Philip Athans
@philathans.bsky.social
Liberal author, editor, and SF, fantasy, horror, and TTRPG fan who has some links at https://linktr.ee/philathans and is happy to have rebuilt a #writingcommunity here. NO to AI.
AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
What is it about things that go bump in the night that we find so attractive that they’ve infiltrated every culture on Earth, every mythology, every art form?
Writing Monsters
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Writing Monsters
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November 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM
What is it about things that go bump in the night that we find so attractive that they’ve infiltrated every culture on Earth, every mythology, every art form?
Writing Monsters
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Writing Monsters
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And yeah, I will be spending the remainder of 2025 in the Big Deadline Energy Zone.
November 19, 2025 at 8:27 PM
And yeah, I will be spending the remainder of 2025 in the Big Deadline Energy Zone.
Gilroy jumped, startled, which startled Dave. The car swerved and Gilroy looked in the back seat. Dave’s skin crawled and went even colder—if that was possible.
Completely Broken
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Completely Broken
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November 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Gilroy jumped, startled, which startled Dave. The car swerved and Gilroy looked in the back seat. Dave’s skin crawled and went even colder—if that was possible.
Completely Broken
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Completely Broken
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A lot of world building comes from your occasional offhand remark: Someone refers to the winged elves, but we never meet one.
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
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The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
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November 6, 2025 at 7:02 PM
A lot of world building comes from your occasional offhand remark: Someone refers to the winged elves, but we never meet one.
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
amzn.to/3jFg2lq
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
amzn.to/3jFg2lq
Spent essentially the entire day today assembling my new desk. Quality of the product was… not awesome, but look at all this real estate!
November 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Spent essentially the entire day today assembling my new desk. Quality of the product was… not awesome, but look at all this real estate!
Okay, yes, hello, November. I'm ready for you.
Let's do this month!
Let's do this month!
November 1, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Okay, yes, hello, November. I'm ready for you.
Let's do this month!
Let's do this month!
October 31, 2025 at 11:02 PM
In case you still don’t believe there’s a massive economy-destroying AI bubble in progress…
October 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
In case you still don’t believe there’s a massive economy-destroying AI bubble in progress…
Ah, the old mass market paperbacks with the cigarette ads in the middle…
Don’t smoke, kids! It’s deadly poison! (Seriously.)
Don’t smoke, kids! It’s deadly poison! (Seriously.)
October 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Ah, the old mass market paperbacks with the cigarette ads in the middle…
Don’t smoke, kids! It’s deadly poison! (Seriously.)
Don’t smoke, kids! It’s deadly poison! (Seriously.)
I was out there today, and just as real a king as that other guy…
October 18, 2025 at 8:37 PM
I was out there today, and just as real a king as that other guy…
And I was there, and I did bring candy…
October 18, 2025 at 8:35 PM
And I was there, and I did bring candy…
Of course I was part of my local No Kings event. And I am just as real a king as that other guy.
October 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Of course I was part of my local No Kings event. And I am just as real a king as that other guy.
The kid nodded again and turned, careful not to step in the blood. It wasn’t easy.
Completely Broken
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Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
October 17, 2025 at 6:02 AM
The kid nodded again and turned, careful not to step in the blood. It wasn’t easy.
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
This is what evenly matched looks like. Spectacular.
October 11, 2025 at 5:33 AM
This is what evenly matched looks like. Spectacular.
…a monster’s limitations are the furthest extents of its powers, but a weakness is something that can allow your characters to hurt
or kill it.
Writing Monsters
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or kill it.
Writing Monsters
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October 9, 2025 at 11:01 PM
…a monster’s limitations are the furthest extents of its powers, but a weakness is something that can allow your characters to hurt
or kill it.
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
or kill it.
Writing Monsters
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Remember, you might be rejected a thousand times, but it only takes one “yes” to launch a career.
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
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The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
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October 3, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Remember, you might be rejected a thousand times, but it only takes one “yes” to launch a career.
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
amzn.to/3jFg2lq
The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
amzn.to/3jFg2lq
The last Big Deadline Energy Weekend--at least for a while--is upon me, and I know I'm equal to the task.
September 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The last Big Deadline Energy Weekend--at least for a while--is upon me, and I know I'm equal to the task.
I see what I’m writing in my head, like a movie playing. It helps to do that, but at the same time, every little gesture and twitch…does that help? Is that too much?
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
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The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
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September 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
I see what I’m writing in my head, like a movie playing. It helps to do that, but at the same time, every little gesture and twitch…does that help? Is that too much?
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
The Best of Fantasy Author’s Handbook, Vol. 1, 2009-2013
amzn.to/3gpRGZ3
A chill ran down Dave’s spine and he couldn’t stop himself from shuddering. Gilroy didn’t notice.
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
September 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM
A chill ran down Dave’s spine and he couldn’t stop himself from shuddering. Gilroy didn’t notice.
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
Completely Broken
amzn.to/44FLDHc
Let's do some #booksy palette cleansing with this opening illustration from the May 1951 issue of Planet Stories…
(Story by Mack Reynolds)
…delightful.
(Story by Mack Reynolds)
…delightful.
September 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Let's do some #booksy palette cleansing with this opening illustration from the May 1951 issue of Planet Stories…
(Story by Mack Reynolds)
…delightful.
(Story by Mack Reynolds)
…delightful.
What makes one dragon “realistic” and another “unrealistic” when both are entirely fictional creatures?
Writing Monsters
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Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
September 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
What makes one dragon “realistic” and another “unrealistic” when both are entirely fictional creatures?
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
Writing Monsters
amzn.to/3Q5l9r8
I would pay to see this…
(Werner Herzog)
(Werner Herzog)
September 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I would pay to see this…
(Werner Herzog)
(Werner Herzog)
The 100-Book Challenge will be temporarily suspended for the…
September 5, 2025 at 11:18 PM
The 100-Book Challenge will be temporarily suspended for the…
It’s not September until the Stan! calendar says it is!
September 1, 2025 at 11:28 PM
It’s not September until the Stan! calendar says it is!