The whole concept of bonfires is a bit culturally loaded, I suppose. The word derives from ‘fire of bones’ ie the burning of bones (as opposed to a convenient way to get rid of fallen leaves or other garden waste) … Continued
Ever noticed how people allegedly ‘silenced’ never seem to shut the fuck up? There seem to be few better career moves than saying something horrible in public, getting disagreed with or reprimanded… and then launching yourself on the interview circuit, … Continued
It looks as though OnlyFans is going to go down the same plughole as Tumblr… and various other corners of the Interweb that previously gave sex workers and porn creators a chance to earn a living and express themselves on … Continued
Free speech and censorship are topics I have always taken a lot of interest in, even as the terms themselves take on a range of meanings. Some such meanings amount to deliberate, malicious redefinition, in case you hadn’t noticed. What … Continued
Yet more wailing and footstamping about the threat to free speech this week. Between the forced resignation of a swivel-eyed eugenicist, the latest round of convulsions in the Labour party, and that knob with his twitter account, anyone would think … Continued
There’s a fair bit of noise at the moment about the Guy Who Made His Pug A Nazi. At first glance, this seems like a weird and worrying story, to be sure. The video over which he has now been … Continued
This week’s Big News for all of us whose work involves sex in any way is more of the same, depressing shit. First, Patreon, which was proving a good income generator for writers, artists, photographers, film-makers dealing with erotic/adult themes, … Continued
Is there anything you shouldn’t write about, when it comes to fiction? I made a quick trip to Chaptercon on Friday, to take part in one of the discussion panels, and the concept of taboos was something we touched on. … Continued
Yeah, politics again. Sorry. It’s just a little difficult to avoid the wider world, at the moment. Every day seems to bring an even more alarming news item, whether it’s one that hits straight home or one that has more … Continued
Another dickhead’s got a lucrative book deal. Can we calm the fuck down? Yes, everyone who’s ever written for publication is used to the momentary flash of rage when someone stupid, obnoxious or famous for stuff other than writing, gets … Continued