smessenger.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

I'm really pleased that the petition to amend SFWA's bylaws to amend the defintion of "political activity" got 189 signatures, sufficient to force a membership vote. This is a technical change within one organization, but it's about whether our professional associations will stand up for us. 1/

submitted 13 days ago • 3 comments

Reporter @samhusseini.bsky.social was just physically dragged from Blinken’s briefing. “Why aren’t you at The Hague?” he asked.

submitted 49 days ago • 39 comments

The @sfwa.bsky.social Board put out an internal response. I don't know if it will be made public. In summary: 1. They won't make a statement in support of Palestinian writers because it would be political. 2. They are not ruling out future political statements, just this one. Keep the pressure on.

submitted 57 days ago • 0 comments

This has been extended to Jan 8. I let my membership lapse because I was too disgusted by the org’s failure to produce even the most lukewarm condemnation of ongoing genocide, but if you’re currently a SFWA member & haven’t forfeited your humanity I think signing it is a good thing to do.

submitted 57 days ago • 7 comments

On Saros #1 Editor @meganjkerr.bsky.social's wishlist: Messy and complicated characters. Megan's recommended reading for messy and complicated characters: The Clown Watches the Clown by Sara S. Messenger in @apexmag.bsky.social: apex-magazine.com/short-fictio...

submitted 231 days ago • 0 comments

The story of my heart, my cyberpunk masochist clowns story, is FREE TO READ NOW in @apexmag.bsky.social!!! “I dress up as a clown and let people beat me up in the alley behind the cybermotel.” Borne of my thesis on cyberclowns and orientalism!!! Do dive in!!!

submitted 275 days ago • 2 comments

So I hate to tag the mods- but I sent this email about the mass deletion of Palestinian accounts over a week ago to @support.bsky.team and I haven’t heard anything back (apologies if I somehow missed an email). I’d like to ensure it will be seen by the proper people.

submitted 114 days ago • 76 comments

The winner of the 2024 Ignyte Award for Outstanding Novel - Adult is: THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS by Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom) #Ignytes2024

submitted 118 days ago • 9 comments

Day 7 of 7 - That's a wrap! Seven essays - seven days - 19,498 words of craft-tangential musings and meanderings. I'll toss in an afterword and then pop it into an ebook this weekend in case anyone wants to read it.

submitted 118 days ago • 0 comments

We're ESPECIALLY open to writers who work normal working class jobs, are out of work, or can't work cos of disabilities. Too much short fiction is written by the professional managerial class and caters to centrist liberal sensibilities. We've really got to change it man.

submitted 146 days ago • 6 comments

Reading author bios in the big SFF magazines, I'm always struck by how many of them are engineers and data scientists who went to expensive writing workshops. We should be publishing more stories by call centre workers and bartenders and guys who work in the beer bottling factory.

submitted 153 days ago • 17 comments

This is the most original thing you will read today. It has clowns and masochism, philosophy and social commentary, genderfuck and cyberpunk feels, an emotionally raw voice and general unhingedness.

submitted 275 days ago • 0 comments

For my new followers... want to read a potatopunk masochist clown story published this May... "I dress up as a clown and let people beat me up in the alley behind the potatomotel." It has gotten like 40+ reactions from people telling me they like it...!!! in @apexmag.bsky.social!!!!

submitted 167 days ago • 0 comments

Pre-orders are open!

submitted 148 days ago • 0 comments

A reminder that Sheree Renée Thomas is curating the 2024 edition of AFTERLIVES: The Year's Best Death Fiction. We hope you are submitting your reprint stories for consideration. thedeadlands.moksha.io/publication/...

submitted 150 days ago • 0 comments

The most political in fifty years? Gosh, I'm flattered. In the interview linked below, Palestinian poet Rasha Abdulhadi talks about using the author bio to invite readers to resist the ongoing Palestinian genocide: electricliterature.com/palestinian-...

