Mark Cantrell
@man0words.bsky.social
A UK writer and journalist. Writes about social housing (day job). Author of SFF novels Citizen Zero and Silas Morlock, published by Inspired Quill.
Website: https://tykewriter.wordpress.com
Substack Newsletter: https://markcantrellauthor.substack.com
Website: https://tykewriter.wordpress.com
Substack Newsletter: https://markcantrellauthor.substack.com
Yeah, I've had the odd dig at my Northern vowels before now, and, as an 'ex-pat Tyke', I do sometimes fear my efforts to retain my Northern spirit risk venturing into caricature territory sometimes...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#writerslife
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#writerslife
It’s not easy being an English northerner surrounded by southerners. Here’s how we survive | Robyn Vinter
University undergraduates are forming northern societies, but in other circumstances we find different ways to be ourselves, says Guardian north of England correspondent Robyn Vinter
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Yeah, I've had the odd dig at my Northern vowels before now, and, as an 'ex-pat Tyke', I do sometimes fear my efforts to retain my Northern spirit risk venturing into caricature territory sometimes...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#writerslife
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#writerslife
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
Oof, this is powerful and heart-rending and important:
“Our Grandmother’s Words” is about the more insidious side of colonialism, the way language connects us with culture, and my grief at not being able to speak my dad’s first language. It was originally published in the fab @bcsmagazine.bsky.social here:
www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/our-...
www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/our-...
Beneath Ceaseless Skies - Our Grandmother’s Words by M.H. Ayinde
There was a horrible power in the Ishanis’ twisted words, something not of the gods at all. I did not know if it was the feather or the scroll, or perhaps the act of bringing the two together, but wha...
www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Oof, this is powerful and heart-rending and important:
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
I haven't quite finished all the holiday leftovers yet, but I blinked and it's suddenly January 2026?!
So I want to know... which book did you get gifted (buying it for yourself counts! 😉) in December that you are HYPED to start next? (Obviously bonus points for an IQ title, but everything counts!)
So I want to know... which book did you get gifted (buying it for yourself counts! 😉) in December that you are HYPED to start next? (Obviously bonus points for an IQ title, but everything counts!)
a book called 6 language visual dictionary sits on a shelf with other books
ALT: a book called 6 language visual dictionary sits on a shelf with other books
media.tenor.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM
I haven't quite finished all the holiday leftovers yet, but I blinked and it's suddenly January 2026?!
So I want to know... which book did you get gifted (buying it for yourself counts! 😉) in December that you are HYPED to start next? (Obviously bonus points for an IQ title, but everything counts!)
So I want to know... which book did you get gifted (buying it for yourself counts! 😉) in December that you are HYPED to start next? (Obviously bonus points for an IQ title, but everything counts!)
So what are EU leaders -- or for that matter Keir Starmer -- going to do or say if/when Trump siezes Greenland? I guess we'll find out in due course...
January 3, 2026 at 6:46 PM
So what are EU leaders -- or for that matter Keir Starmer -- going to do or say if/when Trump siezes Greenland? I guess we'll find out in due course...
We should probably thank Trump for what he's done today. He's pulled off the mask, although it had more than slipped over Israel's genocide of the Palestinians. This is the West, what the West has always been -- Imperial in tooth and claw. 'Rules based order' was just managerialism and PR.
January 3, 2026 at 5:17 PM
We should probably thank Trump for what he's done today. He's pulled off the mask, although it had more than slipped over Israel's genocide of the Palestinians. This is the West, what the West has always been -- Imperial in tooth and claw. 'Rules based order' was just managerialism and PR.
Sent my author newsletter out to subscribers yesterday, you can dip in here...
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/tykewriter...
#authorlife #authors #booksky #creativewriting #writing
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/tykewriter...
#authorlife #authors #booksky #creativewriting #writing
Tykewriter Digest, January 2026
The latest quarterly news and writings from journalist and SFF author Mark Cantrell
markcantrellauthor.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Sent my author newsletter out to subscribers yesterday, you can dip in here...
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/tykewriter...
#authorlife #authors #booksky #creativewriting #writing
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/tykewriter...
#authorlife #authors #booksky #creativewriting #writing
That moment when you press publish on your latest newsletter, only then to realise you forgot to update the headline to January 2026. Sigh.
January 2, 2026 at 5:33 PM
That moment when you press publish on your latest newsletter, only then to realise you forgot to update the headline to January 2026. Sigh.
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
Writers, read this. A great big dose of kick-ass hope for 2026 from the brilliant @chuckwendig.bsky.social 💕
All righty -- this year's writerly resolution is live, should you care to read it. The tl;dr is it's actually quite an optimistic read, so hopefully it'll give you some juice to kick open the new year and put words to stories that need to be told.
