David Louis Edelman

The first time I’ve taken a deep breath in months. Congratulations to Virginia, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, and everywhere else that Democrats surged yesterday. (One of those #Spanberger votes in VA was mine!) Hell, Democrats flipped two state Senate seats in frickin’ MISSISSIPPI.

Jimmy Wales, founder of #Wikipedia: “We’re designing everything for the long haul, and the only way we can last that long is not by pandering to this raging mob…but maintaining our values, maintaining our trustworthiness. We’re just going to do our thing, and we’re going to do it as well as we can.”

Believe it or not, Donald Trump has opened my eyes. If he can rearrange the whole government with the stroke of a pen… why can’t we? (7/7)

Appointing three new liberal Supreme Court Justices. Putting LGBT rights and reproductive choice into the Constitution. Making the executive branch once again accountable to the law. (6/7)

And then — hopefully with the help of a Democratic House and Senate — the next president can go about the hard work of fixing the country using the law. Eliminating gerrymandering once and for all. Getting rid of Citizens United. Making DC and Puerto Rico full states. (5/7)

This could all be accomplished by 5 pm the first day.

That’s the pitfall of governing by executive fiat. Anything that’s not enshrined in the Constitution or voted into law by the legislature can simply just… go away with the next executive fiat. (4/7)

…rehire everyone in the Education Department and USAID and Voice of America, bring the wrongly deported home, layoff the entire ICE force, and reinstate every government DEI program and scientific grant that Trump canceled. Reverse it all. (3/7)

On the first day of the next presidential term, a President Newsom could order Trump’s ballroom demolished and the East Wing reconstructed. He could eliminate all tariffs, rejoin WHO, reinstate all transgender members of the military… (2/7)

I’ve had an epiphany. Almost every horrible thing Donald #Trump has done to this country thus far has been accomplished via executive order. This means the next president can simply reverse most of it, like Thanos, with a snap of his or her fingers. (1/7)

assassination of several hundred journalists, academics, and diplomats, an uncountable number of war crimes and violations of Geneva conventions, and backroom deals to enrich Trump and his pals.

If that’s not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, what is?

#TrumpNobelPeacePrize (2/2)

What a peacemaker is our president! Finally, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. All it took was 70,000 dead (an estimated 80% civilians and 59% women and children), the destruction of most of Gaza, purposeful starvation… (1/2)

Charlie Kirk was a toxic shithead. Doesn’t mean he deserved to get shot in a public forum. The whole thing — everything that the US has become, thanks to MAGA — just makes me sad and depressed. And Kirk’s death will only enrage the Nazis all the more. How about no more killing?

#CharlieKirk

Discovered yesterday that INFOQUAKE has been released in Russia the best way possible: by receiving a fan email from a new reader in Belgorod thanking me for the fantastic book. A nice pick-me-up for the weekend.

If there’s one reason to see FANTASTIC FOUR, it’s the Jetsons-style 1960s vibe. All that faux Atomic Age architecture, neon color, and retro fashion is like popcorn for the soul. Just maybe don’t do like I did and pay $27 a pop to see it in IMAX. (4/4)

Also — here’s a phrase I never thought I’d type — Pedro Pascal is TERRIBLE. He’s mumbly, morose and namby-pamby that he nearly drags the whole movie down with him. I wish that Marvel had kept the John Krasinski casting from DR. STRANGE, because this film could have used a burst of charisma. (3/4)

The film isn’t bad, per se. It’s just not particularly interesting. Our villain Galactus is properly menacing, the Silver Surfer is done well, and the third act battle engaging. But the effects are not top-tier, the plot is full of holes, and the emotional beats feel perfunctory and unearned. (2/4)

I saw #FANTASTICFOUR: FIRST STEPS last night. The theater was surprisingly three-quarters full for a random Tuesday night, but unlike the SUPERMAN screening I attended, surprisingly quiet. No laughter, no cheering, no applause. (1/4)

As for the “woke” aspects of the film that has the Right losing what little remains of its mind? Forget it. There’s nothing remotely controversial or even left-wing about the movie at all. (7/7)

Still, the casting is terrific. #DavidCorenswet has an infectious optimism about him that puts him very close stylistically to Christopher Reeve. Rachel Brosnahan makes a perfect Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult is quite dastardly as Lex Luthor, and Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern is a hoot. (6/7)

The whole thing is almost completely lacking in gravitas. It’s cartoony, and not in the Miyazaki way. More like 1970s SUPERFRIENDS. (5/7)

This might actually be the most pedestrian film James Gunn has done yet. It’s visually undistinguished — there’s precious little of the trippy psychedelia from GUARDIANS — and the only good orchestral music is cribbed directly from John Williams. (4/7)

In fact, it’s exactly like those far better movies with the blood toned down. There’s ass-kicking set to pop music, Superman says “dude” a lot, and there’s an adorable superdog that steals every scene Nathan Fillion isn’t in. (3/7)

Because this ain’t groundbreaking. It’s just the same #JamesGunn superhero shtick you’ve seen before, very much in the mold of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and THE SUICIDE SQUAD. (2/7)

#SUPERMAN is colorful, overstuffed, and funny. It’s entertaining. But you know what? If this is the much-ballyhooed new direction for DC superhero flicks, then they’re in serious trouble. (1/7)

We defeated the Nazis once.

We’ll do it again.

Bilbo confronting Gollum in his cave. Artwork by Tove Jansson.

A fabulous piece of art I discovered from the Swedish illustrated edition of #TheHobbit. That’s Bilbo confronting Gollum, believe it or not, by #ToveJansson. Apparently this illustration caused #JRRTolkien to amend the book, because he never clarified how big Gollum was in the first edition.

For those still keeping track, I am indeed still writing novels, and recently completed a first draft of a new standalone SF novel. The working title: THE TIMEPIECE OF GOD.

For those who worry this will lead Trump to declare martial law and crack down even further, I quote the political philosopher Han Solo: Bring ‘em on. I’d prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around. (13/13)

#FloodTheZone

(And speaking of the Supreme Court: arrest Clarence Thomas too for bribery.) (12/13)

Trump has officially ignored the Supreme Court and is therefore subject to arrest. He is planning to accept a massive bribe from the Qatari government. Get a warrant. ARREST HIM. (11/13)