Sign in

William "My Gray" Shunn

@shunn.net
592 followers 557 following 784 posts

Writer • Puzzlemaker • Hugo/Nebula Nominee • Author of THE ACCIDENTAL TERRORIST • That Manuscript Format Guy • @sbsolver.com • @tylogr.am • NYC • He/him/Bill • lnk.bio/shunn

PostsRepliesMedia
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 14/09/2026
In creating word puzzles, I love stumbling across weird phenomena like the fact that “airworthy” and “Rita Hayworth” share the same eight constituent letters. (Yes, this is technically a @tylogr.am spoiler, but that puzzle isn’t scheduled until 2033 so hopefully you’ll have forgotten this by then.)
tylogr.am
TYLOGRAM - The Diabolical Sliding Word Puzzle Challenge
Tylogram is the diabolical sliding word puzzle challenge where you make words from a set of eight letters, then slide tiles to maximize your score! Find the pangram and earn ranks like Master Wordsmit...
150
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Alchemical: A Literary Journal of the Speculative @alchemicaljournal.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Alchemical is now open for submissions! We seek short fiction (1,000 to 5,000 words of speculative-literary fiction), as well as essays (on the craft of writing or the magic of writing), one-shot graphic narratives, and cover art. No submission fees. www.alchemicaljournal.com/submissions
alchemicaljournal.com
Submissions | alchemicaljournal
183
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 13/09/2026
I ordered a vegan BLT with jalapeños and a side of fries, as I have on previous occasions. I assume AI fulfilled my order this time because here is how it arrived.
A container of french fries topped with jalapeños. What’s up with that?
180
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 11/09/2026
An unpublished horror story I wrote in February 2002, trying to capture the awfulness of 9/11 and its aftermath. Every trigger warnings applies. shunn.substack.com/p/the-two-to...
shunn.substack.com
The Two Towers
What really happened on 9/11? Louisa Thorne, Intrepid Girl Reporter, gets to the bottom of a story no one will want to publish. Horror fiction.
031
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Peter Anthony Holder @paholder.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
From The StuphFile Program, a 30-second YouTube clip from a longer interview with Bill Shunn @shunn.net an author and puzzle maker. He is the creator of the bi-weekly game, Tylogram, plus, he’s the creator of The Spelling Bee Solver
youtube.com
Bill Shunn - Tylogram
YouTube video by Peter Anthony Holder
011
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 08/09/2026
Hey, look, it's really happening! My story collection SCOURING THE DEEP SKIES is coming out from Fairwood Press next year! fairwoodpress.com/forthcoming....
fairwoodpress.com
Forthcoming
FORTHCOMING in 2027: ​ Jonathan Lethem, James Patrick Kelly, & John Kessel:  NINETY PERCENT OF EVERYTHING James Van Pelt:   SLOW DANCE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND OTHER IMAGININGS LaShawn M....
173
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 04/09/2026
Thinking back on the freelance jobs I’ve worked, I’m pretty sure I was fired from one for insisting they actually pay me on time according to the contract we had signed.
120
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 25/08/2026
More of the silly, dangerous games young missionaries play in lieu of just making out. shunn.substack.com/p/the-fast-a...
shunn.substack.com
The Fast and the Felonious
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t screech off in someone else’s car every once in a while, you might just miss it.
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 19/08/2026
Oh, I kill myself sometimes.
060
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Happy birthday to @shunn.net, the writer behind what's come to be known the “Shunn format." Join us for durian ice cream on an episode of Eating the Fantastic and discover how his post-Clarion home life was haunted by Ray Bradbury — plus much more. www.scottedelman.com/2023/06/02/w...
Bill across the table from me holding up a crispy mushroom on the end of his fork.
0122
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 14/08/2026
On a memorable night in 1987, two cocky young missionaries snatch defeat from the overstuffed jaws of victory. A favorite outtake from my memoir. dogb.us/gluttons
dogb.us
Gluttons for Punishment
In an epic self-own, two young Mormon missionaries snatch agonizing defeat from the jaws of victory. And then must eat every last crumb of it.
