iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Jen Donohue @authorizedmusings.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

As a parent, @cornellwriter.bsky.social ’s latest story, A Game of Go, in @adventitiouswords.bsky.social resonated so powerfully with me. It’s a beautiful articulation of love and devotion in every form of parenthood.

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Merc Fenn Wolfmoor @mercwolfmoor.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Listen, we have just a few days left!! Help us fund more time loops!! (I really ALSO wanna reboot The Deer Is Messed Up next year… which is unrelated but also 👀 if this funds in time I will have more faith we can do deer next!)

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Catherine Tavares @cjtavares.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

My essay on Resident Evil Requiem's Grace Ashcroft is out TODAY in Issue 9 of @trollbreathmag.bsky.social!!! "Courage is Not the Absence of Fear"--come read my thoughts on how the newest protagonist of my favorite game franchise has shattered the emotional glass ceiling for heroes:

magazine.trollbreath.com

Courage Is Not the Absence of Fear: Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace Ashcroft Highlights the Heroic Power of Accepting Fear - Trollbreath Magazine

Courage Is Not the Absence of Fear: Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace Ashcroft Highlights the Heroic Power of Accepting Fear

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Catherine Tavares @cjtavares.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I just finished reading this collection and YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THE AWESOMENESS. Enter this giveaway, buy the book, request it from your library, do all of the above. Just get these stories into your brainspace!

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Thomas Ha @thomasha.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

i hear we're celebrating Canada today. what better way to do that than by supporting one of the coolest Canadian weird fiction indie publishers around (who also happens to be having an incredible sale on eBooks).

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Merc Fenn Wolfmoor @mercwolfmoor.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Hey pals, come follow my next BackerKit campaign and help me bring a TIME LOOP ANTHOLOGY to life next month!! (It will have an open submission period for writers in October.) www.backerkit.com/c/projects/m...

<alt>opportunity window: a time loop anthology, with artwork by Mildred McMillen edited to be framed within multiple smaller frames; it shows a person in a painting studio by an attic window</alt>

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The Death of Mountains deserves all these accolades and more. It’s filled with beautiful, wise, and continually surprising writing. I’ve never read anything quite like it and I’m so glad that I now have. Plus, that cover design is just phenomenal, right?

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

It makes me so happy when people find and enjoy my stories. Thank you so much @sylviaheike.bsky.social for sharing your kind words!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it.

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P.A. Cornell (She/Her) @cornellwriter.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Sharing this TOC with so many great authors. If you’re not yet subscribed to Adventitious, now might be a good time to consider doing so. It‘s been outstanding issue after outstanding issue so far.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Congratulations! I loved the death of mountains and I think this is a really well deserved win! Also that award itself is stunning.

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VLAD-ventitious. @adventitiouswords.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Issue Four lands August 1. But who's in it?🧵 ...(so far)... P.A. Cornell @cornellwriter.bsky.social 🤖 Aimee Ogden @aimeeogdenwrites.com👹 Ruth Joffre @ruthjoffre.bsky.social ❤️‍🩹 Kari Maaren @angrykem.bsky.social 🍇 Stewart C. Baker 🌌 Elijah J. Mears @elijah.mea.rs🍽️ and...

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

The author makes no representations and offers no warranties as to the condition or location of dust, small appliances, and/or human remains ingested by Phalen’s Pneumatic Vacuum Apparatus. Still, there is something beautiful to be found on the other side, for those who peer through the vacuum..

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Catherine Tavares @cjtavares.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Grab some tissues, a blanket, something/one to hug and then read this story. Beautiful. Poignant. Cathartic. A must read.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Ahhh! Thank you so much, Catherine! For reading and for such kind words. I’m so so glad you enjoyed it.

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VLAD-ventitious. @adventitiouswords.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

What happens when your mom dies, but her ashes keep talking to you? Introducing Phelan's Pneumatic Vacuum Apparatus! As seen in "The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to My Dead Mom" by @chrisblake.bsky.social. It's time to say goodbye... ...to dirt and dust! www.adventitious.net/stories/the-...

