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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   3009 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 25, 2026

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So what are you reading?

Got two more sections of Capital to finish, which I will be very glad to be done with. Hoping to write up an effort post here and on my blog after I finish. I think it will generate an interesting discussion not only because Marx presents a convincing critique of capitalism (although I think his central premise of the labor theory of value is wrong, or at least incomplete) but also because it's been illuminating to see how the leftist group I've been reading it with has gone from worshiping Marx to understanding him as the flawed, snarky philosopher that he is.

Also planning on finishing up Outlive by Peter Attia today. Also going to write-up an effort post on this for Wellness Wednesday. Think it's a fantastic book, but I disagree slightly with his prescriptions and want to add a few of my own.

Also working on Harry Potter 7 in Italian.

Currently reading the core book of Exalted 2nd ed, a TTRPG about badass demigod heroes where the selling point is that they are badass demigods straight from square one.

If you are into such things, might I recommend Genius: The Transgression?

A Game of Forbidden Science:

Break the rules and you get in trouble. Break the law and you go to jail. Mouth off to your boss and lose your job. Jump off a building and...But it doesn't have to be that way, says that little voice in the back of your head, your personal genius. You ignore it, but you can't silence it. But a genius gives in to that voice, becomes that rules-breaking thing, that maker-trickster-savior, and begins a life of pain and glory unimaginable to mere mortals.

The genius sees the truth, but she cannot get there. In her heart she knows, but she cannot explain why. She flouts social convention, ignores the sneering voice of authority and dogma, and casts aside the ethical concerns of her peers. She breaks the rules of the universe we know to glimpse the truth of the universe as it must be. But there's a price. There always is. She is not just isolated from the "common man," but from the very discipline that birthed her. In her heart, she knows that what she does is not science, which is ultimately about systems and about cooperation. Alone, she walks a new path, wearing the trappings of her old life but no longer capable of touching its essence.

Genius: The Transgression takes place in the World of Darkness, a world like ours but with darker nights and deeper stains. People don't connect to one-another as they do in our world. They live in the shadows of ancient conspiracies and the shadows cast by old things, and this infects the geniuses: for every mad scientist working in silicon and plastic, another labors with greasy cogs and steam pumps, while another never left behind the gleaming chrome and atomic dreams of the 1950s. For one of the Inspired, there is no escape from the fetters of superstition and occult dread, the lurking horrors at the edge of consciousness. Though cobbling together elements from our past, the genius ultimately belongs to no place and no time, and walks alone into the future.

Theme: Transgression

A little knowledge is a hideous thing and it will drive you mad.

The genius is a rule-breaker, a trickster, a liar, a thief of wonders, and a maker of false dreams. Tenuous threads bind him to the mortal world, and every wonder is a violation of the rules of the universe. On the one hand, Obligation binds a genius to humanity; on the other hand, Inspiration tells him to do things that no sane person would ever want to do. The genius can be humanity's damned savior, destroying himself to safeguard a society that will never know his name and would hate him if they knew what he had done to preserve them. A genius is never entirely in control. His inventions are always one step away from freeing themselves and rampaging through his lab, or his city. The ideas and dreams come too fast for him to write down, let alone study and examine. The deadlines are constant, the pressure to find equipment, money, and research time mind-breaking, and humiliation is a constant companion. Mad scientists burn with a passion for their work, and though that passion is glorious and often contagious, the hunger to know and to control consumes them from the inside-out. They cannot obey the rules that normal society has set down for its members. They can only choose what laws they will break, and how they will look at themselves afterward.

Mood: Bitter Disappointment

The hideous freedom of transgression is matched by the choke-chain of necessity. A genius finds herself surrounded by failure and broken dreams. For every wonder that lurches, blasphemously, beautifully, to life, another turns to smoking scrap in the testing phase, or lies forgotten in a corner, half-made, because the genius couldn't pay for the right permits or find the right materials. This juxtaposition of Inspired triumph and mundane failure defines a genius' life.

And even if the genius succeeds more often than he fails, he sees dead dreams all around him. Once-great geniuses, their radiance reduced to cinders from a lifetime of crushing defeat and humiliation, stock the shelves at the electronics store in the mall, too ashamed to take up the wrench again. Those Inspired who provide a genius with the supplies he needs are hollow, miserable people, chewed apart by the failure of their philosophies to gain acceptance. And in the end, rare is the genius who makes a measurable impact on the world: no matter how successful a genius might be, his wonders still crumble when exposed to the light of day, reduced to malfunctioning piles of components. Many of the Inspired, after that initial burst of delight, feel the circle of possibilities shrinking around them, until they are little different from before, except that now people who once respected them now snicker behind their back at the "maniac" who cracked under the stress.

I have an epub of The Practical Guide to Evil staring at me in my e-reader app. I only got a few dozen pages into it before my eyes started glazing over.