171
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 09/08/2026
I’m not sure what gave us the right, but we cut a hole in the roof of the world and clambered through it into a realm of birds and ballads and lost frisbees. A poem for the summer of ’81. dogb.us/tower
dogb.us
Tower of Daedalus
I’m not sure what gave us the right, but we cut a hole in the roof of the world and clambered through it into a realm of birds and ballads and lost frisbees. A poem for the summer of ’81.
020
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 03/08/2026
On forty years of Rush concerts, and some of the odd memories that brings back. shunn.substack.com/p/our-memori...
shunn.substack.com
Our Memories Remind Us, Maybe Mine Is Not So Bad
The 1975 Rush song “Making Memories” is about learning to embrace life as a touring band. In New York City tonight, I'll embrace a lifetime of memories from the audience side.
020
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 15/07/2026
It stopped working a few years ago after an ImageMagick upgrade, but I’m happy to report that I’ve finally gotten my Accidental Terrorist Missionary Name Tag Generator working again. www.shunn.net/nt/10/1/Heis...
shunn.net
Make Your Own Missionary Name Tag | William Shunn
The official site for Hugo and Nebula Award nominated science fiction writer William Shunn. Contains stories, essays, games, and deconstructions of Mormon theology.
130
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 15/07/2026
Among the absurdities of modern life: Carefully placing a seat protector in an airport restroom only to have the automatic flush mechanism whisk it away before you can be seated.
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 14/07/2026
A new post about manuscript formatting and submission. dogb.us/withholding
dogb.us
Withholding Personally Identifiable Information
Many writers feel unsafe putting their real names and contact information on their manuscript submissions. Is there any way around this requirement?
020
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 14/07/2026
This morning in Biddeford, Maine, a 26-year-old man said goodbye to his wife and daughter and left for work. Moments later he was dead, shot in the head by ICE agents, the second man ICE has killed in six days. ICE is killing our neighbors. ICE cannot be reformed. Abolish ICE.
10686502320324
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 08/07/2026
I’m happy to be able to share this story about my friend David Mills, the hardest-working poet I know. His extraordinary books BONEYARN and UNHIRED HANDS give voices to enslaved people who died and were buried in Manhattan, the Bronx, and points north. andscape.com/features/dav...
andscape.com
David Mills’ poetry excavates American history - Andscape
Poet David Mills' newest book, Unhired Hands, is a unique historical fiction inspired by his visits to New York City's African Burial Ground.
011
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 06/07/2026
When XTC contemplate an interstellar tour, are they making plans for Rigel?
060
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 06/07/2026
When XTC contemplate a heavy meal, are they making plans for Di-Gel?
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 04/07/2026
I’ll take it.
New York Times crossword puzzle result: “You finished a Saturday puzzle in 8:47.”
040
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 30/06/2026
Yes, I apostatized on my own -- not for lack of trying to provoke a bishop's court to convene! There's plenty of uncomfortable interaction with higher-ups in my book, but the only court is civil.
040
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 30/06/2026
I just read Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground for the first time, and wow, do I feel seen in the most discomfiting way.
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 28/06/2026
Wordle 1,835 5/6* ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yeesh
130
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Michael Ian Black @michaelianblack.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
I remember it well!
1463
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 14/05/2026
New on Substack! In which, ten years ago, I throw a @michaelianblack.bsky.social watch party, while concealing the party’s true purpose from my guests. dogb.us/private
dogb.us
The Night I Risked Private Humiliation
Ten years ago tonight, the standup comedy special “Michael Ian Black: Noted Expert” debuted on Epix. I had spent the previous six months wondering if I would be in it.
071
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 12/05/2026
New on Substack! In 2015 I was faced with the sudden opportunity to fulfill a long-standing narcissistic fantasy. Would I triumph or would I utterly choke? dogb.us/public
dogb.us
The Night I Beat Public Intoxication
No, I wasn’t drunk that night. But faced with the chance to fulfill a longstanding secret fantasy, I got by with a little help from my friends.
