iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

'Anabasis' is great. How great? Walter Hill stole it to make 'The Warriors.' That great. Here's my Storygraph review of 'Anabasis.' I absolutely loved it. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9624... 💙📚 #HistorySky

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

September was a great month for reading. The best of the bunch? Paladin of Souls, by Lois McMaster Bujold. 💙📚

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Just in time for spooky season: M.R. James's "Ghost Stories, Volume One" is available for free on Audible. Here's a link to my StoryGraph review: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7a16... 💙📚 👻📚

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories: The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James, Volume 1

Oh, yeah. This is the good stuff.M.R. James was a British academic who made a tradition of sha...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

My October schedule settled down enough for me to buy a #NYCC ticket. @seanphillips.bsky.social and @thatjacobphillips.bsky.social, I hope you’re signing on Thursday! 💙📚 #ComicSky

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

‘Grantville Gazette, vol. 4’ offers a selection of fun and nerdy takes on a village lost in time. I dug it. 💙📚 💙🪐 #RingofFire Here’s a link to my Storygraph review: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/308a...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Grantville Gazette, Volume IV

‘Grantville Gazette, vol. 4’ (GG4, hereafter) is a collection of short stories and essays set ...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

'Wyrd Sisters' is a relatively early entry in the Discworld series. This is good. They get better. That said, Pratchett missed an easy layup by not titling this book 'Wyrd Systers.' 💙📚 #FantaSky #Discworld app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f2e2...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Wyrd Sisters

'Wyrd Sisters,' a comic reimagining of 'Macbeth,' is charming and funny.It's almost too charmi...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

'What to Eat Now' is a no-BS, scientifically rigorous book about the contemporary American food landscape. The audiobook edition is narrated and mixed particularly well. This is an easy book to recommend. 💙📚 @marionnestle.bsky.social app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f09e...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters

'What to Eat Now' isn't a diet guide or motivational text, like 'Eat This, Not That.' Instead...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

'Selected Weird Tales' gave me nightmares. Literal nightmares. No book has done that since 'The Shining.' Here's a link to my full Storygraph review: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9a00... 💙📚 #HorrorSky #Lovecraft

The cover of the Livreria Lello edition of H.P. Lovecraft's "Selected Weird Tales."

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

'Winner Take All' was published 14 years ago. I read it 14 years too late. Here's a link to my Storygraph review: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2026... 💙📚

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

'Sleeper, vol 1' is good. It's an even better foretaste of what was to come. Here's a link to my full StoryGraph review: discord.com/channels/401... 💙📚 #ComicSky @seanphillips.bsky.social

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

'Paladin of Souls,' by Lois McMaster Bujold, won all the major genre awards. It deserved every one. Full Storygraph review at the link: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/47be... 💙📚 #FantaSky #Chalion #FiveGods

The cover of Lois McMaster Bujold's novel 'Paladin of Souls.'

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Her lady attendant sat near her, poking at a piece of embroidery with a needle as narrow as, though rather sharper than, her mind." --Lois McMaster Bujold, 'Paladin of Souls.' Nobody does it better. 💙📚 #FantaSky

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

August was a great month for reading. The best of the bunch was 'The Curse of Chalion.' Lois McMaster Bujold is a national treasure. 💙📚 #FiveGods

A cover collage of the books I read in August. They include Without Fail, Hyperion, China Lake, The Curse of Chalion, Acqua Alta, Never Flinch, Platform Decay, This Is How You Lose The Time War, and The Fall of Hyperion.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

'The Fall of Hyperion' is a steep comedown from its predecessor, 'Hyperion.' If you're so inclined, you can read my full review at the StoryGraph link: app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1361... 💙📚 🪐📚 #Hyperion

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - The Fall of Hyperion

'The Fall of Hyperion' is an excellent novella about faith, smothered by an enormous space ope...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Books like 'This Is How You Lose The Time War' are why I love reading books. Here's a link to my ***** StoryGraph review. TL;DR: I raved about it so enthusiastically that my wife grabbed my copy. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1eb7... @amalelmohtar.com @maxgladstone.bsky.social 💙📚 🪐📚

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - This Is How You Lose the Time War

I loved 'This Is How You Lose The Time War.' It's the kind of science fiction novel that makes...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

@kedoki.bsky.social, thanks for including me in your book lovers list. I'm finding lots of cool, interesting new people to follow!

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

'Platform Decay' reads like an excerpt from a longer, better novel. Here's a StoryGraph link to my short review. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/0e08... 💙📚 🪐📚

The cover of Martha Wells's novel 'Platform Decay.'