submitted 155 days ago • 1 comment

Saw a magazine review today where the reviewer went out of his way to call out an author's bio, saying: "I had one problem... It was the most political statement I had read in almost 50 years of reading science fiction magazines. I don't think that was the place for it." What would be the place?

submitted 156 days ago • 10 comments

This masochistic clown story by Sara S. Messenger is a cracking read. I always pop when unions and strikes are part of a story, especially when it's not overly-didactic. Also Sara is a real one for using her bio to encourage support for Palestinian liberation.

submitted 175 days ago • 0 comments

Despite SFF spaces being a safe haven for war hawks and arms dealers, and writing orgs being gutless on the issue, I'm glad other magazines like Interzone, Augur, FIYAH, Reckoning, Crepuscular, Strange Horizons etc all have the courage to publicly stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

submitted 148 days ago • 0 comments

Israel is an apartheid state led by a genocidal monster. US military aid to Israel must stop. Israel isn't stopping at Gaza. It seems obvious the goal is to drag the US into regional conflict, making it impossible to withdraw support. That it's fallen to indie genre magazines to say so is appalling

submitted 148 days ago • 0 comments

sff stories that feel like a slow-motion car crash and/or breaking your neck >>>

submitted 148 days ago • 0 comments

happy birthday to The psychic surgeon assists, which is 0 today • available now at calamaripress.com/psychic_surgeon_assists.htm, or from Asterism Books •

submitted 339 days ago • 1 comment

obsessed obsessed obsessed. cyberpunk masochist clowns story! read it and weep!

submitted 174 days ago • 1 comment

New followers... hello! if you wish to know more about me... my cyberpunk masochist clown story is a good introduction [reverberating buzz like a terrible gong getting louder and louder]

submitted 174 days ago • 0 comments

Suggests works for the otherwise award!!!

submitted 150 days ago • 0 comments

Applications are open now for the Watermelon Grant! Palestinian speculative poets and writers, don't miss out on this great opportunity - get your application in by December 6th!

submitted 150 days ago • 0 comments

Really enjoyed these Thoughts on Present Tense when applied to "The Clown Watches the Clown"!!

submitted 151 days ago • 0 comments

Longer newsletter this month because apart from great stories from @apexmag.bsky.social @christinogle.bsky.social @nmamatas.bsky.social @jackklausner.bsky.social @smessenger.bsky.social and more, i also had some Thoughts about present tense narration lol buttondown.com/shortstoryre...

submitted 156 days ago • 1 comment

For my new followers... want to read a cyberpunk masochist clown story published this May... "I dress up as a clown and let people beat me up in the alley behind the cybermotel." It has gotten like 40+ reactions from people telling me they like it...!!! in @apexmag.bsky.social!!!!

submitted 167 days ago • 0 comments

Please note that Mari’s experience is, unfortunately, not unique. I had to leave my wheelchair at a convention and climb a steep set of stairs, clinging to a podium for balance (this is not the one, lectern account). I was speaking about disability and equity. This was of course pre COVID.

submitted 165 days ago • 2 comments

For my new followers... want to read a cyberpunk masochist clown story published this May... "I dress up as a clown and let people beat me up in the alley behind the cybermotel." It has gotten like 40+ reactions from people telling me they like it...!!! in @apexmag.bsky.social!!!!

submitted 167 days ago • 0 comments

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #657,343! lmao

submitted 171 days ago • 0 comments

This is unbelievably good.

submitted 274 days ago • 1 comment

New followers... hello! if you wish to know more about me... my cyberpunk masochist clown story is a good introduction [reverberating buzz like a terrible gong getting louder and louder]

submitted 174 days ago • 0 comments

You absolutely can run an in person convention capable of prioritizing people's health and safety in real and tangible ways and if you dorks make me prove it I stfg

submitted 174 days ago • 12 comments

Sad to say I'm cancelling my trip to World Fantasy. They asked me to be on disability panels, but ignored months of my pleading with them to have a real COVID policy. Every recent major con has been a spreader. Many disabled attendees wrote to WFC with concern. The result? This non-policy.

submitted 174 days ago • 95 comments