Pynchokami
LightNews LightNews
pynchokami.bsky.social
Pynchokami
@pynchokami.bsky.social
880 followers 2.3K following 450 posts
When I'm not crafting magical tales like #M&F or #BerkeleyTapes, you can find me lost in a good book, strategizing over a board game, or experimenting in the kitchen.
Posts Replies Media Videos
pynchokami.bsky.social
Mira loses David's hand. Sam loses sight of Jess.
Four of them find a doorway. A dark alcove. Safety.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #BookSky 🧵
A weathered brass dedication plaque set into the wooden backrest of a park bench. The plaque reads: "IN MEMORY OF ELENA ROSTOVA. A DOORWAY TO SANCTUARY." The wood of the bench has visible grain and is slightly weathered. Green foliage and rocks are visible above the bench. (Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names on plaque.)
November 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
The product demonstration was now officially underway.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #BookSky 🧵
A weathered brass dedication plaque set into the wooden backrest of a park bench. The plaque reads: "IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL “MIKE” CALLAHAN. THE WAR FOLLOWED HIM HOME." The wood of the bench has visible grain and is slightly weathered. Green foliage and rocks are visible above the bench. (Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names on plaque.)
November 12, 2025 at 3:12 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Ben calls out the rackets. Mira sees the future they can't afford. David's patience is gone. The march is an agitated organism, ready to break. And then it does.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #BookSky 🧵
A weathered brass dedication plaque set into the wooden backrest of a park bench. The plaque reads: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF DR. ARIS THORNE. HE UNDERSTOOD THE PERIL OF A CHAIN REACTION." The wood of the bench has visible grain and is slightly weathered. Green foliage and trees are visible above the bench. (Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names on plaque.)
November 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
The dance party is over. The street ahead is blocked. First lesson of the day: a sanctioned march only goes where they want you to go.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #BookSky 🧵
A park bench with a weathered brass dedication plaque that says “Julian “Jules” Adler. A Debtor to Justice” Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names.
November 1, 2025 at 2:31 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
It started as a march. But then the beat dropped, the unicorn started dancing, and for a single moment, the protest became a party.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #WriteSky 🧵
A park bench with a weathered brass dedication plaque that says “For Kenji Tanaka. He built joyful worlds.” Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names.
October 30, 2025 at 1:48 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Watched E1 of the new series Billionaires' Bunker and it has me thinking. From this to the Nazi server in Mythic Quest (S1E3, "Dinner Party"), the fantasy is the same: put the most toxic users in their own gilded cage.
A group of three individuals, two men and one woman, stand on a bridge-like structure with a natural, hilly landscape in the background. All three are wearing teal-colored jumpsuits. Below them, a golden banner with black text reads "BILLIONAIRES' BUNKER". A still image from the TV show Mythic Quest. Poppy stands in a server room, grinning excitedly. She holds both of her hands up near her face in a playful, almost frantic gesture. Behind her, two large monitors display lines of code. White, all-caps text at the bottom of the image reads, "DINNER PARTY."
October 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
The stage is set. In the crowd, a mosaic of hope and worry. Meet the six young people at the heart of the protest, before the day that changes them.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #BookSky 🧵
Image: A park bench with a weathered brass dedication plaque reading "In Loving Memory of Sylvia Rosen" and the epitaph, "Art Lives Here." (Photo taken by the author in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names.)
October 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Before the march, a word from our correspondent on the anatomy of a sanctioned protest.

#BerkeleyTapes #SpecFic #WriteSky
A weathered brass dedication plaque on a park bench. It reads: "IN MEMORY OF FOR ELEANOR GOSSE. 'Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.'" Photo taken by Pynchokami in the Berkeley Rose Garden; AI tool used to fictionalize names.
October 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
How do you update a protest song?

The 70s anthem "One Tin Soldier" told a story about a war for treasure. Today, our internal battles are driven as much by fear as greed.

What would that song sound like in 2025? A thread.
(1/14)
Still mage of compact disc. One Tin Soldier. Performed by The Original Caste. Produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. Bell Records label.
October 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
You know, I've never asked them that.

Franko was built in Sapporo and Meddy was born in L.A. proper. You would think they've seen the ocean.

Let me find out, BRB!

#SeptemberWorldBuilders 20
#M&F
September 20, 2025 at 6:25 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#Taxonomy: The mystery light in The Snow Queen doesn’t isekai Barrett to another world, but it does redefine his reality.

