iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me · 30/09/2026

My third novel, HERO COME HOME, officially has a cover! Preorderable from the usual places us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

The cover of my third novel, HERO COME HOME. Four human figures centred, the main image being that of a bearded man looking back over his shoulder (that's Oro, the protagonist), with a circle of symbols behind him. We can see a swan and a key. In the foreground are three people: two women, one with a mysterious marking? scar? who knows!? on her cheek and the other carrying a sword, flanking an older, balding man holding up a pistol. The possibly-scarred woman looks ever so slightly amused, and that is certainly very like her. Everybody else is not happy to be here, or indeed, anywhere

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Sarah Pinsker @sarahpinsker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Chatting before @charmcityspec.bsky.social we had the sudden realization that the conversation included three @clarionwest.bsky.social grads and one instructor/hanger-on. Rutendo Chidzodzo, Justin C. Key, Carolyn Ives Gilman all looking lovely in the Ivy Bookshop garden.

A bunch of very photogenic writers on a patio taking a selfie with a selfie-inept photographer.

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John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Did you ever wonder what the dragons are thinking in all those dragon rider novels? Well I wrote a story about exactly that. One curmudgeonly dragon has snuck into the academy and has to keep his identity secret. That means pretending to be tame. No matter how much he wants to devour his rider.

bookshop.org

The Dragon Has Some Complaints

"The dragon may have some complaints, but readers won't. By turns silly, sweet, and subversive, this novel has all of Wiswell's characteristic blend of tension and heart." —Caitlin Rozakis, New York T...

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Join us when Justin C. Key uncorks his new novel, a sci-fi medical thriller, at this Friday's Charm City Spec! He reads live with an all-star lineup of authors: James Simmons, Mary G. Thompson, Rutendo Chidzondo, and Riley Black. Don't miss them!

In a large hand-drawn script, "Justin C. Key reads Charm City Spec". An author photo of a smiling Mr. Key appears alongside the text. Fine print: 6pm September 25th, 2026, The Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road. Everyone is welcome!"

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

where she was the recipient of Ocean Vuong's Rose Fellowship. Her work has been supported by Clarion West, Tin House, Sewanee’s Writers Conference, and Kimbilio. Rutendo is currently working on a speculative short story collection about immigration and hauntings.

Photo of the new anthology AFRICAN GHOST SHORT STORIES by Flame Tree Press.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Rutendo Chidzodzo is a Zimbabwean Afrosurrealist writer. She graduated with a BA in Creative Writing & Film Studies, and received the 2020 Ladies' Literary Club Award and the Paul Engle Memorial Prize for Creative Writing. She earned her MFA in Fiction at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst,

Photo of the author Rutendo Chidzodzo surrounded by white blossoms.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Come out and hear the talented and accomplished Rutendo Chidzodzo on her Charm City Spec debut! Admission is free, and everyone is welcome!

Rutendo Chidzodzo reads Charm City Spec, 6pm Friday September 25th, 2026, at the Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"A tech-nesting doll of nightmares, harkening back to the best of Michael Crichton while wholly Thompson's own horror show." —Clay McLeod Chapman

Cover art for PPRECIIUS CHILDREN, authored by Mary G. Thompson. Art includes a grid of doll heads in demonically red hues.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Come join us this Friday, September 25th, when Mary G. Thompson reads live from her new novel, Precious Children, along with a full program of authors: Justin C. Key Riley Black Rutendo Chidzodzo James Simmons

Mary G. Thompson Reads Charm City Spec
6PM Friday September 25th
The Ivy Bookshop
5928 Falls Road (in Baltimore)

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Christiane Knight @christianek.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Just started and I'm already invested! [really, your reading at @charmcityspec.bsky.social sold me]

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

James Simmons wrote the second and third draft of his first novel A Ghost Among Magnolias at the Djerassi Resident Artist Program in the winter of 2022. He is trained as an performer/ playwright and holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

James Simmons reads Charm City Spec! 6pm Friday September 25th at the Ivy Bookshop, on the patio. All are welcome!

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John Picacio @johnpicacio.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Baltimore Homies: Mark your calendars for @charmcityspec.bsky.social’s September 25th author extravaganza featuring @marygthompson.bsky.social @justinkey.bsky.social @restingdinoface.bsky.social and more at The Ivy Bookshop. cc: @sarahpinsker.bsky.social @nottenst.bsky.social @capclave.bsky.social

Graphic promoting Charm City Spec’s September 25th author reading lineup at the Ivy Bookshop (featuring peacock feather background).

