Louise Hughes
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trailofleaves.bsky.social
Louise Hughes
@trailofleaves.bsky.social
700 followers 510 following 340 posts
Time Traveller. Social Historian. Reader and Writer of Speculative Fiction.

North East England.

Stories in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Small Wonders, Interzone (print & digital), and more.

https://linktr.ee/louisehugheswrites
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trailofleaves.bsky.social
Louise Hughes @trailofleaves.bsky.social · 25d
I had stories out in 2025! Seven stories! Please consider them:

louisehugheswrites.wordpress.com/2025/11/12/a...
Awards Eligibilty 2025
I’ve spent most of this year concentrating on novel writing, and am about to complete the first draft (literally the hero is facing off with the villain right this minute), but that doesn’t mean my…
louisehugheswrites.wordpress.com
Reposted by Louise Hughes
renay.bsky.social
Intergalactic Mixtape is live! It was Podcast Week, with lots of pods dropping episodes. Plus, some excellent essays and a banging interview between Ann Leckie and Arkady Martine from @speculativeinsight.bsky.social.
Intergalactic Mixtape #31
Hey! This week I welcomed several new books to my house. This was illegal, as I was supposed to be on a book buying ban for December. However, one of the...
buttondown.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
jasonsanford.bsky.social
This year I've been reflecting upon and writing about my life as a neurodiverse author. Here's one of the most personal essays I've ever written about being on the spectrum. In addition, an updated version of my free booklet "Tips and Strategies for Neurodiverse Writers" is available.
The Mask Comes Off When I Write | Jason Sanford's Genre Grapevine
Get more from Jason Sanford's Genre Grapevine on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 6, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
katefrancia.bsky.social
More story recs today, combining two of my favorite things: SFF and fiber arts! Stories by @rukman.bsky.social @jenniferhudak.bsky.social @reasie.bsky.social @renanbernardo.com @samtasticbooks.com @trailofleaves.bsky.social, Dee Straith
medium.com/@katefrancia...
Story recs: 8 SFF Knitting Stories to Wrap Around Your Shoulders on a Cold Day
I’ve read so many science fiction and fantasy stories this year that use knitting and fiber arts to weave together themes of community…
medium.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
metoffice.gov.uk
📰 There are some snow-laden headlines in online news at the moment, but do they reflect the actual forecast?

Well, not really.

Get the details 👇
Met Office fact check graphic. Text reads: "Our forecast says: It’s unsettled this week with a mixture of wind, rain and some sunny spells too. Temperatures will be around average with any snow likely confined to high ground in the north, as is normal for the time of year. The news headline: UK weather maps turn purple as Britain hit by 7 now bombs all at once."
December 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
bcsmagazine.bsky.social
BCS Patreon has fallen below the monthly amount we need to pay our authors a pro rate and our First Readers a worthy honorarium ($125/mo). Sometimes folks need to lower or pause their support; we understand. But less than 1% of BCS readership donates or supports. www.patreon.com/beneath_ceas... 1/3
Get more from Beneath Ceaseless Skies on Patreon
creating an online fantasy magazine & podcast
www.patreon.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Calling British short science-fiction writers who have had stories published this year - window closing soon for Best of British Science Fiction 2025. Get your story in under the door!
December 2, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
innerworlds.bsky.social
👾🌟 Here it is, pals: issue 9! 🌟👾

Includes numerous CREATURES.

inner-worlds.ghost.io/issue-nine-e...

#SFF #SciFi #Horror #Fantasy #SpecFic #ShortFiction #LitMag
Cover featuring a drawing of a person with long brown hair, wearing a yellow baseball cap that reads "ACE" and a purple t-shirt. Glowing cracks cover their forehead and eyes, and plants with small green leaves and purple flower buds are emerging from the cracks.
November 30, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
mythopoetica.bsky.social
My short story “Moult” which is written in both English and Malay is now reprinted in @innerworlds.bsky.social in very good company!

inner-worlds.ghost.io/issue-9-moul...
Moult by Anita Harris Satkunananthan
I shed my skin every seven years. I never realise it till long after the act of shedding has taken place.
inner-worlds.ghost.io
November 30, 2025 at 9:22 PM
trailofleaves.bsky.social
The trouble with world-building on the fly is that you end up with three different words for the same range of mountains, scattered over 110k words, and no idea how many brothers anyone actually has.
November 30, 2025 at 4:46 PM
trailofleaves.bsky.social
Today I wrote a novel synopsis. And it was under one page.

Witness my triumph.
November 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
translunartl.bsky.social
If you submitted to Translunar Travelers Lounge in the last submission window you should have got a reply now.
November 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM
trailofleaves.bsky.social
Apparently the cold virus heard that I booked some leave days this week.
November 27, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
kaleidotrope.bsky.social
Complete with approximate word counts for each story—if, you know, that was important to you, for award season or whatever! 🙂
kaleidotrope.bsky.social Kaleidotrope @kaleidotrope.bsky.social · 11d
Wondering which 48 stories and 28 poems Kaleidotrope published in 2025?

Well, friends, wonder no more!
Kaleidotrope 2025
kaleidotrope.net
November 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
adriabailton.com
Have you read?

The Nine Crashes of Flight Lieutenant Hilla Quinn by Louise Hughes at kaleidotrope

Facing fears.

kaleidotrope.net/autumn-2025/...
“The Nine Crashes of Flight Lieutenant Hilla Quinn” by Louise Hughes
kaleidotrope.net
November 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
havenspec.bsky.social
Haven Spec Magazine is closing to submissions for the entirety of next month, so send us all the things while you still can!

