Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
@therisingtithes.bsky.social
🇹🇹 Poet, SFF writer, TTRPG designer. Worldcon 2025 Poet Laureate.
@rascal.news columnist. Podcaster @speculate.bsky.social & @skiffyandfanty.com.
Author of CAN YOU SIGN MY TENTACLE? and other things.
Thank God for words.
https://www.brandonobrien.xyz/
@rascal.news columnist. Podcaster @speculate.bsky.social & @skiffyandfanty.com.
Author of CAN YOU SIGN MY TENTACLE? and other things.
Thank God for words.
https://www.brandonobrien.xyz/
Pinned
Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
@therisingtithes.bsky.social
· Oct 29
Brandon O'Brien's Afternoon Tea
Thoughts on media, the curiosities of our world, and things that may make us smile. I made this cup just for you.
brandonobrien.xyz
If you're new here:
Hey folks. I'm Brandon. I'm a poet, science fiction writer, and TTRPG designer from Trinidad. I have a lot of feelings about elegies, lagahoos, and Kamen Rider.
Find out about my writing and game design, and sign up for my very infrequent newsletter, here: brandonobrien.xyz
Hey folks. I'm Brandon. I'm a poet, science fiction writer, and TTRPG designer from Trinidad. I have a lot of feelings about elegies, lagahoos, and Kamen Rider.
Find out about my writing and game design, and sign up for my very infrequent newsletter, here: brandonobrien.xyz
10 things I want to play in 2026:
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
10 Things I want to play in 2026:
▫️ Crack the Sun (Draw Steel)
▫️ Legend in the Mist
▫️ Oathbreaker (MTG)
▫️ Pistolheart
▫️ Hades 2
▫️ Big Bad Evil Rant
▫️ Nahual
▫️ The One Ring
▫️ Thirsty Sword Lesbians
▫️ Pokemon TCG
▫️ Crack the Sun (Draw Steel)
▫️ Legend in the Mist
▫️ Oathbreaker (MTG)
▫️ Pistolheart
▫️ Hades 2
▫️ Big Bad Evil Rant
▫️ Nahual
▫️ The One Ring
▫️ Thirsty Sword Lesbians
▫️ Pokemon TCG
December 24, 2025 at 12:33 AM
10 things I want to play in 2026:
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
As an aside, that interaction reminded me of that one time someone spent ten tweets arguing with me that not liking Balgo Parks' characterisation in BURN THE WITCH was the same as not wanting Kubo to succeed as a mangaka.
December 23, 2025 at 9:23 PM
As an aside, that interaction reminded me of that one time someone spent ten tweets arguing with me that not liking Balgo Parks' characterisation in BURN THE WITCH was the same as not wanting Kubo to succeed as a mangaka.
Avengers: Doomsday is gonna get me mad. I have never been so annoyed to see an actor I *like* return to a franchise. At some point we need to kill the nostalgia addicts in our brains.
December 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Avengers: Doomsday is gonna get me mad. I have never been so annoyed to see an actor I *like* return to a franchise. At some point we need to kill the nostalgia addicts in our brains.
my 'i did not accomplish any goals in 2025' brain kicked me in the shin this week & I downloaded an app called Journal It!, which is a very try-hard calendar/notes/goals/habits/project management app that I hope will fix the part of my brain that slides off time-blocking. (It will not, but still.)
December 23, 2025 at 6:18 AM
my 'i did not accomplish any goals in 2025' brain kicked me in the shin this week & I downloaded an app called Journal It!, which is a very try-hard calendar/notes/goals/habits/project management app that I hope will fix the part of my brain that slides off time-blocking. (It will not, but still.)
It's a Winter Sale! Get my 2-player games for only $4!
