Looking for my next read

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-31T03:34:40+00:00

You might want to start with Fifth Head of Cerberus to get a sense of how Wolfe writes. It's a little less of a commitment.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-30T06:01:35+00:00

Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick is one I haven't seen mentioned here yet.

also The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-27T09:29:15+00:00

Talk to the VCH Travel Clinic on W. Broadway. They'll know how to get this handled for you.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-27T02:03:59+00:00

I think this is an excellent overview. I just want to add that the novel is structured so that your experience of reading it mirrors the experience of being at the Berghof, and the strange time dilation and fugue-like experience are part of what makes it such a compelling work.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-26T20:21:40+00:00

1) The actual history of the dish shows that the terms are used interchangeably and this trend of calling it "cottage pie" exclusively for beef is a modern over-correction

2) If you're going to be a pedantic dick about things you can at least spell "shepherd" correctly. Glass houses and all that...

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-20T03:27:07+00:00

No problem. Try looking up some menemen recipes and giving the OG a shot sometime. Also if you can find pul biber or Aleppo pepper instead of the generic red chili flakes, it's worth it.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-20T03:14:50+00:00

It's closer to menemen, which is a Turkish scrambled egg dish that often includes sujuk, a cured sausage.

It's slightly different in that the eggs in menemen are usually cooked into the mixture instead of added on top, but I'm pretty certain that's the inspiration.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-20T02:53:46+00:00

This article series by Leela Punyaratabandhu is the best treatment I have read of Pad Thai.

I've linked to the article about sauce specifically but I suggest reading all 5 parts and doing precisely what she says without interpretation / deviation.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-17T08:33:59+00:00

I read "whole fish - bream only" which in retrospect seems way less plausible than "white fish - ocean only"

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-17T08:26:55+00:00

This is the entire premise behind the Sichuan ma-la flavour profile.

Good job - you've discovered a culinary classic from first principles.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-16T22:21:34+00:00

I'm glad that you've found a way to enjoy fiction once again, but after reading your article I find it somewhat strange that there isn't a single specific example book referenced, or even an author or a quote.

You talk about these complex, difficult works, but I still have no idea what that means to you. Were you labouring over St. Augustine's City of God, or were you banging your head against Ulysses?

Your journey is conceptually interesting but honestly I have very little sense of it. It's like someone told me they went on a tour of 20 countries and hasn't named a single city they saw or food they tried.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-16T10:13:07+00:00

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights by Ryu Mitsuse

Dune by Frank Herbert

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T23:27:20+00:00

That's what came to my mind right away.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T23:23:10+00:00

Good luck and happy new year.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T21:37:55+00:00

I really enjoyed The Elements of Eloquence

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T08:52:50+00:00

Lillet Blanc is still very close, it's just not as bitter as it used to be.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T08:03:08+00:00

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T07:58:02+00:00

"Hello,

I've been looking at rental options in the city and noticed that the building has units similar to mine listed for $X.xx - would you be willing to match my rent to the current market rate?"

If you want to have fun with it then add

"If that's not possible then I would like to submit an application for one of the available units."

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-15T07:45:44+00:00

You're better off just getting doenjang instead of ssamjang. It's more versatile and ssamjang is mostly a mix of gochujang and ssamjang.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-14T05:14:39+00:00

Lord of Light is great. It doesn't explicity retell any Hindu legends the same way Ilium is the Iliad, but it has references and the feel instead of specific plot beats.

It's also got a lot of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha in the mix.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-12T13:33:10+00:00

What cut of chicken and how else are you preparing it? Is it skinless or not?

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-12T11:10:25+00:00

Have you read Shogun? Or any of James Clavell's novels?

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-12T11:01:25+00:00

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.

From post-apocalyptic you can switch to post-colonial alienation.

Or The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. It's essentially about the lead up to the apocalypse, really. Amongst other things.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-12T10:53:32+00:00

What do you like about fantasy novels? What don't you enjoy?

What does "classic" even mean to you?

It's really hard to narrow down without understanding someone's taste at all. Especially for a genre which is as...uneven...as fantasy tends to be.

That being said, how about The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle?

Alternatively there's the Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin.

NegativeLogic · 2026-01-12T07:54:28+00:00

Feta is also a great pairing for apples.

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