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Reposted by Ben Francisco

Hannah Colbert @tanglepretty.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today's SFF story: Brincando Charcos by @benfrancisco.bsky.social in Strange Horizons. I was rooting for Javier and Mateo so hard. A tender, honest story about what magic is and isn't, and people learning how to get out of their own way. strangehorizons.com/fiction/brin...

strangehorizons.com

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I'm so excited to be in Anaheim for #WorldCon #LAConV! I'm moderating two all-star panels today on "Truly Inhuman Characters" and "Comfort in Queer SFF Narratives," and I'm pretty comfortable with those vibes! Tomorrow I'm on a cool panel on Latinx SF across genres and diasporas!

Image of Ben Francisco's schedule at Worldcon in Los Angeles: Meetup: Latinx Creators -Thursday, August 27 at 3:00 pm; Truly Inhuman Characters - Friday, August 28 at 12:00 pm; Queer and Cozy: Comfort in Queer SFF Narratives - Friday, August 28 at 4:30 pm; Crossing Genres: Latin American and Latinx Speculative Fiction - Saturday, August 29 at 4:30 pm

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Rob Cameron @brklyndragon.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I co-lead a writing while #neurodivergent or with disabilities workshop w/@jasonsanford.bsky.social & @benfrancisco.bsky.social Later, I'll discuss this eyeopening & cathartic experience Here's the doc I made for the workshop canva.link/neurodiverge... #neurospicy #writer #scifi #nebulas #SFWA

canva.link

Unsupported client – Canva

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Who else wants to see Mystique and Destiny *finally* get brought to beautiful queer animated life?

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Can X-Men '97 pull off a high-stakes resurrection? @benfrancisco.bsky.social calls the show's bet in Season 2's penultimate episode: “The Dead Man's Hand”! reactormag.com/tv-review-x-...

reactormag.com

X-Men ’97 Gives Us the Resurrection We Expected in “The Dead Man’s Hand” - Reactor

We all knew it was coming, but is Gambit's return as exciting as we'd hoped?

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

My latest #Xmen97 review is up at @reactorsff.bsky.social! Are the cameos getting too random when one of them is *literally* Random? I do low-key love Bishop and Polaris randomly flying in on pterodactyls though.

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

It's a high-stakes trial this week in X-Men '97, and I'm hoping pterodactyls don't swoop in and- well, you'll just have to see. “Strange Land, Savage Heart” spotlights Nightcrawler and the ongoing prejudice against mutants:

reactormag.com

It’s All About Faith and Redemption in X-Men ’97’s “Strange Land, Savage Heart” - Reactor

Nightcrawler offers an interesting religious twist on Xavier’s dream, but Exodus is no Magneto.

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Great round up of recent queer short SFF! Including my story "Two People" and all the other great stories in the second issue of @othersidespec.bsky.social!

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Learn how *not* to process trauma from Professor X in my latest X-Men 97 review!

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

New students, new uniforms, and Professor X's horrible coping mechanisms in the latest episode of X-Men '97! It's @benfrancisco.bsky.social's favorite yet–let's discuss "Danger.Exe" #XMen97

reactormag.com

X-Men ’97 Heats Up With New Mutants, New Uniforms, New X-Corp and More in “Danger.Exe” - Reactor

How is Xavier holding up given a certain someone's death? Not well.

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

My latest review of X-Men 97. I can't be the only one thinking "Bishop Was Right," am I?

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Magneto, Apocalypse, and some tasteful fanservice–when can we place an order for "Bishop Was Right" T-Shirts??? @benfrancisco.bsky.social reviews the latest two episodes of X-Men '97!

reactormag.com

Subtext and Tragedy Dominate the Latest Episodes of X-Men ’97 - Reactor

Can Morph and Wolverine overtake Magneto and Xavier for the most subtext of the X-friends?

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Locus Magazine @locusmag.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

WE ARE LIVE! Help us have a great first day? We REALLY want to make this SFF anthology work & start a new annual SFF Best Of series! Head to locusmag.com/anthology (link in bio) to get a pledge in! Be a part of something special! #BacktheBook Sharing helps us tremendously:)

At the top of the image, text says: "now announcing..."
In the center of the image, a hardcover book. The cover of the book shows: "The Locus Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Of the Year: Volume 1"
Below the book, text says: "find Locus on kickstarter"

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

My take on the opening three episodes of #XMen97 season 2 is up @reactorsff.bsky.social. The biggest shocker is that Jubilee is suddenly the coolest thing since... well, the 1990s!

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Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Cameos! Emma Frost! Coming out to your kids as parents! X-Men '97 explodes into a delightful new season. @benfrancisco.bsky.social reviews the first three episodes and there may or may not be a robot army involved:

reactormag.com

X-Men ’97 Kicks Off a New Season With Timey-Wimey Adventures - Reactor

The sophomore season starts with a time-traveling family reunion, a break-out role for X-Force, and an Apocalyptic Big Bad.

