Ray Ingles
@ringles.bsky.social
I’m a software developer with a lifelong taste for science fiction.
My first novel, SECONDARY, is now available! Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN meets Naomi Alderman's THE POWER.
https://secondary.blog
My first novel, SECONDARY, is now available! Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN meets Naomi Alderman's THE POWER.
https://secondary.blog
Pinned
Ray Ingles
@ringles.bsky.social
· Apr 22
SECONDARY is now available almost everywhere books and e-books are sold!
THE MARTIAN meets THE POWER; I can comfortably promise you've 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 read a story quite like it.
books2read.com/b/mdx1Jl
Amazon: t.co/0xpU28EWiE
Sample chapters: t.co/pvZX0lxq2v
#ScienceFiction #TimeTravel #SciFi
THE MARTIAN meets THE POWER; I can comfortably promise you've 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 read a story quite like it.
books2read.com/b/mdx1Jl
Amazon: t.co/0xpU28EWiE
Sample chapters: t.co/pvZX0lxq2v
#ScienceFiction #TimeTravel #SciFi
#TimeTravelAuthors 17. 'work' excerpt
In the timeline that we're in, for *this* footnote hit, it's safest for me to put up a CW. (Nothing explicit or even sexual about it.)
Wouldn't be an issue in the new timeline. 🤷
#ScienceFiction #SciFi
In the timeline that we're in, for *this* footnote hit, it's safest for me to put up a CW. (Nothing explicit or even sexual about it.)
Wouldn't be an issue in the new timeline. 🤷
#ScienceFiction #SciFi
![Then, to my surprise, Baiyokee spoke up. "Does meh-nah..." He gave up. "...[menstruation] offend you?"
I shook my head. "Zuh. But many women did not talk about it to men, in my world."
Atosho was thoughtful. "It is... not usually discussed in formal settings here. But it is not actually 'tah-boo.'" A little cultural-speed-exchanging; menses was just a thing that happened, but mostly when women were trying to get pregnant. Other times, they used pills or implants to just shut down menstruation entirely.[1]
I'd seen cultural attitudes at least as weird in my studies. Frankly, it was more in accord with certain realities than Western culture had been.
---
[1] All... um... related functionality was kept operational, of course. Some women with mild periods didn't bother. And a few didn't use them for religious reasons.
Generally it was expected a woman would just handle it. If you showed up for work - not required, though employers could request a doctor's exam for suspected malingering - you were saying, "I am ready to work." Accidental bloodstains were to be avoided; but no worse than, say, sneezing at the wrong time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreiba67gw42byducfhdx7n2cueo6n27i3hf4qp7njoct72bf5cp32za@jpeg)
January 17, 2026 at 2:26 PM
#TimeTravelAuthors 17. 'work' excerpt
In the timeline that we're in, for *this* footnote hit, it's safest for me to put up a CW. (Nothing explicit or even sexual about it.)
Wouldn't be an issue in the new timeline. 🤷
#ScienceFiction #SciFi
In the timeline that we're in, for *this* footnote hit, it's safest for me to put up a CW. (Nothing explicit or even sexual about it.)
Wouldn't be an issue in the new timeline. 🤷
#ScienceFiction #SciFi
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 17:
The MC gets to see the weapon of a famous past Empress - a steel rapier with filigree in electrum (an alloy of gold and silver). The steel gives strength, the electrum gives extra conductivity.
For a complete circuit, the filigree runs the length of the sword.
#SciFi
The MC gets to see the weapon of a famous past Empress - a steel rapier with filigree in electrum (an alloy of gold and silver). The steel gives strength, the electrum gives extra conductivity.
For a complete circuit, the filigree runs the length of the sword.
#SciFi
#JanuaryWorldbuilders, do you have any magical or otherwise special/important weapons or armor in your world? What do they do? Is there lore or a story behind how they came to be? Has is always been special or was it made that way through some critical event?
January 17, 2026 at 2:23 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 17:
The MC gets to see the weapon of a famous past Empress - a steel rapier with filigree in electrum (an alloy of gold and silver). The steel gives strength, the electrum gives extra conductivity.
