7858

@7858.eth

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Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Arthur Dent narrowly survives the end of the world, then things get tough. If you like sci fi but haven’t read this, you absolutely must. There’s a chance you won’t like it, but it’s more likely that you’ll love it. The plot is pretty manic and disjointed, and there’s not a lot of character development in the traditional sense, thought there are a lot of memorable personalities. It’s really just a vehicle for a whole bunch of hilarious lines. And it roasts sci-fi with obvious love. I laughed out loud when I read it the first time. My 6yo and I laughed out loud on this pass. Strongly recommended for fans of sci-fi and humor. And for anglophiles, too, now that I think of it.

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Specifically: This merch store is amazing. Just copped a handful of treasures. Generally: Does anyone else have a merch store? I would love to buy a bunch more stickers. Categorically: No matter how much you have promoted yourself, no matter how many times you have shilled your idea, NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR WORK AND YOU SHOULD SHOUT IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS

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Earnest question, would like to follow along: Are there any serious people working directly on the hard problem of consciousness with scientific methods and tools?

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Prediction: Some people will persist in refusing to acknowledge that AI is actually reasoning, even when it demonstrably is, because it would force them to acknowledge that their little spark of consciousness is not special and unique in the universe.

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O Pioneers! Tale of the social relationships surrounding a tough, smart, courageous immigrant woman as she converts a chunk of prairie into productive farmland. It’s all about the characters, in this book. What little plot it has mostly serves to set up their conversations. The characters range from unforgettable, like the protagonist Alexandra or wacky Ivar, to endearing, like Marie, to fairly bland, like Emil or Carl. And the land itself acts a bit like a character. Alexandra personifies it, and Ivar nearly worships it. The writing is great for the most part, though the dialogue felt artificial in places and there were a few passages near the end that overreached and produced a few actual cringes in me. It feels less mature and less polished than My Ántonia, more like a parade of snapshots than a coherent vision. Still good, though. Don’t avoid it on purpose, but only read it if you’ve already read and enjoyed My Ántonia.

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Me Talk Pretty One Day Hilarious writer does a couple dozen bits. There are no great ideas to be mined. There’s no coherent thesis. It’s not a Great Book. But it is a great book, and it made me laugh out loud a bunch of times. Lots of fun. Recommended.

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Our Man in Havana British expat recruited as a spy in pre-revolution Cuba, takes the gig for the money, dark hijinks ensue. The 2025 film adaptation would be directed by the Coen Brothers. The whole vibe feels a lot like a tropical version of Burn After Reading. It was fun and entertaining, with a bit more meat on its bones than a pure bubblegum spy thriller. Also more self aware and humorous. Casually recommended if you’re looking for something in its niche.

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It’s not quite imperial jasmine pearls, but it’s so good

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Born Standing Up Comedy legend briefly tells his story from birth to the top. It’s a treat. He’s smart, sincere, and sensitive throughout, which took me slightly by surprise since he so often plays the opposite type of character. But it’s never heavy handed, and it offers its fair share of laughs, too. Another great example of someone grinding for decades to earn overnight success. Recommended for all. Would make a great plane, train, or beach book.

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These are both true. Woj’s line is more quotable and more broadly applicable. jtgi is on firmer ground in this case Love to see us beating the Christian Rap accusations one innocuous disagreement at a time

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Mrs Dalloway A day in the life of an aristocrat. I reference it only begrudgingly, because this book only achieves the palest shadow of its target, but it wants to be Ulysses so badly. It is far from it. The writing at the level of the sentence is very good, and paragraphs sometimes form into coherent sections. But at any point, the perspective might shift to another person, or to a flashback, or from pure stream of consciousness to a more structured narrative. Ulysses can also feel disorienting and even apparently incoherent at times, but I think any decent reader will find that by the end, it has formed a meaningful whole. Mrs Dalloway does not. All the nonsense and rigamarole of high modernism with none of its compensating virtues. Maybe I just didn’t work hard enough at this book. But if there’s significant meaning embedded somewhere in this book, it’s deeply encoded. Seemed like cargo cult modernism and not the real thing. If anyone loves it, please come help me understand. Not recommended.

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Web 2 was amazing for content about my interests or about people like me The next gen of AI powered internet is potentially going to have me as a star, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that That super cruel psychoanalyst mini app from a month or so ago still haunts me

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My response to the question “how do I shift some scrolling time to book time?” Initial recommendations for better books in the recasted cast 😊

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A River Runs Through It A family of fly fishermen lose a brother. This is the best fishing book. And it’s also a beautifully written piece of literature, even for those who don’t fish. I’ve read maybe a dozen fishing books, and with the exception of John Gierach’s books, I’ve found them all at least a little off putting as a consequence of the authors’ varying degrees of poseur. Most were filthy casuals, even those who purported to be dedicated or addicted. Norman Maclean is the real thing. He’s a true fisherman. It matters to me, but only because of that Gell-Mann amnesia effect. What will matter to many more is that he’s also an outstanding writer and storyteller. He writes with humor and poetry, but always stays grounded. I held off reading this because I love the movie and I didn’t want a sub par book to compromise my enjoyment. Far from it, turned out. Recommended for everyone. Highly recommended for anyone who fishes or loves someone who fishes.

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Got it. Book reviews

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Project Hail Mary Scientific and technological forces combine to achieve beneficial outcome. Alright, I acknowledge it’s not the most descriptive oneliner of my career, but how often do you get to say it? Plus, there’s a good chance that you will read it someday and my experience was enhanced by a total absence of spoilers. This is the most fun I’ve had reading sci fi since I was a teenager. Massive shoutout to @kyle for the recommendation, who also provided an excellent elevator pitch. It’s MacGyver in space. PHM is that and more. I read it to my oldest boy, and it’s currently his favorite book. Strongest possible recommendation. Send it straight to the top of your list.

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Miniword continues to deliver joy, day after day. I love crosswords under any circumstances, but it's even more fun to see how I stack up against people on this app who I know and respect. Tour de force fapp, @cbeav I'd be honored to guest write a puzzle sometime https://farcaster.xyz/7858.eth/0xf0ea1deb

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Everything is on sale on Audible right now. Would you please recommend a few audiobooks to me? I’m gonna try to line up my next 10-20 books this week. Here are some recommendations for you: Kitchen Confidential read by the author The Ocean at the End of the Lane read by the author Angela’s Ashes read by the author The Innocents Abroad read by Grover Gardner (he’s consistently great) Moby Dick read by Jonathan Epstein (captures the humor, makes the book feel much more manageable)

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