Tristan Gray

Tristan Gray

@eidyngray.scot

๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ author and activist in ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Software engineer, TTRPG GM, and author of dark fantasy books (he/they) ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’—๐Ÿ’™

6.6K followers1.4K following8.2K posts

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Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

This year I launched the hardback and audiobook editions of 'Call of the Black Wing' after its release in 2024. Are you a fan of Scottish folklore and mythology? Of tales of revenge with haunted blades, talking cats, and stories of old gods? Find it at tristangraywrites.com and @libro.fm.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

If you're wondering what @proton.me's AI capacity is look no further than it's "AI" assistant chat, which is actually just a fixed set of three messages it responds with no matter what you type.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

"Proton told staff it would be โ€˜re-interviewingโ€™ staff across the company about how they use AI in their jobs, with the implication that the interviews may decide whether staffers have โ€œcontinued employmentโ€. โ€œThat review may lead to changes in roles, responsibilities, and continued employment."

Tristan Gray reposted

Cartoon Brew
@cartoonbrew.bsky.social

Chinaโ€™s first AI-generated theatrical feature has flopped, earning just $181,000 in its first weekend. By contrast, the scrappy โ€˜Niu Laiโ€™ turned its crude animation into a viral attraction, grossing nearly $10 million a couple of months ago. www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-r...

cartoonbrew.comChinaโ€™s First AI Feature Flops At The Chinese Box OfficeBona Film Groupโ€™s AI experiment struggled to attract attention, months after the humble 'Niu Laiโ€™ turned online ridicule into almost $10 million in sales.

Tristan Gray reposted

Kit Whitfield - fantasy writer
@kitwhitfield.bsky.social

Now this is a good idea. James VI of Scotland, later James I of England, wrote a whole tract on witch-hunting: Daemonology. Itโ€™s chillingly rational: rather than being full of overheated fantasies like some such works, itโ€™s coolly consistent. 1/7 www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/s...

smithsonianmag.comSee the New Tartan Pattern Created to Honor Women Accused of Witchcraft in Scotland Between 1563 and 1736The black, red, gray and pink design honors the thousands of individualsโ€”mostly womenโ€”who were persecuted under the Scottish Witchcraft Act
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

"You donโ€™t fuck with the Irish, ladsโ€ โ€œThis is my moment โ€ฆ you canโ€™t take my voice from me.โ€ Hell yeah, good for everyone involved in this! www.theguardian.com/music/2026/o...

theguardian.comMacklemoreโ€™s Free Palestine tour review โ€“ a triumph of a show with performances from Hozier, Kneecap and more3Arena, DublinSeveral unannounced guests feature on the first European date of the rapperโ€™s sold-out benefit tour, including video messages from Mark Ruffalo and Cynthia Nixon
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Every week, as a new 1min video is churned out by a new AI model - "Lol Holywood is cooked!" Elon Musk promises a blockbuster-scale anti-woke version of the Odyssey, produces a 7 minute intro with his own company - *Is incredibly shit, with obvious distracting errors in almost every shot*

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Anthropic claims its IPO value is justified by future revenue growth - Where is your revenue coming from, Anthropic? Because once the interest rates start to bite it's not going to come from enterprises who are struggling to see any benefit from it. futurism.com/artificial-i...

futurism.comTop Economist Finds That AI Has Provided "Zero Financial Payoff" to Companies Outside TechOutside of Big Tech, AI has yet to deliver on any meaningful economic advantages, as Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok argued.

Tristan Gray reposted

Aliette de Bodard
@aliettedebodard.com

A red letter day: I've explained Sam Vimes' Boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness to k1 Who chewed on it for a while and said "ok fair it does make a lot of sense"

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The more I learn about Machine Learning the more I'm convinced the bigtech AI firms are in a complete dead-end technologically and have no possible way of justifying their ridiculous valuations and investment, or turning real profit

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

I was not prepared that learning machine learning would mean learning maths. I haven't had to learn maths for 18 years. This was not what was sold to me.

Tristan Gray reposted

Aliette de Bodard
@aliettedebodard.com

Honestly several things are depressing about ai but the two that stand out are the eagerness of people to outsource thought because cognitive effort is uncomfortable, and the casualness with which people use the shiny, easy thing knowing it's bad for climate change

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Disney mass-cancelling productions, especially those beloved by marginalised communities, and then green-lighting a spy-thriller by Israeli producers most famous for Israeli military films certainly is a *choice*

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

If you're a tech nerd consider Wired, Futurism, and The Verge. Gizmodo for more general stuff. Pajiba for general pop news, Rascal for TTRPGs, RockPaperShotgun, Motherboard, and Aftermath for gaming.

