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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   3631 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 8, 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 going through C. B. Macpherson's The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism. So far it has made me wonder if I need to read Leviathan sooner.

Finished Tom Brown. Surprisingly wholesome, reads like Dickens minus the literary indulgences and with social deprivation swapped for social privilege.

Now reading a collection of Nasreddin Hodja stories, a wit'n'wisdom trickster figure from Turkish folklore.

Canticle for Liebowitz. Can’t believe I never actually read it before. I’m really wondering about the lineage which got us from there to ubiquitous settings like Fallout.

Though I did always confuse it with Flowers for Algernon.

Still on the Exalted rule books (there are a lot), slowly cajoling my friends into creating characters so I can start cajoling myself into preparing to DM a game.

Unrelated: https://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2026/02/gender-among-elves.html

Which edition, if you don't mind me asking?

The grognards from the TTRPG chat I frequent recommended 2e, so 2e it is.

Wise of them. While I admit to viewing 1e with a sense of affection despite it's clunky-ness, and 2e is not without it's issues, it's probably the more streamlined choice if you're not familiar with White Wolf's RPG mechanics.

And 3e, sadly, seems to have been dead on arrival from the start.

And 3e, sadly, seems to have been dead on arrival from the start.

Doesn't look like it when observing the more mainstream Exalted discord and subreddit, which almost all seem to recommend and play 3e. But then, seeing their reasoning, such as "3e makes parties composed of different types of Exalted more viable", I am reassured that I picked the correct edition. Why, exactly, would I want homogenisation between Solars and Terrestrials?

Given the composition of Reddit and what's likely the 'official' Exalted discord, I'm somehow not surprised they're glazing 3e.

Then again, the online Exalted fandom has always been a little bit... weird.

But, yes. Amusingly enough, your issue is one of the main reasons I didn't have any interest in 3e.

Leviathan is a great read but it's weird. Don't expect a straightforward work of modern political theory.

Just finished the Divine Comedy last night. It was alright. I'm not really a poetry guy and that was a ton of poetry, but I guess I'm glad to have read one of the most famous works of Western literature. Not sure what's next, I have a few books kicking around at home in my queue but I might pick up the newest Dresden book and preempt those others.

Finished the Vorkosigan Saga. It was great in the early/middle, pretty good throughout, but definitely fell off near the end. Less action, more political/social implications of technology type stuff, which is almost always bad lately imo.

Just picked up The Saga of the Seven Suns which is interesting so far.

Finally finished The True Believer. I have a lot of thoughts about it.

Started reading Philip K. Dick's Ubik last week. I'd heard of it years ago, but only recently discovered it was expanded from his short story "What the Dead Man Say", which I read as a child. Only about twenty pages in so far.

I have a lot of thoughts about it.

Do share!

At some point I'll put together an effortpost along the lines of Scott's "list of passages I highlighted in my copy of [book]". There was a lot of insight packed into a very small space.

There was a lot of insight packed into a very small space.

Yep. Every section / chapter of Hoffer is like that. Dude was a philosopher in the truest sense of the word.

Started reading Philip K. Dick's Ubik last week.

Let us know how you like it? It's one of his works that I've meant to read but have yet to actually get around to reading...

Second. I even have a nice Folio Society copy but haven't cracked it yet.

Starting on Alexander to Actium, in the part about the malaise in Athens. There’s some obvious parallels to today, but I’ll leave it at that.

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi. Side note, I'm happy to report that the end of book 7 of the Twelve Miles Below saga was much more satisfying than the end of book 6!

ook 7 of the Twelve Miles Below saga was much more satisfying than the end of book 6!

I'm pleased to hear this!

Have you read The Game at Carousel? I forget if we've talked about this.

We haven't! Do I need to check it out? Fair warning, I might read book 19 of ExFor first, but then again, Convergence book 5 is still close enough in the rear view that I might not be ready for more Craig Alanson.

Horror themed LITRPG - much less level up slop (which I love!) and more "your skills are horror movie tropes and you level up by using them."

The characters are trying to solve an overarching horror mystery by "playing" movies - your class might be Final Girl, or Jock and the Jock can make sure he gets in a fight with the monster and lets everyone get away for one scene but dies (and then comes back at the end if someone in the party makes it).

Creative idea done much better than normal for the genre.

Yeah, that sounds like my kinda story. I'll have to check it out!

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