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Natski

@natskibb.bsky.social
66 followers 323 following 197 posts

40 something voracious reader, here for the cute dogs, fangirling on authors and watching the world burn in real time. She/Her

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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 22h
A excellent journal, providing a venue for really thoughtful and insightful essays. I recommend subscribing but you can also make a donation and in Australia its tax deductible.
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Celebrate SI's editor's birthday today by subscribing to the journal! At AUD30/year (~USD22, GBP16) it's cheaper for you international folks than flying to Australia to buy her a beer... www.speculativeinsight.com
speculativeinsight.com
Speculative Insight
A journal for exploring the ideas and themes that stand behind, inform, and develop out of, speculative fiction.
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Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Well, here goes. I tried to keep it contained. Ridicule is what we use to fight institutional hostility. Make no mistake, that's what this is. rick-morton.ghost.io/deliver-us-l...
rick-morton.ghost.io
Deliver Us, Lord, From Ridicule
On Friday, Defence deputy secretary Celia Perkins began her evidence before a senate inquiry into asset sales by the department and Australian military with an embarrassing manoeuvre. 'In closing, I ...
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
What ingredients are required for a novel to become truly comedic, rather than just have some funny bits? Amelia Brown proposes a few in this new subscriber essay. AUD30/yr (~GBP16 or USD21) gets you access to this and 11 other essays every year! www.speculativeinsight.com
Purple background, white text, which says Another key ingredient in the comedic fantasy recipe is the one-liner. These are lines that don't have any overt bearing on the plot, or even necessarily character development... these one-liners bring the reader into the universality of the story. "What Is A Comedic Fantasy Novel, Why Aren't There Very Many, And Why Should There Be More?" -- Amelia Brown
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In this slightly tongue-in-cheek essay, Amelia Brown considers what is required for a novel to count as "comedic" - and why more comedic novels would be a good thing thank you very much. Subscribe to read: AUD30/yr (~GBP16, USD21) www.speculativeinsight.com
Purple background, white text, which says There are fantasy novels, a plethora one might say, that contain anti-heroes, jokes and tropes, yet the reader knows in her bones that the pages unfolding yield something that doesn't quite meet the "comedic fantasy" label. "What is a Comedic Fantasy Novel, Why Aren't There Very Many, and Why Should There Be More?" -- Amelia Brown
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Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH @geauxgabrielle.blacksky.app · 25/08/2026
A reminder that Dolly Parton is the reason we have Buffy the Vampire Slayer! She hated the movie but believed the show could be amazing so she let them film on her sound studio. By season 2, it was a HIT! As a thank you, Buffy Summers and Dolly Parton share the same birthday. January 19th.
what are youe
Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius. You?
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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I found a Rarity-81 word worth 94 pts in OUTLIER. SHARPSHOOTER · 703 points · 10 rare words. 1 find no one else found today. OUTLIER: the daily word hunt where the rarest words win. Can you beat me? playoutlier.com/s/LURWEN
playoutlier.com
OUTLIER · Day 84
beaglier scored 703 on Day 84 — can you beat them?
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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
There is no ethical consumption of HBO’s Harry Potter series www.theverge.com/report/90181...
theverge.com
There is no ethical consumption of HBO’s Harry Potter series
You can’t without supporting Rowling’s transphobic bigotry.
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Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Interesting warning from Justice Beach to the government in a robodebt ruling published yesterday on what it means in the future re AI. www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/view...
252. This Robodebt debacle is something that we have to learn the lessons from or should I
say Commonwealth ministers and their departments have to learn the lessons from.
253. Surely ministers must properly inform themselves of the technical and legal complexities of automated systems and schemes to which members of the public are
to be subjected. Such a motivation and skill set are not optional extras. Further, the concept of being a responsible minister does not mean finding a public servant to take responsibility for the policy that you have sought to push through. And nor is the role of a minister simply to educate yourself about the policy through a one page document. And nor is the intellectual exercise simply limited to following the instruction on a "post it" note, which tells
you where to place your signature on the executive minute.254. Now when dealing with automated processes and systems, any moral hazard problem becomes magnified. If you have not conscientiously and diligently taken steps to either master the detail yourselt, or made sure that others reporting to you have done so, you are likely as in this case to inflict real harm on others in imposing automated systems or processes. And as in this case, the relevant ministers and their departments had the freedom and control to take great risks with Robodebt and its implementation,
yet they were insulated and detached from the consequences of such risks if they came to fruition, which they obviously did.
255. Now why am I making these points?
Robodebt is over as a system or process, although not of course for the victims and their families, many of whom are still suffering significantly in its aftermath, and some whose spirit only remains in our
memory.256. Today we of course have generative artificial intelligence. And we will later move into artificial general intelligence. The benefits and rewards of such systems will be several orders of magnitude above the types of automated systems that we have seen in the past. But the complexity and risks of such systems and processes will be equally if not more magnified or amplified.
