Craig Shackleton
@craigshackleton.com
SFF writer and Swordplay instructor || Founder of Ottawa Swordplay || Lapsed TTRPG writer || AuDHD
Currently seeking representation for my third novel and working on my fourth.
Currently seeking representation for my third novel and working on my fourth.
Pinned
Craig Shackleton
@craigshackleton.com
· Aug 23
Time to admit that this has become a Butlerian Jihad stan account.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
get my nebula award-winning book for 50% off on smashwords! it's a spooky queer tween fantasy novel about a girl who can see ghosts on an adventure with her sister, a dragon and a ghost. 🌈📚
#EOYSale25 #ebook #IndieBooks #fantasy #kidlit #booksky
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
#EOYSale25 #ebook #IndieBooks #fantasy #kidlit #booksky
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
December 26, 2025 at 10:27 PM
get my nebula award-winning book for 50% off on smashwords! it's a spooky queer tween fantasy novel about a girl who can see ghosts on an adventure with her sister, a dragon and a ghost. 🌈📚
#EOYSale25 #ebook #IndieBooks #fantasy #kidlit #booksky
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
#EOYSale25 #ebook #IndieBooks #fantasy #kidlit #booksky
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
I am a nobody in the book world and I have absolutely rubbed elbows with a lot of people who I think of as somebody in the book world and they have all been very welcoming to my straight white male self.
My secret is I try to not be an asshole.
My secret is I try to not be an asshole.
They have come to the convention hoping to "break in" and then find themselves -- shocker! -- a "nobody in the book world." Yeah no shit! We all are! I have gently told guys like this a million times that it takes most of us *years* of hard work but they do not believe that could be true for them. +
December 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I am a nobody in the book world and I have absolutely rubbed elbows with a lot of people who I think of as somebody in the book world and they have all been very welcoming to my straight white male self.
My secret is I try to not be an asshole.
My secret is I try to not be an asshole.
Sometimes I read SecUnit (Murderbot) as fem-coded and one big reason is that it is obsessed with clothes having pockets.
December 26, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Sometimes I read SecUnit (Murderbot) as fem-coded and one big reason is that it is obsessed with clothes having pockets.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
When the polite, cultured Dr. Pepper consumes a special draught, he turns into the brutish, monstrous Mr. Pibb.
December 26, 2025 at 1:26 AM
When the polite, cultured Dr. Pepper consumes a special draught, he turns into the brutish, monstrous Mr. Pibb.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
December 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
Dead clients were terrible for business.
December 24, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Dead clients were terrible for business.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
This is specifically about AI use in humanities disciplines within academia, which is clear from context- this crap is extremely harmful in that setting. Inevitably, people show up to be like "AI finds cancer cells tho".
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
You absolutely will not convince a bunch of historians and sociologists and whoever else is in this thread that you know more than we do about this and we should use it. I wish you AI enthusiasts would stop wading into our conversations. You have nothing helpful to contribute and are snarky.
December 21, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This is specifically about AI use in humanities disciplines within academia, which is clear from context- this crap is extremely harmful in that setting. Inevitably, people show up to be like "AI finds cancer cells tho".
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
YES.
Every time we are expected to say “AI has SOME good uses”, even though the kind currently discussed (the slop producing kind) is not the same thing as the “good at spotting statistical anomalies” kind, and that disingenuous bullshit is to try to make people shut up about the slop engines!
Every time we are expected to say “AI has SOME good uses”, even though the kind currently discussed (the slop producing kind) is not the same thing as the “good at spotting statistical anomalies” kind, and that disingenuous bullshit is to try to make people shut up about the slop engines!
This is specifically about AI use in humanities disciplines within academia, which is clear from context- this crap is extremely harmful in that setting. Inevitably, people show up to be like "AI finds cancer cells tho".
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
NOT THE SUBJECT, and that conflation has been inflicted upon us intentionally.
You absolutely will not convince a bunch of historians and sociologists and whoever else is in this thread that you know more than we do about this and we should use it. I wish you AI enthusiasts would stop wading into our conversations. You have nothing helpful to contribute and are snarky.
December 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
YES.
Every time we are expected to say “AI has SOME good uses”, even though the kind currently discussed (the slop producing kind) is not the same thing as the “good at spotting statistical anomalies” kind, and that disingenuous bullshit is to try to make people shut up about the slop engines!
Every time we are expected to say “AI has SOME good uses”, even though the kind currently discussed (the slop producing kind) is not the same thing as the “good at spotting statistical anomalies” kind, and that disingenuous bullshit is to try to make people shut up about the slop engines!
