iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

i was granted the honour of being @gshowitt.bsky.social 's advisor and vizier (as one of the admins), and last i counted i still have a parcel of land and at least three goats as recompense proof in the image, thanks to @geckopirate.bsky.social

a very complicated looking spreadsheet, which is actually a tactical combat grid for hollows, featuring a giant woman demigod as the entity being fought; at the bottom of the screen, two camera windows show two bearded men laughing, and a third has an image of grima wormtongue looking pained where Alex's camera would be instead

050 5

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 12/10/2026

very late but accurate rendition of my face replicating other people's face in most social situations

a selfie of alex pretending to be hit hard by an indie ttrpg book; the book is crocheted

030 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 09/10/2026

finally caught up to the last one, this was an undertaking - well done folks! also, this is all i could think of on my walk, and i made it as soon as i got back to the desk

meme of walter white from the scene where he says "i am the one who knocks" replaced by strahd's face and the text: "i am the goddamn land"

010 1

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/10/2026

i guess it's okay though! you can find his name if you know to look at the inner pages! because of course you would fucking know to do that, media literacy is at an all time high!

the inner title page of invisible cities, which finally deigns to mention the translator: william weaver

010 1

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/10/2026

i'm in a bad mood, so bear with me: embarrassing behaviour from @marinerbooks.bsky.social spent so much time, effort, design, marketing on this product, i have to imagine, forgetting the only fucking reason the book exists in english: william weaver, the translator

the cover of invisible cities 50th anniversary, featuring the names of italo calvino, karina puente frantzen, anthony doerr - no translator

the back cover of invisible cities 50th anniversary, featuring the name of the foreword author but no translator

the inner cover of invisible cities 50th anniversary, featuring the names of italo calvino, karina puente frantzen, anthony doerr - no translator

the back inner cover of invisible cities 50th anniversary, featuring bios for italo calvino, karina puente frantzen, anthony doerr - no translator

240 4

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 08/07/2026

i had a lengthy translator's note for it, which i eventually decided (with the editor) to remove and perhaps convert into an essay or article at some point instead i kept this one part - thanking @wisdomcheck.ca - intact

Translator's Note

This English translation is for Andrea, who knows and taught me that there is light in the middle of living with cancer. ---Alex Valente

040 4

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 01/07/2026

i have finished a very large document in translation only to start up a second very large document in translation, while waiting for clothes to dry to pack my bag again for another work trip and also keep listening out for signs of my new mousemate, who is trying to get swole apparently

the damage done by a mouse to a bag of protein powder, with a whole in the bag and the powder all over a set of shelves and floor

150 5

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 13/05/2026

the bozos behind this lesser hellsite are really really really really fun at parties, huh "poorly disposed for productive conversations" grow up

010 1

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/05/2026

my publisher in the UK - Akoya Publishing - has revealed the full cover for my next translation, due this july: Gravity, by Ada d'Adamo this one was a strange one, tender, raw, short and dense, and left me with some many thoughts and questions that i might have to write more about

front and back cover for the book Gravity, by Ada d'Adamo, featuring a dancer in motion on the front, and a black and white photo of a woman looking at a baby, with the blurb on the back cover reading: Ada d’Adamo is mother to Daria. Their days are absorbed by caregiving and routine. Daria’s profound needs remained undetected in pregnancy, and with her birth, Ada’s world is remade.

As a dancer she must use her physicality in new ways, to keep her daughter safe. As a writer she must find a language to communicate beyond words. And when, on the cusp of her fifties, Ada herself becomes gravely ill, she takes the most courageous decision of all: to leave Daria their story.

050 5

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 29/04/2026

"so how was the work event? good panels? highlight talks? ritual sacrifices?"

a conference room and stage set up with mood red lighting and tables arranged around a stage, and led lanterns for each player in a game of werewolves of miller hollow; makes the room look really spooky, and a person behind the moderator table is wearing a hooded cloak

030 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 17/04/2026

the social media wretch at @rowanrookanddecard.bsky.social did it again, and fully DRAGGED me in a quiz about which decade of TTRPGs i am find yours in the Metadungeon: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...

00's Indie Kid

You are succeeding at a cost. Are you okay? Anyway, you're writing a paper on what's the least amount of mechanic a game can have and still be game. You've got six different safety tools up your sleeve and you know the best game is one where everyone's having fun. Or crying. Maybe both?

