Zabé Ellor
@zrellor.bsky.social
SFF author / lit agent / latest: NO BETTER THAN BEASTS / opinions mine
created July 24, 2023
453 followers 325 following 1,206 posts
view profile on Bluesky Posts
Kat Abughazaleh (@katmabu.bsky.social) reposted
We’re protesting outside the Broadview ICE facility and an agent came out to tell us to go away. We said we’re exercising our First Amendment rights so he shot the ground with pepper balls and said, “Your First Amendment rights are on the sidewalk.”
Tim Onion (@bencollins.bsky.social) reposted
Becoming increasingly clear we’re gonna have to build a parallel infrastructure for all the media we really love. The reason all of this is happening under the color of law is hyperconsolidation, dissent being traded straight up for merger approval, or fear of harassment.
Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) reposted
It feels so fucking insane to be scolded about how leftists need to tone down our rhetoric while the world's richest man endorses this shit
Senator Scott Wiener (@scottwiener.bsky.social) reposted
As trans people are under assault in this country — e.g., being falsely blamed for the Kirk murder — California is strengthening protections for them. Two bills I’m authoring (SB 59 & 497) to protect trans people’s health & court record privacy passed the Legislature & are heading to the Governor.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Adorable!
Nell Scovell (@nellscovell.bsky.social) reposted
A truly remarkable legislator, wife, and mother of two--gunned down in her prime while police cowered scared outside her home.
Adam Rose (@adamrose.bsky.social) reposted
BREAKING: Federal judge in Los Angeles issues preliminary injunction against Department of Homeland Security to restrict use of force against press, legal observers and protesters. Judge in LA Press Club v. Noem calls out "surprising savagery" of DHS officers: "The First Amendment demands better."
Aaron Ross Powell ☸️ (@aaronrosspowell.com) reposted
Kirk didn't "engage" with others in "discourse" in any meaningful sense, and certainly not in a sense any of us should emulate. His every interaction was in bad faith. He viewed none of his interlocutors as moral equals in an exchange of ideas, but as mere means to advance is propagandistic ends.
Angus Hervey (@angushervey.com) reposted
Mini marsupial bounces back from the brink! Once listed as Endangered, the crest-tailed mulgara expanded its range by more than 48,000 km² between 2015 and 2021, lifting its status to Least Concern. Biocontrol contributed to the heartwarming bounce-back. https://f.mtr.cool/afllseseeb
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
And they wonder why fewer people are going to the movies:
Lina Morgan (@alinaisyou.bsky.social) reposted
All these people are rich beyond imagining. There's no reason to take this gig beyond making it clear they don't give a fuck about trans people.
James Bennett (@jamesbennett.bsky.social) reposted
What we're seeing is further evidence of the modern trend of paying lip service to diversity and inclusion because it looks good while personal actions reveal that it's actually all just about self-interest. variety.com/2025/digital...
Osita Nwanevu (@ositanwanevu.com) reposted
I don't know what has to happen to get a majority of elected Democrats to back packing the Court. What more needs to occur? How bad do things have to get? Not sure I even want to know, frankly.
Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie.bsky.social) reposted
SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in a college applicant's file is blatantly unconstitutional ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool
Dr. Cara Berg Powers (@clbergpowers.bsky.social) reposted
History rhymes, and we can learn from the cadence.
Free DC (@freedcproject.bsky.social) reposted
People from all over are showing up for DC. This is not a moment. It’s a movement. We are united in our demands. We are all DC! #FreeDC
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Wild to say the left doesn’t value hard work and family while the right is out there kidnapping people who are working hard to support their families
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
Probably worth repeating on main: evangelical Christians have their own books, movies, community spaces, and organized events. They have a robust echo chamber and they build political power by getting folks to join it.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
As everyone knows, when evangelicals siloed themselves off into insular communities and built their own media ecosystems, it was the end of their political power in the US.
Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) reposted
This absolute banger
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
The issue is that these stories aren’t satisfying because they don’t engage with Anduin’s inner conflict—his struggles with masculinity and monstrosity, which are overtly queer-coded, to the point it’s hard to call it coded at all.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
What annoys me is, if the WoW narrative team wanted Anduin to marry a woman for *plot reasons* they could have him say “Yeah me and Tess got married to unite our kingdoms” and the fandom could move on. But they keep bringing in new love interests because they want engagement with the het love story
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Like “here’s a rebel princess forced to take up royal duties after the death of her brother, here’s the idealistic girl who learns her dad is the Lich King, here’s a paladin who may be fighting for the wrong cause, now what if their lives revolved around a man they had no chemistry with?”
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
One thing I find so frustrating is when a really interesting concept for a female character gets warped to hell and back in a vain attempt to make her romance with a very queer-coded guy mildly interesting
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Yeah. I’ve met a couple very cool devs hanging out in Anaheim but the impression I’ve always got is that the passion of marginalized developers and fans is only valued to the point it adds value to the game. We’re allowed to be *side characters* but not central to a narrative
vrynn (@vrynn.bsky.social) reposted
Can't pick just one
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
I have a lot of Feelings about this mess but this thread basically sums it up.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
The OFMD fandom is really different from the Star Wars or HP fandom. They’re much smaller and much more in tune with fandom ethics; they’re very protective of the story and the creative team. You can’t just market at fandom with a one-size-fits-all approach!
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
And also, those characters and the Star Wars IP aren’t their creations. For OFMD, it’s a much smaller show with a much more hands-on and personally-invested creative team. It was a passion project, and I’d be pissed if someone took it for their own profit.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Adam is clearly *aware* of Ali’s books—Daisy’s husband is playing the love interest in the movie! But I think they both decided there was more to gain from having a dedicated fanbase support them, especially after the mixed reception of the sequel trilogy.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
This is very clearly infringing on the OFMD IP. It’s not just a cheeky nod to the inspiration of an original story. It’s not just “generic pale dude + brunette” like the Dramione covers. It’s just using someone else’s work without compensation to sell your product.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Having seen it—yep, this is clearly using a WB IP to sell books without their permission. At least the Adam Driver covers were set in a modern day science lab, so you could pretty clearly argue it was *inspired by* Star Wars but not infringement, and the dude is not as clearly recognizable as Adam
Alan Elrod (@aselrod.bsky.social) reposted
“Federal law enforcement asked the crews to line up to check their IDs, according to the firefighters. One of the firefighters said members of the crew were told not to take video of the incident.” DHS did this as flames actively raged. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Sarah J. Jackson (@sjjphd.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Here’s better reporting about that which seems to be missing from most U.S. reporting
Jesse Rabinowitz (@jesserbnwtz.bsky.social) reposted
For folks not in DC: - There are full-on police checkpoints most nights - Gangs of 30+ federal agents roam DC - National Guard folks w/ guns patrolling a Harris Teeter - Every day, multiple friends see ICE kidnapping ppl - Daycares are scared to have kids go on walks due to ICE
Chris Kluwe, Candidate for Assembly District 72 (@kluweoc.bsky.social) reposted
I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines. I’m running for State Assembly. Let’s fight for the future we deserve. 🚀 ➡️ KluweOC.com/Donate #ChrisKluwe #CALeg #OrangeCounty
Ursula K. Le Guin Bot (@leguinbot.bsky.social) reposted
A hero whose heroism consists of killing people is uninteresting to me, and I detest the hormonal war orgies of our visual media, the mechanical slaughter of endless battalions of black-clad, yellow-toothed, red-eyed demons.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
💙💙💙 Capturing parts of the material reality of 1910s Europe was really important to me!
Linnea Peterson (@lpetersonwrites.bsky.social) reposted
Someone I know asked for recommendations of historical or fantasy books that address the setting's material reality. Naturally I had to recommend WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON by @venessakelley.bsky.social, NO BETTER THAN BEASTS by @zrellor.bsky.social, and SO MANY BEGINNINGS by @bethanycmorrow.com.
