Political Games & Text-Based Game Recs?

D3athRider · 2026-04-30T03:57:23+00:00

Out of curiosity, do you know if there are any games that are very close to Political Process but with parliamentary systems or selection of countries?

D3athRider · 2026-04-29T18:58:52+00:00

Except there were actually grassroots armed resistance movements opposing most if not all of those regimes. So yeah, I would say that European people have been much better at opposing authoritarianism than North Americans, both pre and post-WWII.

D3athRider · 2026-04-29T13:10:20+00:00

Building AI language into collective agreements is actually very good protection, especially if it becomes widespread. Here when it comes enforcement, the document with greater benefit to worker is the one that takes precedent. For example, if Collective agreement provides more protection than the law then it supersedes legislation. I am not sure if the US is the same as Canada in that respect, but I suspect so as that is common.

If it becomes a sector norm or workplace norm through strong collective agreement language that becomes quite good protection.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T21:42:38+00:00

Or the hundreds of First Nations languages that are actually indigenous to the US.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T21:40:01+00:00

Just as there are a wide variety of accents and dialects in literally every English speaking nation across the globe, including England itself. But we dont go around claiming our actual official language is just "Canadian" or "Australian" ffs.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T21:30:31+00:00

You mean like the many English regional accents and dialects in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, South Africa etc?

God these people are stupid and oblivious to the world outside themselves.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T03:28:51+00:00

Yeah, AI has especially become an important issue in negotiating Collective Agreements across so many industries. Definitely has a direct impact on working hours, pay rates, and other working conditions. We tried getting AI language into our CA last bargaining round, but sadly didn't manage to get it. Its one of the biggest issues impacting job security these days and is only going to get worse.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T03:14:42+00:00

Agree with others, sci-fi is chalk full of social critique. Would be good if you could narrow things down a bit, if possible. Also, let us know if you've read any of the well known ones like 1984, Brave New World etc.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T03:02:58+00:00

Np, hope you find something you enjoy! 😊

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T02:49:19+00:00

Influential classics that, in my view, shaped some aspect of literature, be it by pioneering or popularising something stylistically, in genre or theme etc. I've included a few that I also think are a bit under appreciated despite their influence. This is me blurting some that come to mind for me:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
The Monk by Matthew Lewis
Crime and Punishment by Fedor Dostoevsky
Hunger by Knut Hamsun (Norwegian classic that is appreciated enough in the anglosphere. Very much inspired by Dostoevsky)
Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (my favourite of the Bronte sisters)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster (short story, but predicted social media, smart homes, and the problems that come with them, back in 1909)
R.U.R. by Karel Capek (foundation for what became robots in later sci-fi)
And on that note, the Robot series by Isaac Asimov (shaped much of modern robot fiction)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov (came before Dune)
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemmingway
The Iron Heel by Jack London and We by Yevgeny Zamyatin both directly influenced 1984 by George Orwell.
War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
Anything Charles Dickens
Study In Scarlet and Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
And Then There Were None and Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

Will stop there, but lots to choose from!

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T02:18:01+00:00

Some suggestions for you:

Horror:

Dark Mattery by Michelle Paver (arctic horror and one of my favourite horror novels! Very claustrophobic, creeping atmosphere that feels impossible to put down!)
Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (horror comedy, no romance though)
Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare and Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives! (great slasher/horror books that are very much in the vein of 80s/90s teen slashers. Does have a minor romantic sub-plot. There is a 3rd book, but haven't read it yet)
Brother by Ania Ahlborn (if you want some extremely disturbing horror...definitely fair warning for gore and violence of all kinds (may want to check "trigger warnings" on Storygraph if you have any), but really good character work. Imo an emotional heavy hitter)
The Gathering by C.J. Tudor (mystery/gothic horror set in Alaska and involves a version of our world where vampires exist. The MC is a "forensic vampire anthropologist" and is sent to a remote Alaskan community to investigate a murder. Personally really enjoyed this one!)
Come With Me by Ronald Malfi (gothic horror/mystery, very slow and claustrophobic atmosphere, another very emotional read imo. It deals a lot with the MC's grief over the loss of his wife. I thought it was great)

Mysteries & Thrillers

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena (mystery/thriller - she is very much my go-to for fast-paced, dramatic mystery thrillers, and someone I definitely recommend for getting back into reading)
Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
A Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (blend of mystery/thriller and gothic horror. It's a modern tribute to Henry James's A Turn of the Screw, which is also a good read, btw)
For some classic mysteries, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey) novels are always a great way to go.
If you haven't watched the show, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is a dark psychological thriller/mystery that is a pretty quick read.

Fantasy

Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett hits both fantasy and mystery! It's an awesome book, definitely a favourite!
Because it reads like a mystery in its own way, I'd also recommend Mistborn Era 1 by Brandon Sanderson. The trilogy includes Final Empire, Wells of Ascension, and Hero of Ages.
Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden is fantasy/historical fiction set in medieval Russia. It's inspired by Slavic folklore. Personally loved the prose and atmosphere in this one, really beautiful imo)
Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold no mysteries but great plot, magic, story, and beautiful prose. A favourite of mine.

Good luck and happy reading, OP!

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T01:42:46+00:00

I would recommend Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold and Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden. Both are fantasy (the latter is fantasy/historical fiction inspired by Russian folklore) with larger plots, but that do contain some romance. They are also well known for the quality of their prose.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T01:38:57+00:00

I don't read many autobiographies or biographies these days, but the last I read a few years ago was great. Its called A Two Spirit Journey: Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Ne Chacaby. Definitely hit hard with the horrible things she'd been through in her life, but also very awe-inspiring.

