CRAFT BEETLE

A Dying Colonialism

Reading...

Ishmael

My whole experience with Ishmael was wonderful. It started off with a conversation with great friend about this, that or the other. She then told me she brought something for me and produced an old copy of Ishmael, bought from a thrift store some time ago, her bookmark still in it. I was so touched by the gift that I hungry read the book in a few days. The paper was yellowed with time, the cellulose broken down into a sweet sent.

Ishmael teaches the main character, and in doing so teaches the reader, that the world is not made for humans, but that humans were made for it. That when people see the world as theirs, they inherently seek to conquer and invariably destroy it. And while I disagree on the theological points, I do agree that humanity should seek to better live in the world, alongside all of creation, than to dominate and annihilate it.

In the spirit of being gifted the book, I then passed it along to my parents. And after they finish it I'll give it to a friend, so that all may read what Ishmael has to teach.

You can't escape the cage if you can't find the bars.

Value, Price and Profit

Marx makes the relationship of value, price, and profit very clear. We often still hear about how increasing wages would increase the price of goods and services but in reality that is not the case. It simply reduces profits for the bourgeoisie, profits they derive from the unpaid portion of the proletariat's labor.

Wage-Labour and Capital

I was already familiar with Real Wages, but I had not thought of Relative Wages which are really the root of the income inequality by definition. As well I have a new appreciation for the gig economy as as the ideal capitalist labor market, where all tasks are fractalized and staccato, disconnecting the laborer from the labor and for each other, opening the door for infinite scabs.

Abandoned Palestine Refugee

I met Ihmayed Ali and his daughter at a Palestinian book talk where they shared about their lives and experiences as Palestinian refugees. The talk was moving and eye opening. I then bought and read his book and was blown away by the images he shared. Ihmayed's autobiography is written in a very vivid and honest way. The things he goes through, the oppression and abuse, the survival and success. His story is representative of large portions of the Palestinian population, a people who endure despite incredible hardship. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a personal look at the Palestinian story.

Moby Dick

This book is absolutely massive. Melville clearly loves and knows much about whaling and he wants to share it all and it takes 600 pages to do so. I didn't love the book in all honesty but I do respect it. It is one of the oldest books I've read and had it come out in recent decades someone would have made him cut it down but I'm glad it exists in its entirety. A book about whales ought to be massive. I wouldn't recommend most people read it but the audiobook by William Hootkins is very good. I switch to it about half way through reading my physical copy.

Principles of Communism

An easy introduction into communist theory. This is absolutely a must read that lays out communism for the layman. I found it put already known and understood concepts into a new perspective, shed a light on some connection previously missed.

Strong Towns

In Strong Towns, Charles explains the way in which cities use to be built gradually and how that has changed into an unsustainable model of growth. He makes points about how single family homes are subsidized by downtown businesses, and about the debt cities find themselves with when they try to make themselves attractive to developments. What Charles fails to do is question the underlying economic system, and is instead content on working within capitalism. This is not surprising and he identifies as a conservative.

To Kill A Mockingbird

If ever there was a manual on how to be a good father, this would be a contender. This also goes for what it means to be a man. The way Harper Lee describes Atticus's interactions with his children and his community and the high regard in which they hold him shows what a man of integrity is, and shoots dead the idea that people in the past were simply a product of their time. A wonderful read and a pretty good movie.

The Dispossessed

A beautiful book that explores one possible way that anarcho-communism could exist. Le Guin does a great job of constructing a believable society with all of its struggles and beauty. Even if this isn't the exact way I imagine an ideal world, I find inspiration and hope in the refutation of the status quo as all that there ever could be. If this is a plausible formulation of society, what else is possible? A worthwhile and captivating read.

Children of Memory

So far we've had spiders, octopus, true aliens (insert "Nano Machines, Son!" audio sting), as well an increasingly moody human AI, and neo-humans. What's left? Why it's psychically linked corvids and a twist so good I won't even explain. Unlike the other two books, this one is a real mental trip. Elder race is linear but jumps perspectives. The Children of Time has a spider past and human present timeline it jumps between. And the Children of Ruin has two pasts, one on each planet, and a present. This book has a looping, recursive, bleeding timeline. As if you wrote the events of the story on a stack of paper and it got wet, words from one time transferring to another. It won't make total sense until it all makes sense in the end. Definitely worth a read.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Written with the intent of being adapted into a film, 2001 A Space Odyssey is mostly vibes and aesthetics. I had vivid images of the stations, space ships, and the cosmos. I hadn't watched the film until after I read the book and I found it quite enjoyable. You can read my thoughts on the film here.

