Elly Bangs
@ellybangs.bsky.social
Author of the apocalyptic cyberpunk novel UNITY, available in bookstores and libraries near you. Short fiction and more at elbangs.com. Queer and trans. Loneliness elemental. (She/her)
Pinned
Elly Bangs
@ellybangs.bsky.social
· Oct 20
Unity - Tachyon Publications
“Unity is an astonishing debut, twisty and startling . . . an absorbing, thrilling ride.” —New York Times In a desperate escape, Danae and her lover Naoto hire the enigmatic ex-mercenary Alexei to gui...
tachyonpublications.com
I wrote this novel about a remorse-stricken master assassin who takes one last job guiding the last surviving fragment of a collective consciousness across the post-apocalyptic American West under the looming specter of a final world war. I hope you like it.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
The very big thing to remember about fascism is that it doesn't work. It fails at what it attempts to do. You never, ever, have to pretend that it has benefits which outweigh its harms.
January 24, 2026 at 12:35 AM
The very big thing to remember about fascism is that it doesn't work. It fails at what it attempts to do. You never, ever, have to pretend that it has benefits which outweigh its harms.
It comes to mind often these days that forgiveness only requires that you set aside your grudges and try to build some kind of good will. It does not entail reverting your opinion of someone to the one you might have held before they did harm.
January 23, 2026 at 10:11 PM
It comes to mind often these days that forgiveness only requires that you set aside your grudges and try to build some kind of good will. It does not entail reverting your opinion of someone to the one you might have held before they did harm.
If you can, show some rent support to Minneapolis immigrant communities where folks have lost work and been unable to leave their homes due to ICE's terrorism.
Donate to Critical Rent Assistance for Central Neighborhood Families, organized by Sara Huelle
As ICE continues to move with deadly force through Minneapolis,… Sara Huelle needs your support for Critical Rent Assistance for Central Neighborhood Families
www.gofundme.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:13 PM
If you can, show some rent support to Minneapolis immigrant communities where folks have lost work and been unable to leave their homes due to ICE's terrorism.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
Another question I came here with was: how effective are the whistles and honking? Does it stop abductions? And the answer is, surprisingly to my cynical self, yes, and often. I have talked to so many people who have successfully interrupted kidnappings.
January 23, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Another question I came here with was: how effective are the whistles and honking? Does it stop abductions? And the answer is, surprisingly to my cynical self, yes, and often. I have talked to so many people who have successfully interrupted kidnappings.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
WAIT YEATS'S "The Second Coming" IS A FLU PANDEMIC POEM??? what the fuck
January 23, 2026 at 5:03 PM
WAIT YEATS'S "The Second Coming" IS A FLU PANDEMIC POEM??? what the fuck
Western thought, in its immense and ancient wisdom, now grapples with the ultimate philosophical question of our times: is power meant to serve the common good? Or is it a reward for Very Special Boys?
From NYT interview with FBI official on Patel. Utterly terrifying.
"His staff only cared about three things: what his meals were, when his workouts would be and what his entertainment would be. The biggest plan is how he's going to get his girlfriend to Windsor Castle."
(Source: archive.is/ZT5qx)
"His staff only cared about three things: what his meals were, when his workouts would be and what his entertainment would be. The biggest plan is how he's going to get his girlfriend to Windsor Castle."
(Source: archive.is/ZT5qx)
January 23, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Western thought, in its immense and ancient wisdom, now grapples with the ultimate philosophical question of our times: is power meant to serve the common good? Or is it a reward for Very Special Boys?
Crucial thread.
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
January 22, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Crucial thread.
Whenever people get too rich they inevitably evolve into supervillains, a process called Luthorization
January 22, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Whenever people get too rich they inevitably evolve into supervillains, a process called Luthorization
Reposted by Elly Bangs
Now listen everybody, this thing could turn into a sunk cost fallacy unless we keep pouring more money into it forever.
Microsoft CEO says AI “risks becoming a speculative bubble unless its use spreads beyond big tech companies and wealthy economies.” Brother you’re the one building this dogshit, we’re three years and hundreds of billions in, how have you not worked it out?
www.ft.com/content/2a29...
www.ft.com/content/2a29...
January 20, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Now listen everybody, this thing could turn into a sunk cost fallacy unless we keep pouring more money into it forever.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
Here's your daily dose of weirdness for today!
October 8, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Here's your daily dose of weirdness for today!
Reposted by Elly Bangs
What they don't tell you about the Time of Monsters is how long the Time of Monsters actually is. I'd like my new world to be born already.
January 15, 2026 at 7:46 AM
What they don't tell you about the Time of Monsters is how long the Time of Monsters actually is. I'd like my new world to be born already.
Look, Trump may *try* to cancel all future elections, crown himself god-emperor, suspend the constitution, and invade Europe -- but he'll surely back down when Congressional Dems consider convening a committee to explore the possibility of writing a sternly-worded letter telling him that's illegal.
Schumer as a major American metro is being brutally occupied by Trump goons: "The affordability crisis will be our focus throughout 2026 because that's what the American people are demanding"
January 15, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Look, Trump may *try* to cancel all future elections, crown himself god-emperor, suspend the constitution, and invade Europe -- but he'll surely back down when Congressional Dems consider convening a committee to explore the possibility of writing a sternly-worded letter telling him that's illegal.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
"Defense Technologies, an imprint of Pennsylvania-based security equipment manufacturer Safariland, markets the HC canisters as “military-style” smokers, even though the U.S. military actually stopped using HC in grenades in the 1990s due to its extreme toxicity."
January 15, 2026 at 12:06 PM
"Defense Technologies, an imprint of Pennsylvania-based security equipment manufacturer Safariland, markets the HC canisters as “military-style” smokers, even though the U.S. military actually stopped using HC in grenades in the 1990s due to its extreme toxicity."
