Michael Johnstone
@mikejwrites.bsky.social
Dad of twins. Lecturer at UofT (English). Man United (and footy) fan. Boardgames and TTRPGs. Writer/author. He/him. https://www.michael-johnstone.com
My most recently published short story is at https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3035
My most recently published short story is at https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3035
I finished my reread of Adjei-Brenyah's CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS yesterday for my Dystopian Fiction course. What a ride. This novel *never* lets you feel comfortable. The persistent horror is powerful as everything is so plausible, as if we're a mere blink of an eye from its world.
#booksky #sff 📚💙🪐
#booksky #sff 📚💙🪐
January 30, 2026 at 2:12 PM
My Fantasy & Horror course in the UofT English department starts today! I love this course. Booklist in the image.
We begin with @premeemohamed.com's excellent "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars." And, I can't recommend the @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social anthology highly enough.
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
We begin with @premeemohamed.com's excellent "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars." And, I can't recommend the @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social anthology highly enough.
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
January 6, 2026 at 3:58 PM
My Fantasy & Horror course in the UofT English department starts today! I love this course. Booklist in the image.
We begin with @premeemohamed.com's excellent "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars." And, I can't recommend the @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social anthology highly enough.
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
We begin with @premeemohamed.com's excellent "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars." And, I can't recommend the @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social anthology highly enough.
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
Here's the reading list for my Contemporary Dystopian Fiction course in the UofT English department, which starts today!
We start off with @naomikritzer.bsky.social's superb story "The Year Without Sunshine" and Le Guin's classic THE DISPOSSESSED. Excited to do this course. 😊
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
We start off with @naomikritzer.bsky.social's superb story "The Year Without Sunshine" and Le Guin's classic THE DISPOSSESSED. Excited to do this course. 😊
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
January 5, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Here's the reading list for my Contemporary Dystopian Fiction course in the UofT English department, which starts today!
We start off with @naomikritzer.bsky.social's superb story "The Year Without Sunshine" and Le Guin's classic THE DISPOSSESSED. Excited to do this course. 😊
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
We start off with @naomikritzer.bsky.social's superb story "The Year Without Sunshine" and Le Guin's classic THE DISPOSSESSED. Excited to do this course. 😊
#booksky #sff 💙📚🪐
About halfway into a (long overdue) reread of Le Guin's THE DISPOSSESSED. This is just one of those books when you feel like your mind is being stretched & reshaped, page by page. Provocative. Wise. Subtle. Deeply serious. Incredible clarity of vision, style, & structure.
#booksky #sff #reading 💙📚
#booksky #sff #reading 💙📚
December 25, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Just finished a very long overdue reread of George Eliot's MIDDLEMARCH. Oof. My mind and soul are in a state of awe. Surely, one of the greatest works we have in English. So, so wise. So generous and compassionate. Unflinching and profoundly assured. Wow.
#booksky #reading #books 📚💙
#booksky #reading #books 📚💙
December 21, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Starting THE KNAVE OF GRAVES today, the second novel by @sjshank.bsky.social! Ornery gravedigger who treats with a night hag? I'm in. A perfect read for Hallowe'en month. 🎃
October 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Starting THE KNAVE OF GRAVES today, the second novel by @sjshank.bsky.social! Ornery gravedigger who treats with a night hag? I'm in. A perfect read for Hallowe'en month. 🎃
Recent book haul from @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social! 📚💙🪐
Very excited to get to each of these. ☺️
@manuscriptgal.bsky.social
@tananarivedue.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@adamroberts.bsky.social
@ursulakleguin.com
#jamessacorey
#BookSky #sff #fantasy #sciencefiction #amreading
Very excited to get to each of these. ☺️
@manuscriptgal.bsky.social
@tananarivedue.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@adamroberts.bsky.social
@ursulakleguin.com
#jamessacorey
#BookSky #sff #fantasy #sciencefiction #amreading
August 8, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Recent book haul from @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social! 📚💙🪐
Very excited to get to each of these. ☺️
@manuscriptgal.bsky.social
@tananarivedue.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@adamroberts.bsky.social
@ursulakleguin.com
#jamessacorey
#BookSky #sff #fantasy #sciencefiction #amreading
Very excited to get to each of these. ☺️
@manuscriptgal.bsky.social
@tananarivedue.bsky.social
@aptshadow.bsky.social
@adamroberts.bsky.social
@ursulakleguin.com
#jamessacorey
#BookSky #sff #fantasy #sciencefiction #amreading
Time to read some Agatha Christie, at last. A great analysis of Christie's play with genre in ROGER ACKROYD made me keen to read the novel. I've always loved spy/detective shows & films. Looking forward to these.
#BookSky 📚💙
#BookSky 📚💙
May 11, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Time to read some Agatha Christie, at last. A great analysis of Christie's play with genre in ROGER ACKROYD made me keen to read the novel. I've always loved spy/detective shows & films. Looking forward to these.
#BookSky 📚💙
#BookSky 📚💙
Surprised by a trillium flower in the backyard. 😊
May 11, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Surprised by a trillium flower in the backyard. 😊
Starting THE SIEGE OF BURNING GRASS by @premeemohamed.com today. Really looking forward to this one.
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
May 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Starting THE SIEGE OF BURNING GRASS by @premeemohamed.com today. Really looking forward to this one.
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
Finally got a chance to play Root. What brilliant design. Very much surpassed already high expectations. Must play again soon.
