books

156d

<p>Is Victor Pelevin's 'Babylon' (also known as Homo Zapiens and Generation P) the ideal novel for Mastodonians ?</p><p>It's an alcohol-and-drug-fuelled fantastical satire on both capitalism and tech, in which (we gradually discover) politicians are computer-generated, and representations more important than reality. In one key scene, we find ourselves in an art exhibition, but the walls are hung not with paintings, but with notarised certificates confirming that the original was bought by its current owner for so-many-million-dollars. Not even a copy of the original - because only the price is important now,</p><p>But it precedes and predicts our ai-and-billionaires world. It was written in Russia in the 1990s, and clearly reflects the shock of the cowboy-capitalism that was imposed there after the soviet collapse. It is horrific - yet it is the model for the world the likes of Trump would propagate. They saw the emergence of Russian oligarchy, and wanted it. I first read it when I was working in Russia 20 years ago, so can vouch for its accuracy. I came to this re-reading after also re-reading Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, and was struck by the contrast between that story of 1930s capitalism-as-worker-exploitation, and Pelevin's portrayal of capitalism as insane consumerism.</p><p>Today is the author's birthday.</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/capitalism/" rel="tag">#capitalism</a></p>

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155d

<p>From Monte Carlo to the final frontier</p><p>“Beyond the Blue Horizon,” introduced in Lubitsch’s Monte Carlo, enters the public domain soon. Jeanette MacDonald’s train-scene song later inspired Alexander Courage’s Star Trek theme of hopeful exploration.<br> <br>By John Mark Ockerbloom </p><p><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">everybodyslibraries.com/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">1/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a> <a href="/tags/music/" rel="tag">#music</a></p>

Beyond the blue horizon
by Young, Victor, 1900-1956

The image shows a handwritten sheet music manuscript titled “Lion and Boy” (Beyond the Blue Horizon), attributed to Victor Young. The notation is written in dark ink on yellowed paper, giving it an aged archival look. Musical staves fill the page, with expressive handwritten notes, chords, measure numbers, and performance markings.

Boxes and small annotations appear throughout, indicating cues or edits. At the bottom, a handwritten note reads “Property of Paramount Pictures Inc.” followed by a date written in cursive, 1/23/41.

https://archive.org/details/beyondbluehorizo00youn

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153d

<p>Ebook omnibus, on sale for $4.99: <a href="https://books2read.com/AshenBladesOpenWounds" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="books2read.com/AshenBladesOpenWounds"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">books2read.com/AshenBladesOpen</span><span class="invisible">Wounds</span></a></p><p>The arch-demon, Pride, leads demon-kind in an ancient plan to open a gate between worlds, so vast demon armies might march forth and conquer, but opening a portal requires both energy equivalent to a nuke and the cooperation of a half-demon, to stabilize it. However, the only half-demon available has made it her life mission to kill all demons.</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/sale/" rel="tag">#sale</a></p>

$(Background) A fractal pattern of red and orange that resembles a demonic portal. (Center) Pride needs a half-demon to stabilize the portal between worlds. There’s just one hitch: she hates him. One stubborn half-demon vs. all of demon-kind? It could go either way... (Top Left) The cover of She Hunts Demons, by Owen Tyme, illustrated by Ryan Johnson. Sitting on the roof of a building in New York City is a teenage girl with a Japanese short sword. The image is black and white, aside from a few details in blue. (Bottom Left) The cover of She Goes to War, by Owen Tyme, illustrated by Ryan Johnson. Three people in tiger-stripe camouflage crouch in the jungle, including a teen girl, a soldier and a huge cat-man with black fur. (Bottom Right) The cover of the novel, Demon for President!, by Owen Tyme, illustrated by Ryan Johnson. Two politicians (Democrat and Republican) shake hands, as if for a photo-op, while a city burns behind them and the flag of the United States waves in the smoke. (Top Right) The cover of the book bundle, Ashen Blades: Open Wounds, by Owen Tyme, which includes a Japanese sword, a pistol and a pineapple grenade on a wooden surface.$

