Octavia E. Butler - "Parable of the Sower" and "Parable of the Talents"

Amazing story about post apocalyptic America. People being addicted to "pyromania", or "ro", and wanting to burn everything. Neighbourhoods with large walls around them. Main character has to flee when her neighbourhood gets raised. She is writing "Earthseed", basically a new religion, about God being Change, to make mankind reach the stars. Enjoyed the second book as well, although the pace of the first half of the first book is nowhere to be found. "It's better to teach people than to scare them, Lauren. If you scare them and nothing happens, they lose their faear, and you lose some of your authority with them. It's harder to scare them a second time, harder to teach themm, harder to win back their trust. Best to begin by teaching." All successful life is Adaptable, Opportunistic, Tenacious, Interconnected, and Fecund, Understand this. Use it. Shape God. Pray, But beware, Your desires, Whether or not you achieve them Will determine who you become

Steven Poole - "A Word for Every Day of the Year"

Entertaining, though not every word is great. 20th of May: Quodlibetarian: "people who express half-formed opinions on any subject under the sun. [...] one willing to talk, as though knowledgeably, about anything at all."

Wind of Change

Amazing podcast investigating whether "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions was written by the CIA to further the opening of the cold war East Europe. Wonderful facts. About the Glomar expedition, where a fake mining ship grabbed parts of a Russian nuclear submarine. Asking the CIA for information resulted in the very first "we cannot confirm or deny"... Being glomarred, it's now called. About how the CIA, via front companies, made musicians go to communist countries. Maybe even Nina Simone, without her knowing it (she hated the USA, denounced it, calling it the United Snakes of America)

"Maniac"

Series on netflix. Not yet sure where this is going. retro-future situation. Old screens and VHS tapes, and yet mind altering drugs. Girl's sister: same girl as from Ozark. Great series. Bit saccharine at the end? Who cares. Not too much. "If an addict dies, do you think it's suicide?"

Unorthodox

Amazing short series about a girl fleeing from her orthodox Jewish neighbourhood in Williamsburg, NY, to Berlin. Main actress... Sira Haas? Something Haas.... She's amazing.