Rakesh Khanna
@blaftrakesh.bsky.social
(any/all)
Books, ghosts, math, marine invertebrates. Co-founder & editor @blaft.bsky.social.
Author of Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738269/ghosts-monsters-and-demons-of-india-by-rakesh-khanna/
Books, ghosts, math, marine invertebrates. Co-founder & editor @blaft.bsky.social.
Author of Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738269/ghosts-monsters-and-demons-of-india-by-rakesh-khanna/
Pinned
The Bandigoat lives!
7 tales of weird fiction & horror by @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social, @emelkrishnan.bsky.social, Jugal Mody, Miriam Kumaradoss-Hohauser, Lungmying Lepcha, and Rashmi Ruth Devadasan
www.blaft.com/products/ban...
7 tales of weird fiction & horror by @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social, @emelkrishnan.bsky.social, Jugal Mody, Miriam Kumaradoss-Hohauser, Lungmying Lepcha, and Rashmi Ruth Devadasan
www.blaft.com/products/ban...
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
Stopping this from happening (in addition to, y'know, just colonialism in general) is one of those things for which I'd use a wish to change history
"bishops of the Catholic Church made bonfires of the Maya and Aztec manuscripts, a terrible loss to history. Calendars on wood and painted paper books made of the leaves of the maguey all blazed together. May these bishops expiate their crimes in the purgatory of biblioclasts!"
-Athenaeum 2954, 1884
-Athenaeum 2954, 1884
November 23, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Stopping this from happening (in addition to, y'know, just colonialism in general) is one of those things for which I'd use a wish to change history
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
'testing the ceasefire' is a locution the AP should be ashamed of.
November 23, 2025 at 8:09 AM
'testing the ceasefire' is a locution the AP should be ashamed of.
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
one in five americans still getting their brains poached in elon's racist, self-worshipping bullshit
X is still used by 21% of U.S. adults, Pew found, only down from 23% in 2021, despite increased competition from Meta, startups, and decentralized social media.
Pew's latest social media report shows X's staying power in the U.S., despite competition | TechCrunch
X is still used by 21% of U.S. adults, Pew found, only down from 23% in 2021, despite increased competition from Meta, startups, and decentralized social media.
techcrunch.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:10 PM
one in five americans still getting their brains poached in elon's racist, self-worshipping bullshit
The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF gets a shout-out at the end!
"both marker and manifesto"
"both marker and manifesto"
Finally out into the world, the labour of many months. My long essay in the inaugural edition of the Alter Magazine on the pasts, presents, and futures of Indian science fiction.
“The Secret History of Indian Science Fiction” —
altermag.com/articles/the...
“The Secret History of Indian Science Fiction” —
altermag.com/articles/the...
The Secret History of Indian Science Fiction.
Before Asimov, there was Rokeya.
altermag.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:30 AM
The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF gets a shout-out at the end!
"both marker and manifesto"
"both marker and manifesto"
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
Have we discovered the cuddliest, or are they still out there…waiting? 🥺
November 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Have we discovered the cuddliest, or are they still out there…waiting? 🥺
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
all day every day tbh
November 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
all day every day tbh
Do you ever find yourself thinking about Phylum Arthropoda and starting to kind of freak out? Like there are SO MANY SPECIES and we know absolutely zilch about the vast majority. What does a copepod dream about? What are their hobbies? What are their culture wars like?
#DidYouKnow there are more than 14,500 species of #copepods? Thats more copepods than #mammals (6k) or #birds (10k)! They are found in all habitats where water is found including oceans, lakes, caves, bromeliads, and even damp soil. They are also the most abundant animals in the ocean! 🦐🧪
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Do you ever find yourself thinking about Phylum Arthropoda and starting to kind of freak out? Like there are SO MANY SPECIES and we know absolutely zilch about the vast majority. What does a copepod dream about? What are their hobbies? What are their culture wars like?
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
My advice is to become unsummarizeable.
Saw a post today that advised writers to stop writing as if a human will read it and start writing for an LLM that will be summarising.
As someone who really enjoyed trying to develop a peculiar but readable authorial voice, I find this incredibly depressing.
As someone who really enjoyed trying to develop a peculiar but readable authorial voice, I find this incredibly depressing.
November 20, 2025 at 11:49 AM
My advice is to become unsummarizeable.
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
ChatGPT’s signature writing style is everywhere now, and I hate it. It reminds me of when we tried mixing all the beverages at the soda fountain in middle school. We didn’t actually create the perfect drink, we just made a cloying monstrosity that lost everything good about its constituent parts.
November 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM
ChatGPT’s signature writing style is everywhere now, and I hate it. It reminds me of when we tried mixing all the beverages at the soda fountain in middle school. We didn’t actually create the perfect drink, we just made a cloying monstrosity that lost everything good about its constituent parts.
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
An ivy league university library just ordered one-one copy of all our Priyanka Paul, Larchtongue, Kuzhali Manickavel, Kaimaurundai, and Avakkai & Chukka zines
Why not put on a tie, light up a pipe, talk with an underbite, and order some for yourself?
www.blaft.com/collections/...
Why not put on a tie, light up a pipe, talk with an underbite, and order some for yourself?
www.blaft.com/collections/...
November 19, 2025 at 6:49 PM
An ivy league university library just ordered one-one copy of all our Priyanka Paul, Larchtongue, Kuzhali Manickavel, Kaimaurundai, and Avakkai & Chukka zines
Why not put on a tie, light up a pipe, talk with an underbite, and order some for yourself?
www.blaft.com/collections/...
Why not put on a tie, light up a pipe, talk with an underbite, and order some for yourself?
www.blaft.com/collections/...