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
I really think that people not knowing how to learn things and then think about them is a huge problem.
December 21, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I really think that people not knowing how to learn things and then think about them is a huge problem.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
Oof. Super disappointing, as a person who has loved Owlcat's work in the past.
December 21, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Oof. Super disappointing, as a person who has loved Owlcat's work in the past.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
Ugh, self-determination sucks sometimes.
December 21, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Ugh, self-determination sucks sometimes.
This is also CAD $2.99 on Kobo books!
I highly recommend it!
I highly recommend it!
TODAY ONLY (12/21), The Mask of Mirrors ebook is discounted to $2.99 on Kindle as an "Editor's Pick Goldbox" deal! (US customers only; my apologies to the rest of the world.) Affiliate link:
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1)
Amazon.com: The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1) eBook : Carrick, M. A.: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This is also CAD $2.99 on Kobo books!
I highly recommend it!
I highly recommend it!
Damn, I was really looking forward to the upcoming Expanse game, but I'm out.
December 21, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Damn, I was really looking forward to the upcoming Expanse game, but I'm out.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
“i have to use AI because i’m bad at drawingggg 😭😭😭”
August 17, 2025 at 3:47 PM
“i have to use AI because i’m bad at drawingggg 😭😭😭”
This trilogy is fantastic, this is a great deal.
TODAY ONLY (12/21), The Mask of Mirrors ebook is discounted to $2.99 on Kindle as an "Editor's Pick Goldbox" deal! (US customers only; my apologies to the rest of the world.) Affiliate link:
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1)
Amazon.com: The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1) eBook : Carrick, M. A.: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
December 21, 2025 at 9:36 PM
This trilogy is fantastic, this is a great deal.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
TODAY ONLY (12/21), The Mask of Mirrors ebook is discounted to $2.99 on Kindle as an "Editor's Pick Goldbox" deal! (US customers only; my apologies to the rest of the world.) Affiliate link:
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1)
Amazon.com: The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose Book 1) eBook : Carrick, M. A.: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
December 21, 2025 at 9:31 PM
TODAY ONLY (12/21), The Mask of Mirrors ebook is discounted to $2.99 on Kindle as an "Editor's Pick Goldbox" deal! (US customers only; my apologies to the rest of the world.) Affiliate link:
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
www.amazon.com/Mask-Mirrors...
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
I was having an emotion, and I hate that.
December 21, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I was having an emotion, and I hate that.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
I’d rather have nice safe emotions about shows on the entertainment media; having them about things real-life humans said and did just led to stupid decisions.
December 21, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I’d rather have nice safe emotions about shows on the entertainment media; having them about things real-life humans said and did just led to stupid decisions.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
My friends, I say this with all the love in my heart: Right now might not be the moment for “But we should be TOLERANT and NUANCED about the plagiarism machines!”
Your tolerance and “nuance” will be weaponised by the grifters and their apologists. Please respect yourselves more.
Your tolerance and “nuance” will be weaponised by the grifters and their apologists. Please respect yourselves more.
December 20, 2025 at 2:24 PM
My friends, I say this with all the love in my heart: Right now might not be the moment for “But we should be TOLERANT and NUANCED about the plagiarism machines!”
Your tolerance and “nuance” will be weaponised by the grifters and their apologists. Please respect yourselves more.
Your tolerance and “nuance” will be weaponised by the grifters and their apologists. Please respect yourselves more.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
In case it doesn't go without saying: I have not used gen AI to create text in any of my books. I have not used Grammarly etc to "clean up" the text. I have not used it to research any of my books, except where it might be built into search engines under the hood (I do not use labelled AI results).
December 20, 2025 at 1:53 PM
In case it doesn't go without saying: I have not used gen AI to create text in any of my books. I have not used Grammarly etc to "clean up" the text. I have not used it to research any of my books, except where it might be built into search engines under the hood (I do not use labelled AI results).
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
Keep going. Be meaner. Aim whatever lizard-brain impulse you have towards cruelty and violence in this direction.
December 18, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Keep going. Be meaner. Aim whatever lizard-brain impulse you have towards cruelty and violence in this direction.
Reposted by Craig Shackleton
Yeah, ok. I'm in.
1.10 seconds. They got me at 1.10 seconds with the 'OR DID I?' sting. God DAMN it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSsG...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSsG...
THE SHEEP DETECTIVES Trailer (2026) Hugh Jackman
YouTube video by ONE Media
www.youtube.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Yeah, ok. I'm in.