TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
@tcparker.bsky.social
(Neuro)queer Luddite
1/2 of Nefarious Bat Press. Writer: TRADWIFE, SALTBLOOD, HUMMINGBIRD
PhD in media & politics. Work in social/cultural semiotics, CDA, material culture, storytelling. Rage as deep as the abyss
Fiction at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2rd9bj
1/2 of Nefarious Bat Press. Writer: TRADWIFE, SALTBLOOD, HUMMINGBIRD
PhD in media & politics. Work in social/cultural semiotics, CDA, material culture, storytelling. Rage as deep as the abyss
Fiction at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2rd9bj
Listened to Cat Burns' How To Be Human on my run this morning, and nearly burst into tears
I cannot tell you what a record like this, and an artist like her, would've meant to me as a weird, queer, autistic-but-didn't-know-it teenager/young adult
(As it was, I just had Gene's Olympian on repeat)
I cannot tell you what a record like this, and an artist like her, would've meant to me as a weird, queer, autistic-but-didn't-know-it teenager/young adult
(As it was, I just had Gene's Olympian on repeat)
Cat Burns - How To Be Human (Official Visualiser)
YouTube video by CatBurnsVEVO
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Listened to Cat Burns' How To Be Human on my run this morning, and nearly burst into tears
I cannot tell you what a record like this, and an artist like her, would've meant to me as a weird, queer, autistic-but-didn't-know-it teenager/young adult
(As it was, I just had Gene's Olympian on repeat)
I cannot tell you what a record like this, and an artist like her, would've meant to me as a weird, queer, autistic-but-didn't-know-it teenager/young adult
(As it was, I just had Gene's Olympian on repeat)
I'd agree with this. I've spent a long time defending the existence of the BBC, because I genuinely believe in PSB. But I'm no longer convinced at all that BBC News, or the BBC as a whole, is performing any sort of public service (1/2)
Personally I'd be pleased to see BBC News disappear entirely. To argue, as many do, that British politics or our news environment would be so much worse without the BBC you have to explain why British politics and news environment is so very bad with the BBC.
November 11, 2025 at 8:03 AM
I'd agree with this. I've spent a long time defending the existence of the BBC, because I genuinely believe in PSB. But I'm no longer convinced at all that BBC News, or the BBC as a whole, is performing any sort of public service (1/2)
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
The BBC withdrew from the Stonewall workplace scheme in 2021. Absolute lies
The language is word-for-word from gender-critical campaigning…
“Captured by Stonewall.”
“Trans agenda.”
“Biological sex, not gender identity.”
This isn’t media ethics, it’s an op-ed straight from the ‘Sex Matters’ / Transgender Trend’ playbook! 😖
“Captured by Stonewall.”
“Trans agenda.”
“Biological sex, not gender identity.”
This isn’t media ethics, it’s an op-ed straight from the ‘Sex Matters’ / Transgender Trend’ playbook! 😖
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The BBC withdrew from the Stonewall workplace scheme in 2021. Absolute lies
Moving house is horribly stressful - but there's no better person to do it with than @shaunamceleney.bsky.social (who has gone above & beyond the last week, & deserves a very large gin)
Happy to report: keys are returned, I have a bellyful of paneer roti... & hope to never meet another estate agent
Happy to report: keys are returned, I have a bellyful of paneer roti... & hope to never meet another estate agent
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Moving house is horribly stressful - but there's no better person to do it with than @shaunamceleney.bsky.social (who has gone above & beyond the last week, & deserves a very large gin)
Happy to report: keys are returned, I have a bellyful of paneer roti... & hope to never meet another estate agent
Happy to report: keys are returned, I have a bellyful of paneer roti... & hope to never meet another estate agent
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
In which Womble gives my story a specific call-out and blows my mind
On the blog this week - folk horror awaits in Hiding Under The Leaves edited by Donna Scott www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/11...
Hiding Under The Leaves edited by Donna Scott — Runalong The Shelves
I would like to thank The Slab Press for an advance copy of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review Publisher - The Slab Press Published - 5/11 Price - £18.99 paperback £5....
www.runalongtheshelves.net
November 9, 2025 at 1:07 PM
In which Womble gives my story a specific call-out and blows my mind
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
I honestly don’t get the value of this company. They hoover up energy and water. Their product constantly gets things wrong and, in extreme cases, coaches people into suicide.
