Nick Hubble

@thehubble101.bsky.social

5.5K followers 800 following 1.7K posts

Aberystwyth-based writer, researcher & critic. Author: Culture Wars in Britain (May, 2026). Columnist at Vector. Incoming editor of Foundation.
Nonbinary (they/them)🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️.
https://linktr.ee/nick_hubble

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Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 17d

My essay 'Should Galadriel have taken the Ring?' has been nominated for the #BSFA Award for Best Short Non Fiction and @speculativeinsight.bsky.social have very kindly made it free to read for the voting period. So please read to find out about the significance of #Galadriel being the Fairy Queen.

Should Galadriel have taken the Ring? — Speculative Insight

The Fourth Age under the dominion of men isn’t going too well, is it? Did the free peoples of Middle-earth really combine to overthrow Sauron so that the world would be delivered on a plate to the lik...

www.speculativeinsight.com

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14h

Yep. Sarwar's problem is that he is too tied to Starmer. For his current stance to have any effect, he would have needed to have consistently criticised Starmer and distanced himself more. I guess at the moment, he is just furious with the way everything has worked out.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14h

The difference between Sarwar and Scottish Labour and Morgan and Welsh Labour is that the former know they are currently on course to come a poor third at best in the May elections. Welsh Labour (especially the anti-devo wing) are still in a state of complete denial in which they think they can win.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14h

Denial of reality.

Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 14h

Sec of State for Wales comes out in defence of Starmer.

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 14h

Sec of State for Wales comes out in defence of Starmer.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 14h

'My indecision is final'. I'm guessing we won't hear anything from Wales until Sarwar's speech has been digested and the Labour MPs meeting tonight has taken place. Unless we hear from the dissident faction of Welsh Labour.

Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 15h

NEW: Sources close to Eluned Morgan, Labour first minister in Wales, insist that she is not planning to say anything on Keir Starmer's leadership today - despite reports to the contrary.

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 15h

NEW: Sources close to Eluned Morgan, Labour first minister in Wales, insist that she is not planning to say anything on Keir Starmer's leadership today - despite reports to the contrary.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks! ... even though you've called me Adam Roberts(!)

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 3d

It's #Tolkien time again and the 3rd in my blog series on rereading #LOTR 50 years after I first read it at the age of 10. Here I list all the named female Hobbits (there's more of them than you think!) and talk about Bilbo and Frodo's 'exceptionality' in not being married and having large families.

50-Year Reread of The Lord of the Rings – 2: On Hobbits

I reread LOTR 50 years after I first read it, age 10, over the winter of 1975-76: Introduction: Three Different Books 1: A Sequel to The Hobbit As I noted in my last post on how LOTR is a sequel to…

prospectiveculture.wordpress.com

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 3d

Starmer should go now. No good is going to come of him trying to cling on. It's not just Labour being damaged but he's dragging the whole political system, which is damaged anyway, further into disrepute and instability. He gambled on Mandelson and lost. Time to pay the consequences.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 5d

Starmer is clearly holed under the waterline now. He might float on a bit longer but he's going down and there is no way back. As personal failure goes, this is complete. But also it's such a waste. He had a huge majority and could have done something but instead will go down as one of the worst PMs

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Bylines Scotland @bylines.scot · 4d

We're looking for writers, editors, proofreaders and researchers at Bylines Scotland! We're all volunteers trying to tell Scotland's story without the influence of folk with the big bucks! If you think that's you... contact us asap! Scotland needs you!

editor@bylines.scot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Bylines Scotland - Powerful Citizen Journalism

Nurturing democracy through not-for-profit citizen journalism

bylines.scot

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 5d

Er, on a symbolic level: the whole falling in the river, drowning, and rescue scene (which, furthermore, is a steal from Wind in the Willows). As it happens, I'm half way through writing the next blog post on my #LOTR reread, which is about queer Hobbits, female Hobbits and the birthrate.

The Onion @theonion.com · 5d

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Reader Can’t Believe How Long It Taking Sam And Frodo To Fuck https://theonion.com/lord-of-the-rings-reader-cant-believe-how-long-it-taking-sam-and-frodo-to-fuck/

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 5d

Reposted by Naomi Klein, Mel Bartley, Patrick Dunleavy , and 2 more Naomi Klein, Mel Bartley, Patrick Dunleavy, Els Torreele, Nick Hubble

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 5d

"If Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein disqualifies him from holding power, why does the company controlled by Epstein's business partner and co-owner retain access to the UK's most sensitive national security infrastructure?"

Peter Thiel. Jeffrey Epstein. Palantir. The UK Government.

Jeffrey Epstein Co-Owned Venture Fund with Palantir Founder as it Entered UK Government

The Russian connected convicted sex trafficker co-owned a fund with Peter Thiel, now embedded in Britain’s most critical infrastructure with the help of Peter Mandelson

bylinetimes.com

Reposted by Nick Hubble

The Onion @theonion.com · 5d

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Reader Can’t Believe How Long It Taking Sam And Frodo To Fuck https://theonion.com/lord-of-the-rings-reader-cant-believe-how-long-it-taking-sam-and-frodo-to-fuck/

Reposted by George McKay, Nick Hubble

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 5d

Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl…

—Edwin Morgan, “The Loch Ness Monster’s Song”
published in CENTENARY SELECTED POEMS, @carcanet.bsky.social 2020
#WyrdWednesday #poem #poetry
www.carcanet.co.uk/978178410996...

The Loch Ness Monster’s Song
by Edwin Morgan

Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?
Splgraw fok fok splgrafhatchgabrlgabrl fok splfok!
Zgra kra gka fok!
Grof grawff gahf?
Gombl mbl bl –
blm plm,
blm plm,
blm plm,
blp.

