iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The folks at Union Square just informed me that according to Bookscan, HARLAN ELLISON'S GREATEST HITS is the #5 top-selling SF Anthology of all time, and #1 for the period from 2021-present. Over 170,000 copies in print, available here in three versions. www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/harla...

hachettebookgroup.com

Greatest Hits

A deluxe collector's edition of award-winning short stories by the eight-time Hugo Award-winner, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, four-time Nebula Award-w...

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Annnnd parts one and two of the discussion between me and Bruce Boxleitner have just gone up at YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KnT...

youtube.com

Bruce Boxleitner on Capt. John Sheridan’s Origin | Behind Babylon 5 with JMS

YouTube video by Babylon 5

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I go with Mark Twain who, noting that he was having a harder time remembering the things he did versus the things he wanted to do but didn't, or just random things: "I'm coming to a point of my life where the only things I can remember are the things that never actually happened."

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

My every relationship disproves your thesis.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

-- even that has been revised by divers hands (yes, that's spelled correctly though archaic). So in short to reply: yes, I'd forgotten, but only in part. The rest, and the best, stays with Eric, Mark and Michael Thanks to Eric Lewald who brought to light a chunk of my work I'd long ago forgotten

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

-- into production, I dumped it into a memory hole and never returned. As the innkeeper in LoTR says, "One thing pushes out another." In reviewing the bible more closely, my part of it is less than a third of the document, mainly the character descriptions (not the supplementary ones) and --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

-- very small bell began to ring down a long, dark hallway. I believe this was originally titled ExoForce or something like that, which is why I didn't connect the name to Exo Squad, and since I wasn't involved with the show beyond this point, with no sense back then that this would ever go --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

-- so it's possible this was one of them. I found the series bible online and my voice/style and fingerprints (references to I, Claudius and the British SAS motto "Who Dares, Wins" which I was shoving into damn near everything I wrote during that period) were definitely there, and gradually a --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

-- I worked with on TRGBs, so I thought, let's check this out because if Eric says I worked on this then I probably did. It's hard to be sure on some of these things because a lot of animation back then didn't always credit the writers, and I was developing a bunch of shows for studios --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Here's comedy: at first I was going to write "no," because I couldn't remember having done so, then paused. I haven't had any contact with Eric Lewald since the invention of the steam engine, but he's a reliable guy who was on the show for some time (along with Mark and Michael Edens who --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Yep. I think there are one or two other references in there as well.

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Reposted by J. Michael Straczynski

Gerry Anderson @gerryanderson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

10 authors 🚀 5 Thunderbird craft 🚀 1 FAB book With illustrations by Lee Sullivan, foreword by Jamie Anderson, and an afterword by J. Michael Straczynski... it's in stock and shipping NOW! gerryanderson.com/products/thu...

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Way too early. At this point they're only looking to hear from production companies to determine which can bring the most resources, money and other elements to the table. They won't even be talking about writers for a while yet.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A while ago I mentioned that Bruce Boxleitner and I were helping Warners with the launch of their Babylon 5 YouTube channel. As part of that, the first of three brand new half-hour-plus interviews/discussions between me and Bruce will go online on Monday. www.youtube.com/@Babylon5

youtube.com

Babylon 5

You’ve arrived at Babylon 5, the last, best hope for peace. A neutral station standing at the crossroads of galactic powers, where ambassadors, soldiers, traders, and dreamers all have a stake in the ...

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Good news! The standalone version of Harlan's story I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM, with additional essays by Harlan and other pieces, and currently a USA TODAY national bestseller, is now available to read for free for those using Kindle Unlimited. www.amazon.com/Have-Mouth-M...

amazon.com

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Singularity)

Amazon.com: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Singularity) eBook : Ellison, Harlan: Kindle Store

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Actually, Vic and Blood is a follow-on to A Boy and his Dog.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Huzzah! We knew the new standalone edition of I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM was doing well but we didn't realize just how well until today when it cracked THE USA TODAY INSTANT BEST-SELLER LIST in a very competitive month. www.usatoday.com/booklist/boo...

usatoday.com

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

The brilliant and scarily relevant short story by Harlan Ellison, an eight-time Hugo Award winner, five-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and four-time Nebula Award winner In a postapocalyptic world, fou...

