iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Usman T. Malik @usmantm.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

it is a travesty that the brilliant Indrapramit Das is not more widely known in fantasy and horror fandom. The way Indra pulled South Asian history, politics, monstrosity, and queer love together in one book is a thing to behold

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Much gratitude to Usman for his kind words. He's a fantastic writer himself, one I've read as a fellow South Asian (our governments & ethnonationalists may hate each other, but the people of our countries are joined by history and culture) for a long time now. I'm so excited for his debut novel:

penguinrandomhouse.com

A Dark and Narrow House by Usman T. Malik: 9798217043910 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

"Some writers go a step past, into the darkness, but that step past is just a starting point for Usman T. Malik . . . Follow his voice. If you dare." —Stephen Graham Jones, bestselling author of...

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

What else could this be but genocide. Any alleged progressives denying it still have chosen the side of imperialism, colonialism, and fascism.

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

That was more of an evasion than a statement. Noncommittal in all the worst ways.

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The rogue AI is just a construct hallucinated into being by a drugged Green Lantern who will regain consciousness just moments after the OpenAI and Anthropic IPOs close.

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Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me · 20/09/2026

if "rogue artificial intelligence" were real, shutting it down would be easy and no different from shutting down any other dodgy industry (pull the plugs, seize the assets, prosecute the people, enforce harsh penalties) but it isn't, so the kill switch must logically also be fictional. I vote aliens

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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 17/09/2026

“A senior executive at Microsoft said A.I. systems built on the work of others will be seen as ‘an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions’ and possibly the greatest robbery of labor in human history, according to court documents unredacted Thursday in an ongoing Manhattan lawsuit.”

orlandosentinel.com

Docs in A.I. copyright suit reveal startling admission by Microsoft exec over ‘astonishing theft’

The admission appeared in a newly unredacted filing in the landmark copyright infringement legal battle playing out between newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel and tech companies Microsoft and OpenAI...

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

So he says he's tempted to join 🤞🏽

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I've screenshotted and sent this comment to him. My hunch is that he'll say no, though :/

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

And episode 6 of @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social, which landed earlier this week, features the brilliant @blaftrakesh.bsky.social and @kaimaurundai.bsky.social Cue it up for when you're running evacuation drills or making muffins or practicing your katas or whatever. It's fun!

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I haven't posted here in a while, during which time more episodes of @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social have dropped. Episode 5 was with Srinath Perur—

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Happy Accidents @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

In ep. 6 of Happy Accidents, I talked to Rashmi Ruth Devadasan (@kaimaurundai.bsky.social) and Rakesh Khanna (@blaftrakesh.bsky.social) about the books that kicked off their reading and writing habits, what they like about pulp fiction, what they hate about AIs, and what @blaft.bsky.social means.

happyaccidents.co.in

An Interview with Blaft's Rashmi Ruth Devadasan and Rakesh Khanna

Rashmi Ruth Devadasan and Rakesh Khanna talk about indie publishing, speculative fiction, kidlit, movies, and more.

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Happy Accidents @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

There have been two more episodes of Happy Accidents since I last posted here. In ep. 5, the writer Srinath Perur and I deliberated on whether the scientific temperament can inform one's essay-writing skills, on the pleasures and pitfalls of translation, on AI sloppage, and much else. (1/2)

happyaccidents.co.in

A Conversation with Srinath Perur

In this episode of the Happy Accidents, podcast, writer and translator Srinath Perur discusses everything from acrostic love poetry to science writing.

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Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"When a bridge collapses, you don’t analyze whether the bridge was ethical or sentient or why it decided to collapse. You ask, who is the person who built this bridge to be so flimsy?"

wired.com

One of AI’s Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is ‘Meant to Distract Us’

Timnit Gebru argues that AI companies are stoking fears of extinction to avoid discussing actual harms, like autonomous weapons.

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kuzhali manickavel/குழலி மாணிக்கவேல் @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

my deepest fried friendos, my novel got a starred review from Publisher's Weekly what is even happening in lyf im so ded please preorder it! www.blaft.com/products/a-c... angryrobotbooks.com/books/a-revi... www.publishersweekly.com/9781915998866

publishersweekly.com

A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School by Kuzhali Manickavel

Manickavel (Things We Found During the Autopsy, a story collection) makes her full-length debut with this wonderfully strange wo...

