iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 44m

TBT for CR20: An interview with Kristen Ciccarelli, from 2018... civilianreader.com/2018/09/30/i... Published in the UK by @gollancz.bsky.social, in North America by @harpercollins.bsky.social

UK cover for Kristen Ciccarelli's THE CAGED QUEEN -- a mouth with a feather in front, plus author and title information.

North American cover for Kristen Ciccarelli's THE CAGED QUEEN -- a female figure, facing left, holds a dagger behind her head. Plus author and title information.

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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 2h

They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 16h

Perfectly innocent bullet, flying along, and then some terrorist throws his body in the bullet's way, totally assaulting the bullet, stopping it from traveling further.

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 14h

This is priceless. Check out how local news is reporting on Sen Eric Schmidt’s clown-show grilling of Jack Smith. They found Jack Smith at the game… “Top corner, section 109, row 1. In fact, that seat doesn’t even exist in Atlanta.”

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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 20h

Gobsmacked by the elite levels of not knowing ball in the Senate today, thinking an NBA team is called the Hawkeyes then, refusing to Google it, then accusing a guy of treason because you didn’t know the Iowa Lady Hawkeyes aren’t in the NBA. Somehow I don’t trust these people to Save Girls Sports.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 12h

Time for this classic again.

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 12h

Why would a short story, published by Amazon, available via NetGalley, not have a “send to Kindle” option as other DRCs do…?

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Mr Natural @neilmatheson66.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Hasui Kawase (1883-1957) Autumn at Saruiwa, Shiobara, 1949. Coloured Woodblock.

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 29/09/2026

New Books (September)... civilianreader.com/2026/09/29/n... Always a busy period for new books, here are 12 new ones I've received for review or bought; all of which I'm very much looking forward to reading.

civilianreader.com

New Books (September)

Featuring: Leigh Bardugo, Mike Bockoven, Tom Cox, Hernan Diaz, David Goodman, Ken Jaworowski, Jonathan Kaufman, Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor, Kyle MacLachlan, Emily St. John Mandel, Walter Mosley…

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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 29/09/2026

"Charlie Brown should not criticize Lucy for pulling the football away. He should say he is disappointed that some stakeholders have chosen not to participate in good-faith autumn recreation." buff.ly/X2RjqP5

buff.ly

“Charlie Brown Must Stay the Course”: A Football Kick Autopsy Report by the Democratic Party

“While Charlie Brown did once again accelerate toward the ball, miss the ball entirely as Lucy pulled it away, flip backward through the air, and land violen...

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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Lots of pieces in the print media recently about the decline of reading in children. Here's a little thread on ways to help your kids get reading again:

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 28/09/2026

Wonder how many games they’ll actually play together…

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Troy Goodfellow @troyg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I've pre-ordered the paperback because I love the folklore of psychopomps and I love dogs, and @casskhaw.bsky.social has a way with adjectives. Excerpt confirms the rightness of my decision.

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Richard Kadrey @richardkadrey.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

If you’d like a signed copy of the final Sandman Slim novel, IN THE DEVIL WIND, you can order it from the link below. And if you’d like signed copies of my other books, scroll down the page or email samantha@riverstonebooks.com shop.riverstonebookstore.com/book/9780063...

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Jared Yates Sexton @jysexton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Just helping with editing here. These bots aren’t sentient. They’re doing what they’re programmed to do. OpenAI, a private company supposedly bound by laws, committed federal crimes.

Screenshot of BBC article: OpenAI bots (struck through) meddled with multiple US government agency sites

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Astra Taylor @astra.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Forget grandiose talk of curing cancer - this is what AI is actually doing to healthcare. In the words of one cardiologist: “it’s bots fighting bots, agents fighting agents, a horrible dystopic future nobody wants to live in.”

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 25/09/2026

Ah, Toronto transit. The intensity of aftershave, perfume, pot, and vape. It’s a heady brew.

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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 23/09/2026

Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics.

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/openai-safety-ai-framework-089e75b95bc935af092da7b79d92706d

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 24/09/2026

“But we have no impulse control whatsoever, so unless you come in to ‘stop’ us, we’ll just keep going.” I don’t understand why this framing (which they use a lot) isn’t ringing alarm bells more widely. If you know it’s bad, then… stop?

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Chris Mihos @chrismihos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I get really annoyed seeing so many people say "Since everyone uses AI to write papers..." or "Referee reports now are just written by AI..." Look: Everything I have written has, for better or worse, been my own writing. Don't project your cynical expectations on my work. Seriously, screw gen-AI.