257. Surely the lessons learnt from Robodebt can be put to good advantage, not for the technology as such which is morally neutral, but for its human designers, implementers and controllers.
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 29/07/2026
Overnight, a masked bandit broke into our kitchen. Armed with opposable thumbs, he proceeded to sample everything on offer. I’d just visited the farmers market, so the menu was extensive. I can now share a highly specific peer-reviewed list of what this particular raider did & did not enjoy. 🧵
static.klipy.com
Raccoon's Evil Smile: 'Good, Good'
Alt: Raccoon's Evil Smile: 'Good, Good'
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Speculative Insight has been publishing 2 essays/month about SFF since January 2024. That means there's 31 free essays available to read right now! Pratchett's Men, the politics of translation, ethnicity is SEAsian SFF, Tolkien and myth-making... and so much more... www.speculativeinsight.com
speculativeinsight.com
Speculative Insight
A journal for exploring the ideas and themes that stand behind, inform, and develop out of, speculative fiction.
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Sam Vimes has to come to terms with his life in Ankh-Morpork... now what? Tansy Rayner Roberts' last essay on Sam Vimes is now up for subscribers. Read it now by subscribing for AUD30/year (~USD21 or GBP16) - get this and 11 other essays over the year! www.speculativeinsight.com #pratchett
Purple background, white text, which says Despite acquiring Sybil's property upon marriage, Vimes has managed to avoid Visiting the Country Seat, largely because of his horror of taking time off. Despite the premise of the trip being one for family leisure, no one actually expects it to be a holiday... 
"With Great Vimes Comes Great Responsibility" -- Tansy Rayner Roberts
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Daniel MZ Hogan @lugubriouslarry.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Yep
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Speculative Insight: the love child of a fanzine and an academic journal.
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Matthew Broberg-Moffitt (any/all) @mbrobergmoffitt.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
For #DisabilityPrideMonth please consider my food aversion acceptance cookbook and guide COLOR TASTE TEXTURE. Food aversions is a common comorbidity with so many disabilities (and primary with ARFID). I’m an Autistic classically trained chef and I want to help folx find what works for them.
penguinrandomhouse.com
Color Taste Texture by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt: 9780593538593 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
An accessible family cookbook that offers solutions rather than tricks to empower the food-averse, autistic, and picky eater, with 46 recipes. This much-needed cookbook combines tips and techniques.....
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RiotGrlErin @riotgrlerin.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
celebs walking muppets: thread
Dakota Johnson walking Rowlf instead of her dog.
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Janna Sophia 🏔️ @jannaphia.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Please help me finish my thesis so I can finally be free of academia 🫶✨ aidetectionsurvey.carrd.co
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Crystal Koo @crystalkoo.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Yay, thank you Alexandra!! :D Very happy to have this out in the world!
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K.B. Spangler @kbspangler.com · 22/06/2026
Amazon's Prime days are June 23-26 so I'm going to discount all books in my own store to $3.00 during this time! This includes the new Rachel Peng, everyone's favorite permanently pissed-off cyborg. theagahfstore.bigcartel.com/category/books #book #books #author #authors #scifi #booksale
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Diane Duane @diane.dianeduane.com · 17/06/2026
For #PrideMonth at #Ebooks Direct: Our #Pride Bundle is honestly *wildly* discounted for the rest of June. Come take advantage of us and grab one! Details: www.tumblr.com/dduane/81967... #Pride2026 #LGBTQ
tumblr.com
Post by @dduane · 1 image
💬 1  🔁 62  ❤️ 105 · And happy Pride! · This is just to let everybody know that for Pride Month of 2026, the Ebooks Direct Pride Package has been really ridiculously discounted. ...From the product…
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Asher Wolf @asherwolf.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
“Why didn’t we see the sleeping threat?” The media class used to take a little narrative direction from civil society and it acted like an early warning. But lack of investment in democracy building, cost of living and constant attacks on leftists have had a chilling effect
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Miranda Jensen meditates on the role of science fiction to defamiliarise our society and help us see things in new and intriguing and challenging ways. Read the essay now: www.speculativeinsight.com
[Authors] can defamiliarize - make strange - social issues, technologies, and philosophies, providing readers the distance necessary to gain new perspectives and identify critical analogies. Margaret Atwood, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin are among the most divine in this regard, appraising the social currents of modern society through speculative twists and turns. "Speculating, Ambiguously" -- Miranda Jensen
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
First published for subscribers in February 2024, this essay from Amelia Brown examines why readers are still interested in fairy tales, and why they are still relevant. Read it here: www.speculativeinsight.com/from-the-vault
Purple background, white text, which says "... the point of this article is to look at why fairy tales are still relevant to modern society." Amelia Brown, "The Modern Place of Fairy Tales"
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Lyric Rain @rainsong.cloud · 11/06/2026
Heya Bluekies, it's my birthday and I'm going to do things a little bit hobbit style by giving some gifts. Or, at least, giving away game codes that have been sitting unused from Humble Bundles that partially overlapped with games I already had. Here's how this is going to work:
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Sarah Rees Brennan @sarahreesbrennan.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Extremely delighted to say LONG LIVE EVIL has been chosen as a Top Read and is now in a Kindle Deal going for 1.99 for a limited run beginning today! Please shove evil upon your loved ones, so you can fall in the chaos pit together. www.amazon.com/Long-Live-Ev... #booksky
ad for book promotion, Long Live Evil us 1.99 until June 26
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Plague Poems @plaguepoems.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
When you hear that in addition to cattle there has been a confirmed case of New World screwworm in a dog, it is important to remember that any warm-blooded animal could be a host for screwworm, so it is also important to remember that you are a warm-blooded animal too.
