Starting at a couple of prominent kiwi newsletters I really will never subscribe to as long as they're on substack. Time to shift is now.

❤️ (alt text: "I think we underestimate how many people are hanging on by a single, fraying thread and how, some days, the only thing saving them/us from the abyss is the small comforts of a TV-show that feels like home, a book that tells you you're not alone, or a pet that needs you.")

POLARIS!!! 🖤🤍

Literally every time I see the word "mantasy" my brain goes, "The Spear Cuts Through Water," and I smile.

Simeon Brown is laying out the messages you will hear all year on the other place. These messages are well-rehearsed and will be relentlessly pushed. Labour have failed miserably to stop these reckons becoming embedded as facts in the national psyche. So, another quick recap of reality... [🧵1/n]

Amen.

Happy anniversary!

"Big Spender" - Broadway Backwards 2019 YouTube video by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

It's my book birthday! The Subtle Art of Folding Space comes out today. To celebrate, "Big Spender" from Broadway Backward 2019 with the original Fosse choreography.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXXQ...

The Moon: oh wow you guys decided to come back

Artemis II crew: earth’s haunted

I think everyone in Aotearoa should know where our foreign minister is right now: standing next to Rubio as he dodges questions about war crimes

Long distance ocean sailing. 21 days crossing the Pacific.

As someone who spent weeks closer to the International Space Station than to any landmass on Earth, yeah, probably. Given how much I loved that, though, I'm pretty sure I'd be one of the 1%.

Loved it!

gowron billboard above a he is risen sign

I’m doing a bit of research for a potential article on reading habits of SFFH fans.

So, if you read SFFH do you also read other genres and if so, which ones?

All answers welcome and reposts appreciated for visibility. Thank you!

I mainly read SF, followed by F, and then H. I also read a lot of non-fiction (science and philosophy mostly). Much less but some of: mystery/crime, thrillers, espionage, romance, and litfic (often SFF or mystery/crime marketed as litfic but not exclusively).

a man with a beard is saying " obviously i 'm a god " Alt: Chuck from Supernatural saying "Obviously, I'm a god."

I just replaced a zipper in a pair of jeans.

Oh, heck, YES!

I agree, instant sale over here!

YES!

Because I have the best friends who inform me of such things, I am going to see Suzy Eddie Izzard's solo Hamlet in July!

The Department of What it (Really) Means to be Human (2026)

‘Payment expected within seven days’: New Zealand doctor invoices US embassy for rising petrol costs Shane Dunphy sends bill for almost $3,000, along with letter saying ‘The USA is responsible for this and therefore should be held accountable’

This hero was my mum’s GP. 💪

A screenshot of David Lynch as FBI Director Gordon Cole, saying "Fix Your Hearts Or Die"

#NZPOL

You would get so many more amazing books if you had Universal Basic Income. Not even the most dream-scenario AI could compete with the creativity of a world of authors no longer afraid of affording rent.

Traditional publishing isn't a meritocracy in the slightest. A book being "good" doesn't translate to sales or promotion.

Thank you!

A teal, purple and amber circular swirl with images of different landscapes (various futuristic cityscapes, an endless suburban street, a desert world) and flying whales. Text reading Transmentation | Transience by Darkly Lem.

An amber, orange and yellow circular swirl with images of cogs and gears, a gothic mansion with bats, a central flower and a sailboat. Text reading Transmentation | Transgression by Darkly Lem.

Ooh, folks are posting about wanting beautiful colourful SFF covers? Awesome.

The Spinoff official guide to buying chips in NZ 2026 A two-way table, here is the data in csv format (no recommendation = 0, recommended=1, highly recommended=2): ,Ready Salted,"Salt & Vinegar, Cheese, Herbs, Spices",BBQ/Chicken,Cheese,Herbs,Spices Thin cut,1,0,0,0,0,1 Classic Wavy,2,1,1,0,1,0 Thick Cut,0,2,0,0,1,0 Kettle Cut,1,1,2,0,2,0 Corn,0,0,0,2,0,2 Reconstituted,0,0,1,1,0,1

Kudos to Mad Chapman for updating her chip ranking with the full range of 170 current flavours and a handy thematic datavis which I have put the csv data for in the alt-text because I am that committed to chips. thespinoff.co.nz/kai/27-03-20...