This is Recursive Thread

I'm Shaun Hughston, and Recursive Thread is a space for my original writing, essays, and reviews of novels, short stories, movies and TV shows.

My main interest is in speculative fiction, but I'll read just about anything with a great story. I'm not tied to any genre, period or author. By far, my favourite writer is Ted Chiang, but I'm (almost) just as happy reading Thomas Hardy, Arundhati Roy, or John le Carré.

My own work tends towards the speculative, and I enjoy writing about familiar times and places that have elements of the uncanny, and uncomfortable. I'm not religious, but I am interested in religion, so it's something that comes up in my writing, alongside technological, and dystopian themes.

I work in tech, so have real word experience with software development, AI, and automation. This has a strong influence on my writing.

I have an undergraduate English degree, and I'm starting an MA in Literature and Creative Writing at Western Sydney University in 2026 - with the goal of sharpening my literary criticism and writing skills. The end goal is a novel, which I'm developing in the background.

I'll be publishing every week. It may be a review, some flash fiction, or a short story. I'll be posting on Instagram, and there's a subscribe form on this site to receive content by email.

Welcome to Recursive Thread - I'd love to hear from you if you have a reaction or thoughts to share about my work.