iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

C. S. E. Cooney @csecooney.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My buddy Anita Allen--the other half of @mythicdelirium.bsky.social publishing--has her own book of collected paranormal anecdotes gathered from her hometown of Roanoke. Here's a fun piece with her about "Nothing Ever Happens Here" on her local news network! www.wdbj7.com/video/2026/1...

wdbj7.com

Woman Writes Book About Roanoke's Paranormal Side

053

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Mary Gillis @marygillis.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

LLMs cease to be useful when they can't be used to scam people into unknowingly reading slop anymore. When the typewriter was invented, no one had to pretend its output was handwritten to get people to accept it. Typing had its own utility. LLMs are scamtech that have no utility outside the scam.

businessinsider.com

Claude users are canceling their subscriptions, citing Anthropic’s new AI watermark

One developer said they feared Anthropic's watermark could lead clients to flag their work as AI-generated and raise questions about authorship.

7957346

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The Mythic Delirium Books table at #necronomiconpvd — before and after Anita worked her magic.

A bunch of taped shut boxes on a cart and a bag full of table props

Anita smiling behind the mythic delirium books table at Necronomicon, in the vendors room that opens tomorrow

270

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

ALL ABOARD FOR NECRONOMICON PROVIDENCE…like literally Anita & I are on the train 😆 MY SCHEDULE • Fri 11 am (moderator): In Mountains Older than Bones—Appalachian Gothic • Fri 3:30 pm: “I Can’t Go On”—The Horror of Existential Hopelessness • Sun 8 am (OOF BRUTAL): Reading w/ Pam Durgin, Melanie Crew

In Mountains Older than Bones: Appalachian Gothic. Washington/Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor
Rightly or wrongly, on America’s cultural map, Appalachia is the equivalent to “Here there be monsters”–a region assumed not only to be unknown but perhaps also unknowable–where we credulously suspend our own disbelief. Panelists discuss what defines Appalachian Gothic, good and bad examples of the genre, and why the region has such a hold on the popular imagination. Panelists: Mike Allen (Moderator), Luke Dodd, Tonya Monteforte, Shanna Germain, Stephen Mark Rainey.

“I Can’t Go On.” The Horror of Existential Hopelessness. Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
Most existential perspectives presume that purpose and meaning are created by the individual and, for many, maintaining hope in the face of the terrors of existence is a central concern. Panelists examine the use and function of existential hopelessness and despair in the Weird. How have authors and filmmakers confronted and portrayed this core challenge of existence? How does the Weird deal with hope and its failure? Authors and trends, etc. Panelists: Despina Durand (Moderator), Mike Allen, Michael Cisco, Jonas Kyratzes, Jon Padgett.

Author Readings. Ocean State Suite C, Graduate 2nd Floor (NOTE: different room from other readings!)
Mike Allen; Pamela M. Durgin; Melanie Crew

180

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Memento Morlys 🍉 @aardwyrm.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

hey so I will not be shutting up about this for the foreseeable future. fully rabid. is it possible and worthwhile to track down all the saurs stories? yes. but. you absolutely need them in your life, no exceptions, and soon this will not require hunting for 20 year old paper issues of f&sf.

021

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

COVER REVEAL & NEXT BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT Mythic Delirium Books (aka Anita’n’me) is/are proud to share that our lil press’ next title will be ONE BIG PLACE, collecting all the “Saur” stories of Richard Chwedyk. Coming April 2027–preorders available now! mythicdelirium.com/one-big-plac...

Illustrated book cover for One Big Place: The Saur Stories of Richard Chwedyk. A small blue toy-sized dinosaur sits in the driver's seat of a pink classic car with its hands on the steering wheel, while a tiny dinosaur stands on the passenger-side floor. Outside the windshield, a large, whimsical house sits among autumn-colored trees. The title appears prominently across the top, with the subtitle and author name on the right.

Book description page with a black-and-white illustration of a small toy-sized dinosaur toy facing a larger dinosaur image on a screen. The text explains that the "Saurs" are genetically engineered, cartoon-like dinosaurs created as children's toys who can think, speak, and learn. It introduces a sanctuary where rescued Saurs live safely, protected from the company that created them.