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kuzhali manickavel/குழலி மாணிக்கவேல் @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

"And in case you need to know how to say the f-word in Tamil, this is the book for you." an actual quote from an actual review for this actual book. please buy it and support my buying-useless-things habit. www.blaft.com/products/ins...

blaft.com

Insects Are Just Like You and Me Except Some of Them Have Wings

short fiction by Kuzhali Manickavel 150 pages. 8.25" x 5.5". 200 g Paperback ISBN: 9788190605632 A centipede in a shoe, revelations in a shoebox, nosebleeds, exploding women, and a dead mouse named Mi...

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Psst! Episode 4 of @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social is out now wherever you get your podcasts. In it, I interview @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social about her writing process, art practice, her thoughts on genAI in publishing + much else. Listen to the episode / find links for your podcast platform here—

happyaccidents.co.in

Interview with writer Kuzhali Manickavel

Writer Kuzhali Manickavel discusses her creative process, her weird fiction, her thoughts on generative AI, and her evolving visual arts practice.

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Here's one more for the road, before the full episode releases—

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Happy Accidents @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

In this second clip from episode 4 of Happy Accidents, Kuzhali Manickavel (@kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social) talks about her early experiments with generative AI, and why it can never beat good old-fashioned rigour. The full episode drops later tonight — follow for updates!

youtu.be

Kuzhali Manickavel on why hard work trumps genAI

YouTube video by Happy Accidents

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kuzhali manickavel/குழலி மாணிக்கவேல் @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

my dear comrades and friendos, the talented vinayak varma invited me to be on his podcast which you can listen to, if so inclined, at 8pm IST. his other guests are all pretty amazing, worth checking out the podcast

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

My interview with the amazing @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social releases later this evening (on happyaccidents.co.in + wherever you get your podcasts). Here's a brief clip from our conversation—

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Happy Accidents @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Episode 4 of Happy Accidents, featuring writer @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social, releases tonight, at 8pm IST. In this clip, she tells @eyefry.bsky.social about reconciling her South Asian roots with the expectations of a mainly West-facing publishing scene, and some of the pitfalls of peer feedback:

youtu.be

Kuzhali Manickavel on Happy Accidents: Interview Extract

YouTube video by Happy Accidents

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Happy Accidents @happyaccidentspod.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Happy Accidents is a series of interviews with creative people (mostly from South Asia, for now) on why process, rigour and mastery still matter in a post-AI world. It's hosted by @eyefry.bsky.social, and the first 3 episodes are out on all podcast platforms. Find links at www.happyaccidents.co.in

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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I too dream of cake

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Why did I name this series Happy Accidents? Because it's among my top reasons for preferring a human creative process to one driven by generative AIs. More here—

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

P.S. I know this is the standard spiel and all, but if you do listen to this show and happen to like it, I'd be grateful if you could share it in your circles, especially among younger folks who may be considering a majorly AI-driven practice in the arts / design / publishing. (As a deterrent, obv.)

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

And here's a clip containing my introduction to the show: youtu.be/ghnAL2z595k

youtu.be

Happy Accidents, Ep. 1 Introduction

YouTube video by Happy Accidents

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

HAPPY ACCIDENTS — a new series of in-depth interviews with seasoned creative practitioners on why process, rigour and mastery still matter in the age of AI — just launched on all major podcast platforms. In its first episode, I interview award-winning narrative journalist Samanth Subramanian.

A black-and-white portrait of Samanth Subramanian: a bespectacled, bearded, shaven-headed man in a buttoned-down shirt, sitting on some steps and staring directly into camera with a look of mild amusement.

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

The Gargoyle of Belem wants you to donate to the Strange Horizons fund-drive. www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I've been redrafting my agreements.

AI Clause

I do not give you the permission
To use my art to train your AI models.
You may, however, use it to sharpen
Your distaste of artists like me,
To ribbon your old party hat
With grim new lashings on
The fucking gall of
Fucking hacks like me
Who will paint an elephant yellow
("Bloody tritanopic fellow!"),
Scrawl a moustache on its knee,
And call that fucking nonsense
Untitled Number Three.

