Simon Spanton
@simonguy.bsky.social
"I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself."
Wandering. Wondering. Freelancing. Often acquiring and editing SFFH for Angry Robot Books. Live in Edinburgh. Views my own and independent of my employers. Photos my own unless otherwise etc.
Wandering. Wondering. Freelancing. Often acquiring and editing SFFH for Angry Robot Books. Live in Edinburgh. Views my own and independent of my employers. Photos my own unless otherwise etc.
Pinned
Simon Spanton
@simonguy.bsky.social
· Nov 26
"Out on the pale criss-crossed sand, high-stepping, fringed, gauntleted, stalked some fantastic leviathan..."
To The Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
To The Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Reposted by Simon Spanton
Reposted by Simon Spanton
Although fascinated by & knowledgeable about a wide range of religions, Neil did not adhere to a particular one. His ingrained belief was that of William Blake: “The world of imagination is the world of eternity.”
V sorry to hear of the death of Neil Philip. The obit he prepared will follow #KidLit
V sorry to hear of the death of Neil Philip. The obit he prepared will follow #KidLit
February 3, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Although fascinated by & knowledgeable about a wide range of religions, Neil did not adhere to a particular one. His ingrained belief was that of William Blake: “The world of imagination is the world of eternity.”
V sorry to hear of the death of Neil Philip. The obit he prepared will follow #KidLit
V sorry to hear of the death of Neil Philip. The obit he prepared will follow #KidLit
Neil was a kind soul with an endless passion for the power of folk tales and mythology. I was proud and thrilled to have helped his book of English Folktales back into print in a new edition with Watkins. So sad that he won't see the upcoming reissue of Scottish Folktales
What a legacy he leaves.
What a legacy he leaves.
Very sorry to say, Neil Philip has died. He has posted on X about his passions for folk story and traditional literature but more recently he posted about his illness.
His last book 'The Watkins Book of English Folktales' is excellent.
His last book 'The Watkins Book of English Folktales' is excellent.
February 3, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Neil was a kind soul with an endless passion for the power of folk tales and mythology. I was proud and thrilled to have helped his book of English Folktales back into print in a new edition with Watkins. So sad that he won't see the upcoming reissue of Scottish Folktales
What a legacy he leaves.
What a legacy he leaves.
"'It isn't fair,' she said. A stone hit her on the side of her head.
Old Man Warner was saying, 'Come on, come on, everyone.' Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.
'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her."
Old Man Warner was saying, 'Come on, come on, everyone.' Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.
'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her."
February 3, 2026 at 1:36 PM
"'It isn't fair,' she said. A stone hit her on the side of her head.
Old Man Warner was saying, 'Come on, come on, everyone.' Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.
'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her."
Old Man Warner was saying, 'Come on, come on, everyone.' Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.
'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her."
Quick brown fox darts away from the put out bins.
February 3, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Quick brown fox darts away from the put out bins.
The Best Grover.
The Most Tentative Yet Brave Grover.
The Ur-Grover.
The Most Tentative Yet Brave Grover.
The Ur-Grover.
February 2, 2026 at 6:08 PM
The Best Grover.
The Most Tentative Yet Brave Grover.
The Ur-Grover.
The Most Tentative Yet Brave Grover.
The Ur-Grover.
"And I never heard from Brand again. None of the others seem to have heard from him either. Odds are he's dead by now—I'd say. And that is the story I never got to tell you. You figure out what it all means."
February 2, 2026 at 3:37 PM
"And I never heard from Brand again. None of the others seem to have heard from him either. Odds are he's dead by now—I'd say. And that is the story I never got to tell you. You figure out what it all means."
"She prowled round the bed, growling, snuffing at his wound that does not smell like her wound. Then, she was pitiful as her gaunt grey mother; she leapt upon his bed to lick, without hesitation, without disgust, with a quick tender gravity, the blood and dirt from his cheeks and forehead."
February 2, 2026 at 12:31 PM
"She prowled round the bed, growling, snuffing at his wound that does not smell like her wound. Then, she was pitiful as her gaunt grey mother; she leapt upon his bed to lick, without hesitation, without disgust, with a quick tender gravity, the blood and dirt from his cheeks and forehead."
Happy birthday Les!
(Also Coates is awesome - and worth a follow both for more inspired silliness like this and for strange facts and stories from history._
(Also Coates is awesome - and worth a follow both for more inspired silliness like this and for strange facts and stories from history._
Just made this. I’m a widely respected intellectual, you know
February 2, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Happy birthday Les!
(Also Coates is awesome - and worth a follow both for more inspired silliness like this and for strange facts and stories from history._
(Also Coates is awesome - and worth a follow both for more inspired silliness like this and for strange facts and stories from history._
Reposted by Simon Spanton
In progress.
Based on a tree @simonguy.bsky.social shared.
Based on a tree @simonguy.bsky.social shared.
February 1, 2026 at 8:12 PM
In progress.
Based on a tree @simonguy.bsky.social shared.
Based on a tree @simonguy.bsky.social shared.
Cooking salmon and spinach curry for tea music.
February 1, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Cooking salmon and spinach curry for tea music.
Earlier, the thirty-five curlews of the mild sun on the Police Scotland headquarters playing fields.
February 1, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Earlier, the thirty-five curlews of the mild sun on the Police Scotland headquarters playing fields.
Welcome...to the picnic of the weird.
February 1, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Welcome...to the picnic of the weird.
Reposted by Simon Spanton
Y Foryd, some elemental views
December 21, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Y Foryd, some elemental views
Six years ago. A closed down fishmongers.
February 1, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Six years ago. A closed down fishmongers.
Good morning.
Tea in my Roadside Picnic mug.
A practical souvenir of your trip into The Zone!
Tea in my Roadside Picnic mug.
A practical souvenir of your trip into The Zone!
February 1, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Good morning.
Tea in my Roadside Picnic mug.
A practical souvenir of your trip into The Zone!
Tea in my Roadside Picnic mug.
A practical souvenir of your trip into The Zone!
Reposted by Simon Spanton
Dear, dear Jeff Noon. He's been there all my adult life. He's known success and failure...
and he has survived. Really feeling this one.
and he has survived. Really feeling this one.
January 27, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Dear, dear Jeff Noon. He's been there all my adult life. He's known success and failure...
and he has survived. Really feeling this one.
and he has survived. Really feeling this one.
Portal number 217.
January 31, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Portal number 217.
Today we walked up the same hill again.
January 31, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Today we walked up the same hill again.
"The head bounced on the floor; like a ball in play."
My Green Knights.
My Green Knights.
January 31, 2026 at 10:43 AM
"The head bounced on the floor; like a ball in play."
My Green Knights.
My Green Knights.
Reposted by Simon Spanton
Brilliant.
#LeonardCohen
#LeonardCohen
The quest for coffee... ☕ | LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... MR. LEONARD COHEN | #nfb #vintage #shortstory
YouTube video by NFB
youtube.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:54 AM
Brilliant.
#LeonardCohen
#LeonardCohen
If this lot haven't read Michael Moorcock I'll be a Dancer at the End of Time.
Or maybe just the cover artist had, and the band just shrugged their shoulders and went with it.
Or maybe just the cover artist had, and the band just shrugged their shoulders and went with it.
January 31, 2026 at 9:00 AM
If this lot haven't read Michael Moorcock I'll be a Dancer at the End of Time.
Or maybe just the cover artist had, and the band just shrugged their shoulders and went with it.
Or maybe just the cover artist had, and the band just shrugged their shoulders and went with it.