This week's post on my author newsletter is a short story culled from my archives. Hope you enjoy it... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/sinners-in-s… #fiction #shortstories #scifi #creativewriting

Hmm, I wrote a novel featuring AI-powered surveillance. It didn't end well...

Politics and current affairs just keep on giving, every time I think my novel Citizen Zero is slipping out of the moment, along comes some new real-world twist to add relevance to its themes... theguardian.com/technology/202… #politics #books #novel #dystopia

This suggestion that Tony Blair becomes some kind of governor lording it over Gaza, just wondering -- does the job come with a plumed pith helmet and a bright red jacket bedecked in imperial bling?

Ilkley Literary Festival marks 52 years of celebrating great literature with a focus on 'soft power' and the soul of Northern poetry. Read the story on my author newsletter... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/theres-nothi… #literature #books Ilkley Literature Festival

When both the government and the opposition want to restrict the right to march and protest you know that our hard won basic civil liberties are under threat. They erode slowly until one day you look around and they are gone.

Started writing the actual first chapter for my novel yesterday. Did a bit more this evening. It's not going well, but I will say it's not going badly either. It feels good to be writing the actual book, rather than extended world-building vignettes. #amwriting

Two years on from 7 October, Israel is falling - and we in the West are all falling with it. Yet our governments refuse to untether us from its descent, writes Steven Methven. novaramedia.com/2025/10/08/isr…

This is why I print hardcopies of my important work, manuscripts and the like. Mind you, the joke's on me -- it's all gonna get thrown out when I drop dead, or I'm dragged kicking and screaming to some warehouse for the elderly poor. bbc.co.uk/future/article…

Bit late posting this, but I sent out my #author newsletter the other day. It's free to subscribe if you feel like supporting an indie scribbler... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/tykewriter-d… #fiction #writing #writerslife #books

Why is it all my best 'reviews' come from AI-written email spam from the book promotion service scammers? I seem to be getting a lot of those lately. Sigh. #writerslife

A new tool is helping libraries screen historic collections to identity green coloured books that contain toxic arsenic. Read the story on my #author newsletter... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/some-books-a… #books

BREAKING: The Mirror NUJ chapel has voted for strike action in our battle against Reach Plc’s job cuts, AI replacing journos and unworkable rotas for those who survive ✊

There's no better place to spend Halloween than at the Bone Diva, so permit the Reaper's Moll to entertain you, darkly... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/dance-macabr… #fiction #Halloween #novel

On a night like this, what's a Goth femme fatale got to say, but Happy #Halloween... 🎃💀🪦 markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/death-and-me… #books #fiction

I'm sure someone is thinking 'who needs these 3.3m workers when we have the miracle of AI?' On another note, maybe this endless gradgrind focus on more more more productivity is a factor in making people ill? Just a thought... theguardian.com/money/2025/nov…

A little creative essaying from the deep archives in this latest post on my #author newsletter... markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/hunters-of-t… #creative #writing

Some good news out of the US, for once. Congratultions to Zohran Mamdani. He’d have got my vote if I was a New Yorker. I’m sure he realises he has high hopes to fulfil, though, not just in the Big Apple. The world is watching, with fingers crossed.