For a complete circuit, the filigree runs the length of the sword.
#SciFi
The MC gets to see the weapon of a famous past Empress - a steel rapier with filigree in electrum (an alloy of gold and silver). The steel gives strength, the electrum gives extra conductivity.
For a complete circuit, the filigree runs the length of the sword.
#SciFi
#WIPSnips 17: gold
Many cultures have prized gold... but for varying reasons.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
Many cultures have prized gold... but for varying reasons.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
![Her 'bonnefemmie' continued. "A good [husband] is as gold.[1] Goddess could have followed Her pattern elsewhere, as with the bees. Men could have been small and rare."
She waved her hands expansively, taking in all of us in the outer ring. "Instead, see the bounty She pours out! Men are strong, to make our labors light. They are nurturing stewards of children, to make our families an oasis of love. They are not a scattered few, like the bokoowenjuhkeh.[2]
[1] Gold is prized here not just for its beauty, rarity, and easy malleability. It's also a good conductor that doesn't corrode.
[2] 'Social insects.' The basic reproductive scheme of ants and bees has been understood here for a long time, as well as their social nature. The early natural philosophy here put them in their own separate class from the other insects. Which led to some interesting consequences.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreie5tat6fcjtqbnf5shn76fhehcsn7lprr6afv7k2ysgwy7icea4ei@jpeg)
January 17, 2026 at 2:19 PM
#WIPSnips 17: gold
Many cultures have prized gold... but for varying reasons.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
Many cultures have prized gold... but for varying reasons.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
Reposted by Ray Ingles
#BookSky #ShortStory #ReaderSky #IndieAuthor 📚💙
"...who would they rather have defending their children's lives? A scared and confused girl, hiding in the bathroom...? Or an emotionally unstable paranoid schizophrenic prone to fits of narcissistic rage?"
LINK: m-walshwrites.itch.io/the-new-baby...
"...who would they rather have defending their children's lives? A scared and confused girl, hiding in the bathroom...? Or an emotionally unstable paranoid schizophrenic prone to fits of narcissistic rage?"
LINK: m-walshwrites.itch.io/the-new-baby...
January 10, 2026 at 8:33 PM
#BookSky #ShortStory #ReaderSky #IndieAuthor 📚💙
"...who would they rather have defending their children's lives? A scared and confused girl, hiding in the bathroom...? Or an emotionally unstable paranoid schizophrenic prone to fits of narcissistic rage?"
LINK: m-walshwrites.itch.io/the-new-baby...
"...who would they rather have defending their children's lives? A scared and confused girl, hiding in the bathroom...? Or an emotionally unstable paranoid schizophrenic prone to fits of narcissistic rage?"
LINK: m-walshwrites.itch.io/the-new-baby...
Reposted by Ray Ingles
The Trump Administration treats its supporters and donors as above the law, able to violate your rights with impunity.
Treat them accordingly.
Treat them accordingly.
NY Times: “Trump pardons a convicted fraudster for the second time.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/u...
Trump Sets Fraudster Free From Prison for a Second Time
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:01 PM
The Trump Administration treats its supporters and donors as above the law, able to violate your rights with impunity.
Treat them accordingly.
Treat them accordingly.
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 16: Weapon used by the villain/antagonist/foil
Women don't need *weapons* to take down men! When you're dealing with a few thousand volts, even brushing contact with a finger's all it takes.
In this timeline, a man attacking a woman is a diagnostic for insanity.
🧵 1/2
#SciFi
Women don't need *weapons* to take down men! When you're dealing with a few thousand volts, even brushing contact with a finger's all it takes.
In this timeline, a man attacking a woman is a diagnostic for insanity.
🧵 1/2
#SciFi
#JanuaryWorldbuilders. We talked about the MC (or another important character) yesterday. This time: what about their opposite? A villain? A foil? Someone else of importance in the story or lore? What weapon does that character use?