240 4

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 20/03/2026

fun story: i asked @orbleck.bsky.social to help to print Spine ( by @backwardsttrpg.bsky.social ) out; they did, and handed it to me bound - and as i sat down i found out she had played through it once and that is the most perfect creepy start to this game

a printed out copy of a ttrpg called Spine, featuring a curled pointed spiral, and a pen and pencil to the side, on a wooden surface

the inner front page of a printed out copy of a ttrpg called Spine, featuring the Ex Libris section, with four names filled in; the opposite page has instructions on how to play the game

1142 14

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 16/03/2026

impromptu games from @terminalcitycon.ca involved A Quiet Year (featuring asbestos fish & fighting viruses with ..fire?) + a playtest for something super cool once fully cooked! AND a purchase of local talent (to compensate for PDF only pledge) @bmars.bsky.social @strautmaskreplica.bsky.social

a very colourful cover, featuring blue pink and purple, and a robot with a rose, a travelling knapsack, and dog stepping on a waterfall with a city in the distance; the book is A Fool's Errand RPG

5143 14

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 15/03/2026

main game for day 2 of @terminalcitycon.ca is Royal Blood! a Cabal of misfits fighting against the Fool during his mortal daughter's wedding, leading to the monarch of swords ("Edge Blademaster, Master of Blades"), after an upsetting steal of victory from Hux, becoming a new arcane: King of Pain

a layout on a convention table, featuring a red altar cloth, with tarot cards, heavy coins and the book and box from Royal Blood RPG (with pretty colours and deep purples)

060 6

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 14/03/2026

second and last game for day 1 of @terminalcitycon.ca: Hollows - Sins of Grisham Priory! the Hunters made it through almost in one piece, but not entirely, as one died twice and two died once (and one player heroically sacrificed himself for the sake of recovering from a long day)

a convention table laid out with character sheets, a tactical grid at the centre, a dice tray, safety tool cards, and random items from the players, including glasses, drink cups, and pens

a convention table laid out with character sheets, a tactical grid at the centre, a dice tray, safety tool cards; the grid features an eevee model kit surrounded by lego minis

a convention table laid out with character sheets, a tactical grid at the centre, a dice tray, safety tool cards: the grid has a tall horrifying transformer figure at the centre, flanked by two lego minis

a convention table laid out with character sheets, a tactical grid at the centre, a dice tray, safety tool cards: the grid has a massive white dragon facing off against four lego minis

1100 10

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 14/03/2026

first game down for @terminalcitycon.ca! our brave company of knights took down the local ruler trying to end the age of Seers, and worm their way into the ruler's council - the Apparatus is no more, and Age passes, new Knight arrive tomorrow

a round table at a games convention, set up with character sheets, a gm screen, a book for mythic bastionland and several sets of dice

0191 19

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 10/03/2026

me: Hollows ( @rowanrookanddecard.bsky.social ) is a dark victorian fantasy game of hell dimensions and corruption fighting against toxic masculinity and the evils of empire also me: "these are my entities for the session! and those are your minis!"

a teal and gold skeletal robot from Transformers, a white ice dragon toy from dungeons and dragons, and a very happy looking eevee model kit in the middle

five lego minifigures arranged on a bed of premade character sheets called The Soldier, The Noble, The Experiment, The Priest, The Agent

081 8

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 09/03/2026

some incredible post deliveries today thank you @rowanrookanddecard.bsky.social and @exeunt.press !!

a spread of pamphlets and booklets part of a cy_ber bundle, including one scenario called Blackflower and two foil stickers from exeunt press

a maximalist pile of thick coins, illustrated cards, manual and box for royal blood, with glorious purples, blues and reds

180 8

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 09/02/2026

i had this stupid idea in my head, and i was curious as to how much crossover there is between the two fandoms, please be burdened with my same shitpost knowledge

the predator clasped handshake meme, with two large muscular arms clutched; one reads 'the locked tomb', the other 'gundam' - the united hands are captioned 'hating on australia'

090 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 08/02/2026

did you know that @raincity.games has some really cool business card style ads for @terminalcitycon.ca ? now you know join the games! play the games! run the games! only two months to go!

a hand pinching a colourful business card that reads Terminal City Tabletop Convention

0136 13

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 21/01/2026

apparently the character du jour patrick tomlinson is also a lovely lovely homophobe ...who left his email address in the open, like a very smart person

screenshot of an email from patrick s. tomlinson, email: pstomlinson@gmail.com, reading: couldn't help by notice you blocked me on BlueSky

good riddance, you won't be missed, queer!