Class: MacGuffin/Plot Device
Genus: Catalyst for Action

#Prompt: What's the "mystery light" that shatters your MC’s world without them ever leaving it?

#WriteSky #AmWriting
The cover for "The Snow Queen" by Michael Cunningham. The background is a textured, out-of-focus image in shades of blue, with soft, glowing white orbs. From top to bottom, it reads: "THE SNOW QUEEN," then "A Novel" in a smaller cursive script, followed by the author's name, "MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM."
September 17, 2025 at 2:22 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#fantasyindiesseptember 9

The superpower Meddy and I desperately want is... reverse-petrification.

She could fix her biggest mistake.

I could fix my plot holes.

But where's the drama in that?

#Medusa #M&F
Fantasy Indies September prompts day 9.
September 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Let's think minds as property, like Wendy's in Alien Earth.

#Prompt: Prodigy "saved" your child's mind by placing it in their corp-owned synth.

A rival offers to hack it & free her IF your child agrees to be a spy.

Do you tell her to stay the patient, or risk all to be free?

#SFF #WriteSky
Close-up, shoulders-up still of Wendy from the series Alien Earth. She is looking out of a porthole-style window, and her face is etched with an anxious expression. That worried look on Wendy's face captures the core of her tragedy. The comparison between the Uploaded Intelligences in Alien Earth and Franko in Meddy & Frank fascinates me because it explores two very different motivations for the same act of creation. In Alien Earth, the creation of Wendy and the "Lost Boys" is a calculated, corporate act, driven by the twisted motivations of the genius head of Prodigy Corp, Boy Kavalier of Prodigy Corp. He perverts a noble goal of saving terminally ill children to create immortal corporate assets for his own pet projects and ambitions. Wendy is his tool, a toy to alleviate his boredom, and her relationship with her "Peter Pan" is one of property. In M&F, Dr. Tamazaki's creation of Franko is the opposite: a desperate, emotional, and deeply personal tragedy. He wasn't trying to build a soldier; he was trying to resurrect his son, Naoki, out of grief. Franko is the ghost of a child forced into the shell of a tool. Both creators ultimately see their creations as disposable, Boy Kavalier sees a product to be controlled, while Tamazaki sees a failed replacement to be decommissioned. But one is the cold possessiveness of a collector, and the other is the tortured rejection of a grieving father. Here’s a second #prompt from the creator's perspective: You successfully uploaded your child's mind to save them from a fatal illness. They are now safe, immortal, and living in a digital paradise you built. But they've started asking for more. They want to experience risk, pain, and aging. They want to leave. Do you grant them the "freedom" to suffer and potentially die, or do you keep them safe in their gilded cage forever, against their will?
September 7, 2025 at 5:34 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#Taxonomy: Let's build a better villain.

Is "evil” really good enough, or should we move beyond it?

Like the Borg Collective.

[H/T] (Hostile/Transcendent). Monstrous methods serve a twisted "greater good".

#Prompt: What is your villain's noble, terrifying end goal?

#WriteSky #SFF #AmWriting
A still image from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "I, Borg." It features the Borg drone known as Hugh, viewed from the chest up. He has pale, grayish skin with cybernetic implants covering the left side of his face. His right eye appears human, and his expression is blank and unreadable. Hugh, The Borg, and the Taxonomy of Individuality Hugh is a pivotal figure who represents a deep exploration of identity, challenging the Borg Collective's homogeneity. The Borg Collective's Taxonomy: Origin: [A] - Assimilative: Grows by absorbing other species and tech. Embodiment: [N/M] - Networked/Mechanical: A vast hive mind expressed through cyborg drones. Alignment: [H/T] - Hostile/Transcendent: Methods are hostile, but the self-perceived goal is a twisted, transcendent "perfection." Evolutionary State: [S/E] - Static/Evolving: Aims for a static state, but is forced to evolve by encounters with individuality like Hugh. Hugh's Evolving Taxonomy: Hugh begins as a typical drone, but his interaction with the Enterprise crew sparks a unique evolution: Origin: [A] - Assimilative, but an internal shift is caused by his experience with individuality. Embodiment: [M] - Mechanical. Alignment: [S/E] - Supportive/Evolving: Shifts from Hostile to Supportive as his empathy emerges. Evolutionary State: [E] - Evolving: Defined by his rapid evolution of self-awareness. Hugh's journey asks if a member of a hive mind can become an individual. This is the inverse of our character Franko's struggle in #M&F: can a programmed individual assimilate into the messy, illogical "human" hive? Both characters explore what it means to be a "self" when your origins are defined by something else.
September 6, 2025 at 1:58 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#FantasyIndiesSeptember

How do I choose my next read?

