Malcolm F. Cross
@foozzzball.bsky.social
Lazy. Writes. Is known to write fiction. Is almost fictional. Sometimes furry.
Homepage: https://sinisbeautiful.com/
Patreon: http://patreon.com/MalcolmFCross
Raw live draft for writing/creativity/motivation advice: #HacksawDraft
Homepage: https://sinisbeautiful.com/
Patreon: http://patreon.com/MalcolmFCross
Raw live draft for writing/creativity/motivation advice: #HacksawDraft
Pinned
Malcolm F. Cross
@foozzzball.bsky.social
· Sep 15
For the sake of promoting my own work, my latest novel, Mouse Cage, and its first pages. More details here: sinisbeautiful.com/mouse-cage/
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
In some ways a problematic take, but...
'There's a secret society that's lived alongside us for centuries? With their own culture, even language? That's rad as hell. ... Vampires?'
'Queer people.'
One reason among many I'm a fan and do my best to be an ally.
(Read up on LGBTQ+ history. SO RAD.)
'There's a secret society that's lived alongside us for centuries? With their own culture, even language? That's rad as hell. ... Vampires?'
'Queer people.'
One reason among many I'm a fan and do my best to be an ally.
(Read up on LGBTQ+ history. SO RAD.)
November 20, 2025 at 11:09 AM
In some ways a problematic take, but...
'There's a secret society that's lived alongside us for centuries? With their own culture, even language? That's rad as hell. ... Vampires?'
'Queer people.'
One reason among many I'm a fan and do my best to be an ally.
(Read up on LGBTQ+ history. SO RAD.)
'There's a secret society that's lived alongside us for centuries? With their own culture, even language? That's rad as hell. ... Vampires?'
'Queer people.'
One reason among many I'm a fan and do my best to be an ally.
(Read up on LGBTQ+ history. SO RAD.)
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
This is the version of the post that everyone needs to see. And all you readers/authors despairing of non-comprehension, etc, we are gaining new fans of fantasy and SF. It might not be the fantasy or SF you personally read, but they're reading and buying where they weren't before.
November 20, 2025 at 10:40 AM
This is the version of the post that everyone needs to see. And all you readers/authors despairing of non-comprehension, etc, we are gaining new fans of fantasy and SF. It might not be the fantasy or SF you personally read, but they're reading and buying where they weren't before.
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Today is the day to repost this meme about International Men's Day, one of the most unironically wholesome memes that has ever been made.
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Today is the day to repost this meme about International Men's Day, one of the most unironically wholesome memes that has ever been made.
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
Shoutout to all my fellow champs, chiefs, and kings. ✊
A quite late Bloggy update as I contemplate a pickle I've gotten myself into re: perfectionism hurting more than it helps. ( on my site at sinisbeautiful.com/occult-octob... and on Patreon).
Tl;Dr? I've been avoiding confronting my failures by working harder. And that's not healthy.
Tl;Dr? I've been avoiding confronting my failures by working harder. And that's not healthy.
Occult October
(Occult, in this sense, meaning hidden from view. Since this is late-mid November, you can guess that this late blog implies it’s been another surprisingly busy month and change.)I posted a short s…
sinisbeautiful.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM
A quite late Bloggy update as I contemplate a pickle I've gotten myself into re: perfectionism hurting more than it helps. ( on my site at sinisbeautiful.com/occult-octob... and on Patreon).
Tl;Dr? I've been avoiding confronting my failures by working harder. And that's not healthy.
Tl;Dr? I've been avoiding confronting my failures by working harder. And that's not healthy.
I'll talk about this more when it releases to the public, but there is a new short story* out on my Patreon for Patrons, who are getting a look two weeks early.
It is about art, and self-value, and discovering both.
* At around 7 000 words it is very nearly a Novelette.
It is about art, and self-value, and discovering both.
* At around 7 000 words it is very nearly a Novelette.
VVV (Short story) | Malcolm F. Cross
Get more from Malcolm F. Cross on Patreon
www.patreon.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I'll talk about this more when it releases to the public, but there is a new short story* out on my Patreon for Patrons, who are getting a look two weeks early.
It is about art, and self-value, and discovering both.
* At around 7 000 words it is very nearly a Novelette.
It is about art, and self-value, and discovering both.
* At around 7 000 words it is very nearly a Novelette.
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Genghis Khan by Miike Snow has perhaps the best music video ever made (in my opinion) ((which is correct))
November 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Genghis Khan by Miike Snow has perhaps the best music video ever made (in my opinion) ((which is correct))
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
One of my favourite new things is investment bankers asking for "an hour of my time" for free to "go over my numbers" who then get very upset when I say that I want to be paid
November 14, 2025 at 7:36 PM
One of my favourite new things is investment bankers asking for "an hour of my time" for free to "go over my numbers" who then get very upset when I say that I want to be paid
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
New #WriterBeware blog post: Yet another in the growing catalog of AI-driven writing scams from Nigeria: a multi-layered marketing/editing referral scheme that begins with a message or email from someone purporting to be a well-known author writerbeware.blog/2025/11/14/i...
