Ken Schneyer
@kenschneyer.bsky.social
Nebula-nominated writer of science fiction & fantasy, humanities professor, lawyer, amateur astronomer & genealogist, humanistic Jew. Born in Michigan but living in Rhode Island. Interested in nearly everything (except teen angst). https://kenschneyer.com
Pinned
Ken Schneyer
@kenschneyer.bsky.social
· Nov 15
All opinions expressed herein are STRICTLY AND ENTIRELY MY OWN, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer, any organization to which I belong, my relatives, or the nice lady who sells flowers downtown.
Got an actual, honest-to-goodness fan letter! (Well, fan e-mail.) Whee!
August 23, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Got an actual, honest-to-goodness fan letter! (Well, fan e-mail.) Whee!
Reposted by Ken Schneyer
@kenschneyer.bsky.social recommending a story about tax accountants for dragons
July 20, 2025 at 2:55 PM
@kenschneyer.bsky.social recommending a story about tax accountants for dragons
Across the US, university presidents, deans, and provosts are opening the academic year with the following nuanced, complex, and inspiring address:
"First, AI. AI AI: AI, AI AI AI AI. When AI, consider AI, not to mention AI, AI, AI, and AI. AI AI AI AI.
"In conclusion, AI AI AI AI AI."
"First, AI. AI AI: AI, AI AI AI AI. When AI, consider AI, not to mention AI, AI, AI, and AI. AI AI AI AI.
"In conclusion, AI AI AI AI AI."
August 19, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Across the US, university presidents, deans, and provosts are opening the academic year with the following nuanced, complex, and inspiring address:
"First, AI. AI AI: AI, AI AI AI AI. When AI, consider AI, not to mention AI, AI, AI, and AI. AI AI AI AI.
"In conclusion, AI AI AI AI AI."
"First, AI. AI AI: AI, AI AI AI AI. When AI, consider AI, not to mention AI, AI, AI, and AI. AI AI AI AI.
"In conclusion, AI AI AI AI AI."
Latest Mensa Research Journal contains an article supposedly describing the ways AI can be used to enhance human intelligence. About 1/3 through, I noticed that the article was unnecessarily repetitive and at a unhelpfully high level of abstraction.
1/
1/
June 19, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Latest Mensa Research Journal contains an article supposedly describing the ways AI can be used to enhance human intelligence. About 1/3 through, I noticed that the article was unnecessarily repetitive and at a unhelpfully high level of abstraction.
1/
1/
A portal-fantasy, time-travel story with Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie? Jeez, it's like the studio bosses said, "Let's market this to Ken."
#ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
#ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
June 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
A portal-fantasy, time-travel story with Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie? Jeez, it's like the studio bosses said, "Let's market this to Ken."
#ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
#ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
With the appearance of Hishashi Kujirai's Japanese version of "Laws of Impermanence" in Babelzine vol 4., my work has now been translated into seven (7) languages.
May 31, 2025 at 4:39 PM
With the appearance of Hishashi Kujirai's Japanese version of "Laws of Impermanence" in Babelzine vol 4., my work has now been translated into seven (7) languages.
Completing my panel-selection process for a con, and noticing how great is the temptation to opine on subjects as to which I am not remotely qualified...
May 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Completing my panel-selection process for a con, and noticing how great is the temptation to opine on subjects as to which I am not remotely qualified...
Reposted by Ken Schneyer
A lot of resistance work also will not SEEM like resistance work. People have a tendency to believe everything is dramatic like movies and comics when a lot of resistance is community building. Someone feeding friends who've had their SNAP cut is still doing something critical.
February 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
A lot of resistance work also will not SEEM like resistance work. People have a tendency to believe everything is dramatic like movies and comics when a lot of resistance is community building. Someone feeding friends who've had their SNAP cut is still doing something critical.
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.
/1
/1
February 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.
/1
/1
The United States might exist as a nationality or cultural identity regardless of what legal framework accompanies it.
But the United States as a POLITICAL and LEGAL ENTITY does not exist without the Constitution.
1/
But the United States as a POLITICAL and LEGAL ENTITY does not exist without the Constitution.
1/
February 12, 2025 at 4:10 AM
The United States might exist as a nationality or cultural identity regardless of what legal framework accompanies it.
But the United States as a POLITICAL and LEGAL ENTITY does not exist without the Constitution.
1/
But the United States as a POLITICAL and LEGAL ENTITY does not exist without the Constitution.
1/
Reposted by Ken Schneyer
There will be moments when you wonder if it's pointless to do the right and ethical thing; to still care about justice and helping others when it seems like the worst people are getting to rob everyone else without consequences.
Little actions still matter. Ethics still matter. Keep helping others.
Little actions still matter. Ethics still matter. Keep helping others.
February 4, 2025 at 3:30 PM
There will be moments when you wonder if it's pointless to do the right and ethical thing; to still care about justice and helping others when it seems like the worst people are getting to rob everyone else without consequences.
Little actions still matter. Ethics still matter. Keep helping others.
Little actions still matter. Ethics still matter. Keep helping others.
Reposted by Ken Schneyer
Disrupt.
And we disrupt by refusing to comply, pushing back against this absolute nonsense, and being vocal about what's happening, in a level that indicates how serious this moment in time is and how it is OVERWHELMINGLY unacceptable.
What would YOU do to save your country? Your loved ones?
And we disrupt by refusing to comply, pushing back against this absolute nonsense, and being vocal about what's happening, in a level that indicates how serious this moment in time is and how it is OVERWHELMINGLY unacceptable.
