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Malcolm Devlin

@malcolmdevlin.bsky.social

Slightly writerly.

596 Followers  |  89 Following  |  44 Posts  |  Joined: 21.08.2023  |  1.642

Latest posts by malcolmdevlin.bsky.social on Bluesky

Book covers for And Then I Woke Up / Y Entonces Desperté. A man suffers acute “Fancis Bacon Exploding Pope Head” in a pink room.

Book covers for And Then I Woke Up / Y Entonces Desperté. A man suffers acute “Fancis Bacon Exploding Pope Head” in a pink room.

Look at this handsome beast. And Then I Woke Up / Y Entonces Desperté from @obscuraed.bsky.social, translated by Mª Pilar San Román and that glorious Sam Araya cover back again.

16.02.2026 07:39 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
The Thread

Jamie made his landing in the world
so hard he ploughed straight back into the earth.
They caught him by the thread of his one breath
and pulled him up. They don't know how it held.
And so today I thank what higher will
brought us to here, to you and me and Russ,
the great twin-engined swaying wingspan of us roaring down the back of Kirrie Hill

and your two-year-old lungs somehow out-revving every engine in the universe.
*All that trouble just to turn up dead*
was all I thought that long week. Now the thread
is holding all of us: look at our tiny house,
son, the white dot of your mother waving.

The Thread Jamie made his landing in the world so hard he ploughed straight back into the earth. They caught him by the thread of his one breath and pulled him up. They don't know how it held. And so today I thank what higher will brought us to here, to you and me and Russ, the great twin-engined swaying wingspan of us roaring down the back of Kirrie Hill and your two-year-old lungs somehow out-revving every engine in the universe. *All that trouble just to turn up dead* was all I thought that long week. Now the thread is holding all of us: look at our tiny house, son, the white dot of your mother waving.

The Circle 
for Jamie

My boy is painting outer space,
and steadies his brush-tip to trace
the comets, planets, moon and sun
and all the circuitry they run

in one great heavenly design.
But when he tries to close the line
he draws around his upturned cup,
his hand shakes, and he screws it up.

The shake's as old as he is, all
(thank god) his body can recall
of that hour when, one inch from home,
we couldn't get the air to him;

and though today he's all the earth
and sky for breathing-space and breath
the whole damn troposphere can't cure
the flutter in his signature.

But Jamie, nothing's what we meant.
The dream is taxed. We all resent 
the quarter bled off by the dark
between the bowstring and the mark

and trust to Krishna or to fate
to keep our arrows halfway straight.
But the target also draws our aim -
our will and nature's are the same;

The Circle for Jamie My boy is painting outer space, and steadies his brush-tip to trace the comets, planets, moon and sun and all the circuitry they run in one great heavenly design. But when he tries to close the line he draws around his upturned cup, his hand shakes, and he screws it up. The shake's as old as he is, all (thank god) his body can recall of that hour when, one inch from home, we couldn't get the air to him; and though today he's all the earth and sky for breathing-space and breath the whole damn troposphere can't cure the flutter in his signature. But Jamie, nothing's what we meant. The dream is taxed. We all resent the quarter bled off by the dark between the bowstring and the mark and trust to Krishna or to fate to keep our arrows halfway straight. But the target also draws our aim - our will and nature's are the same;

we are its living word, and not
a book it wrote and then forgot,
its fourteen-billion-year-old song
inscribed in both our right and wrong -

so even when you rage and moan 
and bring your fist down like a stone
on your spoiled work and useless kit, 
you just can't help but broadcast it:

look at the little avatar 
of your muddy water-jar
filling with the perfect ring
singing under everything.

we are its living word, and not a book it wrote and then forgot, its fourteen-billion-year-old song inscribed in both our right and wrong - so even when you rage and moan and bring your fist down like a stone on your spoiled work and useless kit, you just can't help but broadcast it: look at the little avatar of your muddy water-jar filling with the perfect ring singing under everything.

Two beautiful poems by Don Paterson about his son Jamie. ‘The Thread’ (from Landing Light, 2003) and ‘The Circle’ (from Rain, 2009).

12.02.2026 20:58 — 👍 182    🔁 33    💬 18    📌 4
¡Odio los prólogos!