Continuation of the book description with a black-and-white illustration of several playful dinosaur-like creatures gathered together, some playing musical instruments. The text describes the Saurs' humor, compassion, and extraordinary adventures, and notes that One Big Place collects all five of Richard Chwedyk's Saur novellas, including the Nebula Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated "Brontë's Egg."

251

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Oh, this is rich 🤣🤣🤣 But this scammer won’t be if they can’t keep their Mike Allens straight….

010

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Marissa Lingen @marissalingen.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Good morning! Did you have good dreams? Here's my new story about a practical dreamer in a world not too far away from ours, in this morning's @morningtransport.bsky.social ! www.sundaymorningtransport.com/p/the-seed-o...

sundaymorningtransport.com

The Seed of a New Dream

Every July, we bring you four great, free, Sunday Morning short stories!

02822

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

FINAL DAY, FINAL HOURS! With our newest book, THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES by Haralambi Markov, and many more! @readercon.bsky.social, come see us before we go…

061

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Traveling today, but I am so happy to see this! Congrats to Haralambi Markov! mythicdelirium.com/the-language... @annvandermeer.bsky.social

Harry Luby Markov’s debut collection the language of knives ranked number two overall seller in short stories on Amazon UK

031

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW if you don't already that as of today this very very bad and also very autopsied boy is upright, animate and wreaking havoc... Learn THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES! Take lessons here mythicdelirium.com/the-language...

A stack of copies of the language of knives by Haralambi Markov

074

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Weightless Books @weightlessbooks.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

It's an unusually big Tuesday at Weightless! New issues of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet AND @uncannymagazine.bsky.social go out to subscribers, one from @pmpress.bsky.social, and THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES: Stories by Haralambi Markov from @mythicdelirium.bsky.social: weightlessbooks.com/2026/07/

Cover art for LCRW #52, featuring a capybara armored in cacti and a spikily dressed skeleton antlered in cacti

Cover for FROM RIOT TO INSURRECTION: The G8 Summit of 2001 & The Battle of Genoa by Tomas Rothaus, featuring a grainy photo of a riot vehicle on fire

Cover art for THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES: Stories by Haralambi Markov, featuring a blue-veined, undead-looking, but very sexy dude lying in flowers with a huge three-pointed scar on his chest

Cover art for Uncanny's July/August 2026 issue, featuring a Black woman with flowers for hair holding a butterfly

085

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

AUTHOR COPIES DELIVERED! It took three days for the box to get from Roanoke, Virginia, to Sofia, Bulgaria — and 18 more days for the box to be released from customs, whew! 😅🎉 In time for Haralambi Markov’s book launch! THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES goes live tomorrow! mythicdelirium.com/the-language...

A full box of Haralambi Markov’s short story collection language of knives before being shipped to Bulgaria

The box once it finally arrived at Harry‘s home

Harry fishing the first ever copy of the completed book that they’ve ever laid eyes on out of the box

010

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

My thanks (and congratulations!) to newly-minted Bram Stoker Award winner @acwise.bsky.social for this lovely, lively review of THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES by Haralambi Markov, out from Mythic Delirium on July 7! acwise.net/the-language...

“Themes of mythology, traditional stories, and fairy tales resonate across the collection, as do complex family relationships and the idea of wrestling with history and legacy … Markov uses the tropes of legends, fairy tales, and speculative fiction to good effect throughout, showing how they can act as lenses to better understand ourselves and the human condition.” —A. C. Wise, Bram Stoker Award winner

3424

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

HERE’S A JUMP SCARE *I* DID *NOT* ANTICIPATE… This Saturday, starting 7 pm EST & midnight UK time, yours truly will be the host of the Bram Stoker Awards® Watch party for the Horror Writers Association UK Chapter. You can register through Evitebrite & JOIN US www.eventbrite.com/e/bram-stoke...

eventbrite.com

Bram Stoker Awards® 2025 Watch Party - HWA UK Chapter

Horror’s biggest night is just around the corner! The HWA is planning on live streaming the event at 1am UK time on June 7th.

