Speculation, Fact and Fiction

Bringing this from writer Joseph Malik over from Bluesky. I think it's spot on.

"Subtext separates a novel from a novel-length story. Subtext is the part that AI can't--and never will--generate. It can't read for subtext. It can read Cliff's Notes to determine an existing novel's subtext, but there is no mathematical or logical process to create it. Subtext is uniquely human."

It's the conclusion to a 3-post thread. You can find that via my mentions over there if you're so inclined.

At Reconnect - Eastercon2025, Lauren Beukes and Jeanette Ng organised a pretty much spontaneous online auction of donations by the SFF community to raise money in support of Trans rights.

A second auction is now under way, and this time I'm offering the chance to see your name used for a character in my 8th Green Man book, to be published October 2025. The winning bidder can choose from one of three options to be discussed in strictest confidence – no spoilers! - and will be thanked in Acknowledgements.

Do check out all the lots. If you have something to offer, contact details are here too.

https://www.32auctions.com/genrefortrans

Have a doomscrolling break with this article about wine barrels. Though there is a bit of gloom inevitably, on account of the interconnectedness of things which long predates the Internet, of which the tech bros and money men seem entirely and persistently ignorant.

"Wood barrels circle the world and can be used for more than a century. They tell a story, but they’re imperilled by tariffs"

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/12/global-sustainable-wine-barrels

My wide range of interests is certainly reflected in the people I follow on various social media. On any given day, I can have to check if a mention of VC means venture capitalist, vulture capitalist, Vice Chancellor, or Victoria Cross.

I am not surprised to see the Conservative vote collapse. I spent my teens in true blue Tory Dorset and soon realised that while not every Conservative voter was a sexist racist by any means, the sexist racists most definitely voted Tory because they didn't have any other option.

Now they do. They can vote for the people who are on the telly openly saying the hateful things they used to have to say quietly to each other in a corner of the Conservative Club bar.

Let me introduce you to Wizard's Tower Press, esteemed publisher of my Green Man series, and I heartily recommend their wealth of other titles available.

https://wizardstowerpress.com/

What political commentators rather dismissively call 'no overall control' at district and county level here has seen cooperation between Labour, Lib Dems and Greens which has been noticeably better for local services and democracy than previous Tory rule which can be summed up as 'you'll take what we give you and like it, peasants'.

"...generative AI models are imitation engines – and they do not celebrate their sources, they conceal them. Writers carry forward ideas and techniques..." Timothy X Atack

"I buy the books I need to read, or borrow them from a proper library, so that the authors get their fair library payment and their intellectual property is respected." Abi Longstaff

Do read these letters in full!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/09/ai-doesnt-care-about-authors-but-meta-should

A weekend of resolutely reading books, watching entertaining telly and playing board games - rather than doomscrolling or following the news - has been very good for the equilibrium.

Watching clips of Senator Booker's speech, and fervently hoping the USA can find its way back from this administration led by wreckers whose first three months have seen so many heinous and despicable actions that he has had enough pertinent material to challenge them for twenty five hours straight.

If this can be done, the next even greater challenge will be convincing the rest of the world to ever trust the USA again. If the American political system can see this corrupt and incompetent regime seize and abuse power to such an extent, we cannot rely on this chaos not recurring in the future. Many countries are already planning accordingly.