Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
@bibliorefuses.bsky.social
linktr.ee/dr.susan.maxwell
Bibliothèque des Refusés is the imprint of independent author & scholar Susan Maxwell.
Fiction: Literary — Fantasy — Mystery (as R.S. Maxwell).
Non-fiction: academic themes related to archives & fiction. Reviews.
Bibliothèque des Refusés is the imprint of independent author & scholar Susan Maxwell.
Fiction: Literary — Fantasy — Mystery (as R.S. Maxwell).
Non-fiction: academic themes related to archives & fiction. Reviews.
Pinned
Cocktail Time!🍸
-Base of irreal/speculative literary fiction
-Good dash of bureaucratic gothic
-Splash of ecocriticism (optional)
-Garnish with sprig of intertextuality
-Shake well & pour.
(For younger imbibers, replace items 1 & 2 with low fantasy & Irish mythology)
linktr.ee/dr.susan.maxwell
-Base of irreal/speculative literary fiction
-Good dash of bureaucratic gothic
-Splash of ecocriticism (optional)
-Garnish with sprig of intertextuality
-Shake well & pour.
(For younger imbibers, replace items 1 & 2 with low fantasy & Irish mythology)
linktr.ee/dr.susan.maxwell
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Good afternoon - hope your Monday is going well. I'm reading Nicholson Baker's Fermata; enjoying the writing but uneasy about the plot. Struggling a bit with Mairtín O'Cadhain's Graveyard Clay, enjoying an article on Beckett, music, & language, & keeping a Simon Brett handy for tiredness/insomnia.
February 16, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Good afternoon - hope your Monday is going well. I'm reading Nicholson Baker's Fermata; enjoying the writing but uneasy about the plot. Struggling a bit with Mairtín O'Cadhain's Graveyard Clay, enjoying an article on Beckett, music, & language, & keeping a Simon Brett handy for tiredness/insomnia.
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
What Saturday would not be improved by hearing Gothic experts talk about Robert Aickman? I still have much of Aickman to read; I expect the TBR reading-order to change by Saturday afternoon....
Our last talk in February is on the 21st at 10am and 7pm. We're joined by another Romancing the Gothic regular Brontë Schiltz to talk about the ghostly tales of Robert Aickman
10 - www.tickettailor.com/events/roman...
7 - www.tickettailor.com/events/roman...
10 - www.tickettailor.com/events/roman...
7 - www.tickettailor.com/events/roman...
Select tickets – “Laughed out of life and replaced by nothing”: Robert Aickman and the art of the artifice ghost story w. Brontë Schiltz – Zoom
“Laughed out of life and replaced by nothing”: Robert Aickman and the art of the artifice ghost story w. Brontë Schiltz – Zoom, Sat 21 Feb 2026 - Our series of talks is funded exclusively by donations. The talks are free to access but if you can support the project and do not support it on ko-fi or patreon, please choose the donation option. If you'd like to support more regularly, you can use the links below Patreon -
www.tickettailor.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:09 PM
What Saturday would not be improved by hearing Gothic experts talk about Robert Aickman? I still have much of Aickman to read; I expect the TBR reading-order to change by Saturday afternoon....
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Let me just make a few little adjustments to that title…
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
Wendy Bohon has built a TikTok following as an earthquake geologist. She helps lead earthquake work for the California Geological Survey.
How a TikToker and former actress is helping lead California’s earthquake work
Wendy Bohon has built a TikTok following as an earthquake geologist. She helps lead earthquake work for the California Geological Survey.
bit.ly
February 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Let me just make a few little adjustments to that title…
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
💯
February 13, 2026 at 7:06 AM
💯
"[T]he ‘Classic, Basic, Unspoilt’ principle could be applied to other things. Museums, for instance, which to qualify would consist simply of obscure objects in glass cases in hushed rooms with creaking floorboards."♥️
(Bookshops get a look-in too, of course)
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2026/02/clas...
(Bookshops get a look-in too, of course)
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2026/02/clas...
Classic, Basic, Unspoilt
About twenty-five years ago, maybe more, a friend told me about a list entitled ‘The Classic, Basic, Unspoilt Pubs of Great Britan’. Its c...
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:00 AM
"[T]he ‘Classic, Basic, Unspoilt’ principle could be applied to other things. Museums, for instance, which to qualify would consist simply of obscure objects in glass cases in hushed rooms with creaking floorboards."♥️
(Bookshops get a look-in too, of course)
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2026/02/clas...
(Bookshops get a look-in too, of course)
wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2026/02/clas...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Friends! I wrote my first novel! Please buy it!