For our complete guidelines and schedule, visit:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
November 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
ernie.tedium.co
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.

www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Update November 22. We’ve updated this article after realising we contributed to a perfect storm of misunderstanding around a recent change in the wording and placement of Gmail’s smart features. The settings themselves aren’t new, but the way Google recently rewrote and surfaced them led a lot of people (including us) to believe Gmail content might be used to train Google’s AI models, and that users were being opted in automatically. After taking a closer look at Google’s documentation and reviewing other reporting, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Gmail does scan email content to power its own “smart features,” such as spam filtering, categorisation, and writing suggestions. But this is part of how Gmail normally works and isn’t the same as training Google’s generative AI models. Google also maintains that these feature settings are opt-in rather than opt-out, although users’ experiences seem to vary depending on when and how the new wording appeared. It’s easy to see where the confusion came from. Google’s updated language around “smart features” is vague, and the term “smart” often implies AI—especially at a time when Gemini is being integrated into other parts of Google’s products. When the new wording started appearing for some users without much explanation, many assumed it signalled a broader shift. We’ve revised this article to reflect what we can confirm from Google’s documentation, as it’s always been our aim to give readers accurate, helpful guidance.
November 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
mariahaskins.com
This is very sad news, but I am glad to see that The Deadlands will continue.

Read this and then: support the zines and publishers you love. It is tough, rough times for small publishers and zines. Do what you can to help them continue their good work.
November 21, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
innerworlds.bsky.social
Inner Worlds issue 9 will be out at the end of November, featuring this stunning cover artwork by @bydhiyanah.bsky.social ✨️🌿💜
Cover featuring a drawing of a person with long brown hair, wearing a yellow baseball cap that reads "ACE" and a purple t-shirt. Glowing cracks cover their forehead and eyes, and plants with small green leaves and purple flower buds are emerging from the cracks.
November 20, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
speculativeinsight.bsky.social
Subscribe now to read this new essay from Priya Sridhar, going deep into the weeds on two fabulous Kelly Link short stories...

AUD30/year (~GBP15 or USD19) gets you an extra essay each month, plus 6-month compilations with exclusive content!
www.speculativeinsight.com/subs
Purple background, white text, which says Kelly Link's work remains a mystery to avid readings, reviewers, and writers. Like Henry James in the 1920s, narrative surfaces aren't always what they seem. "Why Kelly Link is the Henry James of Speculative Fiction" -- Priya Sridhar
November 21, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
cherylmorgan.bsky.social
OK, fantasy scholars, help us out here. What is the earliest known use of ‘fae’, with that specific spelling, in a fantasy novel?
FYI @effjayem.bsky.social @dimitrafimi.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @profrmaslen.bsky.social @garykwolfe.bsky.social
rhyskamjones.bsky.social Rhys Kaminski-Jones @rhyskamjones.bsky.social · 17d
This has brought up a question I actually don't know - when did the specific form "the fae" become so popular in English?

OED has "Faerie" going back to Spenser, "fey" as "fairylike" in 1823, and there's obviously "Morgan le Fay" from French, but can't find much for "the fae" til quite recently!
lethalityjane.bsky.social ex-Lethality Jane @lethalityjane.bsky.social · 17d
Turning into my father one "the problem is no one reads enough books these days" grumble at a time
November 20, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
metoffice.gov.uk
Brrrr, it was a cold night for many with Northern Ireland, England and Wales all recording their coldest night of the season so far ❄️
A map of the UK showing overnight temperatures. Benson -6.6C. Sennybridge and Dundreggan -6.4C. Altnahinch Filters -2.8C.
November 20, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
kjcharleswriter.com
the highs and lows of social media encapsulated in a single post.
oispooky.bsky.social Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 17d
Was researching an old theatre (boxing venue) in Hull.

Someone on a FB heritage page, under a photo: 'Think I used to go to pantomimes there as a kid!'

A wit replies: 'Oh no you didn't!'

The original poster: 'Is it a different building then?'
November 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
garius.bsky.social
Mill workers were hugely important in the push to get women the vote. Although wages were low they, wielded economic power and were well organised.

They often, unfairly, get overlooked in the popular narrative where the quest for the vote gets cast as a purely middle or upper class movement.
handhyorkshire.bsky.social History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 17d
This has to be one of of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century from March 1907. Sixteen years old suffragette Dora Thewlis. A poor mill worker from Honley in Huddersfield she was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union At a demonstration in London she is
was arrested and served a week in prison. Dora, obviously a very strong young woman emigrated to Australia before the start of the First World War, therefore never seeing the passage of women's suffrage in England, where she married and lived until her death in 1976.
November 20, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
nationaltrust.org.uk
Nature isn’t a “blocker” – it makes our lives better.

Our coast, countryside, heritage and wildlife underpin our food, water and health and put millions of pounds into the economy. The Government must not weaken the laws that protect them.
Sunshine filtering between the autumnal leaves. It creates a glow in a woodland space and feels quite magical.
November 20, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Reposted by Louise Hughes
neheritagelib.bsky.social
Good morning.

I've added the Victoria Hall to the site, and felt it be more apt to share the memorial over the road this morning than the building itself. How stone can evoke such an emotion is testament to the mason.

www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/features/the...
November 20, 2025 at 8:48 AM