Liz Bourke
@hawkwinglb.bsky.social
Ph.D Classics. Reviews @ Reactor Magazine (ex. Tor.com) and Locus Magazine.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hawkwing_lb
Wordpress: https://lizbourke.wordpress.com
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@hawkwing_lb
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hawkwing_lb
Wordpress: https://lizbourke.wordpress.com
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@hawkwing_lb
Pinned
Liz Bourke
@hawkwinglb.bsky.social
· Nov 9
κῆπος τῶν βιβλιοθηκῶν | a garden from the libraries
Liz Bourke: books, history, writing, and culture.
lizbourke.wordpress.com
Hello, new followers! I write reviews of science fiction and fantasy novels for @locusmag.bsky.social and for @reactorsff.bsky.social. On my blog lizbourke.wordpress.com/news-and-upd..., I write about the nonfiction I've been reading lately, and the occasional deeper dive on some aspect of SFF.
I need to get an updated headshot, my last one is more than ten years old. Sigh.
February 17, 2026 at 8:07 PM
I need to get an updated headshot, my last one is more than ten years old. Sigh.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
wow I...I gasped at this one. good Lord
“I don’t want to be in this place I want to go to my school.”
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
February 17, 2026 at 7:48 PM
wow I...I gasped at this one. good Lord
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Monstrously evil. Abolish ICE. Melt down its weapons and sell off all of its assets. Release everyone from its concentration camps and grant citizenship (if they want it) to everyone whose rights it has violated.
“I don’t want to be in this place I want to go to my school.”
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
February 17, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Monstrously evil. Abolish ICE. Melt down its weapons and sell off all of its assets. Release everyone from its concentration camps and grant citizenship (if they want it) to everyone whose rights it has violated.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Three days, slightly under $3k to go in order to fund WHAT ELEGANT STARS, a space opera & fashion anthology that I am deeply, deeply excited to write for ... if it gets funded.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dav...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dav...
What Elegant Stars
Queer Tales of Impossible Style, a fashionable space opera anthology.
www.kickstarter.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Three days, slightly under $3k to go in order to fund WHAT ELEGANT STARS, a space opera & fashion anthology that I am deeply, deeply excited to write for ... if it gets funded.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dav...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dav...
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Great thread, this is the nub for me
And when it comes down to it, 96 cases in just a few weeks is *huge* when we know it can be zero or close to zero. There mustn’t be any shrugging of shoulders, or acceptance of these outbreaks.
We know that outbreaks are avoidable because we did avoid them – for years, and not long ago. 7/8
We know that outbreaks are avoidable because we did avoid them – for years, and not long ago. 7/8
February 17, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Great thread, this is the nub for me
Reposted by Liz Bourke
When my my man said something about that meth & hollow cheeks and I was like “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re taking about”
February 17, 2026 at 5:38 PM
When my my man said something about that meth & hollow cheeks and I was like “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re taking about”
Reposted by Liz Bourke
I *did* break myself during the Lockdown, trying to keep students sane, learn entirely new skills, change courses to enable online learning, provide so much pastoral care, etc. etc.
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
I feel so miserable about this. Nearly broke myself working 16, 18 hour days during the pandemic. We did everything we possibly could, then doubled it, tripled it. HE is still struggling to get back off the floor, years later. Now another financial punch in the face.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities
It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 17, 2026 at 5:51 PM
I *did* break myself during the Lockdown, trying to keep students sane, learn entirely new skills, change courses to enable online learning, provide so much pastoral care, etc. etc.
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
Reposted by Liz Bourke
This is a travesty! Perilous Times is one of the most delightful books I read last year and I want more queer knights please and thank you
This is perhaps one of many reasons why it won't be published in the US any time soon. As I said at WFC in Brighton: Ballantine Books, who published Perilous Times in the US, wanted me to cut a major queer storyline from the book. When I refused to makes those edits, they cancelled the contract.
February 17, 2026 at 5:56 PM
This is a travesty! Perilous Times is one of the most delightful books I read last year and I want more queer knights please and thank you
Reposted by Liz Bourke
On the DPC taking action by starting an investigation they’ve been pressed for for nearly a month.
This is welcome news and follows ICCL and @digitalrightsirl.bsky.social writing to the DPC on January 20, urging it to exercise its powers and take immediate action ➡️ www.iccl.ie/wp-content/u...
February 17, 2026 at 6:12 PM
On the DPC taking action by starting an investigation they’ve been pressed for for nearly a month.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
This is welcome news and follows ICCL and @digitalrightsirl.bsky.social writing to the DPC on January 20, urging it to exercise its powers and take immediate action ➡️ www.iccl.ie/wp-content/u...