3111 11

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 29/12/2025

may we provide an offering to resist such domination?

a giant heinz bean, being cut through with a knife. next to it is a can of heinz baked beans that reads "Big Bean - it;s just a big bean"

000 0

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 25/11/2025

my best novel of 2025 has to go to @hironennes.bsky.social for Works of Vermin it has it all, including a @jdebbiel.bsky.social cover

a copy of the book The Works of Vermin by hiron ennes, featuring an iridescent white centipede biting its own tail in a circles on a composition of reds, greens, and yellows, with a deep purple and blue background

030 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 18/11/2025

all rhyme all rhyme all rhyme

a shelf at a bookshop, showing the sold out bestseller number 1 book of poetry: a photo of the cover of matthew mcconaughey's poems&prayers, showing the posed author in sepia

151 5

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 14/11/2025

ran Royal Blood this week - the cabal went up against the Fool in a chaotic mess that involved: midas touch but with genitalia shared sugar daddies forced bridezilla chocolate fountains thanks to the Fondutinator x5000 the full power of the press and demonetisation

a table with a purple tablecloth and a fancy throne-like chair at the back; on the table are several tarot cards, both major and minor arcana, an altar cloth in red and gold, several plastic gold coins - all set up to play a game of royal blood before the players arrive

130 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 31/10/2025

important, breaking news: honk. (thank you @moreblueberries.bsky.social and all the contributors!)

0143 14

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 23/10/2025

i got to page 4, gasped, and put the whole thing to one side to read when i have more time and actually savour the writing and game this is how you set a tone

Girls are the most common Pilots of Vital Frames. Due to the specific and complex
emotional cocktail required to effectively link to a Frame, lesbians make up a majority
of Pilots.
Pilots are not legally human for the duration of their service, and as such are exempt
from anti-discrimination laws. It is standard practice within the Foundation that all
Vital Frames are referred to with she/her pronouns, while all Pilots are referred to
with it/its.

170 7

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 21/10/2025

i can't believe i have a season appropriate recent image

a selfie of alex - dark haired curly man - taken in a blacklight room; his teeth and eyes are lit up, and the colours are all spooky and weird

071 7

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 15/10/2025

later staged photo of the game i facilitated for a local queer bookshop, by @pidj.bsky.social a small cadre of vampires rationing UV lights, practicing unethical botany, and trying for one last good party before the sun returns

two led votive candles, next to a small porcelain skull, above the printed out version of a game called The Sun's Ransom with a few six sided dice scattered over the cover which depicts a stylised sun

193 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/10/2025

a house game of @lackingceremony.bsky.social's The Quiet Year, with three eyed bears, four eyed mice, a tree religion, spidersilk, and much internal struggle and strife (and illness and religion and family fallouts)

a drawn map showing landscape features, arrows, stick figures, a river in the middle, a few six sided dice, tiny skull tokens, and a blue card that reads Winter - the Frost Shepherds come. the game is over.

040 4

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 15/09/2025

played Going for Broke by @lackingceremony.bsky.social! housemates tried fixing broken hot water tank and instead fixed the sprinkler, discovered ben's bootleg action figure business, and eventually caved and called the plumber ben: @orbleck.bsky.social bruce: me tyler: @victorijane.bsky.social

three photo cards of housemate characters, three chip tokens, and four rule reminder cards in pink and black showing a set up for a game of Going for Broke RPG

0101 10

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 31/08/2025

finished up a game of Die RPG, in which some terrible people did not magically get better but did realise that maybe they can try doing so in real life instead of fantasy world also, @bawjax.bsky.social remains one of the best players i've had across several games The Game is Over

a set up photo of index cards with stat blocks, a notebook and pen, next to four wooden six-sided dice, and five polyhedral sharp, shiny dice (plus another wooden d6), representing a game of Die RPG

091 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 27/08/2025

played a very quick but very satisfying session of Dragon Reactor ( @dinoberrypress.bsky.social ) which ended with a pilot maybe turning into a mech, one fighting to control his mech, one locked in a duel with his rival, and a fourth melding with their suit in orbit 'giving life' to a new mech

a pencil sketch of a four legged, wingless dragon like mech-creature, with a long tail and no features on its head; its name is ATLAS

293 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 18/08/2025

set up and wrapped up another adventure for mythic @bastionland.bsky.social, in which the Fanged, Dust, and Vulture Knight set off to find a Seer, met a local search party for a missing herbalist, shared pickled fish with village elders, fought cloud creatures and raiders... 1/3

160 6

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/08/2025

that is the BEST kind of feedback, thank you for listening! and also, not ominously at all...

A final thought (from the DIE RPG manual)

from your perspective, the games are all canon.
From Die's perspective, the games are all prey.

