Will Wiles

This photo of Robert Bloch is the most writer photo to have ever writer photo’d. It is Pure Writer Photo.

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Oooh look, a Custodian!

The man who broke the Bank of England – and built it back up again It is a century since most of Sir John Soane’s structure was demolished to make way for Herbert Baker’s bigger but more boring vision, writes Will Wiles

‘The plan of the Bank of England as Soane left it shows how architecture can derive life and power from fixes, compromises and even portions of fudge’ – Will Wiles finds the Bank’s own museum feeling apologetic about the 1925 demolition and rebuilding of the architect’s masterpiece

Enough with the scientific mumbo jumbo, professor!

Imagine a world where a different drug had been taken up as the morning eye-opener.... Mushrooms or MDMA ....

"I say I say I say, my dog's got no gnosis."

"No nose? How does it smell?"

[*angrily*] "He lacks any and all immanent knowledge or transcendent insight, such as was sought by Clement of Alexandria, Marcion or Simon Magus. What has smell to do with it?"

"I'm sorry, I misheard."

Part of the famous "God is dead" quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietszche: "How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"

Coincidentally, advance reading copies of "The Dead Man's Empire" have just arrived in my inbox, and this is the highly appropriate epigraph. So, join us for some festivals of atonement and sacred games!

Lock up your deities, it's an old fashioned pray-and-slay

Thank you! And thank you for supporting Salt.

Indeed! It's more than 2 metres thick

Speaking of which, here are two particularly good short story collections from @saltpublishing.com, by Alison Moore & @willwiles.bsky.social. SALT MODERN STORIES and BEST BRITISH SHORT STORIES are important for the form's survival (see also @confingopublishing.bsky.social & @commapress.bsky.social).

Thank you Gregory!

Anthropic settlement details are available today, might have something to do with it

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

Pevsner said that the destruction of Soane's Bank of England was the greatest architectural crime of the 20th century. A century later the Bank is putting the perpetrators up for parole. I consider the evidence.

The man who broke the Bank of England – and built it back up again It is a century since most of Sir John Soane’s structure was demolished to make way for Herbert Baker’s bigger but more boring vision, writes Will Wiles

Sir John Soane described the Bank of England building he designed as ‘the pride and boast of my life’, but in 1925 his masterpiece was demolished to make way for Herbert Baker’s bigger but more boring vision, writes @willwiles.bsky.social

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Homage to Marty Feldman?

It sounds great. A bit Brion Gysin, a bit Jack Rosenthal.

Yes, I know - I suppose my wording should have been "would this be like ..."

Is this like the DIY poetry / philosophy / etc fridge magnets that were a middle-class staple for a time in the late 90s and early 2000s?

"The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords."
J.R.R. Tolkien

This thread was a great start to my week!

Will Wiles - The Anechoic Chamber paperback cover

Just started The Anechoic Chamber and Other Weird Tales (2025) by @willwiles.bsky.social published by @saltpublishing.com and based on a @raynewman.bsky.social endorsement

Three stories in and it’s really great. Stylistically diverse and highly addictive without resorting to pastiche 🤌👌👍

#booksky

Thank you Rob!

Well he was a gentleman to Lisa

Immediate mental image: Nelson Muntz going "haw haw"

Who needs to do that *twice* though. I blame the diet. He was probably stuffed with lampreys or partridge or something