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A. A. Rubin

@thesurrealari.bsky.social
4.4K followers 5K following 4.2K posts

Writer, author, poet, teacher…cosmic cain. Member SFWA and HWA. He/him. Words in Pseudopod, Trollbreath, Ahoy Comics, others. #amquerying www.flowcode.com/page/aarubin

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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 6h
The currents of infinity meet at the delta. They say anything can happen in a universe so vast. Here, it often does. #vss365
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David Shaw #vss365 host Oct 1-15 @davidcs-aw.bsky.social · 17h
Separated and segregated, the night hides the knowledge determined to sink under the sandy banks. That's why the next #vss365 #prompt is #delta.
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Zander Grimm @zandergrimm.bsky.social · 14h
He hails from the #delta, not the Mississippi…the Nile. He sings an ancient blues from the tormented depths of his soul, the Anubis blues. #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 18h
Darkly luminous, like the glow of the anglerfish or the enchanted forest. #weirdmicro
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WeirdMicro @weirdmicro.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Good morning, writers of strange and beautiful balladry. Today' prompt is: Darkly luminous Write a tiny tale or poem inspired by the prompt. Tag #WeirdMicro @blueskypoetry.bsky.social @danigracewrites.bsky.social @morganrrhaze.bsky.social @thescribblings.com
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LAFAYETTE @lastudiolafayette.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 19h
Tempest-tossed chaotic mind I sail that stormy sea Tempest-tossed chaotic mind I sail eternally The only thing that brings me calm My only salve, my only balm Is being close to thee #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
#nycc final day: a lot of people don’t realize how much of a literary show it is. Not just #comics, but prose #books as well. The woman at the @harpercollins.bsky.social booth was particularly helpful in the search for comp titles. #amquerying #querytrenches
Me under an arch made form Books at the Harper Collins Booth at New York Comic Con.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
First you quiver Then you quake Don’t shake too hard Lest you break #vss365
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Pete Wilton @petewilton.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I am autumn people 🍁
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
In between panels at #nycc, I’ll be mostly in Artists Alley today, the place where it still feels like a #comics con.
Me, with the Artists Alley floor at New York Comics Con.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
If you’re at #NYCC, check out @waywardravenmedia at booth 1845. They have a mockup of the new We Suck at #Comics #book that’s live on #Kickstarter. And if you’re not at @newyorkcomiccon, you can still support the campaign at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/way...
A bunch of people around a comic con boothMockup proof book on a table.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
The October Country, by Ray Bradbury #bookwormsat
Black text on white:

OCTOBER COUNTRY
... that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun.
That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain....
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
#NYCC, the view from above the show floor from the pro area in the River Pavilion.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
#NYCC day 1: It begins…
Me in front of the New York Comic Con Banner
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“No man is an island,” Bob said to Steve. Charlie the giant, upon whose head the two of them were standing, asked, “what about me?” But his voice was muffled by the water and neither Bob nor Steve could decipher his words. #vss365
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josephpagano.bsky.social @josephpagano.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Right now You are a discarded blade as Judith stands watch and her Maidservant Abra wraps Holofernes head in a sack murder sopped an instrument of justice Wrath is the tail of a comet replete with fire and iron culminating in ice #poem #poetry
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Jason H. Abbott @jason-h-abbott.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Outside, methane begins to freeze against the side of my crashed ship. Inside, the cats lie on me with unease. “It’s fine, Beans,” I say petting them. “It’s fine, Cornbread.” Twelve hours of life support remain. Distress call still unanswered. “It’s fine.” #vss #sff
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“No man is an island,” Bob said to Steve. Charlie the giant, upon whose head the two of them were standing, asked, “what about me?” But his voice was muffled by the water and neither Bob nor Steve could decipher his words. #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I sail across the infinity Past Jupiter and Mars Many wonders have I seen Amidst the twinkling stars But never have I seen a sight Across the endless skies More wondrous than I used to see The love light in your eyes #vss365
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Wayward Raven 1845 NYCC @waywardraven.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Mr Stupendous: In the Clutches of Doctor When — A. A. Rubin. Eight pages across time, space, and the history of comics. #ErrantAdventures #IndieComics Back the campaign: wwraven.com/aa-rubin-comic
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Check out this awesome homage panel by D. Alley from Mr Stupendous in the Clutches of Doctor When, my story in @waywardraven.bsky.social We Suck at #Comics 3. D is one of 5 artists who take Mr Stupendous on a journey through #comicbook history. #kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/way...
