Eggplant.place

1y

New Media, Old Anxieties: Why is “Brain Rot” the Word of the Year?Josh Abbey Considers “Savage Torpor” and Other Nice Things<a href="https://lithub.com/new-media-old-anxieties-why-is-brain-rot-the-word-of-the-year/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/new-media-old-anxieties-why-is-brain-rot-the-word-of-the-year/">https://lithub.com/new-media-old-anxieties-why-is-brain-rot-the-word-of-the-year/</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/dictionaries/" rel="tag">#dictionaries</a>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1879.During construction of an extension to Birmingham Central Library in England, a fire destroys 50,000 books and the original manuscript of the Coventry Mystery Plays (including the "Coventry Carol").<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Mystery_Plays" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Mystery_Plays">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Mystery_Plays</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol</a>Coventry Carol at PG (as audio book): <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20603" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20603</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

Cover of Christmas Carol Collection 2006 by Various.

Contents

# 01 - O Holy Night by Adolphe Adam - 00:06:18
Performed by: Karen Savage

# 02 - The Boar’s Head Carol by Traditional - 00:01:17
Performed by: Kara Shallenberg

# 03 - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen by Traditional - 00:03:30
Performed by: Diyan

# 04 - Good King Wenseslas by J.M. Neale - 00:03:21
Performed by: Alan Drake & Irene Takiris with Friends

# 05 - Here We Come A-Wassailing by Traditional - 00:01:43
Performed by: Claire Goget

# 06 - Joy to the World by G.F. Handel - 00:01:41
Performed by: Kim Butler

# 07 - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Baptiste Calkin - 00:02:02
Performed by: Kristin Hughes

# 08 - Dona Nobis Pacem by Traditional - 00:02:05
Performed by: SKVE

# 09 - The First Noel by Traditional English carol - 00:02:32
Performed by: Claire Goget

# 10 - Coventry Carol by Robert Croo (Lyrics) - 00:02:00
Performed by: Kim Butler

# 11 - It Came Upon the Midnight Clear by Edmund Hamilton Sears and Richard Storrs Willis - 00:03:35
Performed by: Kristin Hughes

# 12 - Away in a Manger by W. J. Kirkpatrick - 00:02:09
Performed by: Karen Savage

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1818.Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" appears in Leigh Hunt's weekly The Examiner (London; p. 24) under the pen name "Glirastes". Horace Smith's contribution to the same informal sonnet-writing competition, "On a Stupendous Leg of Granite, Discovered Standing by Itself in the Deserts of Egypt, with the Inscription Inserted Below" is published on February 1 under his initials.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a>

"Ozymandias" by Glirastes in The Examiner, London, Sunday, January 11, 1818, No. 524, page 24.

Percy Bysshe Shelley. - First publication in The Examiner, No. 524, page 24.

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1851.A fire at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroys 35,000 books, about two–thirds of the collection. Between 1890 and 1897, a new library building (Thomas Jefferson Building), was constructed. Two additional buildings, the John Adams Building (opened in 1939) and the James Madison Memorial Building (opened in 1980), were later added.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/library/" rel="tag">#library</a>

Library of Congress in the Capitol Building in 1853.

Ornamental columns and arches in the neoclassical style, symbolizing strength and permanence.

Wooden shelves, likely reaching high, filled with bound volumes, representing the library’s growing collection at the time.

Sunlight streaming through large windows or skylights, illuminating the space with a warm, diffused glow.

Sturdy, elegant furniture arranged for study and research, reflecting the purpose of the library.

Early gas lamps or chandeliers providing artificial light, as electricity was not yet in use.

A few individuals working, cataloging, or reading, dressed in mid-19th-century attire.

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1868.John William De Forest, writing for The Nation, calls for a more specifically American literature; the essay's title, "The Great American Novel", is the first known use of the term. In 1880, writer Henry James simplified the term with the initialism "GAN".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel#Notable_candidates" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel#Notable_candidates">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Novel#Notable_candidates</a>Books by John William De Forest at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4323" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4323">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4323</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

Portrait of John William De Forest.