January 16, 2026 at 12:31 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 16: Weapon used by the villain/antagonist/foil
Women don't need *weapons* to take down men! When you're dealing with a few thousand volts, even brushing contact with a finger's all it takes.
In this timeline, a man attacking a woman is a diagnostic for insanity.
🧵 1/2
#SciFi
Women don't need *weapons* to take down men! When you're dealing with a few thousand volts, even brushing contact with a finger's all it takes.
In this timeline, a man attacking a woman is a diagnostic for insanity.
🧵 1/2
#SciFi
#WIPSnips 16: brain
Protip: Getting stranded in a wildly different alternate history is much harder if you don't have a copy of Wikipedia with you. Plan ahead!
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
Protip: Getting stranded in a wildly different alternate history is much harder if you don't have a copy of Wikipedia with you. Plan ahead!
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
![Atosho lectured. “Based on old legend. Boy in… forest. Animals take care of him, from small.”
We compared notes in our roundabout way. I mentioned Enkidu from the Epic of Gilgamesh[1] along with Romulus and Remus. Tarzan, and Mowgli from the Jungle Book.[2]
---
[1] I mean, think about that. This world had diverged before the fucking Epic of Gilgamesh.
[2] Who wrote that? My brain says Stevenson but I know that’s wrong. If I heard the name it would come back to me–one little reminder, that’s all. But I’ll never get that hint. “Tip of the tongue” memories are agonizing when you know you’ll never dig them up.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreifcrdhabauizqx75rmexw6cygzmmq2vy7et6amvgsx334bi6marnu@jpeg)
January 16, 2026 at 12:10 PM
#WIPSnips 16: brain
Protip: Getting stranded in a wildly different alternate history is much harder if you don't have a copy of Wikipedia with you. Plan ahead!
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
Protip: Getting stranded in a wildly different alternate history is much harder if you don't have a copy of Wikipedia with you. Plan ahead!
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
#TimeTravelAuthors 15: Cost?
Nuclear reactors cost a few billion €. More for a data center to do all the precalculations for a run. Plus, a bunch of the smartest and best-educated people on the planet to plan things and operate it. But the science is worth it.
(Until it's hijacked.)
#SciFiBooks
Nuclear reactors cost a few billion €. More for a data center to do all the precalculations for a run. Plus, a bunch of the smartest and best-educated people on the planet to plan things and operate it. But the science is worth it.
(Until it's hijacked.)
#SciFiBooks
January 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM
#TimeTravelAuthors 15: Cost?
Nuclear reactors cost a few billion €. More for a data center to do all the precalculations for a run. Plus, a bunch of the smartest and best-educated people on the planet to plan things and operate it. But the science is worth it.
(Until it's hijacked.)
#SciFiBooks
Nuclear reactors cost a few billion €. More for a data center to do all the precalculations for a run. Plus, a bunch of the smartest and best-educated people on the planet to plan things and operate it. But the science is worth it.
(Until it's hijacked.)
#SciFiBooks
#WIPSnips 15: manager
Vibing it. Jim's scored the career opportunity of a lifetime... thanks to his girlfriend's connections to a couple of Nobel winners.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
Vibing it. Jim's scored the career opportunity of a lifetime... thanks to his girlfriend's connections to a couple of Nobel winners.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
January 15, 2026 at 1:01 PM
#WIPSnips 15: manager
Vibing it. Jim's scored the career opportunity of a lifetime... thanks to his girlfriend's connections to a couple of Nobel winners.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
Vibing it. Jim's scored the career opportunity of a lifetime... thanks to his girlfriend's connections to a couple of Nobel winners.
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 15:
It's an alternate timeline. But even with cleaning robots, some things need the human touch. Mops are darn near universal; barely more complicated than the inclined plane and the lever.
Jim's an archer, but bows are rare in sanitariums. Mop handles, tho...
#SciFi
It's an alternate timeline. But even with cleaning robots, some things need the human touch. Mops are darn near universal; barely more complicated than the inclined plane and the lever.
Jim's an archer, but bows are rare in sanitariums. Mop handles, tho...
