Zohar Jacobs
@zoharjacobs.bsky.social
Migrant Jewish intellectual, writer, historian, mystic | Fiction in Sunday Morning Transport, Analog, Asimov's & Clarkesworld | Oxford, UK
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)
November 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
They're also responsible for one of the best emails I've ever received, when the college office sent out a plea for sightings of Professor Biscuit while conveniently forgetting to mention that he was a cat...(I won't comment on how often a similar email might have gone out about human Professors...)
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Today’s random find in the #ASPLibrary: a Russian book of Ephemerides of Minor Planets for 1994. 🔭
November 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Today’s random find in the #ASPLibrary: a Russian book of Ephemerides of Minor Planets for 1994. 🔭
Thrilled to finally be able to share this! Both because I'm happy for Erik and because I read this novel almost exactly 2 years ago now, loved it, and have been waiting impatiently to be able to recommend it to other people.
November 19, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Thrilled to finally be able to share this! Both because I'm happy for Erik and because I read this novel almost exactly 2 years ago now, loved it, and have been waiting impatiently to be able to recommend it to other people.
You may not realize it, but what you need in your life is an epic poem about the migration of eels. I'm serious, it's amazing. longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2024/03/26/e...
November 19, 2025 at 2:07 PM
You may not realize it, but what you need in your life is an epic poem about the migration of eels. I'm serious, it's amazing. longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2024/03/26/e...
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Excited for the time, around 30 years from now, when we start publishing people's DMs in lieu of the fact we don't write letters to each other anymore
November 18, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Excited for the time, around 30 years from now, when we start publishing people's DMs in lieu of the fact we don't write letters to each other anymore
What brilliant television.
The first episode of House of Cards was broadcast on this day in 1990.
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 PM
What brilliant television.
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Applications are open for the only non-NYU workshop I’m offering in 2026. It’s fully-funded, including transportation if you’re coming from the US. Link for more info: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
November 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Applications are open for the only non-NYU workshop I’m offering in 2026. It’s fully-funded, including transportation if you’re coming from the US. Link for more info: garthgreenwell.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
Major achievement of the day: finally opening a jar of M&S vegan n'duja paste (highly recommended) after days of wailing and gnashing of teeth every time I wanted to eat pasta. I don't know why that lid was on so tight, but it was worth it.
November 18, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Major achievement of the day: finally opening a jar of M&S vegan n'duja paste (highly recommended) after days of wailing and gnashing of teeth every time I wanted to eat pasta. I don't know why that lid was on so tight, but it was worth it.
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
happy On the Calculation of Volume Day to all who celebrate. i’m wearing my shirt to mark it
November 18, 2025 at 4:43 PM
happy On the Calculation of Volume Day to all who celebrate. i’m wearing my shirt to mark it
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
why can they not just fix it
![[Scene is MCcDONALDS PICKUP POINT but for the most part we can only see the close up faces of tha CUSTOMER and the McDONALDS EMPLOYEE at the serving point].
1
CUSTOMER:
Hi - I’m afraid this isn’t what I ordered
2
McDONALDS EMPLOYEE:
Number 187?
CUSTOMER:
Yes
3
CUSTOMER:
Maybe I pressed the wrong thing?
I just ordered one strawberry milkshake.
4
EMPLOYEE:
Oh - yeah sorry
5
EMPLOYEE:
The milkshake machine’s not working.
6
EMPLOYEE:
The only flavours we can do are vanilla, banana, and Labour Leader Pretending to be Nigel Farage.
7
CUSTOMER:
Is that a new flavour?
EMPLOYEE:
Yeah
8
[We now see that the employee has placed a gigantic milkshake cup on the counter]
EMPLOYEE:
If you look inside, there’s a Labour leader pretending to be Nigel Farage.
9
[Customer looks inside the cup]
10
[Show Keir Starmer dressed as Nigel Farage inside the cup]
CUSTOMER:
So there is
11
CUSTOMER:
Is that something people want, then?
EMPLOYEE:
No! No, not at all.
12
EMPLOYEE:
It just keeps happening when we press banana.
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreibbip5v2gcsv5j7kp6qm7lp6hpmaqcsanoobea2dxms7gxgrqk4qy@jpeg)
November 18, 2025 at 11:16 AM
why can they not just fix it
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
For some reason I'm envisioning an @mjohnharrison.bsky.social novel 😂
This week, I was sent a proof from one of the big publishers. In their pack, they described it as an "anti romantasy".
An anti romantasy.
I have so many thoughts about this, I honestly don't know where to begin.
An anti romantasy.
I have so many thoughts about this, I honestly don't know where to begin.
November 17, 2025 at 11:24 AM
For some reason I'm envisioning an @mjohnharrison.bsky.social novel 😂
And the two science fiction titles in the 2025 bestsellers list were "Dune" and "Project Hail Mary."
"This analysis has, so far, neglected the Science Fiction category as it is now by far SFF’s junior partner with just two titles in the 2025 Top 50." www.thebookseller.com/bestsellers/...
November 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
And the two science fiction titles in the 2025 bestsellers list were "Dune" and "Project Hail Mary."
And I now apparently have 1001 followers?? What should I do to celebrate?
November 16, 2025 at 8:48 PM
And I now apparently have 1001 followers?? What should I do to celebrate?