130 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/08/2025

i'll dab (evilly) to that well, megatron will

a tiny model kit figure of megatron (blokees defender series) posed to look as if he's dabbing

030 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/08/2025

because i saw @tainkirrahe.bsky.social like one of these: i am a big Transformers nerd, once-news admin for one of the bigger fansites, & currently write sporadic words for @tfnationltd.bsky.social ( where i was once understudy for @evilcleverdog.bsky.social ) tiny optimus crime believes in you

a small purple figure of optimus prime (the evil version from Shattered Glass), posed to look like he's laying sexily on his side and pointing a fingergun at the viewer, with the other hand behind his head

271 7

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/08/2025

i was chatting to @djmalenfant.bsky.social the other week, and realised that i really don't talk too much about my previous academic life: i have a PhD! my dissertation was a critical manual of translation, focusing on italian comics (so i straddled comics studies and translation studies, mostly)

a black and white illustration on a cover page for a PhD dissertation called Myths, Mutants, and Superducks: Exporting Italian Comics; next to it is a coaster with the palestinian flag and the words Palestine will be free

270 7

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 05/08/2025

been a couple of hours, so here's another game from today: Die RPG (TPK scenario) with on of the subtlest and nicest dictators i've had so far ( by @boardgamefeast.bsky.social ), and some super messy once-teens who actually made it out again

five polyhedral crystal-looking dice and a wooden six sided die, over a notebook with handwritten notes about Die RPG, a pen, and some index cards, all placed on a desk next to a black and red computer mouse

090 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 04/08/2025

played a very quick but lovely tense game of @seaexcursion.itch.io 's Last Train to Bremen - we all ended up in hell, and it was Mule's fault (at least, that's what my character remembers) even if Cockerel ( played by @jessy.bsky.social ) really tried as the Survivor at the end

four character sheets for Last Train to Bremen on a marble table, set next to pens and a cup of coffee, and twelve white six sided dice; at the centre of the table is a creepy green six sided die

080 8

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 04/08/2025

Sir Gourney, the Weaver Knight Sir Nayme, the Shield Knight ( and his dull sword; 'it's not blunt, it's just boring') Sir Cumbendibous, the Questing Knight (with the lowest Clarity ever, high on both Vigour & Spirit) & a bog, damp, sodden realm for Mythic Bastionland ( @bastionland.bsky.social )

three character sheets, a hexagonal map of an island, and a book open to a lovely illustration of a page called The Chariot; a table set up for Mythic Bastionland

2110 11

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 25/07/2025

just played a very disturbing folk horror game of Hunt(er/ed) with @bawjax.bsky.social, in which we played an entire forest/lake vs a local butcher who just wants to leave the village; we told a story of human cruelty shaping the land & made each other a little sad

2215 21

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 20/05/2025

OPERATIVE ARMAGEDDON GOING LOUD. TRANSMITTING ON ALL CHANNELS. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. WE HAVE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE.

A person with short blue hair shielding their eyes as they look towards a character montage of many sci-fi looking people in different action poses. Robots and spaceships and explosions are in the background.

173 7

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 13/05/2025

first of all, as @jessfrom.online keeps reminding us/me, consuming media is not a neutral political act, and if you want to do so you need to be aware that Disney is on the BDS list

list of priority targets and other targets of the BDS movement against the apartheid israeli genocide of the palestinians, including priorities: Chevron, Caltex, Texaco, intel, Dell, HP, Carrefour, AXA, Disney+, Siemens, Remax, Sodastream

120 2

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 06/05/2025

OPERATIVE ARMAGEDDON CONFIRMED LISTENING ON ALL CHANNELS. AWAITING FURTHER TRANSMISSION…

Someone looks up at a sky with two enormous moons while shielding their eyes. The words "GALACTIC & GOING ROGUE" are written in the bottom left corner.

032 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 01/05/2025

be blessed by the blep

a photo of a white and brown pitbull in a yellow rain jacket, sticking her tongue out at the camera as she raises a paw probably demanding a treat (used to keep her still for the photo)

160 6

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 28/04/2025

i realised that just a few weeks prior to that i had received my copy of the Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, for which i wrote a couple entries about him and his work that was a very very very weird feeling

the cover for Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, by daniel hahn, featuring a frog in a dramatic pose and wearing a green suit, talking to a mouse in farming clothes

030 3

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 22/04/2025

sometimes you find the perfect book case 30 minutes away for 70 maple burgers, and you just borrow a dolly from the landlord and carry it back, you know?

what appears to be a large bookshelf on wheels, seemingly moving by itself down the street as it's large enough to cover the whole person pushing it from behind

a cropped close up of a bookshelf showing the top half of a face wearing sunglasses and a nose peering out from behind the top most cubicle of a heavy wooden bookshelf

190 9

alex v @alexvalente.fyi · 17/03/2025

day 3 was Helluva Town, my latest translation for Acheron Games, featuring a heavily saturated molotov cocktail and many a bone pun

five brightly coloured character sheets, a pack of playing cards, and doodles for a game of helluva town - the cartoon gangster RPG

151 5