El experto en literaturas de anticipación, Antonio Torrubia, tótem de la librería Gigamesh de Barcelona, es el prologuista de "Y entonces desperté", la nueva novela de Malcolm Devlin que le da la vuelta y resucita el mortecino género zombi.

¡Odio los prólogos! El experto en literaturas de anticipación, Antonio Torrubia, tótem de la librería Gigamesh de Barcelona, es el prologuista de "Y entonces desperté", la nueva novela de Malcolm Devlin que le da la vuelta y resucita el mortecino género zombi.

Sí, amigas. Odio los prólogos, por eso me cuido mucho al aceptar uno. Y no me arrepiento de haber escrito el de 'Y entonces desperté', de @malcolmdevlin.bsky.social, que publica @obscuraed.bsky.social esta semana. Lo tenéis en @librujula.bsky.social 🧟‍♂️ but not 💻🔥

librujula.publico.es/odio-los-pro...

10.02.2026 08:33 — 👍 20    🔁 7    💬 5    📌 0
Post image

Hoy toca decidir.
¿Te atreverás a despertar?

🔪🎀🧟👁️🔪🎀🧟👁️🔪🎀🧟👁️

🔪Y entonces desperté🔪
🖋️ @malcolmdevlin.bsky.social
Trad. de Mª Pilar San Román
Prólogo de @toliol.bsky.social
🎨 Samuel Araya

11.02.2026 08:24 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 1
A golden skull-shaped key floats against a blue background

A golden skull-shaped key floats against a blue background

An estate agent is forced to choose between a sale and his humanity when facing the inhuman eldritch forces that feed off rental tenants across the United Kingdom.

Next week... "Agency" by @georgesandison.bsky.social
Edited by @datlow.bsky.social
Art by Jamie Keenan

05.02.2026 21:41 — 👍 61    🔁 15    💬 2    📌 4
Post image

Cuando un virus afecta a la forma en la que las personas perciben la realidad que las rodea… resulta complicado estar seguro de nada.

Esto es lo que sucedió.

🔪Y entonces desperté🔪
🖋️ @malcolmdevlin.bsky.social
Trad. de Mª Pilar San Román
Prólogo de @toliol.bsky.social
🎨 Samuel Araya
🔹11/02/2026🔹

09.01.2026 08:16 — 👍 23    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 4

Ya casi está aquí, la primera novela de Malcolm Devlin en español. Y que además está francamente bien, como hace ya un tiempo os explicaba por aquí: cuentosparaalgernon.wordpress.com/2022/09/07/l...

10.01.2026 10:32 — 👍 7    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0
Cover for This'll Make Things a Little Easier by Attila Veres

Cover for This'll Make Things a Little Easier by Attila Veres

"At once startling and merciless, THIS'LL MAKE THINGS A LITTLE EASIER is unafraid to take us into a very strange territory that keeps opening up into spaces weirder and stranger still. An impressive follow up to THE BLACK MAYBE. Veres just keeps getting better and better." - Brian Evenson

02.01.2026 00:40 — 👍 15    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
El juego del ahorcamiento, de Helen Marshall Empezamos nuevo año con un relato de Helen Marshall: «El juego del ahorcamiento». La historia con la que esta interesante y galardonada autora canadiense se estrena en el blog y en nuestro idioma. …

You can now read the Spanish translation of the terrific "The Hanging Game", by Helen Marshall (@manuscriptgal.bsky.social), in Cuentos para Algernon. First published in @reactorsff.bsky.social edited by @annvandermeer.bsky.social. Enjoy it! cuentosparaalgernon.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/e...

19.01.2026 21:05 — 👍 7    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 1
Grey and yellow/gold colours, cover showing sketch of a moorland ruin and a curlew, spine in yellow with detail image of cover's line drawing

Grey and yellow/gold colours, cover showing sketch of a moorland ruin and a curlew, spine in yellow with detail image of cover's line drawing

I’m thrilled to reveal the stunning cover art for my novel, ALSTON MOOR. Coming 29 September! I’m so grateful to cover designer Heather Ryerson and the team at @goldsmithspress.bsky.social @goldsf.bsky.social. 📚@unamccormack.bsky.social @sarahsuch.bsky.social

More: annecharnock.com/alston-moor/...

