Farah Mendlesohn

@effjayem.bsky.social

5.9K followers 2.7K following 1.6K posts

SF fan, writer etc etc. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Author of The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein and Rhetorics of Fantasy. Publishing a book on Joanna Russ's The Female Man with Luna Press in 2026. Pre Order now! Supporter of 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸 Pronouns: Farah/they .. more

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Farah Jane Mendlesohn is a British academic historian, writer on speculative fiction, and active member of science fiction fandom. Mendlesohn is best-known for their book Rhetorics of Fantasy (2008), which classifies fantasy literature into four modes based on how the fantastic enters the story. Their work as editor includes the Cambridge Companions to science fiction and fantasy, collaborations with Edward James. The science fiction volume won a Hugo Award in 2005. Mendlesohn is also known for books on the history of fantasy, including Children's Fantasy Literature: An Introduction, co-written with Michael Levy. It was the first work to trace the genre's 500-year history and won the World Fantasy Award in 2017. .. more

Art 30%

Philosophy 18%

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Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 11h

I know people specifically hired as Futurists from the sf community for all sorts of projects.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 11h

Oh I have. Zero response.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

clever.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

who was absolutely convinced sf could change the world, and it's why for many years the Clarke Award had a member of the Science Policy Council on it, and later the Science Museum. While I think the 'hard' version of the argument is absurd, it's always part of the conversation. 2/2

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

Nothing modern about it. It was embedded into the genre by Hugo Gernsback (who was also big in the Radio world) as one of the key arguments for science fiction -- at a time when it was derided. The Science Fiction Foundation in the UK was founded in part by a chap called George Hay...1/2

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

Oh god yes. And I have ADHD and Autism so....

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

I rarely even get there as so much is now distance learning, but in order to accommodate ever more books, more goes into off site storage.

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

mel! @mel.bzky.team · 1d

the thing about foreign students is that theyre one of the easiest groups to drive away. their very presence in your country is the result of a massive effort on their part. sure you can say "i'll charge them each a gorillion dollaridoos" but you dont hold them hostage like you do your own citizens

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

Exactly.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

I've lost count how many have died, but there are killings every day. And at least three? The ceasefire is a nonsense, as we knew it would be.

Reposted by Jonathan Hopkin, John Hogan

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

The one thing I really miss about the 'older world' is browsing library stacks, and card catalogues. However much I appreciate databases and retrieving what I want in moments, the serendipity of 'the book next to the one I wanted' and 'the article in the same issue' cannot be replicated. #Libraries

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

I love those moments!

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

Is it being recorded?

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Vinzenz Hediger @vinzenzhediger.bsky.social · 1d

Also, Springer Nature's address is in the tax haven of Cham, Zug, Switzerland. 42 other companies are registered in that same building:
search.ch/tel/cham/gew...
Even so, there is space available for rent:
www.homegate.ch/mieten/30029...
Academic publishing is also a large-scale tax evasion scheme.

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Clodagh Tait @clodaghtait.bsky.social · 1d

As part of the @cemslimerick.bsky.social Winter School at Univeristy of Limerick next Tuesday and Wednesday, you're welcome to Jason Harris's keynote on 'Manuscript publication in the seventeenth century: questions and approaches'. 5.15pm.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Farah Mendlesohn

Venus Bivar @vbivar.bsky.social · 1d

I'm looking for readings for well prepared first year university students on international socialism and/or anarchism before 1914. Please and thank you!

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

Sadly I am away, but next time!

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Perth Women on Wikipedia @perthwomenwiki.bsky.social · 2d

#Perth people - join us this Saturday 29 November for our #Wikipedia Editing Club at Bramblers Café, St John Street from 10-12. All levels of experience welcome. Don't forget your laptop!

We'll also have a selection of festive cards and stocking fillers from our pals @scotsuffragette.bsky.social

A group of people with laptops editing Wikipedia.

A selection of Christmas cards by Protests and Suffragettes.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 2d

it's telling that Pern had to be turned into sf to make the cut for many readers.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 2d

I think the shift was around 2000. I really noticed it in my (very unscientific) reader survey for The Inter-Galactic Playground -- I had around 1000 responses across age groups.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, John Drury, Lesley A. Hall , and 4 more Ben H. Ansell, John Drury, Lesley A. Hall, Devi Sridhar, Sue Timmis, Christina Pagel, Farah Mendlesohn

Dr Rachel Clarke @drrachelclarke.com · 2d

"My NHS colleagues & I weren’t willing to let the bodies pile high in their thousands. Boris no longer mentions them at all."

My piece on the responses to the UK Covid-UK Inquiry report that try to airbrush the dead away.

Sincere thanks, @theobserveruk.bsky.social.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer

observer.co.uk

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 2d

He found a way to make it worse

..also, what exact input from Ukraine did you get?

Marco Rubio #@marcorubio • 1h
The peace proposal was authored by the U.S.
It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations
It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.

® Marco Rubio #@marcorubio- Nov 19
Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas. And achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions. That is why we are and will continue to develop a list

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Daniel Woolf 🇨🇦 @woolf-atthedoor.bsky.social · 4d

I'm pleased to announce another new title in @universitypress.cambridge.org 's series Elements in Historical Study and practice is out and downloadable for free till Dec. 5. Chiel van den Akker, Knowledge and Narrative. doi.org/10.1017/9781...

Knowledge and Narrative

Cambridge Core - Global History - Knowledge and Narrative

doi.org

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff, Farah Mendlesohn

Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 4d

In a tacit admission that U.S. food production requires foreign labor, the Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ workers from other countries.
minnesotareformer.com/2025/11/21/r...

Trump allows more foreign ag workers, eases off ICE raids on farms • Minnesota Reformer

In a tacit admission that U.S. food production requires foreign labor, the Trump administration is making it easier for farmers to employ guest workers from other countries. At the same time, U.S. Imm...

minnesotareformer.com

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

Charlie Jane "Lessons in Magic and Disaster" Anders 🏳️‍⚧ @charliejane.bsky.social · 4d

So I was invited to accept an award for "imagination in service to society." This forced me to think a bit about what "imagination," "service" and "society" mean to me.

Here's the speech I delivered last night:
buttondown.com/charliejane/...

"The Enemy of Imagination": Here's the Speech I Gave Last Night

I had such an incredible day yesterday, y’all. First I was at the Trans Day of Literature at George Mason University, talking with incredible authors...

buttondown.com

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 5d

I don't know that book. Will go look.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 5d

This is one of the books that annoyed me. Lots of talk about how railways are rationed. But I did like the Fens

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 5d

It's Catherine Butler i would ask.

Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 5d

"Delayed at Haymarket":

Reposted by Farah Mendlesohn

SJ Groenewegen @sjgroenewegen.co.uk · 6d

Anti-immigration hatred is being fuelled *again* by rhetoric & intended action by the UK government. It's drawing on an old fascist strategy, but there are ways to say "no".

¡No pasarán! They will not pass.

We defeated fascism before & will do so again. Links included.

ko-fi.com/post/How-to-...

How to Say No to the Hatred About Immigration, Migrants and Refugees

SJ Groenewegen published a post on Ko-fi

ko-fi.com

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