Megan Tayles
@taylesium.bsky.social
Writer and reader--fantasy, sci-fi, horror. Story enthusiast. Occasional engineer. She/her. 🇨🇦
Reposted by Megan Tayles
If you write a story on an oven-baked flatbread, it's a PITA to read.
January 11, 2026 at 11:20 PM
If you write a story on an oven-baked flatbread, it's a PITA to read.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Having some thoughts about the nature of my fears as a Canadian that I want to try to express in deep solidarity with everyone in Minnesota and elsewhere fighting our common enemy. This thread will not be in the "Canadian asshole" genre. (The opposite, I hope). Still, mute if you want.
January 10, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Having some thoughts about the nature of my fears as a Canadian that I want to try to express in deep solidarity with everyone in Minnesota and elsewhere fighting our common enemy. This thread will not be in the "Canadian asshole" genre. (The opposite, I hope). Still, mute if you want.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Timeline Cleanse: Please enjoy this photo of a praying mantis that was sitting on top of my car windshield, but the angling and lighting were so weird it looks like a giant praying mantis wandering a corn field in Iowa.
January 10, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Timeline Cleanse: Please enjoy this photo of a praying mantis that was sitting on top of my car windshield, but the angling and lighting were so weird it looks like a giant praying mantis wandering a corn field in Iowa.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Planned wind farm to be largest single power provider on Vancouver Island.
Wind farm poised to become Vancouver Island’s biggest power source, empower First Nation - Langley Advance Times
$600M, 197mw Wei Wai Kum energy project near Campbell River expected to come on line by 2031
langleyadvancetimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Planned wind farm to be largest single power provider on Vancouver Island.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
A little bird's tipped me off:
Ada Palmer's fantastic book INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE is on sale for $3.99 in its Kindle incarnation.
I already have a hardback, thanks, but e-book lovers on tight budgets, curious about the Big R, may wish to acquire @adapalmer.bsky.social's much-talked-about tome.
Ada Palmer's fantastic book INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE is on sale for $3.99 in its Kindle incarnation.
I already have a hardback, thanks, but e-book lovers on tight budgets, curious about the Big R, may wish to acquire @adapalmer.bsky.social's much-talked-about tome.
Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age
Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age - Kindle edition by Palmer, Ada. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age.
www.amazon.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:25 PM
A little bird's tipped me off:
Ada Palmer's fantastic book INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE is on sale for $3.99 in its Kindle incarnation.
I already have a hardback, thanks, but e-book lovers on tight budgets, curious about the Big R, may wish to acquire @adapalmer.bsky.social's much-talked-about tome.
Ada Palmer's fantastic book INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE is on sale for $3.99 in its Kindle incarnation.
I already have a hardback, thanks, but e-book lovers on tight budgets, curious about the Big R, may wish to acquire @adapalmer.bsky.social's much-talked-about tome.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Don't forget: the final submission deadline for the 2026 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic is January 31, 2026. #SpecFic #Horror #SFF #CanLit
✨Submissions are open for the 2026 Sunburst Award. 2025 fantasy, magic realist, science fiction, speculative, supernatural horror and surrealist novels/short fiction collections by Canadian authors are eligible to be entered. #SpecFic #CanLit
submissions.sunburstaward.org
submissions.sunburstaward.org
Sunburst Award Submissions – For Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic
submissions.sunburstaward.org
January 8, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Megan Tayles
As Alberta announces dozens of (secret) book bans... here's a reminder that if you are a published Canadian author or illustrator, we would love to have you join Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans. Here's our linktree for more info and sign up page! linktr.ee/caiabb
#canlit #abed
#canlit #abed
CAIABB | Instagram | Linktree
Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book Bans
linktr.ee
January 7, 2026 at 6:26 PM
As Alberta announces dozens of (secret) book bans... here's a reminder that if you are a published Canadian author or illustrator, we would love to have you join Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans. Here's our linktree for more info and sign up page! linktr.ee/caiabb
#canlit #abed
#canlit #abed
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Indie writers take note. The Zon is ignoring requests from both authors and former publishers to take down fraudulent listings.
Read's Lili's blog for details. And if you are over there and see this high-priced forgery with no cover? You could protest it as a fraud.
Read's Lili's blog for details. And if you are over there and see this high-priced forgery with no cover? You could protest it as a fraud.
(Yes, I'm still annoyed, even if I don't have time to pursue the matter further.)
Lili Saintcrow | Scamazon Games
I didn’t want to write this, but I suppose I have to. Let’s start with a little background. A small/indie publisher I love is retiring, which means the press is closing down. This is be…
www.lilithsaintcrow.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Indie writers take note. The Zon is ignoring requests from both authors and former publishers to take down fraudulent listings.
Read's Lili's blog for details. And if you are over there and see this high-priced forgery with no cover? You could protest it as a fraud.
