Roby Davies
@robydavies.bsky.social
Weird fiction writer living in New Orleans. Stories in Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2010, Interzone, Weird Tales, Black Static, Mythic Delirium, Murky Depths, etc.
https://linktr.ee/robydavies
https://linktr.ee/robydavies
Reposted by Roby Davies
the world in general would be in a far better place if more people simply read Pratchett and internalised what "just because it's funny doesn't mean it isn't serious" actually means
I think Talia generally has a lot of good things to say. I don't agree with this though. 1
as charming and whimsical as some will view this, it bears noting that absurdity—not militancy or might—are what people have chosen to repeat from the portland standoffs against ICE.
why is that?
what purpose does this serve?
a mini 🧵:
why is that?
what purpose does this serve?
a mini 🧵:
October 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
the world in general would be in a far better place if more people simply read Pratchett and internalised what "just because it's funny doesn't mean it isn't serious" actually means
Reposted by Roby Davies
Are you looking for a stack of genre-convention defying Premee-ium speculative fiction?
Look no further!
Come get @premeemohamed.com's military Pteranodons, REALLY messed up co-dependent friendships, searingly prescient examinations of war and pacifism, eldritch cosmic horrors and SO much more!
Look no further!
Come get @premeemohamed.com's military Pteranodons, REALLY messed up co-dependent friendships, searingly prescient examinations of war and pacifism, eldritch cosmic horrors and SO much more!
September 26, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Are you looking for a stack of genre-convention defying Premee-ium speculative fiction?
Look no further!
Come get @premeemohamed.com's military Pteranodons, REALLY messed up co-dependent friendships, searingly prescient examinations of war and pacifism, eldritch cosmic horrors and SO much more!
Look no further!
Come get @premeemohamed.com's military Pteranodons, REALLY messed up co-dependent friendships, searingly prescient examinations of war and pacifism, eldritch cosmic horrors and SO much more!
Reposted by Roby Davies
Hey! It's midnight on the east coast, so it's release day. Thanks to @undertow.bsky.social for being such a fantastic publisher. Thanks to family, friends, and fellow writers for their support. The short fic grind has ups and downs, but it's a blast. Fricken love what we do. Thanks for reading.
September 16, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Hey! It's midnight on the east coast, so it's release day. Thanks to @undertow.bsky.social for being such a fantastic publisher. Thanks to family, friends, and fellow writers for their support. The short fic grind has ups and downs, but it's a blast. Fricken love what we do. Thanks for reading.
Reposted by Roby Davies
Reposted by Roby Davies
Something to make you think - from Robert Heinlein.
July 26, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Something to make you think - from Robert Heinlein.
Reposted by Roby Davies
July 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Roby Davies
Jeffrey Ford’s The Well-Built City trilogy, some of the best fantasy novels of all, are about resisting both literal fascists and the figurative fascists in our heads, and how much work is necessary for both. I have a long essay about that coming soon, hopefully.
Today, I'd like to hear about your favorite works (books, movies, comics, short stories; fiction or nonfiction) about resistance.
June 14, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Jeffrey Ford’s The Well-Built City trilogy, some of the best fantasy novels of all, are about resisting both literal fascists and the figurative fascists in our heads, and how much work is necessary for both. I have a long essay about that coming soon, hopefully.
I sat in a waiting room at Mass Eye and Ear with Jack Klugman.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
June 13, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I sat in a waiting room at Mass Eye and Ear with Jack Klugman.
Brian Wilson was my favorite musician. I was lucky enough to see him play live many times. He will be missed.
June 11, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Brian Wilson was my favorite musician. I was lucky enough to see him play live many times. He will be missed.
Reposted by Roby Davies
I’m brand new to BlueSky. Would love to be part of a positive, creative community. Will always follow back!
March 22, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I’m brand new to BlueSky. Would love to be part of a positive, creative community. Will always follow back!
Zulu was amazing. Caught my first coconut, and got two more.
March 4, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Zulu was amazing. Caught my first coconut, and got two more.
Reposted by Roby Davies
The sun is shining.
Kids are throwing footballs.
A group of complete strangers gathered to do the Wobble like a flash mob.
Theres to-go plates, chicken and snacks everywhere.
I haven't been to heaven. But I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
And if it ain't like this, I don't want it.
Kids are throwing footballs.
A group of complete strangers gathered to do the Wobble like a flash mob.
Theres to-go plates, chicken and snacks everywhere.
I haven't been to heaven. But I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
And if it ain't like this, I don't want it.
March 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The sun is shining.
Kids are throwing footballs.
A group of complete strangers gathered to do the Wobble like a flash mob.
Theres to-go plates, chicken and snacks everywhere.
I haven't been to heaven. But I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
And if it ain't like this, I don't want it.
Kids are throwing footballs.
A group of complete strangers gathered to do the Wobble like a flash mob.
Theres to-go plates, chicken and snacks everywhere.
I haven't been to heaven. But I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
And if it ain't like this, I don't want it.
