Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean
@russeldmclean.bsky.social
Novelist, screenwriter, freelance dev editor. Crime/thriller/sff/horror. General miscreant. Dad of cats. Scottish. Latest Book: THE FRIDAY GIRL (as R.D. McLean)
https://www.russeldmcleanbooks.com
https://www.russeldmcleanbooks.com
Pinned
J McNee
Visit Amazon's J McNee page and shop for all J McNee books. Check out pictures, author information and reviews of J McNee
www.amazon.co.uk
At last all five of the J McNee books are on KDP select -- meaning if you have Kindle Unlimited you can read em as part of your subscription! Go on and get yer fill of some late 2000s/early2010s Dundee noir! www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0822L7CP...
One of the last events I did as a bookseller in Dundee -- such an honour to interview William McIlvanney; he was truly brilliant!
“Laidlaw is the melancholy heir to Marlowe. Reads like a breathless scalpel cut through the bloody heart of a city’ – @damedenisemina.bsky.social
William McIlvanney at Dundee Literary Festival 2013, in conversation with @russeldmclean.bsky.social
#CrimeFiction 💙📚
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K879...
William McIlvanney at Dundee Literary Festival 2013, in conversation with @russeldmclean.bsky.social
#CrimeFiction 💙📚
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K879...
William McIlvanney at Dundee Literary Festival 2013
YouTube video by literary dundee
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:48 PM
One of the last events I did as a bookseller in Dundee -- such an honour to interview William McIlvanney; he was truly brilliant!
Again: AI is not for purpose. Any other product would have been shelved before now if it had been released into the market in this state. But because we have been given next to no choice about AI (& are often unaware where it is actually being used) this kind of dangerous shit keeps happening.
The number of salmonella cases this year are going to go through the roof.
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Again: AI is not for purpose. Any other product would have been shelved before now if it had been released into the market in this state. But because we have been given next to no choice about AI (& are often unaware where it is actually being used) this kind of dangerous shit keeps happening.
Future editions of THE FRIDAY GIRL will have the author name as Ronly Donly McLean...
jesus honly christ
November 25, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Future editions of THE FRIDAY GIRL will have the author name as Ronly Donly McLean...
New (and late) post @dosomedamage.bsky.social where I get some of my feelings about AI off my chest... open.substack.com/pub/dosomeda...
One day I shall actually file on time... altho in this case it was already late and then I forgot to hit the publish button for a few days... Yay for ADHD brain!
One day I shall actually file on time... altho in this case it was already late and then I forgot to hit the publish button for a few days... Yay for ADHD brain!
AI, AI, AI, what’s going on ‘ere, then?
Yes, Russel's remembered to post this month...
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
New (and late) post @dosomedamage.bsky.social where I get some of my feelings about AI off my chest... open.substack.com/pub/dosomeda...
One day I shall actually file on time... altho in this case it was already late and then I forgot to hit the publish button for a few days... Yay for ADHD brain!
One day I shall actually file on time... altho in this case it was already late and then I forgot to hit the publish button for a few days... Yay for ADHD brain!
Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean
Once again, with feeling:
AI IS NOT FUCKING INEVITABLE
AI IS NOT FUCKING INEVITABLE
AI will reshape publishing jobs, from editorial and production to marketing, sales and operations. The question is not whether this happens, but who shapes these changes, says Bec Evans 👇 #BookSky
Knowledge is power
ebx.sh
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Once again, with feeling:
AI IS NOT FUCKING INEVITABLE
AI IS NOT FUCKING INEVITABLE
In a cockadoodie kinda mood today, so this evening's watch is MISERY (1990, dir. Rob Reiner), with both James Caan and Kathy Bates on top form as author Paul Sheldon and his "number one fan" Annie Wilkes... I can only imagine how Annie would feel about the strong language in my books...
November 25, 2025 at 12:12 AM
In a cockadoodie kinda mood today, so this evening's watch is MISERY (1990, dir. Rob Reiner), with both James Caan and Kathy Bates on top form as author Paul Sheldon and his "number one fan" Annie Wilkes... I can only imagine how Annie would feel about the strong language in my books...
Who says property is out of reach of ordinary people in London, eh?
Yours for a bit shy of one million of your finest English pounds: one crack den.
They really don't want to share any interior shots but when they do, you just know that unspeakable acts have been committed within... www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...
November 24, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Who says property is out of reach of ordinary people in London, eh?
Today's procrastination mode: expert (of course it is; I'm supposed to be submitting something...)
November 24, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Today's procrastination mode: expert (of course it is; I'm supposed to be submitting something...)
Is that man just stuck at "twelve year old boy"? Hey, great, his "AI" will say nasty things about people if you tell it to... whooo! And the whole shit about "apps" not "operating systems" too is just... its a fundamental misunderstanding of how things work... *weeps for humanity*
The richest man in the world somehow manages to be less intelligent and certainly vastly less charismatic than the guy who sat next to me on an almost empty bus to tell me his theory that reptiles are a hoax. "Nobody's actually seen a lizard."
