Dave Herman
@davidmherman.bsky.social
Translator, writer, musician, father of three.
I write as David M. Herman. Find my writing at Fiction Attic Press, Thin Skin magazine.
I write as David M. Herman. Find my writing at Fiction Attic Press, Thin Skin magazine.
Part speculative dystopia, part morality tale. #GeorgePacker portrays a world in which traditional societal structures are replaced by radical egalitarianism and primitive tribalism, with terrifying consequences. Intriguing, thought-provoking, disturbing, highly recommended!
January 27, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Part speculative dystopia, part morality tale. #GeorgePacker portrays a world in which traditional societal structures are replaced by radical egalitarianism and primitive tribalism, with terrifying consequences. Intriguing, thought-provoking, disturbing, highly recommended!
They do keep trying. Today's amazing spam email prize is a "Pittsburgh 225-Piece Tool Set". What is about me that makes these scammers think I need a toolset?
January 19, 2026 at 1:05 PM
They do keep trying. Today's amazing spam email prize is a "Pittsburgh 225-Piece Tool Set". What is about me that makes these scammers think I need a toolset?
#writingplan: I reflected, decided and made a sensible writing plan. Then I did something else altogether. Perhaps, to get myself to act sensibly, I need to deliberately make a foolish plan, which will prompt me to ignore it and do the sensible thing. Worth a try?
January 16, 2026 at 8:30 AM
#writingplan: I reflected, decided and made a sensible writing plan. Then I did something else altogether. Perhaps, to get myself to act sensibly, I need to deliberately make a foolish plan, which will prompt me to ignore it and do the sensible thing. Worth a try?
etgarkeret.substack.com/p/fake Etgar Keret hits the nail on the head again.
Fake
On reality, imagination, and that third thing | Non-Fiction | Fresh Soup
etgarkeret.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:19 AM
etgarkeret.substack.com/p/fake Etgar Keret hits the nail on the head again.
fictionattic.substack.com/s/short-stor... Love this magazine.
Short Stories | Fiction Attic Press | Substack
short stories by new and established writers. Click to read Fiction Attic Press, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
fictionattic.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:07 AM
fictionattic.substack.com/s/short-stor... Love this magazine.
Delighted to announce my short story ‘Safe Hands’ has been published by the wonderful folks at Fiction Attic. fictionattic.substack.com/p/safe-hands
Safe Hands
a short story by David M. Herman
fictionattic.substack.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Delighted to announce my short story ‘Safe Hands’ has been published by the wonderful folks at Fiction Attic. fictionattic.substack.com/p/safe-hands
Reposted by Dave Herman
circus marketing
December 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM
circus marketing
Such a great piece! Recommended reading for anyone who writes. open.substack.com/pub/rebeccam...
You're Writing a Book. So Stop Writing a Movie.
What film teaches us wrong about writing fiction
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Such a great piece! Recommended reading for anyone who writes. open.substack.com/pub/rebeccam...
Just finished reading this gem by @samantaschweblin.bsky.social. Short stories that take your breath away, astonish, frighten and delight in equal measure. Such an accomplished storyteller! Masterfully translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Just finished reading this gem by @samantaschweblin.bsky.social. Short stories that take your breath away, astonish, frighten and delight in equal measure. Such an accomplished storyteller! Masterfully translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell. Highly recommended.
So this week my spam folder tells me I won a Kobalt tool set. Sadly, they have not specified which set. The brand name is super-rugged though, right? I looked up the etymology of cobalt, apparently it’s derived from a mischievous household elf. This is what Big Kobalt doesn’t want you to know.
November 19, 2025 at 8:01 PM
So this week my spam folder tells me I won a Kobalt tool set. Sadly, they have not specified which set. The brand name is super-rugged though, right? I looked up the etymology of cobalt, apparently it’s derived from a mischievous household elf. This is what Big Kobalt doesn’t want you to know.
Reposted by Dave Herman
The 2026 lit mag rankings are now available from my website! They include an overall ranking, as well as separate rankings for fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction and poetry. If you find these helpful, please show your support by liking & sharing 🙏
November 9, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The 2026 lit mag rankings are now available from my website! They include an overall ranking, as well as separate rankings for fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction and poetry. If you find these helpful, please show your support by liking & sharing 🙏
Reposted by Dave Herman
I wrote this yesterday about what to tell young people who are worried about what work will be in the age of AI:
naomialderman.substack.com/p/preparing-...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/preparing-...
preparing for the working world in the age of AI
or: seven things to tell your kids when they ask what they should study now, or what the point of studying is
naomialderman.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:56 AM
I wrote this yesterday about what to tell young people who are worried about what work will be in the age of AI:
naomialderman.substack.com/p/preparing-...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/preparing-...
Saw Marc Ribot in concert last night. Consummate artist. A heckler tried to stop him playing Bella Ciao because Charlie Kirk’s assassin wrote the words on a bullet. Ribot refused to allow this classic anti-fascist anthem to be sullied and played on. www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Gv...
Marc Ribot - "Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful)" (feat. Tom Waits)
YouTube video by Pitchfork
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Saw Marc Ribot in concert last night. Consummate artist. A heckler tried to stop him playing Bella Ciao because Charlie Kirk’s assassin wrote the words on a bullet. Ribot refused to allow this classic anti-fascist anthem to be sullied and played on. www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Gv...
Reposted by Dave Herman
I am trying something in November. National novel-reading month, basically. It is the PERFECT month for reading (at least in the Western hemisphere).
