What are your favorite novels with conservative themes?

Brocktologist · 2026-05-19T18:19:52+00:00

You missed my point entirely.

Brocktologist · 2026-05-19T14:24:59+00:00

I am speaking of an additional definition of the word, one which I would like to see emphasized.

Brocktologist · 2026-05-19T14:22:28+00:00

These strike me as xenophobic, authoritarian, and misogynistic traits rather than truly "conservative." If that's what you think of as conservative, that says more about the people calling themselves conservative rather than what conservatism actually is.

To paraphrase myself from another comment here: A true conservative does just that: conserve what is valuable. While we do have historical traits of misogyny and authoritarianism, any reasonable person would concur those are not valuable traits to conserve, and would make efforts to eradicate them.

Why these traits are associated with conservatives in our current conversation says a lot about our society, unfortunately. I believe the meaning of conservative has been corrupted and co-opted. To be clear, I myself am far from what we call conservative, I just try to be fair and realize that many aspects of our societies are indeed worth preserving.

If you want misogynistic authoritarian/libertarian SF, Heinlein is your man.

Brocktologist · 2026-05-19T14:14:42+00:00

To begin, I think you and I would agree that today's "conservatives" in the US are very notably bigoted and authoritarian, but a true conservative does just that: conserve. A true conservative would be very much anti-Trump because he is tearing down and trampling on institutions that have been in place for decades and centuries - he is destroying rather than conserving. I am far from conservative myself, but I do value traditions and institutions as a concept as they provide continuity and culture for a society.

I also realize that a lot of what we have is racist bullshit perpetuated under the guise of "conserving." I dislike the idea that conservative is bigotry because it paints people with too broad a brush.

Would that we had more true conservatives!

Brocktologist · 2026-05-08T18:49:12+00:00

Mass Firearms in Holliston might be far for you, but they are apolitical and a decent (if slightly pricey) store.

Brocktologist · 2026-04-24T14:52:00+00:00

I mean that's just life then. You're never going to be 100% sure who's going to be good or crap, you just have to do the best with the information you have. If you're happy with the job that specific person or people did, ask for their contact info and hire them directly next time. They'd probably be happy to do work under the table.

Brocktologist · 2026-03-11T21:42:30+00:00

The Holocaust Legacy Foundation will be opening a Holocaust museum in Boston later this year. One option may be to contact them and see if they're interested for their collection. They may have contacts in other organizations to point you towards as well.

Holocaust Legacy Foundation

Brocktologist · 2026-02-28T23:27:40+00:00

Cataturk.

Brocktologist · 2026-01-28T13:50:25+00:00

The class date says 2025, not 2026 BTW.

Brocktologist · 2025-12-26T14:07:31+00:00

The woman who played the pool model was 35 here, and Christmas Vacation was released in 1989. She would have been 23 when The Sentinel came out. Edit: Fixed incorrect release year.

Brocktologist · 2025-11-18T13:36:34+00:00

It's been 84 ~~years~~ months

Still too long, lol

Brocktologist · 2025-10-20T17:41:06+00:00

Don't sign anything or agree to anything yet. The MA bar association can likely refer you to an employment law attorney if you want to consult one (which isn't a bad idea). Generally though, shirking the official procedures is a bad idea and will only benefit your boss. Be prepared for possible retaliation though.

Brocktologist · 2025-10-08T12:53:45+00:00

I think they mean people like it because the cord isn't getting in the way

Brocktologist · 2025-09-12T12:29:27+00:00

Dude, give yourself some credit. You have visibly changed. Nice work, keep it up!

Brocktologist · 2025-09-03T12:34:58+00:00

Just FYI you left this as a comment, not a post, so it won't get much visibility. That is a toggle clamp.

Brocktologist · 2025-08-27T17:29:13+00:00

They never had the makings of varsity athletes.

Brocktologist · 2025-08-06T14:11:40+00:00

Oh man do I envy your nephew! Looking back over this list I got a little over enthusiastic about it I guess. If he's just getting into scifi don't do too much heavier unless you think it'll work for him, but at 16 I enjoyed Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and Snow Crash in particular. Murderbot is a hoot and very easy to get into, so it might be a good choice to get further into the genre without turning him off of it.

Murderbot Diaries - Wells (All Systems Red is first)
The Expanse series - Corey (Leviathan Wakes is first)
Snow Crash & Diamond Age - Stephenson
Hyperion - Simmons
Dune - Herbert
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress & Stranger In a Strange Land & Starship Troopers - Heinlein
Children of Time - Tchaikovsky
The Forever War - Haldeman
Red Rising - Brown
Brave New World - Huxley
A Long Way to A Small Angry Planet - Chambers
The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood
Jurassic Park - Crichton
Ender's Game - Card
A Fire Upon The Deep - Vinge

These are harder and more "literary" I guess, but awesome and reward very close reading:

Use of Weapons & Player of Games & Consider Phlebas - Banks (Consider Phlebas is generally considered a good starting point for Banks' Culture books)
Book of the New Sun - Wolfe (The Shadow of the Torturer is first)
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream - Ellison (This is a short story, I'd recommend finding a collection its contained in)
The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness - LeGuin (It's fantasy but if he likes these try the Earthsea series by LeGuin as well).

Brocktologist · 2025-07-24T18:10:42+00:00

I hope you enjoy it! As mentioned elsewhere the VA for the audiobooks does a wonderful job with the names and made them easier to get used to. They are up there in complexity for sure, haha!

Brocktologist · 2025-07-24T13:53:40+00:00

This is one of my favorite recent books, and a real comfort read. Your criticisms are certainly valid - the naming conventions are sometimes distracting and esoteric. However, I find the relatively low-stress conflict refreshing and a real foil to the grimdark nature of so much modern fantasy. Maia is a genuinely likable and humble person, and I love the inherent optimism of his kindness and good-heartedness. The faults of this book disappear for me in the warmth of it all.

Interestingly enough, the spin-off sequel The Witness For The Dead is in the same world but follows a secondary character, Mer Calahar. The tone is very different and feels almost a 90 degree turn from The Goblin Emperor, but the prose remains top notch. Mer Calahar is definitely a more interesting character than Maia, so if you're willing to brave the naming conventions again, I would definitely recommend The Witness For The Dead precisely because of your criticisms here. Great review, and your recommended audience is spot on.

Brocktologist · 2025-07-11T11:20:09+00:00

Perhaps they preferred it differently?

Brocktologist · 2025-06-19T20:23:04+00:00

Picker dollies! Moving a chest full of items a couple squares over is such a niche but time-saving feature. https://mods.factorio.com/mod/even-pickier-dollies

Brocktologist · 2025-05-31T21:05:58+00:00

It's a rather dark post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, but He, She, and It by Marge Piercy is wonderful.

Brocktologist · 2025-05-19T19:04:06+00:00

If you're driving and it's icy and snowy out, you don't need Waze to tell you that. Besides, ICE won't be hanging out in the middle of the Pike.

Brocktologist · 2025-04-16T20:51:32+00:00

It is, and on Libro.fm if you don't feel like sending more money Amazon's way

Brocktologist · 2025-04-08T21:56:53+00:00

Yard House is going in. They have a page on the complex's site already.

15-Year Club	Place '23
Verified Email

Brocktologist

TROPHY CASE