redbird | Network

Posted by Gail Sherman

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/meet-splash-the-cadaver-finding-otter.html

Asian small-clawed otters are arguably the cutest otters, which is saying a lot, considering the competition. One of these adorable mustelids is training to help law enforcement search for missing persons in water too murky for humans to see.

Splash the otter is often described as a "search and rescue" otter, but the truth is a little more grim. — Read the rest

The post Meet Splash the cadaver-finding otter appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/meet-splash-the-cadaver-finding-otter.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098741

Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/the-teachings-of-maga-are-simply-incompatible-with-the-teachings-of-jesus-christ.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098713

The kind of Christianity being spread by progressive minister Reverend Dr. Caleb J. Lines through his viral "MAGA vs Jesus" and which is grounded in social justice and compassion, is exactly what we need more of, to counteract and provide a healing antidote to MAGA's version of Christianity, which the Milwaukee Independent describes as a "faith hijacked by hate" that has merged with White Nationalism, and as a "cult of power disguised as religion." — Read the rest

The post "The teachings of MAGA are simply incompatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ" appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/the-teachings-of-maga-are-simply-incompatible-with-the-teachings-of-jesus-christ.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098713

Posted by Grant St. Clair

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/yet-another-spiritual-successor-to-disco-elysium-has-hit-the-indie-market.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098589

Disco Elysium is bar none the best-written (important distinction) RPG ever made. Unfortunately, everyone else in the gaming industry has realized this as well, and the stream of competing spiritual successors announced in the wake of the original team's shattering was truly biblical. — Read the rest

The post Yet another spiritual successor to "Disco Elysium" has hit the indie market appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/yet-another-spiritual-successor-to-disco-elysium-has-hit-the-indie-market.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098589

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Tags:

shitposting

Posted by fromtheheartofeurope

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/thief-of-time-by-terry-pratchett/

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/?p=64351

Second paragraph of third section:

The girl, who had been admiring her new hat in the mirror, tweaked the already low neckline of her dress for slightly more exposure, just in case the caller was male, and went and opened the door.

Gradually getting through my stack of Discworld books which I had not written up previously. I think that in fact I had not read this before – although I added it to my LibraryThing catalogue when I set it up in 2005, I also have a record that I got a second-hand copy in 2010, and it did not seem familiar to me.

There are several quite disparate elements to the story. The main narrative concerns one Jeremy Clockson (groan) who is building the perfect clock, which incidentally will bring the world to an end. There’s Susan Sto Helit trying to fix things because her grandfather cannot due to handwavium. There’s a spoof of Chinese kung-fu films with the humble sweeper in the monastery turning out to be the venerable monk with arcane talents. There’s a silly bit with the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. The most successful bit for me was the portrayal of the Auditors of Time, grim inhuman regulators of the type that Pratchett hated, but who are undone by their interaction with humanity (and the other inhabitants of Discworld). All in all, I thought that balancing these various things sucked up some of the energy that might have otherwise gone into plot and humour. So, not my favourite Pratchett, though not awful either. You can get Thief of Time here.

Next up: The Fifth Elephant, of which I have fond memories.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/thief-of-time-by-terry-pratchett/

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/?p=64351

2025/188: A Drop of Corruption — Robert Jackson Bennett

“... they began to exhibit afflictions.”
“Apophenia being the worst, and most notable,” said Ghrelin. “An uncontrollable, debilitating impulse to spy patterns in everything.”
I glanced at Ana, but she only smiled and wryly said, “Oh, I’m familiar with that one..." [loc. 3361]

Sequel to The Tainted Cup, and second in Bennett's 'Shadow of the Leviathan' trilogy. While this didn't wow me quite as much as the first book -- which was so utterly novel in setting and ambience -- it's still a marvellous read. Bennett continues to explore the Empire of Khanum, in this case by venturing outside it. ( Read more... )

Current Mood: impressed

Tags:

books,
read25

Posted by Gail Sherman

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/after-stranding-astronauts-boeing-starliners-next-mission-will-only-carry-cargo.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098751

Boeing's Starliner has been consigned to acting as a space delivery van, at least for its next mission. The beleaguered spacecraft's future was uncertain after stranding astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Witmore on the International Space Station for 286 days.

