Miriam Forster
@miriamforster.bsky.social
Two capybaras in a long wool cardigan posing as a writer. Factchecker and accidental whiteness educator.
Autistic, agender, she/they.
Longform work at Medium: https://medium.com/@miriamsforster
“Exclamation marks are numerous, but justified.” -Kirkus🌟
Autistic, agender, she/they.
Longform work at Medium: https://medium.com/@miriamsforster
“Exclamation marks are numerous, but justified.” -Kirkus🌟
Pinned
Miriam Forster
@miriamforster.bsky.social
· Sep 28
Your periodic reminder that I wrote a book about shark evolution AND another one about bug evolution!
They are BIG and GORGEOUS and illustrated by the exceptional @gordywright.bsky.social
They are BIG and GORGEOUS and illustrated by the exceptional @gordywright.bsky.social
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Promote people of colour and women in this space, whistleblowers and survivors of these clowns.
Read more on actual critical concepts here:
bsky.app/profile/oliv...
Read more on actual critical concepts here:
bsky.app/profile/oliv...
CAIL = prerequisite knowledge for a critical perspective, such as to tell apart nonsense hype from true theoretical computer scientific claims. For example, the idea that human-like systems are a sensible or possible goal is the result of circular reasoning and anthropomorphism. olivia.science/ai
🧵
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November 30, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Promote people of colour and women in this space, whistleblowers and survivors of these clowns.
Read more on actual critical concepts here:
bsky.app/profile/oliv...
Read more on actual critical concepts here:
bsky.app/profile/oliv...
Reposted by Miriam Forster
this is your friendly holiday season reminder that if the idea of spending time with your family fills you with dread, you don’t have to keep doing it.
shared genes do not entitle anyone to your time, energy, or loyalty, and the holidays do not need to be a nightmare season.
shared genes do not entitle anyone to your time, energy, or loyalty, and the holidays do not need to be a nightmare season.
November 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
this is your friendly holiday season reminder that if the idea of spending time with your family fills you with dread, you don’t have to keep doing it.
shared genes do not entitle anyone to your time, energy, or loyalty, and the holidays do not need to be a nightmare season.
shared genes do not entitle anyone to your time, energy, or loyalty, and the holidays do not need to be a nightmare season.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
As someone who works in the tech industry--absolutely.
They are testing the waters. These are top-down orders. The ONLY way to stop it is a visceral negative reaction. Write articles. Post your rage. Email. Post. @. All those things.
Only you have the power to kill it.
They are testing the waters. These are top-down orders. The ONLY way to stop it is a visceral negative reaction. Write articles. Post your rage. Email. Post. @. All those things.
Only you have the power to kill it.
Let me give some insight on this, as a producer in the dub industry who worked with major streamers, who's witnessed first-hand where this push for AI is coming from.
tl;dr: Only CEOs want this. Tell them how much you hate it. Be loud, email, call, @, post. You will kill this.
🧵⬇️
tl;dr: Only CEOs want this. Tell them how much you hate it. Be loud, email, call, @, post. You will kill this.
🧵⬇️
The only thing less human than these AI dub performances is the decision to sign off on them
A company this big can pay human actors a decent wage, not produce slop that intentionally removes the human element.
A company this big can pay human actors a decent wage, not produce slop that intentionally removes the human element.
November 30, 2025 at 5:07 AM
As someone who works in the tech industry--absolutely.
They are testing the waters. These are top-down orders. The ONLY way to stop it is a visceral negative reaction. Write articles. Post your rage. Email. Post. @. All those things.
Only you have the power to kill it.
They are testing the waters. These are top-down orders. The ONLY way to stop it is a visceral negative reaction. Write articles. Post your rage. Email. Post. @. All those things.
Only you have the power to kill it.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
We must never allow the term bird-munching to gain acceptance. It's just... Not ok.
Ohhh I just fell down a tiny rabbit hole. Looks like surface predation of healthy waterfowl isn’t super common, so the deeper water probably is safer for them.
www.earthtouchnews.com/natural-worl...
www.earthtouchnews.com/natural-worl...
