@brucebethke.bsky.social

brucebethke.bsky.social

Yes, *that* Bruce Bethke. Here's a thought: consider checking with the primary source before you repeat something you read on the Internet as if it was true.

33 followers 32 following135 posts

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

4 Sept

Teaser. SS#27 is almost ready to release. Here's a first rough take on the cover art.

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

24 Aug

Today on Stupefying Stories: answers to a pile of questions from the virtual mailbag. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/08/stat...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comStatus Update • 24 August 2026It’s the last week of August already ? There’s a lot going on here; a lot on my mind. Nonetheless my inbox is overflowing with questions a...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

17 Aug

My interview with HOSTS IN THE SHELL went live this past Saturday. Enjoy! hostsintheshell.buzzsprout.com/1930485/epis...

hostsintheshell.buzzsprout.comAn interview with Bruce Bethke, author of 'Cyberpunk' (and inventor of the word!) - Hosts In The ShellThe term 'legend' gets bandied about... but today's guest absolutely 100% meets the necessary criteria, having invented the word 'cyberpunk' as the title of his seminal 1980 short story!! We are honou...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

24 July

Episode Four: Having narrowly escaped by taking a time jump off the sinking Titanic, Dawn lands in someplace safe, warm, dry -- and right in the middle of the Robot Uprising of 2347. Oh, for Pete's sake... youtu.be/momgv_YM9aY

youtu.beDawn of Time • Episode FourYouTube video by Stupefying Stories

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

23 July

We now have 3 chapters of "Dawn of Time" up on the Stupefying Stories YouTube channel, so I 'spose we'd best start telling people that the thing exists. www.youtube.com/channel/UCc4...

youtube.comStupefying Stories

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

21 July

This turned out much better than I expected it would. youtu.be/AbbDZWa_ksc

youtu.beDawn of Time • Episode OneYouTube video by Stupefying Stories

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

13 July

Since we've talked so much about THE ODIN CHRONICLES in the context of our proposed podcast, and the fact that we already have 30 episodes produced ready to release, here is... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comThe Odin Chronicles • Episode GuideWelcome to Odin III, a grubby little mining world on the dark and dusty backside of nowhere. It’s a world where everything that’s worth ha...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

11 July

Today's post, expanding on yesterday's post. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/07/help...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comHELP WANTED: Further ElucidationTo expand a bit on yesterday’s call for help : I’m looking for people who have experience with producing podcasts, or at least with consum...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

10 July

Today's post, and I do this with some apprehension: stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/07/help...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comHelp Wanted: Podcast Geniuses NeededAs I continue to work towards the relaunch of Stupefying Stories , one fact has become clear. The days of Stupefying Stories SHOWCASE are...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

8 July

Today: Macbeth, The Musical Comedy! Just kidding... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/07/macb...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comMacbeth in the 21st CenturyHere’s today’s “Suddenly thought of while thinking about something else” idea: Has anyone done a rewrite of Macbeth as a modern novel? I’m n...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

8 July

Stupefying Stories returns from the dead, uncomfortably close to literally. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/07/wher...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comWhere Do We Go From Here? • 7 July 2026Three months later… A lot of questions have been coming in. It’s time I began answering them. Eschewing the usual FAQ format, here’s what ...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

29 June

I suppose it's time to sign in to Bluesky again and let people know that I'm still alive. Hey, people. Contrary to expectations, I'm still alive.

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

16 Feb

With 2 weeks left before the Nebula Ballot cutoff, THE DAY WE SAID GOODBYE TO THE BIRDS has made the SFWA Recommended Reading list. Here's how to get your free copy. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2026/02/stat...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comStatus Update • 16 February 2026With two weeks left to go until the Nebula ballot cutoff, we’re please to report that THE DAY WE SAID GOODBYE TO THE BIRDS has made it on...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

13 Oct 2025

Today on Stupefying Stories: Where did the spheres come from? What did they want? Their ominous silence didn't help. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“The Spheres of NilSpace” • by Rebecca A. DemarestWhen the first bubble appeared, in Mx. Zarblat’s regurgitation chamber, it was the size of a fruit a human might call a melon. It lasted o...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

23 Sept 2025

Apparently bluesky back-burners your account if you don't post frequently, even if you don't actually have anything to say. Accordingly, here's a pic of my rain gauge. Five inches since last Friday. That Cessna A-37 Dragonfly washed out in the rain. Not a clue which kid lost it or how long ago.