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Dinner and a good book. This is what happiness looks like. #BookSky

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

'Never Flinch' may be a minor entry in Stephen King's oeuvre, but it still kept me up reading late at night. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c5aa... 💙📚 🔎📚 @stephenking.bsky.social

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Never Flinch

'Never Flinch' is a crime thriller featuring recurring character Holly Gibney P.I. It ranks as...

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Reposted by Alex Ellermann

Kingfisher & Wombat @tkingfisher.com · 15/08/2026

It’s no low quality copper, but I have always loved this demonstration that people are still people.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

This one was my pick for Best Novelette. It's extraordinary.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I so enjoyed 'Heat 2' that I sought out Meg Gardiner's first novel, 'China Lake. My thoughts at the link. (TL;DR: it's good!) app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c127... 💙📚 🔎📚 @meggardiner.bsky.social

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - China Lake

'China Lake' is the first novel from accomplished thriller writer Meg Gardiner. First publishe...

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Reposted by Alex Ellermann

Frank Cho @frankchoartist.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Dungeon Crawler Carl and Samantha, Youtube drawing. Just finished listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 6 : The Eye of the Bedlam Bride audio book. So I decided to take a break from comic book characters and draw Dungeon Crawler Carl and Samantha. www.youtube.com/@frankchoart...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It isn't due to high call volume. It's due to your refusal to hire enough customer service agents.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Dead Country is fantastic. Strongly recommended. 💙📚

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

‘Without Fail,’ the fifth Jack Reacher novel, is really dumb and really fun. In other words, it’s everything you want in a novel about America’s favorite murder hobo. 💙📚 #Reacher app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/a29c...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Without Fail

This novel is ridiculous. Even by the standards of a Jack Reacher novel, it’s ridiculous.In t...

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

July was a great month for reading. The best of the bunch? ‘Global Strike,’ a naval thriller by Andrew Watts. #BookSky

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Well, that's KCD1 sorted. It wasn't beautiful. If I'm going to spend 80 hours somewhere, I want it to be beautiful. On to Death Stranding 2. If it's half as beautiful as DS1 was, I'm going to be a happy gamer. @hideokojimaen.bsky.kojimaproductions.jp #KCD #DeathStranding

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

This is what happiness looks like. 💙📚

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Hugo Voting Complete. Here's the best of the best: Shroud / Tchaikovsky / Novel Automatic Noodle / Newitz / Novella When He Calls Your Name / Valente / Novelette Wire Mother / Kim / Short Story The World to Come / Hudak / Poem Uncanny / Thomas / Semi Pro Zine Sinners / Coogler / Film 💙📚 🪐📚 #LACON

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

...aaand, that concludes my reading for the 2026 Hugo Ballot. That downloadable Hugo packet is like catnip for high-functioning autists. Here's a bunch of genre material! Read it and rank it! Create your own spreadsheet and agonize over which novelette should take the #3 spot! 💙📚 #LACon #Hugos

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

'Rosemary and Rue' is a promising early outing from a novelist who'd go on to write 18 more books featuring this character. I liked it! 💙📚 #FantaSky @seananmcguire.bsky.social app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e410...

The cover of the novel 'Rosemary and Rue.'

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

‘Ancestral Night’ could have been a terrific 350-page story. Instead, it’s a 500-page burden. 💙📚 🪐📚 app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7d74...

app.thestorygraph.com

Review by alex_ellermann - Ancestral Night

’Ancestral Night’ is a big, sweeping space opera that’s far too long.Y’know how some writers d...

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Reposted by Alex Ellermann

John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 14/07/2026

How to brag

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

'Sargassa' is 2/3 of an excellent novel. The weak third act, however, led me to like it rather than love it. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cb86... 🪐📚 💙📚 #Hugos

The cover of 'Sargassa,' a novel by Sophie Burnham

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

This series started out janky, but Watts stuck the landing. app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3112... 💙📚

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Me: I think I’ll dress as Tom Loftis for Halloween. Her: Nobody will get it. That’s just how you dress. #Widow’sBay

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

New England winters are harsh, but New England summers are worth it.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I can dig romantasy if the prose sings. I found this novel's prose plodding and dull. Still, the time travel / time loop angle is fun. 💙📚 #FantaSky app.thestorygraph.com/books/b1680e...

The Cover of Alix E. Harrow's novel "The Everlasting."

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Check out the look on Del Toro's face when he realizes Pogačar let him take the Stage 2 win. I want to hate Pogačar. I prefer an underdog, and he's charismatic and good looking and the dominant cyclist of our time. But he's no villain. Tadej Pogačar is a class act.

Tadej Pogačar and Isaac Del Toro crossing the finish line of Stage 2 of the Tour de France.

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Alex Ellermann @alexellermann.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I hate that I've grown accustomed to saying, "Connect me to a human representative." It's downright dystopian.

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