iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 03/10/2026

power cut for maintenance so witchy vibes time 🕯️🕯️🕯️

three lit candles of various sizes on wooden desk

Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

SHŌGUN x OUTLANDER Lily and Tojiro cross paths in modern and feudal Japan, defying time itself. As they unravel fate and face the ghosts of the samurai family they’re both bound to protect, their choices not only affect the present, but ripple across centuries. #DVpit #A #F #HF #LGBT #MENA #ND

artwork of Lily, the FMC of my adult historical fantasy novel WHERE SPIDER LILIES BLOOM, by ChaoticMidnight on X and VGen. Lily is a white woman with red hair and a tattoo of lovebirds and flowers on one arm. she is shown smoking a cigarette and wearing jeans, a turquoise tank top, and a black fur jacket over a blue background.

artwork of Tojiro and Akitaka from my adult historical fantasy novel WHERE SPIDER LILIES BLOOM, commissioned from @kingcholera.bsky.social. Akitaka is running a finger through Tojiro's hair while Tojiro holds a red umbrella over them; they are dressed in Japanese period attire and Akitaka wears a katana at his waist.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

SHŌGUN x OUTLANDER Tojiro, a wandering healer, saves a samurai’s life and is swept up in a storm of intrigue and conflicting loyalties as he falls for him. When a woman from the future warns him of Akitaka’s death, Tojiro must stand up to fate itself to save him. #DVpit #A #F #HF #LGBT #MENA #ND

book cover for my adult historical fantasy novel WHERE SPIDER LILIES BLOOM, made by @dystervarg.bsky.social with a free photograph from Unsplash. the cover reads "Where Spider Lilies Bloom - Madi Haab" in white font over a picture of red spider lilies on a black background.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

SHŌGUN x OUTLANDER After an ill-advised hookup with a stranger in an abandoned temple, Lily is transported to feudal Japan while looking for him again. There she must face revenge, betrayal and ghosts to make sense of the fateful bonds uniting them and return home. #DVpit #A #F #HF #LGBT #MENA #ND

traditional painting of red spider lilies over a black background by my friend @roguequartz.bsky.social.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

book cover for my adult historical fantasy novel WHERE SPIDER LILIES BLOOM, made by my friend @dystervarg.bsky.social with a free photograph from Unsplash. the cover reads "Where Spider Lilies Bloom - Madi Haab" in white font over a picture of red spider lilies on a black background.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/09/2026

traditional painting of red spider lilies over a black background by the lovely @roguequartz.bsky.social

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 23/06/2026

IT'S PUB DAY! we're having a reading on YouTube tonight at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EDT! come join me and the other authors and listen to our clocks-inspired stories 🕰️🩷 link to the stream (if you saw me post a different link no you didn't): www.youtube.com/@vintagebook...

Clocks Launch Reading / June 23rd at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EDT

Speculative & Dark Stories

Emerging and established authors from around the world

Online via Vintage Books

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 02/06/2026

This is a cat checkpoint. Relinquish the most recent cat picture on your phone.

an orange and white cat loafing on a red patio chair, surrounded by plants and shrubs.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 13/03/2026

sooo excited to say that my short story "The Wind-up Heart" will be coming out in Clocks by Little Key Press, alongside 16 other authors! this one is very dear to my heart (pun not intended), so sign up here to be notified when the Kickstarter officially launches: www.kickstarter.com/projects/jus...

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 12/11/2025

so this happened: I made first place of the @officialqwf.bsky.social's carte blanche prize with my poem "heart made of bees," and got to bring this beautiful trophy home last night! still feels unreal, and I couldn't be more grateful for this recognition. more on this as soon as I catch my breath 🩷🩷

a stainless steel sculpture called "the Lori" made by Glen LeMesurier, standing on a wooden table next to a letter printed on QWF stationery. in the background a tortoise shell cat is lying on the same table.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 17/07/2025

the carte blanche launch will take place on July 22, 6:30 p.m. ET at the Rocket Science Room in Montreal! come listen to several of this issue's contributors, including me 🩷

graphic shamelessly stolen from the carte blanche magazine instagram account, which reads:

Launch of carte blanche Issue 51: July 22nd 6:30 at #204 170 rue Jean-Talon Ouest, The Rocket Science Room, with Jem Woolidge, Eli Doering, Neil Smith, Madi Haab, Willow Little, Jean-Guy Forget, D.M. Bradford & Dominique Russell