I do not give you the permission
To put my art in your datasets.
You may, however, put it
In a little box and chuck it under
A spare bed or sideboard
And forget until time and silverfish
Give it texture and patina,
Until your younger daughter snags
Her sleeve on it while
Looking for her lost keys,
Has to jimmy open its rusted lid
With your husband's favourite Rotring pen,
Then pinches you in delight because
My tiny caricature of her ammoomma
Is exactly what she needed
In that moment to lift her
Out of the fog of her forties.

I do not give you the permission
To feed my art to your algorithms.
You may, however, feed it
To your Lhasa Apsos
And your mad uncles
And your prize pigs
And your six guppies
And your tapeworm.
May they find comfort and nourishment
In the inky residues
Of my fucked-up life.

Vinayak Varma
(2026, Madras)

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The Doctor (Commissions open) @lucidillusions.in · 27/06/2026

June has been a super slow month wrt new work So here's some #AntiPrimeDay discounts on Commissions, Darkroom and @inprnt.com For the next 2 weeks—25% off, use the code: R1ULDXK ko-fi.com/lucidillusio... www.inprnt.com/gallery/luci... lucidillusions.darkroom.com #Photography #Art #BookSky #BSNM

ko-fi.com

25% discount off Lucid Illusions's Commissions

Visit Lucid Illusions at Ko-fi for 25% discount off Commissions

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Piracy is archival work 🏴‍☠️

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Vinayak Varma @eyefry.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I've been redrafting my agreements.

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kuzhali manickavel/குழலி மாணிக்கவேல் @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

this is the cover for the indian edition of my novel and i love it so much. Illustration by Saurav a.k.a. Drawnk please pre-order at www.blaft.com/collections/...

a girl holding a small person wrapped in a handkerchief. the girl is wearing a half sari and her face is split open. flowers and frogs are coming out of her head. text says a compendium of supernatural entities found in the government girls higher secondary school by kuzhali manickavel

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Blaft Publications @blaft.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

🎉Cover reveal!!🎉 For the Indian edition of A COMPENDIUM OF SUPERNATURAL ENTITIES FOUND IN THE GOVERNMENT GIRLS HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL by @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social Illustration by Saurav a.k.a. Drawnk Pre-order link: www.blaft.com/collections/...

The front cover of A COMPENDIUM OF SUPERNATURAL ENTITIES FOUND IN THE GOVERNMENT GIRLS HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL by Kuzhali Manickavel. The front cover shows a girl in a school uniform, her arm outstretched, holding a small ghostly figure wrapped in a handkerchief on her palm. The girl's face is exploding into a tangle of lotus stems, flowers, and frogs.

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

News: THE FIFTH INFLECTION (formerly THE SENTENCE, in India) now has a cover - and it’s available for pre-order across the world! Get it here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fi...

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Strange Horizons fund-drive update: we're currently at 190 backers, and 60% funded towards are base goal. Let's get to 200 backers, and our next milestone - $14K - which is when we'll be able to release a fantastic essay on fungi in SFF. Back us here: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...

backerkit.com

Strange Horizons 2027 Fundraiser

The annual Strange Horizons fundraiser! Support this free, online, award-winning, weekly magazine of SFFH, which runs entirely on reader - YOUR - donations!

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 17/06/2026

Thread about how using “A.i.” will turn you into a world class loser in the eyes of your colleagues… and yourself. Just say no. This shit is trash and it destroys human souls. I’m not exaggerating.

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Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Quote with your yellow art 😬

The image is a photograph of a translucent piece made of synthetic resin. (The original piece was a bas relief carved out of a block of wax. The resin was then poured over it. It was very old resin, so the yellow tint is an accident. 🙃)

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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 29/05/2026

#OtD 29 May 1972 the Dalit Panthers were formed in Maharashtra, India. Modelled on the US Black Panthers the Dalit Panthers was formed to combat caste discrimination. Dalit means "oppressed" in Sanskrit, and refers to members of lower castes in India stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1012...

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Everyone should read this piece about what the Indian government is doing to its people in border states like Assam and now Bengal, throwing Muslims & other poor citizens into a Kafkaesque hell of paperwork, court cases, camps, expulsion to prove they belong in their home country.

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