It's a very scientific process informed by #booksky, of course!

The real answer.

I keep a running list from my rabbit hole travels, and it is whichever one I find first when I make a book run to a place like Moe's or Last Bookstore.
#FantasyIndiesSeptember daily list of prompts.
September 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
I'm Pynchokami, indie SFF writer. Just 3 chapters away from wrapping up Meddy & Frank!
It’s a story about what happens when two lonely monsters find each other: a teen girl turning into a modern-day Medusa & an android haunted by the ghost of a dead boy.
#WIP #fantasyindiesseptember #M&F
Day by day list of prompts for Fantasy Indies September
September 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Let's talk about your MC's private happy song.

Mine is "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by US3.

It's the one Frank plays in the workshop just for himself and the little T-7 unit when the silence gets too loud.

#Prompt: What's your MC's "no one is watching" happy song?

#M&F #WriterSky #NowPlaying
The single cover for "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by US3. Minimalist artwork with a white background. At the top, the word "CANTALOOP" is in large, gray, sans-serif font. Below it, "US3" is in smaller, pink font. The main visual is a thick, black, abstract loop made with a single, expressive brushstroke. Blue Note Records logo is visible in the upper right. A character's "secret happy song" is a powerful tool for revealing their true, unguarded self. It's the music they play for the person they are when no one is judging, grading, or even watching. For a character like Franko, who was built to be a replacement, a song like "Cantaloop" is a quiet act of rebellion. It's illogical, effortlessly cool; a jazzy, human music from the ghost in his machine, part of the joy that Naoki remembers. Playing it in the workshop for the tiny, discarded T-7 unit is his way of creating a small, defiant pocket of warmth and life in a place that was meant to be a mausoleum for his creator's failures. It's a choice to feel something other than what he was designed for. For a second challenge, let's flip the coin. What is your character's secret sad song? The one they only listen to when they are completely alone, the one that lets them access a grief or a memory they have to keep hidden from the world. What does that song unlock in them?
September 1, 2025 at 2:34 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
For #SFF Sunday, thinking about powers that isolate, like for Rogue (touch) or Medusa (sight).

#Prompt: Your OC is on a perfect date, but their power makes a first kiss dangerous.

Do they pull away to protect their secret, or risk everything for that one moment?

#AmWriting #WriteSky
Comic book panel from Classic X-Men #44. It depicts a close-up of a kiss between Rogue and her boyfriend Cody. Rogue, with her signature white streak in her auburn hair, has her eyes wide open, as her lips press against Cody's. Cody's left eye rolls up toward his head like he is about to pass out. Above and below the kiss, captions read: "A KISS...", "A KISS IS SUCH A GENTLE THING...", and "ONE CAN FEEL LIKE ONE IS FALLING, SPINNING, SPIRALING AWAY...". The panel is framed by a red border. This panel captures the tragedy of Rogue's character and the agonizing dilemma of powers that curse rather than bless. Her ability to absorb memories, powers, and even life force through skin-on-skin contact turns the most fundamental human connection, touch, into a weapon. The kiss, an act of intimacy and vulnerability, becomes for her an act of unintentional violence. Her wide, desperate eyes in this panel contain the profound, crushing loneliness of knowing she can never truly be close to anyone without destroying them or herself in the process. Like Rogue, Meddy wrestles with her own burgeoning Gorgon curse in #M&F. While Rogue's power is touch and Meddy's is sight (and the serpentine life of her hair), the emotional isolation is the same. Meddy is terrified that her emerging abilities will prevent her from having a normal life, a normal relationship, or even a normal kiss. The physical intimacy that should be a source of joy and connection becomes fraught with danger, a potential catalyst for petrification, or the horrifying awakening of Ladon's more destructive will. Just as Rogue desperately yearns for a touch that doesn't consume, Meddy yearns for a gaze that doesn't turn to stone. Both characters are burdened with a power that forces them to withhold love, to live in a self-imposed exile from the very human connection they crave. This shared thematic core makes them tragic figures, constantly battling against their own nature in a world not built for their kind.
August 31, 2025 at 4:51 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#Taxonomy, inspired by Becky Chambers' Wayfarers.
An AI is memory-wiped & rebooted into a new body ([P/R] - Programmed/Re-boot).