Out October 6th, 2026
Pre order here angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/compendium-o...
@angryrobotbooks.bsky.social
Out October 6th, 2026
Pre order here angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/compendium-o...
@angryrobotbooks.bsky.social
February 10, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Friends! I wrote my first novel! Please buy it!
Out October 6th, 2026
Pre order here angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/compendium-o...
@angryrobotbooks.bsky.social
Out October 6th, 2026
Pre order here angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/compendium-o...
@angryrobotbooks.bsky.social
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
You're in a street market. Some vestigial instinct makes you turn around.
There, not too far, stands a middle-aged woman. Her mouth is inhumanly wide. Her smile is black, from ear to ear.
You look away, then back. It's still there.
Ten heartbeats later, she removes the hair clip from her mouth.
There, not too far, stands a middle-aged woman. Her mouth is inhumanly wide. Her smile is black, from ear to ear.
You look away, then back. It's still there.
Ten heartbeats later, she removes the hair clip from her mouth.
February 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM
You're in a street market. Some vestigial instinct makes you turn around.
There, not too far, stands a middle-aged woman. Her mouth is inhumanly wide. Her smile is black, from ear to ear.
You look away, then back. It's still there.
Ten heartbeats later, she removes the hair clip from her mouth.
There, not too far, stands a middle-aged woman. Her mouth is inhumanly wide. Her smile is black, from ear to ear.
You look away, then back. It's still there.
Ten heartbeats later, she removes the hair clip from her mouth.
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
new post from me over at Substack
markbowles.substack.com/p/cat-rug
markbowles.substack.com/p/cat-rug
February 7, 2026 at 7:55 PM
new post from me over at Substack
markbowles.substack.com/p/cat-rug
markbowles.substack.com/p/cat-rug
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Receiving lots of queries from international buyers about how to get Pooja Saxena's INDIA STREET LETTERING outside of India.
We'll be supplying stores in Europe, the USA, Sri Lanka & Singapore soon. But in the meantime, we ship worldwide from our website!
www.blaft.com/products/ind...
We'll be supplying stores in Europe, the USA, Sri Lanka & Singapore soon. But in the meantime, we ship worldwide from our website!
www.blaft.com/products/ind...
February 7, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Receiving lots of queries from international buyers about how to get Pooja Saxena's INDIA STREET LETTERING outside of India.
We'll be supplying stores in Europe, the USA, Sri Lanka & Singapore soon. But in the meantime, we ship worldwide from our website!
www.blaft.com/products/ind...
We'll be supplying stores in Europe, the USA, Sri Lanka & Singapore soon. But in the meantime, we ship worldwide from our website!
www.blaft.com/products/ind...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
So how can I put this? Books can be bought online from *many* retailers: Apple, Kobo, B&N for Nook and many others, including your local bookshop. You do not need to visit Am*zon to enjoy a good read.
Apple: books.apple.com/gb/book-seri...
Kobo: www.kobo.com/fr/en/series... #books #buybooks
Apple: books.apple.com/gb/book-seri...
Kobo: www.kobo.com/fr/en/series... #books #buybooks
February 5, 2026 at 5:27 PM
So how can I put this? Books can be bought online from *many* retailers: Apple, Kobo, B&N for Nook and many others, including your local bookshop. You do not need to visit Am*zon to enjoy a good read.
Apple: books.apple.com/gb/book-seri...
Kobo: www.kobo.com/fr/en/series... #books #buybooks
Apple: books.apple.com/gb/book-seri...
Kobo: www.kobo.com/fr/en/series... #books #buybooks
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
“This book is nuts. And dazzling. And monstrous. It’s the sworn enemy of good posture and a healthy social life. It’s a delicious illness hellbent on consuming you in your entirety. It’s the strangest, saddest, and most hilarious novel I’ve ever read.”
mccormack7.substack.com/p/1001-thoug...
mccormack7.substack.com/p/1001-thoug...
1001 Thoughts on Schattenfroh
NO STRESS NO WORRIES PLEASE ENJOY
mccormack7.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:42 AM
“This book is nuts. And dazzling. And monstrous. It’s the sworn enemy of good posture and a healthy social life. It’s a delicious illness hellbent on consuming you in your entirety. It’s the strangest, saddest, and most hilarious novel I’ve ever read.”
mccormack7.substack.com/p/1001-thoug...
mccormack7.substack.com/p/1001-thoug...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
See? It's true - the foxiest people hang around libraries!