131
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 06/05/2026
Check out the latest fab newsletter from @scarequotes.com, which delves into memorable moviegoing experiences. buttondown.com/scarequotes/...
buttondown.com
Absolute cinema!
“Is it any good? Let's find out together!” I couldn’t resist that line at the end of an email from the Hollywood Theatre. So a couple of weeks ago my wife...
031
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 22/04/2026
If you’re near Brooklyn this Saturday, come out to Bay Ridge for a fun event! I’ll be reading from an unpublished short story, and you’ll be reading from your favorite book. shunn.substack.com/p/saturday-a...
shunn.substack.com
Saturday, April 25: Book Karaoke in Brooklyn
This newly revived series at the BookMark Shoppe in Bay Ridge asks audience members to come prepared to read passage from a favorite book.
051
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 14/04/2026
Excellent thoughts on movies and meditation. buttondown.com/scarequotes/...
buttondown.com
I can't stand the quiet!
On Peter Hujar's Day, mindfulness, and the art of paying attention. How learning to meditate taught me to let movies be boring — and why that's a gift.
020
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 01/04/2026
Today’s the day! For the first time in 38 years, hear “The Wenatchee Rap” the way it was always meant to be heard. Restored audio and thoroughly annotated lyrics. It’s funny, it’s sincere, it's cryptic, it’s cringe. dogb.us/eighteen
dogb.us
The Eighteen Rapping Missionaries You Were Warned About
It’s April Fools’ but don’t you call us counterfeit, ’cuz we’re eighteen illin’ missionaries ready to spit. Presenting the remixed and annotated “Wenatchee Rap.”
010
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 31/03/2026
As leaders of an LDS mission zone in 1988, my companion and I decided we wanted to do something different with our group than just play another long day of basketball. What we made instead would soon be heard on contraband cassette players all over the mission. dogb.us/thatswhy
dogb.us
And That’s Why We’re Doin’ the Wenatchee Rap
On a sunny day in 1988, eighteen young Mormon missionaries invaded a recording studio in central Washington state. You won’t believe how things “rapped” up!
050
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 26/03/2026
I didn’t even realize it, but a week ago I set a personal record for a Thursday crossword. @nytimes.com @nytgames.bsky.social
230
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 23/03/2026
New at Substack: What happens when an irresistible absolutism meets an immovable belief? One or the other is going to bend. dogb.us/father
dogb.us
“I’m Like My Father That Way”
My father always spoke his mind, especially when there was nothing good to gain from it. I didn’t realize I’d inherited the trait until his funeral.
020
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 21/03/2026
How many movies have you seen in your lifetime? How many would you like to? My friend @scarequotes.com has some answers.
buttondown.com
Mr. 3000
As of the moment I click "publish," I've seen 2,994 unique films in my life, according to Letterboxd. (Tonight Nadja becomes 2,995.) different Nadja, still a...
131
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 13/03/2026
Glad to see I'm not the only freak who thought this was a good idea!
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 13/03/2026
New on Substack: In another unexpurgated chapter from the earliest complete draft of my memoir, I revisit my last Sunday before entering boot camp for Mormon missionaries. dogb.us/alien
dogb.us
I Was a Teenage Space Alien
An old cassette tape prompts questions about the limits of memory and the malleability of the past. Also, an unexpected friend turns up at the last possible moment.
021
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 08/03/2026
Apparently this was a super hard one today? Connections Puzzle #1001 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦
010
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 06/03/2026
New on Substack: Some thoughts about a decade-old novel that really amount to thoughts about a week-old war. dogb.us/clocks
dogb.us
Book Talk: The Bone Clocks
What a fanciful novel about an age-old war between two groups of immortal foes has to say about living through conflicts bigger than any lone human life.
130
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 17/02/2026
My father, who passed away in 2008, would have turned ninety today. I inherited his Hummel figurine of St. George fighting the dragon, and I wrote this poem about it. dogb.us/dragon
dogb.us
Sympathy for the Dragon
They battled on my father's mantel more than half a century ago. Now they battle atop my writing desk. The conflict looks much different to me now than it did then.