15.01.2026 08:24 — 👍 20    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 2
Agency by George Sandison. The cover of the Tor Original ebook, showing a key in the shape of a key. The book is a cosmic horror short story about landlords predating on human souls. Arguably non-fiction really.

Agency by George Sandison. The cover of the Tor Original ebook, showing a key in the shape of a key. The book is a cosmic horror short story about landlords predating on human souls. Arguably non-fiction really.

I've been procrastinating on the right moment to share this, but the cover release and opening pre-orders might just be it.

AGENCY by me!

It's a cosmic horror about commercial landlords from nether-hell dimensions. #nonfiction #fnar

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GBYKFTV8
www.amazon.com/Agency-Tor-O...

29.12.2025 09:19 — 👍 120    🔁 30    💬 22    📌 6
Two very similarly-colored light-gray red-eyed marten rats. The left, smaller one is Cervantes, nearly a month old, and the right, larger one is his mother Cowen.

Two very similarly-colored light-gray red-eyed marten rats. The left, smaller one is Cervantes, nearly a month old, and the right, larger one is his mother Cowen.

"...Ursula would walk into town each morning because she imagined her sister’s house was pushing her out like a splinter of wood under the skin."

#ghostadvent Night 17: Her Alberta by @malcolmdevlin.bsky.social

www.weirdhorrormagazine.com/her-alberta

15.12.2025 00:54 — 👍 11    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
The Illuminated Man. Life, Death and the Worlds of JG Ballard by Christopher Priest and Nina Allan.

The Illuminated Man. Life, Death and the Worlds of JG Ballard by Christopher Priest and Nina Allan.

This book is about J. G. Ballard. This book is also about death, love and time travel.

In 2024, Nina Allan's husband, the novelist Christopher Priest died. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had metastasised into the bones, the same disease that killed the man whose biography he'd spent his last months working on - the cult author, J. G. Ballard.

J. G. Ballard possessed one of the most astonishing imaginations of our age, and he had an intense and turbulent history: a childhood spent in the encroaching shadow of World War II, teenage internment in a Japanese prison camp - an experience famously fictionalised in Empire of the Sun. Ballard's novels are among the finest and most unusual fiction that has ever been published. Whether in the hyper-surrealism of High Rise or the erotic violence of Crash, he upended the morality and reality of our world.

This book is about J. G. Ballard. This book is also about death, love and time travel. In 2024, Nina Allan's husband, the novelist Christopher Priest died. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had metastasised into the bones, the same disease that killed the man whose biography he'd spent his last months working on - the cult author, J. G. Ballard. J. G. Ballard possessed one of the most astonishing imaginations of our age, and he had an intense and turbulent history: a childhood spent in the encroaching shadow of World War II, teenage internment in a Japanese prison camp - an experience famously fictionalised in Empire of the Sun. Ballard's novels are among the finest and most unusual fiction that has ever been published. Whether in the hyper-surrealism of High Rise or the erotic violence of Crash, he upended the morality and reality of our world.

Christopher knew many of Ballard's friends and colleagues personally. As a young writer, it had been Ballard's stories, most of all, that had helped cement his passion for science fiction. With much of their early work published in the same magazines, Priest knew about Ballard's world from the inside. He set out to write a biography that would make people understand what he already knew: that J. G. Ballard wasn't just a cult writer - he was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.

When Nina and Christopher first met, they bonded over their love for Ballard's writing, rereading his novels and stories together many times. When it became clear that Christopher would not have time to finish this biography, Nina promised him that she would complete it, patching together with her own voice the gaps that remained. If the book began as a tribute from Priest to Ballard, it is now also a love story written by Nina for Christopher. With access to never-before-seen material, The Illuminated Man explores the history and themes of Ballard's life and - with Ballardian strangeness - celebrates and mourns for those that are gone. 

This is the story of two deaths, three science fiction writers and one attempt to turn back time.

Christopher knew many of Ballard's friends and colleagues personally. As a young writer, it had been Ballard's stories, most of all, that had helped cement his passion for science fiction. With much of their early work published in the same magazines, Priest knew about Ballard's world from the inside. He set out to write a biography that would make people understand what he already knew: that J. G. Ballard wasn't just a cult writer - he was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. When Nina and Christopher first met, they bonded over their love for Ballard's writing, rereading his novels and stories together many times. When it became clear that Christopher would not have time to finish this biography, Nina promised him that she would complete it, patching together with her own voice the gaps that remained. If the book began as a tribute from Priest to Ballard, it is now also a love story written by Nina for Christopher. With access to never-before-seen material, The Illuminated Man explores the history and themes of Ballard's life and - with Ballardian strangeness - celebrates and mourns for those that are gone. This is the story of two deaths, three science fiction writers and one attempt to turn back time.

