{{Short description|British science fiction author and programmer}} {{Redirect-distinguish|Hatetris|Hatris{{!}}''Hatris''}} {{Lowercase title}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox Author | name = Sam Hughes | pseudonym = qntm | nationality = British | website = {{URL|https://qntm.org/}} | notable_works = {{Indented plainlist| *''There Is No Antimemetics Division'' *''Absurdle''}} | genre = Science fiction | occupation = {{hlist|Author|programmer}} | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1983}} | image = qntm at MCM Comic Con London 24 October 2025 02.jpg | caption = At MCM Comic Con London, 24 October 2025 }}
'''Sam Hughes''' (born 1983),<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Summary Bibliography: Sam Hughes |url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?330581 |website=Internet Speculative Fiction Database}}</ref> known online as and publishing under the pen name '''qntm''' (pronounced "quantum"),<ref name="self">{{cite web | author=qntm | url=https://qntm.org/self | title=About me | website=Things of Interest }}</ref> is a British programmer and science fiction author.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=McCammon |first=Sarah |date=23 January 2022 |title=You've heard of ''Wordle'' — now get ready for ''Sweardle'' and ''Absurdle'' |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/01/23/1075168693/youve-heard-of-wordle-now-get-ready-for-sweardle-and-absurdle |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=NPR |type=Interview}}</ref> Hughes' short stories include "Lena", about the first digital snapshot of a human brain. His serial novels include ''Ra'' and ''Fine Structure''.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adee |first=Sally |date=9 February 2022 |title=''Mickey7'' review: If you want to live forever, read the small print |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25333730-700-mickey7-review-if-you-want-to-live-forever-read-the-small-print/ |url-access=registration |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=New Scientist |quote=A well-meaning neuroscience grad student donates his digital consciousness to science, a decision he may find he "lives" to regret.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritter |first=Dan |date=June 20, 2018 |title=SF For Nothing, Stories For Free |url=http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2018/06/sf-for-nothing-stories-for-fre.html |access-date=December 1, 2022 |website=Charlie's Diary |publisher=Charles Stross}}</ref> He has also written for the SCP Foundation wiki. His book ''There Is No Antimemetics Division'' began as an entry on the wiki.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adee |first=Sally |date=6 April 2022 |title=Sci-fi is starting to exploit the infectious horrors of memes |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433812-500-sci-fi-is-starting-to-exploit-the-infectious-horrors-of-memes/ |url-access=registration |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=New Scientist}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Alice |date=2 February 2022 |title=Iconic Internet monster SCP-173 is losing its look |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/iconic-internet-monster-scp-173-is-losing-its-look |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |quote=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.}}</ref> In 2024, Del Rey Books acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the book, while Ballantine Books acquired the US rights.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Heloise |date=3 July 2024 |title=Del Rey snaps up high concept sci-fi cosmic horror from Sam Hughes |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/del-rey-snaps-up-high-concept-sci-fi-cosmic-horror-from-sam-hughes |url-access=limited |access-date=4 March 2025 |work=The Bookseller}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Potvin |first=James |date=September 22, 2022 |title=What Is The SCP Foundation? 15 Best Pieces Every New Fan Should Read |url=https://screenrant.com/scp-foundation-best-stories/ |access-date=December 1, 2022 |website=Screen Rant}}</ref>
In 2022, Hughes created ''Absurdle'', a variant of ''Wordle'' wherein the word changes with every guess, while still remaining true to previous hints.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Haysom |first=Sam |date=20 January 2022 |title=Hooked on ''Wordle''? You're really going to hate ''Absurdle''. |url=https://mashable.com/article/absurdle-harder-wordle-game |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Mashable}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rocha |first=Paul |date=8 May 2022 |title=How and where to play ''Absurdle'' |url=https://dotesports.com/general/news/how-and-where-to-play-absurdle |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Dot Esports}}</ref> ''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''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Winkie |first=Luke |date=14 January 2022 |title=''Absurdle'': the machiavellian version of ''Wordle'' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/13/absurdle-machiavellian-version-of-wordle |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
== Selected works == ===Serial novels=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title !! Began !! Completed !! Published as a single work |- | ''Ed'' || 2003 || 2005 || 2013 |- | ''Fine Structure'' || 2006 || 2010 || 2018 |- | ''Ra'' || 2011 || 2018 || 2018 |- | ''There Is No Antimemetics Division'' || 2008 || 2020 || {{ubl|2020 (original)|2025 (rewrite)}} |}
===Anthologies=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title !! Year !! Role !! Notes |- | ''Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories'' || 2022 || Author || |- | ''The Big Book of Cyberpunk'' || 2023 || Contributor || Contributed the short story "Lena" |}
===Video games=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title !! Year !! Platform |- | ''Hatetris'' || 2010 || Web game |- | ''Absurdle'' || 2022 || Web game |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{commonscat|qntm}} *''{{official|https://qntm.org/|name=Things of Interest}}'', Hughes' official website *{{ISFDB name|330581|name=qntm}} *[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/qntm-s-author-page qntm's author page] at the SCP Foundation wiki
{{SCP Foundation}}
Category:British science fiction writers Category:Living people Category:SCP Foundation Category:1983 births