Andy Best
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andybest.bsky.social
Andy Best
@andybest.bsky.social
270 followers 240 following 1.5K posts
Writer and musician. Current thing: fantasy novel Aertelis is live and 'wide', including all library services. UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bz9BOE

Blog: write.as/aertelis/
My stuff is at andrewbest.net
Posts Replies Media Videos
andybest.bsky.social
Context for the last post: me shortly before the lockdown put a hammer to my weight and knees.
Andy Best ollies on flat, in front of the Qian Xuesen museum in Shanghai
December 7, 2025 at 6:19 PM
andybest.bsky.social
Still relevant, and funny.
A four panel comic. A barista apologizes to J K Rowling, "I'm sorry I messed up your coffee order, J K Rowling, " "aww, it happens," she replies smiling. But later, the barista sees a book on display in the book store window: "The Coffee Shop Pedo" by Robert Galbraith.
October 1, 2025 at 9:57 PM
andybest.bsky.social
Another @nnedi.bsky.social essential post:
"Enjoy art without reading the comments or reviews" Nnedi Okorafor
September 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
andybest.bsky.social
post u from a different era
me doing a decent ollie on a skateboard
September 29, 2025 at 11:51 PM
andybest.bsky.social
Do you want a character-driven adventure echoing classic Sword & Sorcery film and TRPGs, but also the literary style, worldbuilding and themes of the New Wave writers like Moorcock and Le Guin?

It's wide + available to libraries.

UBL: books2read.com/u/bz9BOE
#booksky #fantasy #sword&sorcery
📚💙
Andy's fantasy novel is finally available, and it's wide at all APPS and available for libraries. Sword and Sorcery. Inspired by the New Wave fantasy of Moorcock, McCaffrey and le Guin. Existential journey in unfamiliar lands. Action, quest and adventurers. A standalone story. “Everything decays, but the glass’steel decayed at a rate so slow as to be invisible on the scale of a single lifetime. In the sword she saw visions of her home. Her home so far away, deep down in the reflection of her elven eyes, sunk deep in her memory, transferred to the blade, as far away as a million years is long.” Zana Hala’Kaalni is a warrior princess in exile, untethered from her home, and from her sense of self. Allowing chaos to lead her, she enters a nation on the verge of civil war, a quest for a failed utopia, and the ruins of a long dead era, the lost history of her world. Aertelis combines the action of classic Sword & Sorcery, the literary themes of the Sci-fi Fantasy New Wave, and the character-driven storytelling of the modern era. Aertelis is a standalone story in the Kalni Chronicles anthology.
September 19, 2025 at 11:04 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Here's an semi-recent picture I took of the Wukang Building on Huai Hai Road #shanghai
Tourists gather across the road from Shanghai's Wukang Buildng, a deco apartment block in the former French concession, previously called the Normandie Apartments.
September 19, 2025 at 4:34 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Semi-regular clarity post: I made an account here to specifically avoid politics posting (which I interact with elsewhere and in life) so here's an image or two to clarify where my feelings are on that stuff:
Mia Khalifa telling Kamala Harris to shut the f up for selling bombs used on the Lebanon Don't let anyone say Fascist shit
August 21, 2025 at 7:53 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Speaking of flyers. For UG (2016-2021) Casey and Ceridwen (our vox and drums) were art grads and did all our flyers. Here's four from events that we also put on ourselves in SH and BJ.
Single Dogs Unite pt. 2: a collage style flyer for a punk gig at Shanghai's Yuyintang. Single Dogs Unite pt.3: a collage style punk flyer for a show at Shanghai's Yuyingtang. China Grrrl: a hand drawn punk flyer for a shows at Beijing's Temple bar and School Bar. China Grrrl: a punk rock flyer featuring a female vocalist, for the Shanghai show at Yuyintang.
August 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
andybest.bsky.social
Talking of being out in the evening during humid, stormy weather in Shanghai. One more pic from a walk a day or two ago.
A stormy, humid evening sky behind two glossy black office towers, sitting above a mall lit with neon and bright colors.
August 4, 2025 at 9:13 AM
andybest.bsky.social
When the on/off stormy summer rains let up in Shanghai, you have to take advantage and get out in the evening. Cycling for me this time.
My matt black finish custom city bike, stood up against a planter and carved rock sign in Shanghai , in the evening.
August 4, 2025 at 9:08 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Band flashback 2: Playing the Shanghai Chic-a-Go-Go show at Yuyintang. Me on guitar lurking at the back of the frame.
Our punk band playing a Chic-a-go-go show in Yuyintang Shanghai
August 2, 2025 at 8:23 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Band flashback: Casey and Ceridwen (center) with Dummy Toys before our gig together at School Bar in Beijing. Also Xiao Xiao, who advocated for us and hooked us up for our Beijing shows. Their drummer (back) would later book us to open for Sick Fungo in Shanghai.
Casey and Ceridwen from our band (2016-2021), with the members of Dummy Toys and Xiao Xiao. Seven punk women in the Beijing old lanes.
August 2, 2025 at 8:21 AM
andybest.bsky.social
If you see this, quote with a robot that isn’t from Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who, or Transformers.
The robot from Hardware (1990)
August 1, 2025 at 2:30 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Oldie but a good one.
Keep Calm and Carry a Fletcher. The meme in black with the crown replaced by the face of Molly Millions.
July 29, 2025 at 2:27 PM
andybest.bsky.social
Do you want a character-driven adventure echoing classic Sword & Sorcery film and TRPGs, but also the literary style, worldbuilding and themes of the New Wave writers like Moorcock and Le Guin?