Brandon's 2-Player Winter Sale 2025 by Brandon O'Brien | Neon Robin Bard Games
A bundle by Brandon O'Brien | Neon Robin Bard Games, $4.00 for 6 games
itch.io
December 23, 2025 at 5:41 AM
It's a Winter Sale! Get my 2-player games for only $4!
apropos of very little, perhaps one of the most dangerous positions to be in as a PoC creative is 'sole sensitivity consultant on large-scale media project whose primary creators keep finding room in their mouth to put both feet'
I dread both being that consultant & being that primary creator
I dread both being that consultant & being that primary creator
December 21, 2025 at 7:23 AM
apropos of very little, perhaps one of the most dangerous positions to be in as a PoC creative is 'sole sensitivity consultant on large-scale media project whose primary creators keep finding room in their mouth to put both feet'
I dread both being that consultant & being that primary creator
I dread both being that consultant & being that primary creator
Reposted by Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
The King's Citadel of @trendane.bsky.social, @jenniferbrozek.bsky.social, @jhelfers01.bsky.social, @therisingtithes.bsky.social, & @mariebilodeau.bsky.social must join the Five Nations to face the Lord of Blades. Join us at 7:30 p.m. ET for D&D w. I&B:Eberron-Oracle of War! www.twitch.tv/arvaneleron
Twitch
Twitch is the world
www.twitch.tv
December 21, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The King's Citadel of @trendane.bsky.social, @jenniferbrozek.bsky.social, @jhelfers01.bsky.social, @therisingtithes.bsky.social, & @mariebilodeau.bsky.social must join the Five Nations to face the Lord of Blades. Join us at 7:30 p.m. ET for D&D w. I&B:Eberron-Oracle of War! www.twitch.tv/arvaneleron
Is the Meta Bind plugin the thing that will finally allow me to make a dynamic Dramatica story-outlining template for Obsidian?
Perhaps.
Am I inspired to try?
Once I read more documentation, maybe.
Will I ever finish a project like that?
You know in your heart that I won't.
Perhaps.
Am I inspired to try?
Once I read more documentation, maybe.
Will I ever finish a project like that?
You know in your heart that I won't.
GitHub - mProjectsCode/obsidian-meta-bind-plugin: A plugin for Obsidian to make your notes interactive with inline input fields, metadata displays, and buttons.
A plugin for Obsidian to make your notes interactive with inline input fields, metadata displays, and buttons. - mProjectsCode/obsidian-meta-bind-plugin
github.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Is the Meta Bind plugin the thing that will finally allow me to make a dynamic Dramatica story-outlining template for Obsidian?
Perhaps.
Am I inspired to try?
Once I read more documentation, maybe.
Will I ever finish a project like that?
You know in your heart that I won't.
Perhaps.
Am I inspired to try?
Once I read more documentation, maybe.
Will I ever finish a project like that?
You know in your heart that I won't.
Reposted by Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
I have 10,000 followers, largely allies to Black issues.
If yall dont buy my book i swear fo' God
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770199...
If yall dont buy my book i swear fo' God
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770199...
Forever for the Culture by Steven Underwood: 9780807013380 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
THE CURATORS OF CULTURE: Celebrate Black digital art in this essay collection revealing how Black artists have shaped everything from TikTok dances to viral memes Steven Underwood digs into the curre...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:34 AM
I have 10,000 followers, largely allies to Black issues.
If yall dont buy my book i swear fo' God
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770199...
If yall dont buy my book i swear fo' God
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770199...
The Maltese Falcon entering public domain in 2026 means that in 2030 it'll be The Thin Man's turn...
pardon me, I need to put something on my calendar right quick--
pardon me, I need to put something on my calendar right quick--
On January 1, 2026, works published in 1930 will enter the public domain in the US.
web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...
Some examples from that post:
Books:
* _As I Lay Dying_, by William Faulkner.
* _The Maltese Falcon_ (full book version), by Dashiell Hammett.
1/
web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...
Some examples from that post:
Books:
* _As I Lay Dying_, by William Faulkner.
* _The Maltese Falcon_ (full book version), by Dashiell Hammett.
1/
Public Domain Day 2026 | Duke University School of Law
January 1, 2026 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1930 are open to all, as are sound recordings from 1925! By Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle[1] CC BY 4.0 Please note that this site is only about US l...
web.law.duke.edu
December 20, 2025 at 12:35 AM
The Maltese Falcon entering public domain in 2026 means that in 2030 it'll be The Thin Man's turn...
pardon me, I need to put something on my calendar right quick--
pardon me, I need to put something on my calendar right quick--
As someone who is specifically excited for the first Poetry Nebulas and does not want this to dampen the experience of people discovering poetry through the awards, the *only* reason I can imagine this being valuable is if you are trying to prevent AI users from lying about the provenance of work.
