Chuck Wendig
@chuckwendig.bsky.social
I like apples. I post photos. I dig birds. I write books. The next book is THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS, April 2025. Yes, I'm cringe. What do you want from me, I'm a 48-year-old dad and my brain is a mouse-eaten shoebox.
Pinned
Chuck Wendig
@chuckwendig.bsky.social
· Nov 20
As I am a writer and must peddle my wares lest I die in the abyss, hey! In April 2025, THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS emerges from the fog and the trees and if you wanted to pre-order it from your favorite local bookstore -- or get signed, personalized copies from Doylestown Bookshop -- that'd be nice.
“Earth is a pleasure cruise for 1000 people and we're all just the staff.”
I literally saw a post two weeks back in which a guy with two jobs was flagellating himself because he was short on rent, lamenting that had he donated plasma more, maybe his rent would be on time. This system is deeply fucked. Earth is a pleasure cruise for 1000 people and we're all just the staff.
February 16, 2026 at 8:48 PM
“Earth is a pleasure cruise for 1000 people and we're all just the staff.”
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
I’ve watched a very smart child try to encode what chaptgpt thinks is “human” so that her class assignments don’t get flagged for plagiarism.
I’ve heard expert professionals admit to self-editing so they don’t “sound” like an llm.
This is the kind of cultural flattening that accelerates fascism.
I’ve heard expert professionals admit to self-editing so they don’t “sound” like an llm.
This is the kind of cultural flattening that accelerates fascism.
“As some universities and journals adopt AI-text detectors, they risk creating a feedback loop that constrains how authors express themselves. I have seen colleagues intentionally simplify their grammar or break down complex rhetorical structures to avoid arousing algorithmic suspicion.”
Why artificial intelligence detectors could penalize academic writing - Nature Human Behaviour
Writing produced using artificial intelligence is becoming more common in academia, which has prompted institutions to look for ways to detect it. Bo Hu warns that an overreliance on fixed linguistic ...
www.nature.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:45 PM
I’ve watched a very smart child try to encode what chaptgpt thinks is “human” so that her class assignments don’t get flagged for plagiarism.
I’ve heard expert professionals admit to self-editing so they don’t “sound” like an llm.
This is the kind of cultural flattening that accelerates fascism.
I’ve heard expert professionals admit to self-editing so they don’t “sound” like an llm.
This is the kind of cultural flattening that accelerates fascism.
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Share the good news when we have it:
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are falling in North Atlantic whales after phaseout
news.mongabay.com/short-articl...
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are falling in North Atlantic whales after phaseout
news.mongabay.com/short-articl...
news.mongabay.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Share the good news when we have it:
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are falling in North Atlantic whales after phaseout
news.mongabay.com/short-articl...
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are falling in North Atlantic whales after phaseout
news.mongabay.com/short-articl...
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
New at The Watch:
The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
The Constitution is not a bargaining chip for a budget negotiation
The Democrats demanded that Trump's immigration cops follow the law and the Constitution. The Republicans called those demands "nonstarters."
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:43 PM
New at The Watch:
The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Trump is going after institutions & it will have long last consequences
NEW:
One of the most progressive institutions in the U.S., The New School, has begun destroying its humanities departments.
They have cancelled one of their most popular classes, "Global Soccer and World Politics."
We are going to teach it anyway.
karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-new-sc...
One of the most progressive institutions in the U.S., The New School, has begun destroying its humanities departments.
They have cancelled one of their most popular classes, "Global Soccer and World Politics."
We are going to teach it anyway.
karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-new-sc...
The New School Cancelled Their Class on Global Soccer and World Politics. We Are Going To Teach it Anyway.
