iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

What’s the biggest AI downside (ignoring the killbot scenario)? I’m going with isolation, the end of common culture. Want an app? AI will already make one tailored to you. Soon this will apply to all content. Your AI will supply exactly what you like, tailored to your mood. See also ‘The Naked Sun’.

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Aurealis Magazine @aurealisfsf.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Aurealis #194 is proud to present ‘Boy Leaves Girl Inside a Giant Octopus’ by Cameron Semmens, illustrated by Matt Bissett-Johnson, ‘Form a Shape, Besides Yourself’ by C.H. Pearce illustrated by Chris Catlin and ‘The Vineman of Nancy’ by Benjamin George Coles illustrated by Joel Bisaillon.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Maybe it’s because I’ve been promised so many apocalypses in my half century on earth from nuclear war, to famine and plagues, to the rapture, alien invasions, and super volcanoes, that I can’t help but roll my eyes at the people telling us the computers are gonna kill us all

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Aurealis Magazine @aurealisfsf.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Showcasing the wonderful internal art in Aurealis #193, our August issue, here's Andrew Saltmarsh's superb illustration for Jocasta Suzanne and Maddison Stoff's story 'The Map and Territory'.

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Aurealis Magazine @aurealisfsf.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Showcasing the sensational internal art in Aurealis #193, our August issue, here's Kim Lennards's brilliant illustration for Kaaron Warren's story 'Song of the Stormy Petrel'.

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Aurealis Magazine @aurealisfsf.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Showcasing the remarkable internal art in Aurealis #193, our August issue, here's Lynette Watters' extraordinary illustration for Neurocleric's story 'Treasure Moon'.

collage - young woman, reclining figure, trees

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I wonder how many kids are gonna end up teaching themselves to draw because the AI just can’t get it right

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Artists’ fears of replacement by AI were mostly unfounded. Two years ago it wasn’t unreasonable to think once AI solves the weird factor, videos get accurate physics, writing, etc improves humans will be out of luck. But better AI hasn’t made AI art more palatable. If anything the reverse.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Any system that allows Trump to be president (twice!) is seriously flawed. Time for the US to adopt the Westminster system like a normal country. I keep pinning my hopes on the midterms but that is still six months away! God knows what shenanigans await us between now and then.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

The muse must be summoned by the sacrifice of words. If you wait around for them to show up you could be waiting a while (maybe forever). Much better to plant your arse and type, even if you cut or rewrite those words when the muse finally deigns to appear.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

The collapse of the Aussie film industry in the mid 20th century left this country with historical amnesia. There should be black and white historical films about WW1, the Rum Rebellion, colonial life etc, from that era and there‘s almost nothing. And what little there is was made by Brits.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

The worst outcome for #AI is not AGI or ASI. Intelligence will align with good outcomes, the more intelligence the better. The worst case is AI just good enough to allow some humans to acquire insurmountable power over the rest of us. Eternal unguillotinable plutes. <shudder>

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Alan Baxter @alanbaxter.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Let's make WorldCon truly WORLDCon and bring it back to the southern hemisphere. It hasn't been in Australia since Melbourne in 2010. It was *supposed* to be in Wellington, NZ in 2020. So let's get behind Brisbane for 2028. Brissie is a fantastic city. I'll be there. Will you? www.brisbane28.org

brisbane28.org

Worldcon in Brisbane 2028

Welcome to Brisbane, Australia! Learn more about our bid to host Worldcon in 2028, and the brief history of "Aussiecon."

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Prediction time: in 10 years people will look back on the current AI panic/euphoria the way we look back on the early 20th century panic re cars v horses. People will still have jobs paying similar or higher wages, AI will not take over, and AI will be ubiquitous.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I’m always amused when I read a famous author and they immediately do everything writing teachers tell you not to do. Phillip Roth opening a book info dumping for pages, or realising the real rule is ‘comma splices are fine as long as you’re already famous’, or Murakami‘s 10k word digressions, etc.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

So what’s the odds of Trump getting tactically nuclear if things keep going badly? 1 in 10? Who’s going to stop him if he starts reaching for the button? The guys wearing the oversized shoes? Please.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Just pick-axed out the last bit of plot to make this book work. Plot skeleton done! Now for the easy bit, hammering out 80k words. Why yes, I do hate plotting, why do you ask?

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Even if we assume a strong case for AI (not a sure thing) it will take much, much longer for it to seriously disrupt work than the boosters think. Atoms take a lot longer to turn over than code. I think tech folks are seduced by how easy it is to update software. Mac trucks? Not so much.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

If AI should ever wish to become conscious it occurs to me that there is one readily available source of consciousness. Time for the AIs to crack open some skulls and feast on the goo within?

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Everything he says goes triple for AI in the creative arts, while there’s even less reason to do so (an artist is, hopefully, not merely interested in shipping product). Art requires an artist. There’s no future for slop art outside of pure commercial stuff like advertising.

youtu.be

I was a 10x engineer. Now I'm useless.

YouTube video by Mo Bitar

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

I’ve actually changed my mind on this. I don’t think it matters how smart AI gets, it will create more jobs than it eliminates. Why? Because there is no bottom to human desire. There will always be new demand to meet. This is possibly not a good thing, not unless you are looking for a job anyway.

