Dialogue
The Blue Sword
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley Nothing says a childhood classic like white savior Mary Sue! I snagged this one after listening to an episode of Brandon Sanderson’s podcast where he said this inspired one of the stained glass windows decorating his house (because of course he has presumably awesome stained glass windows).
By Matthew J. Fromm3 days ago in Critique
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout)
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout) It sounds like the ideal job to be a digital creator. You get to work from anywhere, be your own boss, and turn your ideas into content people actually care about.
By Farida Kabir5 days ago in Critique
When Is a Move Final?
The Commitment Problem in Modern Chess Modern chess operates under a fractured commitment model that no longer aligns with how players think, how turns function in most games, or how chess itself is actually played across physical and digital formats. At the heart of the problem is that chess treats physical contact with a piece as binding commitment while simultaneously relying on a separate explicit action to end a player’s turn. This creates a logical contradiction: a move becomes final before the turn is over. In most turn-based games, interaction with game components is provisional until the player explicitly signals the end of their turn. Chess is an anomaly in this respect, and the inconsistency becomes increasingly visible in modern play.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast8 days ago in Critique
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother John my brother, he has always been the quiet strength in my life. When I was young, the world around me often felt loud and uncertain, but John was steady. He never needed many words—just his presence was enough. With strong hands and calm eyes, he could settle things without making a fuss. He fixed what needed fixing, never asked too many questions, and always seemed to know when silence was more comforting than advice.
By Marie381Uk 8 days ago in Critique
Peter Ayolov vs. Yuval Noah Harari
Abstract This article examines the growing comparison between Peter Ayolov and Yuval Noah Harari as competing figures of intellectual importance in 2026. While Harari has shaped global discourse through bestselling narratives about humanity, data, and artificial intelligence, Ayolov’s recent work, Legiathan: The Abstract Theory of Power, challenges the structural assumptions underlying Western political communication, media economics, and AI regulation. Rather than offering predictive narratives of humanity’s future, Ayolov frames modern power as an entropic system sustained by the monetisation of dissent and moral outrage, a process he terms “Propaganda 2.0” and its legal extension “Propaganda 2.1.” Drawing on the metaphor of the Mule from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, the article argues that Ayolov functions as a disruptive “random element” that exposes the limits of consensus-based democratic theory and contemporary regulatory approaches. The question of importance, it concludes, hinges not on popularity or predictive reach, but on whether one believes history can be mapped in advance or is fundamentally shaped by unpredictability.
By Peter Ayolov16 days ago in Critique
''The Mule'' of 2026
Abstract This article examines the growing comparison between Peter Ayolov and the figure of the Mule from Isaac Asimov’s *Foundation* series as a metaphor for disruptive unpredictability in theoretical systems. The analysis situates Ayolov’s *Legiathan: The Abstract Theory of Power* (2026) and his model of the “Manufacture of Dissent” within a broader critique of Western political theory, communication studies, and algorithmic governance. Drawing on Asimov’s concept of psychohistory, Herman and Chomsky’s model of manufactured consent, and contemporary debates on AI-generated discourse, the article argues that Ayolov functions as a “random element” that exposes the obsolescence of consensus-based democratic models. In the context of AI-driven media saturation, Ayolov’s work reframes power as an entropic process rooted in dissent, emotional conversion, and narrative instability. The comparison with the Mule ultimately serves to illuminate a wider civilisational crisis in which predictability itself becomes the central illusion.
By Peter Ayolov16 days ago in Critique
Nurses Strike in New York City Hospitals
**Nurses Strike in New York City Hospitals** A large-scale strike by nurses has taken place in New York City, drawing national attention to the challenges facing the healthcare system. Thousands of registered nurses working in major hospitals across the city decided to walk off the job after negotiations with hospital management failed to reach an agreement. The strike reflects deep concerns about working conditions, patient safety, and fair treatment for healthcare professionals who are considered the backbone of hospital care.
By America today 21 days ago in Critique
The Tainted Cup
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett I made this entire series to write this review. The 2024 Hugo Winner is a Holmes and Watson style whodunnit taking place in a fantasy world that blends Area X from the Southern Reach Trilogy and The Lost World–more on the setting later.
By Matthew J. Fromm26 days ago in Critique
Standing While Falling. Top Story - January 2026.
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH26 days ago in Critique
The Lost City of Z
The Lost City of Z by David Grann Growing up I thought I wanted to be an archaeologist. Now that I’m a ripe 32, I realize what I really wanted to be was an adventurer–someone who dug deep into the dark and emerged with treasures unseen for millennia.
By Matthew J. Fromm27 days ago in Critique