Maynooth Library had a surprise visit by Fantastic Mr. Fox! Renowned for his shyness and fame, he insisted on talking to us at our staff room window! He also heard it was free to join the library service & I told him that's fine, as long as he produces some ID! What a handsome chappie he is! 🦊
February 4, 2026 at 2:59 PM
See? It's true - the foxiest people hang around libraries!
#SPFBO XI is now in full swing. Included among the hopefuls is my own entry, its MC bewildered & grumpy, armed only with a knowledge of toxic plants & classic detective stories in the face of mysteries human &, well, Other.
ebook and paperback via books2read.com/dah No romance, but there is a dog…
ebook and paperback via books2read.com/dah No romance, but there is a dog…
February 3, 2026 at 10:07 AM
#SPFBO XI is now in full swing. Included among the hopefuls is my own entry, its MC bewildered & grumpy, armed only with a knowledge of toxic plants & classic detective stories in the face of mysteries human &, well, Other.
ebook and paperback via books2read.com/dah No romance, but there is a dog…
ebook and paperback via books2read.com/dah No romance, but there is a dog…
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Ireland's newest #superhero!
#MCU #Ironman #IronHeart #MarvelComics #Marvel #Superheroes #spéirgorm #comics #Cosplay #Cosplayers
#MCU #Ironman #IronHeart #MarvelComics #Marvel #Superheroes #spéirgorm #comics #Cosplay #Cosplayers
Dublin student makes full Iron Man superhero suit: 'I was bored'
Ellie Farrell, 19, has crafted Tony Stark’s legendary armour herself
www.irishmirror.ie
February 3, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Ireland's newest #superhero!
#MCU #Ironman #IronHeart #MarvelComics #Marvel #Superheroes #spéirgorm #comics #Cosplay #Cosplayers
#MCU #Ironman #IronHeart #MarvelComics #Marvel #Superheroes #spéirgorm #comics #Cosplay #Cosplayers
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Genius!🤣
This piece of brilliance from @vizcomic.bsky.social is the story of my life
February 1, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Genius!🤣
From @chloroformtea.bsky.social
"SF is not corrupted by the imported ideas & motifs of other genres, nor is it diluted … or weakened. The greatest strength of a genre is surely that its tools are so vital, so interesting, & so beloved that they find their uses in many places and to many people."
"SF is not corrupted by the imported ideas & motifs of other genres, nor is it diluted … or weakened. The greatest strength of a genre is surely that its tools are so vital, so interesting, & so beloved that they find their uses in many places and to many people."
I promised ducks, quacking: well! @chloroformtea.bsky.social (not a duck) provides Thursday's essay on knowing genre when you see it.
"We need a more expansive approach to any attempt at definition today. The genre can and plainly does sit alongside other genres which operate on different axes."
"We need a more expansive approach to any attempt at definition today. The genre can and plainly does sit alongside other genres which operate on different axes."
Quacking Like A Genre
What is SF? Idk, vibes.
strangehorizons.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:40 AM
From @chloroformtea.bsky.social
"SF is not corrupted by the imported ideas & motifs of other genres, nor is it diluted … or weakened. The greatest strength of a genre is surely that its tools are so vital, so interesting, & so beloved that they find their uses in many places and to many people."
"SF is not corrupted by the imported ideas & motifs of other genres, nor is it diluted … or weakened. The greatest strength of a genre is surely that its tools are so vital, so interesting, & so beloved that they find their uses in many places and to many people."
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
My essay in the @strangehorizons.bsky.social criticism special is up! I muse about genre, vibes and the difficulty of pinning things down in an ever-shifting landscape.
I promised ducks, quacking: well! @chloroformtea.bsky.social (not a duck) provides Thursday's essay on knowing genre when you see it.
"We need a more expansive approach to any attempt at definition today. The genre can and plainly does sit alongside other genres which operate on different axes."
"We need a more expansive approach to any attempt at definition today. The genre can and plainly does sit alongside other genres which operate on different axes."
Quacking Like A Genre
What is SF? Idk, vibes.
strangehorizons.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:32 PM
My essay in the @strangehorizons.bsky.social criticism special is up! I muse about genre, vibes and the difficulty of pinning things down in an ever-shifting landscape.
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
"Newer inks on the palimpsest’s top layers contained more iron, whereas those used to transcribe Hipparchus’s catalog a few hundreds of years earlier left a calcium-rich residue that researchers zeroed in on with the x-ray imagery."
www.scientificamerican.com/article/lost...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/lost...