#boardgames
#boardgames
May 3, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Finally got a chance to play Root. What brilliant design. Very much surpassed already high expectations. Must play again soon.
#boardgames
#boardgames
Did the thing.♥️🇨🇦
April 28, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Did the thing.♥️🇨🇦
New boardgames! Very keen on the theme of SETI & hopeful because of positive reviews & 2024 top 10s. I'm a fan of the South Tigris series; had to complete it. Dune Imperium is one of my favourite games, Uprising especially, so I must have ALL the expansions. 😊
#boardgames
#boardgames
February 15, 2025 at 5:37 AM
New boardgames! Very keen on the theme of SETI & hopeful because of positive reviews & 2024 top 10s. I'm a fan of the South Tigris series; had to complete it. Dune Imperium is one of my favourite games, Uprising especially, so I must have ALL the expansions. 😊
#boardgames
#boardgames
It's Reading Week now for me. Time to, well, do some reading. Finally starting ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by @robinhobb.bsky.social, a fantasy class that I've never read (to my shame). 😊
#Books #BookSky 📚💙🪐
#Books #BookSky 📚💙🪐
February 14, 2025 at 2:42 PM
It's Reading Week now for me. Time to, well, do some reading. Finally starting ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by @robinhobb.bsky.social, a fantasy class that I've never read (to my shame). 😊
#Books #BookSky 📚💙🪐
#Books #BookSky 📚💙🪐
Just finished my reread of SOME DESPERATE GLORY by @emilytesh.net. My mind's buzzing & tingling.
I've read few books with such persistent momentum & ability to surprise, all while dealing with *intense* themes clearly & honestly & never flinching from what's uncomfortable. Wow.
#BookSky #books 📚💙🪐
I've read few books with such persistent momentum & ability to surprise, all while dealing with *intense* themes clearly & honestly & never flinching from what's uncomfortable. Wow.
#BookSky #books 📚💙🪐
February 2, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Just finished my reread of SOME DESPERATE GLORY by @emilytesh.net. My mind's buzzing & tingling.
I've read few books with such persistent momentum & ability to surprise, all while dealing with *intense* themes clearly & honestly & never flinching from what's uncomfortable. Wow.
#BookSky #books 📚💙🪐
I've read few books with such persistent momentum & ability to surprise, all while dealing with *intense* themes clearly & honestly & never flinching from what's uncomfortable. Wow.
#BookSky #books 📚💙🪐
Beginning to reread SOME DESPERATE GLORY by @emilytesh.net for my SF course in January. What a great opening chapter. Sets up so much about the world that clicks into place quite differently on a second read. Really looking forward to discussing this novel with my students. ☺️
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
December 24, 2024 at 5:54 PM
Beginning to reread SOME DESPERATE GLORY by @emilytesh.net for my SF course in January. What a great opening chapter. Sets up so much about the world that clicks into place quite differently on a second read. Really looking forward to discussing this novel with my students. ☺️
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
Have started rereading Scott's WAVERLEY (must teach it in January). I've always enjoyed the opening chapters. He's like, "Nope, not writing any of that romantic, Gothic, Don Quixote adventure, courtship nonsense. It's time for some history and realism, people. Don't @ me." 😊
#BookSky 📚💙
#BookSky 📚💙
December 14, 2024 at 4:13 AM
Have started rereading Scott's WAVERLEY (must teach it in January). I've always enjoyed the opening chapters. He's like, "Nope, not writing any of that romantic, Gothic, Don Quixote adventure, courtship nonsense. It's time for some history and realism, people. Don't @ me." 😊
#BookSky 📚💙
#BookSky 📚💙
December 14, 2024 at 3:46 AM
Today's favourite sentence from Orbital:
"… the mammalian things … the lovers of excess, the excess of love, the addled with love, the deficit of love, the lacking for love, the longing for love, the love of longing, the two-legged thing, the human being."
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
"… the mammalian things … the lovers of excess, the excess of love, the addled with love, the deficit of love, the lacking for love, the longing for love, the love of longing, the two-legged thing, the human being."
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
December 9, 2024 at 4:27 PM
Today's favourite sentence from Orbital:
"… the mammalian things … the lovers of excess, the excess of love, the addled with love, the deficit of love, the lacking for love, the longing for love, the love of longing, the two-legged thing, the human being."
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
"… the mammalian things … the lovers of excess, the excess of love, the addled with love, the deficit of love, the lacking for love, the longing for love, the love of longing, the two-legged thing, the human being."
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
December 8, 2024 at 7:11 PM
Today's favourite sentence(s) from Orbital:
"And then a spike in sound as she thought … of his jaw and the way he spoke with such bright precision so that everything he said was epiphany and discovery and the way he looked at her as though *she* were the epiphany he kept on having …"
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
"And then a spike in sound as she thought … of his jaw and the way he spoke with such bright precision so that everything he said was epiphany and discovery and the way he looked at her as though *she* were the epiphany he kept on having …"
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
December 8, 2024 at 8:41 AM
Today's favourite sentence(s) from Orbital:
"And then a spike in sound as she thought … of his jaw and the way he spoke with such bright precision so that everything he said was epiphany and discovery and the way he looked at her as though *she* were the epiphany he kept on having …"
#BookSky 💙📚🪐
"And then a spike in sound as she thought … of his jaw and the way he spoke with such bright precision so that everything he said was epiphany and discovery and the way he looked at her as though *she* were the epiphany he kept on having …"
#BookSky 💙📚🪐