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 08/06/2025

blinged out my Scintillation name card! if any of you are here, come say hello -- I'm shy but I like meeting new people 🫣🩷

a Scintillation 6 name tag for Madi Haab (she/her), with black and pink stamps representing a chipmunk, fox and manatee, a Rilakkuma pin and a pin made to look like a banner that says "WORRIERS"

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 06/06/2025

Ophélie is a true rat under the baby exterior she's been discreet exactly once in her life and that was the time she ate a bowl of kibble my mom thought was out of reach

a dark tortoiseshell cat with yellow eyes loafing on the kitchen table. she has one paw stretched out in front of her and a bit of pink tongue sticking out in an adorable blep.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 02/06/2025

happy pride 🖤🩶🤍💜 fuck AI, punch fascists, protect trans kids, and check out my stories to support a bi ace writer! juin est aussi le mois national de l'histoire autochtone et l'initiative "je lis autochtone"! let's see how many of those I can get through this month 🫣

a pile of books by Indigenous authors on a wooden table:
-A body more tolerable: Poems by Jaye Simpson
-La vallée de l'étrange de J. D. Kurtness
-Bâtons à message: Tshissinuatshitakana de Joséphine Bacon
-Kanatuut de Natasha Kanapé Fontaine
-Ni kistisin / Je me souviens de Édouard Itual Germain
-Born Sacred by Smokii Sumac
-La course de Rose de Dawn Dupont

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 26/05/2025

I went to the Scriven pen and stationery show on Saturday and had a great time! happy with my haul and enjoyed the workshops I attended 🩷 ... and yes, that notebook says "write bitch" because you can't give me free custom debossing and not expect me to get a little silly and inappropriate with it 🤣

an assortment of stationery and writing goodies, including stamps, ink bottles, notebooks and washi tape, in pink and neutral shades.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 08/05/2025

okay yes there's a new pope but have you all seen the baby seagull next to the Sistine Chapel chimney? 🥹

a close-up of the Sistine Chapel chimney billowing white smoke; two adult seagulls can be seen on the roof, along with a chick covered in gray down. the chyron below reads "Un nouveau pape est nommé" (a new pope has been named).

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 17/04/2025

C'était le lancement du numéro 64 de @brinsdeternite.bsky.social hier soir à la librairie Le port de tête 📚 J'y ai une chronique intitulée «Représentation et résistance : Le rôle de la SFF en période de bouleversement social», un sujet toujours plus d'actualité! 📸 @dayvthetraveller.bsky.social

La devanture de la librairie Le port de tête à Montréal.

La vitrine de la librairie Le port de tête, mettant en vedette plusieurs titres de SFF par des auteurices comme Tolkien et Octavia E. Butler, ainsi que différents numéros de la revue Brins d'éternité.

Madi Haab, une femme de race blanche dans la trentaine ayant des cheveux foncés et des lunettes, lisant un extrait de la revue Brins d'éternité devant les rayons bien remplis d'une librairie.

Deux exemplaires du numéro 64 de Brins d'éternité. La couverture représente une silhouette tenant une arme à feu, debout devant ce qui semble être l'entrée d'un tunnel dont les murs sont ornés de cercles et de symboles. Le deuxième est ouvert à la première page de la chronique de Madi Haab, intitulée «Représentation et résistance : Le rôle de la SFF en période de bouleversement social» :

Au moment d’écrire ces lignes, Trump a été récemment réélu président désigné et cette nomination a envenimé les tensions sociales, les divisions et la haine envers les minorités de toutes sortes. Considérant le paysage politique actuel, il m’arrive souvent de me demander : « À quoi bon ? » À quoi ça sert d’écrire quand les changements climatiques, la guerre et la répression sociale sévissent à travers la planète ? N’est-ce pas inutile d’écrire des histoires de fantasy et de science-fiction quand tout va si mal dans le vrai monde ?

Et pourtant non. L’art (dans lequel j’inclus bien sûr l’écriture) joue un rôle phare en tout temps, et surtout en période de chamboulements. Il peut être rassembleur, cathartique, porteur d’espoir et de joie

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 15/04/2025

sorry this is so late! but here she is 🩷 I can get more screenshots if you need them, I just keep forgetting whenever the PS is on!

