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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Reading proofs for a thing (a case study I wrote for a forthcoming book about teaching Science Fiction)! 🖖

A quick snap of a proof page for a case study in an academic book. Author name is Val Nolan. 'Title is "To Boldly Go": Critical Approach to Star Trek'. Some of the text is just visible as a tease and refers to a "one term undergraduate module" introduced in a department of English. No other text is visible but I'll promote the book when it is published and hopefully your library can order a copy!

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Beautiful sunrise earlier this morning 🌞 And now off to the word mines I go!

Sunrise behind a group of trees. Sky above is a gentle blue with hints of red and orange. Fields below are largely in darkness.

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Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I’m guest editing the next issue of Agita; send me your weirdest <1000 word stories about weird art. Authors from marginalized backgrounds encouraged and prioritized. No AI bullshit. The weirder the better. agitamag.com/submissions/

Issue 3: Ekphrasis
Between October 17 and November 17, guest editor Zachary Gillan will accept submissions of weird flash fiction that features ekphrasis.
Ekphrasis is the verbal representation of a work of visual art.
Weird fiction is a verbal representation of the world, in order to unsettle it.
We want stories that live at the intersection of the two. Pieces that emphasize the eerie power of weird art, whether fully ekphrastic or embedded within a traditional narrative. How does the weird seep in as reality is doubly estranged from these two layers of representation? Cursed paintings, uncanny statues, haunted mezzotints-send us your stories of weird art.
Publication date: February 1, 2027

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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Counterpoint... The British government should buy all its civil servants copies of SPEC FIC FOR NEWBIES so they can better advise ministers about evil AIs, representations of climate change, conflict in space, and, erm, <flicks through pages> dragons; dragons deserve a COBRA meeting, right?!

To the left, the cover (red and black) of "Spec Fic For Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror" Vol 1 by Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan.

To the right, a list of the topics covered by the book: "Learn about writing… Spaceships, Aliens, Big Dumb Objects, Robots, Military SF, Utopia, Dystopia, Apocalypses, Cyberpunk, Solarpunk, Folktales & Fairy Tales, Witches, High Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Grimdark, Historical Fantasy, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel, Gothic Horror, Supernatural Horror, Vampires, Psychological Horror, Body Horror, Zombies, Suburban Horror, Splatterpunk, Techno Horror, and Cosmic Horror!"

To the left, the cover (blue and black) of "Spec Fic For Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror" Vol 2 by Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan.

To the right, a list of the topics covered by the book: "Learn about writing… Space Opera, Astronauts, First-Contact Stories, Climate Fiction, Pandemic Fiction, Uplifted Animals, Submarine Stories, Mysterious Islands, Biopunk, The Multiverse, Mythic Fantasy, Fairies, Goblin Markets, Enchanted Clothing, Dragons, Cryptozoology, Body Swaps, Portal Fantasy, Comedic Fantasy, Carnivalesque, Folk Horror, Ghost Stories, Werewolves, Possessed/Cursed Items, Animals That Attack, Evil Children, Ecohorror, Gendercide, Places People Shouldn’t Go, & Last Person Left Alive Stories!"

To the left, the cover (green and black) of "Spec Fic For Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror" Vol 3 by Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan.

To the right, a list of the topics covered by the book: "Learn about writing… Space Academies, Superheroes, Terraforming Tales, Mad Scientists, Space Westerns, SF Procedurals, Meta SF, Spy-Fi, Searches For God In Space, The End Of The Universe, Dinosaur Tales, Archaeologist Stories, Hollow Earth, Elves, Magic Schools and Dark Academia, Wizards & Sorcerers, Magical Realism, Anthropomorphic Fantasy, Fantasy of Manners, Swashbuckling Fantasy, Weird Fiction, Urban Gothic, Shapeshifters, Birthing Monsters, Alien Abductions, Fungal Horror, Bugs!!!, Kaiju, Deals With The Devil, Near-Death Experiences"

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Looking forward to @octocon.bsky.social this weekend in fantastic Cork (a city where I went to uni a *shockingly* long time ago and which I still love to visit all the time!) 😀 Do say hi if you run into me! 🖖 Also I'll be taking part in a panel on Sunday (prog.octocon.com/people/R0073)! 🚀 #Octocon

prog.octocon.com

ConClár Program Guide

ConClár Programme Guide

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Saw this the other evening. It rules.

A still from the film Coyote vs Acme. Shows a cartoon cayote and his lawyer sitting at a table in a courtroom. Coyote is holding a sign that says "Coyote movie is awesome".

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Starfleet Design 🖍🖖 @starfleetdesign.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Finally, here's the famous graphic that was made by the TNG art department (Okuda I think) to convey the true scale of the Enterprise-D to the writers by overlaying its outline on a map of the Paramount lot.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Visited the Annals of Inisfallen exhibition in UCC this morning. Proper treasures of humanity stuff. More info here: www.ucc.ie/en/news/2026...