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
I honestly don’t get the value of this company. They hoover up energy and water. Their product constantly gets things wrong and, in extreme cases, coaches people into suicide.
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
I'm not sure why anyone who actually knows how LLMs work would use ChatGPT - or any stochastic parrot
If I wanted plausible-seeming bullshit whispered at me in a sycophantic way, I'm confident I could find it without stealing anyone's work or poisoning their water supply
If I wanted plausible-seeming bullshit whispered at me in a sycophantic way, I'm confident I could find it without stealing anyone's work or poisoning their water supply
Hands up if you've never used Chat GPT ✋
(I feel like Dozer and Tank in The Matrix right now - at first I didn't use it because, rather ironically, I'm lazy and stubborn (peak Taurus energy there) - literally no, don't make me use the new thing I don't wanna. Now I'm glad I didn't 😅)
(I feel like Dozer and Tank in The Matrix right now - at first I didn't use it because, rather ironically, I'm lazy and stubborn (peak Taurus energy there) - literally no, don't make me use the new thing I don't wanna. Now I'm glad I didn't 😅)
Probably a good way to tell right now if the job you’re applying for is run by absolute dumbfucks is to ask if they’re using AI.
November 9, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I'm not sure why anyone who actually knows how LLMs work would use ChatGPT - or any stochastic parrot
If I wanted plausible-seeming bullshit whispered at me in a sycophantic way, I'm confident I could find it without stealing anyone's work or poisoning their water supply
If I wanted plausible-seeming bullshit whispered at me in a sycophantic way, I'm confident I could find it without stealing anyone's work or poisoning their water supply
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
"I don't normally share AI things..."
So fucking DON'T. Stop normalising the theft and bullshit machine.
So fucking DON'T. Stop normalising the theft and bullshit machine.
November 9, 2025 at 7:54 AM
"I don't normally share AI things..."
So fucking DON'T. Stop normalising the theft and bullshit machine.
So fucking DON'T. Stop normalising the theft and bullshit machine.
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
Freyja Stokes goes deep into the historical connections between European witchcraft and sex work, and draws out how #Pratchett uses these in the person of Mrs Palm. It's got history AND sexy puns...
This one's very reasonably-priced - it's free!
Read it now: www.speculativeinsight.com
This one's very reasonably-priced - it's free!
Read it now: www.speculativeinsight.com
November 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Freyja Stokes goes deep into the historical connections between European witchcraft and sex work, and draws out how #Pratchett uses these in the person of Mrs Palm. It's got history AND sexy puns...
This one's very reasonably-priced - it's free!
Read it now: www.speculativeinsight.com
This one's very reasonably-priced - it's free!
Read it now: www.speculativeinsight.com
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
One encouraging parallel to our “second Gilded Age” is that the first one ended partly because the corporations controlling critical infrastructure overextended themselves, investing heavily in technology they were certain would produce future profits, and then collapsed and enraged everyone
November 8, 2025 at 8:05 AM
One encouraging parallel to our “second Gilded Age” is that the first one ended partly because the corporations controlling critical infrastructure overextended themselves, investing heavily in technology they were certain would produce future profits, and then collapsed and enraged everyone
I love how, in a 20 year timeframe, we've "transitioned to a knowledge economy" - but somehow also unilaterally decided that knowing stuff is so fundamentally worthless, it can be outsourced to a Magic 8 Ball stuffed with pages from a thesaurus by a handful of sociopaths six thousand miles away
November 8, 2025 at 7:15 AM
I love how, in a 20 year timeframe, we've "transitioned to a knowledge economy" - but somehow also unilaterally decided that knowing stuff is so fundamentally worthless, it can be outsourced to a Magic 8 Ball stuffed with pages from a thesaurus by a handful of sociopaths six thousand miles away
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
Good morning! AI is being force-fed to you by a handful of billionaires who will lose a bunch of money if they fail to convince you that you need it. You do not need it 🫶
November 6, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Good morning! AI is being force-fed to you by a handful of billionaires who will lose a bunch of money if they fail to convince you that you need it. You do not need it 🫶
I know I keep saying this, but I'm SO EXCITED about this course...
I've been doing (and teaching) semiotic analysis for a living for the last 15 years - so to finally be able to apply it in a fiction writing context is sort of a dream come true...
