Val Nolan
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vallescurarule.bsky.social
Val Nolan
@vallescurarule.bsky.social
2.7K followers 1.2K following 1.2K posts
Co-author of Spec Fic for Newbies 1 & 2; author of Neil Jordan: Works for the Page; Sturgeon/BSFA/BFA finalist; Locus Rec List; articles in Irish Uni Review, symplokē, Science Fiction Studies, Irish Studies Review, JGNC; fiction in many venues... He/Him
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My three book projects together 😀 Neil Jordan: Works for the Page from Cork University Press, and Spec Fic for Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror vols. 1 & 2, co-authored with @tiffaniangus.bsky.social, available from @lunapress.bsky.social!
It's not the sixth extinction unless it comes from the Extinction region of France. Otherwise it's just sparkling capitalism.
Found myself reading about Hugh Frazer’s massive (ten foot by twelve foot!) 1826 Battle of Clontarf painting today. An astonishing piece of work. Here's a fascinating 2014 article about it...
‘Battle of Clontarf’: history of art and Ireland
The oil-on-canvas by Hugh Frazer became an example of how history painting had its anti-establishment uses
www.irishtimes.com
Correction: Evidently a sparrowhawk rather than a kestrel (thank you @graconline.bsky.social for pointing this out!).
Look at this amazing visitor we had in the garden this morning! A female kestrel just hanging out on the ground!
That's a fascinating and useful thing for me to look out for in the future, thank you! 😀
Look at this amazing visitor we had in the garden this morning! A female kestrel just hanging out on the ground!
"...And on the screen, these words appear:
My name is Clippy, King of Kings;
Would you like some help with your despair?"
Reposted by Val Nolan
It’s a death cult by way of an immortality fetish.
Reminder that all the tech billionaires believe in (and want to usher in) the singularity - where humans merge with the machine super intelligence - and they think AI is going to be the way in. And they’re throwing all their money behind it. And yes this is 100% not a joke and yes it’s a cult.
Tech sociopath billionaire Eric Schmidt is testifying that humanity needs to destroy itself in service of AI gods

"The demand will go from 3% to 99% of total generation"
"an additional 29 gigawatts by 2027 and 67 more gigawatts by 2030"
"superintelligence is the intelligence higher than humans"
Reposted by Val Nolan
Every time I see a video of a moose I imagine a scenario where the Irish Elk never died out and we just had to casually deal with megafauna on a daily basis.
It would certainly make feeding the deer in Phoenix Park a more intense experience.
Best of luck to everyone off to World Fantasy 2025 in Brighton this weekend! Sorry I can't be there with you, but I hope everyone has a wonderful time! 😀
Reposted by Val Nolan
As World Fantasy 2025 approaches, I’m going to give shoutouts to all nominees in every category at this year’s British Fantasy Awards. Why? Well, why not? 😂

Here (in no particular order) are the nominees for BEST NON-FICTION ….
Reposted by Val Nolan
We published some bangers this year. Hope you got your weird on. Well, I'm sure you did. Thanks to everyone for your support.

undertowpublications.com
Right? Might honestly be the best thing I've seen on TV this year.
The Guardian's list of "TV’s most intense episodes ever" doesn't feature the Paradise episode 'The Day' and, honestly, this feels like an omission to me!
Reposted by Val Nolan
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
Reposted by Val Nolan
School sent me a survey about AI use 🙃
Reposted by Val Nolan
My proposal would be for up to 15 or so commissioned essays/advice in book form from various minority and marginalised "movers and shakers", covering topics from technique to industry experience. With room for an open submission period, of course. And an appendix for further reading and resources.
I'd really love to see a writing guide (and industry advice) written from a minority and marginalised perspective tbh. I imagine it would look wildly different. And be helpful to a lot of folks out there who tend to get regurgitated guidance based entirely on an unequal and exclusionary experience.
Actually Frankenstein is the name of the movie...
Reposted by Val Nolan
Something Something great art something... 😂
"What's Beeping Now: A Journey Through My Kitchen"