Ronnie Smart
@ronniesmart.bsky.social
Scottish-born Kiwi Writer of Dark Weird Horror, Poetry, and Flash Fiction. Nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Currently writing a dark fantasy novel.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
It turns out that the folks at Anthropic used two of my books to train their Large Language Models. I've gone and submitted my claim via the class action settlement. If you're an author whose work has been stolen, you should too
November 19, 2025 at 12:57 AM
It turns out that the folks at Anthropic used two of my books to train their Large Language Models. I've gone and submitted my claim via the class action settlement. If you're an author whose work has been stolen, you should too
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
We're an international embarrassment.
New Zealand slumps again in climate-change league table
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
New Zealand slumps again in climate-change league table
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
New Zealand slumps again in climate-change league table
"Backsliding" on climate policies means New Zealand is now ranked as "low-performing" in a major international index.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM
We're an international embarrassment.
New Zealand slumps again in climate-change league table
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
New Zealand slumps again in climate-change league table
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
got my hands on the first page of the newly released Epstein files. lots to dig into here.
November 18, 2025 at 11:22 PM
got my hands on the first page of the newly released Epstein files. lots to dig into here.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
This is outrageous. Authors, please read and pay close attention to your contracts.
Did you read my post from last week about how contract woes caused me to withdraw an accepted story from F&SF, ending my 54-year quest to be published in that magazine? But wait (as the saying goes) — there's more! Scroll down at the link for an update. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
A dream denied: My 54-year quest to publish a short story in F&SF ‹ Scott Edelman
www.scottedelman.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
This is outrageous. Authors, please read and pay close attention to your contracts.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
"Wilson said it was also upsetting for the production and design team, who had worked hard on the books."
Yeah, they had to type "evil cat" four times and then on the fifth round added "PLEASE NOT GARFIELD"
Yeah, they had to type "evil cat" four times and then on the fifth round added "PLEASE NOT GARFIELD"
Authors dumped from New Zealand’s top book prize after AI used in cover designs
Ockham Book Awards dropped two titles from contention after new guidelines introduced on artificial intelligence use
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
"Wilson said it was also upsetting for the production and design team, who had worked hard on the books."
Yeah, they had to type "evil cat" four times and then on the fifth round added "PLEASE NOT GARFIELD"
Yeah, they had to type "evil cat" four times and then on the fifth round added "PLEASE NOT GARFIELD"
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
@jeremyjenkins.net have you seen this?!?!
This mural has gone up in Kingston, ostensibly for Christmas but AI has ensured it's actually to celebrate the return of our dark lord Cthulhu
November 18, 2025 at 2:12 PM
@jeremyjenkins.net have you seen this?!?!
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
This has always been true and never has it been more starkly clear than with gen-AI.
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 AM
This has always been true and never has it been more starkly clear than with gen-AI.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
every author in the class action, please file the claim.
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:41 AM
every author in the class action, please file the claim.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
Hey Bluesky peeps, could you help spread the word?
My Shirley Jackson Award-nominated gothic fiction book THE ATROCITIES is on sale today for $1.99 on Kindle. I have no idea how long this sale will last.
www.amazon.com/Atrocities-J...
My Shirley Jackson Award-nominated gothic fiction book THE ATROCITIES is on sale today for $1.99 on Kindle. I have no idea how long this sale will last.
www.amazon.com/Atrocities-J...
November 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Hey Bluesky peeps, could you help spread the word?
My Shirley Jackson Award-nominated gothic fiction book THE ATROCITIES is on sale today for $1.99 on Kindle. I have no idea how long this sale will last.
www.amazon.com/Atrocities-J...
My Shirley Jackson Award-nominated gothic fiction book THE ATROCITIES is on sale today for $1.99 on Kindle. I have no idea how long this sale will last.
www.amazon.com/Atrocities-J...
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
I made the Monster Month pictures into a sweet little pocket book, the perfect stocking filler! You can get them here
www.lulu.com/spotlight/ha...