A fascinating dive into the world of bird-munching predators
Seabirds and waterfowl, often seen as predators themselves, are frequently preyed upon by a surprising range of aquatic hunters—from orcas to crocodiles.
www.earthtouchnews.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:23 AM
We must never allow the term bird-munching to gain acceptance. It's just... Not ok.
People these days will post anything. “When a cancelled performer reënters the culture, we expect them to offer us a great work.” No we don’t. That isn’t true.
November 30, 2025 at 2:10 AM
People these days will post anything. “When a cancelled performer reënters the culture, we expect them to offer us a great work.” No we don’t. That isn’t true.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
If you missed out on yesterday's mega sale, you can still get a fuckton of cool comics for a great deal!!
Think of how many new eyes will see some amazing comics this holiday season! 🤩
Missed out on Friday with the offline world? There's still time!
We've got you covered til midnight on the 2nd with 40% off for Small Business Sales-Weekend! And even thrown in Tuesday to boot! store.ironcircus.com
Missed out on Friday with the offline world? There's still time!
We've got you covered til midnight on the 2nd with 40% off for Small Business Sales-Weekend! And even thrown in Tuesday to boot! store.ironcircus.com
November 29, 2025 at 6:33 PM
If you missed out on yesterday's mega sale, you can still get a fuckton of cool comics for a great deal!!
Reposted by Miriam Forster
ALL OUR STUFF IS ON SALE THIS WEEKEND
WE ARE SMOL
WE ARE ANTIFASCIST
and we can stop typing in capslock anytime we want
But hey, if you’d like to get a stocking stuffer and support a small press: hornedlarkpress.com/our-books/
WE ARE SMOL
WE ARE ANTIFASCIST
and we can stop typing in capslock anytime we want
But hey, if you’d like to get a stocking stuffer and support a small press: hornedlarkpress.com/our-books/
Book Shop – Horned Lark Press
hornedlarkpress.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:41 PM
ALL OUR STUFF IS ON SALE THIS WEEKEND
WE ARE SMOL
WE ARE ANTIFASCIST
and we can stop typing in capslock anytime we want
But hey, if you’d like to get a stocking stuffer and support a small press: hornedlarkpress.com/our-books/
WE ARE SMOL
WE ARE ANTIFASCIST
and we can stop typing in capslock anytime we want
But hey, if you’d like to get a stocking stuffer and support a small press: hornedlarkpress.com/our-books/
Reposted by Miriam Forster
In fact, let’s do this. Comment with what you’re looking for and I’ll try to recommend a read from a Palestinian author for you from my reading list. I’ll do my best to find you a match.
If you’re looking for Palestinian speculative fiction for #ReadPalestine week, I got you: soniasulaiman.com/readpalestin...
Read Palestinian Speculative Fiction Reading List
The following is a growing reading list for the #ReadPalestinianSpecFic challenge. This is a work in progress to create a list of all available Palestinian speculative fiction. Novels: Novels by Na…
soniasulaiman.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
In fact, let’s do this. Comment with what you’re looking for and I’ll try to recommend a read from a Palestinian author for you from my reading list. I’ll do my best to find you a match.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Guess why?
BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS ARE NOT "INTELLIGENT" IN ANY WAY. Chatbots are word-guessing algorithms; rhyming triggers a different set of associations from prose. This was 100% predictable to anyone who both understands how chatbots work and has no vested interest in selling them to the masses.
BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS ARE NOT "INTELLIGENT" IN ANY WAY. Chatbots are word-guessing algorithms; rhyming triggers a different set of associations from prose. This was 100% predictable to anyone who both understands how chatbots work and has no vested interest in selling them to the masses.
It turns out all the guardrails in the world won’t protect a chatbot from meter and rhyme. www.wired.com/story/poems-...
Poems Can Trick AI Into Helping You Make a Nuclear Weapon
It turns out all the guardrails in the world won’t protect a chatbot from meter and rhyme.
www.wired.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Guess why?
BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS ARE NOT "INTELLIGENT" IN ANY WAY. Chatbots are word-guessing algorithms; rhyming triggers a different set of associations from prose. This was 100% predictable to anyone who both understands how chatbots work and has no vested interest in selling them to the masses.
BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS ARE NOT "INTELLIGENT" IN ANY WAY. Chatbots are word-guessing algorithms; rhyming triggers a different set of associations from prose. This was 100% predictable to anyone who both understands how chatbots work and has no vested interest in selling them to the masses.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Yes. It's a very common misconception about the past that horses were just a one-to-one replacement for cars - only the rich had carriages, few people rode on horseback for transportation, most horses were used for hauling, not transporting people. Most people (like most of human history) walked
There was never really a point where horse usage reached anywhere near the saturation of car usage, so it's hard to compare. At the highest point there was about one horse for every five Americans. People just walked a lot!
Considering that horses are dangerous and riders are very regularly seriously injured, I wonder what the direct overall injury/death rate looked like when everyone in our society had to constantly ride/drive horses, versus the injury/death rate from cars today?
November 29, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Yes. It's a very common misconception about the past that horses were just a one-to-one replacement for cars - only the rich had carriages, few people rode on horseback for transportation, most horses were used for hauling, not transporting people. Most people (like most of human history) walked
Reposted by Miriam Forster
People will say anything on here. “We used to be a proper country,” no we didn’t. That’s not true.
November 29, 2025 at 6:25 PM
People will say anything on here. “We used to be a proper country,” no we didn’t. That’s not true.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
we may not all be witches but it is important that we all watch out for signs of cackling, in ourselves and each other
these are hard times and things can wear you down more than you think, until the kettle on your head doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all
these are hard times and things can wear you down more than you think, until the kettle on your head doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all
November 29, 2025 at 7:23 PM
we may not all be witches but it is important that we all watch out for signs of cackling, in ourselves and each other
these are hard times and things can wear you down more than you think, until the kettle on your head doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all
these are hard times and things can wear you down more than you think, until the kettle on your head doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Discworld QOTD, from Wintersmith
November 29, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Discworld QOTD, from Wintersmith
Reposted by Miriam Forster
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 24, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
When we link arms and say NO, we stop fascism in its tracks.
See @taliajane.bsky.social's earlier posts for details on ICE melting in NYC.
See @taliajane.bsky.social's earlier posts for details on ICE melting in NYC.
Confirmed: Earlier this morning a photog overheard agents inside the parking garage say “dismissed,” believed to be calling off their planned mass raid.
A source tells me they had planned for *hundreds* of agents to flood Canal St. They got flooded instead.
A source tells me they had planned for *hundreds* of agents to flood Canal St. They got flooded instead.
November 29, 2025 at 6:38 PM
When we link arms and say NO, we stop fascism in its tracks.
See @taliajane.bsky.social's earlier posts for details on ICE melting in NYC.
See @taliajane.bsky.social's earlier posts for details on ICE melting in NYC.
PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS! EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR PUBLISHED BOOKS!
Do you have a kid in your life who loves bugs or sharks? Do YOU love bugs or sharks? My books make fantastic holiday gifts!
This one has ways to help bugs and safely study them as well!
www.abramsbooks.com/product/bugs...
Do you have a kid in your life who loves bugs or sharks? Do YOU love bugs or sharks? My books make fantastic holiday gifts!
This one has ways to help bugs and safely study them as well!
www.abramsbooks.com/product/bugs...
Bugs: A Skittery, Jittery History
Bugs: A Skittery, Jittery History isan epic, oversize nonfiction picture book and companion to Sharks: A Mighty Bite-y History that is all about bugs and their prehistoric predecessors. Insects are so...
www.abramsbooks.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:25 AM
PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS! EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR PUBLISHED BOOKS!
Do you have a kid in your life who loves bugs or sharks? Do YOU love bugs or sharks? My books make fantastic holiday gifts!
This one has ways to help bugs and safely study them as well!
www.abramsbooks.com/product/bugs...
Do you have a kid in your life who loves bugs or sharks? Do YOU love bugs or sharks? My books make fantastic holiday gifts!
This one has ways to help bugs and safely study them as well!
www.abramsbooks.com/product/bugs...
Reposted by Miriam Forster
It’s not a great deal if you don’t need it. And especially this year, others really need support. So for all of us who have enough, let’s refuse to get sucked into the holiday shopping frenzy and share instead of shop. We don’t need more stuff, we need communities where all our neighbors are safe.
