iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 7h

And obviously the road will continue after PictCon, with the next stop being @eastercon2027.org, 'Unconfined', in Glasgow. I have some posts lined up to make over that period.

140

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8h

But before I get compeletely sucked in to the equivalent autumnal vortex, it's useful to remind myself that my goal was to kill conventional criticism in the name of the resistance. So, apologies to those who don't want to get behind sandbags again, but that's the way it goes sometimes...

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8h

As usual when I try and set out my position, I subsequently completely forgot that I wrote this in May. It didn't help that my April-May-June was virus-fatigue-virus-family emergency-virus-fatigue-virus-heatwave-fatigue-virus-heatwave-fatigue repeat, rinse, cycle and multiple missed deadlines.

120

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8h

Seems a good moment to repost my provisional discussion of Trace Elements and the war of position over internal/external SFF. The question for me is what price is worth paying for maintaining SFF as a counter-public sphere of 'speculative resistance'. I'm all for the semi-permeable approach!

prospectiveculture.wordpress.com

(Not)criticism for Interesting Times #4: We Need to Have the Conversation

At the end of Criticism for Interesting Times #3: SFF as History as Social Science, I noted that I was going to review the BSFA Best Novel Award shortlist ‘from the point of view of the future’ by …

131

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 22h

Damn, another book I'm gonna have to read.

030

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This is being reported by @financialtimes.com as that she herself has withdrawn her books from UK, which misrepresents the situation.

050

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Ok, got here late and only because of looking up something else, but can't pass up commenting that this is exactly the stupidity you end up with if you start subscribing to the ideology of binary 'biological reality'. Don't be stupid!

071

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This is so wrong. Bad law badly applied.

282

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

“Biological” ?????

1916819

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I will be presenting a paper, 'The Experiment that is Not "Literature": The Clarke Award and Core Genre', at this year's Science Fiction Foundation Conference, which will discuss the difference between SF becoming indistinguishable from literature and SF(F) reconceptualising what "literature" is.

0188

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Let's make art happen! We're doing AusArt Day to completely cover paying our authors at a higher rate for (at least) Jan-June 2027! Support us by clicking the link to send some money... and tell your friends! artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...

Make SI Happen. AusArt Day, 22 October 2026. Learn more.

1711

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Well, yes, but you'd have thought that was always going to have to be the case, so why take so long to come to the decision.

Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 09/10/2026

Reposted by Nick Hubble

#OtD 9 Oct 1945 the UK Labour govt defended its jailing of 226 Spanish Civil War and anti-Nazi resistance fighters, describing them as "members of an enemy paramilitary organisation". Some killed themselves, others were deported to Spain for execution stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1094...

48541

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Dan Hartland @danhartland.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

We promised you regular new reviews of older SFF - and here’s the first of many! Paul March-Russell on 1956’s Tiger! Tiger! (or The Stars My Destination, depending who you ask) by Alfred Bester: a picaresque, a revenge tragedy, a quest, a romance. Edited, of course, by @kateem.bsky.social.

strangehorizons.com

The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester

It does not have a conventional linear narrative, but instead proceeds episodically, loops back almost to its starting-point, and finishes not on a revelation but a suspension.

03416

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Enter Glorfindel... 'Every time I hear the hooves of Glorfindel’s horse approaching, which follows immediately the encounter with the stone trolls we know from The Hobbit, I think to myself, "Aha, and now we start to depart from the sequel into new territory".

prospectiveculture.wordpress.com

50-Year Reread of The Lord of the Rings – 6: Rivendell and the Lords of Exile

A blog series in which I reread LOTR 50 years after I first read it, age 10, over the winter of 1975-76. For years I would have said that the quintessential Rivendell chapter of LOTR is Book II, Ch…

071

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Essential thread on the student protests in France.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Lot of interesting data in this thread. Labour hitting 30% again is significant considering how low they were going earlier this year. But combined Lab + Tory vote is only 47%, compared to 57% in 2024 GE. Burnham is nearly reshoring Lab's 2024 vote, but more people are still rejecting binary system.

Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Joanna Russ' "The Female Man", Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and the similarities that Farah Mendlesohn sees between the two of them. Read the essay now to see what you think: www.speculativeinsight.com

Purple background, white text, which says Joanna is both the haunted and the haunting, the ghost of her own past present and future, and like Scrooge at times she haunts others: Scrooge haunts the Fezziwig brothers' party, Joanna haunts the celebrations and occupations of the people on Whileaway. "There were these three ghosts... The Female Man and A Christmas Carol" -- Farah Mendlesohn

025

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Lorraine Wilson @rainewilson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

BEHOLD me posting a video! Take pity on me - I'm gen X & I hate videoing myself, so this is my not-having-to-record-myself unboxing video for all you introverts out there equally allergic to this! It's clunky but it exists, so I am taking that as a win!

2282

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Neil Williamson @neilwilliamson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I'm really looking forward to this! If there's anyone that can make talking about myself as fun and uncringe as it's possible to be, it's definitely Ruth!

