This is a good excuse to repost the close reading of Bradbury’s story written by my cat. I think he found some original insights camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com/2024/11/08/t...

Timothy Reads “There Will Come Soft Rains”

Dear one and all and everybody, please climb aboard my beautiful riverboat which set sail down the languid river of literature. I, Timothy the Talking Cat will be your captain as we journey into th…

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

Matt Zoller Seitz@mattzollerseitz.bsky.social · 19h ago

"The events of Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” occur today: August 4, 2026. Like so many dates in science fiction, this one probably seemed far away when it was chosen, but once it was finally upon us, it passed like all days." www.rogerebert.com/mzs/silhouet...

I got to visit this & it is amazing as a structure & has a weird history. Originally a railway tunnel but it was bit too steep & a bit too curved. In World War 2 it held Australia's chemical warfare stockpile. Later it was a mushroom farm.

ABC News Australia@news.abc.net.au · 20h ago

Calls for funding to open historic Blue Mountains tunnel

Looking at the Dragon Award Best Tabletop Game I have never paid much attention to the physical game categories of the Dragon Awards. The Dragons, in general, became a thing I looked at as a consequence of the Sad Puppy Debarkle. Prior even to the awards being announced, there was a belief in…

Looking at the Dragon Award Best Tabletop Game

I have never paid much attention to the physical game categories of the Dragon Awards. The Dragons, in general, became a thing I looked at as a consequence of the Sad Puppy Debarkle. Prior even to the awards being announced, there was a belief in Puppy quarters that an award run by Dragon Con would obliterate the importance of the Hugo Awards just because of the sheer numbers of attendees at Dragon Con. As we have seen over the ten years of the award, that has not happened. The inclusion of games in the Dragons can also be seen as an outcome of the Debarkle.

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one shark but it’s only about 20 cm long. It can swim up the sewer pipes and get you when you are on the toilet

weinberg@weinbergs.bsky.social · 7mo ago

let's pretend: Universal announces a screenwriting contest for Jaws 5. What's your pitch?

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's gonna leave a mark

When three moons hit your eyes like a succession of pies... that's ellipses

Once More Updating an Old Table The presence of the Dragon Award finalists reminded me of another irregular tradition: tabulating data about Larry Correia's Son of the Black Sword and N.K.Jemisin's The Fifth Season. I picked these two works as they came out in the same year, are both book 1 in a…

Once More Updating an Old Table

The presence of the Dragon Award finalists reminded me of another irregular tradition: tabulating data about Larry Correia's Son of the Black Sword and N.K.Jemisin's The Fifth Season. I picked these two works as they came out in the same year, are both book 1 in a fantasy series and because I was told by various Puppies that Correia outsold Jemisin. I did this last year: as well as in 2023 and 2021. I forgot in 2022 and 2024. First of all, here are the various Amazon rankings (remember, small is good, big is bad):

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

Looks like the Dragon Awards have finalists As always, the way to find out that the Dragon Award finalists have been released is via rumours and portents. I swear I just checked the website and there was no sign, and then I saw Martha Wells' post on Blue Sky that Queen Demon was a finalist. Well,…

Looks like the Dragon Awards have finalists

As always, the way to find out that the Dragon Award finalists have been released is via rumours and portents. I swear I just checked the website and there was no sign, and then I saw Martha Wells' post on Blue Sky that Queen Demon was a finalist. Well, if anybody can summon the lists from the taciturn dragon, it would be Martha Wells. Not many overlaps from my post about people and publishers who asked people to vote for them. I see Larry Correia and some Baen books.

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My short story ‘Pink Pilled’ about quantum physics, decision making and taking proffered pharmaceuticals at parties is out in the August issue of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine (along with a bunch of other great reads!): ifs-mag.com/shop

The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine

Supporting independent authors by sharing their stories with the world!

ifs-mag.com

More adventures in weird traffic I don't know if this is related to the spike in traffic in February, but I'm now getting mini-spikes on one specific post. That would usually mean some more popular website had linked to an older post, but there's no sign of an incoming link. The post is from 2018…

More adventures in weird traffic

I don't know if this is related to the spike in traffic in February, but I'm now getting mini-spikes on one specific post. That would usually mean some more popular website had linked to an older post, but there's no sign of an incoming link. The post is from 2018 and was an introduction to me reading The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi. The new traffic isn't coming from Scalzi's account, and other posts about the same book aren't showing the same traffic. It's not huge numbers of hits, but sudden spikes with a bunch of hits all at once. Here's the monthly traffic on that one post: I'm assuming it's an AI doing weird scraping still, but weird that it is this one post.

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

Today's daily reminder that the UAE is currently engaged in a genocide in Sudan using weapons they receive from the US and money they receive from our tourism dollars, and every celebrity who lives or vacations in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is knowingly funding it.