Starliner was supposed to dock with the ISS for 8 days and then return to Earth with its crew. — Read the rest

The post After stranding astronauts, Boeing Starliner's next mission will only carry cargo appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/after-stranding-astronauts-boeing-starliners-next-mission-will-only-carry-cargo.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098751

Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/watch-this-marionette-drummer-rock-out-to-rush.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098582

I'm in love with this little marionette drummer, who plays a tiny drum kit and truly rocks out. His name is Chops — and boy does he have them, in spades. I love watching him — clad in his little tie-dyed t-shirt and denim overalls, sitting at his tiny drum kit that's made primarily from tin cans, long hair held back from his face with a tiny red bandana — as he goes to town, playing his little heart out with the two tiny drumsticks he holds in his hands. — Read the rest

The post Watch this marionette drummer rock out to Rush appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/watch-this-marionette-drummer-rock-out-to-rush.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098582

Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/25/when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-in-the-final-round-for-the-2025-goodreads-choice-awards-in-science-fiction-go-vote/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58371

Well, this is lovely: When the Moon Hits Your Eye made it into the final round of this year’s Goodreads Choice Awards, in the category of science fiction, along with the other works you see here. This is a very nice peer group to have, I have to say.

If you feel like voting for Moon, or, indeed any other book in this finalist group, here is the link for you to do so. If you vote for Moon, hey, thanks! If you choose something else, that’s cool too.

I’m actually very happy with Moon making the final cut here. It’s an unusual sort of book, both structurally and in subject matter, and it wasn’t 100% clear to me that readers would take to it. Getting to this round is encouraging. Let’s see where it goes from here.

In any event: Go vote!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/11/25/when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-in-the-final-round-for-the-2025-goodreads-choice-awards-in-science-fiction-go-vote/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=58371

1. xkcd just made me cry (continuation of the cancer posts, which no one involved currently has.)

2. Mom gave me a ball of really pretty white yarn, which is wool with a bit of a halo, and maybe sport weight? Could be finger weight? Unsure? It's large enough to make a scarf, and I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a pattern that's: a) VERY EASY, b) maybe has a little bit of lace? I can do very basic lace, as long as it doesn't have too many steps.

Current Music: Luke Evans - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Every tenth week on

100words is Amnesty Week, when all previous prompts are fair game. Did you miss a prompt the first time around? Write it now! Want to write a prompt again? Please do!

Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.

Please use the appropriate prompt tag with your response.

Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.

If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:

Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title

Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:

Here's the template as code for easier pasting:

If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!

The prompts are:

469. rehearse

468. endless

467. package

466. collection

465. true or false

464. eulogy

463. end in -ay

462. royalty

461. futile

( Earlier prompts )

Tags:

!prompt

If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving early this week, be sure to check road conditions. WCCO TV reports the Twin Cities’ first “real snowstorm” of the season is anticipated soon. “An inch or two of snow is possible in the Twin Cities by Wednesday morning, possibly impacting travel. We’ll also have wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph.” A winter storm warning has been issued for parts of central and northern Minnesota, too. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-weather-snowstorm-nov-24-2025/

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport food workers reached an agreement to avoid a strike just before the holiday. The Minnesota Star Tribune writes “the agreement, which is expected to be approved Monday night, includes the highest wage increase ever won for hospitality workers at the airport, according to union leaders.” Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/msp-workers-union-strike-agreement-thanksgiving/601533108?utm_source=gift

Minnesota State Fair season might be well past us, but now is the time to get the most affordable ticket for next year. Bring Me The News says “tickets will be just $15 with a limit of 12 tickets per order, only available Tuesday and while supplies last.” Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/minnesota-state-fairs-lowest-price-of-the-year-ticket-sale-happening-tuesday

Minnesota officials and organizers gear up to fight Trump ending Somalis’ TPS
Though president’s order is legally questionable, advocates worry community could be targeted for immigration raids
Rachel Leingang in Minneapolis
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/25/minnesota-fight-trump-somalis-tps-order

Reith lecturer accuses BBC of censoring his remarks on Trump
Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed
Michael Savage Media editor
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/25/rutger-bregman-accuses-bbc-of-censoring-his-reith-lecture-on-trump

Italian man ‘dressed as dead mother in order to claim her pension’
Man from Borgo Virgilio investigated for benefit fraud and hiding body since woman’s death in 2022
Angela Giuffrida in Rome
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/25/italian-man-dressed-as-dead-mother-in-order-to-claim-her-pension

What happened at Fox News after the 2020 election? Documents reveal new details
Tens of thousands of documents were released as part of Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit against the network
Jeremy Barr
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/24/fox-news-coverage-2020-election-documents-key-takeaways