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Issue 2 has two reprinted stories you can't currently read anywhere else online, made possible by our incredible 2025 Kickstarter backers! The first is @benfrancisco.bsky.social's “Two People," an aching tale of self-discovery and sea beasts. 🌊 Read it here: othersidespec.com/pieces/two-p...

Quote from the reprint story "Two People" by Ben Francisco in OTHERSIDE Issue 2. The quote reads: As I awake one morning from difficult dreams, I find that my husband has transformed into two people. One Ezequiel lies beside me in our bed, as always, half-sitting up and typing furiously on his laptop. The other Ezequiel sits on the floor beside the bed, his legs crossed and eyes closed, meditating.

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Sydney Paige Guerrero (she/her) @sydneyficant137.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Third story from OTHERSIDE!! "two people" by @benfrancisco.bsky.social !! such an interesting exploration of messy relationships with ourselves and others, and how we figure out the people we choose to be and the people we choose to hold on to. also! cool giant sea beast!!! 🌊

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Miriam Seidel @miriamseidel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Loved this story!

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

ISSUE 2 IS NOW FREE TO READ ONLINE! Tiger princesses! Cyborgs! Spacefaring scientists and sword-wielding students! Our second issue is warm, tender, hopeful, and sometimes horrifying in the best way. It was a joy to assemble, and we hope you enjoy it too🪐🗡️🌈 othersidespec.com/issues/issue-2/

OTHERSIDE Issue 2 cover on the left, with text on the right that says ISSUE 2: nine stories, six poems, one essay, original art by queer creators available now! www.othersidespec.com

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

10 years after Pulse, I still feel this day in my body - in the tightness of my skin, in the pain in my gut, in the softness of my eyes. Like many others, I'm still carrying the grief from that day, still honoring the memories of those taken, still finding my way in our shared healing journey.

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Excited to be at #Nebulas2026 and honored to be part of an amazing panel of authors talking about Writing Outsiders! Come hear my hot takes on colonialsm, queerness, and possibly the 1980s Marvel crossover Secret Wars II about the Beyonder's quest to understand humanity.

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Excited that my short story, "Two People," is out in the second issue of @othersidespec.bsky.social! Recommended for fans of queer Kafkaesque situations, impossible relationships, and giant sea beasts. Subscribe to Otherside now and support an amazing queer SF mag for Pride!

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

HAPPY PRIDE, ISSUE 2 IS OUT NOW FOR SUBSCRIBERS!!! Check your email! 🪐🗡️🌈 Issue 2 will be free online on June 15th—but if you'd like to support a queer magazine AND read Issue 2 without waiting, you can snag a copy now! Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/s/3e872a158d Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/others... (1/2)

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Suzan the chalant goth @sillysyntax.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

"For queer authors of color and other multiply marginalized people, the pressure is even more intense."

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

We love this story! So glad we get to share it with our readers 💜

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

So excited to be part of this great line up for the 2nd issue of OTHERSIDE! Check it out for some awesome dreamy queer SF!

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

And that’s Issue 2! We can’t wait to share it with you in June. We know you’re going to love it as much as we do. Want to read it two weeks before anyone else + help us stick around to keep publishing more fantastic work by queer authors and artists? The best way to subscribe is via Patreon! (7/7)

patreon.com

Patreon

Patreon is empowering a new generation of creators. Support and engage with artists and creators as they live out their passions!

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Last but certainly not least: two reprinted stories and one essay! 🌊 "Two People" - @benfrancisco.bsky.social 🕷️ "Spider Kiss" - @breewernicke.bsky.social ☀️ "A Noose of Purple Silk" - Sidney Grady (6/7)

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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Our Issue 2 TOC is officially here! 🪐🗡️ We are so excited to reveal this stellar lineup of nine stories, six poems, and one essay by sixteen incredible authors—and we absolutely cannot WAIT for you to read this dreamy, gorgeous, magical issue in June. More details in the thread! 🧵 (1/7)

White text on a blurry orange and purple background. Text reads:

Issue 2, June 2026

Original Fiction
Crowns - cee-cee manrique
First to Rot - J.N. Howell
Chī Kǔ - J.Y. Zhang
Before She Knew About Magic - Joshua Geller Schwartz
This Is C(lone)-Pop - Lia Lao
We Who Have Been Raised by Tigers - P.V. Vamsidhar
Remade, Reshaped, Remembered - Sydney Paige Guerrero

Nonfiction
A Noose of Purple Silk - Sidney Grady

White text on a blurry orange and purple background. Text reads:

Issue 2, June 2026

Original Poetry
girl flogged by a false-named whip - Amie Shen
Masquerade. - Chidera Offor
Ganymede - Gospel Chinedu
obsolesce - Macey Levington
As seen through the hole of the hag stone: - Sienna Tristen
Open Your Eyes Again - Toby MacNutt

Reprint Fiction
Two People - Ben Francisco
Spider Kiss - Bree Wernicke

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Great list of queer SFF published in March from @cypayseur.bsky.social!

