Praise-Abby Barebone
@arobertswrites.com
BSFA-nominated essayist. SFF author you’ve never heard of. SocDem. Tolkien nerd. Armchair medievalist. She/her. Header by chorischia.bsky.social.
Website: arobertswrites.com
Newsletter: buttondown.email/arobertswrites
Website: arobertswrites.com
Newsletter: buttondown.email/arobertswrites
Pinned
Praise-Abby Barebone
@arobertswrites.com
· Apr 21
What Lies and Threats — Speculative Insight
Abby Roberts examines the use of national myth-making in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
www.speculativeinsight.com
For $0.00 you can read what Bret Devereaux (of ACOUP fame) called an "absolute banger of a Tolkien essay" and what my mom (of giving birth to me fame) called "very timely and relevant": "What Lies and Threats: Nationalist Myth-Making in The Lord of the Rings" on @speculativeinsight.bsky.social!
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
For those following the Red Ogre Review saga, he has made good on his promise to change his licensing terms...by doubling down.
On left: the original (awful) license. On right: the new license, mostly the same as the old license, but with some additions that I've circled in red.
On left: the original (awful) license. On right: the new license, mostly the same as the old license, but with some additions that I've circled in red.
February 10, 2026 at 1:21 AM
For those following the Red Ogre Review saga, he has made good on his promise to change his licensing terms...by doubling down.
On left: the original (awful) license. On right: the new license, mostly the same as the old license, but with some additions that I've circled in red.
On left: the original (awful) license. On right: the new license, mostly the same as the old license, but with some additions that I've circled in red.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Has any linguist looked into the NXIVM cult's language acquisition experiments?
Babies were systematically exposed to up to 9 languages. Allegedly, they ended up speaking gibberish.
(Quotes from Sally Denton's 2022 book "The Colony.")
#LangSky #Linguistics
Babies were systematically exposed to up to 9 languages. Allegedly, they ended up speaking gibberish.
(Quotes from Sally Denton's 2022 book "The Colony.")
#LangSky #Linguistics
February 9, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Has any linguist looked into the NXIVM cult's language acquisition experiments?
Babies were systematically exposed to up to 9 languages. Allegedly, they ended up speaking gibberish.
(Quotes from Sally Denton's 2022 book "The Colony.")
#LangSky #Linguistics
Babies were systematically exposed to up to 9 languages. Allegedly, they ended up speaking gibberish.
(Quotes from Sally Denton's 2022 book "The Colony.")
#LangSky #Linguistics
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
it's not so much that I sometimes lie when I say "no worries" — more so that I don't clarify when it's short for "nothing but worries"
February 10, 2026 at 1:03 AM
it's not so much that I sometimes lie when I say "no worries" — more so that I don't clarify when it's short for "nothing but worries"
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
did you know you can just add mac & cheese to your pulled pork slider. no one can stop you. you can just do that
February 10, 2026 at 12:05 AM
did you know you can just add mac & cheese to your pulled pork slider. no one can stop you. you can just do that
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
(kevin mccallister voice) guys, i'm having miso soup and posting to bluesky! you better come out and stop me!
February 10, 2026 at 12:29 AM
(kevin mccallister voice) guys, i'm having miso soup and posting to bluesky! you better come out and stop me!
Plato was like “comin out of my cave and I’ve been doing just fine”
February 10, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Plato was like “comin out of my cave and I’ve been doing just fine”
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
I don't believe in the Devil, but his works are everywhere.
February 10, 2026 at 12:34 AM
I don't believe in the Devil, but his works are everywhere.
I wonder if real exorcists watch horror movies and go “that’s so unrealistic!” or “that’s not how that works!” same as lawyers or EMTs or other professions.
What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for the Discourse about whether exorcisms are more effective when spoken in Latin or in English.
February 10, 2026 at 12:40 AM
I wonder if real exorcists watch horror movies and go “that’s so unrealistic!” or “that’s not how that works!” same as lawyers or EMTs or other professions.
I joke but this is kind of my position.
Shout out to the 10 percent of US Catholics who believe the devil is a symbol and not a real guy, but believe said symbol is an active force in the world.
February 10, 2026 at 12:23 AM
I joke but this is kind of my position.
Speaking of being haunted by symbols, I’d better get some writing done.
February 10, 2026 at 12:21 AM
Speaking of being haunted by symbols, I’d better get some writing done.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Writers:
I mean it I am haunted by Symbols, Ideas, and Concepts.
February 10, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Writers:
Contacting an exorcist because I have been possessed by a Symbol.
