C.L. McCartney's avatar

C.L. McCartney

@chrismccartney.bsky.social

232 followers 243 following 387 posts

Chris (he/him). Writer of SFF, professional policy wonk, publishing liaison for Glasgow Worldcon 2024, Co-Founder of @BonaBooks.bsky.social.

Queer, nerd, lefty. Views my own.

C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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The fact that he hallucinates seeing Amy one last time absolutely breaks me. And fully cements that Clara is Twelve's Companion.

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Sage 🏳️‍⚧️'s avatar Sage 🏳️‍⚧️ @trans.bsky.social
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reposting with alt text

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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I also subconsciously steal verbal ticks from other people. 👀

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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I take a deep breath and exhale/sigh as a little reset/clearing moment after finishing a task. It's me mentally going, "Right, ok. Next." And people around me continually go "Are you okay? What's up? That was a BIG sigh!" 😣

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Yeah, one of my biggest annoyances post-pandemic is that they didn't embed some of the practices from the online festival they did, particularly with smaller/niche films that only get shown on a screen once or twice at unsociable times.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Really enjoyed that one at Flare earlier in the year :)

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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OH! I completely forgot to mention a seismic behind the scenes change for Troughton-era #DoctorWho...

The Foam Machine HAS ARRIVED.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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A++ production and creepy direction, but characters are a MESS. Corporal Jones is a borderline offensive Welsh stereotype. Is Anne Travers a kickass scientist or screamy damsel? Who the fuck knows. Still, the menacing yeti in shadowy underground tunnels look *stunning*.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Peruvian techno makes for very chill work music. (Today's soundtrack provided by Sofia Kourtesis.)

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Clarkesworld's avatar Clarkesworld @clarkesworldmagazine.com
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I didn't plan on making these daily updates, but we crossed into the 200s over the holiday and that seems like a reason to celebrate. Only 286 subscriptions remain before we've erased all the losses caused by Amazon!

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Wait, they're trying to flip "I try to spend time with my family on the sabbath" into an *attack* line? Uh.... guys. 😬

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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When your boyfriend says one of his Pride outfit inspirations was Leeloo Multipass and you're like "yes, I have found the right one."

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Will be heading to Howl for Pride just as soon as my boyfriend has finished making his outfit 💙 I meanwhile, will be wearing... shorts.

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Dave Hutchinson's avatar Dave Hutchinson @hutchinsondave.bsky.social
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I’m not sure there’s anything you can say about a society that wants to protect kids from Anne Frank’s Diary but won’t protect them from guns.

70 replies 807 reposts 2371 likes

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@gavreads's avatar @gavreads @gavreads.co.uk
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My current method is - watch a BookToker say they love a book - it’s a book that I might not have seen/considered - I buy it/reserve it/add it to my wish list for pay day.

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Marie Brennan's avatar Marie Brennan @swantower.bsky.social
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A conversation on our Discord has prompted me to say again: remember, y'all, what really sells books is not the author talking about their work, but *readers* talking about it. Word of mouth drives far more sales than advertising or any other engine. So if you loved a book, tell your friends!

17 replies 424 reposts 1303 likes

C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Any poetry readers/writers with particular thoughts on poetry ebooks? What works, what doesn't? I'm doing the typography for IWTTO! and it includes some long-form poetry, and this is... new. 👀

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Yuuuuuuuuup. I have further thoughts but will not spoil you on book two in case you get there! Hehe

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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"Yeah, I know there's a big mystery to solve about the death of my parents but STUDENT LOANS SIDE QUEST."

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Yeahhh, I think a lot of people get completely overtaken by the prose and the overtly lit fic opening. My main issue was that the Rothfuss made Kvothe *such* a Super-Special Boy that the story has to go to increasingly ridiculous lengths to prevent him from making any progress with the main plot.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Perhaps best not to consider what curious enchantment is being woven as you read...

