Paul Dagnabbit
@pcd1193182.bsky.social
ZFS developer, book reader, pet owner, nerd.
Baltimore -> Pittsburgh -> SF Bay
He/Him
Baltimore -> Pittsburgh -> SF Bay
He/Him
Just bragging about my dad real quick: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxEp... Back in the 90s he worked on a system that helped people with degenerative vision conditions. In many ways it's a precursor to modern AR technology, but it's wild to see what existed over 30 years ago!
The Low Vision Enhancement System | Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute
YouTube video by Johns Hopkins Medicine
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Just bragging about my dad real quick: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxEp... Back in the 90s he worked on a system that helped people with degenerative vision conditions. In many ways it's a precursor to modern AR technology, but it's wild to see what existed over 30 years ago!
Best game entry: Tactical Breach Wizards!
I talked a lot, when I wrote the review for 1000xResist, about the writing and the story and the art. I said, and I still think, it is an excellent piece of art.
But TBW is one of my favorite games of all time. And *being a good game* is pretty important!
I talked a lot, when I wrote the review for 1000xResist, about the writing and the story and the art. I said, and I still think, it is an excellent piece of art.
But TBW is one of my favorite games of all time. And *being a good game* is pretty important!
June 9, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Best game entry: Tactical Breach Wizards!
I talked a lot, when I wrote the review for 1000xResist, about the writing and the story and the art. I said, and I still think, it is an excellent piece of art.
But TBW is one of my favorite games of all time. And *being a good game* is pretty important!
I talked a lot, when I wrote the review for 1000xResist, about the writing and the story and the art. I said, and I still think, it is an excellent piece of art.
But TBW is one of my favorite games of all time. And *being a good game* is pretty important!
I'm gonna toss all of Best Graphic Novel in one thread, because I don't have quite as much to say about these:
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag: It's a harrowing reflection on queerness, responsibility, and being forced to grow up too fast. The story starts off with a good hook and keeps...
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag: It's a harrowing reflection on queerness, responsibility, and being forced to grow up too fast. The story starts off with a good hook and keeps...
May 31, 2025 at 9:45 PM
I'm gonna toss all of Best Graphic Novel in one thread, because I don't have quite as much to say about these:
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag: It's a harrowing reflection on queerness, responsibility, and being forced to grow up too fast. The story starts off with a good hook and keeps...
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag: It's a harrowing reflection on queerness, responsibility, and being forced to grow up too fast. The story starts off with a good hook and keeps...
First Astounding Award entrant: Bethany Jacobs!
I read These Burning Stars and On Vicious Worlds, the first two books in (what I assume will be) a trilogy. Jacobs has created a sharp, brutal world. Oppression and cruelty abound, and it definitely felt a little heavy at first.
I read These Burning Stars and On Vicious Worlds, the first two books in (what I assume will be) a trilogy. Jacobs has created a sharp, brutal world. Oppression and cruelty abound, and it definitely felt a little heavy at first.
May 28, 2025 at 6:41 AM
First Astounding Award entrant: Bethany Jacobs!
I read These Burning Stars and On Vicious Worlds, the first two books in (what I assume will be) a trilogy. Jacobs has created a sharp, brutal world. Oppression and cruelty abound, and it definitely felt a little heavy at first.
I read These Burning Stars and On Vicious Worlds, the first two books in (what I assume will be) a trilogy. Jacobs has created a sharp, brutal world. Oppression and cruelty abound, and it definitely felt a little heavy at first.
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, final book in Best YA!
I had a few issues with this book. It's a little trope-y, especially at the start. Parts of the setting feel a little flat, though the magic system is good and it's different enough from other books I've read that it didn't feel like a...
I had a few issues with this book. It's a little trope-y, especially at the start. Parts of the setting feel a little flat, though the magic system is good and it's different enough from other books I've read that it didn't feel like a...
May 28, 2025 at 6:29 AM
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, final book in Best YA!
I had a few issues with this book. It's a little trope-y, especially at the start. Parts of the setting feel a little flat, though the magic system is good and it's different enough from other books I've read that it didn't feel like a...
I had a few issues with this book. It's a little trope-y, especially at the start. Parts of the setting feel a little flat, though the magic system is good and it's different enough from other books I've read that it didn't feel like a...
Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger:
Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe; it's about the grandmother of the main character of the first book, and tells part of the story of her family's history. I will admit that I started this book a little dubious; I found Elatsoe charming and loveable, and...
Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe; it's about the grandmother of the main character of the first book, and tells part of the story of her family's history. I will admit that I started this book a little dubious; I found Elatsoe charming and loveable, and...
May 28, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger:
Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe; it's about the grandmother of the main character of the first book, and tells part of the story of her family's history. I will admit that I started this book a little dubious; I found Elatsoe charming and loveable, and...
Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe; it's about the grandmother of the main character of the first book, and tells part of the story of her family's history. I will admit that I started this book a little dubious; I found Elatsoe charming and loveable, and...
Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee:
Of all the Hugo nominees I've read this year, this one probably felt the most trope-y. You can see the building blocks of the story from the very beginning, and you know roughly how it's all going to come together. And indeed, it does; becoming a mech pilot...
Of all the Hugo nominees I've read this year, this one probably felt the most trope-y. You can see the building blocks of the story from the very beginning, and you know roughly how it's all going to come together. And indeed, it does; becoming a mech pilot...
May 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee:
Of all the Hugo nominees I've read this year, this one probably felt the most trope-y. You can see the building blocks of the story from the very beginning, and you know roughly how it's all going to come together. And indeed, it does; becoming a mech pilot...
Of all the Hugo nominees I've read this year, this one probably felt the most trope-y. You can see the building blocks of the story from the very beginning, and you know roughly how it's all going to come together. And indeed, it does; becoming a mech pilot...
The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko:
I really like the Raybearer setting. This story diverges, though, by following a young servant girl in the city. Her struggles are not epic in scope, but more deeply personal. And the book uses the juxtaposition of the mythical and the mundane to...
I really like the Raybearer setting. This story diverges, though, by following a young servant girl in the city. Her struggles are not epic in scope, but more deeply personal. And the book uses the juxtaposition of the mythical and the mundane to...
May 25, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko:
I really like the Raybearer setting. This story diverges, though, by following a young servant girl in the city. Her struggles are not epic in scope, but more deeply personal. And the book uses the juxtaposition of the mythical and the mundane to...
I really like the Raybearer setting. This story diverges, though, by following a young servant girl in the city. Her struggles are not epic in scope, but more deeply personal. And the book uses the juxtaposition of the mythical and the mundane to...
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao:
I really loved Iron Widow. I believe it was my top pick for Best YA for the Hugos a few years ago. It was dark, intense, and passionate. It made you feel the characters' pain, and didn't shy away from the rage. Heavenly Tyrant picks up right where the first...
I really loved Iron Widow. I believe it was my top pick for Best YA for the Hugos a few years ago. It was dark, intense, and passionate. It made you feel the characters' pain, and didn't shy away from the rage. Heavenly Tyrant picks up right where the first...
May 24, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao:
I really loved Iron Widow. I believe it was my top pick for Best YA for the Hugos a few years ago. It was dark, intense, and passionate. It made you feel the characters' pain, and didn't shy away from the rage. Heavenly Tyrant picks up right where the first...
I really loved Iron Widow. I believe it was my top pick for Best YA for the Hugos a few years ago. It was dark, intense, and passionate. It made you feel the characters' pain, and didn't shy away from the rage. Heavenly Tyrant picks up right where the first...
I am in fact already done with Best YA, but have been lazy about writing reviews. First up, The Feast Makers by H.A. Clarke:
Rarely have I felt so far outside of a book's target demographic. Straight, white, male, cis millenial: not many of these things align with any of the protagonists.
Rarely have I felt so far outside of a book's target demographic. Straight, white, male, cis millenial: not many of these things align with any of the protagonists.
May 24, 2025 at 3:51 AM
I am in fact already done with Best YA, but have been lazy about writing reviews. First up, The Feast Makers by H.A. Clarke:
Rarely have I felt so far outside of a book's target demographic. Straight, white, male, cis millenial: not many of these things align with any of the protagonists.
Rarely have I felt so far outside of a book's target demographic. Straight, white, male, cis millenial: not many of these things align with any of the protagonists.
Final entry in Best Novel! I'll tack a ranking for that category to the end of this, and then next I'll probably start posting Best YA (which I've already made some good progress on).