Frances McDormand on her adult-sized cradle art project: ‘It’s not performative, it’s experiential’
Three-time Oscar winner has joined forces with conceptual artist Suzanne Bocanegra for an exhibition inspired by the Shakers
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/25/frances-mcdormand-adult-cradle-art

‘A nucleus of a community’: the five-hour stage play about Dungeons & Dragons
In Initiative, a group of young people in the early 2000s finds themselves via the role-playing game, the latest example of its undying popularity
Jesse Hassenger
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/nov/25/dungeons-and-dragons-play-initiative

EU court rules entire bloc must respect same-sex marriages in rebuke to Poland
Couple who married in Germany had their right to a ‘normal family life’ impeded, court of justice finds
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/25/eu-respect-same-sex-marriages-court-rules-rebuke-poland

Posted by Sarah

https://reactormag.com/must-read-short-speculative-fiction-october-2025/

https://reactormag.com/?p=831996

Books Short Fiction Spotlight

Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: October 2025

This month’s short fiction recommendations include ghosts and grief, recipes and multiverses…

By Alex Brown

Published on November 25, 2025

Covers of three SFF short fiction magazines and stories

No themes for this spotlight, only vibes. I’m too tired for themes. My brain is goo and my energy level is negative 62. October sucked the life outta me, y’all. These are the ten science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories I read last month that managed to break through the noise.

“Affinity Gradient” by Miah O’Malley

“It had been two years since Ori’s burial, and her tree was thriving.” Dr Kar Reul is studying changes in a tree after her human love is buried in its roots. Most trees bound up with a human, their “anomalies” fade over time, but Ori’s seem to be getting stronger. Kar doesn’t know if she’s imagining these changes or if it’s really Ori in some new form trying to send a message. A compelling story about grief and loss. (Phano—October 2025; issue 10)

“Ghosts of Summer” by Catherine Tavares

Tavares jumps around in time with her story about two people summoning ghosts as a sort of supernatural air conditioner during the heat of summer. It starts off rather playful, just two people playing around with necromancy. The ghosts are not bound by the linearity of time, which leads to a shocking revelation. The narrative is little vignettes from different days over the course of a long summer, including their temperatures, so that by the time the temperature dips, you know something very bad has happened. (Apex Magazine—October 2025; issue 151)

“Knife Plus” by Tracie McBride

The first of two stories on this list with an inanimate thing as the protagonist. In this case, it is, of course, a knife. “Knife does not exist on its own. It is always Knife plus. Knife in forge. Knife on bench. Knife in hand. Knife in flesh.” Things take a, ahem, sharp turn toward the end of this flash fiction story when Knife realizes it isn’t just for butchering meat. The story cuts to the bone, figuratively and literally. (Fantasy Magazine—Autumn 2025; issue 98)

“Mother Tongue” by Pooja Joshi

I’ve read a lot of short stories about language loss, but this is the first where the language itself is the narrator. Here, a language brought to a new land slumbers and wakes as the few remaining speakers pick it up on and off through their lives. It’s a bittersweet look at the cultural costs of colonization, assimilation, and immigration. But Joshi also uses the words “slumber” and “sleep,” reminding us that even though our cultures can be lost, sometimes we can regain them, even if only in fragments. (Augur—October 2025; issue 8.2)

“Phantom View” by John Wiswell

The narrator, the son of a man on hospice, discovers a vaguely human-shaped “rusty orange-and-black blurry streak” that is visible only through a digital screen. While he tries to balance his dying father’s medical care and his own needs as a disabled person with shifting mobility issues, he finds a strange sort of comfort in the presence of this entity. He reaches out to the being, and the response is not what he expects. The entity felt a little like an analogy to a neurodivergent person who was non-verbal, someone whose perception of the world and ways of interacting with others differs from what is more common, but that also doesn’t make their needs or ways of expression any less valid. It’s always nice to have a story about the complexities of being disabled run through the speculative lens. (Reactor—October 22, 2025)

“The Pretendian” by Jason Pearce

This was so interesting! The protagonist of this story, a man calling himself Leroy Whiskeyjack, claims to be Lakota. But it’s not that simple. I’ll let you discover for yourself what the twist is on this story. All I’ll say is that when I finished I was thinking a lot about identity, culture, and cultural appropriation. This is The Deadlands, so get ready for blood and bones. (The Deadlands—Fall 2025; issue 40)

“Singularities” by Cressida Roe

This is a story about stories. It’s also a clever use of the multiverse trope. A man lives his life non-linearly. Sometimes he meets a woman, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he rescues her, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes they lie in bed together, sometimes he’s alone. But always their stories circle back to each other. Will he ever be able to grab a hold of her and not let go? Which version of their endless lives is the real one? Does it matter? (Kaleidotrope—Autumn 2025)

