iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This was an enjoyable exercise... www.my9albums.com

9 album covers: Bjork - Post; Kate Bush - The Dreaming; Everything But the Girl - Tempermental; Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel; Deee-Lite - World Clique; Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Session; Duran Duran - Rio; Madonna - Confessions on a Dancefloor; Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman

Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

My top ten... (*AHS: Hotel is my favorite season of the series. I would have selected the show as a whole if it were an option.)

List of Rob Costello's Ten Best TV Shows of the 21st Century includes:

Battlestar Galactica
30 Rock
Midnight Mass
Broadchurch
Supernatural
Feud: Bette and Joan
The Expanse
Penny Dreadful
Fleabag
American Horror Story: Hotel

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

post a perfect album from the 2000s (2000-2009).

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

In honor of another Best Picture joining the group tonight, I present my top 4 Best Picture winners overall #Oscars #Filmsky

Film still from the movie West Side Story (1961)

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

#WeeknightWriters Check out my latest release, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, available wherever books are sold from @lethepress.bsky.social and @tantoraudio.bsky.social... www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window.

Beside this image, text against a white background that reads:

What People Are Saying About: An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys

“An astonishing novel of discovery, heartache, and redemption. Costello writes unapologetically
about surviving in a broken world against all odds. Truly unforgettable.”

-Erin Entrada Kelly, two-time Newbery Medalist and National Book Award Finalist

At the bottom are two logos, one for Lethe Press and one for Tantor Audio

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

I'm thrilled that "Jill," my favorite story from my debut short story collection (THE DANCING BEARS: QUEERS FABLES FOR THE END TIMES, pub by @lethepress.bsky.social), was selected for a recommendation in BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR #17! Thank you, @datlow.bsky.social! ellendatlow.com/2026/01/03/f...

Screenshot of website that reads:

Cosby, S.A. “24 Points,” Beyond the Bounds of Infinity.
Costello, Rob “Jill,” The Dancing Bears.
Coxon, Dan “A Broken Vessel,” Come Sing For the Harrowing.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Join Sarah Aronson for a 90-minute lecture and discussion about how to pitch your book and yourself. When: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET Where: Online Cost: $30* *Recording available for those who can't attend live More info: www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...

Picture of a smiling woman wearing a hat next to white text against a brown background that reads:

R(ev)vise and Shine Presents:

Life’s a Pitch . . . and Then You Thrive! with special guest Sarah Aronson

www.saraharonson.com

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET
Cost: $30*

*A recording of each session will be available for 30 days after the event

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. 1/20

The cover of The Folk Keeper, by Franny Billingsley featuring the illustration of a young girl holding a candle and peering into a basement tunnel

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Southern Tier Peeps: I will be at Card Carrying Books and Gifts in Corning, NY this Saturday, June 21 @ 5:00 pm for a reading from AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, plus a Q&A and signing! I hope to see you Saturday!!!

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Wow. Not every Sunday you wake up to a reader review like this.🥹 (And btw, I do teach setting at The Highlights Foundation and R(ev)ise and Shine! 😊) www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

Five star Goodreads review dated May 25, 2025 that says:

Beautiful book, gorgeous writing

This author should teach a masterclass in describing setting - every place felt beautiful, gritty, ugly, real.

This is likely one of the most envelope-pushing YA books on the market. It’s also incredibly necessary. This book is real, raw, gritty, ugly… yet somehow beautiful, hopeful, and bursting with love. The characters are complicated, difficult, and real. This book made me feel things. Highly recommended.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Ahh! Writing achievement unlocked! An actual, honest-to-God, unambiguously positive Kirkus review of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS!!! Read the full review: www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews... Find out more & buy links: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

So excited for this fantastic review of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS in Independent Book Review! Read the full review: independentbookreview.com/2025/05/09/b... Buy the book: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

FREE tickets still available for tonight's Zoom launch of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS featuring me and my very special guest, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, in conversation about the book. I hope you'll join us! Click here to reserve your spot: www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

It's Independent Bookstore Day! Why not celebrate by purchasing a copy of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, from your local independent bookstore? May I suggest a few favorites? @lethepress.bsky.social