November 28, 2025 at 3:54 PM
It’s not a great deal if you don’t need it. And especially this year, others really need support. So for all of us who have enough, let’s refuse to get sucked into the holiday shopping frenzy and share instead of shop. We don’t need more stuff, we need communities where all our neighbors are safe.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
If you're out celebrating the excesses of capitalism, or taking advantage of the steep discounts to get needed items, DO NOT patronize Starbucks.
Your pumpkin spiced abomination is not worth crossing the picket line.
Your pumpkin spiced abomination is not worth crossing the picket line.
Starbucks employees escalated their strike on Black Friday, expanding to 120 stores and 85 cities.
Their CEO took home $96 million while refusing to negotiate a living wage for workers.
Boycott Starbucks. Stand with the employees.
Support local independent coffee shops:
Their CEO took home $96 million while refusing to negotiate a living wage for workers.
Boycott Starbucks. Stand with the employees.
Support local independent coffee shops:
Starbucks workers' union escalates strike on Black Friday
() -The Starbucks workers' union said on Friday it is escalating an indefinite strike to more than 120 stores and 85 cities, demanding higher pay and staffing levels at the coffee chain. The walkout,...
www.yahoo.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:55 PM
If you're out celebrating the excesses of capitalism, or taking advantage of the steep discounts to get needed items, DO NOT patronize Starbucks.
Your pumpkin spiced abomination is not worth crossing the picket line.
Your pumpkin spiced abomination is not worth crossing the picket line.
Reposted by Miriam Forster
.....oooooh!
(I haven't read their entire catalog, granted, but everything I HAVE read from Neon Hemlock has been astonishing/amazing/insert glowing words of praise here, so....at least worth checking out.)
(I haven't read their entire catalog, granted, but everything I HAVE read from Neon Hemlock has been astonishing/amazing/insert glowing words of praise here, so....at least worth checking out.)
📚 50% off ebooks because capitalism i guess
use code UGHFINE
or you could just buy them! up to you 📚
www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks
use code UGHFINE
or you could just buy them! up to you 📚
www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks
November 28, 2025 at 11:17 PM
.....oooooh!
(I haven't read their entire catalog, granted, but everything I HAVE read from Neon Hemlock has been astonishing/amazing/insert glowing words of praise here, so....at least worth checking out.)
(I haven't read their entire catalog, granted, but everything I HAVE read from Neon Hemlock has been astonishing/amazing/insert glowing words of praise here, so....at least worth checking out.)
Hey look, it’s Black Cat Friday!
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Hey look, it’s Black Cat Friday!
Reposted by Miriam Forster
Something to note about my current itch sales is that today, itch doesn't take a cut! It's mine all mine!
itch.io/s/168838/sel...
itch.io/s/168838/sel...
Sell to Howl by Jennifer R. Donohue
A bundle by Jennifer R. Donohue, $8.97 for Learn to Howl, Baying the Moon, The Company of Wolves
itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Something to note about my current itch sales is that today, itch doesn't take a cut! It's mine all mine!
itch.io/s/168838/sel...
itch.io/s/168838/sel...
Sam I Am must be stopped!
Had to go back to get proof
November 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Sam I Am must be stopped!
Reposted by Miriam Forster
All my ebooks are half price for Creator Day at itch! Today only, itch isn't taking a cut, so all the money goes to creators.
Want some queer sci-fi or fantasy romance in your life? You can buy individual books for $1.49-$3.49 or the whole bundle for $30 feliciadavin.itch.io...
Want some queer sci-fi or fantasy romance in your life? You can buy individual books for $1.49-$3.49 or the whole bundle for $30 feliciadavin.itch.io...
November 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
All my ebooks are half price for Creator Day at itch! Today only, itch isn't taking a cut, so all the money goes to creators.
Want some queer sci-fi or fantasy romance in your life? You can buy individual books for $1.49-$3.49 or the whole bundle for $30 feliciadavin.itch.io...
Want some queer sci-fi or fantasy romance in your life? You can buy individual books for $1.49-$3.49 or the whole bundle for $30 feliciadavin.itch.io...