“Soul Food” by C. M. Harmon

Family recipes aren’t just about the food. They carry our history and heritage, our stories and dreams. In Harmon’s piece, the protagonist summons the Crossroads Man in a last-ditch attempt to save their grandmother’s life. The price? A prized family recipe for candied yams. But it’s more than just some side dish. “No one in the family knows where the recipe came from. My grandma insisted it was old when her grandma passed it to her. And not too far past that, our family history drops off into the jagged-toothed maw that was slavery. Where some families have black and white photos and ship manifests, we have that recipe.” Giving up the yams means losing much of what the protagonist is trying to save. What will they choose? (FIYAH—Winter 2025; issue 36)

“The Superposition of Ramen” by Jed Looker

“For now, let us simply speak from your subjective standpoint. It is sometime in the early 21st century and you are reading what we understand to be a highly regarded science-fiction and fantasy magazine.” Okay, lol, you got my attention. The penultimate On Spec before it shutters forever is full of excellent stories, but this was my favorite. I will tell you nothing about it at all except it involves alternate timelines, aliens, and the life-altering choice between “a French bistro and a Japanese noodle house.” A funny, clever tale. (On Spec—October 2025; issue 133)

“A Taxonomy of Extinct and Extant Birds of the Twenty-First Century” by A.P. Golub

I love an unusual narrative format, and this piece is a good example of why. It’s structured as little snippets on various birds, and written in second person POV. Each segment tells the reader a little about the “you” in this story, about their meet-cute, marriage, and that person’s eventual illness. And because it’s a Reckoning joint, there’s a strong throughline of environmental commentary. (Reckoning—Fall 2025)[end-mark]

The post Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: October 2025 appeared first on Reactor.

https://reactormag.com/must-read-short-speculative-fiction-october-2025/

https://reactormag.com/?p=831996

Posted by Sarah

https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/

https://reactormag.com/?p=832031

Books Reading The Wheel of Time

Reading The Wheel of Time:The Gathering Storm (Part 9)

