Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler

A unique adventure in literature; a startling philosophical investigation cloaked in sci-fi; a straightforward, unsurprising story that will somehow sneakily have you pondering deep questions years later… I guess what I appreciate most about Butler and this trilogy is just how different it all is, and how it never tries to be like anything else. 

Mickey 17 (2025)

Compared to the impeccable Parasite, Bong Joon Ho creates a new film totally different in setting and style and yet totally similar in pace and wackiness, absolutely delightful and political, a true celebration of the average midwit dude, and yet maybe not meant to be read into too deeply.

Eephus (2024)

Not really a movie designed for me, since I’m not a big fan of baseball or related endeavors, but this was a poignant look at a small slice of a small town in a big small moment, and as such it felt really real. 

Novocaine (2025)

It’s a mediocre action movie and perfect for scrolling through if that’s what your brain requires (and it gets kinda macabre by the end in a cool practical effects way), and also another mass media example of ex-special forces troops becoming criminals. 

Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott

This historical treatise has a lot of notoriety but I found it unnecessarily dense, and ultimately flawed, in that its focus on states and state power ignores a related discussion of capitalist power, such that altho there is a useful perspective to glean here about how a drive for social legibility can transform a society, I wouldn't recommend the book overall.

The Goat (1921)

This Buster Keaton short has some classic moments and also makes no sense and is stressful but also I enjoyed every bit of it. 

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem

A very Lethem book (obliquely) about the obama-trump transition, and about class differences when you’re a too-clever new yorker; comes off a bit dated now but it’s also arresting and special. 

Character Limit by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac

It’s fun to read all about Musk’s slow motion train wreck of a purchase (rip twitter) but on the other hand (and it pains me to admit this), the authors’ not-so-subtle anti-musk bias leads them to gloss over technical details that would’ve added fascinating color to the story. 

Apple in China by Patrick McGee

Sobering look at the history of the company and the country makes a compelling bear case for Apple in the coming years; altho a galaxy brain take might be that Tim Cook has been actively plotting the American downfall and the rise of Chinese Communism. 

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

This old classic hardly needs a review, I’ll just say on my second time through that it is impeccable and deep, and left me unsatisfied and antsy (as I think it was intended to). 

House of Huawei by Eva Dou

Impeccably written and edited and researched, this approachable history of the famous Chinese telecom takes 2/3rds of its length to get interesting, but pays off mightily with a very nuanced and deep understanding of this important geopolitical situation. 

Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney

I love this strange, poetic book because I'm a linguistics nerd and this is a linguistic nerd's idea of heaven, but also I must warn that it's pretty roughly written.

Grace After Midnight by Felicia Pearson

I guess I read this years ago after I last watched the Wire but anyway if you watch the Wire you ought to read Snoop’s autobiography, it’s short and heartfelt and raw and it’s fun to imagine the her character from the Wire reading the book to you, evidently she basically just plays herself. 

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Having just torn thru all three books in this fantasy story, I can say that I’m really glad I did - I’ve never read a genre book before that so expertly eschewed the hero’s journey archetype, all while retaining great entertainment value and emotional impact, and without seeming forced. 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

I don’t play many video games so take this with a grain of salt, but this creative and cutesy platformer had a bunch of neat puzzles and mechanics, and while certain segments seemed unnecessarily challenging, others were a lot of fun and the art design was consistently gorgeous. 

Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold

A straightforward and solid entry in the Vorkosigan series - mostly lighthearted but full of action, builds nicely on the many books before it.