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1922.</p><p>Sinclair Lewis's satirical novel Babbitt is published by Harcourt, Brace & Company.</p><p>It is a satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social pressure toward conformity. The controversy provoked by Babbitt was influential in the decision to award the Nobel Prize in Literature to Lewis in 1930.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(novel)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(novel)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_</span><span class="invisible">(novel)</span></a></p><p>Babbitt at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1156" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/1156</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

First edition cover of the novel Babbitt (1922), by Sinclair Lewis

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1y

<p>American novelist, essayist, and short story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1896.</p><p>He is most famous for his novels that capture the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties, a time of economic prosperity, cultural change, and excess following World War I. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott</span><span class="invisible">_Fitzgerald</span></a></p><p>Books by F. Scott Fitzgerald at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/420" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/420"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/420</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Fitzgerald in 1929

Nickolas Muray - Variations of this photo, both black-and-white and colorized, were published in a variety of newspapers and magazines throughout the year 1929. This scan is sourced via ElectricLiterature.com.

Portrait of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald used in a year-long print advertising campaign for the Woodbury Soap Company, in which Fitzgerald featured as one of three judges—the two others being actor John Barrymore and newspaperman Cornelius Vanderbilt IV—who were purportedly selecting the winners of monthly beauty contests.

Edited 1y ago

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133d

<p>Who Was the Real Good King Wenceslas Behind the Christmas Carol?</p><p>Good King Wenceslas is one of the most popular Christmas carols, but who was the real Bohemian duke behind the heartwarming story?</p><p>by Elizabeth Morgan</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/real-good-king-wenceslas-christmas-carol-2/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/real-good-king-wenceslas-christmas-carol-2/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/real-good</span><span class="invisible">-king-wenceslas-christmas-carol-2/</span></a></p><p>Christmas Carol at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Good King Wenceslas, illustrated in Christmas Carols, New and Old from an 1879 book by Henry Ramsden Bramley, engraving by Brothers Dalziel .

An 1879 illustrated sheet music page for "Good King Wenceslas" from Henry Ramsden Bramley's "Christmas Carols, New and Old," featuring a dramatic engraving by the Dalziel Brothers. The image shows King Wenceslas and his page trudging through snow, above four verses of music notation with lyrics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_King_Wenceslas#/media/File:Good_King_Wenceslas.jpg

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154d

<p>Questions on the Beautiful</p><p>Few great visual artists are especially good writers, Eugène Delacroix was one of the exceptions.</p><p>By Alice Gribbin</p><p><a href="https://www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacroix-the-beautiful" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacroix-the-beautiful"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacro</span><span class="invisible">ix-the-beautiful</span></a></p><p>Delacroix at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/47658" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/47658"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/47658</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Eugène Delacroix: Arabs Traveling (1855).

The painting shows Eugène Delacroix’s Arabs Traveling (1855), depicting a small caravan moving through a rugged, mountainous landscape. In the foreground, a rider on a dark horse turns slightly, draped in flowing white garments and a turban. Nearby, another rider on a pale horse is guided by a man walking alongside. A fourth figure, carrying supplies and a long firearm, looks toward the travelers.

The terrain is rocky and uneven, with steep slopes leading into distant valleys. The sky is expansive, filled with soft clouds and warm light.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delacroix_-_Arabs_Traveling,_1855.jpg

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111d

<p>"Before Nicolás Maduro and Hugo Chávez, there was <a href="/tags/ciprianocastro/" rel="tag">#CiprianoCastro</a>. Before Donald Trump, there was Theodore Roosevelt. And before petroleum, there was asphalt pitch. The following excerpt from <a href="/tags/americaamérica/" rel="tag">#AmericaAmérica</a>: A New History of the New World is a timely reminder that behind today’s headlines announcing any given crisis in <a href="/tags/latinamerica/" rel="tag">#LatinAmerica</a> often stands a long history of imperial outrages." </p><p><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/venezuela-tar-wars/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thenation.com/article/world/venezuela-tar-wars/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thenation.com/article/worl</span><span class="invisible">d/venezuela-tar-wars/</span></a><br><a href="/tags/venezuela/" rel="tag">#Venezuela</a> <a href="/tags/usimperialism/" rel="tag">#USimperialism</a> <a href="/tags/latinamericanhistory/" rel="tag">#LatinAmericanHistory</a> <a href="/tags/plusçachange/" rel="tag">#plusÇaChange</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

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152d

<p>Ebook and paperback: <a href="https://books2read.com/LegacyOfNewts" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/LegacyOfNewts</a></p><p>The undead witch that rules the space pirates, known as the Dead Queen, has finally been defeated. That only makes it worse for the witches that pulled it off. She’s livid and coming for them, at least once she gets her star ship back under control…</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#sff</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefantasy/" rel="tag">#sciencefantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

(Left) The cover of Legacy of Newts, by Owen Tyme.