First impressions are poor. It's written like YA webfic slop, with a frisky and pugnacious teenage female protagonist who we are introduced to in the process of beating up a man thrice her size in a fistfight. I get the impression that there's a diegetic explanation, something to do with some people being "archetypes" and thus imbued with narrativium powers, recognized in-universe. But come on, surely we can do better than that. The story also tries the "what if Orks were misunderstood and not evil" trick, but at this point in the fantasy ecosystem, the deconstructions are probably more common than efforts to play things straight.

Maybe I'm being harsh, and it'll pick up. Some swear by it. But I find it hard to motivate myself to push deeper.

Truly, the double standards are beoynd belief. When glorious Fang Yuan in a teenage body beats up 30 fellow students in a row, there is no complaint, but a female protagonist?

He's just built different 💪

He's got "500 years of experience" and was an expert in CQC combat. A bunch of 13 year olds who can't throw a punch didn't have a chance, especially when their ego stopped them from piling onto him

PGTE has a very slow start and I dropped it like three times before getting into it. Once she's recruited by Black it gets better.

Also, the entire premise of the story is based on capital Good vs capital Evil and narrative around it, with Cat and Black standing somewhere in-between. You do get to see characters that are actually Evil, but Cat isn't a part of that faction.

Since you've read xianxia, I'd say they're closer compared to Orthodox vs Demonic, with Good being Orthodox, aka do plenty of bad things in the background but cover it up as actually good, or shove it under the rug, while Good is Demonic, and at times openly evil, but also less likely to stab you if you make them look bad.

Personally, the narrative framing is the element I like the least, and it's also why I stopped reading it later on, but if you enjoy meta elements in storytelling you might like it. Although from your comment it seems like you're not a fan.

I'm not against meta elements, if they're done well. That's easier said than done, the best example that comes to mind is Worth The Candle, which is actually elevated by the main character being a self-insert struggling against the constraints of the Random Omnipotent Being, who is also a self-insert of sorts.

I'll give PTGE another try, God knows I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for books that appeal to my tastes.

If you have read a reasonable amount of webserials then it's hard to imagine you won't enjoy PGtE. I feel like the general consensus is that it's one of the 'big three' alongside Worm and Mother of Learning in terms of quality and popularity

The Map and the Territory by Hollaback. Author hate-inserts himself literally. Still waiting for something to actually happen.

Have you read other Houellebecq (lol Hollaback)? I think Submission and The Elementary Particles are better than the Map and the Territory.

I’ve read two, The Elementary Particles and another one I can’t remember anymore (edit: it was “Whatever”). Yes I agree they were more engaging. Have not read Submission yet but I have it on my nightstand shelf next to a hardback reprint of The Camp of Saints(1); I’ll read them both as a double-feature.

(1) https://vaubanbooks.com/books/the_camp_of_the_saints_hardcover.php

Camp of the Saints is on my reading list too.

I actually really disliked Whatever. I found it be a worse version of The Elementary Particles.

Same, I read Whatever right after reading The Elementary Particles, which I really enjoyed, and it was so boring I haven't read any of his books since.

Every other one of his books I’ve read (submission, platform, annihilation) has been really good. Would recommend giving him more of a chance.

Whatever was his debut novel, and Elementary Particles was the refined second try. It makes total sense that one is a worse version of the other.

Finishing up Twelve Months: Dresden Files Book 18 by Jim Butcher. I expected to be finished with it by now but, fuck, some of its themes just hit too close to home right now for me to be able to devour it in my usual fashion. I'm finding myself having to take breaks and deal with my own feelings frequently, which is probably a good thing, but it also reminds me that despite having more good days than bad, it's going to be A While before I find whatever my latest new Normal is.

Wait, that's out? Damn, I've been slipping.

Eh, it's been out all of eight days now so I wouldn't worry too much about it were I in your shoes.

I enjoyed it though felt that it didn't do enough to advance the metaplot considering the 5 year wait between books.

Yeah, as I was reading it I was also surprised to find that, for the most part, it was only advancing a few larger plot threads. Finishing it left me hungrier than usual for the next Dresden files, which really isn't saying that much but still.

Yeah he's indicated he's gonna try to go back to a yearly cadence but after the last 2 books took 5 years each it's hard to be super bullish.

Agree, if he can pull of a book every two years I'll be happy! Regardless, I hope his Troubles are behind him or at least mostly behind him at this point.

Any idea if we are getting more Cinder Spires? Last I heard he was going to decide based off sales.

The sword moment in the last book was peak and I want more.

I'm afraid not, the drawn-out development of Peace Talks and Battle Ground pretty much habituated me to waiting indefinitely for my next dose of Butcher, but FWIW, I also found the sword moment deeply satisfying even as it called to mind another series that had one of the best subversions of Chekhov's Gun that I've ever seen.

WoT?

