Weekly Round-up: 2025 Week 6

Researching & Planning

Indulged in Saturday lunch at a favourite café, over which I discussed at length with the BdR Editor ideas for a conference paper (am currently planning an abstract).

Read two articles about archives and archivists in the popular imagination.

Mini-Reviews 1

In line with one of my (many) new year's resolutions, I am trying to write at least a brief review note of what I read, as both aide memoire and an exercise in concision. I post them on Bluesky and Mastodon as I go along, and provide an 'omnibus edition' from time to time on this blog. I read a number of short stories by Ted Chiang recently, mostly from his 2002 collection Stories of Your Life and Others, and this forms the subject matter of this first omnibus post.

Weekly Round-up: 2025 Week 4

My blog posting happens in fits and starts, but I really do mean to be a bit more consistent this year. The scramble to find social media niches that are not toxic for one reason or another is in all probability futile, and wondering/worrying about its efficacy is also something of a distraction. So, while I still value the connexions I can make and maintain on Bluesky and Mastodon, I find that blogging and the blogosphere is a more comfortable fit for the way I write and approach the world. 

My 2024 reading year

Now that we have both feet in the new year, I thought I would look back over my reading for last year. It was a busy enough schedule, as the works listed below do not include book chapters or articles read for academic purposes. 

Happy Hallowe'en!

Just the right time for a quick plug for my short story, 'Hallowtide Boar'. It is not a Hallowe'en-y story, but it does take place on the day. Available as a standalone ebook or in the collection Fluctuation in Disorder, you can read a bit more about it in this blog post.

   

        

books2read.com/HallowtideBoar

books2read.com/fid

Short Stories 6: Necrologue

It's a while since I posted one of these, so here is a piece about another short story from my collection Fluctuation in Disorder (it is also available as an individual e-book). 

Rebarbative and foul-mouthed, the Necrologue's peripatetic life has taken them across an unspecified continent in the aftermath of a political and religious collapse. It is only when they face death that they realise the world has more to offer than conflict. The story is loosely linked to the Hibernia Altera sequence.

International Dublin Writers' Festival 2024

I attended the International Dublin Writers' Festival for the first time the other week. This was in line with my resolve to go against the grain, get out more, and interact with >shudder< actual people. My modest goal was to engage with other writers; the Festival offered this in spades and so much more. It was a great experience, coupling a friendly, hospitable ethos with excellent presentations from seasoned figures in writing and publishing. I met many lovely and talented people, and will certainly be back.