Chisom Umeh
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izom-chisom.bsky.social
Chisom Umeh
@izom-chisom.bsky.social
writer | entrepreneur | one time poet
Words in Omenana. Apex. Clarkesworld. Year's Best African Speculative Fiction 2023
Pinned
I'm immensely grateful to everyone who deemed me worthy of this award. Everyone who read "From Across Time" and said, yes, I'll vote for that. Thank you. It means a lot.

And thank you to @clarkesworldmagazine.com for publishing this story.
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This is superb. Ian McKellen delivers a blistering pro-immigration monologue written by Shakespeare, that makes you want to punch the air with exhilaration. Wow, wow, wow.

An absolute must-watch. (Starts at 20:10 but the entire interview is a joy.) youtu.be/2l2RqzVG4ag
"There's Nothing I Enjoy More Than Acting In The Theater" - Ian McKellen EXTENDED INTERVIEW
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 8:46 AM
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Every year, my favorite writing club sessions start after the regional writing competition. We get to slip off the shackles of plotting 45-minute stories to maximize scores on a rubric, and start getting to real writing. (Thread)
February 4, 2026 at 1:56 AM
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We have 15 stories (3 novellas, 7 novelettes, and 5 short stories) on the Locus Recommended Reading List this year. Congratulations to all the authors!
February 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM
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Strange Horizons stands with immigrants in the US as they experience intensified anti-immigrant operations.

We have the opportunity to lend our strength as a global community.

Read our full statement:
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...
Statement on ICE Operations in the USA
Strange Horizons stands with immigrants in the US facing these conditions.
strangehorizons.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:41 AM
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I was part of the group of sff authors who contributed to this project - my story. ‘100kg of platinum in London’ is about getting things down from space…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2sp...
Creative Futures | How Science Fiction can shape the future
YouTube video by Dstl
www.youtube.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:31 AM
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We are all immigrants. Unless you came over on the Mayflower. I am an immigrant to Canada having grown up in the US. America was built by immigrants. Some people have forgotten that.
January 31, 2026 at 7:35 PM
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Last night, Automatic Noodle won the Octavia Butler Award!! I'm so honored and happy!!! 🤖❤️🎉 www.instagram.com/p/DUI5pCokno...
January 30, 2026 at 5:28 PM
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Why do apology scenes in SFF suck so much? @rickandwrite.bsky.social has a few ideas—and a few examples of the writers who actually did it well.

britishfantasysociety.org/sorry-not-so...
January 27, 2026 at 3:04 PM
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Second Round of 2025 BSFA Awards Nominations Begins
file770.com/second-round...
January 27, 2026 at 5:53 PM
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Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️
January 26, 2026 at 3:33 PM
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We are thrilled for @genni.bsky.social, whose book, The Nga’phandileh Whisperer: A Sauútiverse Novella, has made the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction! Congratulations! Read about the book: www.starsandsabers.com/books/the-ng...
The Nga’phandileh Whisperer – Stars and Sabers
The Nga'phandileh Whisperer: A Sauútiverse Novella is a science fiction horror novella from award-winning author Eugen Bacon.
www.starsandsabers.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:19 PM
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Grateful and surprised that my Snap! Criticism work is nominated 5 separate times on the BSFA Awards longlist, in a short nonfiction category bursting with great stuff (that's 17% of all the nominees in that category, you guys are wild).

A member and voting? Just interested in practical crit? A 🧵.
Vote for the BSFA Awards
www.bsfa.co.uk
January 24, 2026 at 1:50 PM
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One of the most validating things that’s ever happened to me as a writer: @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social got subject matter experts to annotate my story about housing & soil remediation. I don’t know if anyone’s read them but I love that they’re there.
Full text: www.tractorbeam.earth/story/the-fl...
January 23, 2026 at 9:03 PM
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Yes, climate change can supercharge a winter storm. Here’s how.
Yes, climate change can supercharge a winter storm. Here’s how.
Feel like you're at the North Pole at the moment? There's good reason for that.
dlvr.it
January 24, 2026 at 3:23 AM
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The inevitable point where AI is eating up the barf from other AI
January 24, 2026 at 3:36 PM
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That's right, REPUBLIC OF MEMORY is also a secret hardboiled detective novel (thanks to the ahem joys of multi-pov). Now ain't that a kick in the head?

crimereads.com/10-speculati...
10 Speculative Mysteries and Thrillers to Check Out in 2026
Interesting times lead to fascinating fiction, especially in the speculative realm, where each future-set plot point feels like a logical extension of our current woes, especially regarding the imm…
crimereads.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:17 PM
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Watch it to the end. Listen to what the guy says during the credits.
OpenAI is Broke… and so is everyone else
YouTube video by Vanessa Wingårdh
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 3:25 PM
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“Don’t be discouraged when you find that the process of self-discovery takes a long, long time,” she said. “Don’t even be surprised if at 50 you are still wondering what you are going to be when you grow up.” 🗃️

RIP Barbara Aronstein Black

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/u...
Barbara Aronstein Black, a First as a Law School Dean, Dies at 92
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:36 AM
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Honored to discover "Because I Held His Name Like a Key" on the BSFA longlist! Especially in the company of so many works I love & so many lovely talented people; congrats @jenniferhudak.bsky.social @foxesandroses.bsky.social @samtasticbooks.com @premeemohamed.com and everyone else I can't fit here!
January 23, 2026 at 11:05 AM
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Next month (uk) - the fourth (main) Tyrant Philosophers book, with my most bombastic ever title.
In #PretendersToTheThroneOfGod, Arthur C. Clarke winner & Sunday Times bestselling author Adrian Tchaikovsky @aptshadow.bsky.social returns to a world steeped in magic – & the #TyrantPhilosophers campaign to bring reason, logic and ‘perfection’ to it.

Pre-order now: https://geni.us/PTTTOGorgsoc
January 24, 2026 at 2:06 PM
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so how's the reading going this week? anyone found any great books? tell your friends how awesome digital library loans are?
January 22, 2026 at 3:02 PM
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Science is our attempt to become less wrong over time. And in honor of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we put it on a shirt! Get yours at complexly.info/ccsci
January 22, 2026 at 5:38 PM
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I just thought everyone should see this
January 22, 2026 at 11:02 PM
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🚀 Congratulations to all those longlisted for BSFA Awards!

Check out the complete list here 👇and enjoy this celebration of diverse and exciting works!

bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Vote for the BSFA Awards
bsfa.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 6:22 PM
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Love to see clifi and solarpunk writers in so many categories!

Notable congrats to @singingtotigers.bsky.social @susankayequinn.bsky.social @izom-chisom.bsky.social @atgreenblatt.bsky.social @somtoihezue.bsky.social @wishusdonna.bsky.social
and many others I surely missed
🚀 Congratulations to all those longlisted for BSFA Awards!

Check out the complete list here 👇and enjoy this celebration of diverse and exciting works!

bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
Vote for the BSFA Awards
bsfa.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 9:43 PM