Egwene and Gawyn examine the division of the White Tower…

By Sylas K Barrett

Published on November 25, 2025

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Sarah</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/">https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=832031">https://reactormag.com/?p=832031</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/books/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Books 0"> Books </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/reading-the-wheel-of-time/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Reading The Wheel of Time 1"> Reading The Wheel of Time </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Reading The Wheel of Time:<i>The Gathering Storm</i> (Part 9)</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">Egwene and Gawyn examine the division of the White Tower…</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/kjbarrett/" title="Posts by Sylas K Barrett" class="author url fn" rel="author">Sylas K Barrett</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on November 25, 2025 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div 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fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img decoding="async" width="740" height="407" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-740x407.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Reading The Wheel of Time on Tor.com: The Gathering Storm" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-740x407.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-768x422.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12.png 951w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>This week on <a href="https://reactormag.com/columns/reading-the-wheel-of-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reading the Wheel of Time</a>, we will visit Egwene in the White Tower and then Gawyn in Dorlan, as each learns a little more about the Aes Sedai and how the rest of the White Tower work. Egwene makes progress in her mission to save the Tower, and Gawyn learns a little about Egwene’s fate. It’s chapter 12 and 13 of <em>The Gathering Storm</em>!</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" /> <p>In the White Tower, Egwene has been summoned for lessons by Bennae Nalsad. She is puzzled why Bennae would summon her a second time—sisters never ask to give her more than one lesson. Under the cover of testing Egwene’s ability to think like an Aes Sedai and manage difficult situations, Bennae basically admits that she has gotten in trouble for asking about the Thirteenth Depository, something she was not supposed to know about. Egwene deftly deduces why Bennae’s superiors might be alarmed that someone found out a secret she should not, and gives Beanne a clever and diplomatic way of handling the situation.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>“I am always willing to help, Bennae,” Egwene said in a softer voice, turning back to her tea. “In, of course, hypothetical situations.” For a moment, Egwene worried that she’d gone too far in calling the Brown by her name. However, Bennae met her eyes, then actually went so far as to bow her head just slightly in thanks.</p></blockquote></figure> <p>Leaving Bennae’s quarters, Egwene finds a novice waiting with a summons to Nagora, a White Sitter, in which she is presented with a very similar test about managing an aging Warder. Next, she is summoned to Suana Dragand, who tests her on healing weaves and remarks that the Yellows would very much like to have Egwene in their ranks.</p> <p>Cautiously, Egwene asks Suana about the division between the Ajahs, and pushes her to start trying to do something about it with the other Sitters. Suana is reluctant to accept Egwene’s advice, but she doesn’t give Egwene punishment for calling Suana by her first name.</p> <p>Finally, she meets with Meidani, who attempts to resist regarding Egwene as Amyrlin. Egwene’s stronger will quickly wins out, however, and she begins to question Meidani about why she remained in the Tower after the identity of the rebel spies was discovered, and why she takes dinner with Elaida so frequently. When Meidani’s answers are unsatisfactory, Egwene begins to suspect that the Three Oaths are somehow involved. Attempting to circumvent these, she asks if Meidani can <em>show</em> Egwene why she cannot leave the Tower. After some hesitation, Meidani decides she might be able to.</p> <p>Since they cannot leave together without raising the suspicion of Egwene’s guards or members of the Red Ajah, she decides she must trust Meidani with the secret of Traveling. After Meidani assures her that she accepts Egwene’s leadership and promises not to share what Egwene reveals to her without Egwene’s permission, Egwene demonstrates the weave to make a gateway. Meidanai is strong enough to replicate the weave and open a gateway, and after expressing surprise at how easy it was to accept Egwene’s leadership, she takes Egwene through it.</p> <p>Egwene is surprised when she emerges in a disused corridor deep in the Tower, and more surprised when Meidani warns her that what she encounters may be dangerous. </p> <p>She knocks on a door and Warder answers, clearly surprised to see Egwene. Inside, Egwene finds four sitters, all of different Ajahs. They are shocked and upset that Meidani has managed to circumvent her oath, and begin to upbraid her, while Egwene is switched with air for speaking without leave. Egwene figures out that Meidani has been given a fourth oath, and is appalled.</p> <p>As the discussion continues, Egwene persists in speaking as an authority and demanding answers from the others, forcing them to meet her and debate that subject. Realizing that Saerin is the leader of the group, she focuses on her, and Saerin proceeds to use logic to explain to Egwene why she cannot be Amyrlin. But Egwene refutes every point, ending with the fact that one of the Sitters who voted to dispose Elaida has turned out to be a member of the Black, therefore rendering her vote invalid. Since Siuan was deposed by the bare minimum of Sitters required, that makes the unseating stilling of Siuan, and the murder of her Warder, an unlawful act.