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Jim C. Hines @jimchines.com · 11/06/2026
For the evening crowd, SLAYERS OF OLD is on sale at the usual ebook spots for $2.99 for another seven hours or so. Amazon sez it's the #6 title in the fantasy coming of age category. Which...maybe I don't know what "coming of age" means? astrapublishinghouse.com/product/slay...
astrapublishinghouse.com
Slayers of Old - Astra Publishing House
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last time “Buffy the Vam...
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Natalie Zed @nataliezed.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
I am *delighted* that I had the chance to chat with Alison of Ask A Manager, who is brilliant and hilarious and has been such a champion of both Hench and now Villain. This was a blast and I am so grateful!
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Tansy Rayner Roberts @tansyrr.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
If you enjoy intrigue, devastating plot twists and sumptuous detail, try this gaslamp fantasy inspired by the 1920s. Book 1 on sale at Kobo this month! www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/...
kobo.com
Power and Majesty ebook by Tansy Rayner Roberts - Rakuten Kobo
Read "Power and Majesty" by Tansy Rayner Roberts available from Rakuten Kobo. Immerse yourself in the glamorous, dangerous world of the Creature Court. Aufleur is a city of honey cakes, decadent rit.....
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The Onion @theonion.com · 09/06/2026
Commentary: I Work Very Hard, And I Would Like To Try Cake
theonion.com
I Work Very Hard, And I Would Like To Try Cake
Hello. I am a horse. I work very hard at my job of being a horse. When humans say move the heavy thing, I move the heavy thing. When humans sit on top of me and pull on my head, I carry them where the...
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Pratchat @pratchatpodcast.com · 07/06/2026
Storyteller and librarian Roslyn Quin joins Liz and Ben as they discover there's nowt as queer as folklore, whether on #Discworld or Roundworld, in #TerryPratchett's 2008 collaboration with Dr Jacqueline Simpson: The Folklore of Discworld! #Pratchat93
pratchatpodcast.com
#Pratchat93 – We’re Not Here to Folk Spiders
Storyteller and librarian Roslyn Quin joins Liz and Ben to discover there's nowt as queer as folklore, as we discuss Terry Pratchett's 2008 (and 2009 and 2014) collaboration with folklorist Jacqueline Simpson, The Folklore of Discworld. Wherever there are folk, you're find folklore: the stories, traditions, superstitions and more that tell people who they are, and make up their world.
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R.S.A. Garcia (BUY THE NIGHTWARD) @rsagarcia.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Want to read something short and sweet this Sunday evening? Why not give two bots and a goat a try?
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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
I think some author's are a little cursed by the gods. They discover interesting facts & use imagination & education to extrapolate into a great story where very bad things happen, & then the idiots in govt make it true! But go read Wolf Worm, its creepy & fabulous and made we wary of housefiles.
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
In this new (free!) essay, Miranda Jensen dreams about what speculative fiction could be and what it might mean to embrace all the possibilities it can afford. Read it here: www.speculativeinsight.com
Purple background, white text, which says At its heart - its big, tender heart - speculative fiction is speculation. It demands from its readers what some call a suspension of disbelief, where reality takes a backseat, and our imaginations open their arms wide to the monster underneath our bed; or the technology that rears its head when we look away; or the neighbor brewing love and lust potions down the road. "Speculating, Ambiguously" -- Miranda Jensen
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🍂 Jo (a swarm of) Bee(s) 🦇 @jobeeart.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
thank you for this thread! i had an off-the-cuff comic turned into a meme and it's such a weird feeling that my art is just being spread out there without any credit here's a version with my name on it, im fine with people using that one :)
Six panel comic. In the first panel, a guy says, "I don't like thing". Then, a heavenly light shines on him and an angel descends. The angel hands him a note and flies away again. In the last panel, we see the note just says, "OK".