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Kaleidotrope @kaleidotrope.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The Spring Kaleidotrope features fantastic fiction from @amandacecelia.bsky.social, @michelehporter.bsky.social, Dom D. Borg, @faithallington.bsky.social, S.M. French-Byrne, @klneidecker.com, Matt Hornsby, Eliezra Schaffzin, Timothy Mudie, @emharriettwrites.bsky.social, and @megelison.bsky.social!

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Kaleidotrope @kaleidotrope.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Mari is very kind to say this, but yes, it’s been twenty years, and it would be a genuinely a thrill just to be nominated enough to be buried in the after-the-award stats.

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FIYAH Literary Magazine @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

An anthology you DO NOT want to miss! Featuring some of the incredible authors we've been so privileged to publish over this past decade! Please share this post with fans and readers of Black SFF. Guaranteed you will help someone find their next favorite storyteller in these pages!

Forged in FIYAH anthology cover. Featuring two beings forging a magical object with a vivid starscape in the background.

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association @sfwa.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

MG/YA writers, have you signed up for our Constellation Series? 👀 It's SFWA's first-ever free-to-the-public professional development weekend. This March 21-22, we have master classes, a mentorship hour and open lobbies for networking, readings, and Q&As. Register today and spread the word!

sfwa.org

MG/YA Constellation Series - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association

Join us on March 21-22 for a full roster of master classes, author showcases, and mentorship sessions celebrating excellence in MG/YA SFF!

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Los Angeles Worldcon @laworldcon.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Your Hugo Nominating ballot can make a difference. There are a total of 7718 people with the right to cast a nominating ballot in the 2026 Hugo Awards. As of this morning, 1293 of those people have cast a nominating ballot in at least one category. www.lacon.org/hugos/

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M M De Voe @mmdevoe.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

open.substack.com/pub/thetrans... if you like my writing read this - Ben is one of my inspirations. Also read this if you’ve ever found a second love. Especially if the second love outshines the first. Also read if you love Old New York City bodegas #fiction #divorce #NYC #beautiful

open.substack.com

When Your Ex-Husband Lies Dying and Only You Can Get Him the Magic Elixir from the Bodega

March sweeps in with a wonderful quartet of stories as The Sunday Morning Transport brings tales by Ben Francisco, V.M. Ayala

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Samantha Murray @samanthamurray.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

💙 I enjoyed this one a lot, great story by @benfrancisco.bsky.social

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Another great story this week is up at @morningtransport.bsky.social! This one is by @spacevalkyries.bsky.social and is about a mysterious mermaid, the complexity of identity, belonging, and making wishes.

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Neon Hemlock @neonhemlock.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

We have only 61 stories submitted for WHAT ELEGANT STARS so far. I suppose a lot of folks will submit in the last month, but that still seems low. Though the theme is more specific than some previous ones, so folks are less likely to have anything ready to go. www.neonhemlock.com/submissions

neonhemlock.com

submissions — neon hemlock

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Nicholas KaufMONSTER @nicholaskaufmann.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Big thanks to @benfrancisco.bsky.social for including MONUMENTS IN DARKNESS in his "Favorite Short Story Collections from 2025" roundup, calling it "an excellent collection of horror, dark fantasy, and weird fiction from a master of the genre." You can read the rest of the review at the link!

benfrancisco.net

Favorite Short SF from 2025

Continuing my roundup of excellent science fiction, fantasy, and horror from 2025, here are some of my favorite short stories and collections published last year. (For my favorite novels and novell…

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The Sunday Morning Transport @morningtransport.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

The Sunday Morning Transport makes one more trip today with a story from Ben Francisco (@benfrancisco.bsky.social) that examines what really might be in the back room of your local bodega - and what it might cost. Free for everyone to read!

sundaymorningtransport.com

When Your Ex-Husband Lies Dying and Only You Can Get Him the Magic Elixir from the Bodega

March sweeps in with a wonderful quartet of stories as The Sunday Morning Transport brings tales by Ben Francisco, V.M. Ayala

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Ben Francisco @benfrancisco.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

If you've ever thought bodegaa were magical... I have a story coming for you this Sunday on @morningtransport.bsky.social.

Photo of a Brooklyn Bodega with a multitude of signs advertising Deli, grocery, lotto, open 24 hours.

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Renan Bernardo @renanbernardo.com · 14/02/2026

So honored that Disgraced Return of the Kap's Needle was featured in Ben's favorite SF from 2025 alongside authors that are my inspiration! 🖤

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