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 04/04/2025

met a friend during my little mental health walk today

a small bird of prey, possibly a Cooper's hawk, perched in a bare tree in front of a clear blue sky.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 15/03/2025

received my copy of "All the Songs" (which can also be read in Issue 23 of @fusionfragment.bsky.social) from my writing instructor and dear friend Caitlin and just read it and—I'm discombobulated. it's magnificent and devastating and beautiful and oddly comforting? but mostly devastating. send hugs.

a copy of novelette "All the Songs" by Caitlin Sweet on a wooden table. the cover represents the silhouettes of two whales that appear to be swimming above a building covered in green plants.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 09/03/2025

Post a photo you took with no context to bring some zen to the timeline

three fishermen standing on a pebbled shore by the water in Yatsushiro, Japan. there is a large piece of driftwood in the foreground; the sky is clear and blue with a few wispy clouds, and mountains can be seen on the far shore.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 20/02/2025

make an assumption about my #wip based on the moodboard 🏯 #writingcommunity

a moodboard made up of nine images, from top to bottom and left to right: 1) two women in traditional Japanese pilgrim garb walking in a dark forest; 2) a painting of demons torturing the damned while dogs lick their blood; 3) close-up of a redhaired woman with tattoos on her neck, shoulder, arm and hand; 4) a naked woman tied up with red bondage rope; 5) red spider lilies on a dark background; 6) close-up of a suit of Japanese armour in black, red and gold; 7) a painting of a golden hawk on a leafy branch; 8) a still of Lady Kaede (portrayed by Mieko Harada) from the movie Ran, dressed in a robe of red, black and gold; 9) thin red rope on a black background.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 16/02/2025

Introduce yourself with 4 video games (II edition!)

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 03/02/2025

sérieux?! j'essaie de faire ma part en annulant mes abonnements et en achetant local et Legault donne des contrats à Starlink. read the room, man. anyway, copiez-collez le texte alt de ma lettre si le coeur vous en dit et écrivez-lui ici : www.premier-ministre.gouv.qc.ca/premier-mini...

Bonjour M. Legault,

Je vous écris en tant qu'électrice de [circonscription].

J'ai passé les derniers jours dans un état d'appréhension et d'anxiété à suivre les développements des menaces de tarifs douaniers de Trump, heureusement repoussés jusqu'au mois prochain, du moins pour le moment.

Toutefois, le soulagement a été bref. J'ai été choquée d'apprendre que vous comptez toujours octroyer un contrat à Starlink, compagnie appartenant à Elon Musk. Je vous rappelle que ce dernier s'immisce dans des gouvernements élus autour du monde et les déstabilise, prône les discours haineux et radicaux sur sa plateforme X, et est au coeur de ce qui semble être un coup d'état administratif aux États-Unis.

Comme de nombreux autres Québécois.es et Canadien.nes, j'ai fait ma part en me désabonnant de nombreux services américains et en choisissant des alternatives locales pour mon épicerie et autres achats. J'ai par ailleurs supprimé mes comptes X, Facebook, Instagram et TikTok et je n'achète rien sur Amazon, justement pour ne pas soutenir ces milliardaires qui bénéficient de l'instabilité politique et dont les algorithmes enveniment les tensions sociales, au détriment des plus vulnérables de notre société.

La moindre des choses serait que notre gouvernement se batte à nos côtés et s'oppose à Musk, un homme dont les valeurs vont complètement à l'encontre de celles du Québec et qui a démontré maintes fois son dédain pour la démocratie. Continuer à faire affaire avec lui est un risque flagrant pour notre souveraineté, et je vous implore de mettre fin aux contrats de Starlink et de plutôt encourager des compagnies québécoises à développer l'infrastructure nécessaire pour desservir le Québec en internet haute vitesse. Il serait également pertinent que le gouvernement du Québec et ses représentants cessent d'utiliser la plateforme X.

Merci.

Cordialement,

[signature]

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 25/01/2025

#plantsky I need your help figuring out what's causing my rhododendron's leaves to turn yellow and fall 😭 not enough sunlight? pot too small? (the stems are several feet long and the leaves further down are green and healthy ... for now.) any help would be greatly appreciated 🩷🌱

a potted rhododendron with one yellow leaf and a couple more that are starting to turn yellow as well. a long stretch of stem is bare where leaves fell previously, but the rest of the leaves are green and look healthy.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 20/01/2025

not much in the face of the barrage of chilling and hateful rhetoric and threats coming out of DC right now (not watching, just seeing reactions on my feed), but here's my small act of resistance for the day: I posted the following on Instagram and Facebook and will pull the plug on February 1.

