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melusine7.bsky.social
Melusine
@melusine7.bsky.social
140 followers 1.1K following 3 posts
Fan of SFF, audio drama, musical comedy, time travel, vampires and muppets
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Melusine
andylevy.net
hey for anyone who might want to actually own their kindle books instead of renting them, or who might be thinking of switching to kobo etc and will want to convert them to epubs, you now only have one week before amazon kills your ability to download its ebooks www.theverge.com/news/612898/...
Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books
It’s bad if you like to keep ebook backup copies.
www.theverge.com
February 16, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
A crowded stadium. Thrilled fans watch from the terraces, fixated by the figures on the brightly-lit court. Over the noise, the commentator shouts excitedly: "Hughes conceives a lovely hypothesis. Wilson tests it through repeated observation. Evans adds experimental data then passes back to Hughes, who states the theory in unambiguous terms and the crowd goes wild!!!"
February 5, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Melusine
reactorsff.bsky.social
A reminder that speculative fiction has an incredible capacity for encouraging optimism and faith in humanity--here are five short works about hope, and choosing kindness:

reactormag.com/five-hopeful...
Five Hopeful SFF Stories About Believing in Humanity - Reactor
Short speculative fiction to help bolster optimism, even in dark times.
reactormag.com
January 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Melusine
moudhy.bsky.social
I’ve spent most of my life steeped in anxiety, and one thing that made me feel less alone was knowing how unsurprisingly not new anxiety and related experiences are.

It’s in fragments, but this is one of many clay texts from ancient Mesopotamia that describes anxiety (possibly depression)
A fragmentary clay tablet with broken lines of text preserved. At the bottom is a multicoloured ruler showing that it is about 7cm wide. On a blank portion is written in ink upside down “K. 5968” and right-side up “k 9334”, meaning that these are two different fragments joined together to make a fragmentary whole.
January 16, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Melusine
shellbryson.com
Given the recent proclamations from the UK government re: AI rights, if you have concerns & want them voiced, I highly recommend checking out ‘The Creative Rights in AI Coalition' (www.creativerightsinai.co.uk).

They provide an email template & form for raising awareness with your MP.
Creative Rights In AI Coalition
www.creativerightsinai.co.uk
January 16, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Melusine
murielvieux.bsky.social
Ouuh I just love this one it is so me!
January 15, 2025 at 9:35 PM
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sarahmccarry.bsky.social
the sandman character death was based on a woman named cinamon hadley, a salt lake city goth scene icon who early sandman artist mike dringenberg was friends with when they lived there at the same time. is "friends" the right word? it's the word she used:
cinamon hadley
January 15, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Melusine
courtneymilan.com
I had a walk today and thought about the relationship between civility, discomfort, and abuse.

Some of you know that “civility” is one of my hard “ugh” triggers. This thread will explain why.
January 14, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Reposted by Melusine
nilahmagruder.com
This comic gets shared every year with the date changed. It is by Brazilian cartoonist Glauco Villas Boas (1957-2010).
A one-panel comic by Glauco Villas Boas. A group of people stand against the corner of a wall. One reaches around the corner and uses a long stick to push open a door labeled 2025.
December 31, 2024 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
Happy New Year!
(my cartoon for @newscientist.bsky.social)
Two scientists share an office. The first, whose half of the room is neat and tidy, says “My new year's resolutions are to jog to work every day, choose the healthy option at lunch, and run a pleasant, well-ordered workspace.” The second, working in a total mess, replies “In the interests of scientific rigour, I'll be the control, and change absolutely nothing.”
January 1, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
How to gift wrap a book… my cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com books.
Title: How to gift wrap a book A book, scissors, sellotape and giftwrap on a table. The book has a friendly face and says "1. Roll out your chosen paper and put the book on it." The book continues, saying "2. Take a moment to consider the book as an object." and "3. Ask yourself "Will the intended recipient fully appreciate this book and accord it the respect that it truly deserves?" "4. Correct. They will not. Put the book on your shelf and replace it with a different gift." Socks, chocolate, whatever. Repeat steps 1-4 for any other books
December 21, 2024 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Melusine
slimyswampghost.bsky.social
It's Shirley Jackson's birthday today, and so it's a perfect opportunity to recommend my favourite story of hers, THE SUMMER PEOPLE. It's a subtle horror, quietly creeping up behind you until it lays a cold hand on your shoulder. I love it very much. It's only 13 pages and you can read it here:
jerrywbrown.com
December 14, 2024 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Melusine
soverybritish.bsky.social
Some five-word horror stories for Friday the 13th:

Running out of tea bags
Someone talking in a lift
Unexpected knock on the door
Biscuit falling into your brew
Stuck on rail replacement bus
Forgetting to take an umbrella
Missing bin day before Christmas
Say a bit about yourself
December 13, 2024 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Melusine
brianbilston.bsky.social
Today’s poem is called ‘Meeting Deadlines’.
Meeting Deadlines   I always meet my deadlines. I don’t even have to try – They sneak up on me from nowhere, Tap my shoulder and say hi.   It’s you! I cry. So how are you? I did not think you’d come so soon. Can’t stop now but why don’t we meet Next Tuesday afternoon?   Or, better still, two weeks from now? My deadline shrugs and sighs. A fortnight on, we meet again, Much to my surprise. Brian Bilston
December 3, 2024 at 9:10 AM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.bsky.social
Image: A yellow, spherical particle with legs and an awkward expression stands behind a microphone in a stand in the stage spotlight of a comedy club. The dark club is filled with redspherical particles. Caption: Electron's stand-up set is a riot of hilarious, relatable material about life as a charged particle. Unfortunately, tonight's audience is composed entirely of neutrons.
December 1, 2024 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
My cartoon for this weekend’s Guardian Books.
A man turns to a woman and asks "Who's that?" "He asked." adds an odd figure standing across the room, wearing a top hat and holding a cane. The woman answers "It's the narrator. He's been following me around all day. Commenting on everything. It's very annoying!". "She said ungratefully." says the narrator. The couple shout "Get out of our house!" "They shouted cruelly at the unfortunate narrator who was only doing his job." says the narrator as he leaves. "And that, dear reader" says the narrator, now standing in the dark garden watching the couple through a window "was the exact moment when I decided to become the sort of narrator who turns out to be the murderer."
November 2, 2024 at 1:33 PM
melusine7.bsky.social
The challenge is to choose 20 books that greatly influenced you or stayed with you. One book per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚
#Books
#BookChallenge
Day 2
Chocky by John Wyndham
October 9, 2024 at 6:41 PM
melusine7.bsky.social
The challenge is to choose 20 books that greatly influenced you or stayed with you. One book per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚
#Books
#BookChallenge
Day 1
The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
October 8, 2024 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Melusine
rickardsisters.com
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is “a book everyone should read” according to George Orwell. Easier said than done, mate.

But there is a graphic novel adaptation, if you fancy it
October 8, 2024 at 6:01 AM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest cartoon for New Scientist
Panel one: A scientist and assistant stand before a panel of three people sitting at a desk. The scientist shouts: "So, the die is cast! But mark my words: you shall recall this day when my genius blazes across the world like an awesome comet and all cower before the staggering revelations I have wrought!" Panel two: The two leave, the assistant says "You know they gave you the grant, right?" Panel three: The scientist replies "Yeah, but it's so much more fun to give my unhinged revenge speech."
October 7, 2024 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Melusine
levparikian.bsky.social
I was reminded today of the definitive version of Fever youtu.be/b_IpgKzy75E?...
The Muppets - Animal & Rita Moreno - Fever.avi
YouTube video by till90s
youtu.be
October 2, 2024 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Melusine
wiswell.bsky.social
I wrote this story to say something to people who (like myself) are hurting and find themselves doomscrolling too much. It makes my day that it touched some readers!
October 1, 2024 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Melusine
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest New Scientist cartoon. Based on a true story. Well, the first panel is true, anyway.
Panel one. Caption: On the 28th of June 2009, Professor Stephen Hawking hosted a party for time-travellers, but he did not send out invites until the day after the party… no-one came. (This is entirely true) Panels 2-9. Images of various aliens, robots and other beings, all holding invites. Below each is an excuse for not attending the party: Babysitter cancelled, Had to work late, Timeship being fixed, Didn’t feel great, Had to be up early, Wormhole closed, Diary mix-up, Dog ate invite.
September 29, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Melusine
kameronhurley.com
Top 5 regrets of the dying:

1) I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me

2) I wish I hadn't worked so hard

3) I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings

4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

5) I wish I'd let myself be happier
September 30, 2024 at 8:53 PM