Children of Ruin

So jumping spiders, ancient human AI, and neo-humans weren't enough? Now you want octopus and truly alien life? Okay! The second book in the Children of Series explores another set of worlds with new life forms and the way they developed. I am personally very fond of the octopus, I identify with and strive to argue like they do. They give it their all, use their logic and emotion, then, if they are truly convinced, they go all in and spread the message as if it were their own. The trick to this method is balance, you have to be sufficiently hard headed that only the best ideas with the best evidence can convince you, but you also have to be sufficiently sincere that once convinced you become a beacon of that idea. If the octopus's motive force is expression, then the other alien's motive is experience. The other alien seeks novelty at all costs, but in doing so is apt to destroy what it loves. There is much to learn from both creatures, and of forgiveness. Another banger from Tchaikovsky.

Born

A neat view into the origins of the Punisher. One can easily see how plausible this course of character development is and how it leads to one to believe that they are the law and that their violence is justified. A valuable window into cop culture.

Head Lopper

Head Lopper achieved exactly what it set out to do. It was beautiful and entertaining. At no point do you feel the head lopper could fail, and that's okay. I enjoyed reading the printed trade in one quiet summer night. I may read the other entries in the series in the future.

Children of Time

I don't think it's possible to read this book and not fall in love with jumping spiders, and don't get me started on Dr. Avarna Kern. Tchaikovsky has a gift for perspective. He has the ability to turn his mind into a blank slate, throw away our human preconceptions, and start a new from an alien perspective. How would a spiders build a society? How would they react if we suddenly wanted to take their planet? How would one of humanity's brightest minds deal with isolation and a fundamental change in cognitive ability? All beautifully explored question in this book and much more.

1984

What can I say about 1984 that hadn't been said already? I originally decided to read this book so that I could confidently say "I read 1984". I only half joke. But as I got into the book I discovered what all the hype was about. It wasn't mind blowing but I also read it in a post 1984 world which has for nearly 80 years been deeply affected by it. My most appreciated part of the book is how long ago it was written and how it remains relevant today.

Solaris

Solaris was originally written in Russian and the translation is of disputed quality. This matters particularly because this book, while set on an alien planet, occurs mainly in the thoughts of the main character. I enjoyed the explorations of sentience and cognition, and the soft dreamlike horror that builds up.

Elder Race

I was in the mall book store with a friend just killing time when the cover of this book caught my eye. I knew nothing of Tchaikovsky at the time so I had no idea that this was a soft sequel to his Children of Series. I read the first few pages in that book store and immediately loved it. I bought it on mid day Saturday, and by Sunday I had finished it. That's not a testament to my reading speed so much as it is of the books quality. The dual language concept and the science as magic concept were so good that I needed to know what else he had written, and a few days later the Children of Series arrived at my doorstep.

Transmetropolitan

This comic, and Spider Jerusalem, are one of my favorites. Real politics and journalism in a near future US city. It gave me the same feeling of appreciation for journalism that A Taxi Driver (the Korean film) gave me. The world needs more Spider Jerusalem's that do true honest journalism at all costs and by all means necessary.

Snow Crash

Right as the Cyberpunk 2077 conversation was warming up, and after watching Action Button's 8 hour review (yes, in one sitting), I was still unwilling to give the game a chance. But, what I getting really interested in was science fiction and cyberpunk. I decided to pick this book up and I was not disappointed. One of the seminal works in the cyberpunk genre, and the origin of the term "metaverse", it paints a funny version of the cyberpunk dystopia we've come to expect. Yes, the killing, poverty, and misery are all there as substrate for the tech megacorps to exploit. But the characters and narration lift the mood and focuses on the fun. Easily recommended.

Brave New World

I was recommended this book by a friend. They described it as "The Other 1984". I see the similarities but the themes not the same. The most striking aspect of the book is how normal creating people for specific roles is, and how the few intellectual elites are still bound up in the odd society they are a part of.

Galaxy in Flame

Thinking...

False Gods

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Horus Rising

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Hereticus

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Malleus

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Xenos

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Paper Girls

Hands down one of my favorite graphic novels. I love every character and their development. The time travel is done really well and, like many great stories, all the fun action and science fiction ultimately serve a very personal coming of age story. The Amazon show was really good too but it was canceled after the first season. We cannot have nice things.

Dune

Thinking...

Pathfinder

Thinking...

Ender's Game

I read Ender's Game a long time ago in elementary school and I still remember it well. Card paints a fascinating picture of a fascist future fighting aliens and the consequences thereof. I won't spoil the ending but I will say that this book really clicked with a really young me.

The Legend of Zelda - Major's Mask Manga

This is a neat adaptation of Majora's Mask into a manga. I think adapting relatively linear video games may be the easiest type of adaptation to pull off and pull it off they did. While I haven't actually played Majora's Mask I have watched my fair share of walkthroughs, analysis, and speedruns. The manga was pretty darn good.