030
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 13/02/2026
In observance of Friday the 13th, I posted an old short story of mine on Substack. shunn.substack.com/p/a-strong-p...
shunn.substack.com
A Strong Premonition of Death Struck Me This Morning
Some days, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t shake that sense of impending doom. Fiction for a Friday the thirteenth.
040
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 02/02/2026
When I lived in Denver, I met a group of federal employees who embodied what it means to labor for a better nation. The Trump administration has tried to erase them and their work. dogb.us/mint
dogb.us
Mint Conditions
A display of United States quarters brings back memories of an extraordinary group of federal employees in Colorado.
030
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 25/01/2026
Absolute banger of a comment on r/military: www.reddit.com/r/Military/c...
jaderemedy • 4h ago
And now comes the most nauseating part of this whole goddamn mess: the hypocrisy. The same loud-mouthed idiots who spent years screaming about tyranny are suddenly dead fucking silent, or worse, cheering, now that it's their side doing it. "ThEy'Re cOminG fOr OuR gUnS!" "GoVerNMenT oVerReAch!" "ShAll nOt bE inFrinGeD!" All that chest-thumping bullshit evaporated the second armed federal agents started terrorizing people they don't like.
Let me get this straight: a civilian gets shot dead by federal agents, and the only thing you brainless cunts can muster is
"well, DHS says he had a gun"? THAT'S your red line? Guns are sacred when they're strapped to your waist, but magically become a death sentence when they're used as a post-hoc excuse by the government? Either the Second Amendment applies to everyone, or you never believed in it at all. Fucking pick one and own it.
This is exactly what tyranny looks like, by the way. Not jackboots marching in formation, but armed agents roaming neighborhoods, stopping people, killing civilians, and then daring the public to question it. Tyranny is execution followed by a press release. Tyranny is labeling the dead a "threat" so the state doesn't have to explain why someone's life just ended in the street. Tyranny is demanding obedience while shredding due process and calling it order.
And all you so-called "freedom lovers" are fucking fine with it, as long as it's brown people, immigrants, protesters, or anyone you've already dehumanized. Turns out "don't tread on me" actually meant "tread on them." You weren't afraid of tyranny.
You were afraid of losing dominance. There's a difference, and this moment exposes it completely.
"Just comply" isn't a principle. It's cowardice dressed up as common sense. It's the language of people who have already accepted that the state gets to decide who deserves rights and who doesn't. And once you make that deal, don't act shocked when the line moves, because it always fuckin…
9295533304
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Laurel Krahn @windowseat.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Watching that video of ICE breaking the windows of those observers (Mother Jones thing I reposted) and I just . . . there are so many things fucked up about all of this, but it's still jarring that they just bust people's windows and drag them from their vehicles. WTF. Happens all the time! WTF!
2292
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 21/01/2026
When Metamucilini finally kicks it, the riderless horse should have a pair of bonespurs braces backwards in the stirrups.
020
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 17/01/2026
NYTimes crossword app screenshot: Congratulations! You finished a Saturday puzzle in 8:03. 432 day streak. 13:05 faster than your average.
140
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 12/01/2026
In this clip from a longer interview, she says while she was in detention, agents called Renee Good a “lesbian b*tch.” This video belongs to @statuscoupnews.bsky.social and I’ll take it down if they want me to. 2/2
4735661326
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 10/01/2026
We lost David Bowie ten years ago today. This is what I originally posted the morning the news broke. dogb.us/bowie
dogb.us
Planet Earth Is Blue and There’s Nothing I Can Do
David Bowie has been gone now for ten years. As an artist he was always conscious of his mortality, even if we were not. I remember those illusions fondly.
152
Reposted by William "My Gray" Shunn
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 10/01/2026
This is really a moment where anyone who 1) has ever said they would have resisted the Nazis in Germany and 2) watches these videos and tries to justify the shooting should look in the mirror and realize how full of shit they are.
021
William "My Gray" Shunn @shunn.net · 08/01/2026
What happened today in Minneapolis is horrifying and disgusting. This is what happens when unchecked rules with, and is ruled by, hate and fear. Take a $50,000 signing bonus, lose your soul. Fuck ICE.
370