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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In fairness everyone here is very young. Apart from Owen Jones. Look

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Exactly! And rather than physical objects that you actually own, and could regift or pass on, you now just have a licence for a digital thing that might vanish if a company goes bust.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Not in the UK, as far as I can see. Any UK audiobook platform has had everything Briggs/Discworld scrubbed from them, and you can only get Nation, Dodger, Truckers, etc.

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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It's a shame all the options seem of a piratical nature. I'm in a position now where I'd be totally happily to pay some money to a retailer with a convenient app, but alas...

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Mm, you're probs right. I think I even probably have some MP3s on an old hard drive from back in the day when I was a student with no money. Just frustrating that I'm very happy to pay someone some £££ to give them to me on a convenient app, but... nope!

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Is it possible to still get the Stephen Briggs Discworld audiobooks anywhere? Audible has replaced them all with shiny need editions that... just don't hit my nostalgia buttons in the same way.

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X626's avatar X626 @x626.bsky.social
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Still a great shot you can literally hear the FUCK OFF jumping out the screen from

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X626's avatar X626 @x626.bsky.social
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This is the correct response

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Trip Galey's avatar Trip Galey @trip.bsky.social
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OMG! OMG OMG OMG!!! Congratulations to all the nominees! I am forking honoured to be among you 💙

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Micah's avatar Micah @rincewind.run
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Bonus Discworld QOTD for Pride Month, from Feet of Clay remember, Terry Pratchett said trans rights

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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Also! A quiet shout out for the rectangular form factor. Look how neatly these go in the drinks cabinet? I'm a millennial with limited space and I appreciate this. 🤣

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C.L. McCartney's avatar C.L. McCartney @chrismccartney.bsky.social
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How gorgeous are those bottles? Highlights were the Oak Aged gin, which I want to try in all sorts of classic whiskey cocktails, and the Café Piston tequila, which I will be using in an espresso Martini... just as soon as I can stop drinking it neat over ice. 👀

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James Cooray Smith's avatar James Cooray Smith @cooraysmith.bsky.social
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Ofcom should issue the Guardian with a limited and specific number of live blog chitties at the start of every calendar month and when they’re gone they’re gone. Would calm them down imho.

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Michael Hobbes's avatar Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social
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I spent the morning collecting all of the data on hormones and mental health for trans kids. Here are the results of every single study and the UK review's utterly disingenuous takeaway.

11 replies 85 reposts 364 likes

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X626's avatar X626 @x626.bsky.social
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Do I need to have the fucking Absolut Vodka rant again because I assure you Pride, and Pride Month very much fucking is in part to Absolut Vodka and they comprehensively have earned their spot at it

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Benjamin Dreyer's avatar Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.bsky.social
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Though one thing I've known for a long time, perhaps not as embedded but still fun, is that Stephen Sondheim invented the phrase "everything's coming up roses." It was not a thing people said; it was a thing he devised.

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Juliet E McKenna 's avatar Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social
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If you've enjoyed and admired someone's work, let other folk know! These long lists and recommendations lists are a great way to do this, and an excellent resource to check when you're looking for new reading for yourself.

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Elias Eells- Bar Cart Bookshelf's avatar Elias Eells- Bar Cart Bookshelf @eliaseells.bsky.social
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NEW VIDEO ALERT! Today on Bar Cart Bookshelf we're talking about A MARKET OF DREAMS AND DESTINY by @trip.bsky.social. This gay fantasy romance is a charming portrait of desire in an alternate Victorian London. Whimsical faery bargains inspired the Untermarkt, a frothy dessert cocktail. LINK BELOW!

1 replies 9 reposts 22 likes

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Sunny Moraine's avatar Sunny Moraine @dynamicsymmetry.bsky.social
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"There are still times it’s going to get it wrong, but I don’t think I would look at that and underestimate how useful it can be at the same time. I think that would be the wrong way to think about it." Breaking: Techbros insist they deserve a participation trophy

6 replies 20 reposts 90 likes