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Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

ICYMI: Eating the Fantastic's Worldcon Donut Divertissment episode went live this morning. Eavesdrop and learn about Ursula K. Le Guin’s reply when asked if she was an anarchist, how hanging out in the halls can often be the most fun of all — plus much more. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...

scottedelman.com

Welcome to the wonderful world of Worldcon donuts on Episode 292 of Eating the Fantastic ‹ Scott Edelman

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Full house of talented writers eager to slip their sumptuous words into your ears! Come out and give us a listen, you won't regret it! Friday September 25th, 6pm at The Ivy Bookshop! All are welcome!

Background is all iridescent peacock feathers. In various brightly colored fonts: "Charm City Spec. Rutendo Chidzodzo, Mary G. Thompson, James Simmons, Justin C. Key, Riley Black. 6 pm September 25, The Ivy Bookshop"

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Wanted to wish CCS alumnus @alansmale.bsky.social congratulations on his winning the Sideward Alternate History Award for his story "Caesar at Sea", in the SKULL x Bones #pirate anthology! Congratulations to all the folks at Zombies Need Brains, especially editors David B. Coe & Joshua Palmatier!

Cover art for the Skull x Bones anthology, edited by David B. Coe & Joshua Palmatier. The image is of a traditional pirate captain similar to Blackbeard, but instead of an eyepatch he wears a laser monocle, charged and ready to fire.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Mark your calendars now—it's going to be a frabjous evening!

September 25th Charm City Spec
Readers: Mary G. Thompson, James Simmons,
Justin C. Key, Riley Black, Rutendo Chidzodzo
The Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road, 6pm 9/25/26
ALL ARE WELCOME

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

The Outer Rim Festival, a celebration of speculative films, is happening next weekend! Premieres, panel discussions, local creators and cinema from 10 different countries! Don't miss it!

"THE Outer Rim Film Festival 2026, Aug 28-30c Baltimore Maryland, premier cinema from across the multiverse" Image: humanoids in spacesuits overlooking an alien landscape in vivid colors.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Come hear Mary G. Thompson read at the next Charm City Spec, September 25th at the Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore—it's going to be a frabjous night!

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Christopher Mark Rose @chrisrose.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Great night at the Greedy Reads in Remington, hearing solid gold repartee between authors John Wiswell and Jo Miles! That place is a gem, and so are these two!

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Jo Miles @jomiles.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Today and tomorrow, WARPED STATE is on sale for $0.99! A sci-fi thriller with activists taking on an evil corporation, plus a lovable sentient spaceship and a dash of M/M interspecies romance. First in a completed trilogy! books2read.com/warpedstate #bookSky #scifibooks #ebooksale

$0.99 Ebook sale: Warped State. Labels read: Activists in space! Hijinks galore. Hopeful and defiant. Sentient spaceship with anxiety issues. M/M interspecies relationship. Evil corporation being evil.

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Jo Miles @jomiles.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

2 days away! Baltimore folks, will we see you there? #booksky #baltimore

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Publisher's Weekly: "Nayler weaves a tapestry of resilience and resistance as intricate and well-constructed as the braided twigs of a crow’s nest . . . an impassioned paean to togetherness in the midst of the chaotic isolation of war and to the power of storytelling to keep memory and hope alive."

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Join us for Charm City Spec this Saturday, when Hugo and Locus Award winning author Ray Nayler reads from his incandescent new novel, THE PALACE OF THE CROW.

A crow with several additional wings is depicted in a half-cloudy sky. The text says "Ray Nayler reads Charm City Spec, 6pm Saturday July 11th, at the Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore. All are welcome."

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Horned Lark Press @hornedlarkpress.com · 08/07/2026

Out now and available to rekindle your sense of wonder: THE FINAL CHRONICLE OF YENEH by @jomiles.bsky.social! This page has a bunch of handy links: hornedlarkpress.com/product/the-...

A copy of the aforementioned book with a trope map:
For grownups who grew up loving Narnia and dreaming of the stars
THE FINAL CHRONICLE OF YENEH
Wonderfully weird
alien plants
Science vs capitalism
Dark family secrets
Unlikely allies
Science fiction in a portal fantasy coat
Terraforming is super problematic, actually

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Jo Miles writes optimistic science fiction and fantasy, including the Infinite Pantry cozy fantasy series, the Gifted of Brennex space opera trilogy, and The Final Chronicle of Yeneh, a genre-bending science fiction novella.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The Final Chronicle of Yeneh is a nostalgic portal fantasy wrapped in an exhilarating science fiction adventure, a Narnia in space: full of strange alien plant life and long-buried family secrets, it “will leave you wanting to hug your local native plants while gazing upward at the stars.”