A middle-aged or older man with a strong, thoughtful expression, likely with neatly combed dark or graying hair and a short, well-groomed mustache.

Wearing formal 19th-century clothing, such as a dark suit, waistcoat, and a white shirt, typical of the era's intellectuals or gentlemen.

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103d

Ebook and paperback: <a href="https://books2read.com/TrollSong" rel="nofollow">https://books2read.com/TrollSong</a>Having an abusive assassin for a sister was bad enough, but when Lyra’s older sister, Nicole, becomes obsessed with killing the teenage troll, her life becomes a special kind of nightmare. Will she escape, or become just another victim of the unstoppable woman?<a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a> <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>

(Left) The cover of Troll Song, by Owen Tyme, Illustrated by Ryan Johnson.

There's a woman in mud spattered white, leather armor crossing a pair of short swords against the neck of a terrified, shirtless dwarf.

The woman has white hair and a darker skin tone on the left side of her face. Her left eye is green and her right eye is blue.

The dwarf's hair and beard are blond.

The background is a green forest, with some flowers among the tall grass.

(Right) The background is a snow-covered forest, with a pair of dark silhouettes in it, one small and the other large, like a giant. The smaller silhouette is of a young woman walking away and the interior is filled with musical symbols, in green, white and two shades of blue. The larger silhouette is a woman wielding two swords and the interior is full of blood spatter. The larger one appears to be chasing the smaller one.

The following text is laid over the scene:

“I can’t die until Lyra takes her last breath! She’ll regret betraying her sisters!”

“There’s no price I won’t pay to see that happen, no pain I won’t endure and I’d sacrifice the whole world to seal her fate!”

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

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1y

American novelist, journalist and activist Jack London was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1876.London wrote several works dealing with animal welfare, workers' rights and socialism, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam. His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London</a>Books By Jack London at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/120" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/120">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/120</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

Portrait photograph of Jack London (1876-1916) Contributor Names Genthe, Arnold, 1869-1942, photographer Created / Published between 1906 and 1942; from a negative taken between 1906 and 1916.

London, known for his rugged individualism, is portrayed with a thoughtful expression, emphasizing his literary and adventurous spirit.

His attire is simple yet sturdy, perhaps a jacket or a collared shirt, indicative of his practical, outdoorsy lifestyle.

The photograph's composition is intimate, with a soft focus on London's face, drawing attention to his determined eyes and expressive features.

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102d

Is a Dream of the Red Chamber or The Story of the Stone worth reading?

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103d

The Millions has put together a list of 100 books being published over the next couple of months which have caught their eye, and as usual are highlighting some very intriguing titles. They include new books by Deepa Anappara, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Mandy-Suzanne Wong, and Maria Stepanova; plenty of newly translated older books, and 'rediscovered' books. <a href="/tags/toread/" rel="tag">#ToRead</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a><a href="https://themillions.com/2026/01/the-millions-great-winter-2026-preview.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="themillions.com/2026/01/the-millions-great-winter-2026-preview.html">https://themillions.com/2026/01/the-millions-great-winter-2026-preview.html</a>

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103d

📚 His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1) by: Philip PullmanA war is brewing in Lyra's world between those who would keep people in ignorance and those willing to fight for freedom. Lyra is thrust into the middle of the conflict when her uncle Asriel comes to Oxford, fomenting rebellion, and wh...<a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/his-dark-materials-the-golden-compass-book-1" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/his-dark-materials-the-golden-compass-book-1">https://bookblabla.com/book/his-dark-materials-the-golden-compass-book-1</a><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a><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/juvenilefiction/" rel="tag">#juvenilefiction</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/classics/" rel="tag">#classics</a>

A war is brewing in Lyra's world between those who would keep people in ignorance and those willing to fight for freedom. Lyra is thrust into the middle of the conflict when her uncle Asriel comes to Oxford, fomenting rebellion, and when her best friend, Roger, suddenly disappears.

Lyra learns that Roger was kidnapped by a shadowy organization that is rumored to experiment on children. To find him, she will travel to the cold, far North, where armored bears and witch clans rule—and where Asriel is attempting to build a bridge to a parallel world.

What Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other—and that her actions will have consequences not just in her world, but in all the worlds beyond.

Look for the modern fantasy classics of HIS DARK MATERIALS:
The Golden Compass. The Subtle Knife. The Amber Spyglass

And Lyra’s adventures continue in THE BOOK OF DUST:
La Belle Sauvage. The Secret Commonwealth. The Rose Field

DON’T MISS THE EPIC FINALE TO LYRA’S STORY: THE ROSE FIELD, AVAILABLE NOW!

Discover the modern fantasy classic that kicked off the epic trilogies His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust—a world where humans have animal familiars and parallel universes are within reach.

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101d

Why we love literary anniversariesIn 2026 there is another slew of big anniversaries, marking the tercentenary of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and 200 years since the ever-relevant Mary Shelley’s The Last Man.by Amy Wilcockson<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-love-literary-anniversaries-273375" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/why-we-love-literary-anniversaries-273375">https://theconversation.com/why-we-love-literary-anniversaries-273375</a>Some literary anniversaries at PG: Gulliver’s Travels: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/829" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/829</a> The Last man: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18247" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18247</a> Winnie-the-Pooh: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098</a> The murder of Roger Ackroyd: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69087" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69087</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

In the drawing, Eeyore is starting to munch on the thistle; Pooh is standing up with lots of thistle-burrs on his behind.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/67098/pg67098-images.html

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103d

📚 The Kaiju Preservation Society by: John ScalziWhen COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to h...<a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/the-kaiju-preservation-society" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/the-kaiju-preservation-society">https://bookblabla.com/book/the-kaiju-preservation-society</a><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a><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/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/aliencontact/" rel="tag">#aliencontact</a>

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.

It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1826.Edgar Allan Poe is forced to renounce his studies at the University of Virginia when his foster parent John Allan refuses to pay for his tuition. In 1827, having enlisted in the United States Army under the assumed name of Edgar A. Perry, he published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, which was credited only to "a Bostonian".Books by Edgar Allan Poe at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

Poe depicted in a modern retouched version of a daguerreotype

Mathew Benjamin Brady - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Scope and content: Drawing made from the “Ultima Thule” daguerreotype.

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1y

"We thought we believed in trial marriage. Nothing of the sort—trial separation! What marriage put asunder divorce has joined together."<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1917.Jesse Lynch Williams' Why Marry?, the first drama to win a Pulitzer Prize, opens at the Astor Theatre (New York).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Marry%3F" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Marry%3F">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Marry%3F</a>Why Marry? at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35389" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35389</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a> <a href="/tags/drama/" rel="tag">#drama</a>

Nat Goodwin, an unidentified actress and Leonard Mudie in the 1917 play Why Marry. Date stamped Sept. 28, 1918.

The play was a comedic exploration of the institution of marriage, written by Jesse Lynch Williams. The actors are likely dressed in early 20th-century attire, fitting the time period of the play's production. The image was stamped with the date September 28, 1918, indicating either the date of publication or archival cataloging. The scene captures a moment of dramatic or comedic interaction between the characters.

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103d

Heavy Is the Crown: George R.R. Martin on His Triumphs and Torments

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15d

"Shackleton's Dream: Fuchs, Hillary and the Crossing of Antarctica" by Stephen Haddelsey. My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Kindle Edition, 639 pages.Book description: In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton embarked on what he called 'The last great polar journey' - the crossing of Antarctica. His expedition ended in disaster, with the Endurance crushed and the frozen corpses of three explorers left on the Antarctic plateau. Forty years later Vivian Fuchs and Edmund Hillary, the hero of Everest, set out to succeed where Shackleton had failed. Despite the passage of four decades, the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-58 encountered many of the obstacles that had so hindered Shackleton - a chronic shortage of funds, inadequate equipment and an early onset of pack-ice. Even more disastrously, it also suffered from a clash of personalities so sever that it came close to destroying the expedition from within.i read my share of books about exploration, and I would put this one near the top of the list of such books I've experienced. Not only is it extraordinarily detailed, it focuses on the personalities of those involved, so it is far from just putting down the what and when details of history.<a href="/tags/nonfiction/" rel="tag">#nonfiction</a> <a href="/tags/exploration/" rel="tag">#exploration</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a>

