Micah Dean Hicks
@micahdeanhicks.com
Author. NEA Fellow. New book VULTURE GOLD coming 2026! Lover of stories and story games. He/Him. Never AI.
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
micahdeanhicks.com
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
micahdeanhicks.com
Pinned
Micah Dean Hicks
@micahdeanhicks.com
· Oct 16
I have a new story, "Dirge and Gleam," up today at @lightspeedmagazine.com!
Queer wizard school, ghosts, and a terrifying spider girl who just might be lonely.
There's also a short interview and an audio version.
www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/dirg...
Queer wizard school, ghosts, and a terrifying spider girl who just might be lonely.
There's also a short interview and an audio version.
www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/dirg...
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
pals you gotta quit spotify
December 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
pals you gotta quit spotify
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
If you DM me a good memory I will pay for your Rascal subscription. First 100 people only.
New subscriptions to Rascal News will be rising by $1 in 2026. If you've been waiting to support us, we're currently running a holiday sale where the first two months of our entry tier is only $1/month!
Independent journalism on the cheap? Yippee-Ki-Yay, Anklebiters!
Independent journalism on the cheap? Yippee-Ki-Yay, Anklebiters!
We’re raising Rascal’s subscription prices by $1 in 2026
But you can lock in the old price right now with a holiday discount!
www.rascal.news
December 6, 2025 at 8:09 PM
If you DM me a good memory I will pay for your Rascal subscription. First 100 people only.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Yup, as @irisvanrooij.bsky.social @marentierra.bsky.social and I say in Towards Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacies doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
"[Guardrails] pose an infinite regress of humans in the loop needed to make pretend of what AI was supposed to solve"
"[Guardrails] pose an infinite regress of humans in the loop needed to make pretend of what AI was supposed to solve"
December 5, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Yup, as @irisvanrooij.bsky.social @marentierra.bsky.social and I say in Towards Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacies doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
"[Guardrails] pose an infinite regress of humans in the loop needed to make pretend of what AI was supposed to solve"
"[Guardrails] pose an infinite regress of humans in the loop needed to make pretend of what AI was supposed to solve"
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Yes. Legit-sounding book clubs (with web pages and Etsy merch shops and all) say they want to do your book, waste your time with 2 rounds of planning emails, then say they need your headshot, bio, and the “standard $212 administrative fee” or whatever. Scam scam scammity scam scam.
SCAM ALERT AUTHORS! A book club emails to let you know your book has been chosen. They express an interest in having you join a chat at the end. When you respond, they let you know there is a SMALL FEE and would you like to move forward with next steps? GTFO ‼️⬇️
December 1, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Yes. Legit-sounding book clubs (with web pages and Etsy merch shops and all) say they want to do your book, waste your time with 2 rounds of planning emails, then say they need your headshot, bio, and the “standard $212 administrative fee” or whatever. Scam scam scammity scam scam.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
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 Micah Dean Hicks
Ruba really needs help ❤️
@mommunism.bsky.social
Hello friends, I'm suffering from severe tooth pain and I can't bear it anymore. Please support me because I need another operation soon. My teeth are suddenly falling out due to a lack of calcium. Please understand my pain and suffering.
tinyurl.com/Ruba2
Hello friends, I'm suffering from severe tooth pain and I can't bear it anymore. Please support me because I need another operation soon. My teeth are suddenly falling out due to a lack of calcium. Please understand my pain and suffering.
tinyurl.com/Ruba2
November 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Ruba really needs help ❤️
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Time to look into your settings, folks.
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Time to look into your settings, folks.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
// Greebles are psychology's best creatures, so you know I had to turn them into flesh :)
Read more about them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble...
Then, tag yourself:
Read more about them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble...
Then, tag yourself:
November 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
// Greebles are psychology's best creatures, so you know I had to turn them into flesh :)
Read more about them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble...
Then, tag yourself:
Read more about them: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble...
Then, tag yourself:
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
My favorite neurotoxin is conotoxin, produced by cone snails.
It's interesting because there's not one conotoxin, it's a whole damn cocktail that fucks with sodium and potassium and calcium channels simultaneously, evolved to be absurdly broad spectrum.
If it has nerves, the cone snail can kill it
It's interesting because there's not one conotoxin, it's a whole damn cocktail that fucks with sodium and potassium and calcium channels simultaneously, evolved to be absurdly broad spectrum.
If it has nerves, the cone snail can kill it
May 31, 2024 at 5:55 AM
My favorite neurotoxin is conotoxin, produced by cone snails.