[mysterious circle of robed figures] JK Rowling: hello children Rowling: finally my evil plan reachesss fruition Rowling: it'ss taken me yearss of careful planning but finally Rowling: finally!!! Rowling: finally we can defeat the sscourge of human rightsss

Susan’s Salon:🌖♌️2-3 August 2026 Welcome to Susan's Salon. This post has an open comment thread for people (or cats) to discuss any topic they would like. Happy, sad, weird or just catching up with events. Yes, you can promote things in the comments if you want. The only rules are: nothing hateful…

Susan’s Salon:🌖♌️2-3 August 2026

Welcome to Susan's Salon. This post has an open comment thread for people (or cats) to discuss any topic they would like. Happy, sad, weird or just catching up with events. Yes, you can promote things in the comments if you want. The only rules are: nothing hateful and no cranky disputes/arguments. Susan's Salon is posted early Monday morning Sydney time, which is usually still Sunday in most places in the world.

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

If you are voting in the Hugo’s - vote in the fan categories. Give Fan Artist some love- real people making real art for the love of doing it

Owen Blacker@owen.blacker.me.uk · 4d ago

Hugo Awards deadline is next weekend, so I'm putting in my ballot so far and *damn* the Fan Artist category has some super strong finalists this year. They are all so beautiful!

Review: Spider-Man Brand New Day The fourth MCU Spider-Man film has arrived on-screen, with Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal via the magic of movie schedules, apparently jumping from Bronze Age Greece to modern-day New York. While the title is taken from a comic book story arc, the story is…

Review: Spider-Man Brand New Day

The fourth MCU Spider-Man film has arrived on-screen, with Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal via the magic of movie schedules, apparently jumping from Bronze Age Greece to modern-day New York. While the title is taken from a comic book story arc, the story is effectively a new one. In the previous trilogy of films, Spider-Man had a superhero mentor from the MCU (Tony Stark, then Nick Fury and then Doctor Strange). That space is now occupied by Frank Castle/The Punisher, but the relationship is more equitable, perhaps even collegial? Of course, if anything, Peter Parker is the more psychologically stable of the two, and Spider-Man's connection to The Punisher is more about stopping him from blowing up parts of New York.

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

URGENT: My phone has been cut off. I'm trying now to raise funds to restore internet and phone service. 31 July, 0/$600.

Imaginary Stories@imaginarystories.bsky.social · last wk.

I've been on medical leave for chronic debilitating migraines for half a year. I'm thousands in debt, I've lost my internet and phone service, and rent is due in a few days. I have no resources left. Please help if you can or share this otherwise. Thank you! ko-fi.com/imaginarysto...

This reminds me. As far as I can tell Andy Burnham didn't go to the same school as Rick Astley...but also they both went to the same school as it currently exists.

Duncan Robinson@duncanrobinson.bsky.social · 5d ago

www.economist.com/britain/2026... Wrote about our indie music loving elite and how Burnham is...just another 50-something bloke interested in the exactly same thing as others of his generation

I enjoyed the new Spider-Man movie, although the odd overlap of the cast with The Odyssey is weird. It's a very Spider-Man movie without it being a specific famous comic book plot. An effective use of the MCU in terms of adding a wider cast of characters rather than adding homework

Those Monday events are setting up a dangerous precedent for me in the event of @brisbane28.org

Mary Robinette Kowal@maryrobinettekowal.com · 6d ago

Elsie and I will be at @laworldcon.bsky.social next month. Here is our schedule: maryrobinettekowal.com/events/mrk-a... Will you be there? Let me know, and say hello if you see me!

At what age did you first see a pixel? I made a silly comment at File770, but then I started thinking about it seriously. When did I first see a pixel? There's an ambiguity here as to what counts as a pixel. A picture using traditional photographic film has "grains", but they aren't pixels as…

At what age did you first see a pixel?

I made a silly comment at File770, but then I started thinking about it seriously. When did I first see a pixel? There's an ambiguity here as to what counts as a pixel. A picture using traditional photographic film has "grains", but they aren't pixels as such. However, what about the components on an old-fashioned CRT TV screen? I think they don't really count as pixels, as the signal they display was not digital. So, I would contend that to see a pixel requires both a digital screen and a digital input.

camestrosfelapton.wordpress.com

Christopher Nolan Making a film on a beach with a horse Homer, of course Matt's with Calypso Wearing the beard he wore when he was in Troy Misses his Boy

The Shadow of the Tickle Torturer

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Ruin a book by adding a word Mansfield Parkrun

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Conan the Suburban Barbarian

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Ruin a book by adding a word The Grapenuts of Wrath

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Ruin a book by adding a word Inherent Miami Vice

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Ruin a book by adding a word. Brighton Christian Rock

Camestros Felapton@camestrosf.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Ruin a book by adding a word: The Edge Lord of the Rings.

Runalong Womble@runalongwomble.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word The Speed Lathe of Heaven

Ruin a book by adding a word A Disney Princess of Mars

Runalong Womble@runalongwomble.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word The Speed Lathe of Heaven

For the record, this Emily Wilson Odyssey review furor is ridiculous, and largely fueled by algorithms designed to work us up over practically nothing. She wrote a very interesting review from her perspective and I personally enjoyed it. Now, it feels like people want her arrested for a crime.