Jude "Pre-Order DILF" Doyle (@judedoyle.bsky.social) reposted
I do not know why every Presidential hopeful decided they needed a professionally unpleasant social media army to repeat talking points and alienate people but literally none of the Dem candidates who adopted this "strategy" got elected
hannah gais (@hannahgais.bsky.social) reposted
MPD, FBI, and others with non-agency specific gear arresting a guy for — get this — smoking weed on U Street.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
I’m part of a fairly large friend group, but only two of us have apartments where we can host people, and neither one of those apartments is a central location. We have to schedule gatherings like this weeks in advance to make sure everyone has a ride.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
It’s frustrating especially since I know so many cool queer people working at Blizzard who would love nothing more than to make this happen. In the meantime, I have Xal’atath/Alleria fanfic
L.A. TACO (@lataco.bsky.social) reposted
DAILY MEMO: Agents Abduct a Pregnant U.S. Citizen, Use a Penske Truck as a “Ruse” to Get Past “anti-ICE” People and Raid a Home Depot, and More @eltragon.bsky.social
United Farm Workers (@ufw.bsky.social) reposted
We are deeply troubled by apparent raids in Southern California, including one involving a Penske truck filled with agents descending on day laborers today. While more investigation is needed, we have serious concerns that the federal government may be in violation of the federal judge's July TRO.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
This is a very good essay and also applicable to those of us who have written about gender in epic fantasy
Nathan Kalman-Lamb (@nkalamb.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Meanwhile, and this is truly beyond belief, the solution to famine in Gaza is RIGHT THERE. Which is what makes this starvation a deliberate and genocidal act. www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblo...
S.R. Miller (@srmillerauthor.bsky.social) reposted
Dear diary, My dog continues to elongate.
pashawasha (@pashawasha.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Those are just two examples and they're almost always combined with other directly homophobic slurs and insults that also demonstrate a misogynistic opinion about me and people like me.
pashawasha (@pashawasha.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Being born as a man doesn't even spare you from misogyny if you fail to be the right kind of man. The insults I get are *extremely* biased towards the ones typically used for women. I get called a bitch more than asshole, my voice is shrill if I speak forcefully or disagree.
pashawasha (@pashawasha.bsky.social) reposted
That first bit is something that a lot of queer cis men have in common with trans men and transmascs and could be a point of solidarity between us all if more of us cis men would stop being transphobic. Misogyny doesn't care about your AGAB - queer or trans are both failed manhood to them.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
If you throw other trans people under the bus in order to make yourself look like one of the good ones, all you’re doing is telling the world it’s okay to throw trans people under a fucking bus.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
The sweet fluffy transmasc books and the books about transmasc people apologizing for being masculine and the toxic trans drama queen books all wind up on the exact same banned books list. Who would have guessed it?
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
MAY THE BEST MAN WIN is on this list, probably because it points out that teenage boys who fetishize the military are weird little losers with no friends (it’s the trans stuff actually)
Paul F. Tompkins (@pftompkins.bsky.social) reposted
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to start not supporting Gavin Newsome for president
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
This casting is truly *bizarre.* Robbie Coultrane at least looked the part! My theory is that JKR decided to dive deeper into fatphobia and decided that Hagrid should be skinny this time so that people know he’s a good guy.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
I can’t get over how bad the beard is! There’s no transition zone between the long thick hair and bare skin, and no cheek makeup to highlight the weight of long growth. Maybe if they didn’t hate trans people we could have shown them how to make realistic beard wigs
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
It’s giving “my girlfriend dragged me to comic con last minute and I had $40 and an hour to throw this cosplay together”
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Really disappointing that you would help promote a show funneling money into the pocket of one of the UK’s major funders of transphobia.
Jason K Pargin, author (@jasonkpargin.bsky.social) reposted
"Yup, there's your problem. You've mistaken arbitrary norms specific to your social group for sacred immutable truths and it has driven you insane."
Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) reposted
Today's newsletter is my big takedown of Rahm Emanuel and his anti-trans BS. www.readtpa.com/p/the-smalle...
Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn.bsky.social) reposted
250 people detained in the Florida Everglades have no criminal convictions or pending charges.
Mel Buer (@melbuer.bsky.social) reposted
I wrote about covering the aftermath of the immigration raids in Venture County this week. Most of what’s on my mind in this piece is dark and angry—none of this should be normal. A man shouldn’t have died running for his life Thru all this, the community care in the county was a sight to behold.
News Eye (@newseye.bsky.social) reposted
🚨NEW: When ICE raided a Californian farm yesterday, they snatched & disappeared a disabled US veteran who was in his car. They smashed his window, peppered sprayed him & dragged him to the floor. Listen to his wife & sister here, distraught. No-one will tell them where he is. (🎥 ABC 7 News)
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
Important to note that mpreg has been possible in the sims for YEARS it’s only ACCIDENTAL mpreg that’s the bug
Kelly Stuart (@skyspider.bsky.social) reposted
At metro detention center DTLA , protesters are gathering, after vans with no license plate plates delivered women and children into the detention center. They were seen marching with heads down handcuffed. This is a TikTok live. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8hPQjrw/
chelsea bridge 🏳️⚧️ (@secretaboutbox.bsky.social) reposted
if you are a medical care provider giving gender-affirming care to trans kids right now, especially if you're doing it in defiance of this evil, you are a fucking saint. you are saving these kids' lives and there is no possible way to exaggerate that. 🩵🤍🩷
Felipe De La Hoz (@felipedlh.bsky.social) reposted
Not sure if most people realize that there are no release dates at CECOT. All detentions are indefinite
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social) reposted
At the DeSantis Everglades detention camp, people with green cards are being held in terrible conditions, with maggots in the food, the lights kept on 24 hours a day, and delayed access to medicine. One guy had his Bible taken and was told "here there is no right to religion."
Mel Buer (@melbuer.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Border patrol now sweeping the park
Mel Buer (@melbuer.bsky.social) reposted
I’m here in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, where military style vehicles have pulled up down Wilshire and Alvarado, amid rumors of an ICE raid in the park have proliferated since last night
Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers.bsky.social) reposted
One thing you can do Right Now is be extremely vocal when you have librarians stocking inclusive collections. Call and tell them how happy you are, show up to board meetings. Bc the other side is *always* complaining and doing it in an organized way. also you can donate to Lavonnia Moore here:
J.W. Hendricks (@jwhendricks.bsky.social) reposted
Independence Day Anti-ICE Protest, Metropolitan Detention Center, Downtown Los Angeles 7/4/25
Kyle Lukoff (@kylelukoff.bsky.social) reposted
Lavonnia Moore, the librarian fired for including one of my books on a display after a child requested it, sounds incredible and what happened to her should be a crime. roughdraftatlanta.com/2025/07/05/l...
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
It is sort of wild, having spent the better part of five years pushing to expand the canon of transmasc literature, to see how few books were supported enough to reach a point of widespread awareness even in the trans community
kay taylor rea (@kaytaylorrea.bsky.social) reposted
I get that media literacy is not a strong suit of these people, but the gathering of wealth in Erebor lead to the destruction of the mountain kingdom and mass deaths by Smaug. Like, the hoarding of wealth was very much their downfall. It drove their leaders crazy and dropped a whole dragon on them.
L.A. TACO (@lataco.bsky.social) reposted
Here's what is recommended if I.C.E. comes to your door. lataco.com/what-to-do-i...
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
I’m reminded of a time when people insisted getting trans authors to hit the NYT Bestseller List should be the goal of diverse book activism. I think we can all agree—to put it mildly—that was not a good use of our collective effort
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
The NYT Bestseller List gives this organization SO much cultural power. It has always been curated to remove diverse books that should have appeared on it. Hitting the list is more about Official Industry Approval than sales numbers.