Shout out to the 10 percent of US Catholics who believe the devil is a symbol and not a real guy, but believe said symbol is an active force in the world.
February 10, 2026 at 12:17 AM
Contacting an exorcist because I have been possessed by a Symbol.
Shout out to the 10 percent of US Catholics who believe the devil is a symbol and not a real guy, but believe said symbol is an active force in the world.
February 10, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Shout out to the 10 percent of US Catholics who believe the devil is a symbol and not a real guy, but believe said symbol is an active force in the world.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Today is Duodi the 22nd of Pluviôse in the year 234.
Pluviôse is the month of rain.
Today we celebrate rose daphne.#JacobinDay
More information on rose daphne
Pluviôse is the month of rain.
Today we celebrate rose daphne.#JacobinDay
More information on rose daphne
February 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Today is Duodi the 22nd of Pluviôse in the year 234.
Pluviôse is the month of rain.
Today we celebrate rose daphne.#JacobinDay
More information on rose daphne
Pluviôse is the month of rain.
Today we celebrate rose daphne.#JacobinDay
More information on rose daphne
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Does anyone have any momento mori designs they like? Please share, I'm looking for tattoo ideas (when I have a job again ofc)
February 9, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Does anyone have any momento mori designs they like? Please share, I'm looking for tattoo ideas (when I have a job again ofc)
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Here is my latest art honoring @starsandsabers.bsky.social authors’ books. This is the wondrous and nostalgic IMAGINE A FRIEND by Emmy Award winner @quantick.bsky.social! Out March 10 and available for preorder now. Just the hopeful book you need.
#books #cozyfantasy #fantasy
#books #cozyfantasy #fantasy
February 9, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Here is my latest art honoring @starsandsabers.bsky.social authors’ books. This is the wondrous and nostalgic IMAGINE A FRIEND by Emmy Award winner @quantick.bsky.social! Out March 10 and available for preorder now. Just the hopeful book you need.
#books #cozyfantasy #fantasy
#books #cozyfantasy #fantasy
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for the Discourse about whether exorcisms are more effective when spoken in Latin or in English.
February 9, 2026 at 11:43 PM
What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for the Discourse about whether exorcisms are more effective when spoken in Latin or in English.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
please fill out this post-exorcism experience survey. would you say the use of Latin (Ecclesiastical) made you: extremely upset, moderately upset, neither upset nor calm, moderately calm, extremely calm
February 9, 2026 at 11:46 PM
please fill out this post-exorcism experience survey. would you say the use of Latin (Ecclesiastical) made you: extremely upset, moderately upset, neither upset nor calm, moderately calm, extremely calm
Me talking about the garbage memes stored on my phone.
February 9, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Me talking about the garbage memes stored on my phone.
So I dug I into this. Essentially, John Milton drew from a long pre-existing tradition when he depicted Satan as a fallen angel who led a failed revolt against God’s authority—but none of this tradition is doctrine for modern Catholics.
(Thread.)
(Thread.)
Re: Catholic theology on the origins of Satan, iirc I learned in CCD that the whole story about the war in heaven and Satan wanting to usurp God was invented by Milton for Paradise Lost, but I’d have to check the catechism.
February 9, 2026 at 11:09 PM
So I dug I into this. Essentially, John Milton drew from a long pre-existing tradition when he depicted Satan as a fallen angel who led a failed revolt against God’s authority—but none of this tradition is doctrine for modern Catholics.
(Thread.)
(Thread.)
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
This story is FANTASTIC.
Liked Bad Bunny's halftime show? My very short story 12 THINGS A TRINI SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TRAVELLING TO A BACK-IN-TIMES FETE, is a list story about Trinbagonian Carnivals past, present & future.
And there's a Spanish translation!
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fi...
www.patreon.com/collection/2...
And there's a Spanish translation!
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fi...
www.patreon.com/collection/2...
Ciencia ficción | Collection from Voces de lo insólito | 14 posts
Get more from Voces de lo insólito on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:06 PM
This story is FANTASTIC.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
rting something popular and getting tons of notifications about people rting your rt must feel like being the guy in the arse-end of rohan whose job it is to sit around waiting to light the beacon
February 9, 2026 at 9:14 PM
rting something popular and getting tons of notifications about people rting your rt must feel like being the guy in the arse-end of rohan whose job it is to sit around waiting to light the beacon
The Geocity of God
Also has huge “web design is my passion!!1!” energy
Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText
www.vatican.va
February 9, 2026 at 9:03 PM
The Geocity of God