#SciFi
Alright, time to get into some of those weeds I promised! The theme of this week and next will be fighting-centric. Weapons and armor this week. Militaries next week. Today's #JanuaryWorldbuilders Q: What weapon(s) are used by your MC (or another important character?)
January 15, 2026 at 12:59 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 15:
It's an alternate timeline. But even with cleaning robots, some things need the human touch. Mops are darn near universal; barely more complicated than the inclined plane and the lever.
Jim's an archer, but bows are rare in sanitariums. Mop handles, tho...
#SciFi
It's an alternate timeline. But even with cleaning robots, some things need the human touch. Mops are darn near universal; barely more complicated than the inclined plane and the lever.
Jim's an archer, but bows are rare in sanitariums. Mop handles, tho...
#SciFi
Jim lies by omission constantly. Much of our world looks reprehensible in the eyes of the new timeline. For example, he *must* admit how women were often treated... in general. But he doesn't have to bring up *all* the details.
Or about himself. Even *to* himself, sometimes. No PTSD, right?
Or about himself. Even *to* himself, sometimes. No PTSD, right?
What’s the biggest lie your MC has ever told? Who did they lie to and why? #WritingPrompt
January 15, 2026 at 2:30 AM
Jim lies by omission constantly. Much of our world looks reprehensible in the eyes of the new timeline. For example, he *must* admit how women were often treated... in general. But he doesn't have to bring up *all* the details.
Or about himself. Even *to* himself, sometimes. No PTSD, right?
Or about himself. Even *to* himself, sometimes. No PTSD, right?
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 14:
Drink would be a spoiler, there's a whole party game involving a particular beverage in my WIP.
There's an evening snack, 'zaulee,' that usually involves something sweet. 'Hasheerocho' is common - deep-fried dumplings with a nut filling, often coated with fruit syrups.
Drink would be a spoiler, there's a whole party game involving a particular beverage in my WIP.
There's an evening snack, 'zaulee,' that usually involves something sweet. 'Hasheerocho' is common - deep-fried dumplings with a nut filling, often coated with fruit syrups.
Last question on our "society, broadly" theme for #JanuaryWorldbuilders. What food or drinks are popular in the society you've been talking about? If can be an MC's society, or any one you have an interesting answer for.
January 14, 2026 at 12:18 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 14:
Drink would be a spoiler, there's a whole party game involving a particular beverage in my WIP.
There's an evening snack, 'zaulee,' that usually involves something sweet. 'Hasheerocho' is common - deep-fried dumplings with a nut filling, often coated with fruit syrups.
Drink would be a spoiler, there's a whole party game involving a particular beverage in my WIP.
There's an evening snack, 'zaulee,' that usually involves something sweet. 'Hasheerocho' is common - deep-fried dumplings with a nut filling, often coated with fruit syrups.
#WIPSnips 14: current
Jim asks about the neural networks that are all over the place in the new timeline. (Too bad he's an anthropologist. An electrical engineer would know the word 'memristor.')
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
Jim asks about the neural networks that are all over the place in the new timeline. (Too bad he's an anthropologist. An electrical engineer would know the word 'memristor.')
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
![Moinupee was careful. "Do you know what an anehguhshau is?"
"Chay..." I'd figured out that meant 'resistor,' more or less.
"They use a special resistor, a 'sohmaidaiyoh.' It does not have a constant resistance. Its resistance depends on how much current has gone through it, in which direction." A jaygo. "It is easy to make [neural networks] from them." [1]
[1] Their 'kehrehgahdo' are actually made into a kind of fabric. It stores data and does computations at the same time. Analog, not digital, but with enough redundancy that they're very reliable.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreiegwdsv3n3afgi3ezdqrjdyi66d5dcdk7nrugbqrw5mjenyz2plbu@jpeg)
January 14, 2026 at 12:17 PM
#WIPSnips 14: current
Jim asks about the neural networks that are all over the place in the new timeline. (Too bad he's an anthropologist. An electrical engineer would know the word 'memristor.')
