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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2003 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 4, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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So, what are you reading?

I'm picking up Bly's Iron John: A Book About Men.

Read Project Hail Mary, by Any Weir. Some mildly interesting "Science, Fuck Yeah" scenarios, but as a whole it's entirely overrated. Barely even literature.

Mistress of Mistresses, by E.R. Eddison. Took me some getting used to because of how much it differs from The Worm Ourobouros, but I'm picking up steam right now.

Read Project Hail Mary, by Any Weir. Some mildly interesting "Science, Fuck Yeah" scenarios, but as a whole it's entirely overrated. Barely even literature.

I liked the Astrophage idea, and the implications of something like that existing. The science, the boost to technology, the effects on climate, the wars. Kinda liked the entire design of Rocky, too. The linguistic aspect sucked, though. I also enjoyed the amnesia gimmic, works really well as a story telling device, and uses the flashbacks in a good way to push the story forward. Grace being a coward was also an "interesting" twist in the end - nice idea, but made absolutely no sense considering that he never acts like a coward throughout the mission. The rest was... exactly what I would have expected of an Andy Weir story. So I wasn't disappointed, my fault for reading the book, really.

Still looking forward to the movie, but mostly because I enjoy looking at rockets lifting off. But Jesus, what made the studio people decide on putting the biggest spoiler imaginable right into the trailers? Worst example of a trailer I can think of. Catastrophically bad.

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