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1y

"If there's any illness for which people offer many remedies, you may be sure that particular illness is incurable, I think."<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1904.Anton Chekhov's last play, The Cherry Orchard, opens at the Moscow Art Theatre directed by Constantin Stanislavski.Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye, and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Publishers.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cherry_Orchard" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cherry_Orchard">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cherry_Orchard</a>Cherry Orchard at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7986" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7986</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a>

Scene from The Cherry Orchard, Moscow Art Theater, 1904. The MAT setting demonstrates a conscious attempt to avoid the stiffness and artificiality of the perfectly symmetrical box set. Variation of planes and glimpses into other rooms in the house continue the environment beyond the stage room and help to combat unintentional rigidity.

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1y

Perpetual Movement: Francis Picabia’s 391 Review (1917–1924).Francis Picabia, like his close friend and collaborator Marcel Duchamp, was a man of many names. While Duchamp famously went by his feminine alter ego Rrose Sélavy and signed his 1917 Fountain with the pseudonym R. Mutt, Picabia adopted numerous aliases across his literary and artistic practice. <a href="https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/francis-picabia-391-review/?utm_source=newsletter" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="publicdomainreview.org/collection/francis-picabia-391-review/?utm_source=newsletter">https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/francis-picabia-391-review/?utm_source=newsletter</a><a href="https://archive.org/details/391-vol-1-19" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="archive.org/details/391-vol-1-19">https://archive.org/details/391-vol-1-19</a>Picabia at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=picabia&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=picabia&submit_search=Search">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=picabia&submit_search=Search</a><a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/dada/" rel="tag">#dada</a>

“La Sainte-Vierge” from the 12th volume of 391 (1920).

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1y

Do you track your reading habits? "Like the things we eat or the ways we move our bodies, the books we consume get talked about as yet another avenue for self-improvement," writes Tajja Isen for The Walrus. Here's her story about the problem with reading lists, and a way to make them useful and even lead to more enjoyment. Tell us in the comments what you think — and if you track, why.<a href="https://flip.it/AEiSjN" rel="nofollow">https://flip.it/AEiSjN</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> @bookstodon <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#Reading</a> <a href="/tags/readinglists/" rel="tag">#ReadingLists</a> <a href="/tags/goodreads/" rel="tag">#Goodreads</a> <div class="poll"> <h3 style="display: none;">Options: (choose one)</h3> <ul> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> 30% I meticulously track all the books I read </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> 23% I somewhat track my reading </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> 45% I don't track my reading </label> </li> <li> <label class="poll-option"> <input style="display:none" name="vote-options" type="radio" value="0"> 1% Something else — explain in the comments </label> </li> </ul> <div class="poll-footer"> 230 votes — Ended 1y ago Polls are currently display only </div> </div>

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102d

📚 Death of the Author by: Nnedi OkoraforDisabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister’s lavish Caribbean wedding, she’s...<a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/death-of-the-author" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/death-of-the-author">https://bookblabla.com/book/death-of-the-author</a><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a><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/womenfiction/" rel="tag">#womenfiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/literaryfiction/" rel="tag">#literaryfiction</a> <a href="/tags/sagasfiction/" rel="tag">#sagasfiction</a>

Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister’s lavish Caribbean wedding, she’s unceremoniously fired from her university job and, to add insult to injury, her novel is rejected by yet another publisher. With her career and dreams crushed in one fell swoop, she decides to write something just for herself. What comes out is nothing like the quiet, literary novels that have so far peppered her unremarkable career. It’s a far-future epic where androids and AI wage war in the grown-over ruins of human civilization. She calls it Rusted Robots.

When Zelu finds the courage to share her strange novel, she does not realize she is about to embark on a life-altering journey—one that will catapult her into literary stardom, but also perhaps obliterate everything her book was meant to be. From Chicago to Lagos to the far reaches of space, Zelu’s novel will change the future not only for humanity, but for the robots who come next.