In the background dawn, as seen from space, above a blue world.

In the foreground is a line drawing of a red spotted newt, in white. The lines of the newt are outlined in black, to help it stand out. The interior of the line drawing has been filled with the image of a spiral galaxy in red, orange and yellow, with a blue color that shades to white at the center, which lines up with the newt's head. The galaxy almost looks like fire.

(Right) The background is a blue and orange nebula, with the following text over it:

“You gotta be real strong, real bright, real quick, or real lucky to survive drawing *attention*. Which are you?”

“I’m quick, Amelia is bright, Marta is strong and all three of us have been lucky, after a fashion: if we didn’t have bad luck, then I suppose we wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

(Bottom) https://books2read.com/LegacyOfNewts

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153d

<p>📚 The Persians by: Sanam Mahloudji</p><p>The women of the Valiat family are in crisis. Elizabeth, the regal matriarch, remained in Tehran despite the revolution and only has Niaz, her Islamic law–breaking granddaughter for company. In America, Elizabeth’s daughters, the flamboyantly high-flying Shirin and frustrated h...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/the-persians" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/the-persians"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/the-persia</span><span class="invisible">ns</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/literaryfiction/" rel="tag">#literaryfiction</a> <a href="/tags/familylife/" rel="tag">#familylife</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/culturalheritage/" rel="tag">#culturalheritage</a></p>

(no description)

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134d

<p>An Amazon AI chatbot that sums up the book you are reading while you are reading it. While trampling over the writer’s rights. </p><p>“Ask This Book."</p><p>“Your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.”</p><p>Enshittification is too polite a word for all this.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <br><a href="/tags/enshittification/" rel="tag">#Enshittification</a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#AI</a> </p><p><a href="https://writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/kindles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/kindles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/k</span><span class="invisible">indles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/</span></a></p>

Passage abbreviated to fit. "Story So Far lets you catch up on the book you’re reading—but only up to where you’ve read without any spoilers. For our endlessly curious readers, Ask this Book will let you highlight any passage of text while reading a book and get spoiler-free answers to questions about things like a character’s motive or the significance of a scene. The lead article in today’s Publishers Lunch (PL) is all about Ask This Book, which went live in the Kindle iOS app earlier this week (it’ll be rolled out on all devices and Android OS in 2026). Amazon describes it as “your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.” You can highlight a phrase or sentence, type a question into a search box, and AI will generate an answer “right on the page.” That might sound inoffensive enough. But as PL points out, Ask This Book is, in effect, “an in-book chatbot. You ask any question about the book, and a generative AI process provides you answers.” Which would seem…hmmm…to raise some rights concerns. Questioned about this, Amazon was not prepared to elaborate, but did note that Ask This Book is not optional for rightsholders: Asked whether rightsholders could elect to withdraw from the program, Iraheta wrote, “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”

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153d

<p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@adriabailton" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>adriabailton</span></a></span> thanks for hosting <a href="/tags/writephant/" rel="tag">#writephant</a></p><p><a href="/tags/selfpromo/" rel="tag">#SelfPromo</a> time</p><p>I write cosy-adjacent fantasy with romance, usually queer, available everywhere including on <a href="/tags/koboplus/" rel="tag">#KoboPlus</a>.</p><p>My latest book is a friends-to-lovers gay romance set amid the ghosts of Hampton Court Palace. More info and sample chapters at my website:<br><a href="https://wendypalmer.au/" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>wendypalmer.au/</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/gayromance/" rel="tag">#GayRomance</a> <a href="/tags/lgbtqbooks/" rel="tag">#LGBTQBooks</a> <a href="/tags/romancereads/" rel="tag">#romanceReads</a> <a href="/tags/historicalfantasy/" rel="tag">#historicalFantasy</a></p>

