Alexander Pyles
@pylesofbooks.bsky.social
Maybe 2026 is when I start DNFing books.
I'm typically very principled about this but I'm stuck on Jackson's Hill House and it's like I could always pick it up again at some point. It's just not hitting like it should.
I'm typically very principled about this but I'm stuck on Jackson's Hill House and it's like I could always pick it up again at some point. It's just not hitting like it should.
December 18, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Maybe 2026 is when I start DNFing books.
I'm typically very principled about this but I'm stuck on Jackson's Hill House and it's like I could always pick it up again at some point. It's just not hitting like it should.
I'm typically very principled about this but I'm stuck on Jackson's Hill House and it's like I could always pick it up again at some point. It's just not hitting like it should.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
I did the @apexmag.bsky.social flash fiction contest for a year and it ended up jump-starting my writing career (even though I didn't win it)
Rebecca and the read team does a great job. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to write flash fiction
📚🪐 #writingcommunity #fiction #shortfiction
Rebecca and the read team does a great job. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to write flash fiction
📚🪐 #writingcommunity #fiction #shortfiction
2025 Retrospective: What I Learned Writing Short Fiction for a Year
A look into the Cathedral of Lernin' and also Sadness
thearchetypist.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I did the @apexmag.bsky.social flash fiction contest for a year and it ended up jump-starting my writing career (even though I didn't win it)
Rebecca and the read team does a great job. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to write flash fiction
📚🪐 #writingcommunity #fiction #shortfiction
Rebecca and the read team does a great job. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to write flash fiction
📚🪐 #writingcommunity #fiction #shortfiction
Small life update: Kate got a new job and started this week. She gets to WFH, which I can say as an extreme wife guy - it's amazing.
December 11, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Small life update: Kate got a new job and started this week. She gets to WFH, which I can say as an extreme wife guy - it's amazing.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
Short Story, Long updates:
• gonna open submissions in January
• for 2026, going to increase payment to $150 (for story publication, and also for artists)
ashortstorylong.substack.com
• gonna open submissions in January
• for 2026, going to increase payment to $150 (for story publication, and also for artists)
ashortstorylong.substack.com
Short Story, Long | Aaron Burch | Substack
Longer short stories, published biweekly. Click to read Short Story, Long, by Aaron Burch, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
ashortstorylong.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Short Story, Long updates:
• gonna open submissions in January
• for 2026, going to increase payment to $150 (for story publication, and also for artists)
ashortstorylong.substack.com
• gonna open submissions in January
• for 2026, going to increase payment to $150 (for story publication, and also for artists)
ashortstorylong.substack.com
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
“Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful; the hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt.”
― Shūsaku Endō, Silence
― Shūsaku Endō, Silence
December 2, 2025 at 2:05 AM
“Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful; the hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt.”
― Shūsaku Endō, Silence
― Shūsaku Endō, Silence
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
Invisible Cities: Italo Calvino
Viriconium: M John Harrison
White Chappell Scarlett Tracings: Iain Sinclair (London)
Tales from Firozsha Baag: Rohinton Mistry (Mumbai)
The short stories of Nayer Masud (Lucknow)
Viriconium: M John Harrison
White Chappell Scarlett Tracings: Iain Sinclair (London)
Tales from Firozsha Baag: Rohinton Mistry (Mumbai)
The short stories of Nayer Masud (Lucknow)
December 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Invisible Cities: Italo Calvino
Viriconium: M John Harrison
White Chappell Scarlett Tracings: Iain Sinclair (London)
Tales from Firozsha Baag: Rohinton Mistry (Mumbai)
The short stories of Nayer Masud (Lucknow)
Viriconium: M John Harrison
White Chappell Scarlett Tracings: Iain Sinclair (London)
Tales from Firozsha Baag: Rohinton Mistry (Mumbai)
The short stories of Nayer Masud (Lucknow)
Don't ask often, but anybody with institutional access, drop me a DM with the PDF of A Glossary of Urban Voids By Sergio Lopez-Pineiro - pls ty
This is for a future book project, and I cannot find it anywhere.
This is for a future book project, and I cannot find it anywhere.
December 1, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Don't ask often, but anybody with institutional access, drop me a DM with the PDF of A Glossary of Urban Voids By Sergio Lopez-Pineiro - pls ty
This is for a future book project, and I cannot find it anywhere.
This is for a future book project, and I cannot find it anywhere.
Loved it but also some....whaaaaat lol
November 26, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Loved it but also some....whaaaaat lol
Probably one of my favorite reads this year.
Prose that never apologizes. A narrative that never rushes or takes too long. Characters who are all people living their lives. Love. It.
