Anna ZenKen Stephens

Hey, @zackpolanski.bsky.social, what are your thoughts on the prospect of wholesale theft of the UK's creative industry? Yay or nay.

Can we just go back to when "AI" meant a pattern recognition machine that could highlight number discrepancies and analyse biopsies for cancer and all the stuff it's actually really good at, rather than destroying the creative industry and the planet?

Nearly ready to publish but not sure which way to go? We'll be talking trad, hybrid, indie and self-publishing in #Shrewsbury. Come along for a fun, friendly day of advice and book chat. www.spotlightindie.co.uk #authorevent #writingadvice #indieauthor #publishing #indiepublishing #writingcommunity

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT to support black authors by backing THE COOKOUT anthology of speculative fiction from the African diaspora: sci-fi, fantasy, & horror stories centered around the tradition of the cookout. We're $200 away from funding! Who will push over the top? www.kickstarter.com/projects/and...

A.I. Didn't Read?

I work 3 jobs, 1 of which is writing. I'm not a lazy cunt for wanting to dedicate my time to my other profession. You just don't understand that a working class person has to sacrifice monetary comfort to follow a dream. You never had to. You had privilege. I had to give up wages to write. To be me.

You know what I'm excited to do in the morning? Tell the recruiter I don't want the job, regardless of whether I was going to be offered it. People who mock you for "wanting to do your own thing" in the off hours when you've applied for PT job ... do not understand your life. I'm a writer. I write.

Actress Lupita Nyongo'o holding a basket of fruit.

People were up in arms over the casting of THIS WOMAN as Helen of Troy because "she wasn't black".
You're missing the point. Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world.
LOOK AT LUPITA NYONG'O. Who else could play her???

Sign up for this, it's a bloody brilliant book!

Delighted to announce that two of my artworks have been shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association awards this year!
The artworks are:
- The cover for DARK CRESCENT, by @lyndseycroal.bsky.social, published by @lunapress.bsky.social
- MUSHROOM FAIRY, published to instagram

I’m always reminded of Vimes (Dis)Organiser in Jingo when AI assistants get mentioned.

Bingely Bingely Beep! Hi there, it looks like you’re about to be attacked by an assassin. Would you like some help?
Oh. Wait. Wrong trousers of time. Never mind.

Oh, interesting. I hadn't really considered that before. It's definitely helping me with extended periods of concentration, I think.

A miniature human character seen from the back, for use in a DND campaign. Brilliant red coat.

Have been doing lots of mini painting lately. I'm so bad at it, but as a writer, am intimately familiar with the idea of slow but steady progress and allowing myself grace. This guy is definitely my best to date.

YouTube video by Sideshow Collectibles Critical Role Fans NEED to See This! | Sam Riegal REACTS to Fresh Cut Grass Statue

Well ain't they the cutest thing ever? @collectsideshow.bsky.social youtube.com/shorts/Vvbng...

Mistress of Lies by K M Enright is brilliant. Dark, gothic, bloody, sexy, political.

Was weird for sure.

LEFT FORK

Job interview.
Interviewer made me sound like I was being unreasonable because they wanted me to work 1hr in the morning and 3hrs in the afternoon - every day. With a quick check in at lunchtime to "remind them to eat".
I am not your parent, your nurse, or your carer. I have a life outside of you.

YouTube video by Narrative Damage Welcome to Narrative Damage

Can't wait to see the first episode of @narrativedamagerpg.bsky.social - not least to find out if @marcorinaldi.bsky.social has managed to make our somewhat deranged exploration of late Victorian London make any sense.
youtu.be/itTZkiPBtrk?...

I really loved A Reluctant Spy, so I can't wait to get back to Jamie "I could totes be a spy, how hard can it be?" Tulloch, and find out what he's up to next.
Now on NetGalley!

I feel like midlist SFF is both vitally important and uniquely threatened right now because the midlist is where you find most of the queer, PoC, and otherwise marginalized authors. As well as a lot of really exciting books trying new things! Stuff that's not a "safe bet" but often a great read

a black and white photo of a building with striped awnings on the windows Alt: Silent movie star Buster Keaton dangling from a series of awnings

1197 words this morning, with Thief 1 beginning his infiltration of an office to locate information about the assassination attempt.
Only, it's been a couple of years since he did any second storey work and his shoulders and hands are not on board with this turn of events. There may be screaming.

keep seeing people talking about Hugo and Nebula nominations which means it is my professional duty to remind you that nominations for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize open on SUNDAY

Great resource here!

A pair of cosplayers cosplaying Vex and Percy. They are in a field with storm clouds in the background. Vex aims a bow and Percy aims a gun.

Cosplay Gallery: Love💜

Featured Cosplay by https://bit.ly/4rsJBVn

VIEW OUR FULL COSPLAY GALLERY ⬇️
https://bit.ly/3Ow2gRA

SUBMIT YOUR ART TO BE FEATURED ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4s1MdJz

a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van Alt: a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van

1246 words this morning. How many possibilities for the identity and motivations for the assassin are there now? At least three! Let the misdirection and miscommunication commence.

Egham Literary Festival The festival runs from 2-15 March with events at a number of different venues in Egham on most days. All events are free to attend but tickets are available to secure a place.

Egham Literary Festival is the first 2 weeks of March. Free events - easily reached from London - 40 minutes from Waterloo and the train station is about 5 minutes walk from the Literary Institute. #books #literaturefestivals #freebookevents #poetry #workshops
www.eventbrite.com/cc/egham-lit...

Huge congratulations to Scottee! AN AMATEUR'S GUIDE TO STAYING ALIVE is a raw yet compassionate book which looks at how we think about mental health.

It will be published in April 2027.

Read here: shorturl.at/UN8b2

We are over the moon to see that TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE, based on the poem by Dean Atta, took home the BAFTA for British Short Animation last night! Huge congratulations!🥳🏆