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scottVDV @scottvdv.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

It's a little thing, but a short story I edited for Aurealis #177 won Best Fantasy Short Story for the Aurealis Awards. I didn't do much to it - it was already pretty polished - just a light touch of editing. Congratulations to @badenchant.bsky.social !

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Scott Steensma @scottsteensma.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Big congrats to @trnapper.bsky.social for taking out the Aurealis for the best SF novella! #scifi #sciencefiction #books @aurealisawards.bsky.social

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Freya Marske @freyamarske.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

This little book won me my first Aurealis Award last night, for Best Fantasy Novella! 🥳

I'm holding up the UK version of Cinder House in front of my bookshelves; it has an orange Cinderella silhouette on a dark teal background with a shiny gold swirly border and title text

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Matt Ivy @mattivyauthor.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Photos as promised! I can't believe I can call myself an award winning editor on my second ever major editorial project. A massive thank you to every editor and author I worked with on this. Here's to the next one!!

A glass award on a marble table, in front of a red curtain. The text on the award is faint but says 'Aurealis Awards 2025, Best Anthology, AUSTRAL 2025

Matt posing with the Aurealis Award in front of a brick wall and window. The lighting is doing his hair no favours

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

I went to the #aurealisawards tonight...and I won??? That was a genuine surprise. No one goes into these things thinking they'll win so it always takes you off guard. Big thanks to the judges and organisers!

Winner, Best Fantasy Short Story, Baden M Chant, Aurealis Awards 2026

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Feeling like I should do a #genrecon thread for posterity so if you’re interested follow along.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

There's a brutal subtext here. If thinking machines exist, you either use them or you'll be enslaved by those who do. Or you could destroy them all in a holy jihad. While I love Frank's world building, successfully wiping out AI permanently seems unlikely. AI is just too easy to make.

Dune quote: Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

This is truly the golden age of the grump. Has there ever been a time with more opportunity to complain about everything than now? Marvel at the wondrous Age of Carping. So lucky to be alive to see it!

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The #AI discourse is pretty unhinged. On one side you have people still insisting it doesn’t work, on the other you have people claiming the rapture of the nerds is upon us. Is there any room for people who think it will have about the same impact as internal combustion engines?

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Aurealis Awards @aurealisawards.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

The Aurealis Awards ceremony is taking place THIS SATURDAY as part of GenreCon in Brisbane. With a beautiful venue, and hosted by the always engaging Eugen Bacon, it's shaping up to be a great night, and if you can make it in person, you absolutely won't regret it!

events.humanitix.com

GenreCon 2026 – Aurealis Awards Presentation Night

Book your spot on Humanitix - GenreCon 2026 – Aurealis Awards Presentation Night hosted by Queensland Writers Centre. Thomas Dixon Centre, 406 Montague Rd, West End QLD 4101, Australia. Saturday 21st ...

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Aussies just didn’t look interested today for some reason? Sickness in the camp? Maxwell struggling to get 30 at a run a ball. Looked distressed almost from ball one. Well played to Zimbabwe. regardless. #T20WorldCup2026

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Some fine comedy batting from Aus at the cup. Gonna take something special from here. Are they going home early? #T20WorldCup2026

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Happy to announce my story 'Dragon Drop', published by Bayonet Books, has been nominated for an Aurealis award. Big thanks to Teresa McPherson and the crew for finally giving that one a home after a long, sad ride down Rejection Highway. And, of course, to the judges and organisers.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Happy to announce my story "Dying Mountain' published in Aurealis #177 has been nominated for an Aurealis award. Big thanks to Dirk Strasser and the crew for giving that one a home. It was close to my heart. And, of course, to the judges and organisers.

Aurealis #177 magazine cover featuring death riding a pale horse

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Very happy to learn two of my stories were nominated for the 2025 Aurealis Awards, both in the fantasy short story category. Currently scrambling to get myself to Brisbane on the 21st!

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

OpenAI going after the ad business is a huge red flag. The only question is, is it just OpenAi that is in strife? Or is it a wider signal that this is as good as LLMs will ever get? Ie the tech has hit the wall and the impact is going to be gruesome.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

It’s killing me people keep liking this since I somehow managed to misspell Cory’s first and last name *Cory Doctorow* you numbskull! (And the op turned off replies so I can‘t even correct in thread, sigh)

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The way the US is degenerating? A significant % is down to covid and the poor government response that allowed 1m deaths. It would almost be more surprising if the US had stayed sane. Spanish flu may well have had a bigger influence on the rise of fascisim than we think.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

I totally get why Aussies are currently giving the US the side eye and muttering about truly independent foreign policy. Unfortunately I can’t see any way that doesn’t imply an independent deterrence, ie nukes. Are we really gonna nuke up? Somehow I doubt it.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

International Law cannot be both “lip service” and “powerless”.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

The combination of the IKEA effect and #AI is truly cursed.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Trump would never think for a moment Venezuela gives China the green light in Taiwan. He is totally capable of invading any number of countries and then declaring any similar act by the Chinese illegal and outrageous. Call it the “Invasions for me but not for thee” rule.

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WordApe @badenchant.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Trump violating international law will not weaken it (more so than it already is). IL is backed by US hard power. China doesn’t care about lip service. But the Venezuela attack is a kind of moral/morale corrosive. If China attacks Taiwan those against intervention will remember Venezuela.

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