020

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Story Hour @storyhour.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

This week, Mike Allen and Jordan Kurella read us frightening tales of evil and transformation. You can still watch! @mythicdelirium.bsky.social @jordankurella.com youtu.be/LLg-O7It1Yw

youtu.be

May 13, 2026 Story Hour: Mike Allen and Jordan Kurella

YouTube video by Story Hour

163

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Story Hour @storyhour.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Story Hour tiptoes back to the spooky side with two returning favorites! Mike Allen and Jordan Kurella slink back in to read us horrors. Join us Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. PDT! @mythicdelirium.bsky.social @jordankurella.com www.storyhour2020.com

Head-and-shoulders color photo of author Mike Allen, a fair-skinned man with thinning brown hair brushed back and a neatly trimmed gray-streaked beard and mustache. He wears a charcoal-colored knit polo shirt and metal-framed glasses. He stands in front of a blurred landscape, looking directly into the camera with a mischievous little smile.

Head-and-shoulders black-and-white photo of author Jordan Kurella, a fair-skinned man with dark, curly bangs peeking out from under a ribbed beanie. He also wears a stud earring, a dark button-up, tortoiseshell glasses, and a septum ring. He poses in a blurred interior. With hir face in three-quarters view, he look directly into the camera with a broad and joyful smile.

0135

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

LC von Hessen 𓆙 💀 @lcvonhessen.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Awful awful awful situation.

Monty's bloodwork results are back. They want him to have an intestinal ultrasound ASAP since some property of his liver has escalated sky-high in just a couple of months (from ~50 to ~500). In addition to his weight loss and vomiting multiple times a week.

It may be lymphoma. Which can be treated, but needs to be diagnosed first.

The diagnostic ultrasound will be minimum 700.

I said the closest I'll come to having that much will be in three weeks. The vet says that may be too late for treatment.

It's an emergency.

CareCredit won't give me an increase since I still have too much outstanding.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know what to do.

I can't lose my boy.

52023

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

A.C. Wise @acwise.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

I just posted a review of The Language of Knives by Haralambi Markov, a lovely collection forthcoming this July from @mythicdelirium.bsky.social books! acwise.net/the-language...

acwise.net

The Language of Knives Review – acwise.net

0177

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Anita and I (aka Mythic Delirium Books) want to congratulate our author Haralambi Markov — their debut collection of folklore-infused horror tales THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES just got a starred review from Publishers Weekly! Read the whole review here: www.publishersweekly.com/9781956522051

publishersweekly.com

The Language of Knives by Haralambi Markov

Markov debuts with an ingenious collection that fuses Slavic folklore, body horror, and tender explorations of queer identity ac...

080

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

In the run-up to the publication of @somethinghaunted’s THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES, the author is putting together collages that accompany each of the 13 stories, one per week. Last week, they unveiled this artwork illustrating the 1st story, the darkly surreal “Nine Tongues Tell of” … (1/2)

Mixed-media collage artwork featuring layered book text and grayscale architectural imagery, with visible excerpts reading “Nine Tongues Tell Of” and dialogue about flying. The composition includes a black-and-white photo of a modernist office building with grid windows, overlaid with red hand-drawn lines and marks, alongside a stone statue of two cloaked figures. Torn paper textures, taped sections with blue stitched X patterns, and cut-out phrases like “leave… Just step away into the fog” create a surreal, experimental visual narrative blending literature, urban architecture, and abstract annotation.

