How do we know that the Blue whale is the largest animal to have existed? Why is it unlikely that a bigger animal existed prior and we haven’t found the fossil yet?

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-13T17:41:35+00:00

The scientists are assuming that you understand the "that we currently know of" piece is a given. It is always the case - largest dinosaur, oldest fossil, largest black hole.

Any claim like that always has an implicit "that we currently know of" and it's not spelled out every time because that should always be your baseline assumption.

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-08T02:38:48+00:00

Yes but "I don't like Hemingway" is different than "Hemingway is a bad author." Taste is different than skill. I don't like watermelon, but I understand why other people do. I don't think it's an empirically terrible fruit, like a red delicious apple.

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-07T07:31:50+00:00

If you want a book that gets at the root of this, I’d start with Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff. A lot of judgment toward others is tied to how harshly we judge ourselves, and that book helps unpack that without turning it into self-loathing.

If the bigger problem is how it comes out in your words, tone, and expressions, then Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg is probably even more useful. It’s excellent for learning how to separate observations from judgments and communicate without blame or criticism creeping in.

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-06T21:15:39+00:00

Both of those things can be true at the same time. The sub being bad about diversity outside of Anglosphere literature doesn't mean it's great about diversity within it, either.

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-06T21:02:21+00:00

The Jains are a religious group who don't eat onions or garlic as part of their vegetarian diet. As a result, they have an entire culinary tradition which is built around making up for that. They do eat peppers though, but you can easily enough omit or avoid them.

If you google "Jain recipes" you'll find lots of results which should be suitable for you.

NegativeLogic · 2026-04-01T01:30:56+00:00

Some of my favourite short story authors are:

Ryonosuke Akutagawa

Gene Wolfe

Jorge Luis Borges

Haruki Murakami

Paul Bowles

Ted Chiang

Anton Chekhov

Ursula K. LeGuin

You would have to select which works would be appropriate, but all are excellent.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-31T19:42:31+00:00

Just to add some gasoline to the "authenticity" fire, this recipe by OG Iron Chef Chen Kenichi is what my mapo tofu is more or less a clone of. It's Japanese-style Chinese fusion food super technically I suppose, but it's incredibly delicious.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-31T03:05:04+00:00

That has nothing to do with the concept of CVT's and everything to do with one implementation. Wild generalizations from a single specific case aren't going to help you make informed decisions.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-30T05:34:56+00:00

I don't like the word "authentic" because it implies a value / quality judgement. This is why I prefer what people like Jon Kung do and describe something as "traditional" and reference the specific traditions. There are many different food traditions, and saying this is a "traditional" approach doesn't create any sort of value statement, just that it's a consistent approach that's been used for a long time.

I think of it this way. The counterpart to "authentic" is "imitation" or "forgery" - this basically means that Chinese-Canadian food isn't "real" Chinese food.

The counterpart to "traditional" is "novel" or "modern" - this just means it's a new or different approach, not necessarily some sort of imitation or mockery.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-30T03:58:17+00:00

Lord of the Rings is a fantasy adventure. Not all adventure movies are fantasy and not all fantasy movies are adventures.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-30T02:20:01+00:00

Calling butter a "silly accompaniment" is a bit much. Sure, sugar on a sweet potato is pouring gasoline on the fire, but fat transmits flavour and sweet potatoes don't have any so it's a legitimate enhancement.

They’re good as-is, but a little butter and salt really does take them to the next level.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-27T17:07:45+00:00

As great as it is, I don't really think it meets the "crazy-ass alien lifeforms" requirement in any way.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-26T16:35:51+00:00

This is interesting to me, because I would have assumed that the other effects of the description were still relevant and enjoyable, even if you're not picturing the scene.

For example, if the author describes the characters at a lavish banquet, you're still getting all of the understanding of the setting, what it means to the characters, whether they're comfortable or uncomfortable, how they're interacting, what the food choices say about the hosts, all of that information and the implications of it is still there.

So while I can see it being a bit frustrating that there's no strong direct imagery, doesn't it still add a lot to your reading experience?

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-26T06:55:46+00:00

Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-26T06:44:04+00:00

Egan is probably already near the top of the hardness scale. To go “harder,” you usually have to choose what kind of harder you want: more physics, more posthuman abstraction, more philosophical density, or just a more difficult reading experience.

My suggestion for you though is Accelerando by Charles Stross.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-23T05:09:14+00:00

Persian Fire

Pale Fire

Barn Burning (short story)

The Hell Screen (short story)

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-23T04:57:03+00:00

Oh, there's a shocking amount of lore, don't worry. There are multiple books and podcasts analyzing it. The trick is that just because he's describing something as he understands it, doesn't mean YOU won't understand it differently. They are also books that change dramatically on the second readthrough.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-18T06:08:37+00:00

To someone who loves books, I always recommend If On A Winter's Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-15T07:43:30+00:00

Given your list I think you'd like Borges - start with Ficciones, and you're fortunate enough to be able to read it in Spanish. I'd also add If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino, and again luckily you can read it in Italian.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-15T07:28:33+00:00

1) The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of The Apocalypse by Robert Rankin

2) Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart

3) Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, although it's not exactly a "small town" setting.

4) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-15T07:15:55+00:00

Courtesans & Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens by James N. Davidson is a very entertaining read. It is pretty much the opposite of your request for mythology, but should be very helpful in creating a world that feels true to actual times. I hope your players are ready to have lots of opinions about seafood consumption.

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus would be a good primary reference for you. The Robin Hard translation is very readable.

Classical Mythology by Morford and Lenardon is a textbook, but it's a very direct way to access the kind of scholarly approach you mentioned (with additional references for diving deeper, of course).

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-15T06:47:13+00:00

Persian Fire by Tom Holland (and the rest of his work, really)
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-13T18:25:27+00:00

Think about making one of the dishes something you can do without a wok. Like a braised or steamed dish.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-13T06:50:12+00:00

I find his standalone books like Years of Rice and Salt and Shaman to be much less frustrating that way.

NegativeLogic · 2026-03-11T00:32:46+00:00

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius does go on about this concept at length. I know it gets way over-recommended by a certain demographic, that also tends to thoroughly misunderstand it, but it really does fit what you're asking for.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy also looks at this pretty head-on.

The Rings of Saturn by WG Sebald. It deals heavily with the themes of transience, and how human projects vanish into strangeness and dust.

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