Val Nolan
banner
vallescurarule.bsky.social
Val Nolan
@vallescurarule.bsky.social
Co-author of Spec Fic for Newbies 1, 2, 3; author of Neil Jordan: Works for the Page; Sturgeon/BSFA/BFA finalist; Locus Rec List; articles in Irish Uni Review, symplokē, Science Fiction Studies, Irish Studies Review, JGNC; fiction in many venues... He/Him
Pinned
My three book projects together 😀 Neil Jordan: Works for the Page from Cork University Press, and Spec Fic for Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror vols. 1 & 2, co-authored with @tiffaniangus.bsky.social, available from @lunapress.bsky.social!
Reposted by Val Nolan
If you've never watched B5, now's the time to start. And as you do, you'll start to realise you're seeing TV transform from 20th to 21st century standards.
February 14, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Absolutely *stunning* sky out there this morning!
February 14, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Managed to sneak in a bike ride along the Greenway before dinner this evening 😀
February 13, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Another one of my favourite far-future Trek ship designs 😀
Here are all the space shots we get of the (32nd century) Intrepid class USS Sargasso in #StarfleetAcademy's "Come, Let's Away".
February 13, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
@vallescurarule.bsky.social & I got to hang out with @danielwillcocks.bsky.social The Writer's Chair pod/video cast (and Devils Rock Books) to talk about all things SFF/H and SPEC FIC FOR NEWBIES Vol 3 (@lunapress.bsky.social) ! Find the full video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wcw...
February 13, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Let Tawny Newsome make as much damn Star Trek as she wants.
I am 100% OK with Tawny getting full control of the Star Trek franchise at some point. She’d do it right.
February 13, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
*original post is referring to Jeffrey Combs
February 10, 2026 at 11:50 PM
This is just to say

I have combined
the memes
that were on your timeline

and which you
had probably
learned to unsee

forgive me
but the Dow
is over
50,000.
February 13, 2026 at 10:34 AM
No spoilers, but this week's Starfleet Academy gets *intense*.
February 13, 2026 at 9:41 AM
We had so much fun talking to @danielwillcocks.bsky.social this week about *Spec Fic for Newbies* & about all manner of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror topics!

From tomorrow you can catch the full chat with @tiffaniangus.bsky.social & I on The Writer's Chair pod/video cast: devilsrockbooks.com/podcast!
On The Writer’s Chair, we ask the hard questions…
Like: “What’s your favourite book?” 😈📚

Tomorrow: @tiffaniangus.bsky.social & @vallescurarule.bsky.social join us to talk Spec Fic for Newbies – Vol. 3

New episode drops tomorrow. 👻🎙️
devilsrockbooks.com/podcast
February 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Thinking about pre-ordering *Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3*, the third stand-alone entry in the writing guide series from @lunapress.bsky.social? Check out the subgenres and major tropes covered in the book here, and then head over to the Luna website: www.lunapresspublishing.com/product-page...
February 12, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Little friend dozing in the morning light 🐾
February 12, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Val Nolan
"Refusing is actually the more hopeful expansive vision of the future."

We don't have to accept AI. We don't have to accept technology that is being created so that the powers that be can treat us inhumanely.

The future is not settled.
More people should listen to @tressiemcphd.bsky.social

When people say AI is inevitable, let them know the future isn’t settled.
February 11, 2026 at 3:37 PM
"Disney can’t save Star Wars, but can they save Ken Starmer? In this op-ed, I will discuss..."
February 11, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
Delighted to share the full ToC for Best of British Science Fiction 2025. Pre-orders now available on the Newcon Press website! www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...
February 11, 2026 at 10:50 AM
My keyboard sounds particularly pleasing this morning. Obviously has *zero* bearing on what I'm writing 😂 but it's a fun sensory thing 😀 Makes the typos seem very satisfying 😂
February 11, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by Val Nolan
Everything Sophia puts here is great but this is next level. If you want a playlist of absolute banger soup to nuts classic movies then look at the replies here.
Name an anti fascist film
February 9, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Val Nolan
Typical, if you win a Oscar, you're an Irishman in the papers, but if you are a key member of the downfall of the British Prime Minster, suddenly it's Corkman this, Corkman that!
February 9, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
Here is a true thing and it has nothing to do with sales or marketing or my of that noise.

If your blood family sucks, come be with us. I get the privilege of inviting you to be an honorary X-Man and you get to ride in the Blackbird and steal Gambit’s beer and be part of a family that loves you.
February 9, 2026 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by Val Nolan
My favorite artifact in the "you don't need AI to do art" discourse is, of course, screenwriter Dan O'Bannon's sketch of the facehugger to explain it to Giger.
February 7, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
My piping hot take on PLURIBUS is that it’s one of the most Ghibli-esque shows on TV today, and people who think its pacing is too slow ought to really sit with and examine why they feel that slow pace = bad.

Its first season has several minutes worth of “mā”, and is much stronger for it, IMO
February 7, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Pre-orders are NOW OPEN for *Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3* by myself and @tiffaniangus.bsky.social! 🥳 Published by @lunapress.bsky.social! 😀 Find pre-order details and check out the subgenres and major tropes covered in the book here: www.lunapresspublishing.com/product-page...!
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Val Nolan
And we have lift off!

Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3 by me and @vallescurarule.bsky.social will be out from
@lunapress.bsky.social at the end of March! This one is .... green! (ooh! aah!)

Pre-order here:
www.lunapresspublishing.com/product-page...
February 6, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Have you checked out what the first stand-alone volume of our *Spec Fic for Newbies* writing guide series offers you?

Find it here www.lunapresspublishing.com/product-page... from @lunapress.bsky.social! Grab yourself a copy, start learning, and get writing! 😀
February 6, 2026 at 11:07 AM