#hopepunk

See tagged statuses in the local Rambling Readers community

Good news - researchers in the UK found that potato stems contain fibers similar to cotton fibers. This could become a new source of material for textiles. Since the stems are currently treated as a waste by-product of potatoes, we wouldn't need to use any new land or water for this new source of fiber! We might be able to reduce the resources used to grow cotton.
A team is working on making thread from 75% cotton / 25% potato, to use in existing machinery.

https://www.fibe.uk/media

"friends, I hope you understand I say this with love, but there are going to be some really hard times ahead. We need to get good at weaponizing this hope thing, which is why I’m gonna do a deep dive into the four kinds of hope and how understanding the different types can help us sustain it. And maybe put to bed some of the fears in some corners that hope leads to complacency, when of course, it does just the opposite."

-- @susankayequinn https://wandering.shop/@susankayequinn/113013654733723601

LAST DAY!

In honor of Tales of Ardonna appearing in more markets, I've created my first Smashwords coupons! 🥳

From now until September 1, the first book in each timeline is half off.

The Mage Era is technically the beginning:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1605853

If you enjoy more classic fantasy tropes, you might prefer the Dragon Age:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1605851

Or jump right into the Modern Era, where people are losing their minds:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1605835

Tales of Ardonna book tree showing book covers in timelines. Top left: Mage Era - River's Roar and Giants' Gate. Middle Right: Dragon Age - Song of Jade: Red Wolf and September's new release Song of Jade: Hidden Kingdom. Bottom branches and along trunk is the Modern Era with the Woodspell Series, sequels Chasing Sunset and Midnight Crow, plus placeholder for 2025's release.

I first encountered in Dozois' Year's Best collections (which I SO miss). A physics & environment professor, she writes deeply poetic speculative - sometimes science, but not only - fiction, often rooted in Indian mythology.

My favorite in this collection is "Indra's Web" is somewhat different: pure & : something small that will ripple around the world and feels truly reachable already today. Read it on a dark day. Hope.

My hand holding Vandana Singh's boom "Ambiguity Machines" out of the window. In Background Cape Town's Signal Hill in beautiful reddish morning light.