iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 6h

Lots to do and zero motivation today... I just want to lounge around and watch repeats of NYPD Blue and read books...

static.klipy.com

Moro

ALT: Moro

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Kenny Logins @kennylogins.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Unwinder
@unwinder.bsky.social
Generative Al has helped me to understand why, in Star Wars, the droids seem to have personalities but are generally bad at whatever they're supposed to be programmed to do, and everyone is tired of their shit and constantly tells them to shut up
May 10, 2025 at 1:21 AM

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I am going mad -- I got utterly confused when posting about Chan Park-Wook's excellent NO OTHER CHOICE earlier belieiving it to be based on Ed McBain's AX when in fact it was based on Donald E Westlake's THE AX. In fairness I am on steroids and suffering insomnia just now so...

static.klipy.com

No Other Choice Park Chan-wook

ALT: No Other Choice Park Chan-wook

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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 926: Don’t try to control every stage of the process. Make room for other people to do their job; and make room for surprise and spontaneity when doing yours.

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📚Melissa Amateis 🦊 @ww2historygal.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Daily Peanuts!

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

5 favourite British films…as of right now: CENSOR (Prano Bailey-Bond) WITHNAIL AND I (Bruce Robinson) DEAD MAN'S SHOES (Shane Meadows) SAINT MAUD (Rose Glass) GET CARTER (Mike Hodges) #FilmSky

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Simply, one of the best films ever made -- if you haven't seen it, you need to remedy that ASAP (And @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social is a good place to do that!)

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I give up. I’m moving into a cave.

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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A cash-strapped rural police force struggles to deal with Red Diesel gangs. Until its chief inspector realises can get the Met Police to deal with the problem... ...if he pretends they're Iranian. A new six part comedy starring Toby Jones.

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Titan Books @titanbooks.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

From the author of Diavola comes “Saltburn with werewolves” in a darkly hilarious new novel about dysfunctional families, class, and other things that howl at the moon… 🩸 NEWBOURNE PARK by Jennifer Thorn is out today! tinyurl.com/bdcpww4u

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

rewatched HELLBOY II (2008, dir. @realgdt.bsky.social) last night on blu ray, and what struck me more than anything is just how beautiful his films are -- even those that should technically be "franchise" movies. The love and care in design (& character) just explodes even on the smaller screen.

static.klipy.com

Prince Nuada in Hellboy II: The Golden Army

ALT: Prince Nuada in Hellboy II: The Golden Army

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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Crucially these contractors are not hired to filter out offensive content. They are hired to report whether Copilot successfully made a good AI image. So if the request is, make this person's breasts larger, they have to review based on whether it did or not. Insane www.404media.co/humans-readi...

These contractors are not being hired to flag or vet offensive or inappropriate content. They are being paid to review the quality of Copilot’s output, including in these cases of sexual imagery.
“Who is writing these prompts and who is deciding that basically generating porn is what Copilot is now focused on? It’s hard to take things seriously when my focus has to be what model generated the appropriate bust size or which middle aged woman was put in the appropriate sexually suggestive position,” one contractor said in the thread.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I mean, what fresh hell is this? (I say fresh, but it is, as with most things "AI" related at the moment, just the old hell freshly warmed over and given a newly invasive coat of paint)...

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Vaguepost but today is going rubbish so far. Send all the good vibes!

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Also boo today -- hoped I'd avoided after-cold lung issues but now having to see doctor. Blah. (But you can help me feel better -- buy my books!)

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The dreaded Freelancer email: "we have changed our invoicing systems the moment you sent your invoice. Please forward the DNA of your firstborn & perform a sacrifice to the elder Gods before we are able to process your payment at a date which may be some time after the apocalypse or perhaps later."

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Man's Crazy Laughing Face

ALT: Man's Crazy Laughing Face

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Lavie Tidhar @lavietidhar.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"Generative models don't "feel" sadness or warmth; they just recognize that pairing specific words like frail, trembling, coffee, passed away, and locket in a certain sequence triggers a predictable neurochemical response in a human reader."