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social) reply parent
Almost every author who made the list has enough sales to also hit the ABA Indie Bestseller list, and the ABA is not actively pushing propaganda to kill people. List that on your cover instead of the NYT
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
Reiterating my call for all authors who have the ability to do so to ask their publishers to remove “NYT Bestseller” from their book covers and make a very loud public statement about why.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social) reposted
🚨 ICE disappeared a woman on Wednesday night. She was grabbed by men in plainclothes and taken to an unidentified location. ICE is refusing to say where she is being held. It’s 72 hours later and not even a dedicated team of lawyers can find her. This is WRONG. We can’t let this be the new norm.
Anil Dash (@anildash.com) reposted
This is 100% true, just as the press spent ZERO time on the attempted mass assassination of the entirety of democratic leadership through pipe bombs just a few years ago. It’s literally never even discussed! A MAGA terrorist tried to kill all of the leading dems!
Vivian Moira Valentine (@itsviviactually.bsky.social) reposted
I've said it before, and I'll say it again An awful lot of cishet people will stop loving their children if those children turn out to be queer (or disabled) and the conversation about children's rights HAS TO start there
Hamilton Nolan (@hamiltonnolan.bsky.social) reposted
A secret, never-mentioned fact is that the people who voted for Zohran are also taxpayers. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Katelyn Burns (@katelynburns.com) reposted
Jake Sherman is reporting that the Medicaid gender affirming care ban has been removed from the reconciliation bill! Huge news!
Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Republicans are banning drag shows, routing libraries, editing school curricula, banning medical care for trans *adults* and trying to overturn Obergefell. How much real stifling of dissent is it going to take for these people to shut up about the fake kind?
Zabé Ellor (@zrellor.bsky.social)
Absolutely fascinating how when a white Republican says “my parents pulled themselves up by their bootstraps” it’s the American dream but when a Muslim couple is upper middle class then their story is one of “privilege and power”
dr. hazel 🐝 (@hazelmonforton.com) reposted
I think a lot of people today are so far removed from the past that they forget that infant mortality was once so high that it skewed life expectancy down to 35.
Rebekah Weatherspoon (@rdotspoon.bsky.social) reposted
As Joy Reid pointed out, you cannot hand the host of the apprentice the presidency and then complain about experience you’re just racist and a hypocrite.
Mallorie Malcontent ✨ (@sweetbeanscomix.bsky.social) reposted
Another thing I haven’t seen people talking about is how unapologetically pro-trans Zohran Mamdani has been during his campaign. The so called “vibe shift” is nothing more than an internet algorithm astroturfed by billionaires.
Clint Smith (@clintsmithiii.bsky.social) reposted
Toni Morrison is one of the greatest writers to ever live. What many don’t know, is that she was also the first Black woman to become a senior editor at Random House. I wrote about a new book that discusses how she edited by day, wrote by night, and ushered in a new generation of Black writers.
Siva (@sivav.bsky.social) reposted
Congratulations to the 13 brave women who risked their careers and reputations to stand up to Cuomo’s sexual predation
Tim Onion (@bencollins.bsky.social) reposted
theonion.com/this-war-wil...
Ruwa Romman (@ruwaromman.bsky.social) reposted
Saying Cuomo (67 year old sex pest) is the future of the national Democratic Party really means national party leadership are intent on driving us off a cliff. This really is the time for our own tea party moment.
Sam Levin (@samtlevin.bsky.social) reposted
NEWS: In one of the first major federal prosecutions of an LA protester, the DOJ has moved to dismiss the case. Jose Manuel Mojica was accused of assaulting officers, but came forward to Guardian to recount how he was brutally attacked by agents. “I feel a huge relief. The truth always comes out."
Jeremy Lindenfeld (@jeremotographs.bsky.social) reposted
Protesters have gathered at Gate E of Dodger Stadium where DHS agents have been seen staging since this morning.
pashawasha (@pashawasha.bsky.social) reposted
I've added flags for all you angry fags. angryfaggot.printful.me/