Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
LightNews LightNews
banner
nicholasatwater.com
Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
@nicholasatwater.com
630 followers 720 following 880 posts
Swashbuckling steampunk fantasy Canadian author 🇨🇦 Goblin advocate and lover of puns. Author of “Echoes of the Imperium” He/Him.

nicholasatwater.com
http://patreon.com/atwater_authors
https://payhip.com/StarwatchPress
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
nicholasatwater.com
Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦 @nicholasatwater.com · Mar 7
Folks, @oliviaatwater.com and I are live on Kickstarter! Want the fanciest, anti-imperialist steampunk fantasy book, with a goblin airship captain at the helm? Look no further!

First 48 hours gets you the prequel novella and 5$ CAD off!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/atw...
Echoes of the Imperium: Signed Collector's Edition Hardcover
The definitive signed Collector's Edition hardcover of the first book in Olivia and Nicholas Atwater's steampunk fantasy series.
www.kickstarter.com
nicholasatwater.com
Give me capes! Give me soul-searing speeches! Give me theatre, cowards! THEATRE!!!
alixeharrow.bsky.social alix e. harrow @alixeharrow.bsky.social · 2h
bring back Monologues!! let actors swish around in capes and deliver speeches, as god intended!!! abandon grim hyper-realism in favor of Theater!!!!!!
ayshaufarah.bsky.social Aysha @ayshaufarah.bsky.social · 16h
i think about "i burn my decency for someone else's future" all the time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3RC...
November 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
nicholasatwater.com
Them: AI is the future for all of humanity!

Me, unable to span-block the mass of emails about clearly AI-written messages about 'book clubs', numerous payment systems going down and delaying weeks of payments because AI automation was shoved in, playing whack-a-mole to disable AI plugins (cont)
November 24, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
tychebooks.bsky.social
Here's my two cents on the piracy discourse this morning. Reading everything this morning, I remember those old FBI warnings at the start of videos: piracy isn't a victimless crime. 🧵
kristadb1.bsky.social Krista D. Ball: Canada's Snarky Potato @kristadb1.bsky.social · 1d
I have had it with the justifications. The weaponization of poverty, neurodiversity, mental illness, all of it.

if you follow me and are using my RTs of authors' books to pirate books (many who are financially struggling, I might add), then frankly fuck off.
November 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
nicholasatwater.com
I interrupt your daily dose of existential dread in this crappy cyberpunk, dystopian, capitalist and nightmare timeline for AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHPUPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Carry on.
weratedogs.com WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 23h
This is Scotchy. He is here to collect the belly rub toll. Would like to remind you that failing to pay results in a fine of even more belly rubs. 12/10 (TT: scotchythedoxie)
November 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
blog.readindiefantasy.com
We're rounding off the day with a list of recommended queer books by enthusiastic reader @turkeycleverness.bsky.social! Read the Rainbow:

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-recom... #AMoRaR
A red banner with a dragon reading a book and the text Read the Rainbow. Three book covers are features including Mercy by Ian Haramaki, The World Within by Dani Finn, and Splinter by Jasper Hyde.
November 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
kristadb1.bsky.social
Don't worry about me, but maybe share Skyla's direct buy store b/c that's where she makes the absolute most money - and she has vet bills. I cannot imagine seeing an author post "I have two cats nearing the end" and go oh, I should steal from her.

payhip.com/skyladawncam...
Skyla Dawn Cameron
Writer of horror, thrillers, mysteries, and urban fantasy. Fifth-generation crazy cat lady. Lover of coarse language. Proud supporter of Unlikable Female Characters™. My characters kill people so I do...
payhip.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:56 AM
nicholasatwater.com
It was bad enough that Bloons: Tower Defense 6 was on sale for a dollar recently, but...Roller Coaster Tycoon: Classic? Gods help me...
November 23, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
tekweenie.bsky.social
Excellent speech by @charliejane.bsky.social about imagination in service to society. Great stuff.