Surreal mixed-media collage of a faceless female figure with long blonde hair, wearing a dark coat, set against a background of printed book text. The figure’s face is an empty black void with a white crack-like line, while red ink streaks drip across her hair and clothing. A gold-toned cutout shape with blue stitched X patterns overlays her torso. Visible text fragments include “Damyana was supposed…,” “Just let me drown,” and “Her body burst into wings and tails,” enhancing themes of identity, transformation, and loss. Smoky gray textures and torn paper edges create a haunting, experimental visual blending literary narrative, abstract art, and emotional symbolism. it

Surreal mixed-media collage featuring a grayscale portrait of a woman with short dark hair, her face obscured by a black void overlaid with red curved line markings, suggesting distortion or erasure of identity. The background consists of layered book text with visible phrases like “Damyana chain-smoked,” “horror podcast,” and “That was when it happened,” adding a narrative, literary context. Cut-out images of apartment buildings with repetitive windows and red hand-drawn annotations frame the figure, while a muted landscape with a low hill and tiled ground extends into the distance. The composition blends urban architecture, psychological tension, and abstract storytelling through torn paper textures, ink markings, and fragmented text elements.

A collage of torn book pages layered with black-and-white images, including a dark tunnel and abstract shapes, with cut-out phrases like “The black mass snatched the man” and “and flew towards the sea.”

120

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

This coming Friday, I'll find out if TRAIL OF SHADOWS, my novel of ghosts and monsters in the Appalachian Mountains, will win the Webster Award or remain a finalist. Anita and I were good friends with Bud Webster, which makes this nomination especially meaningful. [1/2]

Bud Webster (with long gray and beard) sits at a table in a dimly lit indoor setting, wearing wild-looking round red-eyeball glasses and a blue shirt with a visible “Dealer” badge on a lanyard. He gestures animatedly with one hand while holding a small red object in the other. In front of him are stacks of books, including a prominently visible “Interzone” magazine.

110

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Reactor Magazine @reactorsff.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

We are delighted to reveal the cover for the special tenth anniversary edition of @deuceofgearsmusic.bsky.social's Ninefox Gambit, featuring a new introduction from Ann Leckie! An iconic entry in the genre landscape, this new edition is available August 11, 2026 from @solarisbooks.bsky.social!

reactormag.com

Revealing the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee - Reactor

The tenth anniversary edition of the award-winning military space opera

212336

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Marie Brennan @swantower.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I've always boggled that writers are expected to speak in public, yet get basically no support for learning to do so. So I cheer on Jackie Kessler and Emily Sachs, who are holding a free demo for a writer-specific Toastmasters club Sunday, April 19th: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

us02web.zoom.us

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Writers Forum Toastmasters Launch Meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

13215

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Julie C. Day is communing with tiny dinosaurs @thisjulieday.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I'm absolutely thrilled to see Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology make the finalist list for the Locus Awards! An enormous congratulations to all my fellow finalists. It’s amazing to be in such great company! locusmag.com/2026/04/2026... @carinabissett.bsky.social @ethereallad.bsky.social

locusmag.com

2026 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists

Congratulations to all of the Locus Awards top ten finalists! These results are from the February 1 to April 1 voting by readers on an open public ballot. The Locus Awards winners will be announced…

26419

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

March was rough enough that I neglected to share here that THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES by Haralambi Markov, the forthcoming debut that Mythic Delirium (ie Anita’n’me) are shepherding, earned a knockout review in KIRKUS. **buffs nails, quaffs celebratory libation** www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

Markov’s haunting collection of short stories features a variety of ghosts and monsters.

Many of the stories collected here have an Eastern European feel, and several take place in Bulgaria. In some of the tales, such as “Nine Tongues Tell Of” and “Convalescence,” the main character speaks with or interviews a monster or one of the dead, revealing more personal information than facts about the creature who is the ostensible subject. Other stories follow characters desperate to fulfill an unspeakable need, like the impulse to travel to a specific place (“The Mall on the Hill by the Horizon”). Some unlucky souls find their home, and eventually their own bodies, taken over by the berries that grow in their yard in “When Raspberries Bloom in August.” While the stories include frightening creatures, family curses, and monsters that emerge from under the bed, these are also narratives in which people stick together and find resilience, families reunite, and strange forms of love emerge. The endings are largely left open to interpretation, and every story will leave readers with questions, which may add to their fear or offer relief. Markov provides a wide range of stories—there’s something for almost anyone in this collection, but more squeamish readers may want to tiptoe past the darker tales to find the brighter side. The horror comes not from gruesome details but from the plain, direct prose, which allows readers to fill in the blanks with their own imaginations. The author does provide some stunning passages: “One by one around me I hear my kin all take a ghastly, long-waited inhale before dissolving into wherever spirits go next.” A perfect twilight read, this book will stick with readers as they devour story after story (just as some of Markov’s characters devour their prey).

