Qntm Explained

Sam Hughes
Pseudonym:	qntm
Nationality:	British
Genre:	Science fiction

Sam Hughes (born 1983),^[1] known online as and publishing under the pen name qntm (pronounced "quantum"),^[2] is a British programmer and science fiction author.^[3] Hughes writes short stories such as "Lena", about the first digital snapshot of a human brain, and serial novels such as Ra and Fine Structure.^{[4] [5]} He has also written for the SCP Wiki, and his book There Is No Antimemetics Division is set in that fictional universe.^{[6] [7]} He contributed to SCP-055 alongside user CptBellman.^[8]

In 2022, Hughes created Absurdle, a variant of Wordle wherein the word changes with every guess, while still remaining true to previous hints.^{[9] [10]} The Guardian described it as "the Machiavellian version of Wordle", and Hughes described it as an "experiment to find the most difficult [...] variant of Wordle", comparing it to one of his previous projects, the Tetris variant Hatetris.^[11]

Bibliography

Versions of most of Hughes' serials and short stories have been initially made freely available online prior to being published.

• Book: Ed . May 20, 2021 . 979-8-5079-7398-9 . qntm . Independently published . 0.
• Book: Fine Structure . May 29, 2021 . 979-8-5120-3906-9 . qntm . Independently published . 0.
• Book: Ra . June 2, 2021 . 979-8-5140-8424-1 . qntm . Independently published . 0.
• Book: There Is No Antimemetics Division . June 19, 2021 . 979-8-5140-6303-1 . qntm . Independently published . 0.
• Book: Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories . November 9, 2022 . 979-8-3592-9806-3 . qntm . Independently published . 0. Containing:
  • "Lena" (reprinted in Book: The Big Book of Cyberpunk. Vintage Books. 9780593467237. Shurin. Jared. 2023-09-26. 0.)
  • "If You Are Reading This"
  • "The Frame-by-Frame"
  • "The Difference"
  • "Gorge"
  • "cripes does anybody remember Google People"
  • "Driver"
  • "I Don't Know, Timmy, Being God Is a Big Responsibility"
  • "A Powerful Culture"
  • "Valuable Humans in Transit"

External links

• • qntm's author page at the SCP Foundation wiki
• Sam Hughes at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Notes and References

1. Web site: Summary Bibliography: Sam Hughes . Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
2. Web site: qntm . About me . Things of Interest .
3. Web site: McCammon . Sarah . 23 January 2022 . You've heard of Wordle — now get ready for Sweardle and Absurdle . 24 October 2022 . . Interview.
4. Web site: Adee . Sally . 9 February 2022 . Mickey7 review: If you want to live forever, read the small print . registration . 24 October 2022 . . A well-meaning neuroscience grad student donates his digital consciousness to science, a decision he may find he "lives" to regret..
5. Web site: Ritter . Dan . June 20, 2018 . SF For Nothing, Stories For Free . December 1, 2022 . Charlie's Diary . Charles Stross.
6. Web site: Adee . Sally . 6 April 2022 . Sci-fi is starting to exploit the infectious horrors of memes . registration . 24 October 2022 . New Scientist.
7. Web site: O'Connor . Alice . 2 February 2022 . Iconic Internet monster SCP-173 is losing its look . 24 October 2022 . . I liked the There Is No Antimemetics Division tales by "qntm", who also wrote SCP/Control crossover fanfic. And I've only just realized qntm is also behind Absurdle, a Wordle variant that changes the answer while you play. Huh!.
8. Web site: Potvin . James . September 22, 2022 . What Is The SCP Foundation? 15 Best Pieces Every New Fan Should Read . December 1, 2022 . Screen Rant.
9. Web site: Haysom . Sam . 20 January 2022 . Hooked on 'Wordle'? You're really going to hate 'Absurdle'. . 24 October 2022 . Mashable.
10. Web site: Rocha . Paul . 8 May 2022 . How and where to play Absurdle . 24 October 2022 . Dot Esports.
11. News: Winkie . Luke . 14 January 2022 . Absurdle: the machiavellian version of Wordle . 24 October 2022 . The Guardian.