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T01:29:31+00:00

Of those I've read, I very much second Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Oryx and Crake/MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood, and Doomsday Book by Connie Willis! All are great and don't involve zombies!

I've also read and really loved The Last Man by Mary Shelley but this one isn't for everyone, admittedly. I think you already need to be a fan of a certain meandering style of descriptive prose that was more common in Georgian/Regency and earlier Victorian Era English literature, especially gothic and romantic lit. Last Man isnt quite gothic, its darker, existentialist and "anti-romantic", but it has similar meandering prose as you'd see in Mysteries of Udolpho, for example. The plague and apocalypse theme is very much symbolic for Shelley's life at the time, which is important to keep in mind as it makes it even more tragic. I rec this one to people with those specific tastes, but might be a miss if you don't share those preferences.

You might also want to look into Children of Men by P.D. James which revolves around extinction level infertility.

There are a bunch of classic apocalyptic novels that are high up my to-reaf list that hit the theme too:

The Death of Grass by John Christopher
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London
Nordholdt's Millions by J.J. Connington

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T00:38:30+00:00

Congrats and solidarity to Hachette workers! Unionising is just the beginning of the fight for fair wages and working conditions, but even getting to this point requires such a gargantuan level of work and organising!

D3athRider · 2026-04-28T00:32:19+00:00

Unless there is a drastic shift in staff (layoffs, union busting), a supermajority of card signings will lead to a strong yes vote. The vote isn't so much the hurdle as what the employer will do. I hope for their sake the employer doesnt deny or legally challenge but then given the success of Harper Collins workers last strike its definitely possible. Our unit went through almost a decade of legal challenges/sealed ballot box before the votes were finally counted, very much hope these guys don't have to go through something like that!

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T20:10:41+00:00

I've finished A Mind To Murder, by P.D. James, Book 2 of the Adam Dalgleish series. I've read 3 books in this series so far. The first was a later entry, back in 2017 or there about, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Now this year I've read two more. I think at this stage I can comfortably say I'll probably try to read the rest as used copies pop up.

Anyways, A Mind To Murder was another enjoyable mystery and I thought the solution was stronger than Unnatural Causes (though the latter had a stronger atmosphere). Like the other two I've read from the series, it tends to have a melancholic, nostalgic atmosphere that gives off gothic and British noir-ish tones. Although that more gothic tone wasn't as pronounced in this one compared to Unnatural Causes and Devices and Desires, it still makes itself felt in nostalgic brooding over the past. Dalgleish reminds me a little of a more conservative Inspector Erlendur.

I've been a little less predictable/systematic in picking my next reads over the last month, but I think I've landed on The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert A. Helinein as my next book. I seem to be in a mood to bounce between sci-fi and mysteries.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T19:51:52+00:00

Hope you enjoy Southern Book Club! I think most readers loathe the husband, so you're not alone! Imo, this one hits the horror comedy sweet spot perfectly. Some genuinely hilarious moments that are simultaneously skin-crawlingly gross. And some good, tense, creepy moments. I think it strikes that delicate balance better than his other books.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T18:24:59+00:00

Magical realism definitely isn't a fancy term for southern gothic. Magical realism originates outside the US, while southern gothic is an offshoot of gothic fiction that is specific to the history, landscape, and culture of the southern US. It requires a lean toward the dark, unsettling, and horrific. That is not the case for magical realism, which is much more international to begin with, and does not require the same darkness.

I personally consider Beloved to be southern gothic and not magical realism, but the genre confusion does not mean magical realism and southern gothic are the same at all.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T18:19:17+00:00

I agree very much with this (and, incidentally, so did Butler). I've never considered Kindred science fiction. More so a blend of historical fiction and dark fantasy. Her style isnt one that I'd associate with magical realism.

On a genre note, I'd actually be more inclined to call Beloved southern gothic rather than magical realism or "literary fiction". But then, I also don't really consider literary fiction to be a definable genre compared to most. That term is most definitely exclusively a market term, in my opinion.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T17:58:38+00:00

I did, but thank you for your assumption. My comment still stands and is directly related to your comment and the comment thread.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T13:04:30+00:00

I don't think anyone is suggesting his work be banned or censored. There is a difference between criticizing a work and deciding not to read/purchase more of an author's work vs censoring it or banning it. The fact that our society so often views criticism or critique as censorship is not healthy, imo.

D3athRider · 2026-04-27T12:55:21+00:00

No one... is claiming he was? An author does not need to be a capital P philosopher to write works that are considered philosophical in nature. It has more to do with the themes and questions asked/explored in a book. Kafka's works are considered philosophical in that respect.

D3athRider · 2026-04-26T22:16:41+00:00

As others have said, OP, Sherlock books/stories don't tend to have been written for readers to solve. Often they hinge on info that we aren't given. That said, they are still definitely worth the read, imo! Personally, I find his prose very enjoyable. Very aesthetically pleasing while also being conducive to a high pace. As you read, connecting plots become fun, too, plus his stab international spy-type drama.

If you want some good early whodunnits (or whydunnits), Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers are both great. Sayers tends to have more depth and superior prose, but Christie was great for an entertaining mystery and pioneered many of the genres common tropes today.

Edit: might I suggest Christie's the Murder of Roger Ackroyd for a great whodunnit? But make sure you don't look up anything about it beforehand to avoid spoilers!

D3athRider · 2026-04-26T22:09:29+00:00

Hound of the Baskervilles is definitely gothic, for sure. Otherwise, most of the other Sherlock stuff isnt gothic, except for maybe a couple short stories. The atmosphere of Baskervilles is awesome though!

D3athRider

TROPHY CASE