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Is that man just stuck at "twelve year old boy"? Hey, great, his "AI" will say nasty things about people if you tell it to... whooo! And the whole shit about "apps" not "operating systems" too is just... its a fundamental misunderstanding of how things work... *weeps for humanity*
Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean
Even an "I don't really watch films, but I know that the British film industry has been involved in several blockbusters including the recent Frankenstein film which was filmed in Scotland..." [or something England-centric, of course] would have been better & made it sound like he gave a shit.
This response explains exactly why Starmer's all for AI. He doesn't care or know about creative industries. Only what he's been briefed on. He didn't have to pick a high brow movie. Or even a recent one. But that he can't name one at all & only a recent highly reported-on reality telly show...
I think my favourite Beatles album would have to be a lovely Sunday roast.
November 23, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Even an "I don't really watch films, but I know that the British film industry has been involved in several blockbusters including the recent Frankenstein film which was filmed in Scotland..." [or something England-centric, of course] would have been better & made it sound like he gave a shit.
This response explains exactly why Starmer's all for AI. He doesn't care or know about creative industries. Only what he's been briefed on. He didn't have to pick a high brow movie. Or even a recent one. But that he can't name one at all & only a recent highly reported-on reality telly show...
I think my favourite Beatles album would have to be a lovely Sunday roast.
an extremely weird man
November 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
This response explains exactly why Starmer's all for AI. He doesn't care or know about creative industries. Only what he's been briefed on. He didn't have to pick a high brow movie. Or even a recent one. But that he can't name one at all & only a recent highly reported-on reality telly show...
Tomight, to misquote Chilli Palmer is Get Shorty, I'm watching Charlton Heston be a Mexican -- yes, I'm watching TOUCH OF EVIL (1958, dir. Orson Welles) in the beautiful Masters of Cinema steelbook blu ray edition (the 1998 restorarion version based on Welles's notes)
November 23, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Tomight, to misquote Chilli Palmer is Get Shorty, I'm watching Charlton Heston be a Mexican -- yes, I'm watching TOUCH OF EVIL (1958, dir. Orson Welles) in the beautiful Masters of Cinema steelbook blu ray edition (the 1998 restorarion version based on Welles's notes)
Out end of Jan '26 from @canongate.co.uk is the 3rd Rilke novel, THE CUT UP. Rilke's like a gay, Glaswegian Philip Marlowe; rumpled, morally righteous but legally dubious. & Welsh's stripped back prose sings. Absolutely superb, as always, from the awesome @louisewelsh00.bsky.social. (read via e-arc)
November 22, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Out end of Jan '26 from @canongate.co.uk is the 3rd Rilke novel, THE CUT UP. Rilke's like a gay, Glaswegian Philip Marlowe; rumpled, morally righteous but legally dubious. & Welsh's stripped back prose sings. Absolutely superb, as always, from the awesome @louisewelsh00.bsky.social. (read via e-arc)
Favourite genre of spam? The one where they forget to fill in the personalised blanks...
![A spam email that reads:
hope this message finds you well 😊. I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding [specific topic or request]. I completely understand that your schedule may be busy, but I just wanted to make sure my message didn’t get overlooked.
I am very interested in [the purpose of your message e.g., collaborating, discussing an opportunity, receiving your feedback], and I would greatly appreciate the chance to connect with you. If there is any additional information or clarification you need from me, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m more than happy to provide whatever is necessary to make this process as smooth as possible 👍.
Your input and response are extremely valuable, and I truly hope we can move forward with this conversation. Thank you so much for taking the time to review my message, and I look forward to hearing from you soon ✨.
Warm regards,
Becky Nashley](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vi3jzeefp3t63m6bpkcvnrhq/bafkreiauesblj5vka2fhalqbczv63ipkq4dtzcwaoeg4mshjjqjwo7x2ye@jpeg)
November 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Favourite genre of spam? The one where they forget to fill in the personalised blanks...
I am a sucker for 90s neo-noir, but tonight's watch is a new discovery for me: ONE FALSE MOVE (1992, dir. Carl Franklin) with Billy Bob Thornton as a ruthless killer on the run with his partner & girlfriend, heading for a bloody confrontation with small town sheriff, Bill Paxton. Tense and terrific!
November 22, 2025 at 1:17 AM
I am a sucker for 90s neo-noir, but tonight's watch is a new discovery for me: ONE FALSE MOVE (1992, dir. Carl Franklin) with Billy Bob Thornton as a ruthless killer on the run with his partner & girlfriend, heading for a bloody confrontation with small town sheriff, Bill Paxton. Tense and terrific!
