technofable (noun): a tale for those who have never lived outside the web’s weave
Why and What do I write?
I've never lived in a world without the internet — I was six when the first iPhone came out. I like to think that the world and I grew up together, both shaped by ever-accelerating technology, moving so fast that I didn't adapt to it but evolved alongside it.
Evolution took the symbiotic part so seriously that I ended up with a computer science degree — to my great despair, as I'd have preferred literature.
So I split the difference: I write about how technology shapes the way we live (or at least the way I live, let’s not be so arrogant), and I obsess over science fiction and fantasy books that imagine what comes next — or warn us about what's already here.
I find myself fascinated by both the digital revolution and what we choose to keep analog. I write about new technologies and their ripple effects through society, but also about the analog ways we’ve kept or have come back to.
I'm particularly drawn to how we imagine our technological futures - in books, in shows, in dreams both utopian and dystopian (although lately it's gotten a bit depressing watching billionaires treat cautionary tales as instruction manuals). Still, I believe examining these imagined worlds helps us understand our real one better - even if sometimes that understanding comes with a side of existential dread.
Who am I?
Hi! I'm Rose — well, not really, but that's what I go by around here. I'm a 24-year-old Parisian transplant (I originally come from a lovely place in the middle of the “void diagonal” of France).
I've been devouring sci-fi and fantasy books since I could hold one, and fighting my parents to open a blog since I turned 10. Now that I’m a proper adult with my own free will (and a bit of money), I’ve opened this Substack!
I think I can call myself a humanist, and I like to think I’ve kept a decent moral compass despite working for a big tech company (not Big Tech GAFAM, just big as in lots of people — I don’t think my compass will ever point in that direction). Pretty sure the autism and its black-and-white thinking helps in that domain (although I’m constantly fighting to add some color in there!)
As for what I'm up to when I'm not writing here: I'm saving every centime to buy an apartment in this awfully expensive but very beautiful city; procrastinating on the novel I've been "about to write" for twenty years (perhaps my most defining characteristic); and taking beaux-arts classes in hopes of painting something decent enough to grace the top of this page. Check my Notes if you're curious about that last one — spoiler: I'm making progress!
Some past letters I’m proud of
(consider this list my hate letter to the 10000 different picture formats on Substack! i spent ages on those collages, why won’t you show them all nicely 😭😭😭)
Where to find me
You won’t find me on other social media because I’m a prime target for addictive dark patterns and Substack is already taking me too far. You won’t find me on Goodreads because it sucks, but you might find me on The Storygraph instead (if i remember to update it at all).
You are welcome to contact me via dms or email, especially if it’s to send me any kind of article, blog post, music or book rec (normal conversation is also welcome!).
AI usage
I do not use any kind of generative ai in my work. I do use a spellchecker and grammar checker (that probably use some kind of AI tbh), but only for typos (and how to spell those weird words I can’t find in the dictionary because I got them so completely wrong since I’m not a native speaker).
I rely on real human beings for actual feedback (and you can always let me know in the comments if I say anything wrong, misinformed, or just very badly grammarly formed).
All art is either made and photographed by me, or properly licensed from their rightful owner. The art I make wasn’t touched by AI in any step of the process. The art I take from the public domain is generally old enough that AI didn’t exist, or I do my hardest to make sure the artist doesn’t use AI.
Pretty picture credits
My profile picture (me in the green dress) was a commission from the lovely Thanh Illustrates.
The banners for my profile and publication were made by my little hands, and yes it took me 4 hours to cut out the letters and paste them in a semi-straight line TT.TT
Hoping to see you soon in the comment section,