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Lili Saintcrow @lilithsaintcrow.com · 23/09/2026

My daughter was reading the latest @edzitron.com piece (link below) and as an accounting student she just HAD to make a few memes. I am SO PROUD OF HER. www.wheresyoured.at/wherere-all-...

Goose meme: Ed Zitron as a goose asking, "Where are all those GPUS you bought?" then chasing Microsoft (wearing a down jacket) yelling, "Where are the GPUs, Microsoft?"

Eating the sandwich meme: Asset depreciation eating any conceivable profit from "AI"

"Trade offer" meme, with Adam Driver labeled as NIVIDIA: I receive billions of dollars, you receive GPUs you don't have the infrastructure to install right now (or possibly ever) and so have to depreciate in a warehouse while you lie about the amount of ompute coming online to your investors and the general public".

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“.. China's trade position has never been stronger. .. some supply chains are now moving back INTO China. German firms are boosting their China investments .. And polls find China is viewed more favorably than the US in numerous countries for the first time.” www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 22/09/2026

Tyrannosaurus xkcd.com/3300/

Comic. [Person with long hair pointing to diagram with Tyrannosaurus Rex standing next to a person.] PERSON: We now believe the primary prey of Tyrannosaurus Rex was these humans who kept standing next to it for scale.

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 23/09/2026

This is interesting news… deadline.com/2026/09/jens... I’ve read most of Sandford’s Prey series, including the first, but not #2-6 (they weren’t available in the UK, and I just never got around to them). Looks like a good excuse to start from the beginning and get a bit caught up.

deadline.com

Jensen Ackles Stars In 'Rules Of Prey' Series Ordered By MGM+ (Exclu)

Jensen Ackles is set to headline original drama series Rules of Prey, which has been greenlighted by MGM+. It is based on the novel by John Sandford.

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Dr Craig Barker @drcraigb.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Apparently episode one was first broadcast on the BBC 50 years ago today. Still one of the most remarkable television dramas ever. I Claudius

Scene from opening credits of the BBC TV series I Claudius (1976)

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Steven (with a PH) @sjksalisbury.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Christening a baby is nothing like christening a ship. I know that now. Once again I can only apologise.

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Adam McKay @ghostpanther.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

"Fuck it. Just announce it. We own the Government and news media plus the NFL just started so no one's paying attention. Now let's hit the links."

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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 20/09/2026

"I’ve requested this meeting because I’ve noticed a concerning trend: It doesn’t seem like you’re reading my mind. This is quite troubling because tasks I’ve never mentioned before are falling through the cracks."

buff.ly

As Your Manager, I Don’t Think It’s Too Much to Ask That You Read My Mind

“I just can’t keep reminding you to do things I haven’t told you about. I don’t know how many warnings I’ve given you now. How many have there been? You shou...

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

British journalism and polling are both utterly implicated in the Farage funding scandal iandunt.substack.com/p/british-jo...

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 18/09/2026

Is it just me, or does his expression give strong “what the fuck is this now?” vibes?

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The Onion @theonion.com · 18/09/2026

Report Reveals Jesus Christ May Have Benefited From Father’s Influential Position To Gain High-Powered Role As Lord And Savior theonion.com/report-reveals-jesus-c…

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Civilian Reader @civilianreader.com · 18/09/2026

You know, I really enjoyed World War Z. Don’t remember the reception at the time it was released, but I’ve watched it a few times, always like it.

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SeaTea @tierno158.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

If NFL owners want to censor who performs in stadiums, they shouldn't ask taxpayers to help build them. You can't take public subsidies for stadiums then use them as your personal editorial board. Pay for it all out of your own pocket and hold as many Kid Rock concerts as you want to.

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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 17/09/2026

The miraculous Shit-Raining Machine, from which there will be NO HOPE OF RELIEF, promises to unlock PREVIOUSLY UNIMAGINABLE AND CURRENTLY VAGUE BENEFITS FOR HUMANKIND, such as: - business things - other stuff - WE MUST CREATE IT. buff.ly/K5t1rGh

mcsweeneys.net

We Must Create the Shit Machine

“For as long as humans have created SHIT with our BODIES AND BUTTS, we have been asking this FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: What if there was a COMPUTER that could AL...

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Christopher Farnsworth @chrisfarnsworth.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Even the antibacterial stuff is tainted with bacteria.

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 16/09/2026

I'm fascinated by U.S. tech and business journalism because it doesn't adhere to literally any rules of actual journalism. There's no effort to actually explain objective truth; they can't even so much as hint at the fact there's funny math here and the company isn't worth anything close to this

nytimes.com

OpenAI Considers New Financing at a $1.5 Trillion Valuation (Gift Article)

The funding round would double the value of the start-up behind ChatGPT and establish it as the world’s most valuable private company.

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