The MAGA Doctrine
A work of brown-nosing masquerading as a field guide to Trumpism
Book Reviews
Vin Diesel's Bloodshot Is the Perfect Movie For the New Direct-to-Streaming Era
This occasionally competent sci-fi action film is best enjoyed from the comfort of a couch.
The Plot Against America Is Not About Trump, Even If Comparisons Are Inevitable
HBO's adaptation of Philip Roth's novel is much more interesting when viewed on its own merits.
A Kurdish Experiment in Decentralized Governance
The Kurds of Northern Syria are trying something different, for better or worse.
'Til Wrong Feels Right
Iggy Pop's new book documents the life of a great individualist who, even more than Sinatra, did things his way.
Sticking It to the Man
A new anthology explores how the counterculture of the '60s and '70s mixed with the mainstream.
Future Tense Fiction
"A good science fiction story can help re-sensitize us" to the peril and promise of the new.
Fault Lines
The relics of terrible segregationist government policies are still felt in East Austin, an area that's quickly gentrifying
American Dirt Author Cancels Book Tour, Claiming Safety Concerns
The tour may be canceled, but the book is benefiting from the controversy.
'Jane Jacobs Goals Through Robert Moses Tactics'
Community planners don't have all the answers.
Transgender Writer Forced to Retract Trans-Themed Science Fiction Story
Isabel Fall is canceled. It's the science fiction world's loss.
She Came To Slay
The deeply human Harriet Tubman who emerges in Dunbar's book was exhausted, frustrated—and heroic.
When Border Defense Becomes Border Offense
Militarized borders and military intervention are two sides of the same coin.
The Outlaw Ocean
Each chapter profiles those who live on the edge of maritime laws, in the gray areas that are so often unenforceable by land governments.
Borderlands 3
In Borderlands 3, you take on a murderous cult worshiping a cruel, vain deity who demands that her minions attack others, sacrifice themselves, and constantly sing her praises.
The Rise of Skywalker Shows It's Time for J.J. Abrams To Be Impeached From Star Wars
The final film in the Disney-era trilogy is a pointless, abysmal letdown that won't fully satisfy anyone.
The Feds Get Permission To Seize Edward Snowden's Book Profits
A judge rules whistleblower’s failure to subject Permanent Record to pre-publication review violates non-disclosure agreement.
Choose Your Own Impeachment Adventure: Rand Paul, Justin Amash, or Philip K. Dick?
A range of libertarian-world approaches to the impending trial of Donald Trump
The Myth of the 'Opium War'
The vast majority of opium users in China were not the desperate addicts portrayed by proponents of prohibition.
Golden Rice
Golden Rice has potential to help millions of people in developing countries, but government regulators, the UN, and anti-GMO activists have gotten in the way.
The Other '80s Blade Runner Movie
Friday A/V Club: Ridley Scott wasn't the only director who filmed a Blade Runner in the Reagan years.
The Third Lesson of Economics
Henry Hazlitt's insights were far more sophisticated than one modern critic thinks.
The Creek Nation and the Culture of Consent
Under threat from the United States, Creek people replaced consent with coercion. Then they lost everything.
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.