</p> <p>They are forced to concede her point, and Egwene presses the matter by pointing out that they are all serving the shadow as long as they remain divided. After making Meidani confirm in front of the others that she accepts Egwene as Amyrlin and will follow her orders, Egwene declares:</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>“I charge you, then, to continue your work with these women. They are not our enemies and they never were. Sending you back as a spy was a mistake, one I wish I’d been able to stop. Now that you are here, however, you can be of use. I regret that you must continue your performance before Elaida, but I commend you for your courage in that regard.”</p></blockquote></figure> <p>Egwene asks if they have the oath rod with them now, and is disappointed that they don’t. Still, she charges them to obtain it as soon as possible and to remove the fourth oath of obedience from Meidani. Saerin only answers that they will consider it, prompting Egwene to tell them that the Hall will eventually be told what they did, and that she would like to tell the Hall that they were not seeking Power.</p> <p>With a parting shot about them being able to summon her if they want to talk and a mention of her ability to Travel, Egwene leaves, followed by Meidani, who expresses astonishment over Egwene’s success when she should have been “strung up by [her] heels and howling.”</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>“They are too wise for that,” Egwene said. “They’re the only ones in this blasted Tower—besides maybe Silviana—who have anything resembling heads sitting atop their shoulders.” <br><br>“Silviana?” Meidani asked with surprise. “Doesn’t she beat you every day?”<br><br>“Several times a day,” Egwene said absently. “She’s very dutiful, not to mention thoughtful. If we had more like her, the Tower wouldn’t have gotten to this state in the first place.”</p></blockquote></figure> <p>As they head back, Meidani remarks that Egwene really <em>is</em> the Amyrlin.</p> <p>In Dorlan, Gawyn is sparring against two Warders, Sleete and Marlesh. Sleete is a very skilled swordsman while Marlesh is a serviceable one, but Gawyn beats them in the fight, as he has the previous two times they have sparred. Sleete extends him quiet respect, while Marlesh suggests that they find Gawyn a sword with a Heron mark on it. Gawyn insists that he is not a Blademaster. Marlesh countered by reminding him that he killed Hammar, and that he should have taken that Blademaster’s sword when Hammar fell.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>“It wasn’t respectful,” Gawyn said. “Besides, I didn’t have time to claim prizes.” Marlesh laughed, as if at a joke, though Gawyn hadn’t intended one. He glanced over at Sleete, who was watching him with curious eyes. </p></blockquote></figure> <p>Once Marlesh has gone off with his Aes Sedai, Sleete takes Gawyn aside and tells him about how, despite being a Green, his Aes Sedai, Hattori, only has one Warder. Sleete tells Gawyn that Hattori asked Sleete to be the one to look for men worthy enough to join them, and Sleete has finally found a man he would like to add to the team—Gawyn himself.</p> <p>Gawyn is flattered but reminds Sleete that his loyalty is to Andor. Sleete counters that Gawyn has served the White Tower and fought with the Warders, and that he is one of them now. He also suggests that, to have Gawyn, Hattori would move to Caemlyn.</p> <p>Gawyn agrees to think over the offer, then sets one of the Younglings to keep watch for anyone coming by and proceeds to cautiously ask Sleete what he thinks of what happened in the Tower. Sleete replies that it is bad, that Aes Sedai should never fight Aes Sedai and Warder should never fight Warder. When Gawyn presses him, Sleete tells Gawyn that there are wise heads in the Tower, who will eventually do the right thing and end the division—with fighting if necessary, hopefully another way. He tells Gawyn that nothing is worth this division.</p> <p>He also admits that Hattori doesn’t have much influence in among the Aes Sedai, but that she didn’t like the feel of the White Tower and so volunteered for the mission to al’Thor, not knowing what it was really about. She just didn’t want to be in the Tower.</p> <p>He also tells Gawyn that Hammar would have understood why Gawyn made the choices that he made, and that they were both doing their duty and that there were no good decisions to make that day.</p> <p>Gawyn is left pondering this, and is even tempted to agree to be bonded by Hattori, but he knows that he could never be happy as a Warder, except if he was Warder to Egwene. And Gawyn doesn’t trust Aes Sedai, even if he has supported him.</p> <p>After briefly trying to get into a meeting of the high-ranking Aes Sedai and being refused, Gawyn finishes inspecting his men, thinking about how he only supported Elaida because of the way Siuan treated Egwene and Elayne. But he has to ask himself if Elaida would treat them any better.</p> <p>Gawyn is shocked when he runs into Katerine Alruddin, who left the camp for the White Tower a week ago. He overhears part of her conversation with some other sisters about the wilder Accepted that the rebels made a fake Amyrlin, and how the girl had been captured and “made to howl every day.” And then he hears the name “al’Vere.”</p> <p>He stops Katerine, asking with as much respect as his stunned mind can manage for her to tell him about the rebel Amyrlin. Katerine confirms the name, and Gawyn also learns that Traveling has been rediscovered—this is how Katerine returned to Dorlan without anyone knowing, and is presumably how Gareth Bryne’s army is supplying itself.</p> <p>But all Gawyn can think about is how Egwene has been captured, and is being tortured and probably stilled. How she will soon be executed. He realizes he has to go to her, and he can’t let any of the Younglings knows what he is doing—they will remain loyal to the Aes Sedai over him, if forced to choose.