Simone Heller
@herlizardness.bsky.social
sff writer & translator
curiosity in abundance | astray in worlds and words
curiosity in abundance | astray in worlds and words
Pinned
Simone Heller
@herlizardness.bsky.social
· Oct 15
Oh, wow, just when I thought about checking what's going on here - so many new faces! Hi! Hello! I'm back for a bit, I hope. What's good to know about me? I'm horrible at social media and I write short fiction at a glacial pace. So far none of my stories feature a human point of view character.
lol
AI stole my life’s work
to use it to replace me
and now I need a new computer to do what’s left of this work
and it costs as much as a car or maybe a small spaceship
because of AI
AI stole my life’s work
to use it to replace me
and now I need a new computer to do what’s left of this work
and it costs as much as a car or maybe a small spaceship
because of AI
January 9, 2026 at 4:06 PM
lol
AI stole my life’s work
to use it to replace me
and now I need a new computer to do what’s left of this work
and it costs as much as a car or maybe a small spaceship
because of AI
AI stole my life’s work
to use it to replace me
and now I need a new computer to do what’s left of this work
and it costs as much as a car or maybe a small spaceship
because of AI
It will
Or maybe the headaches are due to the small print, who knows?
Or maybe the headaches are due to the small print, who knows?
January 7, 2026 at 10:02 PM
It will
Or maybe the headaches are due to the small print, who knows?
Or maybe the headaches are due to the small print, who knows?
Mit dem perfekten Lesezeichen auch noch! <3
January 7, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Mit dem perfekten Lesezeichen auch noch! <3
Danke & komm gut rüber (mit Saurierkutsche, hoffe ich)
December 30, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Danke & komm gut rüber (mit Saurierkutsche, hoffe ich)
If you believe LLMs can translate your book, there’s no reason to think LLMs can’t also write your book.
December 29, 2025 at 11:27 PM
If you believe LLMs can translate your book, there’s no reason to think LLMs can’t also write your book.
Awesome reading list & glad you enjoyed those!
December 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Awesome reading list & glad you enjoyed those!
Reposted by Simone Heller
Sidebar:
A part of the AI conversation that passes me off is the fact that the proponents know and sometimes outright say seas of people will lose their jobs (i.e., creatives and skilled workers) and rarely have an even passable answer about what these people will do instead.
A part of the AI conversation that passes me off is the fact that the proponents know and sometimes outright say seas of people will lose their jobs (i.e., creatives and skilled workers) and rarely have an even passable answer about what these people will do instead.
French publishing house Harlequin decided to use AI translation instead of human translations.
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
December 19, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Sidebar:
A part of the AI conversation that passes me off is the fact that the proponents know and sometimes outright say seas of people will lose their jobs (i.e., creatives and skilled workers) and rarely have an even passable answer about what these people will do instead.
A part of the AI conversation that passes me off is the fact that the proponents know and sometimes outright say seas of people will lose their jobs (i.e., creatives and skilled workers) and rarely have an even passable answer about what these people will do instead.
Reposted by Simone Heller
I still can’t believe I sold four stories this year!
Apparently it’s awards season again?!?
Anyway, 2025 was an amazing year! Consider reading & maybe nominating:
Flash fiction:
sites.google.com/newmyths.com...
theorangebee.substack.com/p/how-to-mak...
Short Story:
giganotosaurus.org/2025/07/01/w...
www.khoreomag.com/fiction/isla...
Anyway, 2025 was an amazing year! Consider reading & maybe nominating:
Flash fiction:
sites.google.com/newmyths.com...
theorangebee.substack.com/p/how-to-mak...
Short Story:
giganotosaurus.org/2025/07/01/w...
www.khoreomag.com/fiction/isla...
NewMyths.com Issue #70 - Check Out
Check Out
by Sonia Focke
“What can I do for you today?” The Librarian had perfectly librarianesque wire-rimmed spectacles perched precariously on her snout, a delightfully librarian-y pink cardig...
sites.google.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I still can’t believe I sold four stories this year!
Bei dem dicken Star-Wars-Brocken war ich aber nur “Planeten” ^^
December 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Bei dem dicken Star-Wars-Brocken war ich aber nur “Planeten” ^^
If you'd like to support seals, this awesome hospital, and me, and get an adorable sticker for your good deed, maybe consider participating - you would be the fish in their bucket (see rescue seal Scarlett for reference for how hungry they are) and make me very happy <3
December 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
If you'd like to support seals, this awesome hospital, and me, and get an adorable sticker for your good deed, maybe consider participating - you would be the fish in their bucket (see rescue seal Scarlett for reference for how hungry they are) and make me very happy <3
And last but not least, I'm running a fundraising event right now with my Seal Signal project. You help a really good seal center, I send you a cute seal sticker designed by a human artist. This is the project of my heart, all cobbled together to multiply the impact I could have on my own.