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152d

<p>📚 Infinity Gate (The Pandominion, 1) by: M. R. Carey</p><p>The Pandominion: a political and trading alliance of a million worlds. Except that they’re really just one world, Earth, in many different realities. And when an AI threat arises that could destroy everything the Pandominion has built, they’ll eradicate it by whatever means necessary.</p><p>Scientist Hadiz Tambuwal i...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/infinity-gate-the-pandominion-1" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/infinity-gate-the-pandominion-1"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/infinity-g</span><span class="invisible">ate-the-pandominion-1</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a></p>

The Pandominion: a political and trading alliance of a million worlds. Except that they’re really just one world, Earth, in many different realities. And when an AI threat arises that could destroy everything the Pandominion has built, they’ll eradicate it by whatever means necessary.

Scientist Hadiz Tambuwal is looking for a solution to her own Earth’s environmental collapse when she stumbles across the secret of inter-dimensional travel, a secret that could save everyone on her dying planet. It leads her into the middle of a war on a scale she never dreamed of. And she needs to choose a side before every reality pays the price.

An immense achievement, an impeccably crafted book without a single word out of place. The New York Times

From bestselling author M. R. Carey comes a brilliant genre-defying story of humanity's expansion across millions of dimensions—and the AI technology that might see it all come to an end. INFINITY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

A fascinating window onto a dangerous and multifaceted universe. Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

A genuine treat for SF fans: an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller. Kirkus (starred review)

Readers will be wowed. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Infinity Gate, with its in-depth science and rich characterization, is a must-read. Booklist (starred review)

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58d

Hyperion author Dan Simmons dies from stroke at 77 <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/64518520">See Original Page</a> </small>

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58d

Hyperion author Dan Simmons dies from stroke at 77 <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/64518570">See Original Page</a> </small>

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152d

<p>New review: Spinosaur Tales brings together two of the finest popular palaeontology writers for a nuanced and detailed overview of this challenging group of dinosaurs.</p><p><a href="https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/</span><span class="invisible">11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/dinosaurs/" rel="tag">#Dinosaurs</a> <a href="/tags/theropods/" rel="tag">#Theropods</a> <a href="/tags/spinosaurs/" rel="tag">#Spinosaurs</a> <a href="/tags/spinosaurus/" rel="tag">#Spinosaurus</a> <a href="/tags/fossils/" rel="tag">#Fossils</a> <a href="/tags/evolution/" rel="tag">#Evolution</a> <a href="/tags/paleontology/" rel="tag">#Paleontology</a> <a href="/tags/palaeontology/" rel="tag">#Palaeontology</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

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152d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1BQWlcaJf3gEZfpEg0t066" rel="nofollow">Prophet Song</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 <br>by Paul Lynch.</p><p>A horrifying realistic account of an everyday Western country being gradually consumed by an authoritarian regime. Every moment of encroaching terror is disturbingly relatable. Writing style felt like a monotone ramble, which masked its poignancy.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1905.</p><p>Albert Einstein publishes the third of his Annus Mirabilis papers, introducing the special theory of relativity, which used the universal constant speed of light c to derive the Lorentz transformations.</p><p>There are some controversies on the question of the extent to which Mileva Marić contributed to the insights of Einstein's annus mirabilis publications</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mirabilis_papers#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mirabilis_papers#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mi</span><span class="invisible">rabilis_papers#</span></a></p><p>On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66944" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66944</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/physics/" rel="tag">#physics</a></p>

Einstein, Albert (30 June 1905). "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper" [On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies] (PDF). Annalen der Physik (in German). 17 (10): 891–921.

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1y

<p>"The mind is an iceberg—it floats with only one-seventh of its bulk above water."</p><p>Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1939.</p><p>He was the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies seen as originating from conflicts in the psyche, through dialogue between patient and psychoanalyst, and the distinctive theory of mind and human agency derived from it.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_</span><span class="invisible">Freud#</span></a></p><p>Sigmund Freud at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/391" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/391"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/391</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

Photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, signed by the sitter ("Prof. Sigmund Freud")
Max Halberstadt - https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6116407

The photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, taken by Max Halberstadt around 1921, is an iconic representation of the founder of psychoanalysis. The half-length image captures Freud holding a cigar, a frequent motif in images of him. This particular photograph is unique due to Freud's personal inscription, which reads in English, "Prof. Sigm. Freud with kind regards 1921." This use of English and the title "Professor" is notable since most of Freud's correspondences and inscriptions were in German.