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Happy book birthday to my debut YA novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS!!! Check out the new trailer... Available now from @lethepress.bsky.social wherever books are sold. Find out more: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Yay!!! Pre-orders of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS are already making their way to readers ahead of tomorrow's official launch! (H/t to Dan Clay for sharing this wonderful picture with me, and thanks to Melissa Killian for sharing another on Insta!) 1/

An image of a hand holding a copy of a YA novel by Rob Costello, the cover of which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a sepia-toned Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Below the Polaroid a blurb reads "An astonishing novel of discovery, heartache and redemption" -- Erin Entrada Kelly.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Thanks, Gabino! This one isn't horror, but it's the book of my heart, my debut YA novel, queer, edgy, and very raw... Comes out April 22 from @lethepress.bsky.social: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/9...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Join writer and Tarot reader, S Maxfield, as R(ev)ise and Shine! hosts "Tarot for Writers: Character Magic" When: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET Where: Online Cost: $30* (*A recording will be available for all tickets holders for 30 days.) www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

What: SCENE STUDIES w/ Erin Entrada Kelly In this two-day intensive, students will analyze scenes from a wide range of novels to discuss character, pacing, dialogue, subtext, and other elements of craft. March 22 & 23th, 2025 Click to find out more: www.eventbrite.com/e/revise-shi...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Another amazing blurb for AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, this time from the incomparable Nancy Werlin. I'm so thrilled!!! ❤ Pre-order now: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/A... @lethepress.bsky.social

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

For answers to all your questions about kid lit anthologies, please join me, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, and @erinentrada.bsky.social, for this FREE panel on March 20 @5:00 pm ET: calarts.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Hosted by @vcfa.bsky.social

Purple background featuring three heads for the writers and panelists Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Erin Entrada Kelly and Rob Costello.

Below that the lext reads:
How to Get Noticed by Anthologists and What to Expect When You Do
Date & Time: March 20, 2025 05:00 PM ET on Zoom

Hosted by the MFA for Writing for Children and Young Adults Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

I am thrilled and honored to share the first (of several) blurbs for my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl... This one comes from one of my very favorite writers, Christopher Barzak!

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

If you'd like to offer an honest review of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, on Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever, please DM me & I'll arrange for you to receive a digital ARC! @lethepress.bsky.social Click here to find out more about the book: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Hey gang! Happy March!!! I'm excited to announce that I am running a Goodreads Giveaway for 10 signed ARCs of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, now through March 31, published by @lethepress.bsky.social! Enter now to win: www.goodreads.com/giveaway/ent...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

I can't tell you how excited I am that my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS (coming April 22, 2025 from @lethepress.bsky.social, is now going to be an audiobook, too, from the great folks at @tantoraudio.bsky.social! Thanks to my amazing agent, @marielamba.bsky.social!!! ❤️

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I'm delighted that my Pushcart-nominated short story "Siren," which was originally published in the Fall, 2024 issue of the Cape Cod Poetry Review, has been reprinted online in this month's issue of my absolute favorite publication, The Dark! www.thedarkmagazine.com/siren/

Cover illustration of a skeleton among a field of swords disintegrating in a burst of magical energy. From The Dark Magazine, issue 117, February 2025, featuring stories by Nelson Stanley, Rob Costello, Steve Rasnic Tem, and E.M. Linden.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

COVER REVEAL!!!! I'm so excited to share the cover of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, coming April 22, 2025 from @lethepress.bsky.social Find out more and pre-order here: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/A...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

This is such a tremendous thrill for me! @pseudopod.org has chosen my flash story "The Njogel" from THE DANCING BEARS: QUEER FABLES FOR THE END TIMES for its 2024 Anthologies and Collections Showcase! What an absolutely gorgeous and layered reading by Justin Riestra: pseudopod.org/2024/12/27/p...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Yay! So excited for this!!! They've done such a wonderful job producing Michael Thomas Ford's haunting mothman story from WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT: pseudopod.org/2024/12/20/p...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels and Other Creatures - YA speculative anthology w/ 15 fun and entertaining short stories featuring monsters as empowering and positive metaphors for the otherness of being queer and trans: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rob-c...

Photo of a hand holding a hard cover copy of WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT against a moonlit sky.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

W/ Alt text: I'm delighted to share the news that WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT has been named a best YA Horror & Dark Fiction title by @gnofhorror.com! Thanks to @jonezyboy.bsky.social and Jim Mcleod, and especially to all the amazingly talented contributors to WMCOAN! gnofhorror.com/young-adult-...

