Otter's Rock

One of my favorite bloggers, Ada Palmer, just reviewed a new SF/F short story, The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys that is up for free at tor.com or for $1 here if you want to support the author. The review is here: Discontinuity and Empathy: a non-review of “The Litany of Earth” by Ruthanna Emrys.

First of all, I've never read a Cthulhu-mythos story, but this looks so interesting that I may read it anyway.

Second, this is the single most interesting book review I've ever read. It's not a synopsis, a critique, or a highlighter of the best bits. It is, instead, an exploration of the ideas and connections that the short story evoked in her. If you are at all interested in the history of Western thought, comic books, or shared-worlds meta-fic, you should read this review even if you aren't interested in the story she's reccing. Because the review is interesting enough to stand on its own feet and not just as a "should I spend my time/money on this story?"

Third, if you have any interest in the history of Western thought or comic book fandom (or how the two interact), you should already be following Ada's blog exurbe.

And here's my letter to Descartes. I was never able to find any adress he ever lived at, but I was able to find the adress for the church where he is currently buried. (Apparently, he was exhumed and re-buried a couple of different times in the decades following his death.) We read David Hume this week, and I need to write his letter today, and the next two weeks we'll spend on Kant.

( Letter to Descartes )