The photo is a gelatin silver print, measuring 225 x 165 mm, mounted on a card. It was part of the Wesley Marans Collection and was later auctioned at Christie's.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1846.</p><p>Astronomers Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams and Johann Gottfried Galle collaborate on the discovery of Neptune.</p><p>There is evidence that Neptune was seen and recorded by Galileo Galilei in 1613, Jérôme Lalande in 1795, and John Herschel in 1830, but none are known to have recognized it as a planet at the time.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discover</span><span class="invisible">y_of_Neptune</span></a></p><p>Neptune at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/astronomy/" rel="tag">#astronomy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

New Berlin Observatory at Linden Street, where Neptune was discovered observationally.

Carl Daniel Freydanck - Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam

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1y

<p>English poet, playwright, critic, Nobel Prize laureate T. S. Eliot was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1888.</p><p>Eliot first attracted widespread attention for his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" from 1914 to 1915, which, at the time of its publication, was considered outlandish. It was followed by The Waste Land, "The Hollow Men", "Ash Wednesday", and Four Quartets. He was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature.</p><p>Books by T. S. Eliot at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/599" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/599"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/599</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

T. S. Eliot, photographed one Sunday afternoon in 1923 by Lady Ottoline Morrell.

Eliot is captured with a contemplative, somewhat somber expression. His face appears serious and introspective, a mood reflective of his complex, often dark literary themes.

Eliot is dressed formally in a suit, typical of the style of an educated, professional man of the 1920s.

The photograph is relatively straightforward, with Eliot seated in a relaxed but poised manner. The simplicity of the composition focuses attention on Eliot’s face and presence, allowing his personality to take center stage. Lady Morrell's photographic style often emphasized the character of her subjects, and this portrait reflects that approach.

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152d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1859, Wilkie Collins’s novel, The Woman in White, begins serialization in the magazine "All the Year Round". This magazine was edited by Charles Dickens.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woma</span><span class="invisible">n_in_White_(novel)</span></a></p><p>The novel at PG: </p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

poster by fred walker for the woman in white - picyrl.com

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1y

<p>English author, screenwriter, and producer Elinor Glyn died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1943.</p><p>She was specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern standards. She popularized the concept of the it-girl, and had tremendous influence on early 20th-century popular culture and, possibly, on the careers of Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and, especially, Clara Bow.</p><p>Books by Elinor Glyn at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1762" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1762"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1762</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

English novelist and scriptwriter Elinor Glyn (1864-1943).

Glyn is typically seen in fashionable, often elegant attire, befitting her status as a trendsetter and icon of glamour in the early 20th century. Her clothing often includes luxurious fabrics, lace, and intricate details, reflecting the high-society circles in which she moved.

Glyn's expressions often convey a sense of confidence and poise, with a subtle smile or a gaze that indicates self-assurance and intelligence.

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1y

<p>Spanish philosopher, novelist, and poet George Santayana died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1952.</p><p>The Sense of Beauty (1896), with a foreword by Arthur Danto, was his first book on aesthetics written in the United States. The Life of Reason recounts the “imaginative” path by which cultures and societies have been shaped. The great philosophical work in which he expounds his ontology and epistemology is The Realms of Being, which establishes four “regions” or domains of reality.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/philosophy/" rel="tag">#philosophy</a></p>

George Santayana, a Spanish American philosopher and writer.
Artist: Samuel Johnson Woolf (1880-1948). Time magazine.

Santayana’s expression in this portrait is composed and reflective, highlighting his philosophical demeanor. His face is slightly aged, with fine lines that add to the sense of wisdom and contemplation, emphasizing his long career in both philosophy and literature.

Santayana is dressed in formal, yet simple attire, often a suit, which was typical for intellectuals of his era.

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152d

Any noir fans here?

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