Reposted by Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean
👇👇👇👇
It’s #FridayReads time! Books make great gifts and are tastier than turkey. Repost this and let us know what to repost for you. Here’s a (45% off!) novel full of monsters, friendship, love, magic, revenge, ghosts, storms, syncretism, and maybe a bit of violence…
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316...
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316...
November 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
👇👇👇👇
Ten years ago last night, me and @jaystringer.bsky.social did our second (and so far, sadly, final) Noir at the Bar in Glasgow -- check me doing what looks like supremely spooky hosting duties on the night in this pic... (And no grey hairs in my beard!)
November 21, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Ten years ago last night, me and @jaystringer.bsky.social did our second (and so far, sadly, final) Noir at the Bar in Glasgow -- check me doing what looks like supremely spooky hosting duties on the night in this pic... (And no grey hairs in my beard!)
Think the reason I can't get on with work today is I made the mistake of starting my e-arc of @louisewelsh00.bsky.social's THE CUT UP last night... Honestly, all I want to do is get back to reading it... such a superb start to the book I need to know what happens next...
November 20, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Think the reason I can't get on with work today is I made the mistake of starting my e-arc of @louisewelsh00.bsky.social's THE CUT UP last night... Honestly, all I want to do is get back to reading it... such a superb start to the book I need to know what happens next...
Some days, my lovely ADHD/generally weird brain becomes treacle causing all thought to slooooowwwww tooooo aaaaaa crrrawwwwllll... But why does it have to be today when I have a million and one projects to be getting on with?
a cartoon of winnie the pooh wearing a red shirt that says think on it
ALT: a cartoon of winnie the pooh wearing a red shirt that says think on it
media.tenor.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Some days, my lovely ADHD/generally weird brain becomes treacle causing all thought to slooooowwwww tooooo aaaaaa crrrawwwwllll... But why does it have to be today when I have a million and one projects to be getting on with?
Pam Grier outcools everyone on screen (including De Niro, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Forster) in tonight's watch, JACKIE BROWN (1997) which for my money is pretty much the best movie from Quentin Tarantino (possibly helped by being based on Elmore Leonard's novel, RUM PUNCH)
November 19, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Pam Grier outcools everyone on screen (including De Niro, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Forster) in tonight's watch, JACKIE BROWN (1997) which for my money is pretty much the best movie from Quentin Tarantino (possibly helped by being based on Elmore Leonard's novel, RUM PUNCH)
If you see this, QTP with a video game that transports you back to your childhood
(don't usually play these, but instantly had images of DAN DARE: PILOT OF THE FUTURE dancing in my head... which means I think I've REALLY aged myself...)
(don't usually play these, but instantly had images of DAN DARE: PILOT OF THE FUTURE dancing in my head... which means I think I've REALLY aged myself...)
November 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
If you see this, QTP with a video game that transports you back to your childhood
(don't usually play these, but instantly had images of DAN DARE: PILOT OF THE FUTURE dancing in my head... which means I think I've REALLY aged myself...)
(don't usually play these, but instantly had images of DAN DARE: PILOT OF THE FUTURE dancing in my head... which means I think I've REALLY aged myself...)
Yes. This is absolutely right -- anyone can have an idea. The execution is the important bit. It's where the "magic" happens in a kind of emergent way. The uniqueness of your perspective combined with the the idea combined with your core skills. A pure machine process cannot replicate that.
But the point (there is a point) is, people fetishise the idea over the hard work of plotting and character development and research and internal consistency and just writing the fucker, because the Idea is the sparkly magic bit.
And this is what makes them put value in the AI prompt.
And this is what makes them put value in the AI prompt.
November 19, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Yes. This is absolutely right -- anyone can have an idea. The execution is the important bit. It's where the "magic" happens in a kind of emergent way. The uniqueness of your perspective combined with the the idea combined with your core skills. A pure machine process cannot replicate that.
The last two months of the year as a freelancer seem (for me anyway) go one of two ways -- either there's zero work, or suddenly everyone's sending you things with a "can you get this done really really quickly" caveat... & altho its chaotic, I kinda prefer the latter...
November 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
The last two months of the year as a freelancer seem (for me anyway) go one of two ways -- either there's zero work, or suddenly everyone's sending you things with a "can you get this done really really quickly" caveat... & altho its chaotic, I kinda prefer the latter...
If you ain't read @christafaust.bsky.social, you need to remedy that ASAP. Seriously, folks, she is bloody (sometimes literally!) fantastic!
Unsolicited testimony.
(Thanks, Beau!)
(Thanks, Beau!)
Hey, here’s another book I liked. You might like it too. #BookSky #TuesdayRecs
November 19, 2025 at 12:57 PM
If you ain't read @christafaust.bsky.social, you need to remedy that ASAP. Seriously, folks, she is bloody (sometimes literally!) fantastic!