More comments

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I thought he had written himself into a corner and I had no idea how he was going to make this work, and seeing how long it took to come out I bet he had the same problems, but he made it work and made it believable.

So yeah, good book!

I'm on #8 now. It is a bit dark (and from what I heard about it, is going to get darker) but I am liking it so far. Getting to the end will likely take me a couple of years though, as I need to take breaks for other things.

Glad that you're enjoying them! The Dresden files quickly went from decent enough read to one of my all-time favorite series, and I got the first eight books at a cheap price, but Grave Peril was the one that hooked me. They do get darker, but for me, they also get deeper and more poignant as they progress.

I'm looking forward to that one! I'm in the middle of other stuff right now so I haven't bought it yet, but hopefully next month I'll get to it. I'm glad to get another fix of Harry Dresden suffering porn.

I'm glad to get another fix of Harry Dresden suffering porn.

It definitely delivers the goods, though that'd pretty much be a given after the last book. I was lucky enough to be finishing my last book the day that it came out so I'm fortunate in that particular department!

I'm committing to finishing up my first read of Wildbow's Worm, and I am up to the point where Taylor becomes Weaver.

[Spoilers]

Okay, I think I hit my limit of disbelief on "actually, insect control is OP" writing. You have one of the most overall indestructible Capes, who is also a tactical genius w/photographic memory on top of it, and she's somehow not able to defend against "insects jammed into your mouth" attack.

A tactic that Taylor has used ample times anyway.

I accept the premise that getting foreign matter lodged in her lungs (or drowning) would be a killing stroke, I accept that Alexandria was trying to goad this precise reaction from her... but its both hard to believe that Alexandria wouldn't think of "close your mouth and nose" as a defense, or that standard-issue bugs would actually be able to force themselves down her airway.

I was barely hanging on as Taylor is using bugs to dial telephones and manipulate the wiring in the walls to get doors opened, but "I stuffed her lungs full of roaches and spiders" was seemingly a different level entirely.

It works for the plot, and I'll keep reading, but that was the first time I groaned at Taylor being able to punch far above her nominal weight class through creative insect usage. It didn't even have the 'rule of cool' justification like when she's in a drawn out fight.

[/Spoilers]

Still beats most mainstream stories that are out these days.

(Spoilers) I think the canonical/fanonical explanation is that Alexandria totally didn't see it coming because she was expecting Taylor to micro-react before flipping out and murdering everything. Taylor offloads her emotions into the swarm, so from Alexandria's perspective it went from "Taylor's perfectly chill, I need to push harder" to "I'm drowning in bugs" in the amount of time it takes for bugs to deploy from the ceiling. Agree it's weird that she hasn't died from this weakness earlier (Leviathan certainly tried), but accepting that she didn't have time to react, I could totally see her ingesting enough bugs in the first instant before she closes her mouth for it to be fatal. I don't think she's got microcontrol over her body to be able to expel the bugs from her airways or anything like that so once the bugs are in she's probably screwed.

Having said that she could totally have [spoilers for later arcs] to escape but I imagine she wasn't quite thinking rationally at the time.

Well, that and she wasn't present in the room to see Taylor's reaction to the body bag, might have had a couple seconds warning if she saw Taylor.

And hey, props to both Alexandria and Tagg for pulling off a convincing enough act. I was half expecting Taylor to cling to the possibility that it was someone else who was dead, rather than reasoning herself into it being one of her friends.

Still, a full flock of insects bee-lining (heh) for your face is going to give you enough warning to clamp your jaw shut and try to cover your nose.

And if she is indeed vulnerable in this way, the way I would go about trying to kill her (which I literally thought of just now) would be getting a shot of containment foam down her throat. Yes I know its breathable, I'm saying it would probable seal the protective flap shut when it expanded.

Everything I read about this webnovel reminds me so much of Phenomena, I do wonder if the writer ever saw this movie? Jennifer Connolly in a Dario Argento movie, it's going to be stylised and have all kinds of twists and "going back to the first thing you thought you saw, you missed this clue" scenes!

In spite of how insightful and relevant I'm finding it (and how short it is), my progress on The True Believer has been slow.

Still on the Vorkosigan Saga. I'm now on Brothers in Arms, which is like book 9 or something. The series is definitely falling off, but I'm still having fun with it.

The next ones IMHO are much more fun. Except for Gentleman Jole which I recommend skipping and finishing with Cryoburn or Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, depending on in which order you want to go.

Have you tried the fantasy series? (Chalion books and Penric novellas.) They can be kind of slow and sometimes low stakes, but are occasionally very beautiful in their portrayal of genuine spirituality. I waffle between thinking that a religious Bujold is showing us what belief can offer or that an atheist Bujold is showing us the material conditions (e.g., genuine and unmistakeable interactions by gods) needed for religion itself to be genuine.

Love Chalion, have not read Penric. I really enjoyed the Sharing Knife though.

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