iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The second stand-alone, also published by @echobirdpress.bsky.social is the most recent. "The Artifact" It's a YA novel about a young woman raised in an insular patriarchal cult colony, discovering the realities of the galaxy. There's a sequel to this coming, too. maxwellpearl.com/the-artifact/

Book cover: "The Artifact" with rings (jump gates) and planets, with space ships.

The first stand-alone was published by @echobirdpress.bsky.social , and is called "Friends with Wings". It is the only novel so far that includes dystopian realities, but most of the book takes place on another planet. maxwellpearl.com/friends-with...

Book cover "Friends with Wings" a forest scene with wings in the foreground

The third series, called "The House Trageri Saga" has my favorite imaginary societal/governmental system. A combination of monarchy and democracy with central tenets of autonomy, choice, and competency, combined with polyamorous marriage. It was fun to invent. maxwellpearl.com/the-house-tr...

Book cover, "House Trageri Omnibus" Becoming Queen and The Colonists, with a woman with short-cropped hair and a bow and arrows

The second series, "The Cassiopeia Chronicles" is 2 novels, now printed in one volume. It is a space opera that includes a non-binary asteroid hunter and their band of colleagues, friends, and enemies, and first contact with two alien species. The third novel in this series will happen someday.

Book cover, "The Cassiopeia Chronicles": The Right Asteroid, and The Saturn Moon

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I've published three series, and two stand-alone books. The longest series is called "The Casitian Universe Series" This series spans 6 novels, and over 3000 years of time. maxwellpearl.com/the-casitian...

Four book covers: "The Casitian Universe Omnibus" , "The Expedition", "The Casitians, A History" and "The Human Family" Covers are mostly blue, with some pictures of earth, and assorted things.

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 08/05/2026

Might I suggest one of these, Brian?

Volkswagen ID Buzz Van Orange Bottom, White Top

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 31/03/2026

Today is Trans Day of Visibility, and here is my #TDOV post. Here I am in 2016 and 2026. More about me and my writing here: maxwellpearl.com

Two pictures next to each other of the same Black person 10 years apart. To the left is a person in a blue sweater, low afro, no facial hair. On the right, a bald person with facial hair and glasses.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 19/03/2026

My first 3D print in probably 9 years or so. I had an old-school Makerbot printer that I abandoned only a few months after I started. This generation of 3D printers in comparison are... well, frankly there is no comparison.

Bed of Bambu labs bed with small boat 3D print

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 24/02/2026

I'm glad folks are studying this - more needs to be done. It's important.

A new study by researchers at the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) introduces the concept of “cognitive surrender,” our tendency to adopt AI outputs with “minimal scrutiny,” overriding “both intuition and deliberation.” I’ve read it, and the findings, although unsurprising, are still quite scary.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 14/11/2025

I have actually read both of these...

Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Sower book cover. Black woman with earth near her heart, moon in background.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 20/10/2025

Home again after six months living on and off in Seattle. Enjoying the quiet but missing the energy and community.

Grass in foreground with green bushes, then ridges, and finally sky in the background.

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 10/10/2025

This is a great article. I love this quote. So true!

This is the age of hubris — a time in which we are going to watch stupid, powerful and rich men fuck up their legacies by finding a technology so vulgar in its costs and mythical outcomes that it drives the avaricious insane and makes fools of them.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 24/09/2025

Yay, it's Fat Bear Week!! explore.org/fat-bear-week

Fat Bear Week poster with bears in the foregrround eating salmon, and a bracket with different bears to vote for.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 21/09/2025

With all of the rapture talk, I can't help but think of this great opening scene from Six Feet Under.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 18/09/2025

This article, which is worth a read, points out something I've been harping on. The problem is, there literally would be no AI if the LLMs didn't "exploit our tendency to attribute humanlike qualities to others" - that is pretty much all they are capable of doing. www.wired.com/story/ai-psy...

Experts agree that delusions among patients are an issue that demands attention. It all comes down to how chatbots communicate. They exploit our tendency to attribute humanlike qualities to others, explains Matthew Nour, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Oxford

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 14/09/2025

I know you are a troll, but here you go...

“I can’t stand the word empathy, actually,” he said. “I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that does a lot of damage.”

Charlie Kirk:
"Black women do not have brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person's slot."

We need to have a Nuremberg-style trial for every gender-affirming clinic doctor. We need it immediately.

– The Charlie Kirk Show, 1 April 2024

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 03/08/2025

Not too bad, Blueskyroast.com. Except I don't have a love/hate relationship with AI, I have a hate/hate relationship with AI. I obviously post way too much about AI and way too little about my writing!!!

Max PearlBluesky
Max Pearl
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Black, Trans, Queer, mulit-genre writer. Ph.D. Neuroscience. MFA student Antioch University

https://maxwellpearl.com
https://overlappingmagisteria.com

Max Pearl: The Neuroscience of Wit and Wisdom
A multifaceted thinker unraveling the complexities of life, society, and tech with a side of sass.

"
Like a caffeinated philosopher at a punk rock show, blending intellect with irreverence.

"
92.5%
Authenticity
89%
Thought Leader
Key Topics
95%
AI and Technology
90%
Social Justice and Community

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 02/08/2025

At Creswell, OR, again. Has good charging station, and great bakery.