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
Had the thought "at least when I'm dead I won't have to do two factor authentication ever again", but then realized that I cannot say what horrors lie in that undiscovered country. (I'm not dying, just very tired.)
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Had the thought "at least when I'm dead I won't have to do two factor authentication ever again", but then realized that I cannot say what horrors lie in that undiscovered country. (I'm not dying, just very tired.)
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
This is an excellent collection of stories! @blaftrakesh.bsky.social @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 12:30 PM
This is an excellent collection of stories! @blaftrakesh.bsky.social @kuzhalimanickavel.bsky.social
This article doesn't even get into how goofball the actual text of the Arthashastra is.
A lot of it's about dressing up in snake costumes and blowing clouds of smoke out of your nose, or pretending to see comets that aren't there.
www.indiatoday.in/education-to...
A lot of it's about dressing up in snake costumes and blowing clouds of smoke out of your nose, or pretending to see comets that aren't there.
www.indiatoday.in/education-to...
November 14, 2025 at 1:59 PM
This article doesn't even get into how goofball the actual text of the Arthashastra is.
A lot of it's about dressing up in snake costumes and blowing clouds of smoke out of your nose, or pretending to see comets that aren't there.
www.indiatoday.in/education-to...
A lot of it's about dressing up in snake costumes and blowing clouds of smoke out of your nose, or pretending to see comets that aren't there.
www.indiatoday.in/education-to...
OK I might have a lil celebrity crush on Adelita Grijalva
November 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
OK I might have a lil celebrity crush on Adelita Grijalva
Anyone know how to find this in India without buying from Ama$on? Print or digital
Oyinkan Braithwaite's new novel is really good so far!
November 13, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Anyone know how to find this in India without buying from Ama$on? Print or digital
Received a return box from a book fair 2 years ago with ~12 copies of "Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India" that have slightly banged up covers. Nothing wrong with insides.
Selling em on the Blaft site for ₹300 (70% discount)! India only. Use code BATTLESCARREDGHOSTS at checkout.
www.blaft.com
Selling em on the Blaft site for ₹300 (70% discount)! India only. Use code BATTLESCARREDGHOSTS at checkout.
www.blaft.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Received a return box from a book fair 2 years ago with ~12 copies of "Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India" that have slightly banged up covers. Nothing wrong with insides.
Selling em on the Blaft site for ₹300 (70% discount)! India only. Use code BATTLESCARREDGHOSTS at checkout.
www.blaft.com
Selling em on the Blaft site for ₹300 (70% discount)! India only. Use code BATTLESCARREDGHOSTS at checkout.
www.blaft.com
Blaft latest releases and zines are back on the shelves at IDIOM BOOK SELLERS in Fort Kochi, Kerala!
November 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Blaft latest releases and zines are back on the shelves at IDIOM BOOK SELLERS in Fort Kochi, Kerala!
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
what does 'desi' actually mean? it makes me think of some amorphous country where no one wears pants on principle.
November 11, 2025 at 6:59 AM
what does 'desi' actually mean? it makes me think of some amorphous country where no one wears pants on principle.
I have gone kayaking to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay a couple of times, and the way you you have to time it so that the receding tide doesn't suck you out under the Golden Gate into the open ocean is really crazy.
(Also we had a close encounter with harbor porpoises! Which was so cool)
(Also we had a close encounter with harbor porpoises! Which was so cool)
Science Note
If you look closely at tide tables, the day-to-day variations are pretty strange.
If you look closely at tide tables, the day-to-day variations are pretty strange.
November 10, 2025 at 2:25 AM
I have gone kayaking to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay a couple of times, and the way you you have to time it so that the receding tide doesn't suck you out under the Golden Gate into the open ocean is really crazy.
(Also we had a close encounter with harbor porpoises! Which was so cool)
(Also we had a close encounter with harbor porpoises! Which was so cool)
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
Ebooks available! We have a new weird horror anthology! Speculative fiction against the caste system! Tamil & Gujarati pulp fiction in translation! Lots more!
www.blaft.com/collections/...
www.blaft.com/collections/...
November 8, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Ebooks available! We have a new weird horror anthology! Speculative fiction against the caste system! Tamil & Gujarati pulp fiction in translation! Lots more!
www.blaft.com/collections/...
www.blaft.com/collections/...
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it. @artofcoop.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 12:10 PM
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it. @artofcoop.bsky.social
Reposted by Rakesh Khanna
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Amazon has launched a new AI-driven translation service, Kindle Translate, for Kindle Direct Publishing authors 👇 #BookSky
Amazon launches AI translation service for indie authors
ebx.sh
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Don't mine the deep #SaveOurFreaks
Breaking: As the US moves to license deep sea mining, new research finds that extracting critical metals from the seabed generates waste that endangers tiny marine organisms that form the basis of a vast food web, threatening fisheries people depend on. Free link.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Seabed Mining Disrupts Fisheries, Researchers Find
Scientists analyzed data from a test mining operation to document threats to small marine organisms key to the health of commercially valuable seafood like tuna.
www.bloomberg.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Don't mine the deep #SaveOurFreaks
!!!!
My youngest is going to love this. She is crazy about isopods and spiders (made herself a spider costume for Halloween).
newatlas.com/biology/sulf...
newatlas.com/biology/sulf...
World’s largest web houses 110,000 spiders thriving in total darkness
Deep underground in a dark, sulfuric cave on the border between Albania and Greece, scientists have made an incredible discovery – a giant communal spider web spanning more than 100 square meters (1,0...
newatlas.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:34 AM
!!!!