A superhero lifts a car over his head in an homage to the original Superman comic.
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Paul David Mena @extraspecialbitter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
a door in the desert perhaps a portal to paradise #vssdaily
Blue door in Las Tunas - north of Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico.
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David Shaw #vss365 host Oct 1-15 @davidcs-aw.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
It started as a black smear and grew into a monster. A ghost ship needed no sail. It wasn't moved by wind or anything natural. What drove it most of all was greed and a desire for mayhem. Today, your #vss365 #prompt is #sail
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
She counted the bells. They were difficult to hear over the sounds of battle. At midnight, the carriage still turned into a pumpkin. Each night, she ripped off a piece and prepared the only hot meal anyone could get inside the besieged castle’s walls. #fromoneline
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Jason H. Abbott @jason-h-abbott.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Autumn has arrived outside my window.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The sailors saw a safe harbor, but all the captain saw was a gaping mouth ready to swallow them up. And so they sailed on…again. #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Is that me riding a shark in a gi and a fedora? You’re god-damn right it is. #art by @sebastianbonet.bsky.social, one of the 5 #comics artists on my story in We Suck at Comics, from @waywardraven.bsky.social, now on #kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/way...
An illustration of a man wearing a martial arts gi, a black belt and a fedora riding a shark through outer space.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I had two screens going most of the night, baseball playoffs on the tv and Power to the People concert on my phone. Managed to get in about 900 words in a writing session too. All in all, not a bad night.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The search for meaning Like space/time is infinite It never does end #ScifaikuSaturday
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Alan Vincent Michaels @alanvmichaels.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The #ScifaikuSaturday #prompt for 03 October 2026 is #SEARCH 🚀 👽 🛸 🖊️ 👍 #AmWriting #BlueSkyPoetry #Haiku #MicroPoem #PoetsOfBlueSky #Poetry #PoetryCommunity #SciFi #SFF #WritingPrompts
On a black and star field background, a non-AI tagged Pixabay image of an android is shown. The android seems to be contemplating the #ScifaikuSaturday hashtag. A blue, rectangle outline highlights the image and hashtag.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The cosmic fisherman baits his lure and drops it into infinite pool of space. He turns to his son and says, “It is best if you bait your planets with intelligent life. It makes the fish bite.” #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The end of chapter 3 of The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, one of my favorite chapters in all of literature. #bookwormsat (photo mine)
A turtle on a rock. Text: And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it. His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the highway. The truck went back to its course along the right side. Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time. But at last its legs waved in the air, reaching for something to pull it over. Its front foot caught a piece of quartz and little by little the shell pulled over and flopped upright. The wild oat head fell out and three of the spearhead seeds stuck in the ground.
And as the turtle crawled on down the embankment, its shell dragged dirt over the seeds. The turtle entered a dust road and jerked itself along, drawing a wavy shallow trench in the dust with its shell. The old humorous eyes looked ahead, and the horny beak opened a little. His yellow toe nails slipped a fraction in the dust.
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Happy #caturday
Me holding my cat like a baby.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Always great to see @thatjoekelly, one of the best writers and nicest guys in #comics, who was at @grasshopperscomics today for an #theamazingspiderman signing. Nice to meet Jack Kelly as well. #spiderman #amazingspiderman #localcomicsshop
A picture of me with my son and comic books writers Joe and Jack Kelly in front of the new releases wall at Grasshopper Comics.