Another Nebula Awards nomination cycle is in full swing, and the addition of poetry and comics, along with the presence of LLMs in industry, required careful consideration.
Read on, and vote well!
We trust our voters & look forward to what they choose to celebrate.
www.sfwa.org/2025/12/19/p...
Read on, and vote well!
We trust our voters & look forward to what they choose to celebrate.
www.sfwa.org/2025/12/19/p...
December 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM
As someone who is specifically excited for the first Poetry Nebulas and does not want this to dampen the experience of people discovering poetry through the awards, the *only* reason I can imagine this being valuable is if you are trying to prevent AI users from lying about the provenance of work.
If Vince Gilligan commissioned someone to write the Wycaro novels, that would be printing money, I swear to God.
December 19, 2025 at 6:48 PM
If Vince Gilligan commissioned someone to write the Wycaro novels, that would be printing money, I swear to God.
anyway if I ever take it upon myself to write SIXTEEN NANOWRIMOS worth of a single manuscript about a pastor he better be Father Jud. like if he isn’t the most gracious person on earth you have my permission to torch the mss, shatter my hard drive, and beat me over the head with a cricket bat
December 19, 2025 at 1:36 AM
anyway if I ever take it upon myself to write SIXTEEN NANOWRIMOS worth of a single manuscript about a pastor he better be Father Jud. like if he isn’t the most gracious person on earth you have my permission to torch the mss, shatter my hard drive, and beat me over the head with a cricket bat
Reposted by Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
I'm with @therisingtithes.bsky.social on my shock at Wake Up Dead Man having the character of Lee Ross, a wash-up author, write a book that is 782,815 words long!
I so loved the film slipping in something that only writers will laugh at that I screenshot the scene.
I so loved the film slipping in something that only writers will laugh at that I screenshot the scene.
December 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I'm with @therisingtithes.bsky.social on my shock at Wake Up Dead Man having the character of Lee Ross, a wash-up author, write a book that is 782,815 words long!
I so loved the film slipping in something that only writers will laugh at that I screenshot the scene.
I so loved the film slipping in something that only writers will laugh at that I screenshot the scene.
Very early into Wake Up Dead Man and I can only think of one thing:
SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE *THOUSAND* WORDS, DAWG?
SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE *THOUSAND* WORDS, DAWG?
December 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Very early into Wake Up Dead Man and I can only think of one thing:
SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE *THOUSAND* WORDS, DAWG?
SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE *THOUSAND* WORDS, DAWG?
TIL an Eva Unit-01 keytar exists.
Cyber-G EVA
Enya Music x EVANGELION Official Collab: Enya Cyber-G EVA smart guitar. Learn instantly. Includes custom theme Module, Mic, Strap, Hardcase and more.
enyamusicglobal.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
TIL an Eva Unit-01 keytar exists.
Reposted by Brandon O’Brien | National Pray For A Bredren Month (extended)
i wanna see more poetry/writing that employs dialect, vernacular, ways of speaking that show the diversity and creativity of the way English is used as well as people's Heritage Languages, turns of phrases, idioms, colloquialisms—all of it.
As I get older, i no longer buy into 'King's English.'
As I get older, i no longer buy into 'King's English.'
December 18, 2025 at 8:42 AM
i wanna see more poetry/writing that employs dialect, vernacular, ways of speaking that show the diversity and creativity of the way English is used as well as people's Heritage Languages, turns of phrases, idioms, colloquialisms—all of it.
As I get older, i no longer buy into 'King's English.'
As I get older, i no longer buy into 'King's English.'
"Teach me, then."
December 18, 2025 at 12:20 AM
"Teach me, then."
my brain has been sitting on a reply to a thing for so many days now that not making the next post will be like refusing to scratch an itch so be cool
December 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
my brain has been sitting on a reply to a thing for so many days now that not making the next post will be like refusing to scratch an itch so be cool
oooh, homebrewed system, you say?
