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Julian Gough
@juliangough
Writer of novels, children's books, Minecraft's End Poem. Awarded Emergent Ventures & O'Shaughnessy Ventures grants for this: theeggandtherock.com
Berlin, Germany
theeggandtherock.com
Joined June 2009
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Mar 9, 2025
    So, for the past 10 years, I've been quietly extending Lee Smolin's wonderful old theory of cosmological natural selection. Lately, it's had some huge successes. This @InfiniteL88ps episode is by far the best overview out there. Go watch/listen/read. theeggandtherock.com/p/a-splendid-o…
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    So, eleven-and-a-bit years ago, I wrote the only written narrative in Minecraft: the story that appears after you kill the Ender Dragon. (A narrative which players often call The End Poem.) Today, I officially librated that ending. Er, what does that mean? 🧵
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Jan 5, 2023
    Hmmm. I just had a bizarre experience, involving a global news organisation and a trillion dollar corporation. (I got caught in the middle, so... owch.) It’s not the sort of experience the people involved usually talk about in public… so I think I’ll talk about it in public. 🧵
    7.5M
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Apr 14, 2017
    Really enjoying this time-travel thriller, where a man stuck in 2013 tweets desperate warnings to his 2017 self, who has become President.
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    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    Aug 31, 2013
    Be prepared, there is a small chance that our horrendous leadership could unknowingly lead us into World War III.
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Jan 5, 2023
    Replying to @juliangough
    Here’s the original 10,000 word piece that tells the whole story. theeggandtherock.substack.com/p/i-wrote-a-st…
    599K
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    So if you want to set the words of the End Poem to music, or animate them, or dramatise them, or mash them up with something, or use them on t-shirts, posters, tote bags, barn doors, be my guest. They are now free. Here’s the post explaining everything. theeggandtherock.substack.com/p/i-wrote-a-st…
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    This is, unfortunately, quite likely to piss off a trillion-dollar corporation with global PR reach, so I expect some blowback. If you share this thread, and people actually get a chance to read my piece first, it might give me some protection from their spin. Thanks…
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    I was put under a lot of PRESSURE to sign it. But I never signed it. So Microsoft have never owned the ending to Minecraft. I own it. And from today on, I’m letting anybody play with it.
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Jan 5, 2023
    Replying to @juliangough
    And here’s the first tweet, if you want to retweet this thread. Thanks for reading this far! And happy new year...
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Jan 5, 2023
    Hmmm. I just had a bizarre experience, involving a global news organisation and a trillion dollar corporation. (I got caught in the middle, so... owch.) It’s not the sort of experience the people involved usually talk about in public… so I think I’ll talk about it in public. 🧵
    647K
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Jan 5, 2023
    Replying to @juliangough
    What can YOU do about this? Well, I wrote the piece to let people know that the narrative that ends the most successful game in history is now in the public domain. So you could read my original piece, retweet this thread; let people know that it's free now, they can use it.
    425K
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    But I am an artist, and I am free to disagree with how they play that game. I didn’t like the way they played it, and so I didn’t sign the contract. And now, after a lot of thought, I have transferred those words to the gift economy.
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    Oh, one last thing: PLEASE DO NOT BE MEAN TO MARKUS (NOTCH), OR CARL, OR EVEN MICROSOFT! I get why they did the things they did. They were playing the capitalist game, which is fine. But I was playing the art game. We just misunderstood each other. No blame.
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    Anyway, the End Poem is finally free, as I suspect the universe always intended it to be. Aaaaaand here’s the link to the piece again. If the End Poem ever meant anything to you, please read this, and share it. Thanks! theeggandtherock.substack.com/p/i-wrote-a-st…
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    Julian Gough
    @juliangough
    Dec 7, 2022
    Replying to @juliangough
    Well, THAT’S a long story. I’ve written a 10,000 word post explaining everything (the internet groans a terrible groan), which I strongly advice you to read if you actually want to understand the whole affair, because it’s complicated. (Yes, link follows.)