Adam Roberts
@adamroberts.bsky.social
Writer, FRSL. Prof, RHUL. Literature and science fiction.
https://profadamroberts.substack.com/
Latest novel "Lake of Darkness": https://store.gollancz.co.uk/products/lake-of-darkness
https://profadamroberts.substack.com/
Latest novel "Lake of Darkness": https://store.gollancz.co.uk/products/lake-of-darkness
So, to take this seriously for a moment. The four stars in the Greenland "flag" suggest four states in Greenland: a place with a population 56,500 (20,000 of whom live in the capital Nuuk). So if Nuuk returns one senator, the other three will have electorates of ~12,000 voters. Rotten boroughs!
January 28, 2026 at 8:25 PM
So, to take this seriously for a moment. The four stars in the Greenland "flag" suggest four states in Greenland: a place with a population 56,500 (20,000 of whom live in the capital Nuuk). So if Nuuk returns one senator, the other three will have electorates of ~12,000 voters. Rotten boroughs!
Unforeskinned Circumstances
January 28, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Unforeskinned Circumstances
Reposted by Adam Roberts
9️⃣ In the 1971 issue of The Journal of Organic Chemistry, a paper was written in iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line) - the poetic style often used by Shakespeare.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
January 28, 2026 at 12:32 PM
9️⃣ In the 1971 issue of The Journal of Organic Chemistry, a paper was written in iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line) - the poetic style often used by Shakespeare.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
"To be or not to be, look you, boyo"
There's a bit in Henry IV which calls for some characters to exchange a few lines of dialogue in Welsh. That's literally all it says, they speak Welsh. The prevailing theory is that there were a couple of Welsh guys in the company at that point who could have improvised a suitable conversation.
January 28, 2026 at 1:34 PM
"To be or not to be, look you, boyo"
Roughly $200,000 in today's money.
January 28, 2026 at 8:15 AM
Roughly $200,000 in today's money.
Ah yes, the fertile "regrowing teeth" subgenre of science fiction. Many classics there.
Regrowing Teeth Might Not Be Science Fiction Anymore
Regrowing Teeth Might Not Be Science Fiction Anymore
Hackaday Article
hackaday.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Ah yes, the fertile "regrowing teeth" subgenre of science fiction. Many classics there.
Reposted by Adam Roberts
Here it comes! "The Dead Man's Empire", the long-awaited second book in the Holy Mountain series! Is it a sequel to "The Last Blade Priest"? Yes! But in theory you could read it without reading TLBP!
"I haven't been as surprised and enthralled by a fantasy series in years."
Francis Spufford
"Fantasy is rarely as smart, immersive or scintillant."
Adam Roberts
"Vivid, vital, humane."
Paul McAuley
"Epic in every sense...refreshing, subversive and wonderfully realised."
M.T. Hill
Francis Spufford
"Fantasy is rarely as smart, immersive or scintillant."
Adam Roberts
"Vivid, vital, humane."
Paul McAuley
"Epic in every sense...refreshing, subversive and wonderfully realised."
M.T. Hill
January 27, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Here it comes! "The Dead Man's Empire", the long-awaited second book in the Holy Mountain series! Is it a sequel to "The Last Blade Priest"? Yes! But in theory you could read it without reading TLBP!
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus oh, oh, oh, Amadeus
Oh come and mock me, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus oh, oh, oh, Amadeus
Oh come and mock me, Amadeus
January 26, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus oh, oh, oh, Amadeus
Oh come and mock me, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus! Am-a-deus!
Amadeus, Amadeus oh, oh, oh, Amadeus
Oh come and mock me, Amadeus
I generally love Composer of the Week on Radio 3, but today's ep was exceptional.
January 26, 2026 at 5:02 PM
I generally love Composer of the Week on Radio 3, but today's ep was exceptional.
Are scientists sure it looked *this* startled all the time?
January 26, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Are scientists sure it looked *this* startled all the time?
I'd be willing to bet that this (from Dominic Green's review of Graham Robb’s "Britain" in the Wall Street Journal) has been editorially tampered with ...
January 26, 2026 at 1:17 PM
I'd be willing to bet that this (from Dominic Green's review of Graham Robb’s "Britain" in the Wall Street Journal) has been editorially tampered with ...
Whose signature do you think this is? A world-historical individual.
January 26, 2026 at 11:49 AM
Whose signature do you think this is? A world-historical individual.
"So, concerning Madame: she's not the full Bova?"
"No, though she does incline that way. We could say she's a bit Bovary."
"No, though she does incline that way. We could say she's a bit Bovary."
January 26, 2026 at 9:14 AM
"So, concerning Madame: she's not the full Bova?"
"No, though she does incline that way. We could say she's a bit Bovary."