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

1 Sept 2025

Today on Stupefying Stories: it's back-to-school time, with... oh no. Timothy. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/09/pres...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“Presenting Ancient Humanity” • by Ruby Dae MellingerWhile Wilma took her seat and the other students clapped, the teacher let out a low, quiet sigh, seeing that Timothy was next to give his pr...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

25 Aug 2025

Today on Stupefying Stories: a little reminder that Fall is just around the corner. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/08/in-f...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“In Fall, After the Harvest” • by S. Travis BrownThe little cybernetic gadfly popped up as soon as I logged in. “ Dave Miller ,” it dutifully nagged, “ you are now 15 minutes overdue fo...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

13 Aug 2025

We've been having trouble with cross-posting lately, so you've probably missed this. If you've self-published or indie-published a book lately, we'd love to help share your success story. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/08/writ...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comWriting 101 • Understanding the Publishing Ecosystem: an RFPContinued from: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Supplemental reading: How to Get Rich Quick Writing Big Hit Bestsellers! RFP: It’s engineer-speak...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

13 Aug 2025

Today: if you're craving something *really* dark today, read this! stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/08/glos...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“Glossary” • by Allan Dyen-ShapiroGlossary of Archaic Terms used in Monograph on Human Culture During the Period of Conquest (Kindle Edition) colonist (ˈkälənəst) The humans’...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

11 Aug 2025

Success Story #1: Karl K. Gallagher explains what he's had to do to become a profitable indie author on Amazon. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/08/writ...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comWriting 101 • How I Did It, by Karl K. GallagherI started writing my first novel in 2013. After some work by a wonderful editor, I sent it off to a publisher I liked and set to work on th...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

10 Aug 2025

Today, I decided to pause what was mushrooming into the "Understanding the Publishing Ecosystem" series and issue a call for success stories. The details are here. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/08/writ...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

29 July 2025

Today's post: following up on yesterday's post, some notes to help you understand how publishing actually works. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/writ...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comWriting 101 • Understanding the Publishing EcosystemI know I said I was going to let Writing 101 rest a while, but a few recent conversations have made this post seem necessary. Lately I’ve ru...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

28 July 2025

Today's post: a painful observation about the state of the SF/F publishing business. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/its-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comIt’s Amazon’s world. We just rent space in it.I got a query from an old friend the other day. And by old, I mean old : this is someone I’ve known for more than fifty years. After a l...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

27 July 2025

Today: stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/stat...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comStatus Update • 27 July 2025Enough people have asked that it’s time for me to respond. Where have I been for the past two weeks? Answer: Busy. Really, really busy. Rath...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

11 July 2025

Today: stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comThe Never-ending FAQ • Addendum, 11 July 2025Following up on the 9 July Never-ending FAQ post … Q: Pete Wood asks: “How come there are no questions in the FAQ?” A: Because I’m really b...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

9 July 2025

Today: stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comThe Never-ending FAQ • 9 July 2025Questions have been piling up while I’ve been busy with Otogu, so this is going to be a combination FAQ and status update. Quick, Robin, to ...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

5 July 2025

Today: One of the weirder things about being me is that people seem to think I should be some sort of judge, arbiter, or elder spokesman for the cyberpunk genre. Here's what *I* think of that idea. stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/ask-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comAsk Dr. Cyberpunk • with your host, Bruce BethkeThis being the Independence Day holiday weekend, we’re running The Best of Ask Dr. Cyberpunk today. This column was originally posted on Fe...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

3 July 2025

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/goin...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comGoing to Readercon 24? (Plus, our 4th of July Sale!)Allan Dyen-Shapiro will be at Readercon 34 , July 17-20! Better yet, he’ll be there with print copies of The Day We Said Goodbye to the ...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

1 July 2025

Today: Vote early! Vote often! And remember, likes are nice, but shares and retweets boost the signal! stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/07/its-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.comIt’s Time To Nominate Your Favorite Stories!All good things must end someday, and this includes The Pete Wood Challenge. After a four-year run and more than 230 published stories, it’s...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

27 June 2025

Today: Pete Wood Challenge Week wraps up, with the gold going to... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“The Marks in the Walls” • by Sophie SparrowWhen someone is miserable for a long time, it leaves an aura, a trace that seeps into the walls. You feel it viewing property: some places ...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

26 June 2025

Today: the Pete Wood Challenge medal round continues, with the silver going to... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/06/fart...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“Farther Galaxy’s Choose Your Own Adventure” • by C. L. SidellCam and Becca begin the interactive activity. Signs flicker above the first three-pronged fork they encounter. red // blue // WHITE U...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

25 June 2025

Today: Pete Wood Challenge Week advances to the medal round, with the bronze going to... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“The Unicorn Farm” • by Carol ScheinaMellie was seven when she discovered the unicorn farm. The unicorns’ brilliant coats glistened like sunbeams through raindrops. Manes float...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

24 June 2025

Today: Pete Wood Challenge Week continues, with... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/06/may-...

stupefyingstories.blogspot.com“May Your Path Be Blessed Forever” • by Jeff CurrierNyota Njeri strained to decouple the ruptured hose, her slippers sliding through pooling biogel. “Dr. Njeri, primary burn cannot be dela...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

23 June 2025

Let's see how Bluesky handles this image. books2read.com/The-Day-We-S...

brucebethke.bsky.social

@brucebethke.bsky.social

23 June 2025

Today: It's another Pete Wood Challenge Week! Five new stories by five authors, all stemming from the same prompt, and beginning with... stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2025/06/flas...