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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him)

@mikelwisler.bsky.social
279 followers 86 following 283 posts

I’m not immature. I’m just fashionably late to my own life. Also, I’m a science fiction author and filmmaker who thinks good sci-fi can save the world.

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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This idea from Frederik Pohl is central to how Diana Porter and I approach the type of stories we tell in our short films and the feature films we have in development. If storytelling is an essential way we make sense of life, sci-fi is how we prepare for the future by dealing with the present.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Do you agree with Alvin Toffler's take on science fiction? Do we do a disservice to future generations by not taking this genre's speculations, ethical questions, and sociological projections more seriously? #scifi #scifisociology #futurism
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
For something called Pickleball, the ball looks nothing like a pickle.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I released an original novella today on my Patreon. It’s only $5 on its own or you can subscribe and get it and everything else I’ve got on my Patreon page, including films, short stories, and more. #scifi #upmarketscifi #sapphicscifi
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sometimes I wonder if my thoughts are as weird out by me as I am by them.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Working on finishing first pass of editing last couple hundred pages of the novel I’m co-writing with @kristinaorlea.bsky.social I need to finish this ASAP.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A huge thank you to GenreBlast for awarding our latest film the award for best short film screenplay this weekend! This is for our proof of concept for the feature film we are developing. Currently connecting with investors and co-producers. #indiefilm #scificinema #aicompanions
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Being an indie filmmaker and author is not easy. I’m refusing to make it “easier” by using AI to churn out slop because I love and respect my viewers and readers. I also love the process of creating and storytelling.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Did the new re-edit of the 2008 movie, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, leave you wanting more? I’ve got three movie recommendations worth checking out. #thexfiles #thexfilesedit
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
After our world premiere at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival a couple weeks ago, and an award there, what an honor to see these nominations from GenreBlast!
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
How's everyone doing an this average Tuesday in our late-stage-capitalist hell? Any coping advice? Asking for a friend. (I'm the friend. I'm trying to treat myself with the same kindness I treat my friends.)
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Getting super close to finishing the rough draft on the space horror, hard sci-fi thriller I’m co-writing with @kristinaorlea.bsky.social Having so much fun writing!
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Is it just me, or do some of the shots in the trailer for Disclosure Day look like generative AI? Particularly the girl walking up to the cabin in the woods. What’s up with that? #DisclosureDay #IsItAI
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Dreaming big means setting goals. And sometimes we need help with achieving those goals. That’s what today’s update is about.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
I experienced a first today. First in my life as a writer. I tend to write pretty short stuff. But today, I hit page 400 in our current novel manuscript. This crazy science fiction horror novel @kristinaorlea.bsky.social and I co-writing is so much fun!
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Ever feel like the mordern reality of being online is exhausting?
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
While adding notes in the white board app I use with my co-writer to remind myself to update the Europa station when the novel I’m currently co-writing takes place, I may have gotten slightly distracted… Probs doesn’t help I have the soundtrack on repeat.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Loved Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary? Andy Weir gave us a hero who was brilliant, but also tender, uncertain, emotionally present. That kind of man in sci-fi is still too rare. You feel it every time you put down a book that had everything except heart.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Been thinking a lot about the concept of "thinking science fictionally," the way we can speculate constructively about the future we are creating with the choices we are making, or failing to make, today. Can we be intentional about our future?
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
I bet if women were in charge of the world, man holes would be called something far more sensible, like sewer access or something, instead of something so obviously homoerotic.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Get early access to this podcast episode on my Patreon account and dive into why the movie Mercy is not just a terrible plot, it’s dangerous propaganda masquerading as popcorn entertainment. I break down how bad the plot is and discuss in depth the dystopian future this movie wants us to accept.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
One of the best ways to respect your readers/audience is to respect your characters. I just had a classic writer moment today where I had to adjust plans because my characters demanded it. Turns out the characters are smarter than our outline. And that’s a good thing! #amwritingscifi #scifi
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
One of the best ways to respect your readers/audience is to respect your characters. I just had a classic writer moment today where I had to adjust plans because my characters demanded it. Turns out the characters are smarter than our outline. And that’s a good thing! #amwritingscifi #scifi
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
New episode of my podcast comes out next week. See it now on my Patreon. Don’t want spoilers, watch The Vast of Night and then check out this episode. I recorded this before hearing about a certain vice president’s comments on UFOs. #scifi #theology #theproblemofevil #UFOs #Unidentifiednovel
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
When the scope of speculative gets big enough, the questions run deep enough that we can’t help but content the most existential questions we generally relegation to the theological. And yet, should such question be only for priests and theologians? I don’t think so. #scifi #exvangelical
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