I was initially curious because D20 seems to be particularly fond of the Kids system so I wouldn't be surprised if it borrows heavily
also: LOVE ME SOME GAUGES--very obvious narrative motif to be sure but I am suddenly curious how they use it mechanically
I was initially curious because D20 seems to be particularly fond of the Kids system so I wouldn't be surprised if it borrows heavily
also: LOVE ME SOME GAUGES--very obvious narrative motif to be sure but I am suddenly curious how they use it mechanically
Coming soon -- Dimension 20: Gladlands! ☀️😃
Join Brennan Lee Mulligan and the Dusty Do-gooders (Ally Beardsley, Kimia Behpoornia, Vic Michaelis, Oscar Montoya, Zac Oyama, Jacob Wysocki) for a feel-good apocalypse adventure!
Dimension 20: Gladlands premieres Jan. 7th, 2026!
Join Brennan Lee Mulligan and the Dusty Do-gooders (Ally Beardsley, Kimia Behpoornia, Vic Michaelis, Oscar Montoya, Zac Oyama, Jacob Wysocki) for a feel-good apocalypse adventure!
Dimension 20: Gladlands premieres Jan. 7th, 2026!
December 17, 2025 at 7:31 PM
oooh, homebrewed system, you say?
I was initially curious because D20 seems to be particularly fond of the Kids system so I wouldn't be surprised if it borrows heavily
also: LOVE ME SOME GAUGES--very obvious narrative motif to be sure but I am suddenly curious how they use it mechanically
I was initially curious because D20 seems to be particularly fond of the Kids system so I wouldn't be surprised if it borrows heavily
also: LOVE ME SOME GAUGES--very obvious narrative motif to be sure but I am suddenly curious how they use it mechanically
I feel weird admitting I am afraid I’m the perfect sucker for these book club scams—they haven’t duped me, but I *want* to be read and discussed!
The Exceptional Book Club almost got me—but then I visited their website and the strangest thing came up. Do you see what’s wrong with these pictures?
The Exceptional Book Club almost got me—but then I visited their website and the strangest thing came up. Do you see what’s wrong with these pictures?
December 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I feel weird admitting I am afraid I’m the perfect sucker for these book club scams—they haven’t duped me, but I *want* to be read and discussed!
The Exceptional Book Club almost got me—but then I visited their website and the strangest thing came up. Do you see what’s wrong with these pictures?
The Exceptional Book Club almost got me—but then I visited their website and the strangest thing came up. Do you see what’s wrong with these pictures?
The hyperfocus connection engine in my brain wants to do *something* with the fact that Disclosure Day is directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the writer of the last film that Spielberg has ever won a Dramatic Presentation Hugo for: 1994's Jurassic Park.
Disclosure Day | Official Teaser
YouTube video by Universal Pictures
youtu.be
December 16, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The hyperfocus connection engine in my brain wants to do *something* with the fact that Disclosure Day is directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the writer of the last film that Spielberg has ever won a Dramatic Presentation Hugo for: 1994's Jurassic Park.
among other hilarious things about this video, there are some absolute BARS in here
Wolverine and Ironman aren't in the same league as Hawkeye, Daredevil, Nightcrawler, and Johnny
YouTube video by Omar Holmon
youtu.be
December 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM
among other hilarious things about this video, there are some absolute BARS in here
aside: what we really need to be better at for the sustainability of writer communities is a communal indie web that is not bound to social media. Build webrings! Write newsletters in reply to your friends' newsletters! Be better at not only maintaining our own digital spaces but opening their doors
I will say re: the current discourse that I don't think OP was selling text social media short, but also as someone who wants to make a lot of video essays and only hasn't because of a lack of Action Points, there's high virtue in any forward-facing medium, offset only by where the audiences are.
December 16, 2025 at 5:47 AM
aside: what we really need to be better at for the sustainability of writer communities is a communal indie web that is not bound to social media. Build webrings! Write newsletters in reply to your friends' newsletters! Be better at not only maintaining our own digital spaces but opening their doors
I will say re: the current discourse that I don't think OP was selling text social media short, but also as someone who wants to make a lot of video essays and only hasn't because of a lack of Action Points, there's high virtue in any forward-facing medium, offset only by where the audiences are.
December 16, 2025 at 5:41 AM
I will say re: the current discourse that I don't think OP was selling text social media short, but also as someone who wants to make a lot of video essays and only hasn't because of a lack of Action Points, there's high virtue in any forward-facing medium, offset only by where the audiences are.