Wide + available to libraries.

UBL: books2read.com/u/bz9BOE
#booksky #fantasy #sword&sorcery
📚💙
Andy's fantasy novel is finally available, and it's wide at all APPS and available for libraries. Sword and Sorcery. Inspired by the New Wave fantasy of Moorcock, McCaffrey and le Guin. Existential journey in unfamiliar lands. Action, quest and adventurers. A standalone story. “Everything decays, but the glass’steel decayed at a rate so slow as to be invisible on the scale of a single lifetime. In the sword she saw visions of her home. Her home so far away, deep down in the reflection of her elven eyes, sunk deep in her memory, transferred to the blade, as far away as a million years is long.” Zana Hala’Kaalni is a warrior princess in exile, untethered from her home, and from her sense of self. Allowing chaos to lead her, she enters a nation on the verge of civil war, a quest for a failed utopia, and the ruins of a long dead era, the lost history of her world. Aertelis combines the action of classic Sword & Sorcery, the literary themes of the Sci-fi Fantasy New Wave, and the character-driven storytelling of the modern era. Aertelis is a standalone story in the Kalni Chronicles anthology.
June 4, 2025 at 4:56 PM
andybest.bsky.social
What's more Ballardian - that the Columbia Club pool of his youth is a now modernist life-hub project, or that commercialism is desperately pushing back its final form, an empty, cracked metaphor for civilization?
The Shanghai former Columbia Country Club pool in 2025, its two tiers of arches lit golden with poolside cafe seating and a modernist office building visible through the open roof space.
May 29, 2025 at 12:45 PM
andybest.bsky.social
New workplace study on trash APPs has just dropped.
the anakin and padme meme: chatGPT has revolutionized my job and productivity. so you are at work fewer hours for the same or more money? Anakin just stares back.
May 24, 2025 at 2:56 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Here is an all time great in the genre.
Two Zoe Williams articles for GU Comment: Forget Fidel Castro's policies, what matters is he was a dictator vs. Stop calling Tony Blair a war criminal, the left should be proud of his record.
May 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM
andybest.bsky.social
I avoid doom posting, politics and bad habits from the other place here, but in case you're wondering, here is my semi-regular image post to give a good indication of my views.
a cute bunny on a pink, pixel art background saying "Don't let anyone say Fascist shit"
May 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Do you want a character-driven adventure echoing classic Sword & Sorcery film and TRPGs, but also the literary style, worldbuilding and themes of the New Wave writers like Moorcock and Le Guin?

I've got you covered. And it's wide + available to libraries.

UBL: books2read.com/u/bz9BOE
#booksky
📚💙
Andy's fantasy novel is finally available, and it's wide at all APPS and available for libraries. Sword and Sorcery. Inspired by the New Wave fantasy of Moorcock, McCaffrey and le Guin. Existential journey in unfamiliar lands. Action, quest and adventurers. A standalone story. “Everything decays, but the glass’steel decayed at a rate so slow as to be invisible on the scale of a single lifetime. In the sword she saw visions of her home. Her home so far away, deep down in the reflection of her elven eyes, sunk deep in her memory, transferred to the blade, as far away as a million years is long.” Zana Hala’Kaalni is a warrior princess in exile, untethered from her home, and from her sense of self. Allowing chaos to lead her, she enters a nation on the verge of civil war, a quest for a failed utopia, and the ruins of a long dead era, the lost history of her world. Aertelis combines the action of classic Sword & Sorcery, the literary themes of the Sci-fi Fantasy New Wave, and the character-driven storytelling of the modern era. Aertelis is a standalone story in the Kalni Chronicles anthology.
May 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Hardest part of writing (my remake with bigger text) #writing #booksky
Jamie pushes Bran out of the window: Me in love with the great novel in my head (Bran is craft). Bran comes back to confront jamie years later: Me needing to do a coherent draft (Bran is craft)
May 18, 2025 at 9:53 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Always the hardest part of writing something actually good #writing #booksky
Jamie pushes Bran out of the window: Me glazing the great novel in my head (Bran is craft). Bran comes back to confront jamie years later: Me needing to complete a real coherent draft (Bran is craft)
May 18, 2025 at 9:37 AM
andybest.bsky.social
Coming soon, my look into the Shanghai underground band scene's glory days. Everything is done but the D2D format converter is not the best for non-fiction with alternate layouts, should have something acceptable within a week or two #china
In progress cover design for Punk Rock Vs. Haibao.
May 17, 2025 at 2:18 AM
andybest.bsky.social
California Games on the Commodore 64 was one of the first games of that era that my friends and I really pushed through it's incredible user-unfriendliness to master all of its skills and possibilities. Insanely obtuse and hard to unlock but euphoric once you did.
Box cover and loading screen for the 1987 California Games, for the Commodore 64. The cover shows the sports like surfing and BMX with the Golden gate Bridge in the background. The loading screen is pixel art showing the title in the form of a vanity plate.
May 16, 2025 at 4:10 AM
andybest.bsky.social
My neighbor's May Day holiday weekend project, replacing his old three wheeler vehicle with a hybrid version made with an older hospital-issue wheelchair and an electric scooter. I saw early tests, it goes fast enough that the rear section is going to disintegrate, but fun was had.
A man works on a hybrid vehicle made with the front of an electric stand-up scooter, and a standard design hospital wheelchair.
May 3, 2025 at 8:41 AM