As a fan of both hard science fiction and not going overboard with the melodrama, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Interstellar. So much I admire, but also some real Zap Brannigan moments. That’s one way Project Hail Mary stands out in comparison: fun and thoughtful. #sciencefiction
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
The Competent Man trope in classic science fiction is all about a straight white male of saves the day and gets the girl. I see Project Hail Mary as being in dialogue with this old trope, playing with it, and even subverting it in ways. Agree? #projecthailmary #scifi #mustseemovies #andyweir
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
We had such a wonderful time at the Lois Weber Film Festival this weekend. Our film, The Rewind, was well received. Here is some clips from the Q & A time after the screening. Thank you to everyone who attended and to the organizers of this festival. #indiefilm #filmfestival #sciencefiction
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Dustin Teuber won Best Actor for "The Rewind” at Lois Weber Film Fest. Congratulations, Dustin! This is much deserved! Diane Porter and I got Best Director awards for our collab. Our gratitude to cast and crew without whom none of this is possible. #scifi #indiefilm #filmfestival #loisweberfilmfest
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
We’re back! It’s been a bit of time, but I’m making episodes of my podcast again. You can see/hear new episodes on YouTube and all major Podcast platforms. It’s more important than ever that we engage thoughtfully with our world and the stories that are shaping how we imagine our future.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
It’s time!!! #projecthailmary
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
This idea has been on my mind lately. In fact, Diana Porter and I have plans to explore this topic in more depth soon. We’re working on something very cool, so follow along for more news soon. #scifithinking #avoidingdystopia
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Is this where our AI obsession is leading us? Have we thought this through? And what of the fact that the men tending these machines can’t even explain how exactly AI is doing what it does? #AI #scifi #scifithinking
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Reposted by Mikel J. Wisler (he/him)
Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 18/03/2026
Tech companies are causing disruptions to jobs and our economy, and middle class families are bearing the consequences. To ensure they pay their fair share I’m proposing a tax on social media companies that will support Minnesota workers impacted by artificial intelligence.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Science fiction helps me live purposefully by reminding me of the big questions and larger scale of what it means to be part of an intelligent species (though how intelligent we are often feels debatable). Think species wide and with deep time. Act locally and now. #scifi #scifithinking #species
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
What happens to us when our technology-obsessed and profit-driven society reaches the point of exploiting consciousness? My new short story, “In the Absence of Tomorrow,” in current issue of Mobius Blvd, explores the horrors of a world too expensive for embodied existence. #sciencefiction #scifi
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Reposted by Mikel J. Wisler (he/him)
Culture Crave 🍿 @culturecrave.co · 16/03/2026
Autumn Durald Arkpaw is the first woman ever to win Best Cinematography at the #Oscars
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Sinner didn’t get Best Picture Oscar. This likely has to do with implicit bias within the academy voting community that places more perceived value on films that fit into traditional views of high-brow cinema. So something in the “genre” world is still an unlikely win. #oscarsobias #oscars
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
I want to explore non-capitalist stories that imagine different economic systems and societal realities. What do you have for me? What should I be reading or watching? I’d like to speculate about the post-capitalist future we rapidly approach. #amreadingscifi #bookrecommendations #economics
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I have an upmarket science fiction novella and I’m struggling to find a good home for it or an agent. Wondering what other writers and publishers might offer as advice. Are there markets I should consider? Make it a novel? Self-Publish? Something else? #writingadvice #writinglife
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
It's not enough to just know the plot points of your story. To make a truly satisfying experience for your audience, you need to know how your character's thinking and emotions are evolving at each plot point. I've created a tool to help you do exactly that. Now available at patreon.com/mikelwisler
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
One reason creatives deserve more money from corporate jobs is that we not only sell our time for a paycheck, we often also sell our souls in the process to a system that devalues creativity, art, and “soft skills” (that are actually the hardest life skills to master). But rent is due, so…
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
I've been quiet lately for a good reason. But I'm working on some fun new things. I have a more detailed update for Patreon subscribers. I invite you to come over and check it out. I'm also going to release some exclusive writing tools soon. #writinglife #storytelling
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Reposted by Mikel J. Wisler (he/him)
Scifi Art @scifiart.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Art by Peter Elson (1947 – 1998). Another giant of British scifi book cover art
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
What humans and our society becomes next is due to the choices we make now. Without a vision of the future, how can we build a world we want to leave for the next generations? It’s time we think beyond the here and now. Think Science-Fictionally. #sciencefiction #futurethinking
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
I think this is true. Maybe.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
This human-made book is made for humans like you and available wherever humans buy books. Enjoy a time-travel thriller made the old-fashioned way. You can even reach out to me to complain about it if you don't like it. #booksky #sciencefiction #scifireads #timetravel
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Reposted by Mikel J. Wisler (he/him)
Dr. Jens Foell @jensfoell.de · 14/02/2026
Using AI makes science communication worse. Period. AI use necessarily reduces accuracy, transparency and authenticity. But sci comm *needs* to be accurate, transparent, and authentic. Otherwise you’re just goofing around, which will destroy your audience‘s trust in you and in other sci comm.
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Mikel J. Wisler (he/him) @mikelwisler.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Started listening to Stories Are Weapons by @annaleen.bsky.social. very interested to learn about Applied Science Fiction. 🤔🤓
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