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett:
Set in an eerie and unsettling world full of rich detail, Bennett's...
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett:
Set in an eerie and unsettling world full of rich detail, Bennett's...
May 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Final entry in Best Novel! I'll tack a ranking for that category to the end of this, and then next I'll probably start posting Best YA (which I've already made some good progress on).
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett:
Set in an eerie and unsettling world full of rich detail, Bennett's...
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett:
Set in an eerie and unsettling world full of rich detail, Bennett's...
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher!
I'm always a fan of T. Kingfisher's work. She's a great author, who consistently tells great stories and tells them well. A Sorceress Comes To Call is not right in my wheelhouse; I'm not always a big fan of horror, which this has definite aspects of.
I'm always a fan of T. Kingfisher's work. She's a great author, who consistently tells great stories and tells them well. A Sorceress Comes To Call is not right in my wheelhouse; I'm not always a big fan of horror, which this has definite aspects of.
May 14, 2025 at 11:27 PM
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher!
I'm always a fan of T. Kingfisher's work. She's a great author, who consistently tells great stories and tells them well. A Sorceress Comes To Call is not right in my wheelhouse; I'm not always a big fan of horror, which this has definite aspects of.
I'm always a fan of T. Kingfisher's work. She's a great author, who consistently tells great stories and tells them well. A Sorceress Comes To Call is not right in my wheelhouse; I'm not always a big fan of horror, which this has definite aspects of.
A break from Best Novel while I review 1000xResist! I got a review copy of the game as part of the voter packet.
It's a good thing this category is titled "Game or Interactive Work", because it means I get to skirt the question of "what exactly is a game". 1000xResist toes that line, certainly.
It's a good thing this category is titled "Game or Interactive Work", because it means I get to skirt the question of "what exactly is a game". 1000xResist toes that line, certainly.
May 14, 2025 at 7:48 AM
A break from Best Novel while I review 1000xResist! I got a review copy of the game as part of the voter packet.
It's a good thing this category is titled "Game or Interactive Work", because it means I get to skirt the question of "what exactly is a game". 1000xResist toes that line, certainly.
It's a good thing this category is titled "Game or Interactive Work", because it means I get to skirt the question of "what exactly is a game". 1000xResist toes that line, certainly.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell!
I honestly expected to dislike this one; the premise makes it sound creepy and gross, and those aren't always my favorite vibes for a book. But I was wrong! It is sometimes creepy, and sometimes gross, but it's also sweet and funny and poignant.
I honestly expected to dislike this one; the premise makes it sound creepy and gross, and those aren't always my favorite vibes for a book. But I was wrong! It is sometimes creepy, and sometimes gross, but it's also sweet and funny and poignant.
May 7, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell!
I honestly expected to dislike this one; the premise makes it sound creepy and gross, and those aren't always my favorite vibes for a book. But I was wrong! It is sometimes creepy, and sometimes gross, but it's also sweet and funny and poignant.
I honestly expected to dislike this one; the premise makes it sound creepy and gross, and those aren't always my favorite vibes for a book. But I was wrong! It is sometimes creepy, and sometimes gross, but it's also sweet and funny and poignant.
Review for Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky!
This was the only one of the #hugo finalists that I hadn't read before they were announced, so it's relatively fresh in my mind. This comedic sci-fi novel is set in a future where robotic servants are commonplace, and tend to humanity's every whim.
This was the only one of the #hugo finalists that I hadn't read before they were announced, so it's relatively fresh in my mind. This comedic sci-fi novel is set in a future where robotic servants are commonplace, and tend to humanity's every whim.
May 7, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Review for Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky!
This was the only one of the #hugo finalists that I hadn't read before they were announced, so it's relatively fresh in my mind. This comedic sci-fi novel is set in a future where robotic servants are commonplace, and tend to humanity's every whim.
This was the only one of the #hugo finalists that I hadn't read before they were announced, so it's relatively fresh in my mind. This comedic sci-fi novel is set in a future where robotic servants are commonplace, and tend to humanity's every whim.
Review for The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley!
This romance sci-fi novel is about a woman who gets hired by the newly formed Ministry of Time. Her job is to liase with someone "rescued" out of the past; grabbed at the brink of death and brought to the present, to learn more about their era.