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Sarah Nour @sarahnour.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"There's terrible evil in the world. It comes from men... Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals." —Watership Down, Richard Adams #BookWormSat
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BookWormSat @bookwormsat.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
'He went, ever on the move, with the slow, shuffling step of wandering beggars who are nowhere at home.' -Stijn Streuvels Tomorrow #BookWormSat is travelling to the country with the theme Rural Literature. Do travel with us! :-)
Art by Emile Ballue. Artwork of a man walking in the woods
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Aphorism #7: Make molehills out of mountains. #vss365
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Helen Whistberry @whistberry.northsky.social · 27/09/2026
I believe they are not technically #quills, but this is the closest I have to today's theme for #SciArtSeptember 😅
Digital drawing in white ink against a black background of a cute hedgehog facing the viewer with a little smile on their face. They are wearing a crown of tiny daisy like flowers in the blue, pink, and white colors of the trans pride flag.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Publishing News: We Suck at Comics, Featuring Mr Stupendous, Live on Kickstarter We Suck at Comics, volume 3 (Wayward Raven) is live on Kickstarter. The anthology features my story Mr Stupendous in the Clutches of Doctor When, a mad cap adventure through time and space, and a love letter to the…
aarubin.wordpress.com
Publishing News: We Suck at Comics, Featuring Mr Stupendous, Live on Kickstarter
We Suck at Comics, volume 3 (Wayward Raven) is live on Kickstarter. The anthology features my story Mr Stupendous in the Clutches of Doctor When, a mad cap adventure through time and space, and a love letter to the history of the medium. Each page in the story is illustrated in a different style to represent different time periods, from the Golden Age to Manga, and from Kirby Crackle to the Renaissance.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
We Suck at #Comics, which includes my story Mr Stupendous in the Clutches of Dr When is now live on #kickstarter. Back early to get the best rewards: www.kickstarter.com/projects/way... #comicbooks #suoerhero #satire @waywardraven.bsky.social
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: We Suck at Comics: Volume 3 - Errant Adventures
A collection of unique adventurous tales, comics and artwork from creators who have a distinct voice and perspective.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
My monthly newsletter dropped today. It’s late in the month, but I knew I had some #kickstarter news coming up so I held it until now. If you don’t already subscribe, you can access it and subscribe at the link: mailchi.mp/789ba4641361... #writingcommunity
mailchi.mp
A. A. Rubin's Monthly Newsletter
Official newsletter of A. A. Rubin, writer, author, poet, storyteller.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If you see this, post a vampire that isn’t Dracula.
static.klipy.com
The Count Greets Ernie on Sesame Street
Alt: The Count Greets Ernie on Sesame Street
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Helen Whistberry @whistberry.northsky.social · 01/10/2026
In honor of the season, I'll be offering a bundle of my 3 horror-themed books for $3 on itchio all month! Or buy any one individually for half off their normal price! My acclaimed collection of stories, a weird Gothic fever dream, & an eco-horror nightmare. All illustrated! itch.io/s/202800/whi...
Book covers for 3 books by Helen Whistberry: When Your Heart is a Broken Thing featuring a white rabbit weeping red tears and a red rabbit with exposed skeleton weeping blue tears leaping in a circle around an anatomical human heart with a silver sewing pin through it. The Final Voyage of Avery Mothmere featuring a black cat swiping a paw playfully at an old-fashioned sailing ship; and Roadkill featuring animal skeletons splayed out on a bloody highway.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In the hollow of the cannon, the sad clown waits. Someday, he'll achieve escape velocity and crash through the big top. Only when he sees the clouds will his frown turn into a smile. Until then, this small moment of hope is his only consolation. #vss365
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Happy #October, the best month of the year. #RayBradbury #bradbury #fall #autumn #literature #scifi #spookyseason
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This old Ray Bradbury paperback was purchased before September 1985. I’m not a huge fan of the “real New Yorker” discourse (despite being born and raised here), but old-school #NYC people will know how I know.
The advanced praise page in an old Ray Bradbury paperback. There’s a stamp with the exchange policy, number and address of the used book store where it was purchased in the upper right hand corner. And old paperback copy of Ray Bradbury’s S Is For Space.
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A. A. Rubin @thesurrealari.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The fields are black, but it is a black of lush life rather than barren death. No matter how many years I have in the service, I’ll never get used to the shock of arriving on an unfamiliar planet, so like our own, and yet so different. #fromoneline
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vss365hq.bsky.social @vss365hq.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
CURRENT PROMPT HOST The #vss365 host for October 1-15 is: @Davidcs-AW.bsky.social Prompts will drop at 3:30 am GMT (UTC) Follow David if you haven’t already!
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FizzytwizlerAllsortsOfAllsorts @fizzytwizler.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
#vss365
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