Donation Dive 1 has launched! This means you can:
- Donate directly to Natureland Skegness Seal Hospital
- Send a screenshot of the donation ("Thank you" page) via DM or on The Seal Signal webpage (scroll down for link)
- Get a sticker created by Haru mailed to you as a thank-you
- Donate directly to Natureland Skegness Seal Hospital
- Send a screenshot of the donation ("Thank you" page) via DM or on The Seal Signal webpage (scroll down for link)
- Get a sticker created by Haru mailed to you as a thank-you
December 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
And last but not least, I'm running a fundraising event right now with my Seal Signal project. You help a really good seal center, I send you a cute seal sticker designed by a human artist. This is the project of my heart, all cobbled together to multiply the impact I could have on my own.
Uncertainty & kindness, I could deal with that.
December 18, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Uncertainty & kindness, I could deal with that.
3 books I translated this year that almost made me lose my mind (for different reasons - one was a lot to learn, one I jumped on last minute, and one … we don’t talk about Bruno). My two fav translations of 2025 are not out yet :(
December 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
3 books I translated this year that almost made me lose my mind (for different reasons - one was a lot to learn, one I jumped on last minute, and one … we don’t talk about Bruno). My two fav translations of 2025 are not out yet :(
Onward in uncertainty, as always. Happy about the kindness I get to see while the powers in this world try their best to suck it all out.
December 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Onward in uncertainty, as always. Happy about the kindness I get to see while the powers in this world try their best to suck it all out.
What I did not have on my bingo card: 1. taking marine mammalogy courses, 2. going through a steep web programming learning curve, 3. making Instagram reels for promotion. All of this made my life brighter (... not the reels, these are a pain) - what can I say? Maybe I just love long low animals
December 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
What I did not have on my bingo card: 1. taking marine mammalogy courses, 2. going through a steep web programming learning curve, 3. making Instagram reels for promotion. All of this made my life brighter (... not the reels, these are a pain) - what can I say? Maybe I just love long low animals
1 story written & published, 2 abandoned after lots & lots of work put in. That's the way it goes. I'm on another thing now and feel excited about it. Let's see when I will hit a wall with that one. Still can't read in Japanese despite all my effort ^^ , but I’ll trudge on in that too.
December 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
1 story written & published, 2 abandoned after lots & lots of work put in. That's the way it goes. I'm on another thing now and feel excited about it. Let's see when I will hit a wall with that one. Still can't read in Japanese despite all my effort ^^ , but I’ll trudge on in that too.
Crazy year I had! Probably the most busy ever, but I also lost 3 reliable clients since A offers to translate Kindle books with a click. So next year might look quite different, and I'm glad and very frightened. I'd really like to work less, but these are 8 books I'm not going to translate in 2026.
December 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Crazy year I had! Probably the most busy ever, but I also lost 3 reliable clients since A offers to translate Kindle books with a click. So next year might look quite different, and I'm glad and very frightened. I'd really like to work less, but these are 8 books I'm not going to translate in 2026.
Ugh. I hate them so much, and unfortunately it’s not mutual.
November 9, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Ugh. I hate them so much, and unfortunately it’s not mutual.
Happy Halloween und jede Menge treats! Ich fahre auf jeden Fall mit im Kürbismobil.
October 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Happy Halloween und jede Menge treats! Ich fahre auf jeden Fall mit im Kürbismobil.
Come for the acid-spitting centipedes, stay for the calm of the forest - and for many more fabulous stories in this bundle.
Simone Heller SALE
"When We Were Starless"
www.infinivoxsf.com/robots-ai-1
"Forever the Forest"
www.infinivoxsf.com/space-time-4
Sale ends 10/29:
www.infinivoxsf.com/product-page...
"When We Were Starless"
www.infinivoxsf.com/robots-ai-1
"Forever the Forest"
www.infinivoxsf.com/space-time-4
Sale ends 10/29:
www.infinivoxsf.com/product-page...
October 26, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Come for the acid-spitting centipedes, stay for the calm of the forest - and for many more fabulous stories in this bundle.
Thank you!! ❤️🦭
October 19, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Thank you!! ❤️🦭
Reposted by Simone Heller
My friend @herlizardness.bsky.social has been working on a very cool (and VERY CUTE) new project - check out what she's doing at sealsignal.org and give The Seal Signal a follow?
(spoilers: delightful seal stickers designed by human artists)
(spoilers: delightful seal stickers designed by human artists)
October 17, 2025 at 8:19 AM
My friend @herlizardness.bsky.social has been working on a very cool (and VERY CUTE) new project - check out what she's doing at sealsignal.org and give The Seal Signal a follow?
(spoilers: delightful seal stickers designed by human artists)
(spoilers: delightful seal stickers designed by human artists)
Ich fand auch, dass das verheißungsvoll klingt.
October 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Ich fand auch, dass das verheißungsvoll klingt.
Yep, just automatic retcon
October 15, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Yep, just automatic retcon
This is what the story should have been (and is, in my head).
October 15, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is what the story should have been (and is, in my head).