Along with my Very Hungry Great White Shark book and 2026 Calendar and some much, much older stuff from early b3ta days that I forgot was still on there.
www.lulu.com/spotlight/ha...
Along with my Very Hungry Great White Shark book and 2026 Calendar and some much, much older stuff from early b3ta days that I forgot was still on there.
November 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
I made the Monster Month pictures into a sweet little pocket book, the perfect stocking filler! You can get them here
www.lulu.com/spotlight/ha...
Along with my Very Hungry Great White Shark book and 2026 Calendar and some much, much older stuff from early b3ta days that I forgot was still on there.
www.lulu.com/spotlight/ha...
Along with my Very Hungry Great White Shark book and 2026 Calendar and some much, much older stuff from early b3ta days that I forgot was still on there.
When does Black Friday end? Does it end when the party is over? All good things must end. Does it end in cold November rain?
And Tuesday's grey. Wednesday, too.
It shouldn't start on Thursday, right? And I'm in love on Friday. Don't care much for shopping then, sorry.
And Tuesday's grey. Wednesday, too.
It shouldn't start on Thursday, right? And I'm in love on Friday. Don't care much for shopping then, sorry.
November 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
When does Black Friday end? Does it end when the party is over? All good things must end. Does it end in cold November rain?
And Tuesday's grey. Wednesday, too.
It shouldn't start on Thursday, right? And I'm in love on Friday. Don't care much for shopping then, sorry.
And Tuesday's grey. Wednesday, too.
It shouldn't start on Thursday, right? And I'm in love on Friday. Don't care much for shopping then, sorry.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
I just realized that WICKED is almost totally ripped-off from The Wizard of Oz and I can’t believe people aren’t talking about it.
November 17, 2025 at 1:23 AM
I just realized that WICKED is almost totally ripped-off from The Wizard of Oz and I can’t believe people aren’t talking about it.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
Top five film genres:
-Everything's black & white and French, a young girl drowns in the end
-Everything's black & white, it's London, a small-time con man runs for his life
-Peter Cushing dramatically lifts one index finger
-'it isn't real. the magic isn't real'
-someone drives a car in Iran
-Everything's black & white and French, a young girl drowns in the end
-Everything's black & white, it's London, a small-time con man runs for his life
-Peter Cushing dramatically lifts one index finger
-'it isn't real. the magic isn't real'
-someone drives a car in Iran
Top five film genres:
- someone is so horny that they die
- more uh-ohs for the working class
- movies everyone thinks are boring but me
- science fiction made for as little money as possible and is sort of about social issues
- something bad is happening in Japan or possibly France
- someone is so horny that they die
- more uh-ohs for the working class
- movies everyone thinks are boring but me
- science fiction made for as little money as possible and is sort of about social issues
- something bad is happening in Japan or possibly France
Top five film genres:
guy goes looking for Alfredo Garcia's head
guy joins the army and finds he can't die, uses this to figure out how to defeat the aliens after dying horribly about 1000 times
80s italian zombie movies
woman meets Cary Grant, he's an asshole, they fall in love
same but John Wayne
guy goes looking for Alfredo Garcia's head
guy joins the army and finds he can't die, uses this to figure out how to defeat the aliens after dying horribly about 1000 times
80s italian zombie movies
woman meets Cary Grant, he's an asshole, they fall in love
same but John Wayne
November 17, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Top five film genres:
-Everything's black & white and French, a young girl drowns in the end
-Everything's black & white, it's London, a small-time con man runs for his life
-Peter Cushing dramatically lifts one index finger
-'it isn't real. the magic isn't real'
-someone drives a car in Iran
-Everything's black & white and French, a young girl drowns in the end
-Everything's black & white, it's London, a small-time con man runs for his life
-Peter Cushing dramatically lifts one index finger
-'it isn't real. the magic isn't real'
-someone drives a car in Iran
Got drunk and listened to Nina Simone's 'Wild is the Wind'. It's all too much.