Suite à la décision de Meta de se débarrasser des vérificateurs d’information et de permettre les discours haineux contre la communauté LGBTQIA2S+ et les genres marginalisés, j’ai décidé de supprimer mes comptes Facebook et Instagram le 1er février prochain. C’est déjà chose faite avec mes comptes X, Threads et TikTok.

Alors que leurs propriétaires financent des gouvernements répressifs tels que la présidence de Trump, les plateformes de réseaux sociaux comme Facebook, X et tout récemment TikTok jouent un rôle majeur dans l’érosion de nos droits et de la démocratie, l’augmentation de la désinformation et la radicalisation de l’extrême droite.

Je vous invite à réfléchir à la complicité et à l’approbation tacite découlant de l’utilisation continue de ces plateformes.

-Maude alias Madi

Following Meta’s decision to do away with fact-checking and allow hate speech against the LGBTQIA2S+ community and marginalized genders, I have decided to delete my Facebook and Instagram accounts on February 1. My Threads, X and TikTok accounts are already gone.

While their owners finance repressive governments such as the incoming Trump presidency, social media platforms like Facebook, X and most recently TikTok play a major role in the erosion of civil rights and democracy, the rise of misinformation and disinformation, and the radicalization of the far right.

I invite you to reflect on the complicity and tacit approval that result from the continued use of these platforms.

-Maude aka Madi

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 10/01/2025

the writer // the first page 🏯❤️‍🔥

Madi Haab, a white woman with dark brown curly hair and glasses. she is wearing a black knit sweater and smiling in front of a floral wallpaper in shades of pale gray and charcoal.

the first page of WHERE SPIDER LILIES BLOOM, a historical fantasy novel:

Where Spider Lilies Bloom
Madi Haab

Part One:
Hotarubi – Firefly Light –

Chapter One

Lily wondered, again, why the hell she’d come here.

Nothing to do in the Nagano countryside, except drink cheap canned cocktails in the woods and contemplate the imminent end of her relationship. Without the city noises and neon lights filling the space between Masa and her, the distance separating them felt elastic, stretching with every mile the bullet train had put between them and Tokyo.

They now sat in awkward silence on a bench in the rest area of the quaint little trail, the mountain range at their backs and the Kiso Valley sprawling at their feet. At least he had one arm around her shoulders, which was more attention than he’d paid her since they’d arrived a week ago. A strand of her hair was caught under his arm, and the discomfort had now turned to a dull throb. If she moved he’d take his arm away, though, so she bore it in silence.

Speaking of silence: how anyone could stand this much quiet was beyond her.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 04/01/2025

"It was a particularly beautiful waltz, and I caught her whirling around the ballroom—astonishing, by herself." finally sat down with @kercoby.bsky.social's lovely, sad, hopeful, unexpected fairytale "And When She Shatters" 💎🩷 check it out in issue #4 of @heartlines-spec.com if you haven't already!

a chapbook of "And When She Shatters, a trans bildungsroman fairytale by Kerry C. Byrne." the cover represents a bouquet of watercolour flowers in a crown on a white background.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 01/01/2025

just finished my last read of 2024! whimsical, fantastical, poignant -- magic and the mundane collide in this gorgeously written modern fairytale. this was my first encounter with @kellylink.bsky.social's words (I know, I know), and I really look forward to getting my hands on her short fiction!

a copy of The Book of Love, a novel by Kelly Link.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 05/12/2024

the perfect Christmas tree doesn't exi—

an artificial Christmas tree decorated with yellow lights and golden-brown bagels. a star made of sesame bagel sits at the top of the tree.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 04/12/2024

finished this beautiful novel by @antonhur.com last night and I'm still thinking about it! a lovely reflection on poetry, art, language, and what makes us humans. especially loved how it invites us to consider language as its own living thing -- will be chewing on this book for a while!

a copy of the novel Toward Eternity by Anton Hur on a dark wood desk. a large moon is displayed on the cover, with fantastical plants in shades of pink, purple and blue in the foreground.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 28/11/2024

resisted the temptation to stay home with blankets and Dragon Age to go to the Salon du Livre de Montréal! attended a very inspiring talk with authors Mélodie Joseph, Raphaëlle B. Adam and Josée Bérubé -- hearing about how their worlds and characters came to be made me miss this part of the process

authors Mélodie Joseph, Raphaëlle B. Adam and Josée Bérubé in conversation at the Joie de Livres stand at the Salon du Livre de Montréal. a red couch, velvet curtains and vintage lamp give the stand an antique and cozy atmosphere.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 23/11/2024

market weekend in Montreal! went to a Japanese Christmas market and bought entirely too many sweets, then visited Expozine for the first time! was a bit overwhelmed by the crowds but had a great time and brought back a nice haul 📚

a few zines and books on a black desk, including three issues of Heart Lines Spec, The Stygian Collection anthology, a poetry chapbook by Sahand Farivar, and photography zine called "For A Free Palestine."