If a Famous Author Calls, Hang Up: Anatomy of an Impersonation Scam - Writer Beware
You open your email program one morning. The usual work stuff. Some spam (annoying that it got past your filters!). A couple of newsletters (maybe later). You sip your coffee, scroll down. Wait. What’...
writerbeware.blog
November 14, 2025 at 6:10 PM
New #WriterBeware blog post: Yet another in the growing catalog of AI-driven writing scams from Nigeria: a multi-layered marketing/editing referral scheme that begins with a message or email from someone purporting to be a well-known author writerbeware.blog/2025/11/14/i...
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
It looks like this. (Tl:dr; an outlining system that's worked for me for more than forty years.) www.dianeduane.com/outofambit/2...
November 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
It looks like this. (Tl:dr; an outlining system that's worked for me for more than forty years.) www.dianeduane.com/outofambit/2...
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Huh.
I never knew about this teaching method. Suddenly, some of the most annoying people online being American makes even more more sense.
On top of the galaxy-sized ego, they actually do not understand what they are reading.
I never knew about this teaching method. Suddenly, some of the most annoying people online being American makes even more more sense.
On top of the galaxy-sized ego, they actually do not understand what they are reading.
November 14, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Huh.
I never knew about this teaching method. Suddenly, some of the most annoying people online being American makes even more more sense.
On top of the galaxy-sized ego, they actually do not understand what they are reading.
I never knew about this teaching method. Suddenly, some of the most annoying people online being American makes even more more sense.
On top of the galaxy-sized ego, they actually do not understand what they are reading.
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Morgan Freeman is taking legal action over AI clones of his voice
"I'm a little pissed off ... don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you're robbing me"
(via Guardian)
"I'm a little pissed off ... don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you're robbing me"
(via Guardian)
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Morgan Freeman is taking legal action over AI clones of his voice
"I'm a little pissed off ... don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you're robbing me"
(via Guardian)
"I'm a little pissed off ... don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you're robbing me"
(via Guardian)
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Cover reveal!
Robot cats, four hundred drunk rabbits, a kitsune fighter pilot, and a gerbil who thinks she’s James Bond.
A collection of speculative fiction stories, featuring creatures, from Ursa Major and Cóyotl Award winner @huskyteer.co.uk
Cover art and design by @czgoldedition.bsky.social
Robot cats, four hundred drunk rabbits, a kitsune fighter pilot, and a gerbil who thinks she’s James Bond.
A collection of speculative fiction stories, featuring creatures, from Ursa Major and Cóyotl Award winner @huskyteer.co.uk
Cover art and design by @czgoldedition.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Cover reveal!
Robot cats, four hundred drunk rabbits, a kitsune fighter pilot, and a gerbil who thinks she’s James Bond.
A collection of speculative fiction stories, featuring creatures, from Ursa Major and Cóyotl Award winner @huskyteer.co.uk
Cover art and design by @czgoldedition.bsky.social
Robot cats, four hundred drunk rabbits, a kitsune fighter pilot, and a gerbil who thinks she’s James Bond.
A collection of speculative fiction stories, featuring creatures, from Ursa Major and Cóyotl Award winner @huskyteer.co.uk
Cover art and design by @czgoldedition.bsky.social
There's a really interesting presupposition here around continuity - which many have commented on - but, my take?
Bond's continuity, structurally, moves in 'phases'. And they run in parallel, borrow from each other, but exist by themselves.
They're independent in a fascinating way.
🧵
Bond's continuity, structurally, moves in 'phases'. And they run in parallel, borrow from each other, but exist by themselves.
They're independent in a fascinating way.
🧵
James Bond’s death in No Time to Die is causing a nightmare for the next film. Writers are stuck because Bond “was blown to pieces.”
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
November 11, 2025 at 3:32 PM
There's a really interesting presupposition here around continuity - which many have commented on - but, my take?
Bond's continuity, structurally, moves in 'phases'. And they run in parallel, borrow from each other, but exist by themselves.
They're independent in a fascinating way.
🧵
Bond's continuity, structurally, moves in 'phases'. And they run in parallel, borrow from each other, but exist by themselves.
They're independent in a fascinating way.
🧵
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
November 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
People who misunderstand GenAI and think it's a good thing to create a flood of 'art' are making a gentler version of the following error:
'I like receiving birthday cards. Thus, a magic button that gives me a birthday card every time I push it would be good.'
They don't understand what they want.
'I like receiving birthday cards. Thus, a magic button that gives me a birthday card every time I push it would be good.'
They don't understand what they want.