Open pages of the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval manuscript, on display in a glass cage.

Open page of the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval manuscript, on display in a glass cage.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Not saying my *entire* life has been shaped by early exposure to TNG, but, yeah...

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Set your writing to "stun" with the Locus-recommended and BSFA/BFA shortlisted Spec Fic for Newbies writing guide series! Find TOCs and purchasing options here: linktr.ee/specficforne...

Image is a still from the original Star Trek where (L-to-R) Mr. Spock, Captain Kirk, and Mr. Scott are pointing their phasers at the camera. Over each character's face is a (loosely!) correspondingly coloured Spec Fic for Newbies book cover (one blue, one green, and one red; yes we know it should be gold for Kirk, but we're working with what we've got here! :-) ).

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Did they ever do a Midsomer Murders/Grand Designs crossover? That seems like such a natural double act!

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Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings is out now @drfionamoore.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Today's the day, warriors of Rohan! My new book is OUT! Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings is the management textbook you never knew you needed, but now you know, you have to have it! Buy, share, review; the Road goes ever on... adoctorofmanythings.wpcomstaging.com/2026/07/21/w...

adoctorofmanythings.wpcomstaging.com

Where to Buy Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings

Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings, like its predecessor Management Lessons from Game of Thrones, is the management studies textbook you never knew you wanted, but now you know, you have…

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Whole thread is great 👇 Some fantastic suggestions 😂

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Essay #writing always goes slowly for me at first. I have to find my way in. I have to figure out where my take on a text "bites". Eventually I produce what I think of as a touchstone paragraph which nails the tone I'm aiming for. At that point (which I just reached! #WIP!) things usually speed up 😀

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Octocon @octocon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

We're very happy that our 2026 venue map has been designed by @jogbrogzin.bsky.social! We'll have some B&W prints available for members attending in Cork. If you prefer a 2D version, we'll have those too & you can find it on our website on the Venue page. octocon.com/venue/ #Octocon2026

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Alexander Glass @alexanderglass.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Trying to appease fascists is like trying to plug a black hole.

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National Library of Ireland @nlireland.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

To mark 100 years of WB Yeats’ 'A Vision', the NLI has made almost 300 manuscript items from the W. B. Yeats Occult Papers available to explore online. 🔎 ow.ly/6OQg50ZQvbk 📖 See a selection on display in the Old Director’s Office, 7–8 Kildare Street, on your way to our Yeats exhibition.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Our public libraries are a phenomenal resource! I'm delighted to see that so many people agree!

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Fascinating and useful thread 👇

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Dr Tiffani Angus @tiffaniangus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

From Superheroes to Mythic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery to Spy-Fi, and Archaeologist Stories to Swashbuckling Fantasy, the multi-award finalist SPEC FIC FOR NEWBIES writing guides have heroes in their sights! 3 books, 90 subgenres/tropes, unlimited stories for you to write! linktr.ee/specficforne...

Image is a still from the battle for New York in The Avengers. Over Captain America’s face is superimposed the cover from Spec Fic for Newbies volume 2 (blue); over the Hulk’s face is superimposed the cover from Spec Fic for Newbies volume 3 (green); and over Iron Man’s face is superimposed the cover from Spec Fic for Newbies volume 1 (red). On the left, in comic book font, is “It’s a Bird… it’s a Plane … Psst! Wrong Franchise!! It’s Spec Fic for Newbies Swooping in to Save the Day!

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A train returns to Ardagh for the first time in *decades* today with the arrival of the carriage that's going to form the centerpiece of the new Greenway hub in the village 😀

A building site scene. A green train carriage on the back of a truck sits in the center of the frame while a tall red crane stands to the right. There are some old railway buildings further to the right again and a greenway behind a fence. Green fields are in the background.

A building site scene. Close image of a green train carriage on the back of a truck sits in the center of the frame while a tall red crane stands to the right. Green fields are in the background.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Really glad I had this read before this week's (*excellent*) Star Trek 😂

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"I, for one, welcome this chance to reread C.L. Moore's Judgment Night..."

A reference within a reference here. Main image is a still from The Simpsons episode “Deep Space Homer” in which news announcer Kent Brockman mistakenly assumes the Earth is about to be invaded by extraterrestrial creatures and so announces his willingness to submit to these being. However, the original insert image of a close up of an ant has been replaced with an illustration (credited on to "Williams") from the 1943 publication in Astounding Science Fiction of CL Moore's novel Judgment Night. This insert shows a small alien creature like a cross between a cat and a squirrel with gigantic eyes.