Top 5 movie genres are:
Apollo 13
The One With the Whales
Biopic
Gay historical
Musicals? Maybe? idk that's all the movies I know
Apollo 13
The One With the Whales
Biopic
Gay historical
Musicals? Maybe? idk that's all the movies I know
Top 5 movie genres are:
People being shits at a dinner party
Rotting mansion, faded starlet/society beauty, high-camp fuckdown
Either nothing or everything happened, glacially slowly & visually stunningly
Woman is being haunted or maybe there’s actually a gross guy
Tilda Swinton hears a weird noise
People being shits at a dinner party
Rotting mansion, faded starlet/society beauty, high-camp fuckdown
Either nothing or everything happened, glacially slowly & visually stunningly
Woman is being haunted or maybe there’s actually a gross guy
Tilda Swinton hears a weird noise
Top 5 movie genres are:
Breathtakingly beautiful magic realism that represents grief
Buncha fuckin losers decide to become a family instead of going to therapy
Yikes a ghost! Oh it's just sad.
Bright colours, singing, dancing, gay subtext/text
Whatever the fuck Star Trek First Contact is
Breathtakingly beautiful magic realism that represents grief
Buncha fuckin losers decide to become a family instead of going to therapy
Yikes a ghost! Oh it's just sad.
Bright colours, singing, dancing, gay subtext/text
Whatever the fuck Star Trek First Contact is
November 16, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Top 5 movie genres are:
Apollo 13
The One With the Whales
Biopic
Gay historical
Musicals? Maybe? idk that's all the movies I know
Apollo 13
The One With the Whales
Biopic
Gay historical
Musicals? Maybe? idk that's all the movies I know
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Frustrating to read the (Guardian-prompted) discourse around David Szalay's Flesh. It isn't a novel about being a man but a novel about being human. How do I know? Because I asked him in front of witnesses.
November 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Frustrating to read the (Guardian-prompted) discourse around David Szalay's Flesh. It isn't a novel about being a man but a novel about being human. How do I know? Because I asked him in front of witnesses.
"Logic of algorithms tends to repeat what “works,” but art opens up what is possible. Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks & difference when evocative. Beauty isn't just a means of escape; it is, above all, an invocation"
November 16, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"Logic of algorithms tends to repeat what “works,” but art opens up what is possible. Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks & difference when evocative. Beauty isn't just a means of escape; it is, above all, an invocation"
Unpopular opinion: as someone who's been a Star Trek fan since I was 5, been to cons, wasted uncountable hours on bulletin boards, written fanfic... we don't need any more Star Trek on film or TV for the foreseeable future. Time to give it a rest and create something new.
gizmodo.com/a-brand-new-...
gizmodo.com/a-brand-new-...
A Brand New 'Star Trek' Movie Is Coming From the Team Behind 'Dungeons & Dragons'
Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have been hired to make a whole new 'Star Trek' film.
gizmodo.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Unpopular opinion: as someone who's been a Star Trek fan since I was 5, been to cons, wasted uncountable hours on bulletin boards, written fanfic... we don't need any more Star Trek on film or TV for the foreseeable future. Time to give it a rest and create something new.
gizmodo.com/a-brand-new-...
gizmodo.com/a-brand-new-...
Compensations for the shortening days
November 13, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Compensations for the shortening days
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Oxford people - unity march from Cowley to city centre to unite against racism and division. Assemble at Templars Square 12.30, Sunday 16 November. Joining points for those unable to march all the way: Manzil Way 1.30, University Church High St 2.15.
Spread the word
Spread the word
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Oxford people - unity march from Cowley to city centre to unite against racism and division. Assemble at Templars Square 12.30, Sunday 16 November. Joining points for those unable to march all the way: Manzil Way 1.30, University Church High St 2.15.
Spread the word
Spread the word
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
On August 12, 1971, 16-year-old me mailed the first story I ever wrote off on its first submission to my dream market, F&SF. My tale was quickly rejected. On July 17th, 2025, I finally sold a story to that magazine. Here's why I felt I had to withdraw that story. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
November 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
On August 12, 1971, 16-year-old me mailed the first story I ever wrote off on its first submission to my dream market, F&SF. My tale was quickly rejected. On July 17th, 2025, I finally sold a story to that magazine. Here's why I felt I had to withdraw that story. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
A pretty bleak thing that GenAI is revealing is that a significant percentage of the population seems to have no interest in actually learning or doing anything. They want to ChatGPT their way out of hobbies, art making, everything... www.thecut.com/article/woul...
The People Using ChatGPT to Cheat at Their Hobbies
Why are so many of us letting AI have all the fun?
www.thecut.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:42 PM
A pretty bleak thing that GenAI is revealing is that a significant percentage of the population seems to have no interest in actually learning or doing anything. They want to ChatGPT their way out of hobbies, art making, everything... www.thecut.com/article/woul...
Autumn on St Giles a few days ago: red leaves in mid-fall.
November 10, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Autumn on St Giles a few days ago: red leaves in mid-fall.
Reposted by Zohar Jacobs
Look at this great fund. £200 for really small charities to spend on boring things. Easy, quick to apply.
Link below.
Please share :)
Link below.
Please share :)
Boring Fund | Christina Poulton
Applications now open!
£200 grants available for small charities, CICs and voluntary groups towards some of those boring but hard-to-fund costs.
www.christinapoultoncreative.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Look at this great fund. £200 for really small charities to spend on boring things. Easy, quick to apply.
Link below.
Please share :)
Link below.
Please share :)
I would like to point out that the International Space Station does contain documents. Almost certainly historic documents. This diagram is space archive erasure.
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
November 10, 2025 at 10:06 AM
I would like to point out that the International Space Station does contain documents. Almost certainly historic documents. This diagram is space archive erasure.