February 17, 2026 at 11:22 AM
This is welcome news and follows ICCL and @digitalrightsirl.bsky.social writing to the DPC on January 20, urging it to exercise its powers and take immediate action ➡️ www.iccl.ie/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Fossil fuels must be phased out as early as by 2029, with "limited to no opportunity for new investments in fossil fuel systems"
Our tax system "supports use of fossil fuels through environmentally harmful subsidies ... This is inconsistent with Ireland’s climate objectives"
Our tax system "supports use of fossil fuels through environmentally harmful subsidies ... This is inconsistent with Ireland’s climate objectives"
An Oireachtas committee has heard that Ireland will struggle to meet its national and EU obligations on climate, leading to "a significant call on the public purse"
Missing climate goals risks significant fine, cttee told
An Oireachtas committee has heard that Ireland will struggle to meet its national and EU obligations on climate, leading to "a significant call on the public purse".
www.rte.ie
February 17, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Fossil fuels must be phased out as early as by 2029, with "limited to no opportunity for new investments in fossil fuel systems"
Our tax system "supports use of fossil fuels through environmentally harmful subsidies ... This is inconsistent with Ireland’s climate objectives"
Our tax system "supports use of fossil fuels through environmentally harmful subsidies ... This is inconsistent with Ireland’s climate objectives"
Reposted by Liz Bourke
dumplings are a side effect of Mongols
In honor of Lunar New Year, one of my all-time favorite maps:
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
February 17, 2026 at 6:51 PM
dumplings are a side effect of Mongols
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Big news folks - The final book in The Feral Gods is called...
The God of Bronze
Pre-order now & get 25% off your pre-order at Waterstones website or app (code FEB26) until the 20th Feb.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-god...
The paperback of The Lore of Silver is in the same deal.
Out in November
The God of Bronze
Pre-order now & get 25% off your pre-order at Waterstones website or app (code FEB26) until the 20th Feb.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-god...
The paperback of The Lore of Silver is in the same deal.
Out in November
February 17, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Big news folks - The final book in The Feral Gods is called...
The God of Bronze
Pre-order now & get 25% off your pre-order at Waterstones website or app (code FEB26) until the 20th Feb.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-god...
The paperback of The Lore of Silver is in the same deal.
Out in November
The God of Bronze
Pre-order now & get 25% off your pre-order at Waterstones website or app (code FEB26) until the 20th Feb.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-god...
The paperback of The Lore of Silver is in the same deal.
Out in November
All right. @katalicedunn.bsky.social's BITTERTHORN. Why did no one tell me about this book? It is a fantastic meditation on loneliness wrapped in a gothic-esque romance that draws from Bluebeard, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast.
February 17, 2026 at 5:37 PM
All right. @katalicedunn.bsky.social's BITTERTHORN. Why did no one tell me about this book? It is a fantastic meditation on loneliness wrapped in a gothic-esque romance that draws from Bluebeard, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Reposted by Liz Bourke
How green is The Irish Times? Why does it side with nimbys so much? Can I put any question in a headline and not bother answering it? irishcycle.com/2026/02/04/h...
How green is The Irish Times? Why does it side with nimbys so much? Can I put any question in a headline and not bother answering it?
Comment & Analysis: Ok, so that headline is clearly being provocative. I should clarify it’s not for clicks, but to make a point. For the avoidance of doubt, this is an article about the …
irishcycle.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:11 PM
How green is The Irish Times? Why does it side with nimbys so much? Can I put any question in a headline and not bother answering it? irishcycle.com/2026/02/04/h...
Reposted by Liz Bourke
"Eh, it's probably ants," he says, kindly excusing my lack of coffee offer. "Just a sec."
So this nice man heads out to the gate, takes one look at it, and says "yeah, the ants ate your Linky".
THE ANTS ATE MY LINKY
So this nice man heads out to the gate, takes one look at it, and says "yeah, the ants ate your Linky".
THE ANTS ATE MY LINKY
April 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
"Eh, it's probably ants," he says, kindly excusing my lack of coffee offer. "Just a sec."
So this nice man heads out to the gate, takes one look at it, and says "yeah, the ants ate your Linky".
THE ANTS ATE MY LINKY
So this nice man heads out to the gate, takes one look at it, and says "yeah, the ants ate your Linky".
