Johnathan Reid

Feeling cheerful today?

I still remember being told paper is expensive and eBooks will be cheaper, especially if they also don't incur sales tax.

Why does Elon Musk love this socialist sci-fi series? The broligarchs share a favorite author, but they might be missing the point entirely.

This is a good essay.

Sir David Attenborough: Influence And Impact A closer look at the influence Sir David has had on our envirnment and culture

Happy 99th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough, a man whose words have influenced me immensely for decades.

canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/attenborough...

Ethically sourced “spare” human bodies could revolutionize medicine Human “bodyoids” could reduce animal testing, improve drug development, and alleviate organ shortages.

For good or bad, I feel a threshold is being crossed with this approach:

"Bodyoids" are living human bodies that aren't conscious, can't think and do not feel pain.

Creation of such 'spare' human bodies could be useful for research and providing organs for donation.

Mr Milkshake releasing his pent-up frustrations was an utter delight.

A glance at, for example, Kindle Unlimited might hint otherwise... With relatively few famous exceptions, readers care more about the product than the factory workers, irrespective of whether they're human or bots. Eventually, only the relatively wealthy will be able to afford human-authored books.

Also my first thought.
But my second was: Will readers in the near-future care who writes something, as long as it entertains, annoys or informs them? For example, news papers and sites contain reams of ever-changing content, but very few journalists are household names.

Wondering if "books" deserve to be licked to the same degree as boots, @scalzi.com. Maybe just some books.

Amazon rainforest cut down to build highway for COP climate summit The infrastructure required to host climate talks in Belém is undermining the cause, campaigners say.

You couldn't make this up. Shame on you all, COP30 organisers.

Better a Nova than a Viva!

There was a Severance scene where myself and the person watching with me simultaneously exclaimed: "I've been in/driven one of those!"

Mine was a Chevrolet and hers was the Golf.

Sometimes it's weird being an outie...

It's like church bell ringing. Campanologists are mathematicians disguised as artists. Charles Dodgson was another classic literary example.

After their icky LOTR take and The Peripheral cancellation, I'm not holding out for a decent Culture revival.

Titan Books (@titanbooks) on Threads FUTURE'S EDGE by @garethlpowell takes off in one month! 🚀 A gripping and heartfelt horror-tinged space adventure from the BSFA award-winning author of Stars and Bones and Embers of War. Readers of J...

There are two errors. First reported it 11 days ago, then mentioned it again to @titanbooks.bsky.social via Threads.

The proper copy is in the OP and below. I doubt the minor issue will put anyone off buying a great book!

Future's Edge by Gareth L Powell

Published today by @titanbooks.bsky.social in paperback, ebook, and audio and available at all good bookstores.

“Simply marvellous” – BOOKLIST

“A page-turning adventure” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“An excellent read” – ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY

“Another great slice of science fiction” – NEW SCIENTIST

You don't own Kindle eBooks. Your purchase gives you a licence to read the book. You accept the licence's T&Cs at purchase. If a licence is withdrawn you've broken terms if you still read the book. Copying licensed content to another device doesn't alter this (otherwise media piracy would be legal).

They might reanimate yesterday's trashed stacks as retrotechs in the future. A 1990s UX (with an ick WIMP UI) might be tomorrow's coolkid vibe. Except Goodreads. That's already retro++.

Jupiter on a sunny day.
#JWST

Just to be clear that when authors encourage each other to read as much as possible, across a wide range of genres, styles and topics, this isn't like ingesting training data. Humans don't do that.

We learn by using our brains. And apeing our favourite authors. Even subconsciously. Plus: emotions.

Yep, that's how it goes.

I've mentioned to Titan's Amazon metadata intern you didn't write a book called "Becky Chambers"... 🙄

Dear John: Like the parent who's given up on telling a teenager how they're going to fuck up their lives, we've been watching and waiting for America to find out all by themselves. Sometimes, learning the hard way is the only way to grow up.
Good luck,
Europe x

A while back I learned something mindblowing about the geological history of the Mediterranean Sea, and I just can't get it out of my head.

Now I'm going to make it *your* problem too. Sorry.

Hang onto your hat. This is wild.

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Jason Hreha on LinkedIn: Your Myers Briggs personality type is nearly meaningless. That’s not just… | 445 comments Your Myers Briggs personality type is nearly meaningless. That’s not just an opinion—research on its reliability and validity backs it up... And yet Fortune… | 445 comments on LinkedIn

For all the fellow ‘INFJ’ authors out there.
<so many, so not required, now so in denial>

For me, it’s mainly Tuesdays…

Best to think of it as either filling a bath with the plug out or emptying one with the tap on, depending on if you're a bath half-full or half-empty kind of person (or just wanting a smaller bath...).

I've a notion that, similar to how philosophy, astronomy and evolution repositioned our previously vaunted place in this universe, the artificial intelligences which could in future arise will diminish the majesty of the human mind, leaving only ignorance and religion to coddle our superior nature.

Or emigration. Choice of residence isn't a one-way street. Or ticket.

Percolation of best practice innovation in medicine throughout the NHS takes about a decade. I guess not-so-best practice takes equally as long.

Do they include Google Reviews in their stats? Because some are as rude as a DNF Goodreads review: goo.gl/maps/zTVdDno...