Book Reviews
Occult Features of Anarchism
An anthropologist examines secret societies, revolutionary movements, and esoteric ideas.
Maybe the Media Mishandled the New Brett Kavanaugh Book Because It's Mostly a Dud
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation doesn't shed much light on the Supreme Court justice or the allegations against him.
Edward Snowden's Autobiography Makes a Plea for the Fourth Amendment, the Right to Privacy, and Encryption
America's most famous whistleblower calls for restricting the power of government.
Outgrowing Addiction
"We do not see addiction as a permanent personal trait," Peele and Rhoads write.
The Peace-Loving Military Robots' Plot
Friday A/V Club: That time NBC broadcast a radical Philip K. Dick fable to a 1950s audience
TSA Admits Coke Bottles Shaped Like Fictional Weapons Aren't a Threat, Will Allow Them on Planes
It took the TSA multiple weeks to complete its review and conclude that Coke bottles are not a tool of terrorism.
Neal Stephenson Wants To Tell Big Stories
An economist and a science fiction author discuss cryogenics, mythology, philanthropy, fragmentation, and simulation.
Bitcoin at 10
A new book aims to chronicle the digital currency's ideological origins.
TSA Bans Coke Bottles That Resemble Fictional Star Wars Explosives
"It could create concern that it’s the real thing," officials say.
Donald Trump's Response to Hong Kong Protests Leaves Much To Be Desired
Plus: Farewell to the author whose work inspired Ross Ulbricht to create Silk Road, Trump's toy tax gets delayed until Christmas, and more....
San Diego Comic-Con and the Tensions of Market-Induced Growth
In Comic-Cons, as in great nations, there's room for plenty more to live the dream.
The Horror of War and the Thrill of Horror
A new book explores the First World War's role in creating the horror genre.
How Biased Are We, Really?
A new book offers a tour of the modern study of race and racism.
Lives Ruined for Petty Crimes
A new book explores how America's criminal justice system heaps debts on those who can't possibly pay.
Trump's Mexican Standoff and the New Illiberal Right
When Tucker Carlson and Elizabeth Warren agree on trade, regulation, and social media, it's time to rethink a few things.
If We Told You Neal Stephenson Invented Bitcoin, Would You Be Surprised?
In his new book, Fall, the author of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Diamond Age, looks to the digital afterlife, and beyond.
Reflections on "Game of Thrones"
An impressive achievement that could have been even better. The series had its flaws, but did effectively convey the importance of institutional constraints on political power.
There's Nothing New About the 'New Conspiracism'
A pair of political scientists think they've identified a new kind of conspiracy thinking. They haven't.
Game of Thrones and the Perils of "Personalist" Political Regimes
"Game of Thrones" highlights the dangers of pinning our hopes on supposedly admirable political leaders wielding vast, concentrated power. Sadly, modern Americans are almost as susceptible to that error as the misguided characters on the show.
What Elizabeth Warren Gets Wrong About Daenerys Targaryen
Like Warren, I'm a fan of the Dragon Queen. But Warren overstates the character's virtues and minimizes her flaws - sometimes in ways that reveal shortcomings of Warren's own worldview.
What Inmates, the Amish, and Imperial Chinese Law Teach Us About Relying on the State
David Friedman’s Legal Systems Very Different from Ours explores the costs and benefits of various legal systems across time.
Podcast on the Politics of "Game of Thrones"
Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Christopher Robichaud interviews me on this topic for his "This Week in Dystopia" podcast series.
Gene Wolfe, R.I.P.
The science fiction writer appealed to traditionalists with tales of far-flung futures.
The Politics of Game of Thrones Revisited
The imminent start of the final season of Game of Thrones is a good time to consider the series' political message, and reprise some of my work on that subject. Plus, a discussion of the political economy portrayed in George R.R. Martin's recently published prequel to the series.
Netflix's Love, Death and Robots Is a Sci-Fi Demo Reel For the Untapped Potential of Animation
An anthology series about sad salesmen, space marines, super-intelligent yogurt, and the national debt
Captain Marvel Is a Message Movie Without a Message
Marvel's first female-fronted superhero film is a woke superhero fantasy scared to take any risks.
Spies in the Media
Journalists have long been used by governments, wittingly or not, to collect intel and spread disinformation.
The Government Can't—and Won't—Give Meaning to Your Life
A conservative technocrat tries to engineer a better world.
Why Do So Many Modern Jobs Seem Pointless?
An investigation into why people are working more without accomplishing more
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Is the Next Step in Superhero Movie Evolution
A joyous, energetic Spider-Man remix shows what superhero movies can be.
Reading Recommendations from Me and My Colleagues
mine is The Player of Games, by Iain Banks
Syfy's Adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers Mangles a Ghost Story in Space
The show's derivative mimickry of time-skipping ruins the tension.
How Star Trek Explains Donald Trump
Kirk, Spock, and Khan have much to teach us about contemporary politics.
No, Sex Wasn't Better for Women Under Socialism
It's hard to get in the mood when you're sharing a bedroom with your mother-in-law.
Why Stan Lee's Flaws Were Part of His Virtues
Less creator than editor, pathetic company man, purveyor of childish nonsense? No amount of next-level quasi-sophisticated Stan Lee critique can avoid the proper conclusion: He was the Man.
Comics Giant Stan Lee Dead at 95
Marvel's former chief left behind a massive cultural legacy preaching tolerance and personal responsibility.
The Wild Rise of Lyndon LaRouche
What a conspiracy theorist, a Vietnam War deserter, and a Trump adviser have in common
When George Orwell Got in a Fight With the Anarchist Author of The Joy of Sex
The future 1984 scribe debated pacifism with Dr. Alex Comfort in 1942.
