Tom Abba

By me for today's @theobserveruk.bsky.social: Why horror fiction is having a moment, with @gnofhorror.com, @lucyrosecreates.bsky.social, @jamieleenardone.bsky.social observer.co.uk/culture/book...

I discovered that there’s an All Party Parliamentary Group with specific responsibility for the publishing sector. It appears not to meet. Well, since 2025. Not that there’s been anything worth discussing since then.

I appear to be embarking on a series of fights with my employer on several fronts, matters of principle, and/or plain beligerence and poor management. Hexes welcome.

last day of Kickstarter for this. Not just pictures. It has some complete stories and plenty of reading. www.kickstarter.com/projects/moo...

Lol. Not seen a better demonstration of 'desire path'

Flagging for @nick-barreto.com and for the nostalgia. We Tell Stories was an utter delight, and genuinely groundbreaking.

Even if you have no intention of reading TWiSTED PIKE, do yourself a favour and read this review because it's just a wonderful piece of writing.

This is mic dropping...

Buckle up, fucklecups. It's here. youtu.be/dKgTyq2-4w0?...

er, I might have misremembered this, but if you're in Bristol on the 13th of October, then @qntm.org is at @bookhaus.bsky.social bookhausbristol.com/events/#e158504

this, and your day is more complete:

Happy Stanislav Petrov Day He passed in 2017. As Encyclopedia Britannica puts it, “He is survived by his two children, two grandchildren, and the entire human race.” If you don't know his story, please take 3 minutes now to learn it. @gchalliance.bsky.social @docsforclimate.bsky.social

Someone made a free, first-person walkthrough of the house on Ash Tree Lane from HOUSE OF LEAVES. It's as haunting as you'd hope it would be... pazificateur69.github.io/ash-tree-lane/

Anyone want to see where I work? superspl.at/scene/d8d4b9a4 (with huge thanks to Scanomatic Labs!)

I’m just saying Billie Joe MacAllister should’ve survived that jump.

We have some big and exciting news! 📣 We've secured over £8.5m to continue supporting UK artists working with immersive technologies until 2030. Further details, including funding opportunities, will be shared in the New Year. Read the announcement: immersivearts.uk/news/8-5m-second-phase-funding/

I don't think we had cameras back then.. (ZX81. In 1981. God, I'm old)

Something incredibly calming about watching this...

Who’s joining us in Llandudno this September? 🥳 From Wed 9- Fri 11 Sept The Big Thing is bringing more than 70 workshops, performances and networking events to North Wales, all inspired by this year's theme, Play's the Thing. immersivearts.uk/events/the-big-thing

Noted without comment.

Amen.

Coming in eight days. Sign up for the free page and newsletter here www.patreon.com/cw/DavidBarn... Books! Comics! Interviews! My favourite shops! Nepo Corner! Tales from the Longbox! Random but entertaining shit!

Brief foray on Vinted. Someone tell @benpester.bsky.social that his secret is out…

How I Spent My Summer Holidays, or, My Complete Failure to Write an Actual Sodding Review of China Miéville’s New Novel THE ROUSE (with thanks to Rob, Roger, Deb and Cameron - and China)

The only reason I can think of as to why there are fewer than 50,000 signatures here is that people haven't seen it yet. — Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now — goodlawproject.org/petition/jas...

This was a lynching. And you can quote me on that.

I'm sorry... 'Prof Gone'? They made a man's sacking the main news story for weeks as the country went on fire, which might have contributed to his death and 'Prof Gone'? This is the same clique that wept & wailed for a week when we dared mention their dinner party pal was a wife beating nonce.

And @theguardian.com have a case to answer, as do the Telegraph, @dailymail.co.uk and every outlet that decided this was worth clicks. Inhuman.

@catvincent.bsky.social - as a (former, but you never really go away) Bristol resident, did you catch this yesterday: www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

This is the antidote to everything else you might read today:

We built Lynchverse, a research archive for David Lynch’s films. Analysis, symbolism, soundtracks and recurring ideas, organized film by film. Still growing, so feedback is very welcome. #DavidLynch @markfrost.bsky.social #TwinPeaks #InlandEmpire #LostHighway #MulhollandDrive lynchverse.com

Here a compilation of stupid things library consultants have said to me in solidarity with library pals at Lambeth Libraries where genius consultants has decided that a qualified head of library service post isn't really essential.

Rain 10/10 Bristol

It's the last day of our WBN 2026 exhibition. Which means – the call for World Book Night 2027 – Our Rivers and Seas is open! please read and respond to a text or book about rivers, seas, lakes or marine life. Deadline 2 March 2027. Download the full brief at: www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/news/#wbn27

London, 1968, and it is NOT Quatermass and the Pit.

"Do the thing you can do instead of beating yourself up over not doing the thing you're not doing" is honestly life-changing, even life-saving, advice.

Except—the quoted text in the headline is a paraphrase, not a quote from the research, and the 6% seems to relate to a particular, specific usage rather than AI in general. The Creative Access research is useful, but this headline and framing doesn't help. Details: www.linkedin.com/posts/george...