iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11/10/2026

Zelenskyy: "Prices are rising because of the war in the Middle East, the blocking of Hormuz. Everyone understands it. If we want to speak with people fairly, if we want to be clear, if we want to speak with our nations openly, people have to hear reality. Don't play games with people."

335123613697

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Bill Browder: Putin has got a major shortage of diesel fuel in Russia, and so I don't believe that he's actually gonna supply the fuel. Second, the amounts are de minimis compared to what the United States actually needs.

27578164

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 11/10/2026

❗️Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick says bipartisan lawmakers will introduce legislation to block all purchases of Russian oil. The “Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act” will be pushed to a House vote through a discharge petition, which requires at least 218 signatures. #Russia

2357098

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Daniel José Older @djolder.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

GenAI is plunder, pass it on (a comic)

PANEL 1: A demented robot holds laser gun at a guy (me): TURN OVER ALL YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT FROM THE LAST 15 YEARS OR I VAPORIZE YOU!!
DJO: Whoa! Ok!

PANEL 2: The robot to a doufy guy: FOR $7.99 A MONTH YOU CAN USE THIS NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR’S WORK TO CREATE YOUR OWN WATERED DOWN VERSIONS!
Doufy Guy: got yourself a deal, buddy!

PANEL 3: DJO: That robot guy just stole my shit and you’re paying him for it!
Doufy Guy: Sorry, pal! $7.99 is a great deal, and like it or not, that robot guy…

PANEL 4: doufy guy continued: …is the future!

The Robot holding a laser gun at a little girl: TURN OVER ALL YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT FROM THE LAST 15 YEARS OR I VAPORIZE YOU!!
Girl: Dude, I’m seven

8664295

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

The Russian tanker believed to be carrying diesel fuel to the US was actually carrying urea ammonium nitrate instead. x.com/Michellewb_/...

1524858

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

P H Lee 🪬 @p-h-lee.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

apropos of previous thread by John Wiswell: writers have a lot of solidarity when it comes to contracts. if you are a new writer and you think something might be hinky about your contract, it is completely fine to ask other professional writers even (especially) if you don't know us.

15524

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · 10/10/2026

Blimey.

23810

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Guy Gavriel Kay @guygavrielkay.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Gosh! So what could POSSIBLY be the reason, if this is true??

1558

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Blame anything except the incompetent war Trump started with Iran.

2142

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 10/10/2026

❗️Germany will not follow the US in easing sanctions on Russian fuel and will continue enforcing its existing restrictions, Reuters reports. Germany’s Economy Ministry said the country is fully independent of Russian fuel and is working on additional restrictions against Moscow. #Russia

16733140

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 09/10/2026

New #WriterBeware blog post: Two artists' decisions to go public this week reveal new concerns at Must Read Magazines, which was the subject of controversy last year over its unfriendly contract terms writerbeware.blog/2026/10/09/m...

writerbeware.blog

More Rights Grabs from Must Read Magazines - Writer Beware

In early 2025, a group called Must Read Magazines acquired a suite of six well-known genre fiction magazines: Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Magazine of Fantasy & Scien...

18145

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

US doing dirty deals right before the election. Awful.

1287

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Michael Swanwick @michaelswanwick.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

FIFTEEN MINUTES until OCTOBER LEAVES go up on sale at www. dragonstairs. com.

012

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Michael Swanwick @michaelswanwick.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

TEN MINUTES until OCTOBER LEAVES goes up on sale at www. dragonstairs. com.

011

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Kameron Hurley @kameronhurley.com · 10/10/2026

"If you can live your life without an audience... You should do it."

14911

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

This week's firestorm around MRM kicked off when it became apparent they were trying to grab the rights to cover art by the beloved and excellent artist John Picacio. It's important to stipulate that John is *already* super generous with his rights! Many other artists who do zine covers are, too.

114120

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I got my start at these magazines. It's heartbreaking to see them become intellectual property squatters.

0192

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Scott Edelman generously documented his struggle with MRM over rights grabs here. I recommend giving it a read. Scott is not alone. A lot of authors have basically sworn off Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF after all this persistent garbage.

115223

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Try to remember that you're not alone in this. Too often we hunker down and don't ask others what they've seen or what is standard.

0154

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I have only had minimal dealings with MRM, which I may write about another day. But basically, both times I have had any professionmal contact with them, they were so bad that I walked away.

114310

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Writer Beware is a great resource for looking up potentially problematic publishers. They published this updated history of MRM’s rights grabs yesterday. Their history lesson on MRM will be better than mine.

120682

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Recently, Must Read Magazines (MRM) bought three of the most legendary SFF magazines: Analog, Asimov’s, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. MRM immediately started changing the contracts to try to take more rights from authors without paying for them.

118951

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

In light of some magazines pulling scummy things on creators lately, I’m doing a little thread on short story rights. I don't want anybody getting taken advantage of. Also, if you're new, this stuff can be confusing!

101079622

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

This defense from the publisher of Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF is no defense at all. I'd hoped those of us who'd protested rights-grab contracts last year had caused a change in the way the company dealt with creators, but sadly, all three dream markets must still be unacceptable outlets for me. Sad.

A Statement on Copyright Retention Instead of "Work-for-Hire" Cover Illustrations at MRM

We previously commissioned illustrators to create covers as work-for-hire when they were asked to adapt authors' original stories for elements such as cover art.