Writer Resolution 2026: Wield The Weapon That Is You
It’s never precisely easy to be a writer — professional or otherwise. I mean, it’s easy in the sense of, hey, anybody can open a word processor and start (fiercely or methodically…
terribleminds.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Writers, read this. A great big dose of kick-ass hope for 2026 from the brilliant @chuckwendig.bsky.social 💕
Something for the New Year...
www.inspired-quill.com/product/sila...
#booksky #books #fiction #scifi #darkfantasy #dystopia @inspiredquill.bsky.social
www.inspired-quill.com/product/sila...
#booksky #books #fiction #scifi #darkfantasy #dystopia @inspiredquill.bsky.social
December 31, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Something for the New Year...
www.inspired-quill.com/product/sila...
#booksky #books #fiction #scifi #darkfantasy #dystopia @inspiredquill.bsky.social
www.inspired-quill.com/product/sila...
#booksky #books #fiction #scifi #darkfantasy #dystopia @inspiredquill.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
Apparently I'm doing this -- my open letter to that open latter about AI in writing and publishing. I emerged from Hibernation Week to write it, so god only knows how much sense it makes. But at least a human wrote it, so that's nice.
Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.
Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.
My Open Letter To That Open Letter About AI In Writing And Publishing
The tl;dr before you get into this post is this: the SFWA came out, said that some AI usage was okay enough in books for the authors of those books to not to be disqualified from winning a Nebula a…
terribleminds.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Apparently I'm doing this -- my open letter to that open latter about AI in writing and publishing. I emerged from Hibernation Week to write it, so god only knows how much sense it makes. But at least a human wrote it, so that's nice.
Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.
Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.
Spent the morning working on my novel. Just can't get this scene right, it's so frustrating!
December 25, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Spent the morning working on my novel. Just can't get this scene right, it's so frustrating!
Xmas present from my niece. Good choice.
December 21, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Xmas present from my niece. Good choice.
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
“The Colonization of Confidence., Sightless Scribbles”
https://sightlessscribbles.com/the-colonization-of-confidence/
> The Tech Bros haven't invented the term, but they have automated the process. They have built a machine that weaponizes mediocrity and sells it as perfection.
https://sightlessscribbles.com/the-colonization-of-confidence/
> The Tech Bros haven't invented the term, but they have automated the process. They have built a machine that weaponizes mediocrity and sells it as perfection.
December 18, 2025 at 12:35 PM
“The Colonization of Confidence., Sightless Scribbles”
https://sightlessscribbles.com/the-colonization-of-confidence/
> The Tech Bros haven't invented the term, but they have automated the process. They have built a machine that weaponizes mediocrity and sells it as perfection.
https://sightlessscribbles.com/the-colonization-of-confidence/
> The Tech Bros haven't invented the term, but they have automated the process. They have built a machine that weaponizes mediocrity and sells it as perfection.
The underlying message of the AI missionaries is that humans are not intelligent (with the notable exception of hyper-rich tech bros) and can't function cognitively, creatively, or socially without external support.
December 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The underlying message of the AI missionaries is that humans are not intelligent (with the notable exception of hyper-rich tech bros) and can't function cognitively, creatively, or socially without external support.
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
My publisher @inspiredquill.bsky.social has brought out a collection of stories from its authors - including me!
Root Cause focuses on the theme of community. My story features a 90-year-old climate activist.
eBook currently #1 in its category. Paperback out soon.
⬇️
www.amazon.com/Root-Cause-C...
Root Cause focuses on the theme of community. My story features a 90-year-old climate activist.
eBook currently #1 in its category. Paperback out soon.
⬇️
www.amazon.com/Root-Cause-C...
December 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
My publisher @inspiredquill.bsky.social has brought out a collection of stories from its authors - including me!
Root Cause focuses on the theme of community. My story features a 90-year-old climate activist.
eBook currently #1 in its category. Paperback out soon.
⬇️
www.amazon.com/Root-Cause-C...
Root Cause focuses on the theme of community. My story features a 90-year-old climate activist.
eBook currently #1 in its category. Paperback out soon.
⬇️
www.amazon.com/Root-Cause-C...
Recently started work on my latest #novel, Forever Mercy. To mark the occasion, I thought I'd share the draft of the first chapter. Enjoy...
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/all-gothed...
#booksky #books #creativewriting #fiction #scifi
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/all-gothed...
#booksky #books #creativewriting #fiction #scifi
December 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Recently started work on my latest #novel, Forever Mercy. To mark the occasion, I thought I'd share the draft of the first chapter. Enjoy...
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/all-gothed...
#booksky #books #creativewriting #fiction #scifi
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/all-gothed...
#booksky #books #creativewriting #fiction #scifi
You know, the more I hear the Good News from the missionaries of AI, the more I have to wonder how the hell our species ever managed to crawl out of the Stone Age, let alone go on to develop a technological-industrial civilisation.
December 13, 2025 at 7:29 PM
You know, the more I hear the Good News from the missionaries of AI, the more I have to wonder how the hell our species ever managed to crawl out of the Stone Age, let alone go on to develop a technological-industrial civilisation.