A stunning, thrilling, and eerie collection of short stories that will delight readers of gothic fiction.

2164

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Sara “Blade” Reine @smreine.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

you can write masterpieces twenty words at a time

The Drake "no and yes" meme format. He says no to: "I'm not a real writer because I've had writers block for six months." He says yes to: "I am a real writer because I won't use AI to write for me no matter how long it takes."

18319

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Matthew Kressel @matthewkressel.net · 08/04/2026

TONIGHT! Join us with Michael Swanwick & Mike Allen for our Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading event, 7pm, Wed, Apr 8th, at the KGB Bar. Come one, come all! @michaelswanwick.bsky.social @mythicdelirium.bsky.social @datlow.bsky.social

044

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

I’m so delighted to be returning to the KGB Bar in person to read alongside Michael Swanwick. It’s been 11 years since I’ve stood behind that podium!!! My heartfelt thanks to @datlow.bsky.social & @matthewkressel.net for having me back. I’ll share a couple passages from my novel TRAIL OF SHADOWS 🕷️

FANTASTIC FICTION at KGB reading series, hosts Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel present:

Michael Swanwick & Mike Allen April 8th, 7pm ET

Where

KGB Bar
85 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
(Just off 2nd Ave, upstairs**)

We are an inclusive community. All are welcome.

** Unfortunately the building is not wheelchair-accessible. We release an audio only podcast of the readings each month for those who cannot attend in person.

When
April 8th, 2026, 7pm ET.

Readings are always free.

http://www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/

Book cover for THE UNIVERSE BOX by Michael Swanwick

Michael Swanwick

Michael Swanwick has been writing fantasy and science fiction at every length from flash fiction to novel trilogy for over forty years, during which time he has received the Nebula, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy Awards, as well as five Hugo Awards. As a hobby, he writes critical non-fiction and the occasional interview.

Book cover for TRAIL OF SHADOWS by Mike Allen (me)

Mike Allen

Mike Allen’s most recent novel is Trail of Shadows, published in 2025. Two of his collections of horror tales, Unseaming and Aftermath of an Industrial Accident, were finalists for the Shirley Jackson Award, and as an editor, he’s a two-time World Fantasy Award nominee. His short fiction has appeared in Apex Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Interzone, Weird Tales, and Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology. With his wife and creative partner, Anita, he runs Mythic Delirium Books in Roanoke, Virginia.

A half human half spider woman hanging upside down in a bluish void — the cover art to TRAIL OF SHADOWS by … me!

091

Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚) @mythicdelirium.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Small gratitudes re: the past week 🗓️ 1) Received a genuine non-spam/scam fan letter! 🎉 2) Successfully completed official registration of two of my books with the copyright office 📜 (boy was THAT a process) 3) ONE PIECE Season 2 served up escapist delight ⚓ just what the doctor ordered 🩺

A pirate ship about to sail into the mouth of a sperm whale

020

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Matthew Kressel @matthewkressel.net · 09/03/2026

This Wednesday, join us with C.S.E. Cooney & Kristina Ten for our Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series, this Wednesday, March 11th, 7pm at the KGB Bar. Come one, come all! @csecooney.bsky.social @kristinaten.bsky.social @datlow.bsky.social

01510

Reposted by Mike Allen (Mythic Delirium Books📚)

Julie C. Day is communing with tiny dinosaurs @thisjulieday.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Shocking. Amazing. Thrilling. And that’s just the Blizzard of 2026! I’m so damn happy and grateful to see Storyteller is a finalist for the Stokers! @carinabissett.bsky.social @ethereallad.bsky.social

The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot. Superior Achievement in an Anthology listing, including Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology.

4369