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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 333: If one project is flagging, try working on another. It may just give you the momentum to need to get the first one off the ground…

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Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Just seen Danny Tommo referred to as "Captain Thugwash" and seriously, that's excellent work.

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Amy Poehler's Perfect Chef's Kiss

ALT: Amy Poehler's Perfect Chef's Kiss

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Cautiously trying to get back to work (at least in part) today. Still not actually clear of this cold thing (after SIX DAYS now) but can at least type, think some connected thoughts, and drink coffee again... So that means I can at least respond to a few emails... maybe...

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Grumpy Cat: Back To Work

ALT: Grumpy Cat: Back To Work

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Lower than usual reads/sales on self pubbed editions J McNee books this month. Still proud of my first five novels so if you or anyone you know fancies Scottish PI noir (THE GOOD SON shortlisted for debut novel Shamus Awards 20210) give these a whirl: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0822L7CP... #booksky

amazon.co.uk

J McNee

Visit Amazon's J McNee Page and shop for all J McNee books. Check out pictures, author information, and reviews of J McNee

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Absolutely bloody LOVED this one! A dangerous road trip fuelled by dark humour and a suspicious sofa, its Tuomainen at his finest! Go read it now its out in PB!

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Unable to read over weekend due to lurgy but today was able to fire through an eARC of the forthcoming BAD COMPANY by @saraparetsky.bsky.social & it is INCREDIBLE -- former CIA Agent, Lily, is one hell of a creation and her journey to atone for the past is brilliantly compelling. (Pub date 24 Sept)

The cover of BAD COMPANY by Sara Paretsky shows an eagle flying over mountains.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I only attended one @bloodyscotland.bsky.social shindig this year & came home with a horrific cold. Boo and hiss. But it was a great party to celebrate @brookmyre.bsky.social so that makes it all worthwhile. Hoping the spreader was on the train home & not at the festival!

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Feeling Sick on the Couch

ALT: Feeling Sick on the Couch

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Finally back @dosomedamage.bsky.social after a few quiet months. No notes on recent reads or watches just because I'm easing back into life but if I can get back into it, they'll return -- in the meantime let's talk about how writers should never grow up: dosomedamage.substack.com/p/play-time?...

dosomedamage.substack.com

Play Time

After several months in the wilderness, Russel D McLean returns to talk about why writers are all children...

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

dosomedamage.substack.com

Play Time

After several months in the wilderness, Russel D McLean returns to talk about why writers are all children...

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Delilah S. Dawson @delilahsdawson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Sisters, sisters There were never such devoted sisters Never had to have a chaperone, no sir Im here to help kill him with her.... Bloom is out now, Monstera is out 10/13. Don't they look sweet together?? You can preorder here, if you're into that: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/827983...

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 18/09/2026

New #WriterBeware blog post: One writer sued their scammer...and won. The case provides a revealing window into the techniques scammers use to bleed their victims dry, and how they hide behind webs of corrupt businesses and forests of fake names, writerbeware.blog/2026/09/18/l...

writerbeware.blog

Love v. Wiley Book Writers: A Publishing Scam Gets a Rare Comeuppance - Writer Beware

Raymond Love just wanted to publish his children’s book with a trustworthy self-publishing company. Instead, he found a scam that took his money and delivered nothing of value. For most authors in thi...

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Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Crucially for many, this includes an answer to "I am not a US resident and I don’t have a US SSN or taxpayer number as demanded, what shall I do?"

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Definitely one of those days when I have to remind myself that the only thing I control is what I write -- the rest tends to be subject to events outside of my control (in other words, ninety-nine percent of publishing, especially at a low level like mine, is bloody waiting)

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

And it was almost exactly a year later I got a second box with the (now also out of print) US edition! Again, its now available in a new cover in the self published edition, but I do get a pang of nostalgia seeing these photos again!