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
Jim asks about the neural networks that are all over the place in the new timeline. (Too bad he's an anthropologist. An electrical engineer would know the word 'memristor.')
#SciFi #ScienceFiction
Reposted by Ray Ingles
TENEMENT
House of Leaves x The Giver
Inside, the Tenement is an infinite maze of halls.
Outside, there is... Nothing.
When Noah Walker's mom mysteriously goes missing, he vows to learn the secrets of his strange world. Even if it means tearing the whole thing down.
#Bluepit #Bluepit📖 #YA #M #D
House of Leaves x The Giver
Inside, the Tenement is an infinite maze of halls.
Outside, there is... Nothing.
When Noah Walker's mom mysteriously goes missing, he vows to learn the secrets of his strange world. Even if it means tearing the whole thing down.
#Bluepit #Bluepit📖 #YA #M #D
January 13, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Ray Ingles
I got an anthology for Christmas, "Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century." And they're great. But you know what? The stories in the Accidental Time Travelers Collective trilogy are every bit as good as many of them, and in some cases better.
#TimeTravelAuthors
#TimeTravelAuthors
January 12, 2026 at 1:48 AM
I got an anthology for Christmas, "Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century." And they're great. But you know what? The stories in the Accidental Time Travelers Collective trilogy are every bit as good as many of them, and in some cases better.
#TimeTravelAuthors
#TimeTravelAuthors
Reposted by Ray Ingles
D13. As much as a time travel yarn can be. 🤣 Readers have commented on the realism though, calling it both 'hard boiled' and 'gritty', so I'll take that. I set out to make it grounded, but with that 'what if' element.
#timetravelauthors #writingcommunity
#amquerying #speclit #amediting #wipsnips
#timetravelauthors #writingcommunity
#amquerying #speclit #amediting #wipsnips
January 13, 2026 at 9:34 AM
D13. As much as a time travel yarn can be. 🤣 Readers have commented on the realism though, calling it both 'hard boiled' and 'gritty', so I'll take that. I set out to make it grounded, but with that 'what if' element.
#timetravelauthors #writingcommunity
#amquerying #speclit #amediting #wipsnips
#timetravelauthors #writingcommunity
#amquerying #speclit #amediting #wipsnips
![I frowned back. A stretch of mutual pantomime, and I learned two more words. ‘Muhdeehoi’ was the word for ‘shrug.’ Shrugs were ‘shupohdih’–rude.[1]
I blinked. Another minute or so, and I learned that palm-up-and-head-tilt gesture was called a ‘jaygo.’ That was the polite equivalent.
I recalled with a sinking feeling just how many times I’d shrugged in the past few days to indicate incomprehension. Might even account for some of my treatment up to now. I needed to retrain my reflexes–and quickly.
[1] And not merely accidentally rude; they carried connotations of deliberate disrespect.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreih4aaud5gigno3jhtqsymfk6hb3df5emrrbvkbd755o4jaxjky6ce@jpeg)
#TimeTravelAuthors 13: How realistic is your story?
#TimeTravel and wizardly genetic engineering aren't realistic.
But *if*? I've tried to make the *consequences* realistic. Scientifically, technologically, sociologically, linguistically, culturally, etc. And especially the human level!
#SciFi
#TimeTravel and wizardly genetic engineering aren't realistic.
But *if*? I've tried to make the *consequences* realistic. Scientifically, technologically, sociologically, linguistically, culturally, etc. And especially the human level!
#SciFi
January 13, 2026 at 12:21 PM
#TimeTravelAuthors 13: How realistic is your story?
#TimeTravel and wizardly genetic engineering aren't realistic.
But *if*? I've tried to make the *consequences* realistic. Scientifically, technologically, sociologically, linguistically, culturally, etc. And especially the human level!
#SciFi
#TimeTravel and wizardly genetic engineering aren't realistic.
But *if*? I've tried to make the *consequences* realistic. Scientifically, technologically, sociologically, linguistically, culturally, etc. And especially the human level!