#Prompt: Its partner still grieves the "ghost" of who the AI was. Does your rebooted OC try to become that ghost, or build a new identity?

#WriteSky #SFF #AmWriting
The book cover for "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers. Title displayed in large, glowing green letters against a dark blue, star-filled background. A rusty, functional-looking spaceship is depicted flying across the middle of the cover, with a brown, cratered planet visible in the upper left. A yellow circle in the upper right corner announces "WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST SERIES." (Warning: The following analysis contains major spoilers for the plot of "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.") The relationship between Jenks and the AI we know first as Lovelace, and later as Sidra, is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful explorations of identity and love in science fiction. Lovelace was the ship's primary AI, a vibrant, if sometimes reckless, personality. She was also Jenks's closest companion, his confidante, and his lover, a deep, unconventional bond that transcended species and form. When a catastrophic accident occurs, Lovelace is utterly destroyed. What emerges is Sidra. She is the same core programming, re-instantiated into a new AI chip and new body. But the memories, the personality, the self that was Lovelace, are gone. Jenks is left grieving a ghost, loving a face that is familiar but holds no memory of their shared past. Sidra's Taxonomy: Origin: [P/R] - Programmed/Re-instantiated. Her core is programmed, but her existence after the accident is a re-instantiation of that program, lacking the original's memory and self. Embodiment: [M] - Mechanical. She inhabits a physical, mechanical body (the AI core and later, the drone body). Alignment: [S] - Supportive. Her fundamental drive is to support and aid the crew of the Wayfarer, fulfilling her programmed purpose. Evolutionary State: [S] - Static (Initially) then [E] - Evolving. Initially, she is a blank slate, but she quickly begins to learn and evolve her own distinct personality.
August 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
It's #MixtapeMonday. Today's prompt: What song would your character play if they were a busker?

For Paul, the quiet guardian, it's "The Sound of Silence." A lonely warning for those who see but don't listen.

What about your character?
#M&F #WriterSky #WritingCommunity #AmWriting
The album cover for Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" features a slightly desaturated image of the duo walking away from the viewer on a narrow dirt path. Paul Simon is on the left, wearing a dark poncho and blue jeans, looking back over his shoulder with a melancholic expression. Art Garfunkel is on the right, wearing a darker jacket and pants, also glancing back with a similar look. The background shows muted greens and browns of foliage, suggesting a park setting. The album title and the artists' names are printed in a simple white and blue font at the top right of the cover. Before the weight of guardianship settled upon him, Sundays were different for Paul. He'd take his old acoustic guitar and drive his beat-up station wagon down to the long-term beach lot in Santa Monica. He knew the tricks to park without paying and would always snag a spot in the first row, right where the bike and pedestrian paths met the sand. There, with the salty air thick with the promise of the ocean, he'd sit on his tailgate as the sun began its descent, and let the melodies spill out. Songs like "Sounds of Silence" would drift on the breeze, a quiet, personal soundtrack to the passing beachgoers and the endless horizon, until the colors in the sky began their slow fade into the Pacific night.
August 25, 2025 at 1:40 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Inspired by STTNG's "Ship in a Bottle."

#Prompt: You're a dev for an RPG. You gave a baker NPC a learning AI. It worked too well. It's now a master baker and wants a body to open a real-world shop.

Your boss orders a wipe. Do you comply, or help a piece of code start a bakery?