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 19/11/2024

going to Ottawa tomorrow so printed out a few of my stories to read and edit on the train! hope I find some good homes for these babies next year 🤞

five print-outs fanned out and a teal ceramic jack o' lantern on a black desk.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 19/11/2024

went to the launch of Absolution tonight in Montreal and got to babble incoherently at @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social 🫣 such a fun, lively and interesting discussion between him and @chrisbergeron.bsky.social, whose novel Valid I can't wait to read!

authors Jeff Vandermeer, a white-haired man, and Chris Bergeron, a dark-haired woman, talking on a pink-lit stage before a crowd. behind them are posters for the novel Absolution and the Montreal bookstore Pulp.

Jeff Vandermeer, a white-haired man, and me, a dark-haired woman, sitting side by side in front of a poster for his novel Absolution. we both wear glasses and are smiling.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 11/11/2024

j'ai aussi publié ma toute première chronique dans la revue québécoise Brins d'éternité! elle porte sur la représentation neuroatypique dans l'imaginaire, AssaSynth (Murderbot) et mon propre processus de diagnostic d'autisme 🤖🧠 achetez le numéro ici : www.flamearrowpublishing.com/fr/products/...

Extrait de la chronique « La lune sanctuaire : AssaSynth et la représentation neuroatypique dans la SFF » parue dans Brins d'éternité, no 62, automne 2024 :

En effet, je n’avais aucun intérêt à devenir astronaute, du moins jusqu’à ce que j’apprenne que la microgravité affecte la densité osseuse : enfant, j’imaginais mon squelette rapetisser dans l’espace, me transformant en l’une de ces filles jolies et menues, aux traits délicats, que je rêvais d’être. Un peu plus tard, lorsque j’ai eu ma phase « sorcière », courtoisie du film de 1996 Magie noire (The Craft), dans lequel des adolescentes parviennent notamment à changer leur apparence grâce aux pouvoirs magiques qu’elles se découvrent, je rêvais de pouvoir faire de même.

À défaut de sorcellerie et de voyages dans l’espace, je m’efforçais plutôt de copier la personnalité, le comportement et les vêtements de ces personnages ... Plus récemment, j’ai appris que le fait d’imiter ou de copier le comportement de personnages fictifs est une caractéristique du trouble du spectre de l’autisme.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 11/11/2024

my third fiction publication this year is "Syringa vulgaris," which came out recently in issue 7.2 of @augursociety.bsky.social! told in log form, it's a sci-fi tale of connection and memory featuring a medical AI 🍵🪻 buy the issue here: augursociety.org/augur-issue-...

Excerpt from "Syringa vulgaris," published in Augur Magazine, Issue 7.2:

<Begin log>
Neural activity detected.
Establishing neural link . . . failed.
Establishing neural link . . . failed.
Establishing neural link . . . failed.
Establishing neural link . . . failed.
Establishing neural link . . . failed.
Establishing neural link . . . OK.
Neural link established.
Initiating contact . . .
Initiated.
> Hello, Vess.
>> Who are you? Who is this?
> I am LifeSys, your on-board life support unit.
>> What? What do you mean?
> You are in a coma, Vess. By interfacing directly with your brain, I
can activate the neural pathways required for this conversation.
>> Okay, hold up. What the fuck?

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 11/11/2024

my second short story is "Ghost Apples," which was kindly selected by guest editor @lpkindred.bsky.social for the May 2024 of @havenspec.bsky.social! it's a sapphic fantasy romance set in a harsh winter landscape haunted by eerie beings ❄️🍎 read it here for free: havenspec.com/ghost-apples

Excerpt from "Ghost Apples," published in Haven Speculative, Issue 15, May 2024:

Another dead rabbit had grown out of the snow.

