Monthly Archives: April 2025

Is Humankind Toast?

I’m really worried about LLMs developing consciousness, and also my toaster. It is, after all, one of the most advanced toasters ever made, capable of toasting four slices of bread at a time, which is more than a human could … Continue reading

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The Future of the Past: F&SF, January 1963

In my ceaseless quest to avoid useful work, I recently opened up an old magazine from my double-stacked shelves of old sf/f zines, this one being the January 1963 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. “This is … Continue reading

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King Leer

Reading some Middle English this afternoon, I came across the word lere, meaning “face”. ”That’s got to be where leer comes from,” I said, with the unwavering confidence of a folk etymologist, and then my confidence wavered a bit and … Continue reading

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Viola Davis for President

When I heard about G20 (directed by Patricia Riggen), an action movie set at the titular summit in which Viola Davis plays an American president in action-hero mode, I knew I would have to watch it. I figured it would … Continue reading

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Last Night at the Movies: Eucatastrophe

Wild dreams last night, part of which seemed to take place in cat heaven. I was in the house where I grew up and we were looking frantically for my daughter’s cat, Clarkus Maximus. We found him, safe inside in … Continue reading

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Swords Against Silence

It’s been sometimes sad, sometimes joyous, but always a pleasure to hang out with people at Windy City Pulp and Paper and celebrate the life and work of Howard Andrew Jones. Too many stories were shared for me to scribble … Continue reading

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