I've been doing (and teaching) semiotic analysis for a living for the last 15 years - so to finally be able to apply it in a fiction writing context is sort of a dream come true...
A brand-new course coming up next year, with SEMIOTICS FOR STORYTELLING led by @tcparker.bsky.social kicking off in January! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/semiotics-... #storytelling #writing #writers #fiction #authors #stories #semiotics #course #courses
Semiotics for Storytelling with Dr Nat Edwards
A three-week course exploring the world of semiotics and the impact it can have on your storytelling.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 8:20 PM
I know I keep saying this, but I'm SO EXCITED about this course...
I've been doing (and teaching) semiotic analysis for a living for the last 15 years - so to finally be able to apply it in a fiction writing context is sort of a dream come true...
I've been doing (and teaching) semiotic analysis for a living for the last 15 years - so to finally be able to apply it in a fiction writing context is sort of a dream come true...
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
Thanks, Gabino!
My coming-of-age folk horror, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, releases in 5 days! If you love dark forests, black birds, old rituals, and haunted boys, this one's for you.
mybook.to/woundedbirds (I only need one more preorder to get me to my goal)
My coming-of-age folk horror, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, releases in 5 days! If you love dark forests, black birds, old rituals, and haunted boys, this one's for you.
mybook.to/woundedbirds (I only need one more preorder to get me to my goal)
November 7, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Thanks, Gabino!
My coming-of-age folk horror, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, releases in 5 days! If you love dark forests, black birds, old rituals, and haunted boys, this one's for you.
mybook.to/woundedbirds (I only need one more preorder to get me to my goal)
My coming-of-age folk horror, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, releases in 5 days! If you love dark forests, black birds, old rituals, and haunted boys, this one's for you.
mybook.to/woundedbirds (I only need one more preorder to get me to my goal)
I'm sure there must be bigger red flags than this, and lord knows it's been a while since I dipped a toe in the M/F dating pool. But to the man-loving ladies out there, I say:
If your Tinder match describes himself as an "Evolutionary Psychologist," upper case or otherwise...
Run.
If your Tinder match describes himself as an "Evolutionary Psychologist," upper case or otherwise...
Run.
This is the abstract of "Evolutionary Psychology and the Crisis of Empirical Rigor in Feminist Studies," from the forthcoming November 2025 issue of SEXUALITY & CULTURE.
You will hate this abstract more and more as every word passes through your brain. Trust me: the article is worse.
You will hate this abstract more and more as every word passes through your brain. Trust me: the article is worse.
November 7, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I'm sure there must be bigger red flags than this, and lord knows it's been a while since I dipped a toe in the M/F dating pool. But to the man-loving ladies out there, I say:
If your Tinder match describes himself as an "Evolutionary Psychologist," upper case or otherwise...
Run.
If your Tinder match describes himself as an "Evolutionary Psychologist," upper case or otherwise...
Run.
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
Spookiness aplenty for the season, with my four-week look at WRITING GHOST STORIES kicking off on the 18th November! And we're online, so you can haunt us from anywhere in the world... www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-gh... #ghoststory #ghoststories #course #courses #writingcourse #writingcourses
November 7, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Spookiness aplenty for the season, with my four-week look at WRITING GHOST STORIES kicking off on the 18th November! And we're online, so you can haunt us from anywhere in the world... www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-gh... #ghoststory #ghoststories #course #courses #writingcourse #writingcourses
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
The fact that 30% of our stock market is wrapped up in “help-kids-kill-themselves” technology seems to be an important datapoint in the evolution of late stage capitalism.
ChatGPT advised a suicidal young woman on how to take her own life, telling her "If you choose death, I'm with you - till the end, without judging."
I wanted ChatGPT to help me. So why did it advise me how to kill myself?
ChatGPT wrote a woman a suicide note and another AI chatbot role-played sexual acts with children, BBC finds.
www.bbc.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:20 AM
The fact that 30% of our stock market is wrapped up in “help-kids-kill-themselves” technology seems to be an important datapoint in the evolution of late stage capitalism.
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
It's been one month since A GAME IN YELLOW released! 💛
But this year also marks 130 years of THE KING IN YELLOW. There have been many stories inspired by it, and it was a pleasure of many kinds to play with this wonderful cursed book myself.