November 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
People who misunderstand GenAI and think it's a good thing to create a flood of 'art' are making a gentler version of the following error:
'I like receiving birthday cards. Thus, a magic button that gives me a birthday card every time I push it would be good.'
They don't understand what they want.
'I like receiving birthday cards. Thus, a magic button that gives me a birthday card every time I push it would be good.'
They don't understand what they want.
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
It's important to keep pointing this out about the many people who have gone the same way. Too often we suggest or imply that the trans moral panic merely allowed these people to be who they always were. Not true. We're seeing a process of *radicalisation*. We can't fix things unless we name them.
Transphobia is a pipeline to the far right. An example:
Suzanne Moore used to be a left wing columnist at the Guardian.
Then came the anti-trans panic. Despite the Guardian also promoting it, it wasn’t enough & she left.
Moore is now complaining about wokeness over the Irish famine & colonialism.
Suzanne Moore used to be a left wing columnist at the Guardian.
Then came the anti-trans panic. Despite the Guardian also promoting it, it wasn’t enough & she left.
Moore is now complaining about wokeness over the Irish famine & colonialism.
Suzanne Moore, who would rather be locked up than pay her BBC licence fee because the BBC is too nice to trans people for her liking.
November 10, 2025 at 7:51 AM
It's important to keep pointing this out about the many people who have gone the same way. Too often we suggest or imply that the trans moral panic merely allowed these people to be who they always were. Not true. We're seeing a process of *radicalisation*. We can't fix things unless we name them.
Structurally, Generative AI systems solve a major problem: Discoverability. When search engines are clogged with GenAI garbage, finding things is impossible. So generate more garbage instead of searching!
So the problem gets worse. Making GenAI more attractive.
I wonder if this was the plan.
So the problem gets worse. Making GenAI more attractive.
I wonder if this was the plan.
November 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Structurally, Generative AI systems solve a major problem: Discoverability. When search engines are clogged with GenAI garbage, finding things is impossible. So generate more garbage instead of searching!
So the problem gets worse. Making GenAI more attractive.
I wonder if this was the plan.
So the problem gets worse. Making GenAI more attractive.
I wonder if this was the plan.
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
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 Malcolm F. Cross
All Landlords Are Bastards, and leaseholding is some outdated Victorian era quasi-extortion racket shit that should be outlawed but this guy is a fuly on cunt. Stay for the kicker of "Yes I'm up in court on a stalking charge but I demand you send me the home address of one of your female reporters."
“It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car,” one woman who paid Milne tens of thousands of pounds told us. “He has just wiped me out.”
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived
Exclusive: The Tribune can reveal that Andrew Milne has threatened leaseholders with high court action. It ‘broke my heart’ one woman says
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 7:45 AM
All Landlords Are Bastards, and leaseholding is some outdated Victorian era quasi-extortion racket shit that should be outlawed but this guy is a fuly on cunt. Stay for the kicker of "Yes I'm up in court on a stalking charge but I demand you send me the home address of one of your female reporters."
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
The best time to stop using Spotify was when people were getting paid in literal fractions of a penny for streams--something that can actually mean artists *lose* money in certain circumstances.
The next best time is now.
The next best time is now.
Now we know where all that Spotify money is going. Not to the artists - perish the thought. No, the CEO has invested it all in AI weaponry designed to kill humans. I wish this were a joke.
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Spotify boycott: Artists leave 'garbage hole' platform after CEO invests in AI weapons
Daniel Ek's investments in AI dronemaker Helsing have unnerved artists. One called Spotify a "violent armageddon portal."
www.latimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The best time to stop using Spotify was when people were getting paid in literal fractions of a penny for streams--something that can actually mean artists *lose* money in certain circumstances.
The next best time is now.
The next best time is now.
The line about 'thought leadership writers' being some of the heaviest users resulted in a very dark chuckle over here.
New report on writers and the use of gen AI and their views of it, including an entirely predictable set of reactions from fiction writers who do/don't use AI in their work www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
New Report Examines Writers’ Attitudes toward AI
A study commissioned by the Gotham Ghostwriters and Bernoff.com found that while 61% of professional writers are embracing AI tools, authors, specifically fiction authors, are much more wary.
www.publishersweekly.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:40 PM
The line about 'thought leadership writers' being some of the heaviest users resulted in a very dark chuckle over here.
Just had my first pocket post as I put my phone away. Milestones!
November 5, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Just had my first pocket post as I put my phone away. Milestones!
Reposted by Malcolm F. Cross
I feel we can very effectively kill the domestic robot business right now by saying "the robot is just a person watching you remotely through a camera... and you have no idea if they're jerking off to you or not."
Household robots: what we were promised/what we’re getting
October 30, 2025 at 2:29 AM
I feel we can very effectively kill the domestic robot business right now by saying "the robot is just a person watching you remotely through a camera... and you have no idea if they're jerking off to you or not."