Cover of THE FINAL CHRONICLE OF YENEH, showing a strange, vegetal figure surrounded by thorns and alien technologies. Author: Jo Miles

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Join us as we welcome back the talented and surprising Jo Miles, to the next Charm City Spec! Jo reads from their new novel THE FINAL CHRONICLE OF YENEH, along with a passel of brilliant authors, at 6pm Saturday July 11th on the patio at the Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road. You won't want to miss it!

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

"High stakes and an endearing romance rocket the thriller A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS to mythical heights!" — Forward Review

Jacket art for the horror novel A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS, by Nicole M. Wolverton. The background is an image of the bottom of a lake, with rocks and entangling roots dimly lit from a distant surface.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Come to the garden with us when Nicole M. Wolverton uncorks a stunner, her new A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS, at the next CHARM CITY SPEC! It's 6pm Saturday July 11th on the patio behind the Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore. It's free, and everyone is welcome!

NICOLE M. WOLVERTON READS CHARM CITY SPEC, 6pm July 11th, 2026
The Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore. Free to everyone, and all are welcome.

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Meg Elison @megelison.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Meg lore galore in this one! Arley does a great job on these interviews.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

The amazing Jo Miles reads at the upcoming July 11th Charm City Spec!

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Kai Ashante Wilson @wildeeps.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

New Kai Ashante Wilson novel! Hopefully this update post rectifies the issues with the earlier one. I want y'all to see it! www.patreon.com/KaiAshanteWi...

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Glad to see Charm City Spec Alumna A.C. Wise in such stellar company here!

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Jo Miles @jomiles.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Today at 2pm ET! Come hang out! Ask us questions! Maybe win a book! Join on Instagram (mine www.instagram.com/jomileswrites/ or Kevin's) or on Twitch (twitch.tv/kevinhearne) #bookSky #SFFbooks

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John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Final Stop: July 18th, at Greedy Reads in Baltimore, Maryland, to chat with the cozy author and Star Trek specialist Jo Miles (@jomiles.bsky.social)! Baltimore was the first city I ever loved. It’s going to be so good to come back.

greedyreads.com

John Wiswell presents THE DRAGON HAS SOME COMPLAINTS | Greedy Reads Remington

Baltimore's best local indie bookstore. Now with two locations!

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Congratulations to CCS alumna A.C. Wise!! She won a Stoker award last night (actually splitting the win with Nathan Ballingrud) for her story "Wolf Moon, Antler Moon"!

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association @sfwa.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Today's the day we crown this year's Nebula Award winners! EVERYONE is welcome to join us for the Nebula Awards Ceremony this evening at 8 p.m. CT. SFWA Members and virtual attendees, join us in the SFWA EVENTS THEATER or Flight Crew Watch Party. We look forward to seeing you out! #61stNebulas #SFF

youtube.com

The 61st Annual Nebula Awards Ceremony

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association is proud to celebrate its Nebula Award Finalists and Special Award Recipients this year in Chicago at the...

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Christopher Mark Rose @chrisrose.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

If you see this, post your bird art.

Promo graphic for Charm City Spec. A black crow and a white dragonette vie for control of a golden polyhedron. Text says "6pm July 11th, The Ivy, 5928 Falls Road, All are welcome" and lists readers for the event: Jo Miles, Ray Nayler, Nicole M. Wolverton, JB Aris, and Andrew Farkas.

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Fran Wilde @franwilde.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

A couple bits and bobs, now that I’ve escaped the Terrible Cold… I’m teaching a 3 hr class this Sunday June 7 - AND there’s still space bc I was too gronky to promote it. Use code LastMinuteSharpening for a 20% discount! www.eventbrite.com/e/sharpening... (thx @rachelgutin.bsky.social 4 the nudge)

eventbrite.com

Sharpening Your Words — a generative writing and editing workshop

A 3-hr generative workshop, using existing work to develop editing skills, better use poet's tools, and make concision your friend.

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Posting this again after we (finally) caught a misspelling in an author's name—our fault not theirs, obviously. Please come out and join us if you can!

Charm City Spec, 6pm Saturday July 11th, The Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore. Reading at the July event: Jo Miles, Ray Nayler, J.B. Aris, Nicole M. Wolverton, and Andrew Farkas.
—— ALL ARE WELCOME——

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Charm City Spec Official @charmcityspec.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Just wanted to say we're grateful to every author who gives, in their author bio, some sense of where they're located, because it clues us in as to who we can reasonably ask to read at a CCS event. It saves us both some time (but HEY! If you live far but might be passing through, hit us up!)

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