One for those 'most anticipated books of next year' lists. Allan on Priest on Ballard and everything in between.

20.12.2025 02:15 — 👍 26    🔁 10    💬 0    📌 1

A review! By a me! Of a very interesting book indeed.

09.12.2025 14:28 — 👍 20    🔁 6    💬 1    📌 0
Episode 695: The Coode Street Advent Calendar 2025 - Day 7 - Aliya Whitely Today Jonathan sits down with British SF Award winner and Arthur C. Clarke Award, BFA, and Tiptree Award nominee Aliya Whiteley to talk about what she's been reading and would recommend as the holiday...

The Coode Street Advent Calendar 2025 - Day 7
Jonathan talks to BSFA Award winner Aliya Whitely about what she's been reading, would recommend and has coming up.

www.podbean.com/eas/pb-7vyvv...

07.12.2025 00:07 — 👍 5    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

Half Price Engines Beneath Us and You Will Grow Into Them and other Influx goodies. And a very tangential excuse to repost this picture of my son's Halloween Lego house even though neither it nor the books have anything to do with Black Friday.

28.11.2025 08:57 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

We're running a big #BlackFridaySale!

All Influx titles in paperback and eBook are a full 50% off (+P&P) until November 30th

Just use discount code BFRIDAY25 at checkout.

influxpress.com/shop

28.11.2025 05:20 — 👍 4    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 3
The cover of MAD SISTERS OF ESI with "The Washington Post" written above it and "Best SFF Novel of 2025" written below it.

The cover of MAD SISTERS OF ESI with "The Washington Post" written above it and "Best SFF Novel of 2025" written below it.

A picture of The Washington Post article. Title reads "10 best sci-fi and fantasy novels of 2025" and the subtitle reads "From an indigenous vampire story to the tale of two sisters living in a cosmic whale, this year's books kept us guessing."

A picture of The Washington Post article. Title reads "10 best sci-fi and fantasy novels of 2025" and the subtitle reads "From an indigenous vampire story to the tale of two sisters living in a cosmic whale, this year's books kept us guessing."

The Washington Post review of MAD SISTERS OF ESI. It reads: "Two sisters live inside a cosmic whale, visiting the innumerable worlds within its body, until one of them escapes into the universe outside. There, she uncovers the whale's origin story, which lies with another pair of sisters who lived on a shape-shifting island where everyone goes mad once a century. A poetic, metaphysical epic, "Mad Sisters" feels like it's in conversation with other recent books about people in surreal, liminal spaces questioning what everything means - and it's my absolute favorite book of the year. (Book World review.)"

The Washington Post review of MAD SISTERS OF ESI. It reads: "Two sisters live inside a cosmic whale, visiting the innumerable worlds within its body, until one of them escapes into the universe outside. There, she uncovers the whale's origin story, which lies with another pair of sisters who lived on a shape-shifting island where everyone goes mad once a century. A poetic, metaphysical epic, "Mad Sisters" feels like it's in conversation with other recent books about people in surreal, liminal spaces questioning what everything means - and it's my absolute favorite book of the year. (Book World review.)"

MAD SISTERS OF ESI is one of The Washington Post’s 10 best SFF novels of 2025. In the sheer amount of what gets published each year and what gets lost, this feels like a small, precious miracle ❤️

24.11.2025 13:56 — 👍 75    🔁 14    💬 8    📌 9

I'm incredibly excited that this is coming out next year. Translated by the brilliant María Pilar San Román and published by @obscuraed.bsky.social.

22.11.2025 22:02 — 👍 7    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand, Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin, and Fizz the cat who is about 13 years old and has still not written a single book

Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand, Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin, and Fizz the cat who is about 13 years old and has still not written a single book

Bookmail! October sale pickups! From Influx Press! They arrived over a week ago but the cats liked sitting on the parcel and it is illegal to move them!