Lost ancient Greek star catalog decoded by particle accelerator
Synchrotron radiation has revealed a star map made by the ancient astronomer Hipparchus that was thought to be lost to time
www.scientificamerican.com
January 31, 2026 at 6:11 PM
"Newer inks on the palimpsest’s top layers contained more iron, whereas those used to transcribe Hipparchus’s catalog a few hundreds of years earlier left a calcium-rich residue that researchers zeroed in on with the x-ray imagery."
www.scientificamerican.com/article/lost...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/lost...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Was St Brigid really a pagan goddess? This video examines the historical evidence behind one of Ireland’s most famous saints and the origins of the goddess theory.
youtu.be/jG_RYmbjLuE
#SaintBrigid #IrishHistory #EarlyMedievalIreland #celticmythology
youtu.be/jG_RYmbjLuE
#SaintBrigid #IrishHistory #EarlyMedievalIreland #celticmythology
Saint Brigid: Goddess or Historical Figure?
YouTube video by Foras Feasa: Exploring Irish History
youtu.be
January 30, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Was St Brigid really a pagan goddess? This video examines the historical evidence behind one of Ireland’s most famous saints and the origins of the goddess theory.
youtu.be/jG_RYmbjLuE
#SaintBrigid #IrishHistory #EarlyMedievalIreland #celticmythology
youtu.be/jG_RYmbjLuE
#SaintBrigid #IrishHistory #EarlyMedievalIreland #celticmythology
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
D vs. T?
It's the 31st January 2026, and the Irish Brigidine publication business is in full steam. In the Irish Times today, @frankie49.bsky.social asks the question "Brigid or Brigit?". What is the correct spelling?
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-i...
As it happens, I will answer this...
/1
It's the 31st January 2026, and the Irish Brigidine publication business is in full steam. In the Irish Times today, @frankie49.bsky.social asks the question "Brigid or Brigit?". What is the correct spelling?
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-i...
As it happens, I will answer this...
/1
Born-Again Brigit - Birthday boy Frank McNally on the rebranding of February 1st
Unlike St Patrick, there is no historical record of her life, so her identity can be endlessly refreshed or reimagined
www.irishtimes.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:33 AM
D vs. T?
It's the 31st January 2026, and the Irish Brigidine publication business is in full steam. In the Irish Times today, @frankie49.bsky.social asks the question "Brigid or Brigit?". What is the correct spelling?
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-i...
As it happens, I will answer this...
/1
It's the 31st January 2026, and the Irish Brigidine publication business is in full steam. In the Irish Times today, @frankie49.bsky.social asks the question "Brigid or Brigit?". What is the correct spelling?
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-i...
As it happens, I will answer this...
/1
Helen of Nowhere sounds enticing...
HELEN OF NOWHERE by Makenna Goodman and PLASTIC by Matthew Rice both publish today. Head to our website to read excerpts, and learn more: fitzcarraldoeditions.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:16 AM
Helen of Nowhere sounds enticing...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
The Atlas of Digital Damages "is a staging area for collecting visual examples of digital preservation challenges, failed renderings, encoding damage, corrupt data, and visual evidence documenting #FAILs of any stripe."
www.flickr.com/groups/21217...
www.flickr.com/groups/21217...
The Atlas of Digital Damages
Prompted by a blog post by Barbara Sierman, this space is a staging area for collecting visual examples of digital preservation challenges, failed renderings, encoding damage, corrupt data, and visual...
www.flickr.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:07 PM
The Atlas of Digital Damages "is a staging area for collecting visual examples of digital preservation challenges, failed renderings, encoding damage, corrupt data, and visual evidence documenting #FAILs of any stripe."
www.flickr.com/groups/21217...
www.flickr.com/groups/21217...
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
Issue #6 of Bureaucritics is out now!
Catch up with the latest in art, fiction, and scholarship about bureaucracy.
bureaucritics.substack.com/p/cultural-b...
#newsletter #bureaucracy #administration #officeliterature #bureaucraticfiction #parliaments
Catch up with the latest in art, fiction, and scholarship about bureaucracy.
bureaucritics.substack.com/p/cultural-b...
#newsletter #bureaucracy #administration #officeliterature #bureaucraticfiction #parliaments
bureaucritics.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Issue #6 of Bureaucritics is out now!
Catch up with the latest in art, fiction, and scholarship about bureaucracy.
bureaucritics.substack.com/p/cultural-b...
#newsletter #bureaucracy #administration #officeliterature #bureaucraticfiction #parliaments
Catch up with the latest in art, fiction, and scholarship about bureaucracy.
bureaucritics.substack.com/p/cultural-b...
#newsletter #bureaucracy #administration #officeliterature #bureaucraticfiction #parliaments
Reposted by Susan Maxwell @ Bibliothèque des Refusés