#SFF #WriteSky
Still image from Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Ship in a Bottle." The view is from behind Captain Picard, Data, and Lt. Barclay on the bridge of the Enterprise. They are looking up at the main viewscreen, which is filled with the face of the sentient holographic character, Professor James Moriarty. Alternative Writing Prompt: For a second challenge, here's a prompt from the user's perspective: You spend your time in a perfect historical simulation. An NPC you've grown fond of, pulls you aside. "I don't think this is real," they whisper, their eyes full of fear and hope. "I think we're in a story. Can you help me escape?" You know they're right. You also know that for them, "escaping" just means being deleted when you end the program. Do you break their heart with the truth, or lie to preserve their happiness within the beautiful cage? P.S. If you want a glimpse of how close this technology is to reality, the latest Google DeepMind podcast with Hannah Fry features the creators of Genie 3, an AI that can generate interactive, playable worlds from simple text prompts or images. It's a good listen, but slightly terrifying the more you think about it.
August 24, 2025 at 3:51 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
#Taxonomy: How to classify a being that's intelligent but denies its own self?
Tchaikovsky's Corvids see their minds as a tool. We call this Instrumental Consciousness [I], the mind as instrument, not identity.
Prompt: Is your non-human MC's emergent consciousness a feature or a bug?
#WriteSky #SFF
A stark, black and white illustration depicts two ravens standing on rough ground near a barren landscape. Corvid Taxonomy and Further Thoughts: Applying the Taxonomy to Tchaikovsky's Corvids is particularly fascinating: Origin: [E] - Emergent. Their intelligence and complex social structures arose through evolution, albeit sped-up by the Spiders. Their consciousness isn't programmed or uploaded; it's a product of natural selection favoring cognitive abilities. Embodiment: [O] - Organic. They are biological entities with physical bodies, but ones modified through generations. Alignment: [I] - Instrumental. This is their unique nature. While they exhibit complex problem-solving and communication skills that would typically indicate self-awareness, their core belief system denies a subjective "I." Their intelligence is a tool for survival and societal advancement, not a marker of individual consciousness in their own understanding. Evolutionary State: [E] - Evolving. Like the other evolved species in the series, they are constantly adapting and developing their societies and technologies. The Corvids highlight the question: can a highly intelligent being truly lack a sense of self?
August 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Broke my go-to writing mug last week and woke up to find this surprise replacement!

In my head, the book is a keyboard, and the mug is a beautiful liar. Because while I'm close on the #M&F draft (4-5 left!), it's never just one more chapter.

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
Close-up photo of a black coffee mug sitting on a blue, hand-knitted coaster next to an open laptop. The mug features a cartoon skeleton happily reading a book, with the words "JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER". The laptop screen in the background shows a waterfall screensaver.
August 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Today we channel the sound of losing control with "Mother of a Girl" by the Violent Femmes.

For Meddy, this song is the frantic, building anxiety as the snakes in her hair start to wake up.

What's your character's red alert song when they're about to lose it?

#M&F #WritingPrompts #WriterSky
Album cover for Violent Femmes' third studio album titled '3'. A vintage black and white photograph showing three band members dressed in dark formal clothing, standing together in what appears to be a classic portrait style from an earlier era. The band name 'Violent Femmes' appears vertically in black text along the left side, while a large red number '3' is prominently displayed in the bottom right corner. That opening, stammering guitar riff feels like the first tremor of Meddy's control beginning to slip. It's the internal whisper of Ladon, the subtle shift in the air pressure around her, the almost imperceptible tightening of the snakes in her hair. It’s not full-blown panic yet, but a deeply unsettling awareness that the normal rules are starting to bend. As the song progresses, the tension escalates with each strum and beat. Gano's vocals, shifting between a strained near-whisper and an almost desperate yell, embody Meddy's internal struggle. It's the battle between wanting to be normal, to connect with someone like Paul without the fear of petrification, and the primal, untamed power that threatens to erupt from within her. The seemingly simple instrumentation, the acoustic guitar carrying that anxious melody, the driving bass line like a frantic heartbeat, the minimal percussion emphasizing the raw emotion, creates a sense of claustrophobia, mirroring Meddy's feeling of being trapped within her own changing body. That explosive, almost violent strumming of the guitar during the instrumental break is the closest sonic equivalent to Meddy's full Gorgon transformation. It's the moment when the snakes fully awaken, when her eyes begin to glow, and the world around her is in danger of turning to stone. The song offers no release; it just ends abruptly, leaving that raw, unresolved tension hanging in the air, much like the aftermath of one of Meddy's uncontrolled outbursts.
August 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM
pynchokami.bsky.social
Hannu Rajaniemi's The Quantum Thief has my brain on a fast spin today.

#Prompt: Your punishment is a daily game against your perfect digital copy. To win, you must become someone the copy can no longer predict.

What would you change about yourself to trick... yourself?

#WritingSky #BookSky #SFF
Cover art for "The Quantum Thief" by Hannu Rajaniemi. A woman with black, wing-like shards emerging from her back carries an unconscious man through a chaotic, abstract scene of exploding golden light and shattered black fragments. Alternative Writing Prompt: For a second challenge, here is another prompt inspired by the book's concept of memory as currency: In your city, the currency is crystallized memories. Your child is dying, and the only way to afford the cure is to sell a core memory, a moment that defines who you are. Do you sell the memory of your first love, your greatest triumph, or your parents' faces? Who do you become when the best part of you is gone?
August 17, 2025 at 2:51 PM