iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 28/09/2026

An Autumn Afternoon (1962), dir: Yasujirō Ozu.

An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Street scene at night. The lit up signs of bars and restaurants.

An Autumn Afternoon (1962). A corridor in an office building. A man walks towards us, a woman walks away.

An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Street scene.

An Autumn Afternoon (1962). A domestic scene. A man in a rust coloured jumper sits on a red stool. A woman in a kimono sits on the tatami floor with her back to us. Another woman kneels next to her in a red jumper and headscarf.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 24/09/2026

Jim Henson would’ve been 90 today. An absolute hero of mine. I remain gobsmacked that puppets crafted by his company feature in one of my plays. I like to believe that Chu Totoro’s blue fur is the same as Cookie Monster’s and that makes them cousins.

Chu (blue) and Sho (white) Totoro as operated by the kazego puppeteers of the My Neighbour Totoro company.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 22/09/2026

A very millennial selection, I fear. Really basic choices for someone of a certain age, but hey - access was limited in the 80s/90s. #my9animes

The ‘My 9 Anime’ trend. A grid of 9 anime titles. Dogtanian and the Muskerhounds, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Around the World with Willy Fogg, Moomin, My Neighbour Totoro, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 30/08/2026

Just passing through London, but it’s always nice to catch sight of this guy. @totoroshow.bsky.social

A billboard for the stage adaptation of My Neighbour Totoro.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 26/08/2026

Not enough mentions of Legend on my timeline.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 23/08/2026

Name your favourite Disney princess (wrong answers only)

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 21/08/2026

Pretty good week. Tony (2026) No Other Choice (2025) The Christophers (2026) Nostalgia (1983)

Tony (4 stars), No Other Choice (3 stars), The Christophers (4 stars), Nostalgia (5 stars).

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 13/08/2026

If I rebooted Doctor Who, this would be Davros:

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 20/07/2026

I’ve just finished The Murderbot Diaries: Artificial Condition by @marthawells.com. Insanely enjoyable series with a lead character who is a winning combination of competency and social dysfunction - somewhere between Bender, Data and Marvin the Paranoid Android.

The audiobook cover of Martha Wells’ Artificial Condition.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 19/07/2026

Fledgling jay in the back garden today. Worried about how unbothered it was by us. It was trying to eat the unripe raspberries from the bush, so we picked a ripe one for it. We’re going to have to keep an eye on the cat. 😼

A fledgling jay perches on a wooden raspberry cage.

The same jay on the raspberry cage, now with a ripe raspberry in its beak.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 13/07/2026

Just finished Brigands and Breadknives by @travisbaldree.bsky.social. The fantasy adventure in these books is great - really enjoyable - but the reason I love them so much is the gentle, everyday philosophy of the writing - it’s like having a deep conversation with a good friend.

The audiobook cover of Brigands and Breadknives.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 30/06/2026

Is the climate crisis causing you existential dread? Is living through techno-fascism getting you down? Is your eczema flaring up? Here’s a cat. It’s the best I can do under the current circumstances.

Gavin, a cat who is predominantly white but with tabby patches, is looking resplendent.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 24/06/2026

Absolutely devoured this. Utterly charming and full of mischief. 🦊

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 24/06/2026

Gavin, the silent sentinel, watches over you and reminds you to stay hydrated.

Gavin, a white cat with tabby splotches, sits poses majestically on a garden wall.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 23/06/2026

Really enjoying Audition for the Fox by @mcflycahill90.bsky.social. This passage particularly stands out:

Those in power often only ever see their opponents as worthy when those opponents wield a power similar to the kind they hold them-selves; they don't ever think to look for power in the forms they do not know.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 18/06/2026

A meeting of the Council of Elders.

Betty, Moomintroll, a yeti, a penguin, Robin Hood, Merlin, Moominmama, a ghost, a spaceman, a medieval king, a stegosaurus and a guy with a crossbow have gathered in my sons bedroom to discuss the future direction of all world governments.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 11/06/2026

There is no Antimemetics Division by @qntm.org is stunning. A meditation on the terrifying power of ideas, but also a primal cry at humanity’s propensity to forget. Terrifying, playful and heartbreaking.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 10/06/2026

I loved this. The craft of it is incredible. Expansive, personal and hugely inspiring. Thank you @annleckie.com. Such a gorgeous book.

A paperback edition of Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. A red book with a little spaceship on the front.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 01/06/2026

This is a cat check point. Relinquish your most recent cat picture on your phone.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 23/05/2026

Thoroughly enjoyed Navigational Entanglements by @aliettedebodard.com. A neat little space operetta about learning that you are worthy and deserving of love no matter how damaged and prickly you are … whilst fighting a giant inter-dimensional space jellyfish.

The cover for the audiobook version of Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 05/05/2026

Enjoying some of the looks from this year’s Met Gala.

Tim Curry as Darkness from the film Legend.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 17/04/2026

It’s been a week of extremes tbh.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 11/04/2026

Getting some building work done. Hiding a little forest spirit for future generations to find.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 10/04/2026

My son has just explained to me that these three characters are in fact the three stages of the same Pokémon’s evolution. And I have decided to adopt it as my personal headcannon.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 07/04/2026

Why stare into the abyss when you could be looking at this cat?

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 31/03/2026

Easter schedule for @totoroshow.bsky.social. Book early, book often. totoroshow.com 🌱💚🌱

EASTER SCHEDULE
TUE 31 MAR 7pm

WED 1 APR
7pm
THU 2 APR
2pm & 7pm
FRI 3 APR 7pm

SAT 4 APR
2pm & 7pm
SUN 5 APR
2pm

TUE 7 APR 2pm & 7pm
WED 8 APR 7pm

THU 9 APR
2pm & 7pm
FRI 10 APR
7pm
SAT 11 APR
2pm & 7pm
SUN 12 APR 2pm

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 27/03/2026

Happy World Theatre Day to all those who celebrate. #theatresky

John Heffernan (Oppie) and Ben Allen (Edward Teller) in Oppenheimer (2015), RSC Swan Theatre.

Victoria Chen (Mei) in My Neighbour Totoro (2026), RSC/Nippon TV, Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Mark Edel-Hunt (Fritjof) and Natalie Dew (Clare) in The Earthworks (2024), Young Vic Theatre.

Robert Emms (Bobby) in Ravens: Spassky vs. Fischer (2019), Hampstead Theatre.

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Tom Morton-Smith @tommortonsmith.com · 16/03/2026

Sinners, Sentimental Value, No Other Choice and The Secret Agent are the big hitters still on my ‘to watch’ list, but here’s what my 2025 Top Ten currently looks like. Everything is highly subjective of course … other opinions are available … art is not a competition etc etc.