#SciFi
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 13: Clothes worn in MC’s society
Male clothing tends to emphasize secondary sexual characteristics. Shoulders are bulked up, waists are narrow. And then there's the codpiece. Kind of like an athletic cup, worn on the outside - but fancier, far more varied, and colorful.
🧵 1/3
Male clothing tends to emphasize secondary sexual characteristics. Shoulders are bulked up, waists are narrow. And then there's the codpiece. Kind of like an athletic cup, worn on the outside - but fancier, far more varied, and colorful.
🧵 1/3
#JanuaryWorldbuilders! This week is about broad societal questions. What kind of clothes or accessories are worn in your MC's society? Feel free to post pictures of your characters if their clothes are a good representation of what is worn! It can be for everyday use or for special occasions.
January 13, 2026 at 12:18 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 13: Clothes worn in MC’s society
Male clothing tends to emphasize secondary sexual characteristics. Shoulders are bulked up, waists are narrow. And then there's the codpiece. Kind of like an athletic cup, worn on the outside - but fancier, far more varied, and colorful.
🧵 1/3
Male clothing tends to emphasize secondary sexual characteristics. Shoulders are bulked up, waists are narrow. And then there's the codpiece. Kind of like an athletic cup, worn on the outside - but fancier, far more varied, and colorful.
🧵 1/3
Reposted by Ray Ingles
#FantasyIndiesJanuary 12. Shout out Indies
There's too many!!
@sayaashrah.bsky.social
@ringles.bsky.social
@lcyruswhelchel.bsky.social
@voicesofvalhoon.bsky.social
@waltshuler.substack.com
@eliseswritings.bsky.social
@sagetgreene.bsky.social
@cblansdell.bsky.social
@triempery.bsky.social
There's too many!!
@sayaashrah.bsky.social
@ringles.bsky.social
@lcyruswhelchel.bsky.social
@voicesofvalhoon.bsky.social
@waltshuler.substack.com
@eliseswritings.bsky.social
@sagetgreene.bsky.social
@cblansdell.bsky.social
@triempery.bsky.social
January 13, 2026 at 12:32 AM
The *biggest* is a spoiler. Probably the second biggest is being completely honest with the local equivalent of police, when they ask him about the biggest one.
His fucks-to-give supply is quite low by that point.
His fucks-to-give supply is quite low by that point.
What’s a decision your MC makes that significantly alters the course of their journey? #WritingPrompt
January 12, 2026 at 5:11 PM
The *biggest* is a spoiler. Probably the second biggest is being completely honest with the local equivalent of police, when they ask him about the biggest one.
His fucks-to-give supply is quite low by that point.
His fucks-to-give supply is quite low by that point.
#WIPSnips 12: tentacle
'Limb' is as close as I come. Not an aquatic or eldritch work. 😂
No, Jim's stuck in a timeline where half of humanity can generate deadly electric shocks. Which changes combat just a tad.
(Guess which half?)
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
'Limb' is as close as I come. Not an aquatic or eldritch work. 😂
No, Jim's stuck in a timeline where half of humanity can generate deadly electric shocks. Which changes combat just a tad.
(Guess which half?)
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
![My expression was very sour; Atosho took over again. "Remember, women in his world did not have koganu. Men were required to step up into the role of punageekeh."
A smile at the word for 'male warriors.' "How did they fight? Just... hitting each other with sticks? Stabbing with spears?"
I nearly leapt in at that point, but Atosho unobtrusively waved me down and kept going, "It was perhaps a more brutal affair. Beating and cutting, but no koganu." She spread her hands. "Apparently they developed sword techniques quite as far as we did. More, in some ways; men could use larger weapons. Jeema[1] reports warriors actually amputating limbs or decapitating opponents - regularly. Commonly." A [shrug]. "Impressive, but not awe-inspiring. As if a Lihgaulehsu or Yoizoh[2] could be found in every [squad]."
---
[1] She was deliberately using the Linachu-friendly version of my name; [anthropological] precision was not useful here.