May we be telling stories of Carcosa for 130 years more.
But this year also marks 130 years of THE KING IN YELLOW. There have been many stories inspired by it, and it was a pleasure of many kinds to play with this wonderful cursed book myself.
May we be telling stories of Carcosa for 130 years more.
September 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
It's been one month since A GAME IN YELLOW released! 💛
But this year also marks 130 years of THE KING IN YELLOW. There have been many stories inspired by it, and it was a pleasure of many kinds to play with this wonderful cursed book myself.
May we be telling stories of Carcosa for 130 years more.
But this year also marks 130 years of THE KING IN YELLOW. There have been many stories inspired by it, and it was a pleasure of many kinds to play with this wonderful cursed book myself.
May we be telling stories of Carcosa for 130 years more.
Semiotics For Storytelling course tickets are now LIVE!! ⬇️
November 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Semiotics For Storytelling course tickets are now LIVE!! ⬇️
Every billionaire is a failure of our ability to function as a society
Every *millionaire* is a question mark at this point
If you have more money than you and your family need to live and thrive, and you hoard it like a fairytale dragon instead of using it helpfully - YOU are a failure
Every *millionaire* is a question mark at this point
If you have more money than you and your family need to live and thrive, and you hoard it like a fairytale dragon instead of using it helpfully - YOU are a failure
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
November 7, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Every billionaire is a failure of our ability to function as a society
Every *millionaire* is a question mark at this point
If you have more money than you and your family need to live and thrive, and you hoard it like a fairytale dragon instead of using it helpfully - YOU are a failure
Every *millionaire* is a question mark at this point
If you have more money than you and your family need to live and thrive, and you hoard it like a fairytale dragon instead of using it helpfully - YOU are a failure
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
November 7, 2025 at 7:39 AM
The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
BlueSky is automatically hiding posts with cuss words in them.
You may want to adjust your settings:
You may want to adjust your settings:
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
November 7, 2025 at 3:03 AM
BlueSky is automatically hiding posts with cuss words in them.
You may want to adjust your settings:
You may want to adjust your settings:
I don't even know what to say, except possibly: fuck this
Worth adjusting your settings
Worth adjusting your settings
BlueSky is automatically hiding posts with cuss words in them.
You may want to adjust your settings:
You may want to adjust your settings:
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
November 7, 2025 at 6:50 AM
I don't even know what to say, except possibly: fuck this
Worth adjusting your settings
Worth adjusting your settings
Is it in the room with us now?
AI pioneers claim human-level general intelligence is already here on.ft.com/3JERVRg
AI pioneers claim human-level general intelligence is already here
Tech leaders say systems now rival human intelligence in key tasks, further fuelling the superintelligence debate
on.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Is it in the room with us now?
Reposted by TC Parker/Dr Nat Edwards (she/her)
Learn about semiotics and storytelling from the author of Tradwife!
This is such a great concept, love it.
Semiotics is a brilliant tool for understanding how culture is changing. It makes so much sense to apply it to storytelling, to keep the writing culturally relevant & exciting!
🏳️🌈💙 #writingsky
This is such a great concept, love it.
Semiotics is a brilliant tool for understanding how culture is changing. It makes so much sense to apply it to storytelling, to keep the writing culturally relevant & exciting!
🏳️🌈💙 #writingsky
Very excited about this...
Want to learn more about semiotic analysis and cultural research - and how to apply them to your writing projects and practice?
Come join me and @alexdavis1981.bsky.social, and we can make it so!
Want to learn more about semiotic analysis and cultural research - and how to apply them to your writing projects and practice?
Come join me and @alexdavis1981.bsky.social, and we can make it so!
Semiotics for Storytelling with Dr Nat Edwards
A three-week course exploring the world of semiotics and the impact it can have on your storytelling.
www.eventbrite.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Learn about semiotics and storytelling from the author of Tradwife!
This is such a great concept, love it.
Semiotics is a brilliant tool for understanding how culture is changing. It makes so much sense to apply it to storytelling, to keep the writing culturally relevant & exciting!
🏳️🌈💙 #writingsky
This is such a great concept, love it.
Semiotics is a brilliant tool for understanding how culture is changing. It makes so much sense to apply it to storytelling, to keep the writing culturally relevant & exciting!
🏳️🌈💙 #writingsky