buttondown.com/charliejane/...
Generative A.I., the thing that drives our whole economy right now, is a perfect metaphor for the abject failure of imagination on the part of the powerful. Generative A.I. has no imagination and offers no new insights. It's a mere predictive engine that uses statistics to find the most likely next thing. What's the next word in a sequence, the next pixel in a picture? This is the opposite of imagination, which is so often about finding the least likely thing, the startling incongruity. I worry that so many of us are outsourcing our imaginations and our whole creative selves to these stochastic parrots.
November 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
nicholasatwater.com
I had the great pleasure of being the first guest on the "Inking Neon" podcast, chatting about "A Protagonist Worth rooting For". It was an absolute blast, and a great joy to talk with my friend Cullen, and to bat about thoughts on the topic.

youtu.be/jeVYoQtpeAY?...
Inking Neon Episode 005 A Protagonist Worth Rooting for with Nicholas Atwater
YouTube video by Inking Neon
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
attimowens.bsky.social
"The real power of imagination is that it helps us envision something better than raw power." ❤️❤️❤️
Excerpt: Imagination and empathy are closely linked. People who refuse to do the hard work of empathizing with others — and I do believe this is a choice — also tend to have stunted imaginations. They cannot envision anything other than putting their boot on someone else's neck and crushing the spirits of those they disagree with. The real power of imagination is that it helps us envision something better than raw power.
November 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
nicholasatwater.com
This is the kinda thing that makes me proud to be Canadian. Well done, RCAF. And kudos on the very Canadian takedown.

Remember folks; there is a difference between nice, and polite 😀
tabathasouthey.bsky.social Tabatha Southey🇨🇦 @tabathasouthey.bsky.social · 3d
Massive shoutout out to whoever handles the Royal Canadian Air Force’s social media account. They responded to every single comment on their already very solid Trans Day of Remembrance post and they responded like this…
A screenshot of a Facebook post where a person named Andy ask the Well now “What the hell is transgender?” The Royal Canadian Air Force account response with “That’s a pretty big question asked in a pretty small way, Andy. ‘Transgender’ putting describes someone whose gender – who they know themselves to be – doesn’t match the sex they were assigned at birth. It’s not new, and it’s certainly not a fad. People have lived this experience for as long as people have existed; we’re just finally talking about it openly. You don’t have to fully understand it right away, most learning takes time, but we can always start from a place of respect. That’s how decent folks handle things they’re still getting used to.”
November 22, 2025 at 1:50 PM
nicholasatwater.com
My very first podcast review of "Echoes of the Imperium", by the loverly and thoughtful folks at Fiction Fans! I've always enjoyed listening to their takes, and this episode was no different ❤️
November 19, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com
Backerkit is back up! For Trans Awareness Week, be aware of my crowdfund that features a trans girl POV and other queer characters!

www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
The Chosen One Con
The Chosen One Con is the first book in the Lost in the Aether duology—a queer gaslamp fantasy of industrial magic in a world of designer enchantments and celebrity-branded potions from the author of ...
www.backerkit.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
neolithicsheep.bsky.social
authors you have the chance to do the funniest thing right now
arstechnica.com Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · Aug 27
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
November 18, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
jbensonink.bsky.social
Happy release day to the third book in my Raiders of the Arcana series, Arrow of Fortune!! Find it everywhere in ebook, audiobook, paperback and hardcover of hit up jacquelynbenson.com/arrow-of-fortune to buy direct.

I hope you all have such a good time with this one. Happy reading.
arrow of fortune paperback on purple textured background with text 'out now'. Book is surrounded by tropes - epic indian history, a possibly lucky dog, experiments in kissing, magic flaming sword, everyone's in trousers, even more revolutionaries, and bolly wood vibes.
November 18, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
jbensonink.bsky.social
This little book was completely unintentional. Blame Padma Devi, who showed up at the end of Tomb of the Sun King and demanded that I write it. As in most things, she knew better than the rest of us what needed to happen.