November 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Got drunk and listened to Nina Simone's 'Wild is the Wind'. It's all too much.
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
I can't believe I need to say this, but making an avatar of someone who's dead
Without (or even WITH) their permission
Is ghoulish & fucked up and there is something wrong w your humanity if you think a machine can replace or reproduce any human being that actually existed in this world
Without (or even WITH) their permission
Is ghoulish & fucked up and there is something wrong w your humanity if you think a machine can replace or reproduce any human being that actually existed in this world
November 14, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I can't believe I need to say this, but making an avatar of someone who's dead
Without (or even WITH) their permission
Is ghoulish & fucked up and there is something wrong w your humanity if you think a machine can replace or reproduce any human being that actually existed in this world
Without (or even WITH) their permission
Is ghoulish & fucked up and there is something wrong w your humanity if you think a machine can replace or reproduce any human being that actually existed in this world
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
I've turned another social media thread into a proper article, here's my review of the 2010 film 'Black Death' with Sean Bean!
You can read it here:
fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/film-revie...
Or here:
fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/13/f...
You can read it here:
fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/film-revie...
Or here:
fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/13/f...
November 13, 2025 at 3:19 AM
I've turned another social media thread into a proper article, here's my review of the 2010 film 'Black Death' with Sean Bean!
You can read it here:
fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/film-revie...
Or here:
fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/13/f...
You can read it here:
fakehistoryhunter.substack.com/p/film-revie...
Or here:
fakehistoryhunter.net/2025/11/13/f...
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
NZ Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is going to COP30 to sell our new embarrassing climate ambition on the world stage
#nzpol
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
#nzpol
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
'Embarrassing’: International climate expert at COP30 scorns NZ’s methane target
A veteran climate scientist says it's "unbelievable" that New Zealand has gone to the annual climate summit with a weaker target as global temperatures continue to rise.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 13, 2025 at 4:35 AM
NZ Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is going to COP30 to sell our new embarrassing climate ambition on the world stage
#nzpol
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
#nzpol
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
if i seem distressed today it's because i just learned that my hero, donald trump, is a pedophile who fucks kids
November 12, 2025 at 9:00 PM
if i seem distressed today it's because i just learned that my hero, donald trump, is a pedophile who fucks kids
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
If you enjoyed a book(s), here are 10 things you can do to exercise your enormous power as a reader and radically help the author. And every action here is free:
1. Post about the book on your socials, even if you think your following is small. Every single voice matters.
2. Review on... (cont.)
1. Post about the book on your socials, even if you think your following is small. Every single voice matters.
2. Review on... (cont.)
November 12, 2025 at 9:33 PM
If you enjoyed a book(s), here are 10 things you can do to exercise your enormous power as a reader and radically help the author. And every action here is free:
1. Post about the book on your socials, even if you think your following is small. Every single voice matters.
2. Review on... (cont.)
1. Post about the book on your socials, even if you think your following is small. Every single voice matters.
2. Review on... (cont.)
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
There are still tickets left to every Christchurch session at Terror-Fi Film Fest which is at Alice’s, a tiny theatre. Do people just not know about it? I’m going with my 19 year old kid to a few things, more on the Fi spectrum than the Terror, I’ll admit. terrorfifest.com/films/
Films | Terror-Fi Film Festival
terrorfifest.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:23 PM
There are still tickets left to every Christchurch session at Terror-Fi Film Fest which is at Alice’s, a tiny theatre. Do people just not know about it? I’m going with my 19 year old kid to a few things, more on the Fi spectrum than the Terror, I’ll admit. terrorfifest.com/films/
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
Reposted by Ronnie Smart
"No Mr Bond, I expect you to deliver 40-50 packages before your first piss break"
November 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
"No Mr Bond, I expect you to deliver 40-50 packages before your first piss break"