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Val Nolan @vallescurarule.bsky.social · 5d

Delighted that my essay 'The Dublin Portal... Or The Dublin Intrusion?' has been BSFA longlisted for Best Short Non Fiction (among other great @speculativeinsight.bsky.social pieces by @arobertswrites.com & @thehubble101.bsky.social!). Check it out here: www.speculativeinsight.com/essays/dubli... 😀

The Dublin Portal… Or The Dublin Intrusion? — Speculative Insight

Val Nolan explores the real-life Dublin Portal as exemplifying ideas of a portal fantasy story.

www.speculativeinsight.com

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Mike Small @bellacaledonia.bsky.social · 6d

We are living through a scandal that eclipses anything we have seen in the post-war era, a set of shocks to the British establishment from which it may not recover | The Crisis of the British State bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/02/03/t...

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Speculative Insight journal @speculativeinsight.bsky.social · 7d

If you want to try Speculative Insight out, you could buy the July-Dec 2025 collection in ebook, for AUD20 - or a paperback for AUD35 (inc shipping!). Of course, subscribing for the year gets you two ebooks, and only costs AUD30... (~GBP15, or USD19).

www.speculativeinsight.com/buy-collections

Cover for Speculative Insight December 2025. Lots of purple, with a path winding between trees, leading to a star in the distance.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8d

Thanks, Kev! That does look like my sort of thing!

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8d

Yeah, I did think it was a bit odd that it wasn't on the Locus list. There's bits I disagree with but I feel that there is huge potential for engagement with it to be productive. Also useful on several series I abandoned or have no intention of ever starting.

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Dan Hartland @danhartland.bsky.social · 8d

Also on the BSFAs, really good to see @thehubble101.bsky.social recommend Adam’s history of fantasy for the BSFA awards (also happily, my essay on the book is also nominated).

Gotta say, I find the lack of attention for the book really odd - it’s a super useful text. An SH review is in the works.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8d

Here are my thoughts and recommendations after considering the BSFA longlists. Voting closes on 19 Feb, so there is still time to have a look at some more works but I'm pretty firm on my four selections for Best Collection and both Non-Fiction categories and I know the critical conversations I want.

BSFA Awards Longlists 2026: Some Thoughts and Recommendations

The longlist of nominations is here. They are longlists but I think that is good. It’s good for writers and artists because it helps promote their work to a wider audience. It’s good for voters bec…

prospectiveculture.wordpress.com

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 8d

Lots on the lists here. Interesting to see A Granite Silence listed under Fantasy! I guess that is the issue with tight genre definitions - it doesn't leave space for works beyond genre. I feel once more that there is room for a different kind of award.

2025 Recommended Reading List

Welcome to the Locus Recommended Reading List… We saw some fabulous books come out last year and are so pleased to let you know about them! Our recommendations are compiled annually by the Locus re…

locusmag.com

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Nick Hubble

Briardene Books @briardenebooks.bsky.social · 8d

Happy to see Paul Kincaid's Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction on the @locusmag.bsky.social recommended reading list! locusmag.com/2026/02/2025...

2025 Recommended Reading List

locusmag.com

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 9d

Lucinda Brand deserves her World Championship victory. She's the oldest winner ever at 36 but that hasn't stopped her being the dominant rider this season. A lot happened in the race too, with a disqualification and no Belgian finishers (maybe Belgium, you should have selected more than two riders!)

Cyclingnews @cyclingnews.com · 9d

Cyclo-cross World Championships: Lucinda Brand soloes to second career elite women's title www.cyclingnews.com/category/wom...

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Cyclingnews @cyclingnews.com · 9d

Cyclo-cross World Championships: Lucinda Brand soloes to second career elite women's title www.cyclingnews.com/category/wom...

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 9d

NewCon have a sampler from their brilliant Polestars series of story collections. In the quote post, read my reviews of Polestars #10 Different Times and Places by Juliet E. McKenna and Polestars #11 Make-Believe and Artifice by Rose Biggin.

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 9d

Nos. 63 & 64. Different Times and Places by Juliet E McKenna and Make-Believe and Artifice by Rose Biggin. Two story collections in NewCon's excellent Polestars series, which is showcasing short stories by women writers. Really great stories in both collections. Checkout the Polestars sampler. 2/-

NewCon Polestars: #10 Juliet E. McKenna, Different Times and Other Places and #11 Rose Biggin, Make-Believe and Artifice

On of the things the new awards introduced by the BSFA a few years ago made me think about that I didn’t think about before are collections. By serendipity, NewCon’s Polestars series of collections…

prospectiveculture.wordpress.com

Nick Hubble @thehubble101.bsky.social · 10d

Just saw this film tonight in Aberystwyth and it's really good. I recommend it for giving insight into - as it says below - a conflict that isn't really reported much at all in the mainstream press and media. There's hope in the film too. Worth seeking out.

Bertha DocHouse @berthadochouse.bsky.social · Dec 21

Sudan, Remember Us is now showing. A beautiful, devastating story from a conflict that hasn't received enough attention in mainstream media. Hind Meddab's camera finds hope as young activists and artists in Khartoum strive to build a movement in the midst of a civil war. bit.ly/SRUbdh

Sudan, Remember Us - Bertha DocHouse

In 2019, documentary filmmaker Hind Meddab flew to Sudan to film a sit-in protest at the Army headquarters in Khartoum.

bit.ly

Reposted by Nick Hubble

Natacha @natacha.bsky.social · 10d

More from @ilgaeurope.bsky.social about the landmark decision by the Council of Europe to ban people from homophobic and transphobic torture of children.

Council of Europe Assembly backs ban on conversion practices | ILGA-Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted a landmark resolution calling on states to ban conversion practices.

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