don’t make a promise you can’t keep

I like to think of what Project Hail Mary was like from Rocky’s point of view.

This is just to let everybody know that for Pride Month of 2026, the Ebooks Direct Pride Package has been really ridiculously discounted.

...From the product page:

This package contains all our Middle Kingdoms material—some of the first LGBTQ-representing epic fantasy in the 20th-century fantasy field, now continuing into the 21st. It also contains the matter-of-fact exit from the (contextual) closet of two of the best-loved characters in the Young Wizards universe—Advisory wizards Tom Swale and Carl Romeo, on their first canonically-"out" venture as a couple. The main part of the collection spans more than forty years, from the publication of Diane Duane's two-time Astounding Award finalist The Door Into Fire, first published in 1979, through its main-sequence sequels (both also Gaylaxic Spectrum Awards Hall of Fame winners) The Door Into Shadow and The Door Into Sunset, to 2018's and 2019's interstitial Tales of the Five novels, The Levin-Gad and The Landlady. The collection also includes such otherwise hard to find short works as the romantasy-adjacent novelette Lior and the Sea and the two current volumes of the "Sirronde's World" group, The Span and Parting Gifts.* And finally, it also includes the Middle Kingdoms novelette Overdue (Tales of the Middle Kingdoms #2), and the short Young Wizards work Owl Be Home For Christmas.

All that for $19.99? Seriously, I need my head felt! So please go validate my mental state by buying the package.

And happy Pride!

(Meanwhile, the project for the course of the month is to put all the major queer, bi, and/or ace characters in my various series into that shot. Just added: Mevraen, Wyn and Eftgan. Now to get Lissa and Matt and Matt's boyfriend in there...) 😏

Add an occasional typo to a chapter, on purpose (and the hard part is make sure there are no typos that you didn't specifically insert).

Do it through the whole story, and have a secret hidden message that reveals a secret about the story but the only way to read the message is to put together all of the typo'd letters to spell it out.

@pscentral event 50: colors

The EU Parliament and the Council of Europe have agreed on the EU Return Regulation. The rule would manage the expulsion of people who have been denied legal status in the EU by giving immigration police broad powers over these people, and by extension, over EU citizens. Over 200 organizations have condemned the regulation, which is set to pass TOMORROW, 17 June, 2026.

What it would mandate:

Invasion of private homes and workplaces without a warrant. Police would have the right to raid people’s homes to enforce deportation orders. This is NOT LIMITED to dwellings belonging to the immigrants in question, but ANY private dwelling. This is a HUGE and dangerous change to existing laws.

2. Vastly increased surveillance and detection across the EU, to "detect" migrants without legal status. This would include:

Bulk data collection and unlawful sharing

Unlawful data transfers to third countries that lack an adequate data protection framework

Arbitrary, opaque and inaccurate ‘security risk’ assessment used to enforce deportations, potentially performed automatically by AI. (Details)

This would affect the privacy and rights of migrants AND EU citizens and residents. State surveillance without due process is a slippery slope and does not belong in a democracy.

3. The creation of “third country hubs” for people who cannot return to their own country for humanitarian reasons. This means depositing people in countries they have no connection to, and which may not be safe, as no safeguards have been required by the law. The EU intends to leave their treatment entirely up to the third countries. We do not yet know which countries would be selected, what the conditions are or how the asylum or other migration petition will be resolved.

Note: the EU has recently invited the Taliban for "talks on migration," which should concern everyone.

4. Deportation of unaccompanied minors to third country hubs

"The EU’s inability to effectively monitor and enforce human rights in partnerships with third countries has become increasingly evident, as reports of violations continue to mount. Shirking responsibility in this way has resulted in many thousands of people being exposed to violence, abuse, exploitation, and death." (Joint Statement)

5. Prolonged detention with expanded grounds for inclusion. Detention for up to 30 months, and reduced avenues for appeal or legal counsel. Potentially indefinite detention for migrants deemed a "security risk."

This concerning and dangerous law is largely backed by a number of far-right parties. It is the first major assault against the European institutions that exist to protect human rights, for migrants and citizens alike. It will not be the last. We're all watching the situation in the US unfold as a warning of where this kind of legislation leads.

What to do:

Contact your MEPs and YELL about this! Tell them why it's unacceptable, and that you will be watching to see what happens.

Find your MEP here!

It's unlikely we can stop this from being passed at this point, but let’s do our best! Let’s speak out so more groups and countries support a challenge at the European Court of Human Rights, as where it will hopefully get it overturned!!

More info:

Amnesty International has a good, more detailed overview with links to relevant information.