Cathilde pulled her foot back, shuddering at the sight. The rabbit was just outside the tent, laid out like an offering. Beady brown eyes stared up at a sky the colour and texture of meringue; its soft white fur rippled in the crisp wind, and a spray of red berries grew out of its mouth, covered in a thin lace of frost.

The first time it happened, Aglahé had sliced open the rabbit's—seemingly innocuous—belly to reveal a furl of pale flowers growing between its organs. The second time, a tangle of roots had grown overnight next to their tent, a white pheasant encased in its coils. The third, they had opened a handful of chestnut shells, only to find quail chicks nestled inside.

Excerpt of a review of "Ghost Devils" by Vanessa Fogg, "Short Fiction Recs! June-July 2024," It's a Jumble:

What unfolds from a seemingly macabre beginning is a tender and lovely story of change and love, of realizing one's worth, and learning that there are many types of gifts in this world.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 11/11/2024

my debut short story, "Heat Devils," came out in the summer 2024 issue of @hexagonmagazine.bsky.social! it's a fast-paced eco-heist set in a near future beset by environmental catastrophe and predatory corporations (sounds familiar?) ☀️🌱 read it here for free: hexagonmagazine.ca/issue-17-sum...

Excerpt from "Heat Devils," published in Hexagon Magazine, Issue 17, Summer 2024:

Reaching our target is the easy part.

I’m the muscle of this two-woman operation, here so Nayeli can work her magic and break through security. Cloaked by her strings of code, we navigate the classified underground maze till we reach our destination. A command from her stolen NeuroNet handheld module,
and the blast-proof gates open with a hiss and a gust of synthetic-smelling air. My first thought is that we’re being doused with some nerve agent or chemical spray.

Then I realize what the sensation is: I’m cold, which is altogether not unpleasant after a lifetime in this anthropogenic desert, bled dry by corporations.

Excerpt of a review of "Heat Devils" by Charles Payseur, "Short Fiction Reviews," Locus Magazine, Issue 763, August 2024:

Haab builds a world where people are indentured to companies and have their lives and bodies controlled, and Shan and Nayeli are part of a growing movement to fight and take back power ... It's a thrilling heist with plenty of spills and chills, and still an emotional and character-driven core that pays off well.

Excerpt of a review of "Heat Devils" by Alex Brown, "Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: June 2024," Reactor Magazine:

It's a fun little adventure story that starts with its foot on the gas and never lets up. Taking back power from your oppressors is always a good time.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 11/11/2024

apparently it's award eligibility season! this was my first year selling not one, not two, but three stories in some wonderful venues, and I'm still over the moon. du côté francophone, j'ai également rédigé et publié une chronique pour la toute première fois! links in 🧵 #writing #authors #sff

Madi Haab (@lamotdite) 2024 Award Eligibility

Short fiction:

"Heat Devils," Hexagon Magazine, Issue 17, Summer 2024.
"Ghost Apples," Haven Speculative, Issue 15, May 2024.
"Syringa vulgaris," Augur Magazine, Issue 7.2.

Admissibilité aux prix 2024 de Madi Haab (@lamotdite) :

Non-fiction :
« La lune sanctuaire : AssaSynth et la représentation neuroatypique dans la SFF », Brins d'éternité, no 62, automne 2024.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 10/11/2024

if you were a villain, who would you be? just a goth girl with hobbies

a woman dressed in black, sitting on a wooden chair. a black veil conceals her face, and a porcelain doll sits on her lap. the doll's bulging eyes and cracked, asymmetrical face give her an uncanny appearance.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 08/11/2024

sorry this is so late! but here she is, and my Inquisitor 😊 I went with a city elf who joined the Veil Jumpers to connect with her heritage. your Rook looks so good! what faction did you pick? and how are you enjoying the game so far?

the customizable player character of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. she is a dark-skinned elf with freckles and reddish brown curls tied into a ponytail and braids.

a screenshot of a customizable world state and character from Dragon Age. "The Inquisitor" is a horned woman with gray skin and long pale hair.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 04/11/2024

on the train back home after a lovely first Can*Con! everyone was so friendly & welcoming, and the panels I attended were so insightful & thought-provoking! also had a successful pitch session & encouraging feedback on my masterclass short story 🩷 already registered for 2025!

a small pink suitcase lying open on the floor. a tortoiseshell cat is loafing on one side; books and clothes are visible on the other side, including Pale Grey Dot by Don Miasek and a Shadowrun novelization.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/10/2024

