iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 04/06/2026

Started my first short story in a year. The teaching schedule has been a slog, six classes a semester plus winter session, and three summer courses. This story is a bit more literary than SFF but I'm sure some of the fantastical will sneak its way in. Clue in pic. Wish me luck!

Photo by RANkzl, discovered on Pexels. Edited thereafter.

030

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 01/06/2026

I think I have a new favorite author pic. #authorphoto complements of Marc Faubel

050

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 20/05/2026

New Release: Plague Birds: The Red Day Edition by Jason Sanford I ordered my copy. Have you? I'm stoked! I loved the first version. Can't wait to read this one! www.apexbookcompany.com/products/pla...

122

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 22/02/2026

A golden American smile!!!

021

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 01/01/2026

A picture of me from the theatre gala last night. Have to say I like this one. (Photo courtesy of Mark Faubel)

040

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 24/12/2025

Here is my annual public service announcement: The Hogfather is without question the best Christmas movie of all time! #Christmas #Hogfather #Movies

091

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 22/10/2025

Submitted a new short story today about a young man who inherits a crystal ball workshop and the familial obligation contends with his own dreams which might involve a young lady. Wish me luck. I only send out a couple shorts a year. #booksky

010

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 09/10/2025

Reposting my book review of Hood (American Rebirth) by Evan Pickering for the morning crowd:

000

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 27/07/2025

"Tapestry of Skin" is derived from a picture I took of my palm and short poem I wrote that leans into my general dislike of most types of divination such as horoscopes. #poetrytok #poetry #booksky

040

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 19/07/2025

My short story "Breathe," which explores the need to find purpose when we have nothing, is now live. I feel so blessed to be published in the multi-lingual literary journal Contrapuntos Magazine, Digitus Indie Publishers, alongside so many other talented literary artists. #booksky #contrapuntos

141

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 19/07/2025

Thank you so much to my Literary Maelstrom of CTY. I will be forever grateful that you allowed me to witness your creative gifts. I look forward to all you will bring to life. Go out there, edify the world, unlearn, and be you. And if all else fails, take the advice of Anne Lamott and eat a banana.

010

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 10/07/2025

You can now pre-order my short story "Breathe" which explores the need to find purpose when we have nothing, published in the multi-lingual literary journal Contrapuntos. I'm beyond grateful to have my story alongside so many talented literary artists. digitusindie.com/product/cont...

024

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 19/05/2025

I'm so tempted to show this to my students

0131

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 07/05/2025

It's my balloon day! A perfect time to pretend to be younger than my 45 years. I'm going to watch hockey games, play video games (RPGs), and write. Living young.

0110

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 07/05/2025

Just updated my author app—an ideal place to read and follow my works. Also, early adopters will get exclusive content. [Never thought I would say this but...] Link in bio.

075

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 03/05/2025

Got my Cuban cortado. Ready to start writing. #writer #booksky

0151

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 09/03/2025

I had fun making author business cards. A bit of a craft project on my part. Do you all have author business cards? #booksky

3291

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 01/03/2025

Let's start a trend: #AgentFulls where we show books from agencies who requested our fulls. Even if they didn't pan out, celebrate the wins. Here's my list. Four fulls with two rejections, one was my previous agent, and one is my current agent. I'm incredibly grateful. #Booksky

031

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 01/03/2025

#Booksky, do you have a 'for fun' hobby outside of writing? This is what I do. 👇

3140

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 28/02/2025

The Word Food for my students this week. And the challenge: Ruminate on what this means to you and how it's important to writing?

061

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 24/02/2025

I write SFF that subverts genre into the literary, usually by taking science to plausible extreme or threading magic into reality. #booksky What do you write? ✍🏻

260

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 20/02/2025

Make an assumption about my #WIP novel based only on the moodboard

240

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 13/02/2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read Now! Just finished Black Woods, Blue Sky by @eowynivey.bsky.social. A captivating mythic tale of authentic Alaskan life (can vouch as a born and bred Alaskan) and riveting in its hyper realistic portrayal of the fantastical. A literary feat that defies genre. #booksky

070

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 12/02/2025

Frankenstein x Blade Runner “Rose is the world’s darkest secret not thought possible—the first assembled human—threatening the utopia built on grown organs. Now, she must escape captivity before her failing body buries the truth…that she exists.” #QuestPit #AG #A #SF

Editor Guide: Body Insurance by Judah Mahay. A fragile utopia that depends upon the deplorable. Retelling Frankenstein. Comps Never Let Me Go and Station Eleven. Mock book cover to the right.