A box of books with ADVANCE REVIEW COPIES of a book called THE LOST SISTER by Russel D McLean

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In 2009, my 2nd novel -- THE LOST SISTER -- was released! Look, here it was in a box! It's now in a new edition with a spanking new cover, amzn.eu/d/0hV6tZyC, but how odd to think that it was 17 years ago I first saw it made real thanks to the lovel Five Leaves Publishers... #booksky #crimefiction

A slightly blurry picture of a box containing copies of a book called THE LOST SISTER by Russel D McLean

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Vote for @glasgowfilmtheatre.bsky.social as cinema of the year! Why? Because it has an eclectic, brilliant mix of movies & events that run the entire gamut of the moviegoing experience, & its involved in the @glasgowfilmfest.bsky.social which is always superb... & its run by people who LOVE films.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Following recent DEADWOOD rewatch, have now started to rewatch BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2004) and a) the blu ray version look stunning but also b) despite some clunkyness in the mini series, first series proper hits the ground with impressive confidence from ep1...

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Battlestar Galactica: So Say We All

ALT: Battlestar Galactica: So Say We All

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Emily St. James @emilystjams.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Thoughts on Ponies that are really thoughts on the BUSINESS MODEL OF STREAMING TELEVISION, which I'm sure you will find enthralling.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It happens so often I'm certain if I had a Swedish publisher then I'd have thousands of readers there just based on the laws of averages of the people I email "sorry wrong address, I'm a crime writer" being curious enough to pick up the books (PS, whatever language you speak please buy my books!)

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

There is a one letter difference between my email address & that of a Swedish landscape gardener. I get so many emails & invoices for him that I respond to to inform people of their mistake. I often wonder how many emails he gets about publishing & whether he realises they're meant for me.

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Cat Translating Everything Meme

ALT: Cat Translating Everything Meme

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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Your occasional reminder that performative sneering at whole genres of fiction is not a sign of intelligence, nor is performative misery a sign of superior talent. Read what brings you joy. No-one else gets to decide or to control what that means to you.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

This really annoys me. I think the idea is that you create new viewers who go back to the old stuff, but really it just locks most people out. Just give us stories where we can see the setup and understand the conflicts within the story itself, & any prior knowledge is just a bonus.

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Lesley McDowell @lesleymcdowell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

My first Substack essay is up! On the Anti-heroine in fiction and real life: Lydia Gwilt and the Victorian Murderess substack.com/@thegwiltclu...

substack.com

The Gwilt Club: Historical Anti-Heroines in Fiction and Real Life

How far Can The Anti-Heroine Go, Before the Public Says No...Lydia Gwilt and the Victorian Murderess

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This will be excellent... what a line up and what an editor!

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Ryan Vance @ryanvance.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Fucking hell, gobsmacked by this. The Skinny’s been such a supportive part of the Scottish arts landscape for about as long as I’ve lived here, it’s bizarre to think it won’t be any longer. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Sad news -- I did some freelance work for the Skinny in years' past, including Bloody Scotland previews and a brilliantly fun interview with NYC writer Lawrence Block. www.theskinny.co.uk/music/news/t...

theskinny.co.uk

The Skinny is closing

After 20 years of independent cultural journalism and with a very heavy heart, September’s edition of The Skinny is our final issue.

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Season 3 of DEADWOOD rewatch (forgot it takes a few eps for Brian Cox to show up tho) & I had forgotten how genuinely funny the show is. Never forced, always character led & always superb. Its a show whose existence I think is easy to take for granted but it is like nothing else before or since.

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Nice Cool

ALT: Nice Cool

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Angel Luis Colón @angelluiscolon.com · 09/09/2026

Writing is hard and the business is harder. That we all need to walk on eggshells about our deals and how things work for fear of being blackballed or not looking like monster successes provides the dullards all they need to maintain the belief art and the artists have no true value.

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Angel Luis Colón @angelluiscolon.com · 09/09/2026

I remain convinced that this type of thinking is partially the result of how hard publishing and some writers worked through the years to prevent transparency about how the business works in order to keep certain folks out.

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