Hit it up everywhere or buy direct at jacquelynbenson.com/arrow-of-fortune.
Photograph of Jacquelyn Benson in front of a green wall with framed scene illustrations from the Raiders of the Arcana books. Author is holding a hardcover of Tomb of the Sun King. Text reads 'it's release day for this book baby' and 'very happy author' Hand holding arrow of fortune hardcover up in front of a mirror surrounded by framed scene illustrations from the raiders of the arcana books. Book is surrounded by tropes with arrows - Bollywood vibes, flaming sword, surprise tigers, haunted forest, everybody's in trousers, giving imperialists hell, a possibly lucky dog.
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
stephanieburgis.bsky.social
Happy book birthday to @patricksamphire.bsky.social's snarky, funny, and exciting fantasy-mystery novella The Dead Man! You can read my review here: www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Stephanie's review of The Dead Man (Mennik Thorn #0.5)
5/5: Quick note: yes, I am married to the author. However, I fell for his writing even before I fell for him at the f/sf-writing workshop where we first met, and I especially adore this particular ser...
www.goodreads.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:48 AM
nicholasatwater.com
If I had a nickel for every action flick this year I expected to be a fun-but-gritty ride that was instead a vehicle for a massive found family vibe, reminding us we can't get through this alone, I'd have two nickels.

Which isn't a lot, but it's funny it's happened twice.
November 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM
nicholasatwater.com
Predator: Badlands had no right o be as fun, enjoyable, and sometimes wholesome as it was. I am going to be singing its praises for a bit, that's for sure. I am locked in.

The found family vibes are absolutely top-notch.
November 14, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
jbensonink.bsky.social
Pay what you want and grab a bundle of fantasy romance reads with strong female heroines from some of my favorite indie fantasy authors! Anything over $5 gets you three books or contribute $25 or more to unlock the batch of eleven titles.
Check it out at storybundle.com/fantasy before December 4th.
Collage of book covers including titles by intisar khanani, charlotte english, tilly wallace, stephanie burgis, and suzannah rowntree. Empire of Shadows is in center with text 'the leading ladies fantasy bundle - storybundle.com/fantasy november 12 - december 4"
November 13, 2025 at 3:13 PM
nicholasatwater.com
Man, Star Wars: Visions has had some of the most fun and fresh Star Wars content I've enjoyed in ages. Andor was a masterpiece, but some of these episodes are just absolutely wonderful.

It's amazing how some of these 20 min episodes have had me wanting entire seasons.
November 12, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by Nicholas Atwater 🇨🇦
trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com
Since today is the crowdfund launch, but I've got hours to kill yet...

1 like = 1 lore drop from The Chosen One Con 😎
The book cover to The Chosen One Con book, book one the Lost in the Aether duology by Trudie Skies. The cover shows a young white man in a long trench coat putting a glowing blue potion in his inner pocket as though stealing it. In the background are factories with chimneys blowing out dark smoke.
November 12, 2025 at 10:22 AM
nicholasatwater.com
And a happy N7 day to all of you Mass Effect fans out there! You can pick two squaddies out of the entire series to roll with you; who are they gonna be?

Gotta be my guy Garrus, and the bestest gal, Tali.
November 7, 2025 at 7:45 PM
nicholasatwater.com
You know, the only thing that helps the sting of Halloween having come and gone is always the day that follows it: Discount Halloween Candy Day. 💀🍬🏷️

Celebrate (ir)responsibly, folks!
November 2, 2025 at 10:59 PM
nicholasatwater.com
Not only do I feel this in my bones, but it pleases me to no end that Captain Amelia herself is on the right side of things.
noethematt.bsky.social Matthew Noe 🔜 MICE @noethematt.bsky.social · 28d
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 6:25 PM