Philip Athans
@philathans.bsky.social
Liberal author, editor, and SF, fantasy, horror, and TTRPG fan who has some links at https://linktr.ee/philathans and is happy to have rebuilt a #writingcommunity here. NO to AI.
AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
Reposted by Philip Athans
Buy a book.
Any book, it doesn't matter which. The one you've been looking forward to, the one with the title that made you laugh, the weighty award-winner you've been meaning to get to. Whatever.
Treat yourself. Step away from it all. In this time of gross ignorance & madness, read something.
Any book, it doesn't matter which. The one you've been looking forward to, the one with the title that made you laugh, the weighty award-winner you've been meaning to get to. Whatever.
Treat yourself. Step away from it all. In this time of gross ignorance & madness, read something.
Dan Robinson (@bookmandan.bsky.social)
Retired. Interested in just about everything. Avid reader.
bookmandan.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Buy a book.
Any book, it doesn't matter which. The one you've been looking forward to, the one with the title that made you laugh, the weighty award-winner you've been meaning to get to. Whatever.
Treat yourself. Step away from it all. In this time of gross ignorance & madness, read something.
Any book, it doesn't matter which. The one you've been looking forward to, the one with the title that made you laugh, the weighty award-winner you've been meaning to get to. Whatever.
Treat yourself. Step away from it all. In this time of gross ignorance & madness, read something.
JACK KEROUAC’S LIST OF ESSENTIALS
I’ll start this with my 100-Book Challenge video on the annotated edition of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, in which I found the list to follow. Watch that for greater context… According to Howl: This list was tacked on wall above author’s bedstead in North Beach hotel a…
I’ll start this with my 100-Book Challenge video on the annotated edition of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, in which I found the list to follow. Watch that for greater context… According to Howl: This list was tacked on wall above author’s bedstead in North Beach hotel a…
JACK KEROUAC’S LIST OF ESSENTIALS
I’ll start this with my 100-Book Challenge video on the annotated edition of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, in which I found the list to follow. Watch that for greater context… According to Howl: This list was tacked on wall above author’s bedstead in North Beach hotel a year before “Howl” was written. See Robert Duncan’s comments apropos in
fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
JACK KEROUAC’S LIST OF ESSENTIALS
I’ll start this with my 100-Book Challenge video on the annotated edition of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, in which I found the list to follow. Watch that for greater context… According to Howl: This list was tacked on wall above author’s bedstead in North Beach hotel a…
I’ll start this with my 100-Book Challenge video on the annotated edition of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, in which I found the list to follow. Watch that for greater context… According to Howl: This list was tacked on wall above author’s bedstead in North Beach hotel a…
My fence blew down in a wind storm and this is what came out when I turned my camera on the next morning. I promise, eventually it becomes about writing fantasy, science fiction, horror, and fiction in general.
THE METAPHORICAL FENCE
My fence blew down in a wind storm and this is what came out when I turned my camera on the next morning. I promise, eventually it becomes about writing fantasy, science fiction, horror, and fiction…
youtu.be
December 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
My fence blew down in a wind storm and this is what came out when I turned my camera on the next morning. I promise, eventually it becomes about writing fantasy, science fiction, horror, and fiction in general.
3 things readers need to STOP doing
youtu.be/GHdssP-wzEw?...
youtu.be/GHdssP-wzEw?...
3 things readers need to STOP doing
YouTube video by Life on Books
youtu.be
December 1, 2025 at 6:05 PM
3 things readers need to STOP doing
youtu.be/GHdssP-wzEw?...
youtu.be/GHdssP-wzEw?...
Reposted by Philip Athans
OpenAI killed a teenager by encouraging him to commit suicide and blamed it on the teenager.
If you use ChatGPT then you support this company
If you use ChatGPT then you support this company
November 30, 2025 at 9:40 PM
OpenAI killed a teenager by encouraging him to commit suicide and blamed it on the teenager.
If you use ChatGPT then you support this company
If you use ChatGPT then you support this company
Dear YouTube Commercial Algorithm,
I’m never going to buy a “tactical hoodie” because I’m not a little boy pretending to be an army man.
Sincerely,
Phil
I’m never going to buy a “tactical hoodie” because I’m not a little boy pretending to be an army man.
Sincerely,
Phil
December 1, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Dear YouTube Commercial Algorithm,
I’m never going to buy a “tactical hoodie” because I’m not a little boy pretending to be an army man.
Sincerely,
Phil
I’m never going to buy a “tactical hoodie” because I’m not a little boy pretending to be an army man.
