Mike The Speculative Page
@conumbra.bsky.social
Sci-fi/fantasy/horror-loving nerd, Ursus Maritimus, eager reader, he/him
#Review of Bury Your Gays, edited by Sofia Ajram
4/5
One of the strongest anthologies I've read in a while, there's only one story that I'd call "bad", and the rest are enjoyable to amazing. No frills on this, just several well-chosen bangers all trying to be "tragic queer horror".
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
4/5
One of the strongest anthologies I've read in a while, there's only one story that I'd call "bad", and the rest are enjoyable to amazing. No frills on this, just several well-chosen bangers all trying to be "tragic queer horror".
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
November 7, 2025 at 2:50 AM
#Review of Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
3/5
A strange, tragic relationship drama, a meditation on grief and loss. When it focuses on that, it's at its strongest, but too often it gets distracted. I do appreciate the intent, but am left thinking that something has gone awry.
#booksky 📚🪐
3/5
A strange, tragic relationship drama, a meditation on grief and loss. When it focuses on that, it's at its strongest, but too often it gets distracted. I do appreciate the intent, but am left thinking that something has gone awry.
#booksky 📚🪐
November 6, 2025 at 3:36 AM
#Review of The Book of Queer Saints Volume 2, edited by Mae Murray
3.5/5
An improvement on the first volume, more daring and visceral in terms of subject matter. A tad larger as well, and there are a few what I'd call "filler" stories, but these don't overstay their welcome.
#booksky 🪐📚🩸
3.5/5
An improvement on the first volume, more daring and visceral in terms of subject matter. A tad larger as well, and there are a few what I'd call "filler" stories, but these don't overstay their welcome.
#booksky 🪐📚🩸
October 30, 2025 at 3:41 AM
#Review of Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt
4.5/5
An extremely ambitious novel. The tone is bleak, loaded with very real horror, look up triggers. The narrative voice challenges the reader, is blunt but sophisticated, panic inducing. Looks into a festering wound in the UK's heart.
#boosky 🩸📚
4.5/5
An extremely ambitious novel. The tone is bleak, loaded with very real horror, look up triggers. The narrative voice challenges the reader, is blunt but sophisticated, panic inducing. Looks into a festering wound in the UK's heart.
#boosky 🩸📚
October 26, 2025 at 3:05 AM
#Review of The Book of Queer Saints, edited by Mae Murray
3.5/5
A horror anthology featuring queer villains, or at least antiheroes. Fairly good. A lot of experimentation with prose styles and narrative voices that don't always land. "Morta" and "The Last Disgrace" are the highlights.
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
3.5/5
A horror anthology featuring queer villains, or at least antiheroes. Fairly good. A lot of experimentation with prose styles and narrative voices that don't always land. "Morta" and "The Last Disgrace" are the highlights.
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
October 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
#Review of Red X by David Demchuk
5/5
A novel of queer horror, a community dealing with predators both real and ethereal.
When the horror shows itself it is folkloric and grotesque, the perfect blend of alluring and creeping dread.
Recommended if a looser structure isn't a problem.
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
5/5
A novel of queer horror, a community dealing with predators both real and ethereal.
When the horror shows itself it is folkloric and grotesque, the perfect blend of alluring and creeping dread.
Recommended if a looser structure isn't a problem.
#booksky 🩸📚🪐
October 15, 2025 at 2:24 AM
#Review of SS-GB by Len Deighton
9/10.
SS-GB executes a ruthlessly clever plot, half espionage thriller and murder mystery.
The men are varied, the women are doting ladies or tragic victims.
A thoroughly fulfilling read, it's a shame the author never really tapped into this vein again.
#booksky 📚🪐
9/10.
SS-GB executes a ruthlessly clever plot, half espionage thriller and murder mystery.
The men are varied, the women are doting ladies or tragic victims.
A thoroughly fulfilling read, it's a shame the author never really tapped into this vein again.
#booksky 📚🪐
October 3, 2025 at 3:58 AM
#Review of Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
4/5
Herbert's writing continues to be at his height. The first 70% feels gradual, a bit self-indulgent, mind-game focused. Then the pace picks up a lot, brings in a Deus Ex Machina. Still an enthralling read, ruminations remain ever-relevant.
