M. R. Robinson
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mruthrobinson.bsky.social
M. R. Robinson
@mruthrobinson.bsky.social
MR, she/her. writer, teacher, tired · reader at Diabolical Plots · Clarion West ‘25 · VP2024 · SFWA · Codex · words at BCS, Small Wonders, Haven Spec, elsewhere · co-founder of @othersidespec.bsky.social 🪐 🗡️ 🌈

https://m-r-robinson.com
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Okay, okay, I give in, it’s 2025 awards eligibility time! I still have December stories coming, which means I cannot yet bring myself to make an extra-fancy graphic or a full long thread, but… until then, I hope you’ll consider reading some of my stories! Will link a couple favorites in the 🧵 (1/4)
Hello from the academic job market, things are rough out here, today I am trying to decide if I should apply to the university that makes you sign a code of conduct promising to never dance again.
November 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Our November newsletter is out! Join us on Patreon (for free!) if you want behind-the-scenes stats from our Kickstarter campaign, a handy overview of our nonfiction/reprints opening on the 24th, and… an introduction to our intern of the month, PEACHES!

🍑 www.patreon.com/posts/newsle...
November 15, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
It's Straith's awards eligibility post for 2025!!

I'm putting forward two of the three stories I had published this year for your consideration. I'd love especially if you'd consider "Fishwife" for the Aurora Award for Short Fiction, since it's my mémère story 💜
November 15, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
(Small correction to the below: Deadline is Nov. 15th, not 14th.)
Reminder:

Please submit recommendations by Nov. 14th for the Otherwise Award jury to consider! Nominate works of speculative fiction - #sciencefiction, #fantasy, and more - that expand or explore our notions of gender:

otherwiseaward.org/award/2025-o...
2025 Otherwise Award Recommendations « Otherwise Award
Recommend works here for the Otherwise Award jurors to consider!
otherwiseaward.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Out today! Super excited to share a new essay with you: “The Duchess Who Invented Science Fiction,” a silly and sincere ode to my beloved Margaret Cavendish, a 17th-century duchess who teaches us to 1. think speculatively and 2. wear ridiculous outfits.

compellingsciencefiction.com/posts/the-du...
November 12, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
it's award nomination season! here is my award eligibility post for 2025. I had one short story out, and I'm so proud of this queer cyberpunk/anti-corporation piece.

🌆"To Access Seven Obelisks, Press Enter" by V.M. Ayala - Lightspeed, Aug 2025 (Issue 183)

www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/to-a...
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Okay, okay, I give in, it’s 2025 awards eligibility time! I still have December stories coming, which means I cannot yet bring myself to make an extra-fancy graphic or a full long thread, but… until then, I hope you’ll consider reading some of my stories! Will link a couple favorites in the 🧵 (1/4)
November 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
On August 12, 1971, 16-year-old me mailed the first story I ever wrote off on its first submission to my dream market, F&SF. My tale was quickly rejected. On July 17th, 2025, I finally sold a story to that magazine. Here's why I felt I had to withdraw that story. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
November 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Out today! Super excited to share a new essay with you: “The Duchess Who Invented Science Fiction,” a silly and sincere ode to my beloved Margaret Cavendish, a 17th-century duchess who teaches us to 1. think speculatively and 2. wear ridiculous outfits.

compellingsciencefiction.com/posts/the-du...
November 12, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I’ve been having a Hard And Miserable Time for a couple of months now, especially this past week. But tonight my wife came home with all the supplies for the coziest evening imaginable and dragged me away from work to watch an awful holiday movie. And… maybe everything is going to be okay, actually?
November 12, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Convincing you to read my short story with the first sentence. Share yours... because I am behind on my 2025 reading, and I need allll the reading recs!

(If you like stories about grief, ghosts, and exceptionally good dogs, you can read "Handsomest Gentlest" here: www.havenspec.com/handsomest-g...)
November 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
2025 AWARDS ELIGIBILITY POST
Y'all, it's time. And while I had a record number of publications this year (the Disney Essays, reprints, multiple short stories), I wanted to focus on two specific stories. (1)
November 9, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Reminder, we open to nonfiction and reprint submissions in two weeks! For reprints, we're specifically looking for stories currently unavailable to read online for free! For nonfiction, we're looking for completed pieces, not pitches.

📝Our full guidelines: othersidespec.com/guidelines/
November 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Sometimes I wonder if our many years of jokes about writers hating writing and doing anything but writing, etc, have convinced people that the writing part is the hurdle and the goal is just to have a thing in hand. But I am here to tell you: the writing is the best part. The act is the thing.
November 9, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Did you know that FF is on Instagram? Trying to get more active there as I attempt to hedge my bets against inevitable future platform death by actually being present on more than one service.

You could be follower #500!

www.instagram.com/fusionfragme...
November 9, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Yeah :D
November 9, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
sijo from a spaceship escaping a dying planet 
by Annie Bolger

"what season is space?"

Link ⬇️
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/po...
November 7, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
Like I said, I'm still reading, but these are at the tippy top of my brain going into November. I'll post more as the months pass.

And I'd also like to drop a note about one of my own stories, "Six People to Revise You," from @uncannymagazine.bsky.social

www.uncannymagazine.com/article/six-...
Six People to Revise You - Uncanny Magazine
A parent or guardian Someone who has known you since childhood A mentor or teacher An employer or coworker A spouse, partner, or close intimate friend Someone who does not consider themself a loved on...
www.uncannymagazine.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
"Handsomest Gentlest" by @mruthrobinson.bsky.social . Everything they wrote this year slapped. This was one of my favorites. @havenspec.bsky.social

www.havenspec.com/handsomest-g...
Handsomest Gentlest by M. R. Robinson, Haven Spec Magazine
Fiction and Poetry for the 21st Century!
www.havenspec.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:56 PM
I’m really enjoying all of your 2025 wrap-up and awards eligibility posts but I feel that we are collectively failing to account for the fact that it cannot be any later than mid-August right now.
November 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
It's only 9 and this day is already "new Mountain Goats album" levels of good and "somehow I dropped my car keys in my coffee" levels of bad.
November 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
I was vague about this one earlier because I figured it wouldn’t be coming out any time soon, but I just learned this story will be out in JANUARY (!!!) at LIGHTSPEED (!!!!!!). Can’t wait for you to read “Academic Neutrality,” unless we work together, in which case maybe don’t read it.
Signed my second story contract of the week! This one is a bleak horror-satire about the political and personal agonies of working in higher ed right now. (No time to celebrate: I have 300 papers to grade, and four fellowship deadlines, and I lost a lot of time this week to a shooting hoax, and—) 🫠
November 6, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Signed my second story contract of the week! This one is a bleak horror-satire about the political and personal agonies of working in higher ed right now. (No time to celebrate: I have 300 papers to grade, and four fellowship deadlines, and I lost a lot of time this week to a shooting hoax, and—) 🫠
November 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Huge congratulations to the mayor-elect from… my wife.
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by M. R. Robinson
what if one person... did something very cool...
November 4, 2025 at 11:39 PM