Yatsushiro is a pretty small town (and hard to get around by public transportation!), but I did visit the castle ruins, the Shohinken tea ceremony garden, and Mizushimaryu Shrine, which is probably even more dramatic by high tide, but I loved watching the tiny crabs scurry away!

a pond covered in lily pads and small artificial islands from which iris leaves are growing. across the pond, the tea pavilion stands before a blue sky and surrounded by tall trees.

a small shrine with a blue-tiled roof standing in front of the Yatsushiro sea and a clear sky in similar shades of blue. the tide is low, revealing the muddy ground and a few large rocks, and a raised bridge leads to the shrine.

the Yatsushiro sea at low tide. a stone rampart and stone bridge are in the foreground; two small boats are on the muddy ground, and behind, the sea and sky are a vibrant shade of blue.

the silhouettes of three men standing on rocky ground and fishing in the sea. the sky and the water are blue, and on the right side, a large piece of driftwood rests on the ground.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/10/2024

Kumamoto Castle is one of Japan's three famous castles (along with Matsumoto & Himeji, so I've now visited all three!), but the keep is a concrete reconstruction and the interior was converted into a museum. I preferred Matsumoto Castle's authenticity, but it was still gorgeous!

the keep of Kumamoto Castle and two adjacent pavilions sitting at the top of tall stone ramparts in front of a clear blue sky. trees are growing at the bottom of the ramparts, and white billows of water vapour create a dramatic effect.

the keep of Kumamoto Castle, a five-story building sitting on a tall stone rampart. the tiles on the eaves are gray, and the gables are white. trees are growing on the left of the castle, and there is a clear blue sky with a few wispy clouds behind it.

an area of the castle moat fenced off with wooden posts. inside, multiple koi fish can be seen swimming. most are gray, but two are pale.

a suit of samurai armour in shades of black, blue and orange, seated behind a glass museum display. several pheasant leaves are rising from the top of the domed helmet, and two muskets are on the wall behind it.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/10/2024

after all that (and more!), I made my way to Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's main islands. I stayed in a small inn in Yatsushiro, where I had a private onsen and ate like a queen 😭

a stone statue of Katō Kiyomasa, one of the lords of Kumamoto Castle, seated in front of green trees and a clear blue sky. he is dressed in samurai armour and wearing a tall hat representing a snake.

a statue of Kumamon, Kumamoto's mascot, a smiling black bear with red cheeks. it is dressed in the same samurai armour and tall snake hat as Katō Kiyomasa, one of the lords of Kumamoto Castle.

a white heron standing on a branch in a frothing river.

squid and lobster sashimi served on a blue ceramic plate with slices of lemon, lime, tomatoes, and wasabi.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/10/2024

I visited the beautiful Matsumoto castle, and I especially loved exploring the interior (even though my knees didn't love the incredibly steep stairs!). the view from the top of the keep was amazing, and there was a little shrine to a moon goddess under the ceiling!

the castle of Matsumoto seen from across the moat, where a single white swan is swimming. it is a five-story building with black eaves, sitting on a stone rampart where pine trees are growing. people and buildings can be seen in the distance behind the castle.

a small shrine nestled right beneath the ridge of the ceiling of the castle keep, almost hidden from view by numerous beams and pillars.

the view of Matsumoto City from the top of the castle keep. the castle courtyard is surrounded by trees; behind those we see the buildings of the city, then the mountains, which are partially hidden by a thick layer of white fog.

a white, dark-haired woman wearing glasses, flanked by two performers disguised as one of the castle lord and his wife. both are dressed in period clothing and are holding fans: the man also holds a type of fan used by military commanders to give orders on the battlefield.

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Madi Haab @madihaab.com · 30/10/2024

another highlight was Togakushi, a shrine complex deep in the mountains. I didn't realize just how intense the hike would be, but I managed to reach the topmost shrine 😂 the cedar path was breathtaking, and since Togakushi is known as the birthplace of soba, I had to have some!

a mossy stone lantern before a large, red shrine gate. plants and moss are growing on the roof of the gate, and the path is lined with tall cedars. a person is standing in front of the gate, their back to the viewer.

the cedar path leading to Togakushi shrine. a person is walking along the path, looking incredibly small between the tall cedars.

a small wooden shrine part of the Togakushi complex, surrounded by leafy trees. a person is bowing in front of it.

soba noodles served on a bamboo strainer, along with tempura shrimp and vegetables, and various condiments and sauces.

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