#booksky 📚🪐
4/5
Herbert's writing continues to be at his height. The first 70% feels gradual, a bit self-indulgent, mind-game focused. Then the pace picks up a lot, brings in a Deus Ex Machina. Still an enthralling read, ruminations remain ever-relevant.
#booksky 📚🪐
September 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
[norman rockwell guy] i think GFM should be reinstated for this comment so that she may be permabanned for one of the many other better examples to permaban a person she has provided
September 12, 2025 at 3:23 PM
[norman rockwell guy] i think GFM should be reinstated for this comment so that she may be permabanned for one of the many other better examples to permaban a person she has provided
#Review of Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
4/5
Compared to the original, this entry is smaller, which keeps things moving along at a steady pace.
Herbert's prose is stellar, the antagonists are well-developed, but the plot verges close to convolution. Brings a welcome perspective on Dune.
#booksky 📚🪐
4/5
Compared to the original, this entry is smaller, which keeps things moving along at a steady pace.
Herbert's prose is stellar, the antagonists are well-developed, but the plot verges close to convolution. Brings a welcome perspective on Dune.
#booksky 📚🪐
September 6, 2025 at 3:55 AM
#Review of The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities
3/5
This is noticeably weaker than the disease guide, although the stories are stronger and are given more space.
Each section of the book has its own artist, which brings variety at the expense of stylistic cohesion.
#booksky 📚🪐
3/5
This is noticeably weaker than the disease guide, although the stories are stronger and are given more space.
Each section of the book has its own artist, which brings variety at the expense of stylistic cohesion.
#booksky 📚🪐
August 30, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
I am going to be a massive humorless asshole about woo-woo shit, no matter how seemingly harmless, for the rest of my life due to this. astrology, homeopathic medicine, etc etc it's all bullshit and it's not fucking harmless. there are people who will die due to this who would have otherwise lived.
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the beginning of a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities...."
cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy
cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy
August 6, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I am going to be a massive humorless asshole about woo-woo shit, no matter how seemingly harmless, for the rest of my life due to this. astrology, homeopathic medicine, etc etc it's all bullshit and it's not fucking harmless. there are people who will die due to this who would have otherwise lived.
#Review of The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases
4/5
Theming and Coulthart's art sew up an ambitious anthology. Entries aim for a wide variety, mostly succeed outside of comedy. Leaves on a sour note, putting AIDS deaths down to a cooky fake disease.
#booksky 📚🪐
4/5
Theming and Coulthart's art sew up an ambitious anthology. Entries aim for a wide variety, mostly succeed outside of comedy. Leaves on a sour note, putting AIDS deaths down to a cooky fake disease.
#booksky 📚🪐
August 24, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
art and stories should be personal to the creator's experiences. sexuality should not be subdued. interests should not be tailored to people other than yourself. make what you want to make. the furry panopticon aren't paying your bills. twitter teens aren't paying your bills.
August 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
art and stories should be personal to the creator's experiences. sexuality should not be subdued. interests should not be tailored to people other than yourself. make what you want to make. the furry panopticon aren't paying your bills. twitter teens aren't paying your bills.
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
the puritanical attitude from younger people in the fandom/in general is extremely disheartening. it's not just whiplash from how hypersexual teen culture was in the 2000s, it's a profound gap in understanding and experiences. i implore everyone who has an issue with what i'm saying to go outside.
August 22, 2025 at 2:56 PM
the puritanical attitude from younger people in the fandom/in general is extremely disheartening. it's not just whiplash from how hypersexual teen culture was in the 2000s, it's a profound gap in understanding and experiences. i implore everyone who has an issue with what i'm saying to go outside.
#Review of Rediscovery: Volume 2
4/5
The second anthology in the Rediscovery series, with stories from 1953-1957. An increase in quality, Griffith's being the standout. "Science fiction by women" is coming under a bit of strain, as almost a third of the stories are unequivocally fantasy.
#booksky 📚🪐
4/5
The second anthology in the Rediscovery series, with stories from 1953-1957. An increase in quality, Griffith's being the standout. "Science fiction by women" is coming under a bit of strain, as almost a third of the stories are unequivocally fantasy.
#booksky 📚🪐
July 31, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
* Complain en masse to PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, etc
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
July 24, 2025 at 4:28 AM
* Complain en masse to PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, etc
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
Note: The people responsible for this, Collective Shout, list the names and faces of their leadership and board of directors on their own website.
www.collectiveshout.org/our_team
www.collectiveshout.org/our_team
Just a moment...
Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds.
www.collectiveshout.org
July 24, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Note: The people responsible for this, Collective Shout, list the names and faces of their leadership and board of directors on their own website.
www.collectiveshout.org/our_team
www.collectiveshout.org/our_team
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
Also to note… VISA is an accredited Better Business Bureau company.
From firsthand experience, companies do take those complaints relatively seriously.
May as well add another Avenue of complaints, even if BBB is just Boomer Yelp
From firsthand experience, companies do take those complaints relatively seriously.
May as well add another Avenue of complaints, even if BBB is just Boomer Yelp
July 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Also to note… VISA is an accredited Better Business Bureau company.
From firsthand experience, companies do take those complaints relatively seriously.
May as well add another Avenue of complaints, even if BBB is just Boomer Yelp
From firsthand experience, companies do take those complaints relatively seriously.
May as well add another Avenue of complaints, even if BBB is just Boomer Yelp
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
And to be clear, this isn't (just) about access to smut - the literal stated targets here are marginalized queer folk. That's the play. And everyone in positions of power - from itch and Valve to Zombie Waypoint - are folding because bigots are fucking with the money.
July 24, 2025 at 2:01 AM
And to be clear, this isn't (just) about access to smut - the literal stated targets here are marginalized queer folk. That's the play. And everyone in positions of power - from itch and Valve to Zombie Waypoint - are folding because bigots are fucking with the money.
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
The fact that right now I can take my Visa card and buy something from Barely Legal Boobies Dot Com or whatever, but I can't take that same Visa card and buy an erotic visual novel on itch because Visa themselves told the platform to censor adult content is just outrageous, and they need to be told.
July 24, 2025 at 1:57 AM
The fact that right now I can take my Visa card and buy something from Barely Legal Boobies Dot Com or whatever, but I can't take that same Visa card and buy an erotic visual novel on itch because Visa themselves told the platform to censor adult content is just outrageous, and they need to be told.
Reposted by Mike The Speculative Page
The (ridiculously) long term answer is decentralizing as much of the internet as possible, including payment processors.
But in the short term I think we need to figure out how to apply very strong pressure on payment processors to reverse course on this flagrant bullshit.
But in the short term I think we need to figure out how to apply very strong pressure on payment processors to reverse course on this flagrant bullshit.
July 24, 2025 at 1:54 AM
The (ridiculously) long term answer is decentralizing as much of the internet as possible, including payment processors.
But in the short term I think we need to figure out how to apply very strong pressure on payment processors to reverse course on this flagrant bullshit.
But in the short term I think we need to figure out how to apply very strong pressure on payment processors to reverse course on this flagrant bullshit.
#Review of Rediscovery Volume 1
4/5
A collection of old sci-fi stories from the late fifties to early sixties. Quality is good for an anthology, with the expected couple of duds here and there, but there's still something of interest even then. Scyoc's entry is grim, but mature, holds up
#booksky 📚🪐
4/5
A collection of old sci-fi stories from the late fifties to early sixties. Quality is good for an anthology, with the expected couple of duds here and there, but there's still something of interest even then. Scyoc's entry is grim, but mature, holds up
#booksky 📚🪐
July 24, 2025 at 1:33 AM
#Review of A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold
4.5/5
Fulfills every missed opportunity from the first. The mystery is more intricate, has more personal stakes, allows for more magical lore. Only one big bit of convenience mars this. A shame that this was the last
#booksky 🪐📚
4.5/5
Fulfills every missed opportunity from the first. The mystery is more intricate, has more personal stakes, allows for more magical lore. Only one big bit of convenience mars this. A shame that this was the last
#booksky 🪐📚
July 17, 2025 at 3:48 AM
#Review of Death by Silver, by Melissa Scot & Amy Griswold
3.5/5
This is a gay historical fantasy Victorian mystery. There's not much wrong with this, the mystery compels, the characters are interesting. Problems include dangling thematic elements and magic feeling underutilized.
#booksky 📚🪐
3.5/5
This is a gay historical fantasy Victorian mystery. There's not much wrong with this, the mystery compels, the characters are interesting. Problems include dangling thematic elements and magic feeling underutilized.
#booksky 📚🪐
July 9, 2025 at 3:53 AM