</p> <p>He uses going on a routine inspection of the outer camp as cover for his departure, and his own lieutenants believe him, although the protest his going alone. But Sleete appears as Gawyn is saddling his horse, and makes it clear that he knows what Gawyn is really doing.</p> <p>Gawyn knows that Sleete could stop him if he wanted to—Gawyn might best him in a fight, but even if he killed Sleete, the fighting would draw the attention of others. He asks why Sleete isn’t trying to stop him.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>“Perhaps I just like to see men care,” Sleete said. “Perhaps I hope you’ll find a way to help end this. Perhaps I am feeling lazy and sore with a bruised spirit from so many defeats. May you find what you seek, young Trakand.” And with a rustle of the cloak, Sleete withdrew, fading into the darkness of oncoming night.<br><br>Gawyn slung himself into his saddle. There was only one place he could think to go for help in rescuing Egwene. </p></blockquote></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" /> <p>Okay but <em>where is that</em>?</p> <p>Rude little cliffhanger there, Sanderson.</p> <p>The only thing I can think of is… is Gawyn going to the rebel camp? Since he has learned that they made Egwene their Amyrlin, even if he thinks that they are using her and treating her badly, they would still ostensibly want her back, and I can’t think of any other allies Gawyn would have access to. He doesn’t know that Elayne has taken the throne, and she’s too far away anyway, and the only other person who might theoretically want to fight the White Tower to save Egwene is Rand. And I can’t see Gawyn believing that Rand would protect Egwene—he clearly believes that Egwene doesn’t understand that Rand has changed, and is only sticking to his promise out of loyalty to her, not because he thinks there is a chance she might be right that Rand isn’t the villain he appears to be, and actually didn’t kill Morgase.</p> <p>Gosh, it sure would be useful if Morgase revealed herself again. I don’t know what it would take for her to feel safe doing that. She might want to wait until she with someone she knows—even if Perrin and Faile seem like good, trustworthy people, revealing her identity is still something of a risk, and after everything she has been through, she will probably only feels safe when she is back in Caemlyn and Elayne’s rule is solid and secure.</p> <p>In any case, I’ve been reflecting this week on how, even though we didn’t really learn anything in chapter 13 about Gawyn that we didn’t already know, this was the first chapter that really made me feel like I understood, and could empathize with, his perspective and struggles.</p> <p>I think this is because of the way the tight POV often gives us an unreliable narrator. For me, at least, it’s easy to forget how little information Gawyn has, even post Dumai’s Wells, about the division in the White Tower and the current politics. With the exception of how obvious it is that Elaida is trying to kill off the Younglings, he has no context to understand why Siuan made the choices she did, or why she was deposed, or how the Aes Sedai are viewing this civil war within the Tower. </p> <p>As a reader, I find it easy to get frustrated when characters don’t have access to the information we have, and that has been especially true of Gawyn, since both his hatred of Suian and his belief that Rand killed his mother are completely reasonable from his point of view, but so unreasonable with just a little bit of context that he doesn’t have access to.</p> <p>This theme of access to information (and lack thereof) is a huge one in <em>The Wheel of Time</em>. And when it comes to the division in the White Tower, it’s easy (for me, anyway) to forget how little even most Aes Sedai know about what happened. It really helped me have a nuanced perspective when Egwene pointed out the dangers of conducting important business like the removal of an Amyrlin in secret. For me, this really threw into relief how confusing the whole experience would have been for <em>anyone</em> not involved in the secret meeting of the Sitters to decide Suian’s deposal. It isn’t just that Aes Sedai who were out of the Tower don’t know the context Siuan’s removal or why half the Tower reacted violently against it—most of the sisters in the Tower during the fighting wouldn’t have understood what happened, and would have been required to make a very quick decision, in some cases after the fighting had already broken out, about who to trust and who to support, which is part of the reason that some of the split ran along Aah lines—no Red was going to question if Elaida was raised legally, and no Blue was going to believe that Siuan’s deposal was justified or fair.</p> <p>We saw a bit of what that experience would have been like during the chapter in which it happened, because much of it was seen through Min’s eyes. But Min isn’t Aes Sedai, so I think it was still easy to discount how bewildering the situation was for most of the sisters themselves, and even moreso for their Warders and for the other members of the Tower, like the Guards and the Younglings.</p> <p>It gives me a lot more empathy for the undecided sisters, those who were out of the Tower when the devision occurred and who are now trying to wait out the conflict without taking sides. We have seen Elayne and Nynaeve get frustrated, asking themselves how any of them could still be considering siding with Elaida, and while I think there is a point at which the undecided sisters do have a moral obligation to learn as much as they can so they can make a choice and help restore the White Tower, I can understand much better the difficulty of their position now than I could when I was in Nynaeve or Elyane’s perspective. Or when I am in the perspective of any of the other rebel Aes Sedai, for that matter.