stop thinking about them in terms of capitalism. these are not businesses.

I just read coverage of a revolutionary AI disease diagnostic tool which could help doctors give stunning and practical health advice such as *checks notes* lose weight and stop smoking. Well, that's $30bn well spent.

What if the entire point of global society were to compete to produce the best cultural outputs (art, music, games, films, dance, theatre, live sports, etc.)? Everything in society would still be needed (food, recycling, energy), but the goal would be to inspire ourselves with creations.

Roses are red Our resolve hasn't faltered

The British media not reporting on this shooting for what it is, a fight between extremist religious hate preachers is really starting to annoy me. Especially as in doing so they are pushing their lies and bile on those who would never have heard it.

Absolutely this.

I still mask in grocery stores and crowded indoor spaces as much as possible. Some say I’m over precautious. I say, ‘I’ve never had COVID’