This romance sci-fi novel is about a woman who gets hired by the newly formed Ministry of Time. Her job is to liase with someone "rescued" out of the past; grabbed at the brink of death and brought to the present, to learn more about their era.
May 5, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Review for The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley!
This romance sci-fi novel is about a woman who gets hired by the newly formed Ministry of Time. Her job is to liase with someone "rescued" out of the past; grabbed at the brink of death and brought to the present, to learn more about their era.
This romance sci-fi novel is about a woman who gets hired by the newly formed Ministry of Time. Her job is to liase with someone "rescued" out of the past; grabbed at the brink of death and brought to the present, to learn more about their era.
For Best Novel, I'm going to try posting reviews for each book separately. That might let me have a little more space to express my thoughts without feeling rushed. So with that, the first entry: Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky. For context, I finished this just before the finalists dropped.
April 30, 2025 at 10:26 PM
For Best Novel, I'm going to try posting reviews for each book separately. That might let me have a little more space to express my thoughts without feeling rushed. So with that, the first entry: Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky. For context, I finished this just before the finalists dropped.
I have finished my first category for the 2025 #hugo awards! Finished Best Series! Not sure what the best format for this is going forward, but for now I'm going to try making a single thread for this category, with a final post with the rankings. Maybe for other categories I'll change it up.
April 30, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I have finished my first category for the 2025 #hugo awards! Finished Best Series! Not sure what the best format for this is going forward, but for now I'm going to try making a single thread for this category, with a final post with the rankings. Maybe for other categories I'll change it up.
Tomorrow is Indie Bookstore Day! By total coincidence, Amazon, the company responsible for so many indie bookstores going out of business, is holding a book sale tomorrow! Fucking gross.
April 25, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Tomorrow is Indie Bookstore Day! By total coincidence, Amazon, the company responsible for so many indie bookstores going out of business, is holding a book sale tomorrow! Fucking gross.
Reposted by Paul Dagnabbit
5 sec later: I hope I do not regret this tweet
April 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
5 sec later: I hope I do not regret this tweet
Reposted by Paul Dagnabbit
Absolutely incredible: the Feds totally folded on Congestion Pricing, thanks to the MTA just...refusing to abide by their demands
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
MTA, feds agree to keep NYC congestion pricing tolls through October
The MTA and the Trump administration have reached an agreement to keep New York City congestion pricing through October.
www.cbsnews.com
April 8, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Absolutely incredible: the Feds totally folded on Congestion Pricing, thanks to the MTA just...refusing to abide by their demands
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
I said this was going to mostly be Hugoposting, but we interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast so I can brag about my mom, Brenda Rapp!
She was just awarded an honorary degree from UC Louvain! Her dedication to learning, reason, and science are inspiring, and I am so proud of her.
She was just awarded an honorary degree from UC Louvain! Her dedication to learning, reason, and science are inspiring, and I am so proud of her.
April 8, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I said this was going to mostly be Hugoposting, but we interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast so I can brag about my mom, Brenda Rapp!
She was just awarded an honorary degree from UC Louvain! Her dedication to learning, reason, and science are inspiring, and I am so proud of her.
She was just awarded an honorary degree from UC Louvain! Her dedication to learning, reason, and science are inspiring, and I am so proud of her.
This space is mostly going to be Hugoposting when that's in season, and generalized nonsense all the time. Just, you know, so you can calibrate for the noise.
Relatedly, ITS HUGO SEASON seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-aw...
I have checked out a dozen books from the library lets goooo
Relatedly, ITS HUGO SEASON seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-aw...
I have checked out a dozen books from the library lets goooo
2025 Hugo Award Finalists
Seattle Worldcon 2025, the 83 World Science Fiction Convention is delighted to announce the finalists for the 2025 Hugo Awards, Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and Astounding Award for Best ...
seattlein2025.org
April 7, 2025 at 9:32 PM
This space is mostly going to be Hugoposting when that's in season, and generalized nonsense all the time. Just, you know, so you can calibrate for the noise.
Relatedly, ITS HUGO SEASON seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-aw...
I have checked out a dozen books from the library lets goooo
Relatedly, ITS HUGO SEASON seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-aw...
I have checked out a dozen books from the library lets goooo