Prose that never apologizes. A narrative that never rushes or takes too long. Characters who are all people living their lives. Love. It.
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Probably one of my favorite reads this year.
Prose that never apologizes. A narrative that never rushes or takes too long. Characters who are all people living their lives. Love. It.
Prose that never apologizes. A narrative that never rushes or takes too long. Characters who are all people living their lives. Love. It.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
This is so relevant to my day-to-day thinking at @hubcitypress.bsky.social. instead of being demoralized and saying, let AI do all the publishing work and pump out more slop to boost sales, our new focus is carefully curated + clearly human created. Hence the focus on short stories, novellas, etc.
November 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
This is so relevant to my day-to-day thinking at @hubcitypress.bsky.social. instead of being demoralized and saying, let AI do all the publishing work and pump out more slop to boost sales, our new focus is carefully curated + clearly human created. Hence the focus on short stories, novellas, etc.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
In a time of slop, AI or not, it’s time to lean into niche communities and odd work by passionate weirdos with well-honed clarity of intention and craft
This is so relevant to my day-to-day thinking at @hubcitypress.bsky.social. instead of being demoralized and saying, let AI do all the publishing work and pump out more slop to boost sales, our new focus is carefully curated + clearly human created. Hence the focus on short stories, novellas, etc.
November 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
In a time of slop, AI or not, it’s time to lean into niche communities and odd work by passionate weirdos with well-honed clarity of intention and craft
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
We need a better term for depression. That’s played out. I suggest the Noble Sorrow™️
November 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
We need a better term for depression. That’s played out. I suggest the Noble Sorrow™️
Just listened to the first few minutes and this is going to be incredible.
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Just listened to the first few minutes and this is going to be incredible.
The Shrike, the K'Chain Che'Malle from Malazan, and the stone statues from Between Two Fires.
What's your favourite monster/creature from literature? I'm thinking Tuunbaq from Dan Simmon's The Terror, the triffids from Wyndham's Day of the Triffids, the demon from M.R. James' Casting The Runes, Grendel, Pennywise, etc.
November 16, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The Shrike, the K'Chain Che'Malle from Malazan, and the stone statues from Between Two Fires.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
November 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
A friend just sent me this at random and without reason and all I can say is that the people know my brand.
November 14, 2025 at 3:32 AM
A friend just sent me this at random and without reason and all I can say is that the people know my brand.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
IT'S '6-7', COOPER. A GENERATION ALPHA TREND. WHAT THEY CALL A 'MAY-MAY'. IT'S AN ORPHANED SIGNIFIER, NO SIGNS ATTACHED. ONE COULD CALL IT DADAIST, BUT SOMME SAY IT'S TOO STUPID TO BE DADA. IT'S ANTI-MEANING, ANTI-HUMOUR, BUT DAMN IF THOSE KIDS DON'T FIND IT A CRACK-UP.
November 12, 2025 at 12:31 PM
IT'S '6-7', COOPER. A GENERATION ALPHA TREND. WHAT THEY CALL A 'MAY-MAY'. IT'S AN ORPHANED SIGNIFIER, NO SIGNS ATTACHED. ONE COULD CALL IT DADAIST, BUT SOMME SAY IT'S TOO STUPID TO BE DADA. IT'S ANTI-MEANING, ANTI-HUMOUR, BUT DAMN IF THOSE KIDS DON'T FIND IT A CRACK-UP.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. Since the re-launch laste week we've raised 10% of our target, so there's still a way to go. Pllease support this unique literary award barbellionprize.org Thank you!
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
barbellionprize.org
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. Since the re-launch laste week we've raised 10% of our target, so there's still a way to go. Pllease support this unique literary award barbellionprize.org Thank you!
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
My kids have measles and my SNAP benefits were cut. But at least those cashiers at Walmart aren’t writing “they/them” on their name tags anymore.
November 8, 2025 at 2:53 AM
My kids have measles and my SNAP benefits were cut. But at least those cashiers at Walmart aren’t writing “they/them” on their name tags anymore.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
Going to be using this - also very much appreciate @megapolisomancy.bsky.social recs
An ongoing thread of short story collections coming in 2026, of work weird/surreal/dark/uncanny/unsettling/ghostly/ghastly, across genres, so that they're all in one place that I can refer back to when I inevitably forget what books I was meaning to request review copies of:
November 6, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Going to be using this - also very much appreciate @megapolisomancy.bsky.social recs
He's such a mensch.
November 5, 2025 at 5:52 PM
He's such a mensch.
Reposted by Alexander Pyles
“some people abuse SNAP” your soul is rotten
October 30, 2025 at 5:35 PM
“some people abuse SNAP” your soul is rotten