[2] Legendary warriors. One from ancient myth, the other from about five centuries ago.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:bu5ob3emr4yddctx53uitqhl/bafkreietslq7zvfujyozqlhrhwbazcupjecrtvawwr3ipsjgb3dmx37xgi@jpeg)
January 12, 2026 at 1:01 PM
#WIPSnips 12: tentacle
'Limb' is as close as I come. Not an aquatic or eldritch work. 😂
No, Jim's stuck in a timeline where half of humanity can generate deadly electric shocks. Which changes combat just a tad.
(Guess which half?)
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
'Limb' is as close as I come. Not an aquatic or eldritch work. 😂
No, Jim's stuck in a timeline where half of humanity can generate deadly electric shocks. Which changes combat just a tad.
(Guess which half?)
#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 11: Issues plaguing your world’s society?
Besides their version of the Anthropocene in full swing?
Well, there was a world war a few years back. Not unlike our WWII, a whole lot of men substituted for women pulled away to be soldiers or otherwise support the war.
🧵 1/x
Besides their version of the Anthropocene in full swing?
Well, there was a world war a few years back. Not unlike our WWII, a whole lot of men substituted for women pulled away to be soldiers or otherwise support the war.
🧵 1/x
Howdy, #JanuaryWorldbuilders! What's plaguing your fictional world's society? (Remember, just pick one or use the MC's society if you have several). Is there classism? Racism? Misogyny? Queerphobia? Is the government run by greedy tyrants? Or are things going relatively okay right now?
January 12, 2026 at 12:59 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 11: Issues plaguing your world’s society?
Besides their version of the Anthropocene in full swing?
Well, there was a world war a few years back. Not unlike our WWII, a whole lot of men substituted for women pulled away to be soldiers or otherwise support the war.
🧵 1/x
Besides their version of the Anthropocene in full swing?
Well, there was a world war a few years back. Not unlike our WWII, a whole lot of men substituted for women pulled away to be soldiers or otherwise support the war.
🧵 1/x
#TimeTravelAuthors 11: #TimeTravel tropes you love
I'm a fan of duelling time-meddlers and the Gambit Pileups that result. A humorous one-minute example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ET... (starts at the relevant bit)
I'm a fan of duelling time-meddlers and the Gambit Pileups that result. A humorous one-minute example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ET... (starts at the relevant bit)
Doctor Who | The Curse of Fatal Death | Part 1 | 4k
YouTube video by TJ DW
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January 11, 2026 at 3:12 PM
#TimeTravelAuthors 11: #TimeTravel tropes you love
I'm a fan of duelling time-meddlers and the Gambit Pileups that result. A humorous one-minute example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ET... (starts at the relevant bit)
I'm a fan of duelling time-meddlers and the Gambit Pileups that result. A humorous one-minute example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ET... (starts at the relevant bit)
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 12: What gestures/actions are considered good manners/etiquette?
Men greeting women perform a 'tehraitee,' a bow with hands pressed together at the sternum, plus a deep bow. (Flirty males might flex their pecs a bit as they do it.)
Women return a shallow bow.
🧵 1/3
Men greeting women perform a 'tehraitee,' a bow with hands pressed together at the sternum, plus a deep bow. (Flirty males might flex their pecs a bit as they do it.)
Women return a shallow bow.
🧵 1/3
#JanuaryWorldbuilders! Tell me more about your fictional society. What are some gestures or actions that are considered good etiquette? If you're writing about non-Earth societies, do they have any such actions/gestures that we don't use? Alternatively, do they have *rude* gestures?
January 11, 2026 at 2:14 PM
#JanuaryWorldBuilders 12: What gestures/actions are considered good manners/etiquette?
Men greeting women perform a 'tehraitee,' a bow with hands pressed together at the sternum, plus a deep bow. (Flirty males might flex their pecs a bit as they do it.)
Women return a shallow bow.
🧵 1/3
Men greeting women perform a 'tehraitee,' a bow with hands pressed together at the sternum, plus a deep bow. (Flirty males might flex their pecs a bit as they do it.)
Women return a shallow bow.
🧵 1/3