Sincerely,
Phil
Well, this just made my Amazon list!
Corto Maltese Sets Sail at Fantagraphics
Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt’s iconic seafarer Corto Maltese has found a new home at Fantagraphics. In January 2026, the publisher will release a 132-page paperback…
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Corto Maltese Sets Sail at Fantagraphics
Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt’s iconic seafarer Corto Maltese has found a new home at Fantagraphics. In January 2026, the publisher will release a 132-page paperback…
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Corto Maltese Sets Sail at Fantagraphics
U.S. comics fans will soon be able to experience the adventures of Hugo Pratt’s iconic seafarer like never before thanks to a new publishing program at Fantagraphics, which aims to make the entire Cor...
www.publishersweekly.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Well, this just made my Amazon list!
Corto Maltese Sets Sail at Fantagraphics
Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt’s iconic seafarer Corto Maltese has found a new home at Fantagraphics. In January 2026, the publisher will release a 132-page paperback…
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Corto Maltese Sets Sail at Fantagraphics
Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt’s iconic seafarer Corto Maltese has found a new home at Fantagraphics. In January 2026, the publisher will release a 132-page paperback…
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Can I finish 7 books by the end of the year? Thirty-four days?
With THIS workload…?
With THIS workload…?
November 28, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Can I finish 7 books by the end of the year? Thirty-four days?
With THIS workload…?
With THIS workload…?
Reposted by Philip Athans
Before using AI, remember:
Luke turned off his targeting computer and listened to the force.
Luke turned off his targeting computer and listened to the force.
November 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Before using AI, remember:
Luke turned off his targeting computer and listened to the force.
Luke turned off his targeting computer and listened to the force.
ChatGPT can be improved by saving the entire code base on whatever it’ll fit on then launching it into the sun.
This is not a “tech startup,” it’s an ongoing criminal enterprise.
This is not a “tech startup,” it’s an ongoing criminal enterprise.
November 27, 2025 at 7:57 PM
ChatGPT can be improved by saving the entire code base on whatever it’ll fit on then launching it into the sun.
This is not a “tech startup,” it’s an ongoing criminal enterprise.
This is not a “tech startup,” it’s an ongoing criminal enterprise.
Reposted by Philip Athans
A *huge* vaccine victory. I've been writing on this for years; Australia has seen remarkable progress in cervical cancer prevention with the HPV vaccine. I love seeing science triumph like this.
Australia recorded ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 for the first time since they started tracking the cancer in the 80s.
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
newsGP - Australia set for world-first cervical cancer elimination
Vaccination programs have played a key role, and GPs remain ‘instrumental’ in boosting screening rates to reach the 2035 target.
www1.racgp.org.au
November 27, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A *huge* vaccine victory. I've been writing on this for years; Australia has seen remarkable progress in cervical cancer prevention with the HPV vaccine. I love seeing science triumph like this.
Reposted by Philip Athans
Man Getting High And Eating Taco Bell Thousands Of Miles Away From Family Having Best Thanksgiving Of Life https://theonion.com/man-getting-high-and-eating-taco-bell-thousands-of-mile-1845721340/
November 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Man Getting High And Eating Taco Bell Thousands Of Miles Away From Family Having Best Thanksgiving Of Life https://theonion.com/man-getting-high-and-eating-taco-bell-thousands-of-mile-1845721340/
THE MINDWARPERS—The 100-Book Challenge, Episode 30
Join me for a look at a randomly chosen sci-fi book that turns out to be a forgotten classic!
youtu.be/VaKwOzf3FhI
Join me for a look at a randomly chosen sci-fi book that turns out to be a forgotten classic!
youtu.be/VaKwOzf3FhI
THE MINDWARPERS—The 100-Book Challenge, Episode 30
YouTube video by Fantasy Author's Handbook
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 11:16 PM
THE MINDWARPERS—The 100-Book Challenge, Episode 30
Join me for a look at a randomly chosen sci-fi book that turns out to be a forgotten classic!
youtu.be/VaKwOzf3FhI
Join me for a look at a randomly chosen sci-fi book that turns out to be a forgotten classic!
youtu.be/VaKwOzf3FhI
The best editor is a good teacher who helps that book be better AND helps you be a better writer from then on.
Philip Athans - Editor | Reedsy
Seattle, WA, USA Editor: Former managing editor at Wizards of the Coast, working extensively in fantasy, SF, horror, thriller, literary, and narrative non-fiction.
reedsy.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:02 PM
The best editor is a good teacher who helps that book be better AND helps you be a better writer from then on.