A vintage 1950s-style magazine advertisement, designed to resemble a period print ad with aged paper tones and retro illustration. A woman in a red fit-and-flare dress operates a teal canister vacuum with a long hose, standing on a pale blue floor beside a Christmas tree. Above her, against a mustard yellow background, sits a pink upright vacuum cleaner next to a can labeled "Adventitious Rug Shampoo." Large italic serif text on the white curved panel reads "...but this works like magic!" The headline reads "PHALEN'S PNEUMATIC VACUUM APPARATUS" in spaced capital letters, followed by body copy describing a device that eliminates what you thought was permanent. At the bottom, brush script reads "No more putting it off!" with the tagline "For you. For your family. It's time to say 'Goodbye'... ...to dirt and dust!" A woman's face appears in the lower left corner, looking upward with a pleased expression. The overall design mimics mid-century American print advertising.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

My story, “The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to my Dead Mom” is now free to read in @adventitiouswords.bsky.social ! It's loosely inspired by my experience cleaning out my grandmother’s house. It’s about grief, possibly-sentient vacuums, and a little light thermodynamics. I hope you enjoy!

adventitious.net

The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to My Dead Mom

A physicist cleans out his childhood home alongside his mother's talking ashes and a magical vacuum, but what can he do when it's all gone?

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

I'm so pleased that it did indeed find such a wonderful home! Congratulations and I hope lots more people get to read it. :)

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

If you only have time for 1010 words worth of reading tonight, choose these 1010 words from the story Dear Trilobites by @rjtaylor.bsky.social in @strangehorizons.bsky.social This is a stunning, hurricane force tale taking an unflinching gaze at a dark moment lit by 252 million years of life.

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M.R. Robinson @mruthrobinson.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

POV: you died on a day when the god of pickled eggs and sausage rolls happened to be on front door duty.

A screenshot from It's Always Sunny, Danny Devito as Frank Reynolds holding out an egg, captioned "Can I offer you a nice egg in this trying time?"

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Merc Fenn Wolfmoor @mercwolfmoor.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

WE DID IT!!!!!! Thank you all!! Our first stretch goal (at 2k) is BUYING MORE STORIES!! 👀 www.backerkit.com/c/projects/m...

$1,005 🎉 of $1,000
49 backers
12 days left

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the story. I put a lot of my own reflections about parenthood into it and I’m always honoured when it resonates with others. Thank you!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Thank you so much, Anita! The title occurred to me partway through drafting, and after it did, the whole story coalesced for me. I hope people enjoy it! :)

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Emmi Khor - Writer @emmikhor.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Very touching story by @chrisblake.bsky.social in @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social that says a lot about parenthood 🥹 Read it for your children! www.tractorbeam.earth/story/in-eve... #flashfiction #speculative #shortstories

tractorbeam.earth

In Every Seed, A Hope | Tractor Beam

Would you be the seed of your child's future?

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Wow! Thank you for these incredibly moving words. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and so appreciate you sharing your reaction!

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Sam J Miller @sentencebender.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

This is a beautiful, moving story - perfect way to lock in the vibes for a reverent, meditative weekend centering the things that make life worth living.

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🐍 Abigail Kemske 🐍 @abigailkemske.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

It's live! My latest #scifi story "By the Wings of an Albatross" is in @adventitiouswords.bsky.social issue #3 and is now free to read online. 🦅 Marvel at the future of teleportation where nothing ever goes wrong on your commute ever again, right? Read on to find out. Quick read! 🛰️

Text graphic in teal and navy blue: "By the Wings of an Albatross" by Abigail Kemske. "Marco steps onto the AlbaPort platform in his home pod that orbits the Earth, tensing in anticipation for the awful sensation of being pulled apart atom-by-atom." Now free to read on adventitious.net. Hand drawn graphic of a cut albatross and cover of issue three of adventitious.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Thank you so much! I saw "Lesser Known Months of the Year" was shortlisted too! Congratulations! I loved it. There's such synchronicity between our stories. I love how they both emphasize the necessity of hope as well as the necessity of action through a lens of parenthood. A beautiful piece!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I always love this time of year- the DP window! The submission experience at Diabolical Plots is just so good. I love their submission manager- the transparency and clarity is unmatched. Excited to have TWO windows to submit to this year.