Reposted by Roby Davies
"The great appeal of Gormenghast has nothing to do with what happens in it. It’s all about those great intangibles that you cannot quite put your finger on."
Author @premeemohamed.com examines the endurability of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series:
reactormag.com/the-great-in...
Author @premeemohamed.com examines the endurability of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series:
reactormag.com/the-great-in...
The Great Intangibles of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Series - Reactor
The other day I made a note in my book review spreadsheet to the effect that if I had read that book aged (say) ten, I would have been doomed with a very particular doom—I would have made it my entire...
reactormag.com
February 25, 2025 at 5:43 PM
"The great appeal of Gormenghast has nothing to do with what happens in it. It’s all about those great intangibles that you cannot quite put your finger on."
Author @premeemohamed.com examines the endurability of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series:
reactormag.com/the-great-in...
Author @premeemohamed.com examines the endurability of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series:
reactormag.com/the-great-in...
Reposted by Roby Davies
Ursula le Guin, on the accusation that fantasy is an escape from reality
![[“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape? The moneylenders, the know-nothings, the authoritarians have us all in prison; if we value the freedom of the mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can.”]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hppum4l25hcczzffastsicpq/bafkreihuubdwcftfkvvlnepoaf6pfxqulryfp7ydrydi5fe2pflwz63wgm@jpeg)
February 23, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Ursula le Guin, on the accusation that fantasy is an escape from reality
Reposted by Roby Davies
👇🏻👇🏻
Portuguese editorial cartoonist Zez Vaz reaches back to Tiananmen Square to call on American defiance.
February 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
👇🏻👇🏻
Reposted by Roby Davies
Hey look: a Tanith Lee e-book on deep discount
Night’s Master by Tanith Lee is only $0.99 - BookBub
A satisfying series starter (Library Journal) from a World Fantasy Award winning author: The Flat Earth s mortal inhabitants live at the mercy of demon god Azhrarn, the deadly Night s Master. These fi...
www.bookbub.com
February 11, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Hey look: a Tanith Lee e-book on deep discount
TIGANA is one of my favorite books. It may be time for a reread.
I concede that on one level the ‘Gulf of America’ idiocy is just a toddler screaming in his sandbox. On another, I wrote a novel 35 years ago, TIGANA, about how tyrants erase (or try to) names, history, art to consolidate their control of people.
So, it matters. Symbols do. So does acquiescence.
So, it matters. Symbols do. So does acquiescence.
February 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
TIGANA is one of my favorite books. It may be time for a reread.
This is screening at the Uptown Prytania on Feb. 13.
Looking forward to a Buster Keaton and @remhq.bsky.social night in February. Details here: www.silentsynced.com
February 2, 2025 at 6:42 PM
This is screening at the Uptown Prytania on Feb. 13.
Reposted by Roby Davies
🗣🗣🗣Call to Action!!!
Senator Cassidy needs to hear YOUR voice to protect science, health, and common sense. Ask Senator Cassidy to continue to stand in the gap to protect our children's future.
👉https://www.lafamiliesforvaccines.org/thank-you-cassidy
Senator Cassidy needs to hear YOUR voice to protect science, health, and common sense. Ask Senator Cassidy to continue to stand in the gap to protect our children's future.
👉https://www.lafamiliesforvaccines.org/thank-you-cassidy
February 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
🗣🗣🗣Call to Action!!!
Senator Cassidy needs to hear YOUR voice to protect science, health, and common sense. Ask Senator Cassidy to continue to stand in the gap to protect our children's future.
👉https://www.lafamiliesforvaccines.org/thank-you-cassidy
Senator Cassidy needs to hear YOUR voice to protect science, health, and common sense. Ask Senator Cassidy to continue to stand in the gap to protect our children's future.
👉https://www.lafamiliesforvaccines.org/thank-you-cassidy
Reposted by Roby Davies
There's an old story: a boy walks along a beach that's covered w/ stranded starfish. The boy picks one up, throws it back in. Then the next. Someone says "Why bother? You can't save them all. You can't make a difference." The boy throws another back and says "It makes a difference to that one."
I think+talk often about that Constant Gardener scene: "Be reasonable! We can't help everyone! / No, but these are three people we CAN help."
Way too many of us (including me) use "I can't save the world" as an excuse to not do anything. Helplessness is a cop out. Do one good thing. Do it again.
Way too many of us (including me) use "I can't save the world" as an excuse to not do anything. Helplessness is a cop out. Do one good thing. Do it again.
Been thinking about this a lot (not tagging the sender, for their privacy). Most of us won't have the chance for for grand, capital-R Resistance heroics. But every one of us will have a thousand small choices to make about how to live our lives and where to draw lines. Use them well.
January 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
There's an old story: a boy walks along a beach that's covered w/ stranded starfish. The boy picks one up, throws it back in. Then the next. Someone says "Why bother? You can't save them all. You can't make a difference." The boy throws another back and says "It makes a difference to that one."