Read's Lili's blog for details. And if you are over there and see this high-priced forgery with no cover? You could protest it as a fraud.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
As Canadians, I think it is our civic and collective duty for our 2026 New Year's resolution to simply be striking far more fear into the hearts of the politicians we elected than we currently do when they do stupid shit
January 1, 2026 at 6:11 PM
As Canadians, I think it is our civic and collective duty for our 2026 New Year's resolution to simply be striking far more fear into the hearts of the politicians we elected than we currently do when they do stupid shit
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Tennyson
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Tennyson
December 31, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Tennyson
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Tennyson
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Also on Kobo Canada, where they have helpfully noted that it is 72% off!
www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/...
www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/...
The Butcher of the Forest ebook by Premee Mohamed - Rakuten Kobo
Read "The Butcher of the Forest" by Premee Mohamed available from Rakuten Kobo. "A perfect mix of horror and fantasy."—The New York Times
“The Butcher of the Forest” shows exactly why Mohamed is one o...
www.kobo.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Also on Kobo Canada, where they have helpfully noted that it is 72% off!
www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/...
www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/...
Reposted by Megan Tayles
If you really need to waste some water for your ideas, you can also do “staring at the wall” in the shower.
Instead of using GenAI to generate ideas, may I instead suggest "Staring at a Wall." Your mind will wander and probably have more relevant, fleshed out ideas than anything an LLM can generate. Join the "Staring at a Wall" movement today.
December 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
If you really need to waste some water for your ideas, you can also do “staring at the wall” in the shower.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
This is possibly the most brutal review I've ever read. I'm not one for negativity, but there is a point at which negativity becomes so incandescent for such good reason that it manages to uplift rather than depress. "Wow," you say, dazzled at the human capacity for righteous verbal violence.
FFC review: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (2025), by Walter Chaw (@mangiotto.bsky.social). filmfreakcentral.net/2025/12/avat...
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) - FILM FREAK CENTRAL
ZERO STARS/****starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winsletscreenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silverdirected by James Cameron by Walter Chaw I think, for white ...
filmfreakcentral.net
December 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
This is possibly the most brutal review I've ever read. I'm not one for negativity, but there is a point at which negativity becomes so incandescent for such good reason that it manages to uplift rather than depress. "Wow," you say, dazzled at the human capacity for righteous verbal violence.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Just a reminder writer friends, Delilah Waan has an incredible example of an AI statement on her website breaking down her views and every area in publishing where AI could creep in and how she tries to avoid it. If you feel strongly, here's a great way to approach having a statement for readers.
Where I Stand on the Use of AI in Publishing – Delilah Waan
www.delilahwaan.com
December 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Just a reminder writer friends, Delilah Waan has an incredible example of an AI statement on her website breaking down her views and every area in publishing where AI could creep in and how she tries to avoid it. If you feel strongly, here's a great way to approach having a statement for readers.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
So, SFWA is very much not my circus, not my monkeys, but here are my two general thoughts right now:
1) clear rules excluding AI-created content are important to hold the line, especially for publishers who would want nothing more than to toss their editors into the drink.
1) clear rules excluding AI-created content are important to hold the line, especially for publishers who would want nothing more than to toss their editors into the drink.
December 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
So, SFWA is very much not my circus, not my monkeys, but here are my two general thoughts right now:
1) clear rules excluding AI-created content are important to hold the line, especially for publishers who would want nothing more than to toss their editors into the drink.
1) clear rules excluding AI-created content are important to hold the line, especially for publishers who would want nothing more than to toss their editors into the drink.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Canadian friends: here's a petition to stop AB and SK from Notwithstanding their anti-trans-healthcare legislation (this will make sense to Canadians). Don't let them shield their bigotry from Charter scrutiny!
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
Petition e-7027 - Petitions
www.ourcommons.ca
December 19, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Canadian friends: here's a petition to stop AB and SK from Notwithstanding their anti-trans-healthcare legislation (this will make sense to Canadians). Don't let them shield their bigotry from Charter scrutiny!
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Suddenly realising that Gandalf's participation in The Lord of the Rings is basically the trope of an old man with a long and dangerous career agreeing to One Last Job Before Retirement
Elrond names the Company of the Ring, from all the Free Peoples:
Hobbits—Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
Men—Aragorn and Boromir.
Elves—Legolas.
Dwarves—Gimli.
And, one wizard—Gandalf the Grey shall lead them, ‘for this shall be his great task and maybe the end of his labours.’
Hobbits—Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
Men—Aragorn and Boromir.
Elves—Legolas.
Dwarves—Gimli.
And, one wizard—Gandalf the Grey shall lead them, ‘for this shall be his great task and maybe the end of his labours.’
December 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Suddenly realising that Gandalf's participation in The Lord of the Rings is basically the trope of an old man with a long and dangerous career agreeing to One Last Job Before Retirement
Reposted by Megan Tayles
Honestly authors, if your contract has language in there about faithful translation, TALK TO YOUR EDITOR AND AGENT because this isn’t it.
last month, one of my coworkers decided to use AI translation for a job. the AI skipped about 1/4 of the source text and added other stuff that didn't exist in the source. my coworkers trusted the bot output and went ahead and published this. i discovered the errors so i got the job of cleaning up.
December 18, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Honestly authors, if your contract has language in there about faithful translation, TALK TO YOUR EDITOR AND AGENT because this isn’t it.
Interesting perspective: genAI as gamification/gambling.