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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 22/09/2026

All the spaceships from For All Mankind and Star City in one article! That's a lot of spaceships from an alternative universe, and concept art, and cool stuff. 🖖 This is just a (very long) overview, but expect to dive deep into the creation of these designs in the coming weeks and months.

patreon.com

All the spaceships from For All Mankind & Star City | The Spaceshipper

As a reminder, For All Mankind has been renewed for a sixth and final season, set to air in 2027. Filming wrapped up in August 2026. And we'

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Lots of discussion of Michael Hartnett locally at present with the Éigse coming up and, while I don't write a lot of poetry these days, I am reminded that I wrote this years ago...

Text of a poem by Val Nolan titled 'Now The High Poets Are Gone', in memory of Michael Hartnett. Poem reads:

NOW THE HIGH POETS ARE GONE

i.m. Michael Hartnett

The positive-over-negative
Of ink type set upon a page,
The lash of salt letters on a paper skin –
Those obituaries, for which pen-men
Plied behind a disrespectful hearse;

And damned for what?
The shoulders for a raggy coat,
The bitter swell of hops; infamy or rhyme?
To learn that unread books were poisonous,
Unread poetries a crime?

Yet all the while I waited for the word,
For news of old soldiers, throaty songs renewed,
But no words came.
Bereft of all her little history, Munster hunkered low –
Her watchmen, her spirit split, stone from ruddy stone.

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Vincent Hanley @vincenthanley.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

As Éigse Michael Hartnett 2026 approaches here’s a recap of my essay exploring his early influences and the many myths surrounding his grandmother, Bridget Halpin from Camas. vinhanley.com/2017/05/28/e...

vinhanley.com

Exploring Michael Hartnett’s early development as a poet….

Bridget Halpin’s Small Farm in Camas Formative Influences on the young Michael Hartnett Bridget Halpin, formerly Bridget Roche, was born in Cahirlane, Abbeyfeale, in 1885 to parents John Roch…

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Very cool to see M. John Harrison on the Booker shortlist 😀

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Definitely starting to feel autumnal out on the Greenway! 🍂

A tarmacadam greenway recedes into the distance beneath trees on either side and arching overhead. Orange leaves are scattered on the ground.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

In which I tackle one of the more divisive aspects of recent Star Trek: Strange New Worlds instalments...

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Dr Tiffani Angus @tiffaniangus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Elves? High Fantasy? Witches? Folktales and Fairy Tales? Wizards? Enchanted Clothing? Dragons? Don't talk nonsense, it's all in Spec Fic for Newbies! Nearly every subgenre and trope you've ever cared about are all right here. Oh, and don't forget your pencil box! linktr.ee/specficforne...

The image is a still showing the junk lady from the film Labyrinth. On her back, in her pile of things she can’t leave behind, are images of the covers from all three Spec Fic for Newbies books, each a bit worse for wear with stains and dirt on them. Volume 1 is red, volume 2 is blue, and volume 3 is green. Each by Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan, each a beginner's guide to writing subgenres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

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Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 19/09/2026

Innocent civilians are being murdered with dirt-cheap and essentially impossible to ban tiny flying robots at shocking numbers globally (read our piece below). We have REAL, CURRENT cyberpunk horrors to deal with right now, and we don’t need to waste our time on hypothetical AI basilisks.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Set your writing to "stun" with the Locus-recommended and BSFA/BFA shortlisted Spec Fic for Newbies writing guide series! Find TOCs and purchasing options here: linktr.ee/specficforne...

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Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · 19/09/2026

The RNLI is the closest you will ever get to actual Batman. When rescue is visibly, viscerally, obviously impossible; when the water is a smothering, thundering black wall and the wind is screaming straight from Hell; when you are absolutely going to die: someone’s hand pulls you out and you don’t.

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becimay @becimay.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

My TLS piece on the Exeter cuts ✨

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The year is 2350. Every TV series is now an NCIS. Every single one of them stars LL Cool J.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Horny Americans who form a sex cult in an abandoned hostel in Connemara and fear/crave destruction by a Leprechaun god they've built out of old bathtubs because their brains have been cooked by Darby O'Gill fan fiction. This is a post about AI.

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

BAM! Covid booster acquired! 😀 Vaccines are amazing!

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British Fantasy Society @britfantasysoc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

BFS Horizons is open for Fiction submissions. Send us your Fantasy, SF and Horror stories, and anything in between! (Guidelines on our website, details in comments below.)

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Andrew Liptak @andrewliptak.com · 18/09/2026

Cosplayer Jack Durnin channeled Ryland Grace during this year’s Dragon Con with a fantastic spacesuit costume. I interviewed him about how he put it together. www.andrewliptak.com/project-hail...

andrewliptak.com

Check out this phenomenal Project Hail Mary cosplay

Jack Durnin channeled Ryland Grace at DragonCon 2026

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Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

We truly live in the worst timeline ☹️

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