Reposted by Elly Bangs
NYT ran 11 stories on trans athletes in 2 days including one about brett kavanaugh’s special POV as a girls’ basketball coach. they sent 6 people to scotus to write up their victory lap & meanwhile this is how far you needed to scroll yesterday to find coverage of ICE in MN.
stop giving them money.
stop giving them money.
January 15, 2026 at 3:46 PM
NYT ran 11 stories on trans athletes in 2 days including one about brett kavanaugh’s special POV as a girls’ basketball coach. they sent 6 people to scotus to write up their victory lap & meanwhile this is how far you needed to scroll yesterday to find coverage of ICE in MN.
stop giving them money.
stop giving them money.
Except he's going to make believe that everyone gave it to him whether or not anyone actually did. That's his entire thing.
State investigators have been on the scene in North Minneapolis.
I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets.
But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace.
Don’t give him what he wants.
I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets.
But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace.
Don’t give him what he wants.
January 15, 2026 at 7:57 AM
Except he's going to make believe that everyone gave it to him whether or not anyone actually did. That's his entire thing.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
The heat energy we added to the ocean LAST YEAR is the equivalent of:
- Detonating ten hydrogen bombs every minute
- operating over a hundred large power plants continuously for all of written human history
- Five times all the electricity human beings have ever used
- Detonating ten hydrogen bombs every minute
- operating over a hundred large power plants continuously for all of written human history
- Five times all the electricity human beings have ever used
Ocean heat content increased by 23 billion trillion joules, which was around 39 times greater than global primary energy use this year. This is the largest rise in OHC since 2017; overall OHC has increased by over 500 zettajoules since the 1940s.
January 14, 2026 at 9:05 PM
The heat energy we added to the ocean LAST YEAR is the equivalent of:
- Detonating ten hydrogen bombs every minute
- operating over a hundred large power plants continuously for all of written human history
- Five times all the electricity human beings have ever used
- Detonating ten hydrogen bombs every minute
- operating over a hundred large power plants continuously for all of written human history
- Five times all the electricity human beings have ever used
Reposted by Elly Bangs
In a nutshell
I wrote about Renee Good, Venezuela, Greenland, and what it means to be a human being. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
January 14, 2026 at 4:40 PM
In a nutshell
Reposted by Elly Bangs
semi-regular reminder that ICE was only created in 2003
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
January 12, 2026 at 8:04 PM
semi-regular reminder that ICE was only created in 2003
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
Computers are getting worse at an exponential rate. All human technology is rotting away before our eyes.
January 13, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Computers are getting worse at an exponential rate. All human technology is rotting away before our eyes.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
Again, all polls show that abolishing ICE is an incredibly popular position, completely in the mainstream center of American politics. "Centerism" has nothing to do with what's in the center, but is instead an absolute and radical stance against the idea of change
ICE may be shooting people in the face, sending people to concentration camps, and illegally occupying our cities but, apparently, the Democrats think saying, "abolish ICE" is "emotional" and politically "lethal."
January 13, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Again, all polls show that abolishing ICE is an incredibly popular position, completely in the mainstream center of American politics. "Centerism" has nothing to do with what's in the center, but is instead an absolute and radical stance against the idea of change
Reposted by Elly Bangs
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I suspect the Trump administration is taking a risk by turning the whole news apparatus into state media.
The media was normalizing every fascist escalation. But the gap in coverage around ICE has radicalized a whole city who are shocked it got so bad so fast.
The media was normalizing every fascist escalation. But the gap in coverage around ICE has radicalized a whole city who are shocked it got so bad so fast.
I can’t emphasize enough how shocked my out of state friends and family are when I tell them what has happened in Minneapolis since Renee Good’s murder.
Without reliable media, most not-chronically-online people are completely in the dark. If you want to help Minnesota, tell people what you know.
Without reliable media, most not-chronically-online people are completely in the dark. If you want to help Minnesota, tell people what you know.
January 13, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I suspect the Trump administration is taking a risk by turning the whole news apparatus into state media.
The media was normalizing every fascist escalation. But the gap in coverage around ICE has radicalized a whole city who are shocked it got so bad so fast.
The media was normalizing every fascist escalation. But the gap in coverage around ICE has radicalized a whole city who are shocked it got so bad so fast.
Abolish ICE and prosecute them for crimes against humanity.
January 10, 2026 at 7:54 AM
Abolish ICE and prosecute them for crimes against humanity.
Reposted by Elly Bangs
This is why the US has not, at all, acknowledged covid as a mass death event, and part of why it refuses to acknowledge it is also an ongoing mass disabling event (with millions more grieving for the futures it made impossible to them)
THE OPEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GRIEF IS A POLITICAL ACT.
One of the things that genuinely shocked me as I read through surveillance logs for the police is how much of their energy and attention is dedicated to shutting down vigils and other ceremonies of remembrance.
January 10, 2026 at 5:03 AM
This is why the US has not, at all, acknowledged covid as a mass death event, and part of why it refuses to acknowledge it is also an ongoing mass disabling event (with millions more grieving for the futures it made impossible to them)
Reposted by Elly Bangs
The surprise invasion of Venezuela isn't imperial expansion driven by the dictates of capitalism; it is somehow even sicker. The Trump administration is behaving like gambling addicts chasing clout in an attention economy. Venezuela is a fucking meme stock. www.theverge.com/policy/85807...
Snatching Maduro was all about the spectacle
Kidnapping a world leader for online clout
www.theverge.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:40 PM
The surprise invasion of Venezuela isn't imperial expansion driven by the dictates of capitalism; it is somehow even sicker. The Trump administration is behaving like gambling addicts chasing clout in an attention economy. Venezuela is a fucking meme stock. www.theverge.com/policy/85807...