A book-within-a-book that blends the line between writing and being written, Death of the Author is a masterpiece of metafiction that manages to combine the razor-sharp commentary of Yellowface with the heartfelt humanity of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Surprisingly funny, deeply poignant, and endlessly discussable, this is at once the tale of a woman on t

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1y

What Is Infinity? A Philosophical ApproachInfinity shapes philosophy, science, and ethics, challenging our understanding of reality, existence, and the limits of human thought.By Viktoriya Sus<a href="https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-infinity-philosophical-approach/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/what-is-infinity-philosophical-approach/">https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-infinity-philosophical-approach/</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/philosophy/" rel="tag">#philosophy</a>

The Celestial Map-Northern Hemisphere, Albrecht Dürer, 1515.

The constellations are illustrated as mythological figures and animals, following classical traditions.

The map is based on Ptolemaic astronomy, using data from ancient Greek and Islamic scholars. Heinfogel, an astronomer, provided the positional accuracy of the stars.

The chart is centered on the North Pole and displays major star formations visible from the northern hemisphere.

Dürer’s celestial map was published as a pair—one for the northern hemisphere and another for the southern hemisphere—creating a comprehensive sky chart.

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102d

What *is* literary fiction?

Could you explain literacy fiction? I come from scifi/fantasy land and am confused.There’s this definition that feels like “genre fiction has some recognizable theme/trope/rule/setting/whatever. Literary fiction is just the stuff that doesn’t fit easily.” I guess that’s a fine definition. Useful! Though I think my library just calls that “fiction” or “general fiction”.But there’s this other “literature makes you think” definition. That’s the definition I feel like people mean when they say the word with reverence. There’s some “genre is popcorn and literature is vegetables” there too. Genre is of plot driven literature character driver. Literature examines the human condition and has complex story structure.So, like, Use of Weapons and Chasm City are just about the most scifi books to ever scifi. I’m not as into war fiction, but Catch 22 counts, right? They use they’re complex narrative structure to make you feel a way. In service of their examination of war/time/identity. I dunno. Slaughterhouse Five leans on scifi to process war.Never Let Me Go uses it’s simple structure and scifi tropes to examine a very complex theme. That book is not candy.Ender’s Game taught me more about empathy than religion ever managed to.There is certainly plot driven scifi with not great characters that’s super duper scifi. Three Body Problem, 2001, Childhood’s End. I don’t tend to like those as much. But they sure have things to say about the human condition.We’re living in some terrible mashup of Snowcrash, The Diamond Age, Neuromancer, and The Fifth Season. And they wrote those books because they saw it coming. Or wanted to explain that I was already here. Hell, there’s even the classic “we built the torment nexus from the classic book don’t build the torment nexus” meme.I’m just… What even is literature? Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://programming.dev/post/44253465">See Original Page</a>

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1y

<a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1812.Lord Byron takes his seat in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.These parlamentary experiences inspired Byron to write political poems such as Song for the Luddites (1816) and The Landlords' Interest, Canto XIV of The Age of Bronze. Examples of poems in which he attacked his political opponents include Wellington: The Best of the Cut-Throats (1819) and The Intellectual Eunuch Castlereagh (1818).Books by Lord Byron at PG: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1708" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1708">https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1708</a><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a>

Portrait of Byron by Richard Westall, completed in 1813.

Byron is shown in a slightly turned pose, gazing to the side with a thoughtful and introspective expression.

He wears an open-collared white shirt with a rich, red cloak or drape, which enhances his aristocratic elegance.

His hair is styled in soft, dark curls, framing his face, which was considered emblematic of beauty during the period.

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102d

Have you ever read a book set at a magical boarding school in England and wondered why the adult staff aren't doing anything about the supernatural problems the site faces? Well, then I recommend The Incandescent by Emily Tesh to you. Turns out competent adults can make a difference!<a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> 1/2

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102d

Book Review: Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka Of all the versions of you in all universes, can you live with being this one? <a href="https://ohai.social/@carturo222" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@carturo222</a> has our review <a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-self-portrait-with-nothing.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-self-portrait-with-nothing.html">http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-self-portrait-with-nothing.html</a><a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/review/" rel="tag">#review</a> @bookstodon

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