"A moving, disturbing science fiction tale, as if Frankenstein met Flowers for Algernon and explored the continually evolving possibilities of what life can be in the 21st century." - Jason Sanford, Nebula Award Finalist, Philip K. Dick Award Finalist, and Nominee for the BSFA Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the Pushcart Prize

"Body Insurance is an express train of a science fiction novel, equally thrilling and scary. Judah Mahay does a beautiful job in making us believe the unbelievable. A book for and about the troubling future, which is already here." - Roger Rosenblatt, New York Times Bestseller

First Lines of Body Insurance by Juda Mahay: "Behind the viewing glass, half-assembled, the biopod twitches with the promise of life unintended, twisted into this manifested vulgarity. Baked as such in fluorescent glare, the white cloaks knit a handless arm to the torso. The myriad of hunched surgeons and medical techs plucks and prods the splayed skin that pretends to human—a grotesque facsimile at best. Overhead, a web of thin crimson tubes snake down from the ceiling interconnected, pumping life into a cadre of yet-to-be-assembled organs, limbs, and digits as if this flesh hopes to be made whole."

43919

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 08/02/2025

Here is a recent quote I shared with my students. It always produces a bit of a laugh. #booksky #writingcommunity

"The beautiful thing about writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, brain surgery." - Robert Cormier

0112

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 08/02/2025

Let's give this a try. If you feel like you need it, use my profile pic and bio for inspiration. #booksky

121

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 28/01/2025

See if this works. Hey #booksky, I would love to meet more bookish types. - I’m a SFF author that leans speculative and dark - An English professor as the day job - Hockey player at night. - Vegan in the kitchen - And Alaskan born and bred. - On sub soon with my new agent.

1184

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 26/01/2025

Made dinner for the kids: Fresh upon with gochujang bulgogi sauce, butter broccoli, and fried air fried tofu.

050

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 26/01/2025

Dear acquisition #editors, I’m thrilled to present my #editorguide for BODY INSURANCE #SF #SPEC #A 📌ROSE is society’s darkest secret that threatens utopia. 🌎Grounded Upper World ⬇️Steampunk Underworld 🫀Cyberpunk Flesh Market 🧬Science of Organ Growth 🗯️NYT Bestselling Blurbs

02012

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 24/01/2025

I always tell my students that specificity and detail are key to creating realism in writing. Let’s take the example of a sword. There are so many incredible variant, but the key question? What is your favorite? Mine? A khopesh or maybe a kukri.

090

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 19/01/2025

In teaching my Science Fiction Literature course over winter session, I’ve started compiling quotes from seminal SF authors. I ask my students the following: - Why is it important? - What does this reveal about the author and their writing? And you? #writing #quotes #writingcommunity

281

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 17/01/2025

Never Let Me Go x Frankenstein The first assembled human—ROSE is the world’s darkest secret not thought possible. If revealed, she threatens a utopia where most live in their 100s by harvesting grown organs. Captive and ailing, Rose must escape to survive and to expose the truth. #P2Ppit #AW #SF #A

32812

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 16/01/2025

Working from home today, so I got to make lunch: Buldak ramen with spicy shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu slices and flash-fried yellow peppers.

180

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 14/01/2025

After 20 years of writing, a lifelong dream comes true! I was approved to become a SFWA Member! @sfwa.bsky.social

11875

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 12/01/2025

Awards eligibility post: “Soul Requisition” experimental SF about an irate AI demanding a soul, published 2024 in Pinky Thinker Press.

276

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 12/01/2025

Hugo/Nebula awards question: How do you know if your short fiction published in the previous year is eligible?

011

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 09/01/2025

Nothing like relaxing with a fresh pot of tea and a good book.

1161

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 04/01/2025

In teaching my Science Fiction Literature course over winter session, I've started compiling quotes from seminal SF authors. I ask my students the following: - What does it mean? - Why is it important? - What does this reveal about the author and their writing? And you?

'The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next." - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness

052

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 01/01/2025

A late night writing session with my buddy skelly to usher in the new year. What are you all up to?

080

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 16/12/2024

Some casual reading as I get ready to teach Science Fiction this winter session.

1100

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 15/12/2024

A while back (10 years ago, I think), I took one of my published short stories, "The Trees of Evermore," and made it available on various platforms (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.). What do you all think of this idea? Should I add more of my short stories?

163

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 07/12/2024

Thank you everyone. She did great! Got her first point on an assist!

080

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 07/12/2024

Off to my 6-yr-old Lyra’s second ever hockey game. Hopefully, she’ll get her first goal! Wish her luck for me! #nhl #pwhl #hockey

4340

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 06/12/2024

Cancelling QueryTracker felt…weird…and glorious. That being said, I’ll be forever grateful for those pink, red, and green smilies—even moreso, the supreme seraphic purple.

0100

Judah Mahay @judahmahay.com · 05/12/2024

Woke up the other day to a message from my 6-yr-old daughter Lyra on our kitchen chalkboard. Goodbye weekly meal plan and hello Christmas. She’s clearly ready. Love kids.

1110