Unfortunately, it suggests getting people off genAI won't be as easy as pointing out the bad economics. Playing slots is bad economics, too.
Unfortunately, it suggests getting people off genAI won't be as easy as pointing out the bad economics. Playing slots is bad economics, too.
I wonder if part of the AI appeal is the lootbox/gambling feedback cycle of clicking a button and not knowing what you're gonna get. You get something good, it feels like winning. Whereas starting with an idea and trying to make it real feels like work.
December 18, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Interesting perspective: genAI as gamification/gambling.
Unfortunately, it suggests getting people off genAI won't be as easy as pointing out the bad economics. Playing slots is bad economics, too.
Unfortunately, it suggests getting people off genAI won't be as easy as pointing out the bad economics. Playing slots is bad economics, too.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
My novel Lessons in Magic and Disaster is just $2.99 in all e-book formats today. (Kindle, Kobo, Nook,etc)
This is the book of my heart. It's a queer mother-daughter story about healing and forgiveness. It's got 18th century lit, riot grrls, and filthy weird magic.
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
This is the book of my heart. It's a queer mother-daughter story about healing and forgiveness. It's got 18th century lit, riot grrls, and filthy weird magic.
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Lessons in Magic and Disaster
In the vein of Alice Hoffman and Charlie Jane Anders's own All the Birds in the Sky comes a novel full of love, disaster, and magic. A young witch teaches he...
us.macmillan.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
My novel Lessons in Magic and Disaster is just $2.99 in all e-book formats today. (Kindle, Kobo, Nook,etc)
This is the book of my heart. It's a queer mother-daughter story about healing and forgiveness. It's got 18th century lit, riot grrls, and filthy weird magic.
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
This is the book of my heart. It's a queer mother-daughter story about healing and forgiveness. It's got 18th century lit, riot grrls, and filthy weird magic.
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Reposted by Megan Tayles
In the spirit of the season, I'm going to try to turn something that annoys me into something positive.
So; Kindle Unlimited annoys me. Devalues actually owning books, makes one feel ripped off if you DO buy a book and it's available for free, ties authors & readers to amazon & is all around bad.
So; Kindle Unlimited annoys me. Devalues actually owning books, makes one feel ripped off if you DO buy a book and it's available for free, ties authors & readers to amazon & is all around bad.
December 16, 2025 at 8:34 PM
In the spirit of the season, I'm going to try to turn something that annoys me into something positive.
So; Kindle Unlimited annoys me. Devalues actually owning books, makes one feel ripped off if you DO buy a book and it's available for free, ties authors & readers to amazon & is all around bad.
So; Kindle Unlimited annoys me. Devalues actually owning books, makes one feel ripped off if you DO buy a book and it's available for free, ties authors & readers to amazon & is all around bad.
Reposted by Megan Tayles
I'm back to reading AI papers again after almost a month off. Focus is currently on evaluation of models because (surprise) people are bad at it and AI judging AI is worse
Like: “You should use LLM-as-a-judge to improve your judgement, not replace your judgement”
openreview.net/forum?id=3GT...
Like: “You should use LLM-as-a-judge to improve your judgement, not replace your judgement”
openreview.net/forum?id=3GT...
Justice or Prejudice? Quantifying Biases in LLM-as-a-Judge
LLM-as-a-Judge has been widely utilized as an evaluation method in various benchmarks and served as supervised rewards in model training. However, despite their excellence in many domains...
openreview.net
December 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I'm back to reading AI papers again after almost a month off. Focus is currently on evaluation of models because (surprise) people are bad at it and AI judging AI is worse
Like: “You should use LLM-as-a-judge to improve your judgement, not replace your judgement”
openreview.net/forum?id=3GT...
Like: “You should use LLM-as-a-judge to improve your judgement, not replace your judgement”
openreview.net/forum?id=3GT...
Reposted by Megan Tayles
"Pat, why do you carry that ridiculous 600mm lens on long hikes?"
Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.
Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.
August 28, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"Pat, why do you carry that ridiculous 600mm lens on long hikes?"
Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.
Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.
The "top" book on my TBR was added to the list December 2017 (it'll probably be my first book of 2026), and the oldest book I read this year was written in 1000 C.E.-ish (Beowulf).
I'm very glad books don't spoil, if I had to be "up to date" on millennia of literature, I'd be the one expiring.
I'm very glad books don't spoil, if I had to be "up to date" on millennia of literature, I'd be the one expiring.
the "books spoil, like milk" model has always been exhausting but we're like 20 years into the world of ebooks now, at some point you'd think we would rethink the model
Someday I will understand the logic behind "a book has made all the money it will ever make in the first week and after that we will ignore it as a weird little corpse till the end of our rights" but right now it just seems incredibly antithetical to what books are.
December 11, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The "top" book on my TBR was added to the list December 2017 (it'll probably be my first book of 2026), and the oldest book I read this year was written in 1000 C.E.-ish (Beowulf).
I'm very glad books don't spoil, if I had to be "up to date" on millennia of literature, I'd be the one expiring.
I'm very glad books don't spoil, if I had to be "up to date" on millennia of literature, I'd be the one expiring.