Mostly reading sci-fi, fantasy, and comics/graphic novels, but occasionally some other stuff too. Only posting books I've read/reading since joining in 2023 (maybe one day I'll go through my bookshelf and change this).
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Success! Barbarius has read 30 of 20 books.
@pbarker@bookwyrm.social that's interesting you say that. I just finished his recent "Technofuedalism", where he recaps the broader arguments of this book. It made me want to read this, but now I'm not so sure.
This was a fascinating read. Essentially Varoufakis argues that capitalism is actually over, and that we are now in an era where rent derived from "digital fiefs" is dominant (e.g.: Amazon doesn't produce goods or acquire capital in the tratitional sense, but because no seller can survive without selling on Amazon, it operates like a fief extracting rent from the vassals (sellers) who have no option but to use their site). It's pretty heavy economic theory, but he frames it as a conversation with his late father, and does a good job at simplifying and explaining what he talks about.
Very interesting, and very convincing.
Classic.
As part of EFF’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are releasing “Pwning Tomorrow: Stories from the …
This free collection of futurism/dystopian fiction was pretty much excellent from start to finish. For the most part, each author/story takes a current issue, idea, or topic (e.g.: copyright law, patent trolls, crowd sourcing, etc.) and extrapolates it into a possible future whereby it was left to go unchecked and how that would possibly look, giving you a Wellesian warning of why these seemingly innocuous issues are important to consider and/or deal with in our present here-and-now. The stories are excellent, and the list of included authors are top-quality!
...and then there's the final story... which has nothing to do with any of the aforementioned issues at all, and is mostly a fantasy erotic romp. It has no futurism, dystopian, or tech themes at all, except that one of the two main characters is a hacker, apparently, and it's mentioned (twice, in a completely unconnected fashion) that he has a …
This free collection of futurism/dystopian fiction was pretty much excellent from start to finish. For the most part, each author/story takes a current issue, idea, or topic (e.g.: copyright law, patent trolls, crowd sourcing, etc.) and extrapolates it into a possible future whereby it was left to go unchecked and how that would possibly look, giving you a Wellesian warning of why these seemingly innocuous issues are important to consider and/or deal with in our present here-and-now. The stories are excellent, and the list of included authors are top-quality!
...and then there's the final story... which has nothing to do with any of the aforementioned issues at all, and is mostly a fantasy erotic romp. It has no futurism, dystopian, or tech themes at all, except that one of the two main characters is a hacker, apparently, and it's mentioned (twice, in a completely unconnected fashion) that he has a server room in his house. It honestly feels like it's the author equivalent of "I'm a bunny, duh!":
Editor: Hey! Yeah, thanks for your submission. Umm... We're not quite sure it aligns with the theme of the collection though... Author: He's a hacker, duh!
As part of EFF’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are releasing “Pwning Tomorrow: Stories from the Electronic Frontier,” an anthology of …
The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel by American author Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, by Viking Press …
Once upon a time there were two good friends, a frog and a toad...
Whether …
The whole world is covered in buttons, and not one of them is mine!
— Frog and Toad: The Complete Collection by Arnold Lobel (Page 34)
This is probably the best children's book ever written. And anyone who says otherwise clearly hasn't read it.
Once upon a time there were two good friends, a frog and a toad...
Whether they're writing letters or flying …
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives …
As part of EFF’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are releasing “Pwning Tomorrow: Stories from the …
Nobody wanted to buy her stuff after Vam went under, though. All they wanted was that Twilight bull*. *ing vampires.
— Pwning Tomorrow by Charlie Jane Anders, Annalee Newitz, Cory Doctorow, and 20 others (Page 204)
Even future dystopias hate Twilight.
The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of mankind has handed the reins of …
