What are you reading?

[Playing Catch]

Just finished The Maniac, by Benjamin Labatut. I had never heard of Jonny Von Neumann before reading the book. A strong compliment to the history of 20th century science and technology. The book, while based on real events, fictionalizes personal accounts about one of the brightest minds in human history.

I've read much of the sci-fi mentioned here (looks like years ago, though), but always recommend the Area X trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer. Annihilation, the first book was excellent. Pretty fresh sci-fi content, I thought. Although the transition from cool Sci-Fi story to examination of human psychology, existence, faith could probably be a bit much for some readers. It was a bit much for me, but I also chalked it up to being a little overambitious, which I appreciate. I like my ambitious thinkers/artists, even when they miss their mark sometimes.

[hawing]

Haha, you'd think I'd post here all the time, but all my library duties don't give me that much time to read.  But I have been reading this: Funny Because It's True : how The Onion created modern American news satire .  It's heavily in my wheelhouse because it launched in Madison right while I was in grad school at UW-Madison.

[CheezWizHed]

On 6/1/2025 at 4:11 PM, hawing said:

Haha, you'd think I'd post here all the time, but all my library duties don't give me that much time to read.  But I have been reading this: Funny Because It's True : how The Onion created modern American news satire .  It's heavily in my wheelhouse because it launched in Madison right while I was in grad school at UW-Madison.

I remember the first time I picked up an Onion paper in Milwaukee... I thought it was a local version of the Enquirer initially... then it clicked that it was satire.  Good stuff. 

[AKCheesehead]

On 6/12/2025 at 9:40 AM, CheezWizHed said:

I remember the first time I picked up an Onion paper in Milwaukee... I thought it was a local version of the Enquirer initially... then it clicked that it was satire.  Good stuff. 

I sincerely miss the print version of The Onion.  I know it's available online but it just is not the same to me.  Not even close.