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Kieran @toadally.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Every year for Pride, I repost Hue. I made him to send love and comfort to those who feel Pride isn’t for them because they aren’t out. You matter, you are valid, and it’s ok if you aren’t ready yet. Coming out is not a requirement for being part of this community. Happy Pride 🌈
A rainbow colored box turtle looking nervously out of a drab gray shell. There is text above him that says “It’s OK if you’re not ready yet.”
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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
"Journalism is not a shiny object to be played with and put down a year or two later, it's the fourth pillar of democracy. Engaging in it should be done with at least as much seriousness and care as getting involved in the legal system."
drilled.ghost.io
Climate Media's Philanthropy Problem
We've talked before about the massive bloodletting in climate media this year; even amidst the general demise of journalism, climate reporting stands out as having been hit particularly hard. The Wash...
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Lar deSouza @lartist.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
From the Larchives: I found another rainbow animal cartoon :)
cartoon: flamingos in rainbow colours
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Lar deSouza @lartist.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
From the Larchives: I've done a few rainbow animals for Pride over the years. Enjoy :)
cartoon corgis in rainbow colourscartoon black kitties with rainbow eyescartoon jays in rainbow colours
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David K. Barnes @davidkbarnes.com · 30/05/2026
Lately I’ve been in an indie team making stop-motion animation. It’s just 4 of us (animator, writer, voice actor, sound designer). The show’s called The Tiny Angry Witch. It’s all basically hand made. No AI. It’s tiring, but we love what we do. So, anyway, here’s a Witch making rude noises:
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TopatoCo @topa.to · 28/05/2026
Happy birthday @tkingfisher.com! 🎉 :) We hope you are keeping the Biting Pear well fed these days! 🍐 redwombatstudio.com | Topa.to/redwombat 🍐
Ursula Vernon's painting "The Biting Pear of Salamanca", but the chipmunk and the pear are wearing little striped birthday hats.
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John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Today might be rough, so take this assistive device-wielding dino.
A pencil drawing of a t-rex carrying a plastic extending grabby arm. The caption reads, "Unstoppable..."
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
@kateelliottsff.bsky.social and Suzan Palumbo discuss their works in a new bonus piece at Speculative Insight! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras Why Alexander, and why The Count of Monte Cristo? Why space opera? Come find out...
Purple background, white text, which says Suzan Palumbo and Kate Elliott in conversation: on writing gender-flipped, space-opera reimaginings of classic stories.
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Tansy Rayner Roberts @tansyrr.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
If you've ever wanted to dip into my Tasmanian cozy murder mystery series (under pen-name Livia Day) the 1st book in my most popular series is FREE on Kobo today. www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/...
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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
I dont know why I feel pleased when I find out that an author whose work I love is also a fan on one of my fav authors. A nice bonus dose of warm fuzzies.
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Dvandom @dvandom.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Something I made for Tumblr last year:
An edit of XKCD strip 2501, changed to have the dialogue as:
"PTerry's Discworld is second nature to us Tumblr users, so it's easy to forget that the average person probably onl knows the Vimes Boots Theory and The Glorious 25th of May."  "And Cheery, of course."  "Of course."  The unmodified text under the cartoon reads, "Even when they're trying to compensate for it, experts in anything wildly overestimate the average person's familiarity with their field," to which has been added "Source image: xkcd.com/2501/"
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Natski @natskibb.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Rereading Discworld for the Glorious 25th of May and as always Terry has a quote that is so apt for current times. #auspol #discworld #pratchett #lilac
Taxation, gentlemen, is very much like dairy farming. The task is to extract the maximum amount of milk with the minimum of moo. From Jingo by Sir Terry Pratchett
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Erin Brown @babblewocky.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
GNU, on the eve of the battle for Ankh Moorpork. May Anoia rattle your drawers in solace.
Purple ink stamping of lilacs and a banner that says “the glorious 25th of May. Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard Boiled Egg.”
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Tansy Rayner Roberts @tansyrr.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
3) As we all know, the only correct accent in which to perform Ancient Greek Epic is that of the New Zealander.
static.klipy.com
Xena: I Have Many Skills
ALT: Xena: I Have Many Skills
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Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
What better way to mark a new #Murderbot novel from @marthawells.com than launching our From the Vault series? First published in January 2024, you can read about why Murderbot binges media here: www.speculativeinsight.com/from-the-vault/nice-safe-emotions
Purple background, white text, which says Just as Murderbot copes with its real world, and the people in it, by repeatedly binging media, I do the same by immersing myself in its world, among many. -- Joanne Anderton, "Nice Safe Emotions"
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