11.11.2025 21:45 — 👍 11    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0
Boy cocking his head watching The Groke show up in the 90s Moomin cartoon.

Boy cocking his head watching The Groke show up in the 90s Moomin cartoon.

Groke AI

15.11.2025 02:27 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Fantastic news, this. Nina Allan wins the Prix Médicis étranger for The Good Neighbours.

05.11.2025 21:32 — 👍 7    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

As if by magic, this review (the Swift one, aka read this everyone) is now online. locusmag.com/review/when-...

31.10.2025 18:06 — 👍 13    🔁 10    💬 1    📌 0
Preorder Now! February 2026
“Riveting, weird, unpredictable, and magnificent.” - Oliver K. Langmead
“Whiteley never puts a foot wrong... another triumph to add to her list of many.” - Tim Major
“Taut and surprising...A stunning achievement.” - Helen Marshall
“Artfully woven and humming with the power and possibilities of the spoken word.” - E. J. Swift

Against a black sandy background white and lilac text surrounding a 3D Hardback of THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley.

Preorder Now! February 2026 “Riveting, weird, unpredictable, and magnificent.” - Oliver K. Langmead “Whiteley never puts a foot wrong... another triumph to add to her list of many.” - Tim Major “Taut and surprising...A stunning achievement.” - Helen Marshall “Artfully woven and humming with the power and possibilities of the spoken word.” - E. J. Swift Against a black sandy background white and lilac text surrounding a 3D Hardback of THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley.

Feb 2026 brings a new standalone novel from the Queen of Speculative Fiction: Arthur C. Clarke award-nominated Aliya Whiteley!

Here's what @oliverklangmead.bsky.social @manuscriptgal.bsky.social @timjmajor.bsky.social & @catamaroon.bsky.social thought of it!

Preorder geni.us/misheardw

20.10.2025 18:49 — 👍 9    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 2
Sale graphic featuring a sassy skeleton

Sale graphic featuring a sassy skeleton

15% off all Cloisterfox zines from now until Halloween! We've got stories by Robert Shearman, Ally Wilkes, Malcolm Devlin, and many more. Give one to a child instead of sweets and completely derail their psychological development.

www.etsy.com/shop/cloiste...

20.10.2025 10:27 — 👍 15    🔁 11    💬 0    📌 3
You Will Grow Into Them and Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin and a Lego haunted house. Oooooooooh.

You Will Grow Into Them and Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin and a Lego haunted house. Oooooooooh.

Half price for Halloween. You Will Grow Into Them, Engines Beneath Us and a whole lot of other excellent Influx paperbacks including Joel Lane, Elizabeth Hand and more.

17.10.2025 00:11 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0
Preview
HALLOWEEN SALE — Influx Press

Link would be useful, right: www.influxpress.com/sale

17.10.2025 00:13 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
You Will Grow Into Them and Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin and a Lego haunted house. Oooooooooh.

You Will Grow Into Them and Engines Beneath Us by Malcolm Devlin and a Lego haunted house. Oooooooooh.

Half price for Halloween. You Will Grow Into Them, Engines Beneath Us and a whole lot of other excellent Influx paperbacks including Joel Lane, Elizabeth Hand and more.

17.10.2025 00:11 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0
Preview
Indie presses in ‘existential crisis’ call for trade support More than 20 independent publishing houses – including Bluemoose Books, Tilted Axis Press and Influx Press – have written an open letter calling for the trade to “work together to ensure the longevity...

www.thebookseller.com/news/indie-p...

10.10.2025 09:46 — 👍 8    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 2
Hardback edition of When There Are Wolves Again by E. J. Swift, with cover featuring a wolf and branch/leaf/flower design, photographed in the garden with the author's cat in the background being dramatic

Hardback edition of When There Are Wolves Again by E. J. Swift, with cover featuring a wolf and branch/leaf/flower design, photographed in the garden with the author's cat in the background being dramatic

When There Are Wolves Again is out in the UK today! I wrote something about the book, and keeping going, and some personal stuff I dithered over but, well, it's been A Year.

I'm so glad the book is out there and thank you so much to everyone who has supported it 🐺🤍

ejswift.co.uk/2025/10/09/w...

09.10.2025 10:03 — 👍 83    🔁 18    💬 8    📌 4

@malcolmdevlin is following 20 prominent accounts