What would YOU do to save your country? Your loved ones?
February 4, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Disrupt.
And we disrupt by refusing to comply, pushing back against this absolute nonsense, and being vocal about what's happening, in a level that indicates how serious this moment in time is and how it is OVERWHELMINGLY unacceptable.
What would YOU do to save your country? Your loved ones?
And we disrupt by refusing to comply, pushing back against this absolute nonsense, and being vocal about what's happening, in a level that indicates how serious this moment in time is and how it is OVERWHELMINGLY unacceptable.
What would YOU do to save your country? Your loved ones?
Judging from the trailers, the production premise of "Fanastic Four: First Steps" seems to be that F4 is an artifact of the 1960s and must be presented as such. Given the failures of the previous attempts, this may be the best working theory.
February 4, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Judging from the trailers, the production premise of "Fanastic Four: First Steps" seems to be that F4 is an artifact of the 1960s and must be presented as such. Given the failures of the previous attempts, this may be the best working theory.
The 45/47 strategy at this point is to build as much unilateral control by one man as possible. The individual policies are nauseating, but he’ll sacrifice any one of them to get more of an iron grip elsewhere. /1
January 30, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The 45/47 strategy at this point is to build as much unilateral control by one man as possible. The individual policies are nauseating, but he’ll sacrifice any one of them to get more of an iron grip elsewhere. /1
Resisters in WW2 frequently used the appearance of well-intentioned incompetence to great effect.
When the Patriot Act was passed, libraries got requests for patrons’ borrowing history. We were prohibited from disclosing those requests.
We deleted and shredded those records and stopped tracking reading history for that reason.
ALSO.
We deleted and shredded those records and stopped tracking reading history for that reason.
ALSO.
January 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Resisters in WW2 frequently used the appearance of well-intentioned incompetence to great effect.
I have two (2) award-eligible short stories from 2024, so I'll remind you of them:
-- "Tamaza's Future and Mine", @asimovssfmag.bsky.social (July/Aug 2024).
-- "Winding Sheets", @lightspeedmagazine.com (#173, Oct 2024).
-- "Tamaza's Future and Mine", @asimovssfmag.bsky.social (July/Aug 2024).
-- "Winding Sheets", @lightspeedmagazine.com (#173, Oct 2024).
December 29, 2024 at 9:20 PM
I have two (2) award-eligible short stories from 2024, so I'll remind you of them:
-- "Tamaza's Future and Mine", @asimovssfmag.bsky.social (July/Aug 2024).
-- "Winding Sheets", @lightspeedmagazine.com (#173, Oct 2024).
-- "Tamaza's Future and Mine", @asimovssfmag.bsky.social (July/Aug 2024).
-- "Winding Sheets", @lightspeedmagazine.com (#173, Oct 2024).
Reposted by Ken Schneyer
Brief thread on how we got here: Since the GOP won control of the House 2 years ago they have not passed a single appropriations package into law. Government has operated at funding levels set by Dems 2 years ago via continuing resolutions every few months. This is not normal.
December 19, 2024 at 12:04 PM
Brief thread on how we got here: Since the GOP won control of the House 2 years ago they have not passed a single appropriations package into law. Government has operated at funding levels set by Dems 2 years ago via continuing resolutions every few months. This is not normal.
Just for the record:
I am *not* going to read every story ever written on/with a given theme, topic, setting, trope, technology, character quirk, magic system, or gimmick before writing one myself. I am not even going to read the "essential" ones.
"This has been done before" is okay with me.
I am *not* going to read every story ever written on/with a given theme, topic, setting, trope, technology, character quirk, magic system, or gimmick before writing one myself. I am not even going to read the "essential" ones.
"This has been done before" is okay with me.
December 9, 2024 at 1:01 AM
Just for the record:
I am *not* going to read every story ever written on/with a given theme, topic, setting, trope, technology, character quirk, magic system, or gimmick before writing one myself. I am not even going to read the "essential" ones.
"This has been done before" is okay with me.
I am *not* going to read every story ever written on/with a given theme, topic, setting, trope, technology, character quirk, magic system, or gimmick before writing one myself. I am not even going to read the "essential" ones.
"This has been done before" is okay with me.
December 8 again.
The anniversary of the deaths of my father, my grandfather, and (yeah) John Lennon.
Not my favorite day. *sigh*
The anniversary of the deaths of my father, my grandfather, and (yeah) John Lennon.
Not my favorite day. *sigh*
December 9, 2024 at 12:54 AM
December 8 again.
The anniversary of the deaths of my father, my grandfather, and (yeah) John Lennon.
Not my favorite day. *sigh*
The anniversary of the deaths of my father, my grandfather, and (yeah) John Lennon.
Not my favorite day. *sigh*
It doesn't matter that you're a lousy poker player, if everyone else at the table is worse.
December 5, 2024 at 5:08 PM
It doesn't matter that you're a lousy poker player, if everyone else at the table is worse.
I am now being followed by more people than I am following (and I haven’t been stingy with following people). This is the first time it’s happened to me, and I don’t quite know what to make of it.
November 27, 2024 at 6:36 PM
I am now being followed by more people than I am following (and I haven’t been stingy with following people). This is the first time it’s happened to me, and I don’t quite know what to make of it.
This is the problem:
No more vice-presidential nominees named Tim.
No more vice-presidential nominees named Tim.
November 19, 2024 at 3:38 PM
This is the problem:
No more vice-presidential nominees named Tim.
No more vice-presidential nominees named Tim.