"No, though she does incline that way. We could say she's a bit Bovary."
"I shall soon roll snake-eyes at last in spite of all. Perhaps next month."
The opening of Samuel Beckett's MALONE DICES
The opening of Samuel Beckett's MALONE DICES
January 25, 2026 at 1:30 PM
"I shall soon roll snake-eyes at last in spite of all. Perhaps next month."
The opening of Samuel Beckett's MALONE DICES
The opening of Samuel Beckett's MALONE DICES
For Burns Night, tonight: his lesser-known poem about the Hippopotamus: medium.com/p/72cd8291d835
Robert Burns, ‘On The Surprising Speed of the Hippopotamus’
“For such a massive animal, they also move surprisingly fast — some reaching speeds of up to 30 km/hr (18.6 mph). (For reference, the…
medium.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:08 PM
For Burns Night, tonight: his lesser-known poem about the Hippopotamus: medium.com/p/72cd8291d835
Mask, or Masque? profadamroberts.substack.com/p/shelleys-m...
Shelley's ‘Masque of Anarchy’ (1819)
Don't know what I want but I know how to get it
profadamroberts.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Mask, or Masque? profadamroberts.substack.com/p/shelleys-m...
Reposted by Adam Roberts
We’re thrilled to see four of our authors on the BSFA longlist for 2025.
Fantasy: A Short History (Adam Roberts) for Best Non-fiction (Long)
Slow Gods (Claire North) and Futility (Nuzo Onoh) for Best Novel
For the Road (Stark Holborn) for Best Shorter Fiction
More: www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Fantasy: A Short History (Adam Roberts) for Best Non-fiction (Long)
Slow Gods (Claire North) and Futility (Nuzo Onoh) for Best Novel
For the Road (Stark Holborn) for Best Shorter Fiction
More: www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
January 23, 2026 at 12:59 PM
We’re thrilled to see four of our authors on the BSFA longlist for 2025.
Fantasy: A Short History (Adam Roberts) for Best Non-fiction (Long)
Slow Gods (Claire North) and Futility (Nuzo Onoh) for Best Novel
For the Road (Stark Holborn) for Best Shorter Fiction
More: www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Fantasy: A Short History (Adam Roberts) for Best Non-fiction (Long)
Slow Gods (Claire North) and Futility (Nuzo Onoh) for Best Novel
For the Road (Stark Holborn) for Best Shorter Fiction
More: www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
*sings in Elton John*
"Hold me closer
Tiny falcon
Count the cherries on the farmland"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
"Hold me closer
Tiny falcon
Count the cherries on the farmland"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
Tiny falcons are helping keep the food supply safe on cherry farms
Their presence appears to lower the risk of food-borne illnesses from pathogens.
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:31 PM
*sings in Elton John*
"Hold me closer
Tiny falcon
Count the cherries on the farmland"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
"Hold me closer
Tiny falcon
Count the cherries on the farmland"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
This is literally Hegel.
A lawyer friend of mine once told me that we don't have a "justice system," we have a legal system. That's never been more apparent than it is, right now.
January 23, 2026 at 2:09 PM
This is literally Hegel.
I done done a Donne (that is Izaak), that is, Substack. poemsancientandmodern.substack.com/p/todays-poe...
Today’s Poem: Lines on a Portrait of Donne
He’s a handsome fellow, is young Johnnie
poemsancientandmodern.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:07 PM
I done done a Donne (that is Izaak), that is, Substack. poemsancientandmodern.substack.com/p/todays-poe...
GOLDEN-AGE HOLLYWOOD EXEC: we need somebody who is proficient at drawing over the top of this semi-transparent paper, so as to copy the designs in the image beneath—but who?
SPENSER TRACY (stepping in): Thitizens!
SPENSER TRACY (stepping in): Thitizens!
January 23, 2026 at 1:53 PM
GOLDEN-AGE HOLLYWOOD EXEC: we need somebody who is proficient at drawing over the top of this semi-transparent paper, so as to copy the designs in the image beneath—but who?
SPENSER TRACY (stepping in): Thitizens!
SPENSER TRACY (stepping in): Thitizens!
BSFA Longlist has gone live. Voting time!
www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Vote for the BSFA Awards
www.bsfa.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 6:05 PM
BSFA Longlist has gone live. Voting time!
www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Reposting this, bc I earlier it was paid subscribers only ... it's free for all now.
Time to give people what they want! DISCUSSIONS OF PROSODY!
A preliminary:
profadamroberts.substack.com/p/the-prosod...
A preliminary:
profadamroberts.substack.com/p/the-prosod...
The Prosodic Perfection of Randy Newman's ‘Louisiana 1927’
Ictus, length and music
profadamroberts.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Reposting this, bc I earlier it was paid subscribers only ... it's free for all now.
