Brian Thill
@brianthill.bsky.social
Author, WASTE (Bloomsbury) | PhD from UCI | Writer @ The Atlantic, Guardian, Salon &c. | Just finished a novel; now writing a better one
the new version of THE RUNNING MAN at first appears to be an awkward, ham-fisted action B-movie remake, but is in fact timely, ornate, and strangely subversive, a kindred spirit to some of the most interesting social-critique SF films of earlier eras: STARSHIP TROOPERS, ROBOCOP, and THEY LIVE.
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
the new version of THE RUNNING MAN at first appears to be an awkward, ham-fisted action B-movie remake, but is in fact timely, ornate, and strangely subversive, a kindred spirit to some of the most interesting social-critique SF films of earlier eras: STARSHIP TROOPERS, ROBOCOP, and THEY LIVE.
Reposted by Brian Thill
“What once sounded unthinkable is now being said openly: Tehran is not viable; and evacuation orders are imminent.
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
Makran or Bust: Tehran's water crisis gets worse
Ten days ago I wrote that Tehran was approaching a point where warnings, pressure cuts and appeals to save water would no longer be enough.
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:06 PM
“What once sounded unthinkable is now being said openly: Tehran is not viable; and evacuation orders are imminent.
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
Reposted by Brian Thill
Coming in a little sideways perhaps. . .THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR by Hanif Abdurraqib
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Coming in a little sideways perhaps. . .THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR by Hanif Abdurraqib
Reposted by Brian Thill
The rest of the book, however, definitely does not qualify as “nondogmatic” (and is definitely not for me).
November 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The rest of the book, however, definitely does not qualify as “nondogmatic” (and is definitely not for me).
Reposted by Brian Thill
I don’t feel this way about the rest of the book, but the specific chapter in Confessions where Augustine describes his conversion (the “pick up and read” part) is very compelling writing.
It’s #BQT #BookQuestionTime again:
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
November 21, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I don’t feel this way about the rest of the book, but the specific chapter in Confessions where Augustine describes his conversion (the “pick up and read” part) is very compelling writing.
Reposted by Brian Thill
Within a couple of minutes of turning off the smart features, I started getting spam emails in my primary inbox.
This is just emboldening me to close my Gmail account entirely.
This is just emboldening me to close my Gmail account entirely.
It stops sorting your inbox into folders, btw, when you turn this off. As the inbox folders predate Gemini, this is a passive-aggressive attempt to make gmail a miserable experience unless you turn AI on, not a necessity.
Really, *really* inconvenient but makes me more determined to keep it off.
Really, *really* inconvenient but makes me more determined to keep it off.
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Within a couple of minutes of turning off the smart features, I started getting spam emails in my primary inbox.
This is just emboldening me to close my Gmail account entirely.
This is just emboldening me to close my Gmail account entirely.
Reposted by Brian Thill
This book does a good job of stemming the toxic evangelism of the 90s (that sadly appears to be returning)
November 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
This book does a good job of stemming the toxic evangelism of the 90s (that sadly appears to be returning)
Reposted by Brian Thill
Reposted by Brian Thill
Somebody write the poem that turns it OFF.
November 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Somebody write the poem that turns it OFF.
Reposted by Brian Thill
I love how far Fall of Freedom has traveled. There will be Broadway curtain speeches tonight, museum openings, a poster making workshop in Moscow, Idaho, and this is the homepage of the New York Review of Books ...
November 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I love how far Fall of Freedom has traveled. There will be Broadway curtain speeches tonight, museum openings, a poster making workshop in Moscow, Idaho, and this is the homepage of the New York Review of Books ...
Reposted by Brian Thill
Wild that at the beginning of September there were maybe 8 of us meeting in Dread Scott’s studio and now there are 600 events across the US. People don’t like what’s happening here and they have jumped at the chance to express a desire for change.
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Wild that at the beginning of September there were maybe 8 of us meeting in Dread Scott’s studio and now there are 600 events across the US. People don’t like what’s happening here and they have jumped at the chance to express a desire for change.
It’s #BQT #BookQuestionTime again:
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
November 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM
It’s #BQT #BookQuestionTime again:
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
What are your favorite non-dogmatic and non-saccharine books of spiritual (auto)biography, theological struggle, or any other moving and intense efforts at contemplating or comprehending the divine?
As always, please feel free to include cover images.
Reposted by Brian Thill
Fall of Freedom starts today. Here’s NPR on the initiative www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...
This weekend, artists are speaking out across the country
Artists in more than 40 states are spending Friday and Saturday participating in the "Fall of Freedom" – which they say represents a creative resistance to authoritarianism.
www.npr.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Fall of Freedom starts today. Here’s NPR on the initiative www.npr.org/2025/11/21/n...
Reposted by Brian Thill
I could choose a lot of books in translation but this is one that I endlessly recommend by Uruguayan journalist , political prisoner, and writer Eduardo Galeano.
Mark Fried truly captures the cadence, meaning and poetry of his words.
Mark Fried truly captures the cadence, meaning and poetry of his words.
November 21, 2025 at 2:00 AM
I could choose a lot of books in translation but this is one that I endlessly recommend by Uruguayan journalist , political prisoner, and writer Eduardo Galeano.