Tristan Grayford@tristangrayford.scot

My daily news intake. I also get a daily newsletter from @edinburghminute.com. Of these I financially support the Minute, Verge, Pajiba, Rascal, Motherboard, Aftermath, iNews, and Wired.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Substack and Audible have something in common. There's no excuse left to still be using them other than stubborn inertia. Both of them have successful and effective alternatives that are easy to switch to.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Hahaha oh come ON! Guess what, this is even worse than "cyber correspondent for the BBC doesn't know what PHP is". He's WRITTEN A BOOK ON HACKING. He wrote a book on hacking and didn't know PHP existed. I wouldn't have even needed to provide a pic and you'd have been able to predict the man.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

He's put up a post defending himself in which he explains his employment history which includes being a tech correspondent for TEN YEARS. He's been a cyber focused journalist for longer than I've been a software engineer and didn't know that PHP existed? Mind boggling.

Tristan Gray reposted

Tristan Grayford
@tristangrayford.scot

And simply no one is shocked to discover that the invasive yet stupid plan to try and control kids whilst allowing the rampant predatory behaviour of big tech to continue unregulated has failed. No one paying attention failed to expect exactly this. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

theguardian.comUK children just as likely to have suffered harm on social media despite crackdownCampaigners call lack of progress โ€˜staggeringโ€™, as Ofcom also admits little change in severity of harm to children encountering unsafe content

Tristan Gray reposted

Tim Byrne
@tbyrne75.bsky.social
Vulture@vulture.com

โ€˜Wickerโ€™ stars Alexander Skarsgรฅrd as a man made entirely of wicker, complete with a rock-hard wicker dick. But what about splinters? Bacteria? Degradation? Would it be advisable, from a sexual-health perspective, to mount a basket dick? We asked a gynecologist: vulture.visitlink.me/DNQwX5

Tristan Gray reposted

KJ Charles
@kjcharleswriter.com

So Eloisa James's latest book was given a cover made with GenAI. The publisher has withdrawn it and commissioned a new cover with a different artist. Props to the author for putting her foot down and the publisher for withdrawing it promptly.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

When you've already crushed employee morale with mass layoffs and destroying beloved projects but really want to drive more out. And don't care most will be people with disabilities or caring responsibilities. Most of which will be women. www.rockpapershotgun.com/xbox-reporte...

rockpapershotgun.comXbox reportedly mandate four days a week in office for staff close to Microsoft's Washington HQ, up from three day requirement brought in last yearXbox have reportedly mandate four days a week in office for staff close to Microsoft's Washington HQ, up from the previous three day requirement.

Tristan Gray reposted

Alasdair Beckett-King
@misterabk.bsky.social

The name Sudowrite shows how well they know their target users. How many working writers will get a reference to the Unix command versus how many will be repulsed and offended by the idea of pseudo-writing?

London Review of Books@lrb.co.uk

โ€˜Sudowrite, the โ€œbest AI for novel writingโ€, promises to maintain your โ€˜unique voiceโ€™. Whether or not you have a unique voice, it will give you scene directions and alternative options for the plot, and act as your editor.โ€™ Alfred Nunney on AI and books, from the blog. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/oc...

lrb.co.ukAlfred Nunney | Write a Novel in Thirty DaysMy boss at the bookshop has said he would sell AI novels if there were clear demand and clear labelling. We almost...

Tristan Gray reposted

ToonHive
@toonhive.bsky.social

โ€˜Wildwoodโ€™ director Travis Knight on AI: โ€œA pencil is a tool. A paintbrush is a tool. A 3D printer is a tool. A digital capture is a tool. AI is not a tool. AI can go fuck itself.โ€

Tristan Gray reposted

Christopher Buehlman
@buehlmeister.bsky.social

Replying to @laticsexile.bsky.social

Please feel free to show them my response here, which is to say that I strongly disapprove of bookstores selling AI content. Thank you for speaking up.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The Writer's Block is in a similar place. I did a tour last year and at one of my stops I was the *only* author to turn a profit on the table, accommodation, and travel costs. At most of my stops over half of authors made a loss. None of this maths includes time dedicated to the events.

Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social

The rising costs detailed here apply mostly to mainstream cons. Indie cons are getting out of hand, too. I only attend either if all my costs are paid. But I'm a prima donna, and I don't need con income. If I was still hitting the road trying to make a name, yeah it would tough.

comicsbeat.comIs Artist Alley even sustainable any more?It's more expensive than ever to set up in artist alley or at a comics show - and here are some of the numbers
View full thread
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

It's a bit like video social media marketing as an author. If you hate doing it - there's no point in doing it. Your lack of interest comes across pretty quickly and you're better off doing things you actually enjoy.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Same with cons. Do them because you love them - because the cash probably won't win out, and if you don't enjoy them people will notice pretty quickly that you're drained and frustrated, which makes making any degree of sales even harder.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The Writer's Block is in a similar place. I did a tour last year and at one of my stops I was the *only* author to turn a profit on the table, accommodation, and travel costs. At most of my stops over half of authors made a loss. None of this maths includes time dedicated to the events.

Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social

The rising costs detailed here apply mostly to mainstream cons. Indie cons are getting out of hand, too. I only attend either if all my costs are paid. But I'm a prima donna, and I don't need con income. If I was still hitting the road trying to make a name, yeah it would tough.

comicsbeat.comIs Artist Alley even sustainable any more?It's more expensive than ever to set up in artist alley or at a comics show - and here are some of the numbers
View full thread
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

One con put us not just in a side room, but on a completely separate corridor to the rest of the convention. On the main corridor? Another sales room entirely populated by big publishers and bookseller chains. Most con goers didn't even know our room existed for the entire duration of the con.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

If this all sounds like a big downer on the con experience - it's because financially I see really no upside at all. The number of authors who actually see financial success from the con circuit is really small. *But* I still really enjoyed myself and loved meeting all the fantastic people I did.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The Writer's Block is in a similar place. I did a tour last year and at one of my stops I was the *only* author to turn a profit on the table, accommodation, and travel costs. At most of my stops over half of authors made a loss. None of this maths includes time dedicated to the events.

Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social

The rising costs detailed here apply mostly to mainstream cons. Indie cons are getting out of hand, too. I only attend either if all my costs are paid. But I'm a prima donna, and I don't need con income. If I was still hitting the road trying to make a name, yeah it would tough.

comicsbeat.comIs Artist Alley even sustainable any more?It's more expensive than ever to set up in artist alley or at a comics show - and here are some of the numbers
View full thread
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Not helped by the fact that of all the cons I've sold at, although I've had a good time, most of them treat the book-sellers as a fundraising opportunity. Up the cost of the tables, throw them at random into a corner of the con space, leave them to their own devices trying to turn a profit.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

My experience of cons is that more often than not the con organisers could not give less of a damn whether the people they sell tables to find any success from those tables. You are extremely lucky if the placement makes sense for either footfall or close to similar appealing things.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The Writer's Block is in a similar place. I did a tour last year and at one of my stops I was the *only* author to turn a profit on the table, accommodation, and travel costs. At most of my stops over half of authors made a loss. None of this maths includes time dedicated to the events.

Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social

The rising costs detailed here apply mostly to mainstream cons. Indie cons are getting out of hand, too. I only attend either if all my costs are paid. But I'm a prima donna, and I don't need con income. If I was still hitting the road trying to make a name, yeah it would tough.

comicsbeat.comIs Artist Alley even sustainable any more?It's more expensive than ever to set up in artist alley or at a comics show - and here are some of the numbers
View full thread
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Did it lead to increased sales away from cons? No. All that time spent talking to people, promoting my work, making sales - my online sales didn't move an inch. By the end of the year 90% of my sales had been made in-person at cons and there was no carry-over to wider visibility.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

Being an indie author is incredibly tough if you're looking to actually make a financially sustainable career out of it. The vast majority never do. I haven't, 5 years in, it's still a side hobby for me that is only just reaching the point of even breaking even on my investment.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

The Writer's Block is in a similar place. I did a tour last year and at one of my stops I was the *only* author to turn a profit on the table, accommodation, and travel costs. At most of my stops over half of authors made a loss. None of this maths includes time dedicated to the events.

Derf Backderf@derfbackderf.bsky.social

The rising costs detailed here apply mostly to mainstream cons. Indie cons are getting out of hand, too. I only attend either if all my costs are paid. But I'm a prima donna, and I don't need con income. If I was still hitting the road trying to make a name, yeah it would tough.

comicsbeat.comIs Artist Alley even sustainable any more?It's more expensive than ever to set up in artist alley or at a comics show - and here are some of the numbers
Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

This isn't a huge boast on that one event - I had a fortunate placement in the room and I have a benefit at cons of being a natural extrovert, which isn't common among authors. And my profit was really marginal. We're talking 5%. Secured in the last two hours of the weekend.

Tristan Gray
@eidyngray.scot

I came out of the tour glad I did it - glad for the connections made and the visibility of my book being increased, reaching hands it never would have otherwise. But was it actually worth it, financially? No, not even slightly. Over five events I made a net loss inclusive of time spent off work.