Jay
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tarvolon.bsky.social
Jay
@tarvolon.bsky.social
SFF book blogger, sports pluralist (mostly Vols, Canes, and Courage, some USA, O’s, Dockers, Ravens, Valencia CF), Dad x3.
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Eligibility post:

I’m Hugo-eligible for Best Fan Writer for my blogging at Tar Vol On and work facilitating discussion for the Hugo Readalong and Short Fiction Book Club

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Reviewed The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel www.tarvolon.com/2026/02/10/s...
Sci-fi Book Review: The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel
Review of Matthew Kressel's mosaic-adjacent Tordotcom sci-fi novella The Rainseekers.
www.tarvolon.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Reposted by Jay
February 8, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Jay
i forget who made it but it cracks me up lol
February 8, 2026 at 10:54 AM
😮
February 8, 2026 at 1:39 AM
My *second* ever print ARC—so exciting!
February 7, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by Jay
Got another review up: When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory www.tarvolon.com/2026/02/03/s...
Sci-fi Book Review: When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
Review of a standalone literary sci-fi novel, When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
www.tarvolon.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Got another review up: When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory www.tarvolon.com/2026/02/03/s...
Sci-fi Book Review: When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
Review of a standalone literary sci-fi novel, When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
www.tarvolon.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
The schools last week: we’re canceling every day because *some* people haven’t shoveled their sidewalks and it’s dangerous for walkers.

Where the school dismisses their walkers:
February 2, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Jay
ICYMI this is a great roundup that includes my new fantasy novelette “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife.” Issue 1 of @adventitiouswords.bsky.social is great. Totally worth getting. Find it here: www.adventitious.net/shop/
February 2, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Blowing multi-goal leads two days in a row…where have I heard this before?
February 1, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Dang that was slick from Nikishin
February 1, 2026 at 8:18 PM
The annual tradition: I’m stoked to see Locus recommend my favorites in the length-categories where I’ve read < 30 things (The Dream Hotel! Shroud! The Apologists!) and am raging at them missing my favorites in the categories where I’m in super deep (The Name Ziya! Liecraft! Barbershops!)
February 1, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Jay
So very keen to see @cornellwriter.bsky.social's "The Soundtrack of My Afterlife" in Jay's roundup. It's a lovely story that deserves a lot of love.
January 31, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Jay
Happy Saturday! I’ve got a roundup of my January reading and reviewing, including my favorite novel of 2025 and a short fiction section that’s all favorites www.tarvolon.com/2026/01/31/j...
January 2026 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
Mini-reviews and links for the sci-fi and fantasy I read in January 2026, both novels and shorts, with standouts from Laila Lalami, Kij Johnson, and Thomas Ha.
www.tarvolon.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by Jay
I love what @tarvolon.bsky.social had to say about my novelette “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife” (included in @adventitiouswords.bsky.social Issue 1). Read about it below. Also, reminder that today is the last day to subscribe to my newsletter to get your free playlist that goes with this story.
January 31, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Happy Saturday! I’ve got a roundup of my January reading and reviewing, including my favorite novel of 2025 and a short fiction section that’s all favorites www.tarvolon.com/2026/01/31/j...
January 2026 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
Mini-reviews and links for the sci-fi and fantasy I read in January 2026, both novels and shorts, with standouts from Laila Lalami, Kij Johnson, and Thomas Ha.
www.tarvolon.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by Jay
The /Canes were down 4-2 with two minutes remaining. They won 5-4 in regulation. 🤯

#NHLStats: https://media.nhl.com/public/live-updates?date=2026-01-29&utm_source=xdotcom&utm_medium=nhl_social+&utm_campaign=pr
January 30, 2026 at 3:01 AM
What is happening?!?!?
January 30, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Oh fuck off, Sergachev. A dangerous hit and then gloating about it 😡
January 30, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Switched from a horrendous quarter of women’s basketball to a horrendous period of hockey 🤦‍♂️
January 30, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Jay
I don’t read a lot of speculative litfic, but The Dream Hotel might be the best I’ve ever encountered. Easily tops my 2025 list www.tarvolon.com/2026/01/29/s...
Sci-fi Book Review: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami is a speculative literary fiction novel about algorithmic policing and its human consequences. Stunning, and all too real.
www.tarvolon.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I don’t read a lot of speculative litfic, but The Dream Hotel might be the best I’ve ever encountered. Easily tops my 2025 list www.tarvolon.com/2026/01/29/s...
Sci-fi Book Review: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami is a speculative literary fiction novel about algorithmic policing and its human consequences. Stunning, and all too real.
www.tarvolon.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:31 AM
Reposted by Jay
“Take Flight” by @danpeacock.bsky.social (Winter ‘26) is “a story that expertly blends the small-scale storyline with big questions about family and morality…”
It’s a bit early to have a favorite story of the year, but my favorite of the sixteen 2026-published short works I’ve read is reviewed here in my Magazine Minis, featuring Asimov’s and Kaleidotrope www.tarvolon.com/2026/01/26/t...
Tar Vol's Magazine Minis: Asimov's and Kaleidotrope
Tar Vol's January 2026 Magazine Minis features reviews of sci-fi and fantasy short fiction from Asimov's and Kaleidotrope, with a standout tale by Dan Peacock
www.tarvolon.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Jay
Who out there is eccing/reviewing short fiction not behind a paywall? I know @runalongwomble.bsky.social, @tarvolon.bsky.social, @wyrmholemag.bsky.social, and the various short fiction Reactor columns. Who else?
January 28, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Reposted by Jay
For those who don’t want to click, that favorite of the month is “Take Flight” by @danpeacock.bsky.social, pairing a small-scale story of finding a thought-extinct bird with big family disputes about leaving a dying earth kaleidotrope.net/winter-2026/...
“Take Flight” by Dan Peacock
kaleidotrope.net
January 27, 2026 at 2:35 PM