Mark Fried truly captures the cadence, meaning and poetry of his words.
Mark Fried truly captures the cadence, meaning and poetry of his words.
Reposted by Brian Thill
"Is this fancy-footed, sloppy garbage written by AI or just a technically polished but empty-headed bloviator?" Don't care, don't need to read it.
November 20, 2025 at 2:59 PM
"Is this fancy-footed, sloppy garbage written by AI or just a technically polished but empty-headed bloviator?" Don't care, don't need to read it.
Reposted by Brian Thill
The closest thing to a "silver bullet" for spotting AI writing is that it's lazy, vacuous, and impressive-sounding while avoiding any commitment. Conveniently, applying this rule means that you also avoid a lot of generally bad writing, meaning that false positives aren't really a problem.
people keep looking for silver grammar bullets for detecting ai writing, but there's not really a single one that doesn't get get you a ton of false positives. "x, not y" is probably the closest you can get.
November 20, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The closest thing to a "silver bullet" for spotting AI writing is that it's lazy, vacuous, and impressive-sounding while avoiding any commitment. Conveniently, applying this rule means that you also avoid a lot of generally bad writing, meaning that false positives aren't really a problem.
Reposted by Brian Thill
I barely use Gmail these days, but I'm gonna switch off AI, even though Google penalizes users for doing so. Happy to do extra work to thwart these bastards even a tiny bit.
Turning off the AI in Gmail causes your account to no longer slit your emails up through Primary, Promotions, and Social. That's because Google is a petulant little bitch who doesn't like that you told them to fuck off with their bullshit slop scam.
November 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM
I barely use Gmail these days, but I'm gonna switch off AI, even though Google penalizes users for doing so. Happy to do extra work to thwart these bastards even a tiny bit.
Reposted by Brian Thill
Reposted by Brian Thill
Natasha Wimmer’s Roberto Bolaño, specifically 2666.
November 20, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Natasha Wimmer’s Roberto Bolaño, specifically 2666.
NEW: at long last, it’s #BQT #BookQuestionTime again:
What are your favorite books (in any genre) you’ve read in translation, and what is the name of the human being who translated the edition of that book into English?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
What are your favorite books (in any genre) you’ve read in translation, and what is the name of the human being who translated the edition of that book into English?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
November 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM
NEW: at long last, it’s #BQT #BookQuestionTime again:
What are your favorite books (in any genre) you’ve read in translation, and what is the name of the human being who translated the edition of that book into English?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
What are your favorite books (in any genre) you’ve read in translation, and what is the name of the human being who translated the edition of that book into English?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
Reposted by Brian Thill
1) Liberation: The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko. The revolutions that take place in the background are truly inspiring
2) Mealtime: hmmm... Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3) Cartography?! Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.
4) Snow: The Left Hand of Darkness
2) Mealtime: hmmm... Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3) Cartography?! Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.
4) Snow: The Left Hand of Darkness
It's #BQT #BookQuestionTime again! This time we're doing something new to #BQT methodology: word association. Name four of your favorite books (in any genre) brought to mind by these four words:
1) Liberation
2) Mealtime
3) Cartography
4) Snow
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
1) Liberation
2) Mealtime
3) Cartography
4) Snow
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
November 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
1) Liberation: The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko. The revolutions that take place in the background are truly inspiring
2) Mealtime: hmmm... Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3) Cartography?! Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.
4) Snow: The Left Hand of Darkness
2) Mealtime: hmmm... Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3) Cartography?! Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.
4) Snow: The Left Hand of Darkness
Reposted by Brian Thill
Isaac Fellman's Notes From a Regicide.
Izzy Wasserstein's These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart
Anya Johanna DeNiro's City of a Thousand Feelings & also OKPsyche
Izzy Wasserstein's These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart
Anya Johanna DeNiro's City of a Thousand Feelings & also OKPsyche
November 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Isaac Fellman's Notes From a Regicide.
Izzy Wasserstein's These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart
Anya Johanna DeNiro's City of a Thousand Feelings & also OKPsyche
Izzy Wasserstein's These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart
Anya Johanna DeNiro's City of a Thousand Feelings & also OKPsyche
Reposted by Brian Thill
Hill House, not sane...
November 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Hill House, not sane...
Reposted by Brian Thill
I will stay on everybody's neck about how obsessed with these books I am
November 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I will stay on everybody's neck about how obsessed with these books I am
Reposted by Brian Thill
It’s #BQT (Book Question Time) again:
1) What’s your favorite non-fiction book that engages seriously with collective action in theory and praxis?
2) Which novel engages with collective action in the most artful, insightful, or challenging way?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
1) What’s your favorite non-fiction book that engages seriously with collective action in theory and praxis?
2) Which novel engages with collective action in the most artful, insightful, or challenging way?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
April 28, 2024 at 6:03 PM
It’s #BQT (Book Question Time) again:
1) What’s your favorite non-fiction book that engages seriously with collective action in theory and praxis?
2) Which novel engages with collective action in the most artful, insightful, or challenging way?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!
1) What’s your favorite non-fiction book that engages seriously with collective action in theory and praxis?
2) Which novel engages with collective action in the most artful, insightful, or challenging way?
As always, please feel free to include cover images!