Listening to the news about 'Britain must prepare for war' doesn't half remind me of the build up to all those vanity adventures like Iraq and Libya and Afghanistan. Only this time we're the collateral damage lined up for slaughter.
December 12, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Listening to the news about 'Britain must prepare for war' doesn't half remind me of the build up to all those vanity adventures like Iraq and Libya and Afghanistan. Only this time we're the collateral damage lined up for slaughter.
One from the day job...
Ahead of next year’s Housing Innovation Show, headline speaker Dr Eleanor Drage tells Housing Digital editor, Mark Cantrell why the sector must not take AI solutions at face value...
housingdigital.co.uk/if-it-feels-...
#ukhousing #socialhousing #technology #AI
Ahead of next year’s Housing Innovation Show, headline speaker Dr Eleanor Drage tells Housing Digital editor, Mark Cantrell why the sector must not take AI solutions at face value...
housingdigital.co.uk/if-it-feels-...
#ukhousing #socialhousing #technology #AI
“If it feels like magic, it probably is”
Ahead of the Housing Innovation Show, speaker Dr Eleanor Drage tells Housing Digital why the sector must not take AI solutions at face value
housingdigital.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
One from the day job...
Ahead of next year’s Housing Innovation Show, headline speaker Dr Eleanor Drage tells Housing Digital editor, Mark Cantrell why the sector must not take AI solutions at face value...
housingdigital.co.uk/if-it-feels-...
#ukhousing #socialhousing #technology #AI
Ahead of next year’s Housing Innovation Show, headline speaker Dr Eleanor Drage tells Housing Digital editor, Mark Cantrell why the sector must not take AI solutions at face value...
housingdigital.co.uk/if-it-feels-...
#ukhousing #socialhousing #technology #AI
One from the day job. You know, it's weird, sometimes, writing about an industry you're not entirely sure really exists...
housingdigital.co.uk/social-housi...
#ukhousing #socialhousing
housingdigital.co.uk/social-housi...
#ukhousing #socialhousing
Social housing is no place for the poorest
Lack of social housing stock in England means people on lowest incomes see applications refused, new report finds
housingdigital.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 12:13 PM
One from the day job. You know, it's weird, sometimes, writing about an industry you're not entirely sure really exists...
housingdigital.co.uk/social-housi...
#ukhousing #socialhousing
housingdigital.co.uk/social-housi...
#ukhousing #socialhousing
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
I said it before, will say it again -- generative AI fetishizes "ideas" while sneering at effort, execution, and education. That, despite Gen-AI being built on and out of other people's effort, execution and education.
A.I. and the Fetishization Of Ideas
In writing and in dispensing my (very dubious, probably shady) writing advice, I am often keen to note that ideas are bullshit. Most writers treat them like precious gems when really, ideas are lik…
terribleminds.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I said it before, will say it again -- generative AI fetishizes "ideas" while sneering at effort, execution, and education. That, despite Gen-AI being built on and out of other people's effort, execution and education.
A vinyl record made with coal dust pays tribute to Britain's mining heritage, but it also invokes a warning for the future if technological disruption excludes those at today's 'coal face' of change...
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/when-vinyl...
#writing #culture #history #heritage #coal
markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/when-vinyl...
#writing #culture #history #heritage #coal
December 7, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
I have a fic in @inspiredquill.bsky.social's new anthology!
A man helps his cousin’s wife escape her abusive marriage, a lonely cosmic entity finds kinship in space-faring humans, and a vigilante hunts down a target who might just be on the right side of history.
What does community mean to you?
A man helps his cousin’s wife escape her abusive marriage, a lonely cosmic entity finds kinship in space-faring humans, and a vigilante hunts down a target who might just be on the right side of history.
What does community mean to you?
Root Cause: Stories on Community | Inspired Quill Publishing
What does community mean to you? Explore with this anthology of 12 stories spanning literary fiction to cyberpunk fantasy.
www.inspired-quill.com
December 7, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I have a fic in @inspiredquill.bsky.social's new anthology!
A man helps his cousin’s wife escape her abusive marriage, a lonely cosmic entity finds kinship in space-faring humans, and a vigilante hunts down a target who might just be on the right side of history.
What does community mean to you?
A man helps his cousin’s wife escape her abusive marriage, a lonely cosmic entity finds kinship in space-faring humans, and a vigilante hunts down a target who might just be on the right side of history.
What does community mean to you?
Reposted by Mark Cantrell
I have a short story in this collection, which is centered around the theme of community. Ebook on amazon for $3.99. The small press publisher is a registered social enterprise in the UK, meaning they operate in socially responsible ways.
shorturl.at/TinSY
shorturl.at/TinSY
December 5, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I have a short story in this collection, which is centered around the theme of community. Ebook on amazon for $3.99. The small press publisher is a registered social enterprise in the UK, meaning they operate in socially responsible ways.
shorturl.at/TinSY
shorturl.at/TinSY