Les Taylor
@lestaylorwriter.bsky.social
Science Fiction writer, father, MFA regretter. He/Him All opinions and statements are my own and not representative of my employer. Currently Querying: Stars Beyond Comprehension (Space Opera 96,000 words) Trans rights are human rights.
The Internet Archive is a treasure trove of old pulp magazines. My favorite discovery is the Captains Future series: a magazine focused around one character, each issue containing a novel by Edmond Hamilton (and later other authors). Hamilton was a master of pacing and action, but not of… subtlety.
Perusing books for my daughter, my wife reread this banger from Stan and Jan Berenstain (not stein). At first expecting a sexist screed, the book is about something very relevant to today…
On a livestream tonight, I claimed I saw an ad from an old pulp magazine advertising Listerine for washing hair. I haven’t found it yet, since I spend too much time reading old pulps on archive.org than, you know, reading comps. Here are other discoveries. 🧵 @geekyjules.julessherred.com
Went to the bad place to see Derek Smart’s profile. I got this message. Are you really a fan of SciFi games if Dr. Derek Smart hasn’t blocked you?
Today, the Pope released a long, well thought out essay about AI and its effect on humanity. At my Episcopal Church yesterday, we painted kites. I guess each denomination has its own way to accomplish its goals.
Fun fact: a conclave burns black smoke to announce that no Pope has been chosen, white smoke to announce that a Pope has been chosen, and red smoke to announce to the faithful that it is time for the Butlerian Jihad.
I pirated The Boys, and I think there’s something wrong with my copy.
This is the best proof of concept for my “Tom Brady as Flash Gordon” pitch. Just bleach the man’s hair and hand him a sword. It’s perfect.
Ian Rapoport@rapsheet.bsky.social · 3mo agoTom Brady makes his red carpet debut for Gucci.
Ted Turner died. Mourners are advised to hang out with the Burger King Kids Club and use magic rings to summon a dude to beat up polluters.
David Allan Coe died. Mourners are directed to drink Jack Daniel’s until they forget their names.
“Why You Should Read Gene Wolfe (and Where to Start)” countercraft.substack.com/p/why-you-sh...
Why You Should Read Gene Wolfe (and Where to Start)
On the science fiction author that even literary snobs will love
countercraft.substack.com
a man with a beard is wearing a helmet and wings and says oh well who wants to live forever
Alt: a man with a beard is wearing a helmet and wings and says oh well who wants to live forever
media.tenor.com
Howie Day@howieeday.bsky.social · 3mo agoMovie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Star Wars/Trek, LOTR, Marvel
For the record, I’m not opposed to AI writing and art because it’s *bad*. There’s a lot of bad writing and art I’m perfectly happy to say just isn’t for me. I’m opposed to AI writing and art because what it does to get to bad is *also* bad.
“It’s just politics! We are friends!”
Justices Reject Colorado Law Banning ‘Conversion Therapy’ for L.G.B.T.Q. Minors
nytimes.com
JFC, all SFF literature & media is political. It always has been and always will be. So ridiculous that this point has to be made again & again. Success or failure might be connected to how the politics were expressed, but it’s never audiences hate political art. Because it’s always political!
My story “The Wreck” will be in Flame Tree Press’s Wars in the Stars Short Stories anthology in August. The story takes place in the same setting as Stars Beyond Comprehension but fifty to seventy five years after the sixth book in the series.
Gothic Fantasy | Successful Submissions | Wars in the Stars
We’re excited to announce the authors featured in our new anthology: Wars in the Stars Short Stories!
blog.flametreepublishing.com
So there’s another big bland beige Dune film coming. A reminder that David Lynch made Dune in 1984 and it’s a (flawed) masterpiece. With Space Pugs.
Al Williamson’s Flash Gordon Newsprint vs nice matt paper
Wife: Let’s keep the politics to a minimum, it’s Christmas. Me: sure. Also me five minutes into dinner:
There is nothing anyone can tell me to make me believe the American Games thing is real and not a Poe’s Law parody of Trump AI video. No. Not allowed. Bad reality. Go in the corner and think about what you’ve done.
No “right to receive information”? Then what is the point? What is any of this? What are we doing here? “You can write Common Sense, Mr. Payne, but no one is allowed to read it.” What???????
If you’re not watching football and are tired of MST3K and need something to watch on Thanksgiving, check out this bizarre anthology show Chillers hosted by Anthony Perkins. It’s… full of choices…
There’s always room for Giallo - get your fill tonight at #TheLastDriveIn! @therealjoebob123.bsky.social @darcythemailgirl.bsky.social @themutantfam.bsky.social @shudder.com #MutantFam
I may start something here, and I don’t have much of a platform. I also don’t have bridges to burn. This seems… bad. Theft is one of many problems with AI. Others include: not paying an artist, destroying the environment, AI art being total ass (see the new Feast for Crows illustrated edition), etc
Artist Wally Wood sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/wood_w... died on this day, so here's some examples of his early 1950's work: a couple of his covers for Weird Science and two pieces for 'The Spirit Sunday Supplement':