THE ANTS ATE MY LINKY
Reposted by Liz Bourke
February 17, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Liz Bourke
I've heard several stories of profs and students quitting or dropping out because of long COVID or the risk of contracting COVID in a space that hasn't done anything to improve ventilation or make any changes to precautions to protect people.
How many staff and teachers contracted COVID, died, or became disabled because universities and schools decided they feared irate students and parents and politicians more than they did the systematic debilitation of their workforce?
Unis also had obligations to protect staff. But, I mean, should I get compensation for having to shield at home for 5 years? I have, after all, missed out on years of life "experience". Or should I just realise that life is not fair, pandemics happen, and we need goodwill towards each other.
February 17, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I've heard several stories of profs and students quitting or dropping out because of long COVID or the risk of contracting COVID in a space that hasn't done anything to improve ventilation or make any changes to precautions to protect people.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Recent CBS News news:
1. Anderson Cooper leaves 60 Minutes after two decades
2. Stephen Colbert reveals network won’t let him air interview with Dem
3. Producer says politics dictating what airs
4. Owner’s bid for CNN parent back on the table.
5. Not firing Epstein pal.
1. Anderson Cooper leaves 60 Minutes after two decades
2. Stephen Colbert reveals network won’t let him air interview with Dem
3. Producer says politics dictating what airs
4. Owner’s bid for CNN parent back on the table.
5. Not firing Epstein pal.
February 17, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Recent CBS News news:
1. Anderson Cooper leaves 60 Minutes after two decades
2. Stephen Colbert reveals network won’t let him air interview with Dem
3. Producer says politics dictating what airs
4. Owner’s bid for CNN parent back on the table.
5. Not firing Epstein pal.
1. Anderson Cooper leaves 60 Minutes after two decades
2. Stephen Colbert reveals network won’t let him air interview with Dem
3. Producer says politics dictating what airs
4. Owner’s bid for CNN parent back on the table.
5. Not firing Epstein pal.
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Next time you see a dramatic news article "revealing" a left activist or politician objected to housing, check if they were objecting to it being built on a flood plain. It's pretty frequent and for some reason that kind of news article tends to leave that bit out
The next time you hear some politician blaming pearl mussels or the Habitats Directive for flooding disasters, might be a good time to point this out to to them.
February 17, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Next time you see a dramatic news article "revealing" a left activist or politician objected to housing, check if they were objecting to it being built on a flood plain. It's pretty frequent and for some reason that kind of news article tends to leave that bit out
Reposted by Liz Bourke
A spokesperson for the regulator stressed the importance of observing flood risk planning guidelines as extreme weather increased.
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
Councillors tried to zone 288 flood-prone sites for development in past six years
Planning regulator intervened 93 times to stop zoning on sites in nine counties, with more interventions still under way
www.irishtimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:15 AM
A spokesperson for the regulator stressed the importance of observing flood risk planning guidelines as extreme weather increased.
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
Reposted by Liz Bourke
The headline doesn't even begin to describe how wildly unethical the background of this story is, which is that the survivor only shared the story with one person- her psychiatrist- who is Kamel Doud's wife
His novel was praised for giving a voice to the victims of Algeria’s brutal civil war. But one woman has accused Kamel Daoud of having stolen her story – and the ensuing legal battle has become about much more than literary ethics.
‘I felt betrayed, naked’: did a prize-winning novelist steal a woman’s life story?
The long read: His novel was praised for giving a voice to the victims of Algeria’s brutal civil war. But one woman has accused Kamel Daoud of having stolen her story – and the ensuing legal battle ha...
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2026 at 11:21 AM
The headline doesn't even begin to describe how wildly unethical the background of this story is, which is that the survivor only shared the story with one person- her psychiatrist- who is Kamel Doud's wife
Reposted by Liz Bourke
Happy new year everyone!
Chúc mừng năm mới! Sức khỏe dồi dào!
Chúc mừng năm mới! Sức khỏe dồi dào!
a blue penguin is riding on the back of a red horse with the year 2015 behind it
Alt: a blue penguin is riding on the back of a red horse with the year 2026 behind it
media.tenor.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:04 AM
Happy new year everyone!
Chúc mừng năm mới! Sức khỏe dồi dào!
Chúc mừng năm mới! Sức khỏe dồi dào!
Reposted by Liz Bourke
If anyone who applied for the basic income for the arts trial and DIDN'T get it would like to talk to me for a feature please DM me or email [email protected]
February 17, 2026 at 11:40 AM
If anyone who applied for the basic income for the arts trial and DIDN'T get it would like to talk to me for a feature please DM me or email [email protected]