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Amanda Helms - Preorder THE UPPER TENTACLE @amandaghelms.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Heyo, the @diabolicalplots.com submissions windows announcements are up! Yes, windowS, featuring our general call July 13-27 and a special call, Diabolical Rot, to be edited by yours truly! Send those stories Oct 18-25. Get the deets for both windows here: www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-general-s...

diabolicalplots.com

DP General Submission Window and “Diabolical Rot” Themed Window – Diabolical Plots

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Last June, my gardening/parenting story, “In Every Seed, A Hope” was published in Tractor Beam. This year, it was shortlisted for Eco 25: The Year’s Best Speculative Eco Fiction. It wasn’t included as a final selection, but it’s a huge honour to have been shortlisted! My first ever shortlisting!

tractorbeam.earth

In Every Seed, A Hope | Tractor Beam

Would you be the seed of your child's future?

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Thank you for the strong recommendation! I love the darkness and wry humour of his books. I’m excited! I will check and see if I can get these through my library but if not I’ll support my local indie bookstore and buy them through Libro.FM. Hope you find something else great to listen to next! :)

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Oh wow, I’m so excited to listen to this one. Stephen Pacey is SUCH an exceptional narrator. Loved his reading of the original first law trilogy and the standalones. Age of Madness and Devils aren’t available for a subscription credit in my audiobook app but I may just have to pony up the cash!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Really honoured to find myself amidst such a tremendous group of writers in Adventitious Issue Three. Plus, there's a little hint at my story in my bullet point emoji to pique your intrigue...

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

I could never have dreamed of such a beautiful and pitch-perfect illustration to accompany my upcoming story in Issue Three of @adventitiouswords.bsky.social. Very excited for people to read the whole story!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

So thrilled to read this thoughtful review of my story, "The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to My Dead Mom" which is appearing in @adventitiouswords.bsky.social Issue 3. So excited for people to be able to read it in this stacked new issue!

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Catherine Tavares @cjtavares.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I was in it for the found footage fiction, but now it's serious, folks: these cats need tuna. I need a video of happy cats eating celebratory tuna. We can make it happen.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Congratulations! So happy for you.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Thanks, Merc! I am also so impressed with the incredibly fun and creative ways that @adventitiouswords.bsky.social is getting the good word out about their stories. The newsletter is such a genuine delight to read!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

If you're not subscribed to the fun @adventitiouswords.bsky.social mail list, you might not know my story, "Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to my Dead Mom" is forthcoming in Issue 3, debuting June 1st! I mean, you know now, but I have 10 other TOC mates the newsletter could be hyping you up for!

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VLAD-ventitious. @adventitiouswords.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Thanks to you, this community is growing, which means getting more fantastic stories to more fantastic people. As you continue to devour Issues One and Two, here's the full TOC for Issue Three. WHAT COULD THEIR CRYPTIC TITLES MEAN. By the Wings of an Albatross by @abigailkemske.bsky.social 🧵

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🐍 Abigail Kemske 🐍 @abigailkemske.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

CoMiNg SoOn!!! Check out this rad list of titles for the next issue of Adventitious.

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Thank you so much, Chad! If you end up having a chance to read the story, I hope you enjoy it. :)

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Beyond thrilled that my latest short story, "The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to my Dead Mom" will be featured in Issue Three of the terrific new magazine, @adventitiouswords.bsky.social along with stories from other writers whose work I really admire! Can't wait for the world to see our tales!

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

In honour of Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Week, here's my short story, "A Recipe for Life, A Tonic for Grief" that appeared two years ago in @strangehorizons.bsky.social. It's about love, loss, family and food and inspired by my work in palliative care. strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fi...

strangehorizons.com

Strange Horizons - A Recipe for Life, A Tonic for Grief By Christopher Blake, Art by Arina Konstantinova

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Christopher Blake @chrisblake.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

"The Impossibility of Fall Prevention" is a poignant and moving short story that'll resonate for anyone who has felt the love, anxiety, fear, and frustration of trying to care for an aging loved one who prioritizes their independence over their safety. A moving and powerful read!

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