Headline against a black background reads Ginger Nuts of Horror: The Best of 2024 Young Adult Horror and Dark Fiction. Below that are the illustrated covers of three books: The Ones Who Come Back; We Mostly Come Out at Night; and Overemotional.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

I'm delighted to share the news that WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT has been named a best YA Horror and Dark Fiction title by @gnofhorror.com!!! Thanks to @jonezyboy.bsky.social and Jim Mcleod, and especially to all the amazingly talented contributors to WMCOAN! gnofhorror.com/young-adult-...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

In case there was ever any doubt that I was actually *quite* gay, Apple Music will quickly clear that up for you...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

I'm so excited that possibly my favorite story I've ever written -- and far and away the darkest -- appears as a reprint in this month's The Dark: www.thedarkmagazine.com/jill/ "Jill" made its debut in my collection "The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times," published by Lethe Press.

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Ahhh!!!! I'm so happy!!! WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT has been named to the New York Public Library Best of 2024 list!!!!! www.nypl.org/books-more/r...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

T.C. Parker's TRADWIFE reads like a shock to the amygdala for anyone filled with disgust and anguish at the rise of Christofasicsm in the U.S. and Europe. This merciless novel is a howl of feminist rage and a glorious “Fuck you” to incels everywhere. @tcparker.bsky.social

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Yay! Got my first Pushcart Prize nomination! Thank you to fiction editor Corey Farrenkopf and all the folks at Cape Cod Poetry Review!!! Issue X on sale now: www.capecodpoetryreview.com/buy.html

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

“Somewhere out there, a reader is waiting to hear your story. To be moved and changed by it. Maybe even be saved by it. And that is worth all the effort. It has to be.” -- Jo Knowles Link: reviseandshine.substack.com/p/how-do-we-...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 20/06/2024

I recently gave an interview to the Horror Writers Association for their Point of Pride series, and I had lots to say about queer horror! I hope you check it out: horror.org/a-point-of-p...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 31/01/2024

LAUNCH EVENT!!! Join Jo Knowles and me live on March 20 @ 7:00pm ET as we discuss my new horror collection: THE DANCING BEARS: Queer Fables for the End Times. Tickets are free and available now on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/revise-and...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 24/01/2024

Check out this flash pre-order sale Barnes & Noble is having for two days only (today thru Friday at 11:59pm). B&N MEMBERS ONLY get a huge discount on pre-orders of WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT. Make sure to use the coupon code PREORDER25 when you check out. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-mostly-...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 05/01/2024

I climbed up on my soapbox this morning and wrote a few words about “queer joy” and why it’s not enough. Please check it out: open.substack.com/pub/revisean...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 18/12/2023

Looking for that last-minute holiday gift for the writer in your life? Two nights, two 75-minute sessions. Everything a writer needs to get started writing & publishing short stories for young readers. Only $59!!! Find out more: www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/int...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/12/2023

Check out the latest Substack newsletter from R(ev)ise & Shine! in which Jennifer Jacobson talks to a host of amazing kids lit authors about writing collabs. If you've ever thought you might like to partner with another writers on a book project, this one's for you! reviseandshine.substack.com

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 14/12/2023

So delighted to see my debut horror short story collection, The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times, make its very first list!!! Thank you Emily Hughes!

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 02/11/2023

A quick reminder that there's still plenty of time to sign up for the next Writer's Book Club hosted by R(ev)ise and Shine! We're featuring the wonderful biography-in-verse THE FIREFLY LETTERS by Margarita Engle. Such gorgeous poems! reviseandshine.substack.com/p/the-firefl...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 16/10/2023

Check out this month’s Revision Reflections on Substack, where I talk about the thought processes involved when authors choose which books to write (and when) in their careers -- including my own! reviseandshine.substack.com/p/october-20...

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Rob Costello @cloudbusterrob.bsky.social · 15/10/2023

There are still one or two open slots available for this. If you have the time, it's going to be a relaxing, in-community retreat focused on getting writing done. If you have questions, ask me! (Link: www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/rai...)

Rainbow Retreat: An in-community experience for queer creatives at the Highlights Foundation, November 2-5, 2023. Hosted by Jas Hammonds and Rob Costello. Special guest: Antonio Gonzalez Cerna.

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