She'll sign saying "cash back per gallon" and other language, with Exit 216

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 16/07/2025

First up at OSF with @tarakfarrell.bsky.social : August Wilson's Jitney. Loving it so far (it's intermission.)

Sideways view of a theatrical program of the play Jitney by August Wilson at OSF

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 27/05/2025

Another day, another 1,000 words. And before 1:00 in the afternoon.

Dialog box. Leaving Mars Project targets. Session target 1,028 out of 1,000 words.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 24/05/2025

This is going to be an interesting Pride month. Do LGBTQIA+ orgs pretend it's just another June, or will they use this moment to uplift the most marginalized members of our community? Positive Images, a Sonoma County org, has decided to step out of #SonomaCounty Pride, which is the right thing!

We want to share an important update about Sonoma County Pride 2025. After thoughtful consideration, Positive Images has made the decision not to participate in the Sonoma County Pride parade or festival this year. We know that Pride events hold deep meaning for many in our community, and we want to offer transparency around this decision.

Over the past year, we have been in ongoing conversations with community partners and the Sonoma County Pride Board about concerns related to accessibility, safety, and inclusivity—particularly for our most marginalized community members, including Queer and Trans people of color. These conversations have raised a number of issues, including the prominent platforming of police and law enforcement in the event, a lack of accommodations for undocumented individuals, disabled and neurodivergent community members, young families, and elders, and a continued pattern of sidelining partner organizations like the NAACP, whose voices and leadership deserve greater priority.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 21/05/2025

Not bad for today. I might squeeze some more in later.

Leaving Mars Project Targets
8914 out of 50,000
Session Target
1630 out of 1000 words

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 05/05/2025

At one point, many years ago, I commissioned some character sketches from an artist on DeviantArt that I can no longer find. I would love to commission some sketches from another artist. The style is semi-realistic. If you know someone (or are an artist) who works in this style please hit me up!

Character sketch of a dark-skinned, full-figured woman with kinky hair, a yellow flowy dress, and a white scarf.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 25/04/2025

Every once in a while I check clearsky.app, and it turns out, I'm on this blocklist. I find this fascinating.

AI Disinformation

Personal mute list. People who have spread disinformation and sensationalist claims about AI, LLMs, machine learning, diffusion models, etc. I do not wish to see these people in my feeds. Neither a pro nor anti AI list. Excludes academic, constructive & critical perspectives (as best as possible).

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 18/04/2025

I have a book coming out next month, called "The Artifact", from @echobirdpress.bsky.social. A while ago, when I was still working on the book, I commissioned some character sketches, and I dug them out and thought I'd share them. I introduce you to Tristan, Melinda, and Kerry.

Three character sketches of three women. Tristan on the far left, wearing slacks and a shirt with a diagonal set of buttons, Melinda in the middle, dark-skinned woman with a short afro, and green trousers, and Kerry, wearing coveralls and a utility belt.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 27/03/2025

Reskeet a photo someone took of you that you don’t hate

Picture of Black man in the SF Japanese garden with a pond, trees, and building in the background.

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 26/03/2025

My car dealership has more security than this White House.

Glass door with sign that says "Secure Document Area" and a combo lock.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 22/03/2025

Post a fictional place you wish was real

Image of Star Trek's Deep Space 9 station and the wormhole in the background.

Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 11/03/2025

Are you a #writer of optimistic #sciencefiction? Do you write #hopepunk, #solarpunk, or some related sub-genre? We would love you to submit to this anthology to be published by @echobirdpress.bsky.social ! I look forward to reading your cool stories! echobirdpress.com/visions-anth...

Visions: A hopeful anthology of science fiction stories. Submissions due May 31, 2025. Text background faces and stars.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 05/03/2025

This kind of thing feels important in these times. @echobirdpress.bsky.social is publishing an anthology I'm editing, called "Visions of New Futures: A Hopeful Anthology of Science Fiction Stories" Details for submissions here: echobirdpress.com/visions-anth... Please spread the word!

Blue sky in background, green hills with futuristic looking buildings, foreground has a tree with a ship launching, then two femme figures, one natural, one metallic.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 03/03/2025

Got these proofs in the mail. Happy that they will be available in paper again (have been in eBook format for a long time.)

Two book covers from Maxwell Pearl: The Casitian Universe Omnibus, with earth background, moon and stars, and The Expedition, with hands with chain, and earth background. Books are on desk with other items in background.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 24/02/2025

Almost 20 years ago, I started my first novel, created from a story that had been in my head for years. I love that original work, and I have evolved as a writer. That original work has spawned a bit of a personal industry. :-) I finally finished the prequel. Here's the cover. Coming in mid-March.

Book cover: The Casitians: A History. The Casitian Universe Series, Volume V. By Maxwell Pearl. The cover depicts a herd of cows in the African Sahel, with a person, and a background of a cuniform tablet.

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Max Pearl 🏳️‍⚧️ @pearlbear.com · 22/02/2025

I'm curious about something. The app "Goods Unite Us" seems to have different data than @opensecrets.org. For example, see below about LL Bean. Why are they so different? The Goods Unite Us seems to be getting a lot of traction now, but is their data reliable?

Political contributions by LL Bean from Goods Unite Us. 40% Democrat, 60% Republican

Contributions by LL Bean according to Open Secrets. Kamala Harris 26,000 at the top.