every couple of years a mainstream media outlet covers nerd shit like they're discovering a strange new animal in the woods. but those of us who live in the woods are like "oh that's just jerry. fuckin chill out."
Mahmud El Sayed
@mahmudelsayed.bsky.social
Writer | Arabfuturist | SFF | Cat dad 🐈⬛️ | THE REPUBLIC OF MEMORY out now with Gollancz & Saga Press. Rep: @jjbker.bsky.social linktr.ee/mahmudelsayed
Past Mahmud, Present Mahmud is as weak as you. The WIP is still IP and yet I am playing Control Resonant. Join with me brother! Together we are more than a match for Future Mahmud.
Mahmud El Sayed@mahmudelsayed.bsky.social · last wk.Past Mahmud, I let you down! The WIP is still IP and yet Control is out. Help me Future Mahmud, you're my only hope.
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 1444: Don't waste time trying to identify trends. Publishers have whole departments to do this, and are still routinely surprised by "surprise bestsellers." Instead, write what you love, and hope other people will love it, too...
"The Mandelverse is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television." Yes, I'm onto my next Mandel book. The Lola Quartet (and as an ex-journalist, the journalist main character is giving me anxiety!)
Bona Traddie Dive, bencoves! If tu are vadaing for a nova libro that's tutto about linguas in space, por que don't tu give THE REPUBLIC OF MEMORY a keek. It's molti bona and no flies. #ITD2026
When is Joanna Newsom going to release some new music? This is my personal The Winds of Winter / Doors of Stone wait.
Do other writers actually export from Scrivener to Word? I prefer to laboriously copy and paste each chapter and read as I go like a true artisanal craftsman, a literary sculptor of yore.
Man Utd owner and Monaco-residing billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has appeared in a Reform ad talking about the UK being "colonised" by immigrants. The satire writes itself these days.
RAF Fairford, the "bomb plot" without any bombs but don't worry, crack detectives Trump and Rubio are sure that it was Iran. 'Bad Cop and Worse Cop' coming to a World War III near you soon!
Sinestro really out here looking like a post-Brexit John Cleese
The future: Muse: Hi, I'm Muse calling on John Smith's behalf.... Muse: Hi, Muse, I'm Muse, answering on Maggie Smith's behalf... John Smith's wife: Honey, did you call your mother today?
A new Skywalker trilogy? I know I'm in the minority here but I actually liked The Last Jedi's "Your parents were nobodies" thing. Successive galactic wars can't all be part of a single family's drama.
We won't boycott but we will wear black armbands and refuse to shake hands or exchange pennants is an Ed Sheeran level take from the Irish football team. Respect to Gavin Bazunu.
I've noticed a lot of media focusing on the Unabomber recenrly. A TV series, a few docs and now a movie. All of which view Kaczynski's anti-technology philosophy (if not his actual crimes) somewhat sympathetically. I can't help but view this as a commentary on the rise of AI.
Six Books with Annalee Newitz Today, @annaleen.bsky.social (Annalee Newitz) tells us about their Six Books to our Paul Weimer @princejvstin.com www.nerds-feather.com/2026/09/six-...
Six Books with Annalee Newitz
Today, Annalee Newitz tells us about their Six Books Annalee Newitz (they/them) writes science fiction and nonfiction. They are the USA Tod...
nerds-feather.com
Ethnic minority author accused of using AI: Cancel him! Destroy him! White author admits to using AI: Get that man a New York Times profile! Give that woman a Nobel Prize in Literature! (I'm more anti-AI than most but the above is nothing to do with the use of AI in art)
Past Mahmud, I let you down! The WIP is still IP and yet Control is out. Help me Future Mahmud, you're my only hope.
Mahmud El Sayed@mahmudelsayed.bsky.social · 3w agoI have decided I shall not touch Control: Resonant until I finish my WIP. Don't let me down, Future Mahmud!
Israel bans all Arab parties from the elections. But tell me again how they are the only democracy in the Middle East.
UK media primer: Cost of living - Inequality crisis/Late-stage capitalism Settlers/Settlements - Colonists/Colonies Anti-migrant protests - Racist riots/pogroms Legitimate concerns - Racism Far-right activist - Racist
We need more grounded sci fi shows. May I humbly suggest: Law and Order: Ganymede NCIS: Enterprise CSI: Mars Europa Vice Housewives of Alpha Centauri
The Republic of Memory is included with some amazing books on this list. My TBR pile runneth over. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
The 29 Best Books of 2026 (So Far)
Household names like Emily St. John Mandel, Marlon James, and Ann Patchett have soared with blockbuster novels.
esquire.com
Burnhan announces 2027 G20 in Manchester? That's gonna be mint, our kid!
Lanterns, who knew gritty superheroes x true detective would work. Loving this show and especially that it shows, not tells.
Real question: Why are all these billionaires absolutely miserable?
Coffee should not be drunk in a hurry. It is the sister of time, and should be sipped slowly, slowly. - Mahmoud Darwish, Memory for Forgetfulness
apart from the known standard model of novels, novellas, and novellettes, we are yet to find evidence of the hypothesized novelino, noveletto, noveluccio, noveluzzo, or noveluolo. a great deal of work remains to be done
Lincoln Michel@thelincoln.bsky.social · 2w agoTIL: The word "novel" is actually derived from "novella," which was used by Boccaccio to mean "new little stories." English took the term later and applied it to longer fictional narratives as "novels."
Going Dutch: Splitting the bill Going Egyptian: Fighting with each other and swearing to God to pay the entire bill wallahi it's on me, no, put your money away, khalas i already swore to God, don't make me a liar, no, don't you dare.