Hitting the books: R.F. Kuang on why libraries make the world go ’round
www.bookpage.com/interviews/h...
www.bookpage.com/interviews/h...
Hitting the books: R.F. Kuang on why libraries make the world go ’round
As the recipient of degrees from Cambridge and Oxford and a current PhD student at Yale, Kuang has spent plenty of time in bookstores and libraries. We asked the bestselling author to tell us about a ...
www.bookpage.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Hitting the books: R.F. Kuang on why libraries make the world go ’round
www.bookpage.com/interviews/h...
www.bookpage.com/interviews/h...
BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XLIX: STEERING THE CRAFT, PART 10
From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, but all will…
From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, but all will…
BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XLIX: STEERING THE CRAFT, PART 10
From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, but all will be, at least in my humble opinion, essential texts for any author, so worth looking for. We read…
fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:23 PM
BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XLIX: STEERING THE CRAFT, PART 10
From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, but all will…
From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and still in print, some may be difficult to find, but all will…
Okay, Big Deadline Energy now shifts to the smaller projects that have sat waiting for too long. Once those are cleared up, I enter Extreme Deadline Energy for the next three months on some Monster Sized projects.
Never fear. I’ve got this.
Never fear. I’ve got this.
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Okay, Big Deadline Energy now shifts to the smaller projects that have sat waiting for too long. Once those are cleared up, I enter Extreme Deadline Energy for the next three months on some Monster Sized projects.
Never fear. I’ve got this.
Never fear. I’ve got this.
Reposted by Philip Athans
Whatever your rules are, either magical or high-tech, you set them. But once you’ve set those rules in the minds of your readers, stick to them.
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
November 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Whatever your rules are, either magical or high-tech, you set them. But once you’ve set those rules in the minds of your readers, stick to them.
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
Reason and decency can prevail…
Federal Court Delivers Judgment to Prevent Dismantling of IMLS
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
Federal Court Delivers Judgment to Prevent Dismantling of IMLS
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
Federal Court Delivers Judgment to Prevent Dismantling of IMLS
Attorneys general for 21 states sued to prevent the federal government from gutting the Institute of Museum and Library Services and other agencies, and on November 21, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. uph...
www.publishersweekly.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reason and decency can prevail…
Federal Court Delivers Judgment to Prevent Dismantling of IMLS
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
Federal Court Delivers Judgment to Prevent Dismantling of IMLS
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
The Brainrot Apocalypse (a DIY survival guide)
YouTube video by struthless
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 12:57 AM
What is it about things that go bump in the night that we find so attractive that they’ve infiltrated every culture on Earth, every mythology, every art form?
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM
What is it about things that go bump in the night that we find so attractive that they’ve infiltrated every culture on Earth, every mythology, every art form?
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
Honestly, maybe 90% of writers have no idea how to properly use the semicolon.
The remaining 10% know not to use it at all.
#WritingCommunity
The remaining 10% know not to use it at all.
#WritingCommunity
November 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Honestly, maybe 90% of writers have no idea how to properly use the semicolon.
The remaining 10% know not to use it at all.
#WritingCommunity
The remaining 10% know not to use it at all.
#WritingCommunity
Strange that the data cited within seems to contradict the headline…
Publishers say 'mindset around short stories shifting’ as readers embrace slim fiction
…but I'd be delighted to learn this is true!
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Publishers say 'mindset around short stories shifting’ as readers embrace slim fiction
…but I'd be delighted to learn this is true!
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Publishers say 'mindset around short stories shifting’ as readers embrace slim fiction
Publishers are noting a shift in industry mindset around short stories as readers embrace shorter works, with a number feeling like “something is slowly shifting” and that “there’s a real excitement a...
www.thebookseller.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Strange that the data cited within seems to contradict the headline…
Publishers say 'mindset around short stories shifting’ as readers embrace slim fiction
…but I'd be delighted to learn this is true!
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Publishers say 'mindset around short stories shifting’ as readers embrace slim fiction
…but I'd be delighted to learn this is true!
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
I can make any book stronger and any author more confident.
www.athansassociates.com
Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Where Story Meets World
www.athansassociates.com
Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Where Story Meets World
Athans & Associates
Creative Consulting
www.athansassociates.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
I can make any book stronger and any author more confident.
www.athansassociates.com
Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Where Story Meets World
www.athansassociates.com
Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Where Story Meets World