095

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Ruth EJ Booth (she/they) will be at PictCon 2026 @ruthejbooth.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Join me at PictCon on 17th October in Perth! I'll be interviewing Guest of Honour Neil Williamson, plus appearing on panels about AI and Masculinities in SF. Click below for more about the day's shenanigans: ruthbooth.com/2026/09/pict... @pictcon.bsky.social @neilwilliamson.bsky.social

In this black and white photo, Neil Williamson is a white bald man with a short cropped beard. He is wearing a dark coloured top.

1107

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me · 30/09/2026

My third novel, HERO COME HOME, officially has a cover! Preorderable from the usual places us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

The cover of my third novel, HERO COME HOME. Four human figures centred, the main image being that of a bearded man looking back over his shoulder (that's Oro, the protagonist), with a circle of symbols behind him. We can see a swan and a key. In the foreground are three people: two women, one with a mysterious marking? scar? who knows!? on her cheek and the other carrying a sword, flanking an older, balding man holding up a pistol. The possibly-scarred woman looks ever so slightly amused, and that is certainly very like her. Everybody else is not happy to be here, or indeed, anywhere

56595199

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Whole thing reminds me of the ott reaction to 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, which scared the shit out of several EU nationals I knew at the time & then 4 years later was Brexit. The naked unionism of Burnham's speech has had that effect on me. We'll see but I don't think yesterday was good news 2/2

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The Burnham speech. To me, it was all the 'cheque's in the post' and maybe it turns up 3 years from now. But equally telling for all the things he didn't talk about, eg. global economy. But the coverage from the centre-left commentariat! That would have been over the top for the second coming. (1/2)

141

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In which Romance takes over the world and saves us all. I think it's interesting how these narratives are circulating below the surface of the public sphere. It's a sign of a wider shift in subjectivity. Also the fact that all these guys also want to write tells us about changing identity.

theguardian.com

The secret lives of men who read romance books: ‘My life is full of love, so I’m drawn to them’

It’s often assumed straight men are not interested in romantic fiction – but many are sharing their passion in forums online

021

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I've always fancied a pint in the Pony.

ACLU @aclu.org · 27/09/2026

Reposted by Nick Hubble

The conditions in President Trump and Stephen Miller’s detention facilities remain inhumane. Demand immediate action from our elected leaders to prevent further loss of life at aclu.org/stop-ice_killings

24637354

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

WTF are they on? This has become a weird preoccupation for the G following their editorial on Szalay winning last year. I can tell you that The End of Everything (the only one I've read on the shortlist), despite its virtues, has fuck all to say on what it 'takes' to be a man. This is unhinged.

theguardian.com

The Guardian view on the 2026 Booker shortlist: what it takes to be a man | Editorial

Editorial: All the contenders for this year’s prize are a reflection of the crisis in masculinity

151

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Yes. It's all 'my hands are tied' when they're not actually tied.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Which will be in 2029 according to what he said this week. He's just making this up as he goes along.

110

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Most Aber thing was when the sun then came out while it was still raining.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Fantastic turnout on the march in Aber today. Historic moment as Rhun ap Iorwerth tells marchers 'We have, for the very first time, a First Minister for Wales who believes that it is only as an international, interdependent, independent state that we will be able to fulfil our potential as a nation'

First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth speaking in Aberystwyth today at the rally after the Yes Cymru march.

Today's March for independence along the seafront at Aber, looking back across the bay towards Consti.

Independence March through Aberystwyth today.

040

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

That was a good race. Demi deserves her rainbow jersey.

000

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Council of Europe @coe.int · 24/09/2026

The Council of Europe has adopted its first Strategy for Equal Rights for LGBTI People! 🏳️‍🌈 The Strategy (2027–32) sets out a common framework for upholding the dignity and equality of LGBTI people.

43716

And now in response to my dream, Burnham has ruled out an election before 2029. Or maybe I just haven't woken up. Seems like an overreaction to shut down his room for manoeuvre like that. Makes me think they might choose to break manifesto pledges on tax this autumn because otherwise straightjacket.

Time to set off on the road and defeat the Dark Lord!

100

Oh, it's that time of year again.

151

Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

That's also a gamble, though. I really think it's unlikely we go back to 'normality' or a Labour-Tory binary (given that we have been trending away from that since the 1990s). Also, how viable would it be if turnout - already under 60% in the 2024 GE - shrunk further? Where's the legitimacy?

000

Reposted by Nick Hubble

🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33

Daily Express headline:

"More Freedoms Handed to New Arrivals than British Citizens"

Above an image of Kemi Badenoch

All with a Monk Debunked stamp on top

321039552

That's fair enough. I agree there is a possibility that Labour could be in a position to do that in 2028. However, I'm not sure they want Reform to completely implode because at the moment there is 50% polling for right-wing parties and Labour need that to remain split two or three ways.

110