Bryn Hammond

@brynhammond.bsky.social

| Writer. Sword & Sorcery: Goatskin novellas WASTE FLOWERS, WHAT ROUGH BEAST? from Brackenbury Books. Historical fiction: AMGALANT on Tchingis Khan & 12thC Mongols
| She/her 🌈Queer. Australia
| https://amgalant.com / buy direct https://payhip.com/Amgalant

@dragovian.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

A lot of modern writers seem to want to write deconstructions of their genre instead of writing their genre, and while this can have value, far too many of them seem to think "deconstruction" means "mocking the genre while writing it." Which just feels like mocking the readers, as well.

@understatesmen.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

I've said it before, but snark is insecure and defensive. "I'm worried you're going to laugh at me, so I'm doing it first. Aren't I silly? Haha because I'm in on the joke it hurts less." fuck that, be earnest, be real, let yourself matter

@dreddieclark.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

We put the first book on the Crawford shortlist last year. It's really good - recognisably epic fantasy but through the lens of Tlingit myth and evocative of oral storytelling.

@shannonxl.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

C'est moi! If you know me then you know I've been obsessed with Julie d'Aubigny for ages. And this story about her is completely true and not embellished in the slightest. ;)

@scyllapublishing.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

Our "Who Am I? Sapphic Speculative Fiction of Identity & Purpose" anthology releases on Oct 30! Over the next few weeks we are highlighting the stories to give you a taste of the vibes to expect. Do you love watery, dark, ghostly tales? This is for you. @mac-bowers.bsky.social

A tile showing the Who Am I book cover, the authors name Mac Bowers, a quote from the story: “My love comes with the random rolling of the sea, brought in by a gentle tide and a southerly wind. I always wait for her, even though she tells me not to... She believes the sea to be a callous, fickle thing. But it sings to me, and brings her back to me...” and the story title "What The Tide Takes"
@casella.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

Personal hobbyhorse, but thinking about AI in publishing is really making me want criticism to go harder on discussing the actual style & substance of books. If we just talk about plot & vibes, we're leaving the door totally open, & missing out on the good stuff besides. "It's just words on a page."

@brynhammond.bsky.social

Glad I'm published by a small press that has the strongest ethic against AI. That would no more use it for ad copy, publicity, what have you, than eat your grandmother. That does, yes, have a policy in place (policy is NO). Who wants big trad now?

@putriprihatini.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

I just read "The Last Prophet of Palestine", an indie debut of queer Palestinian writer Noor Al-Ahmad (she's on Threads and IG as noortellstories). She retold the story of the Messiah in modern Gaza as a secret sect, with the deeply flawed "apostles" and a queer Palestinian woman in Jordan. #Booksky

The Last Prophet of Palestine: Enigmatic Emergence from the Ruins of Gaza. Review by: Putri Prihatini. The cover of the novel shows a silhouette of a figure surrounded by a gold halo with an olive tree growing from the halo. The figure is surrounded twelve men in traditional Palestinian robes and keffiyeh. There are embroidery motifs of red poppies on the bottom hem of the figure's robe and the bottom of the book.What’s the novel about? The Last Prophet of Palestine retells the story of the Messiah in modern-day Gaza, turning it into the tale of the birth of a secret sect, born as a desperate effort to offer hope amidst devastation. The story centered the viewpoints of the “apostles”: men whose life revolved around Ali, a mysterious young man born amidst the occupation and seemingly without a father. Meanwhile, a queer Palestinian woman in Jordan found out about the sect from a woman in Gaza that she met online. Struggling to deal with her fraying relationship and wanting to live abroad with her girlfriend, she wondered if she could turn it into a story that would help her application, turning it into a moral dilemma.The unflattering humanity. Noor Al-Ahmad is not interested in creating a story that flatters Western sensibility about Gaza, Palestine, and Palestinian people. The book offers a portrait of “the unflattering humanity”: a story born out of survival instinct, with flawed characters and dubious morality. Characters like Kifah, Walid, Anwar, Mohammad, and Naveed were all flawed. Brash, prone to anger, manipulative, backstabber, wanting to run away with a married woman. You name it. Ali, the stand-in for the “Messiah” they tried to uphold, was the same, with unsympathetic moments that would turn some readers against him. And that is the key to challenge our assumption.This novel describes a contrast between curated myth and real humanity. The stark depiction of destroyed Gaza, the inhumanity, and the violence of the checkpoint (where Ali’s mother was treated harshly by Israeli soldier as she was about to give birth) show you the face of raw humanity. Instead of comfortable narrative where everyone was flawless martyr, Noor challenges us: “If I made all these characters flawed and even didn’t pass your ‘purity’ test, would you still see their humanity and their rights to live a life with dignity and free of occupation?” Quote: I cannot control the tremors in my body, which always arrive paired with that icy impulse in my loins. Am I afraid? Everyone here is afraid. How could one not be? I lead Ali through the ruins, toward people who might, after all, turn out to be animals. (ch. 1)
@emilyrcwilson.bsky.socialReposted by @brynhammond.bsky.social

On a personal level, I feel honored that I've met Carson. On a different personal level, I'm glad that the Nobel is celebrating someone shy, peculiar, intense. May all the weird/funny/creative/dark/introverted people of the world live long and prosper.

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