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
November is for reading
or: a month of sheer luxurious intellectual pleasure
naomialderman.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I am trying something in November. National novel-reading month, basically. It is the PERFECT month for reading (at least in the Western hemisphere).
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
Today, if my spam emails are to be believed, I have won an ‘AAA Car Emergency Kit’! Not knowing what this great gift entails, I have looked it up. Underwhelming, frankly. Apart from the transparent poncho, that is. The transparent poncho I want. Remain dry and stylish at the same time. Nice.
October 29, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Today, if my spam emails are to be believed, I have won an ‘AAA Car Emergency Kit’! Not knowing what this great gift entails, I have looked it up. Underwhelming, frankly. Apart from the transparent poncho, that is. The transparent poncho I want. Remain dry and stylish at the same time. Nice.
Today my spam email tells me I have won a '170 Piece Stanley Tool Set'. Sorely tempted, but after a moment's reflection... 170 pieces? I Google it. Nice, but no handsaw. I need a new handsaw. So, no thanks. Nice try.
October 15, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Today my spam email tells me I have won a '170 Piece Stanley Tool Set'. Sorely tempted, but after a moment's reflection... 170 pieces? I Google it. Nice, but no handsaw. I need a new handsaw. So, no thanks. Nice try.
Reposted by Dave Herman
László Krasznahorkai, born in Hungary in 1954, has written 14 novels and won multiple awards including the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 and the 2015 International Booker Prize.
Discover his work here: serpentstail.com/contributor/...
Discover his work here: serpentstail.com/contributor/...
October 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
László Krasznahorkai, born in Hungary in 1954, has written 14 novels and won multiple awards including the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 and the 2015 International Booker Prize.
Discover his work here: serpentstail.com/contributor/...
Discover his work here: serpentstail.com/contributor/...
I keep receiving spam email that really makes me smile. It tells me I have won a fire safety kit. This is such a pleasingly innocent attempt at a scam that I'm almost tempted to click on the link...
September 17, 2025 at 8:22 AM
I keep receiving spam email that really makes me smile. It tells me I have won a fire safety kit. This is such a pleasingly innocent attempt at a scam that I'm almost tempted to click on the link...
Just finished reading a new novel by a celebrated French author in English translation. I don’t understand how @picadorbooks.bsky.social can release a paperback (i.e., not the first edition) featuring so many typos, missing words and syntax bloopers. Do they no longer employ proofreaders?
September 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Just finished reading a new novel by a celebrated French author in English translation. I don’t understand how @picadorbooks.bsky.social can release a paperback (i.e., not the first edition) featuring so many typos, missing words and syntax bloopers. Do they no longer employ proofreaders?
#Autocorrect is yet another mind-popping collection of short stories by #EtgarKeret. Exploring our era from totally novel points of view, leaping in and out of time and reality, but always concise, incisive, irreverent and funny. Highly recommended! Follow him on substack: etgarkeret.substack.com
July 21, 2025 at 2:08 PM
#Autocorrect is yet another mind-popping collection of short stories by #EtgarKeret. Exploring our era from totally novel points of view, leaping in and out of time and reality, but always concise, incisive, irreverent and funny. Highly recommended! Follow him on substack: etgarkeret.substack.com
Very pleased to say a short story of mine was shortlisted for The Letter Review prize! Didn't win, but still a nice little bit of encouragement! letterreview.com/the-letter-r...
The Letter Review Prize Winners October – December 2024 - The Letter Review
It's always such an astonishing joy to publish the winning entries of The Letter Review Prize: We spend months with these works before we are able to experience the thrill of sharing them with our com...
letterreview.com
June 25, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Very pleased to say a short story of mine was shortlisted for The Letter Review prize! Didn't win, but still a nice little bit of encouragement! letterreview.com/the-letter-r...
‘Longlisted’ does not sound glamorous or glitzy, it doesn’t evoke walks of fame or barrels of gold, it doesn’t taste of champagne and petits fours, but it does mean: we have seen you. For a writer this is rocket fuel. Can’t say which title is mine yet… fracturedlit.com/anthology-5-...
Anthology 5 Longlist - Fractured
If these titles are any indication, then you can see how hard it has been getting down to a longlist of 67 flash and micofictions! We can't wait to get our shortlist of 40 to judge, Tara Isabel Zambra...
fracturedlit.com
May 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
‘Longlisted’ does not sound glamorous or glitzy, it doesn’t evoke walks of fame or barrels of gold, it doesn’t taste of champagne and petits fours, but it does mean: we have seen you. For a writer this is rocket fuel. Can’t say which title is mine yet… fracturedlit.com/anthology-5-...
Some delicious food for thought from Iain McGilchrist on a Monday morning: youtube.com/shorts/MLaz8...
The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and The Unmaking of the World #4
YouTube video by Dr Iain McGilchrist
youtube.com
April 28, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Some delicious food for thought from Iain McGilchrist on a Monday morning: youtube.com/shorts/MLaz8...
Has anyone else noticed that Ahmed al-Sharaa, the president of Syria is actually John Turturro? Or is it just me?
March 19, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Has anyone else noticed that Ahmed al-Sharaa, the president of Syria is actually John Turturro? Or is it just me?
A superb collection of Black Mirror-esque short stories! Dystopian futures – embodied tech, climate disasters, deadly video games – imagined in ways both terrifying and wholly believable, and beautifully crafted. #universallove #alexanderweinstein
March 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A superb collection of Black Mirror-esque short stories! Dystopian futures – embodied tech, climate disasters, deadly video games – imagined in ways both terrifying and wholly believable, and beautifully crafted. #universallove #alexanderweinstein