This will be changing.

The rights granted to MRM by authors are limited, and therefore we can't protect the intellectual property and rights of the original author of the story, if we at the same time grant the authors' rights to the illustrator so that the illustrator can then retain an adaptation copyright. We don't acquire rights from authors that allow us to grant illustrators broad unencumbered use of the worlds, characters, and other elements created by the author.

We're planning to pause cover contracts based on specific stories for the foreseeable future while we figure out the best way forward with those kinds of commissions.

We prefer a process that will both feel fair to illustrators and protect the story authors' copyright.

To that end, we can license existing art or license new original art for our covers (not based on a story) with contracts for illustrators where the artist clearly retains the copyright in the underlying image, since there are no underlying rights owned by authors of the stories that are a part of these kinds of original works.

Regarding retention of "moral rights" in illustrations: our licensing agreements for original art and original fiction use language prepared by an international IP attorney based on notes we received from SFWA's contracts committee. These kinds of agreements no longer include a waiver of moral rights.

We always appreciate when contributors to the magazines express their concerns.

4314

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Every once in awhile I get an email or Facebook message that tells me how my book didn't work for them. Well gosh, I'll rip it up and fix it right now.

5494

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

GenXJamerican🇯🇲🇺🇸 @genxjamerican.com · 09/10/2026

These are models built on industrial-scale theft of copyrighted material, and the labor of the people who created it. We should care more about the people whose labor these companies stole.

1111

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

GenXJamerican🇯🇲🇺🇸 @genxjamerican.com · 09/10/2026

Given the way these tech companies in particular (and too many of them in general) have treated—and continue to treat—non-white people and every other group of marginalized people, I couldn’t be less-interested in their opinions on how actual people “treat” their LLMs.

2121

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Wait til you see what I do to my characters. 😂

3290

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Michael Whelan @michaelwhelan.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

PSA🧵- Amplifying everything John said so eloquently here. 🙌 We all know predatory terms when we see them. 😡 (You'll find full alt-text of his memo in the replies)

110527

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Ken Liu @kyliu99.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

You can still help.

025

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

MRM has apparently decided a wheel needs to be invented.

4212

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Wole Talabi | Preorder THE FIST OF MEMORY @wtalabi.com · 09/10/2026

Africanfuturism is an anchor point for science fiction that is not just by Africans, or set in Africa, but about Africa. This is an excellent sampler from my brilliant publisher @dawbooks.bsky.social Its a great deal! www.humblebundle.com/books/africa...

humblebundle.com

African Futurism: Nnedi Okorafor, Wole Talabi, and Adam Oyebanji by DAW Books

Read daring, imaginative science fiction stories in this African Futurism ebook bundle! Pay what you want and support BINC!

7195103

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Tell me you hate your kid and your wife, without telling me you hate your kid and your wife.

3431

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

It's stupid to make the bad guy famous.

1232

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Kameron Hurley @kameronhurley.com · 08/10/2026

Listening to a financial chat where someone says, "We're actually only in the first generation or two of women being able to have complete control of their own finances." And that was like an oh wow moment. Like you know it but you don't KNOW it, you know?

static.klipy.com

David Rose's Shocked 'My God'

ALT: David Rose's Shocked 'My God'

511122

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Gianmarco Soresi @gianmarcosoresi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Man who won’t give his employees piss breaks claims many piss breaks on the horizon

810207384629

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Caroline M. Yoachim @carolinemyoachim.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I'll be at World Fantasy in a couple weeks, and I have a reading! Friday, October 23, 2026 11:30AM-1PM Salon 1 & 2 READINGS: Caroline M. Yoachim, Bruce McAllister, Charlie Jane Anders Moderator, Remy Nakamura

1248

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

molly tanzer (I guess!!) @mollytanzer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Writers need to stand in solidarity with artists against these Must Read rights grabs, the same way we need to stand in solidarity with artists against AI in cover art etc etc.

0269

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

John Picacio @johnpicacio.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

🧵 Attention, Fellow SFF Artists and Authors -- here is my response to Must Read Magazines, after they presented an Asimov's art contract expecting me to waive all Moral Rights and Copyright to my art. And, I would strongly advise the following to my fellow pros…. 1/

John Picacio’s response to Must Read Magazine’s request for his waiver of all Moral Rights and Copyright of his commissioned art for an ASIMOV’S assignment. Short version — Picacio says a resounding NOPE.

451183526

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Worth reading in its entirety. This is why authors need to not just read a contract but think hard about the implications of the language. I myself admit I haven't looked hard at this particular clause in my contracts in quite some time.

12410

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I withdrew a story from F&SF after a fruitless contract negotiation, and posted about my ordeal here. But it was my understanding MRM had as a result since changed its tune and now includes all I'd asked for in their boilerplate. Hearing your problem worries me. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...

scottedelman.com

A dream denied: My 54-year quest to publish a short story in F&SF ‹ Scott Edelman

26713

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Amy @lolennui.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

without Bloopee, the ai assistant who takes vials of my blood every night for unspecified reasons, could you do this??! (finds a pizza place nearby that’s open)

118823

Reposted by Paolo Bacigalupi

Amy @lolennui.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

(the pasta primavera recipe I ask for makes mustard gas) bloopee! you little rascal

421810