When institutions abandon critical thinking, we build our own classrooms.
karenattiah.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Trump is going after institutions & it will have long last consequences
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
👀 Invoking Orwell, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore panels and historical acknowledgments of the history of slavery that the National Park Service removed in Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 16, 2026 at 6:24 PM
👀 Invoking Orwell, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore panels and historical acknowledgments of the history of slavery that the National Park Service removed in Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
HELL yea
Byhalia ICE Facility Plans Ditched Amid Mississippi Opposition, Wicker Says
A proposed ICE detention facility that would have held 8,500 immigrants in a warehouse in Byhalia, Mississippi, won’t happen, Sen. Roger Wicker says.
www.mississippifreepress.org
February 7, 2026 at 1:13 AM
HELL yea
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Everything else is commentary
February 16, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Everything else is commentary
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
I used to use detectors before realizing they are also basically LLMs and hallucinate answers just like any other LLM
Just because I keep seeing those "I checked this piece and it's written by AI" - this is an old article of mine, before AI was available. So could we not?
February 16, 2026 at 4:24 PM
I used to use detectors before realizing they are also basically LLMs and hallucinate answers just like any other LLM
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
You surely know already, but I've now told all my blog readers about the work of Apple Sommelier @chuckwendig.bsky.social:
adamapples.blogspot.com/2026/02/appl...
adamapples.blogspot.com/2026/02/appl...
Apples on the Web: Chuck Wendig
Chuck's blog gives him scope to really geek out about apples. You can geek out with him watching the linked videos of his apple tastings.
adamapples.blogspot.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:03 PM
You surely know already, but I've now told all my blog readers about the work of Apple Sommelier @chuckwendig.bsky.social:
adamapples.blogspot.com/2026/02/appl...
adamapples.blogspot.com/2026/02/appl...
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
I recall reading about something like this before. Definitely was an inspiration for some of my stuff.
www.cnn.com/science/supe...
I think it's pretty exciting that we've invented wood that's multiple times stronger, more durable, fire and bug resistant, and can be made from bamboo, the fastest growing terrestrial plant on Earth.
I think it's pretty exciting that we've invented wood that's multiple times stronger, more durable, fire and bug resistant, and can be made from bamboo, the fastest growing terrestrial plant on Earth.
Scientists create ‘Superwood’ that’s stronger than steel | CNN
A US company has engineered a new type of wood that it says has up to 10 times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel, while also being up to six times lighter.
www.cnn.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:27 PM
I recall reading about something like this before. Definitely was an inspiration for some of my stuff.
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
I don’t usually campaign for awards, but this year I’ve decided to go for broke for a Fan Writer Hugo Award. Yay me!
1/
1/
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Hugo Awards!
Emails are going out to eligible nominators (those who became a member of LAcon V by January 31, 2026, or were a member of the Seattle Worldcon 2025) about how to set up their LAcon V virtual convention account.
Emails are going out to eligible nominators (those who became a member of LAcon V by January 31, 2026, or were a member of the Seattle Worldcon 2025) about how to set up their LAcon V virtual convention account.
February 13, 2026 at 4:41 PM
I don’t usually campaign for awards, but this year I’ve decided to go for broke for a Fan Writer Hugo Award. Yay me!
1/
1/
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote — online, in person or by mail — in every U.S. state and territory. n.pr/4ayRPUJ
How to register to vote and check your registration status
For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote — online, in person or by mail — in every U.S. state and territory.
n.pr
February 16, 2026 at 11:02 AM
For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote — online, in person or by mail — in every U.S. state and territory. n.pr/4ayRPUJ
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Great video from Hank Green about how the backlash is key to cycle of (medical) misinformation. Wish he'd gone into how to actually engage (I recommend tactics from How Minds Change). But key takeaway is: leave Twitter shaming behind. It's key part of misinformation spread youtu.be/QC9glJa1-c0?...
There's a Pattern Here
YouTube video by Hank Green
youtu.be
February 16, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Great video from Hank Green about how the backlash is key to cycle of (medical) misinformation. Wish he'd gone into how to actually engage (I recommend tactics from How Minds Change). But key takeaway is: leave Twitter shaming behind. It's key part of misinformation spread youtu.be/QC9glJa1-c0?...
