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Mari Ness, writer of things

@mariness.bsky.social

2.6K followers 100 following 8.1K posts

I write things. Occasionally they get published. Also occasionally on other sites, including marikness.wordpress.com, https://medium.com/@marikness, https://www.patreon.com/mari_ness. Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/mari_ness

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · Apr 6

So yes, delighted to say that I am one of the inaugural finalists for the Hugo Award for Best Poem, alongside @angelaliu.bsky.social, @aijiang.bsky.social,
@swantower.bsky.social, @devanbarlow.bsky.social
& Oliver K. Langmead!

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · Apr 6

So, this happened!!!

List of the three finalists for the Hugo Award for Best Poem: Calypso, by Oliver K. Langmead (Titan), "Ever Noir," by Mari Ness (Haven Spec Magazine, Issue 16, July 2024), "There Are No Taxis for the Dead," by Angela Liu (Uncanny Magazine, Issue 58), 219 ballots cast for 266 nominees, Finalists range 11 to 26.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 2m

Like it took me about two minutes to go YAY GAMES with desktop computers, and one minute to see how MS Word and Excel (and later various Adobe products) could actually be useful/helpful.

I've yet to see ANYTHING in these AI pushes that look useful/helpful in the slightest.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 5m

It's hard for me not to compare this AI launch/push to the launch/push of desktop computers, where we were all OK KINDA COOL and later Microsoft Windows, where we all looked at Windows Excel and said OOOH THAT COULD ACTUALLY WORK also yay I can make numbers blue.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 15m

For things that are supposed to make me more efficient, all of these updates end up wasting a lot of my time.

Please, please, stop forcing this stuff on us. PLEASE.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 16m

Meanwhile this means once again having to wait for the update and once again having to reorganize my Word tabs since MS Word never, ever, ever returns to my order/what I had open after an update and just grr.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 18m

Another day, another morning of an unexpected and unwanted auto computer update, this time so that my laptop can try to force me to Try Gemini in Google Chrome, this time so I can "chat with voice or text" as I browse the internet and again I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 28m

Eh, just for those two books.

A FEW MYTHIC PATHS has the scent of live oaks and bald cypress.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 11h

THROUGH IMMORTAL SHADOWS SINGING would smell like enchanted apples.

RESISTANCE AND TRANSFORMATION: ON FAIRY TALES would smell like poisoned apples.

L. D. Lewis, Peach Jolly Rancher 🍬 @ldlewiswrites.blacksky.app · 12h

What would *your* book smell like if you engaged in a mega weirdo scented pages promotional campaign?

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Reposted by Mari Ness, writer of things

natasha @natasharedmane.bsky.social · 18h

you should support smaller presses and and short story magazines whose editors and authors are pouring their whole soul into them

buy my book @nmamatas.bsky.social · 20h

What's your totally ordinary opinion about books that you nonetheless find compelled to share when asked on a social media site such as this one for your most extreme/unhinged/hottest takes?

I'll go first: manga is popular among young people because manga often features young people.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 13h

For those of you saying, wait, this is controversial, I can tell that you do not live in this household.

Because in this household, the DON'T EAT THE KINDLE OR THE NOOK rule is, I assure you, VERY CONTROVERSIAL and considered extreme and unhinged by the majority of residents.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 13h

As of right now, my most extreme/unhinged/hottest take on literary and writing and publication things is that CATS SHOULD NOT TRY TO CHEW KINDLES OR NOOKS even if they are technically still kittens and teething.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 17h

......oooooh.

Short fiction AND an exclusive hoodie??????

Apex Magazine (is funding for 2026!) 🎉 @apexmag.bsky.social · 22h

It finally feels like autumn in our neck of the woods, and you know what that means — our Kickstarter exclusive hoodie has arrived! 🧥✨

Bundle up in our 2026 design, featuring an eco-inspired take on our iconic alien head logo 🍄🌿👽 Available only on Kickstarter! ⬇️

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...

"KS Exclusive Hoodie"
A black zip-up hoodie with a small upper righthand design, and a larger back design, both in white.

A closeup of the right breast-pocket design: A celestial Hercules beetle on top of the text: "APEX MAGAZINE"

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 23h

This one is definitely hoping that staying in his current position will result in additional distribution of his very favorite cat treats.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 23h

Alas, I will not be able to make this event, but spreading the word:

Flame Tree Press is hosting a REAL LIVE PARTY at World Fantasy Convention at 7 pm on October 31st (that's right, Hallowe'en!) - and rumor has it that you can pick up a copy of ACHILLES, which has a short story by ME, while there!

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 23h

The main problem with cats is just how easy it is to get trapped beneath them.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

I've had to withdraw from a couple of contracts when the editors/publishers were unwilling to answer questions or discuss potential changes. It sucks. I hated doing so.

And in each case, a few years later I found out, through gossip, that I'd dodged major problems.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

And again, in my experience, if a short fiction/poetry/essay editor is not willing to answer questions about contracts, or discuss changes, that's a HUGE RED FLAG.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

BTW, since the subject has now come up, in my experience, most editors/publishers of short fiction/poetry/essays have no problems answering questions about contracts.

Key word there is "most."

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Reposted by Mari Ness, writer of things

🪦"Pushing Up" Daisy 🥀 @daisyfm.net · 1d

What if corporations talked about other things we don't want the same way they talk about AI?

"Poisonous mushrooms are here to stay, so here's 10 delicious poisonous mushroom recipes!"

"Mosquitoes are here to stay, so our new line of laptops are filled with live mosquitoes!"

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

I think it improves in later seasons, for the record, once it gets past the short stories and into the books.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

....how have I not pushed you into watching this before?

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

I MOSTLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THE PUBLISHER DIRECTLY ABOUT CONTRACTS instead of Adobe Acrobat's AI assistant, especially since, and I can't overstate this enough, Adobe DIDN'T WRITE THIS CONTRACT! THE PUBLISHER DID!

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

It's telling me to ask the AI assistant questions about a publishing contract!

Like, Adobe Acrobat CREATES PDF FILES. How is it supposed to talk to me about rights reversions and exclusivity?

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

And just...I'd like to be able to work with this publisher in the future (the publisher is fine, and the contract is fine!) but if I can't SIGN THE CONTRACT and provide a mailing address that's going to be tricky.

Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

This is unbelievable. It just kept jumping up everywhere every single time I tried to type something, and was claiming that I needed to open the assistant in order to sign the document.

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Mari Ness, writer of things @mariness.bsky.social · 1d

Also, Adobe, if I have questions about a contract, I will ASK THE PUBLISHER, not your AI program.

Your AI program is not going to be answering my questions about, say, rights reversions!

(Which are very clear in this particular contract, but haven't always been clear in other contracts.)

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