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I find I lack the will to flee, I think I’ll stay, just me and thee The plume is there, a roaring cloud I’ll greet it with a comely shroud The fire comes My neighbor runs The rest have fled I’ll stay in bed And close my eyes and turn my head A final note, from we the dead.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

This year the agreed-upon menu includes pizza and profiteroles. Just saying.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Tomorrow, August 24th, is the 1,947th anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which took out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD. Check local and online listings for a commemorative dinner in your area.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I wasn't behind it, didn't create it, but I was one of the primary writers. If I included everything it would be a very very long video.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

From time to time folks will see a discussion of my work and say "I didn't know you worked on (fill in the gap)", or don't know I worked on *anything* after the 90s. Hence, this video, updated for 2026, but which doesn't have the upcoming new movies. youtu.be/w_aP30AI7ts

youtu.be

J. Michael Straczynski career reel 2026

YouTube video by Synthetic Worlds

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

What, milk chocolate Easter bunnies with caramel tears wasn't good enough for you?

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Never said or implied otherwise or even mentioned reviews.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Lastly: you're trying to make it look like "oh JMS is attacking TADC," which I'm not, it's a fine show. I'm pointing to those folks who critique AI for denying credit and payment to the writer (which it does), but watch TADC sans critique even though it does the same thing.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Because we're not talking about themes, we're talking about *story*...there's a crucial difference in terms of echoing specific storylines, literary devices and the like. Stories have themes but themes are not stories and only stories can have protection.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I didn't say that I thought they should have, because if I did, then I would have forced the issue. I didn't. I'm only pointing to the contradiction in perspectives. (The other difference is that in interviews the creator made explicitly clear that the show was directly inspired/derived from IHNM.)

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Mainly, it's just not very dramatic in a TV show. And it has the potential to become a constant deus ex machina to get your characters out of a tight place, and it shouldn't be that easy.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

That there may not be good AI critics doesn't diminish the fact that there are concerns that need to be addressed. Yeah, there have been some screed and yelley-heads here but others offered reasoned arguments. It's a tough cultural and ethical issue whichever side you're on.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I became aware of TADC relatively early and had to decide whether to take legal action over this. Honestly I think he would have liked it so I let it pass. People liked it, Harlan often said be kind to small things, and I didn't want to piss in their punchbowl.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

That is truly stunning to read. Thank you for taking the time to go through it. I may have to sit with it a bit to fully appreciate it, but for now, suffice to say: thank you.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And therein lay the problem of citing anything. I hope I didn't cause inconvenience asking you sort this out; that kind of vagueness is baked into the system. As noted in the substack essay, I'm the last person to defend AI, and wouldn't have used it except for the symmetry to pit AI against AI.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It's noteworthy that you chose to include an image from the Digital Circus, which has taken from Harlan's story without any attribution. As to the larger point: the idea was an AI response on an AI story, because of the symmetry. And as noted, this came up at the very last moment for publication.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Thank you for digging thst out, much appreciated.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Last word on this. Because the idea was an AI responding to a famous AI story, and to emphasize that the real concerns had made their way into the system itself.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I don't know how that works but will investigate. Shouldn't I ask the subscribers first in case there are some who don't want to migrate and would prefer the refund?

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

-- once I’ve figured out how to reimburse everyone who signed on. Since this can only be done one at a time it may take a bit (unless someone knows a better way). Thanks to those who took the time to send along the information.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

-- and the replies are open to all. That said, anyone so inclined should do so sooner than later because I’ve had a chance to review the links provided about the purpose and direction of Substack, which I find stunningly insupportable. Consequently I will be closing down the page --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Every discussion reaches a point where the discussion becomes *about* the discussion, the same AI-related points repeated with the same replies, which has become the case here. Further inquiries should go to the article I posted since it seems to cover most of them, it’s free --

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

If you can provide citations, now and between the second print run, I give you my word they will be included. Not being flippant.

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J. Michael Straczynski @straczynski.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And the fact that what it spat out was a Jeremiad *concerned* about the use of AI, and its potential for misuse, is what caught my attention. It means the argument is gaining traction. (And if I had to count the number of university students who "forgot" to include citations, well....)

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