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
the thing is that there are lots of modest, tedious, repetitive tasks in many of our jobs and lives where we might be happy to pay a fee for an ethically developed standalone tool to do only that task. but we can’t have that because it won’t make people rich enough
Every time I try to question my kneejerk skepticism on LLMs because they seem like they might have some potentially interesting use cases, some company shoves them into a product I use all the time, and it absolutely sucks shit.
February 16, 2026 at 7:08 AM
the thing is that there are lots of modest, tedious, repetitive tasks in many of our jobs and lives where we might be happy to pay a fee for an ethically developed standalone tool to do only that task. but we can’t have that because it won’t make people rich enough
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Another great example of how "human in the loop" is always going to be fake, due to the structure of that "loop."
Thinking about the many decisions that get made when you turn your notes into a draft and what that looks like when the bot is making all of those decisions, even if you get the "final say" after the decisions have been made. www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02...
February 16, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Another great example of how "human in the loop" is always going to be fake, due to the structure of that "loop."
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
game devs be wary of outsourcing key art to 'studios' like this, this is just img2img generative ai www.artstation.com/artwork/98XYKo
Key Art. Vampires: Bloodlord Rising by Toplitz Productions, Allcorrect
Darkness descends on a blood-soaked land…
Our artists set out to capture the seductive danger and ancient power that define the game. Every detail — from the blood-stained lips and glowing eyes to the...
www.artstation.com
February 16, 2026 at 10:59 AM
game devs be wary of outsourcing key art to 'studios' like this, this is just img2img generative ai www.artstation.com/artwork/98XYKo
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Hey Bluesky, could you help spread the word about my Patreon? My goal for the day is one new patron.
Patrons help support my art and my existence. You'll receive positive affirmations from Felmer, etiquette advice from Mothman, and other fun posts.
www.patreon.com/jeremycreature
Patrons help support my art and my existence. You'll receive positive affirmations from Felmer, etiquette advice from Mothman, and other fun posts.
www.patreon.com/jeremycreature
Get more from Jeremy Creature on Patreon
fabric art, weird little guys, puppets
www.patreon.com
February 14, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Hey Bluesky, could you help spread the word about my Patreon? My goal for the day is one new patron.
Patrons help support my art and my existence. You'll receive positive affirmations from Felmer, etiquette advice from Mothman, and other fun posts.
www.patreon.com/jeremycreature
Patrons help support my art and my existence. You'll receive positive affirmations from Felmer, etiquette advice from Mothman, and other fun posts.
www.patreon.com/jeremycreature
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Is it good or bad that an agency that is technically involved in law enforcement is using ideas from the serial killer playbook?
A female ICE thug posing as a distressed motorist in neighborhoods of Brooklyn Park (63% non-white), MN, to entrap good samaritans. This is the same MO Ted Bundy used to lure his victims to their demise.
February 15, 2026 at 10:57 PM
Is it good or bad that an agency that is technically involved in law enforcement is using ideas from the serial killer playbook?
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
Great ad.
February 15, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Great ad.
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
pretty thorough summary on everything I've seen on FDA's reversal on considering Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine in this piece by @citizencohn.bsky.social
February 15, 2026 at 7:49 PM
pretty thorough summary on everything I've seen on FDA's reversal on considering Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine in this piece by @citizencohn.bsky.social
Reposted by Chuck Wendig
The RFK number seems like a massive failure of the media to explain what RFK is doing to our public health system and how catastrophic it will be
Net favorability of how Americans view
Trump: -18
Hegseth: -15
Vance: -14
Rubio: -10
RFK Jr: -4
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Trump: -18
Hegseth: -15
Vance: -14
Rubio: -10
RFK Jr: -4
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
How Americans view key members of the Trump administration
A 58% majority say they have an unfavorable view of President Donald Trump, and 40% have a favorable view.
www.pewresearch.org
February 15, 2026 at 1:22 PM
The RFK number seems like a massive failure of the media to explain what RFK is doing to our public health system and how catastrophic it will be