It's interesting because there's not one conotoxin, it's a whole damn cocktail that fucks with sodium and potassium and calcium channels simultaneously, evolved to be absurdly broad spectrum.
If it has nerves, the cone snail can kill it
It's interesting because there's not one conotoxin, it's a whole damn cocktail that fucks with sodium and potassium and calcium channels simultaneously, evolved to be absurdly broad spectrum.
If it has nerves, the cone snail can kill it
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
We are going Super Social Justice Blue Hair and Pronouns. We are calling things "gay" and "queer" as compliments and honorifics. We are proudly being buzzkills and harpies and feminine and vegan and giving a sincere fucking shit about the environment and climate and well-being of the community.
November 14, 2025 at 9:12 AM
We are going Super Social Justice Blue Hair and Pronouns. We are calling things "gay" and "queer" as compliments and honorifics. We are proudly being buzzkills and harpies and feminine and vegan and giving a sincere fucking shit about the environment and climate and well-being of the community.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
@sfdirewolf.bsky.social just passed away. What a heartbreaking loss. And a reminder of how important Teen Vogue was.
It’s been a pleasure working with Lex and everyone in the politics vertical at Teen Vogue. I’m heartbroken that my column, Disability Visibility, is gone. Teen Vogue was one of the few places that published disabled journalists regularly. I just spent the last 2 months working on my next column
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
November 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
@sfdirewolf.bsky.social just passed away. What a heartbreaking loss. And a reminder of how important Teen Vogue was.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
A baby girl was pepper-sprayed in the face by Department of Homeland Security agents as her parents drove her home from a weekend family shopping trip.
Baby Pepper-Sprayed by DHS Thugs During Family Grocery Trip
Parents say an agent fired an irritant from a moving car.
trib.al
November 10, 2025 at 12:49 PM
A baby girl was pepper-sprayed in the face by Department of Homeland Security agents as her parents drove her home from a weekend family shopping trip.
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
The boyfriend of a friend of my son's has spent several weeks in a psych ward due to Chat GPT induced psychosis. He isn't suicidal but AI encouraged him down a toxic and paranoid wormhole until he became completely delusional. Evil stuff.
1.This is not the only known example we know of ChatGPT cheering on a vulnerable young person to die by suicide, this time it is a recent Texas A&M grad
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
I just backed Apocalypse World: Burned Over on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Apocalypse World: Burned Over
The 3rd edition of the groundbreaking original.
www.kickstarter.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I just backed Apocalypse World: Burned Over on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
A cool Interesting Times topic would be "We Put Ross Douthat Into One of Those Drive-Thru Tubes at the Bank, and this is the Sound it Made When We Pushed the Button"
November 6, 2025 at 1:56 PM
A cool Interesting Times topic would be "We Put Ross Douthat Into One of Those Drive-Thru Tubes at the Bank, and this is the Sound it Made When We Pushed the Button"
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
you gotta draw or the bad people will win
November 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
you gotta draw or the bad people will win
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
"Higher[ed] aims to create cognitively mature adults, which in turn requires us to ensure students learn to read, think and write all on their own. It is easier than we think: Creating tech-free spaces and incentivizing students to spend time in them requires no new resources. All it takes is will."
Opinion | Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
"Higher[ed] aims to create cognitively mature adults, which in turn requires us to ensure students learn to read, think and write all on their own. It is easier than we think: Creating tech-free spaces and incentivizing students to spend time in them requires no new resources. All it takes is will."
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
dipping my phone in the crockpot now, lick your screens taste the soup
October 28, 2025 at 8:22 PM
dipping my phone in the crockpot now, lick your screens taste the soup
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
OK folks, here's the deal. Spotify is running ICE recruitment ads and has ignored asks to stop. It's time to tell them we won't stream fascism - by cancelling our subscriptions. Here's how to get started: indivisible.org/cancel-spotify
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
OK folks, here's the deal. Spotify is running ICE recruitment ads and has ignored asks to stop. It's time to tell them we won't stream fascism - by cancelling our subscriptions. Here's how to get started: indivisible.org/cancel-spotify
Reposted by Micah Dean Hicks
I want genAI to die. I want this AI trend to die. I want features like photo filters to go back to being called what they are and not AI. I want real art to feel valuable and real artists to be valued. I want photography and filmmaking and art and design and I want voice acting and editing. Not bots
October 23, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I want genAI to die. I want this AI trend to die. I want features like photo filters to go back to being called what they are and not AI. I want real art to feel valuable and real artists to be valued. I want photography and filmmaking and art and design and I want voice acting and editing. Not bots