Haven’t really had a lick of time for writing here in the last few months, but ruminating on the first forty years of my life - and all the ways narrative can and does mislead us - is a pretty good excuse to dust off the ol' platform before I return to an evening of other work tasks. Warmth to all.

Back to tech things I go!

#BetterWorldsTheory #Humanism #CulturalMyths

https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/notes-on-an-era-narrative-and-what?r=1ii76&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Woo! A newsletter before work!

This first piece for the week is a re-do of one I started months ago, on Molly Conger’s excellent podcast on white supremacists and other such extremists (and the harm they do) in the US.

This re-do essay covers a recent episode of Weird Little Guys that does a spectacular job highlighting the selectivity of data sets, and why it’s so important to show your work and name your sources.

#BetterWorldsTheory #MediaLiteracy
#HumanBehaviour

https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/missing-data-and-worldview-gaps?r=1ii76&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Well, I got something written before the start of work today.

There are so many other scattered thoughts I haven’t been able to set down properly over the last two weeks, but hopefully this piece explains at least some of the futility I’m moving through these days.

I hope it will offer some clarity and language to any others also trying to figure out what to do with the anger-in-grief they might feel these days.

#BetterWorldsTheory #MediaLiteracy #Politics
https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/overcoming-anger-at-the-ongoing-derangement?r=1ii76&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

I've been remiss in posting to Patreon, BookTube, and my newsletter these past few weeks. Tonight I finally had a chance to jot down *why*, and to talk about gratitude while hitting pause on my Patreon and thinking about next steps across the board.

Thank you to EVERYONE who ever supported me along the incredibly hard way to my current change in life.

#BetterWorldsTheory
https://www.patreon.com/posts/long-overdue-127983660?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

We’re starting off the week with a reflection on a wise, genre-transcending film by Ryan Coogler. This is not your mama’s vampire story. This is about the limits of seeking freedom in all its human-cursed forms.

#BetterWorldsTheory #Movies #MediaLiteracy #Horror
https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/sinners-and-the-struggle-to-transcend?r=1ii76&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Today's #BookTube for #BetterWorldsTheory looks at @clarkesworld's February 2025, and the power of a well-curated publication with strong thematic connections between stories.

One of my (most cynical) stories is in the issue, but there's also just a terrific range of thoughtful work here, including by Somto Ihezue, Wang Zhenzhen, Claire Jia-Wen, and Kyle Tam (for essay-writing).

Definitely worth reading the ToC as a whole!
#SFF #ScienceFiction #Reviews
https://youtu.be/-LhaDO-zjoc

For the last few months at SFWA, @ourmankoto.bsky.social and I have been Canucking up the joint, getting the Showcase anthologies up to date.

Today, I wanted to celebrate the work Stephen does elsewhere, and reflect on what it means to produce an anthology of "Canadian" SFF. So, I did!

#BetterWorldsTheory #SFF #Books #Reviews #Literature #Canada #CanLit
https://youtu.be/qqqXTBdQpxA

I'm still laughing at myself for forgetting to name Alex Rommel explicitly while gushing about "Landscape Painter" in my thoughts on the January 2025 @clarkesworld so just sing his name to yourself like the horse in Adventure Time. Don't do what I did! NEVER FORGET GOOD ART AND ARTISTS.

#BetterWorldsTheory #SFF #ScienceFiction #Reviews
https://youtu.be/QhlISgN8eaA?si=eya-xLfo2LHMninf

We're back in business, baby!

Today's BookTube reflects not only on Asimov's Nov/Dec 2024 issue, which has some truly great reads, but also on why it's important for writers to celebrate being laid low by good writing by fellow writers.

The world is a rough place, but stories can still make a tremendous difference in the most unexpected ways and lives. Elevate and support good work where you can!

#SFF #BetterWorldsTheory #Humanism #Reading #Reviews
https://youtu.be/jgQS9--NPHI

Catching up bit by bit! Today I have a quick video about the Clarkesworld December 2024 issue, which is filled with fantastic stories that blend nostalgia with our negotiation of the mechanical and otherworldly today. A lot of clipping due to background noise, but so it goes sometimes. Enjoy the reads!

#SFF #ScienceFiction #Reading #Reviews #BetterWorldsTheory
https://youtu.be/ArdQKHZqMZs