iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

The Society of Authors @societyofauthors.bsky.social · 17h

Share your experiences in the Global Authors' Earnings Survey. This landmark international survey aims to build a clearer picture of authors' and translators' earnings, providing vital evidence to support advocacy, inform policy and drive change buff.ly/JEqax6T

buff.ly

International Authors Forum

A forum for Authors' Organisations

115

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

Yes! The joy of books/comics/moves/artetc is the joy of the unexpected. We say we want the same things, but what we really want is to experience the same unexpected emotional reactions. But that's harder to define than repeating a sequence with slight variations, which is all AI can really do.

000

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

The Edinburgh Bookshop @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

#Edinburgh peeps, your reminder that we have @ianrankin1.bsky.social 's hometown gig for his eagerly-awaited new novel, The Heights, at the Assembly Rooms next Wednesday, 14th www.tickettailor.com/events/theed... #Edimbourg #books #livres

13210

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

Free Cats Daily😻 @freecatsdaily.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Fire breathing cat #Cat #Caturday

232141691601

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

🌈Dr. Frizzle @swilua.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

In other news, I spent a couple hours learning about the math involved in large language models and I AM SO MAD! IT IS LITERALLY JUST SPICY AUTOFILL IDKY I THOUGHT THE DIP$h!+s IN MY OLD PROGRAMMING CLASSES WOULD BE SMARTER THAN THEY ARE THEY ARE LITERALLY JUST WORSHIPPING A REFLECTION OF HUMANITY

2754882

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

Dr Dean Burnett @drdeanburnett.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

"By using AI, tasks like essays that used to take hours can be completed in minutes!" Sure, like how if I arrive at the gym and immediately go for a shower, my workout is done in record time. And if I throw my sandwiches straight in the bin, I can finish my lunch in under 10 seconds.

7070041916

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

We've just started watching YOUTH on HBO Max -- and while it wasn't on my radar prior to @lesleymcdowell.bsky.social pressing play, I'm now very taken with some its frankly spot-on observations about the madness of publishing (also lovely cheeky @canongate.co.uk cameo in the Frankfurt ep!)

010

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Book festivals, please, PLEASE don’t use AI to write author bios and book descriptions. Currently, I am being advertised as attending a festival next month for a talk about a book that doesn’t exist…

1724357

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

Ian Rankin @ianrankin1.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Hometown gig! Dangerously close to the Oxford Bar! Less than two weeks away…

38710

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If there's a way to mess up tech I will always find it! Thank you for being a most excellent interviewee! And again congrats on a brilliant new book!

010

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A formative text for me -- @brookmyre.bsky.social's debut was the one that showed me Scottish writing could break the rules in style! If you aint read it yet, you need to do so now!

010

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Off on the road (well, rails) now to @ffmaddingcrowd.bsky.social for a chat with Sir @ianrankin1.bsky.social about his stonkingly excellent new book, THE HEIGHTS!

Russel in his office holding up a copy of THE HEIGHTS by Ian Rankin.

380

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Exactly. This is such a lie. Email had a purpose. The internet had a purpose. Search had a purpose. Everybody loved Silicon Valley in the 90s because they made shit that did what it promised. Now 3 guys who never made SHIT have ALL the money in SV. They're scam artists. Not engineers.

382720610

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I mean, I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure all those notices of "this cat does not belong in X business but turns up all the time, please do not move/disturb etc" are AI generated bollocks given they all look and sound the same with variations and I have NEVER seen a sign like that in reality.

000

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The thing I never realised about ADHD is the "time blindness" thing which is killer when you're freelance because you think you have all the time in the world and can take on all these brilliant projects and then you realise they're all due tomorrow morning... *panics in ADHD*

static.klipy.com

Don'T Panic Don'T Panic Mabel Mora

ALT: Don'T Panic Don'T Panic Mabel Mora

110

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

One of my absolute favourite 70s crime movies and criminally under-discussed... if you haven't seen it, you really, really need to do so right now!

000

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

That @ianrankin1.bsky.social event @ffmaddingcrowd.bsky.social is sold out but there are reserve lists just in case -- see below post and their website! Very much looking forward to this; twa Fifers thegether on stage discussing books an' that!

010

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Read CRONE a couple of weeks back and LOVED IT (Must post recent-reads catch up soon; so many books I need to yell about!)... Just ADORED this mix of Woodrell-esque rural noir and pure horror... brilliantly done and utterly utterly engrossing...

010

Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

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

120

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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

2922217

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

020

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

Didn't know it was an 87th Precinct one so going to be VERY interesting to see how much the film diverged from the source (I suspect a lot...) (But that's good -- films should be their own thing I think; I don't believe that we just want the same experience book to screen really)

000

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

Yes, I tend to as well -- altho obviously I was going mad cos it is in print and yet for some reason wasn't coming up when I was searching earlier... But always hurrah for ABE (I also use in the UK World of Books to try and find affordable copies where I can, too!)

100

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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.

0827

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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

Daily Peanuts!

0348

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

010

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!)

084

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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

I give up. I’m moving into a cave.

743490676

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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.

641238371

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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

091

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

(One final HBII thought before I go back to work -- I had forgotten that every time I see it, "I Can't Smile Without You" gets stuck in my head for bloody days... the HB/Abe drunk scenes remain unexpected and excellently funny)

static.klipy.com

Hellboy: I Need To Care For Her

ALT: Hellboy: I Need To Care For Her

010

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

(I think he may be one of my favourite directors, tbh -- I was in love from when I first caught a late night screening of CRONOS on ch4 back in the 90s)

static.klipy.com

Guillermo Del Toro Absolute Cinema

ALT: Guillermo Del Toro Absolute Cinema

210

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

110

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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.

118851

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)...

000

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

Used to pass the road sign when I was commuting between Glasgow & Dundee and just had to use it!

120

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

Yup he was a thug who appeared in MOTHERS OF THE DISAPPEARED & FATHER CONFESSOR. Think I might have added an "e" the end of his surname tho... its such a great name and glad others have found inspiration from it too!

220

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!

110

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."

static.klipy.com

Man's Crazy Laughing Face

ALT: Man's Crazy Laughing Face

040

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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."

232

Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean

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…

210614

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

Oho, yes, I should! But which shelf to choose? Which shelf? (immediately distracted from work by the question posed...) (immediately shakes fist @lavietidhar.bsky.social for distracting him) (despite knowing he was looking for a distraction the whole time)....

100