</p> <p>Sleete’s conversation with Gawyn is actually the first time we’ve gotten a clear idea of how the Warders felt about what happened, and it was very poignant how closely his sentiments echoed those Egwene expressed to the Black Ajah hunters. The Warders know even less about why the conflict erupted than the average Aes Sedai—most sisters don’t discuss Tower business with their Warders, and while I think most Warders are very loyal to the White Tower and all Aes Sedai, their first and primary loyalty and focus is to their personal sister—they follow her lead above all, even to the point of fighting against other Warders.</p> <p>We don’t get to see how painful that must have been for the Warders in question. As Gawyn is reflecting on Steele’s journey returning to his Aes Sedai after being injured at Dumai’s Wells, he thinks about how very few people ever know about the work Warders do, and that few of them are remembered, except by other Warders. “You [don’t] forget your own.”</p> <p>These Warders were called on to cut their brothers down, and while Gawyn’s guilt and grief is very real, it must have been so much worse for men who have lived in the White Tower side by side for years and years. Gawyn is a newcomer to the Tower, after all, and although he respected his teachers like Hammar, they weren’t his family.</p> <p>Sleete sees the fighting and division of the Tower as one of the worst things that could happen, but he doesn’t seem to hold any grudges. His desire is the same as Egwene’s—to see the White Tower reunited and the two factions made friends and partners again. If that takes violence, then it must be done with violence, but the goal is not to punish the losing side for their transgressions. It is to make the White Tower truly whole, again.</p> <p>And perhaps that is the biggest argument for Elaida being removed from the Amyrlin Seat. Egwene’s argument that her raising was unlawful because at least one member of the Black Ajah was involved in her raising is a great weapon because of how important Tower law is to the Aes Sedai, but the best moral augment is that Elaida wants to continue dividing the Aes Sedai. No sister should be okay with an entire Ajah being dissolved. No sister should accept an Amyrlin demoting a full Aes Sedai back to being an apprentice. If Egwene offers a true reunification, than for the good of the White Tower and the world, it feels like the duty of every Aes Sedai to choose her path over Elaida’s, whether or not Elaida was raised legally or not.</p> <p>Honestly, given the state of the White Tower, I’d argue that there is more than enough grounds to depose Elaida legally, if that was an option the current Sitters in the Tower wanted to pursue.</p> <p>In any case, I was very moved by the way that Steele expressed a confidence in the Aes Sedai’s ability to do the right thing and to get through this trial, a faith in the White Tower to heal itself. And when it comes to Gawyn, I’ve been sympathetic to his struggle to come to terms with his actions during the fighting, especially his guilt over killing the Warders, but his sections have overall felt a little silly to me, because it feels so obvious to me, the readers that Elaida is terrible and that she is trying to get rid of the Younglings. His sections always felt a bit whiney to me, but I think I’ve been too hard on the guy. He was thrust into a dangerous and confusing position and made the best guess he could and he’s had to live with those consequences ever since.</p> <p>I really appreciated Steele taking the time to absolve him for Hammar’s death—Steele himself probably killed Warders that day, and he understands that neither he, nor any of the other Warders, nor Gawyn and his Younglings were responsible for what happened that day. Hopefully, letting go of that guilt will allow Gawyn to see a little more clearly, and he won’t feel like he has to stay on the path he has chosen because abandoning it would mean that he was wrong to fight Hammar.</p> <p>Gawyn reflects that he could never be a Warder except to Egwene, but I don’t know how he could be Warder to an Aes Sedai <em>and </em>first prince of the sword, unless he was Warder to Elayne. Steele makes the point that Hattori would go to Andor if it meant bonding Gawyn, but there would still be a conflict of interest, and I can’t see how Gawyn could manage two dueling loyalties that way.</p> <p>Speaking of Hattori, she is another example of a sister with less power who is overlooked due to the Aes Sedai hierarchy system, and I am kind of in love with her and Steele. Their circumstances are different, but there is something that reminds me of Moiraine and Lan, and I’d happily read a whole book just about Hattori and Steele having adventures.</p> <p>Also the point that Hattori felt the dark influences in Tower and wanted to get away from them is <em>fascinating</em>.</p> <p>Egwene’s journey in Chapter 12 was also fascinating. We got to see her display her skills in leadership and diplomacy, which we have seen before but have always felt a bit secondary, in my eyes, to her strength of will and strength in the Power. We see her able to use logic as well as any White Sister, offer political and social guidance to women much older and more experienced than her, and deftly suss out the truth about Meidani and the secret cabal of Black Ajah hunters. I have so much empathy for Meidani and all the Salidar spies, caught by the hunt for Black Ajah members and forced to be bound by an oath of obedience. Obviously there is a difference of degree, but it’s impossible not to think of Galina’s despair as she was held by Therava. Especially in Meidani’s case, since she is being forced to be in proximity to Elaida, who is not unlike Therava when it comes to sadistic tendencies.</p> <p>I am really hopeful that Egwene’s involvement will help ease things for Meidani. She will still have to interact with Elaida, but if she feels like those sending her on such a dangerous mission actually have her back, that danger will feel very different, and she will perhaps be strengthened by Egwene’s faith in her and acknowledgement of her service.</p> <p>Egwene points out to Seaine, Doesine, Yukiri, and Saerin that “loyalty is better earned than forced,” and boy does that ever sum up the reason she is going to beat Elaida in the end. Beyond the fact that Egwene has a better idea of what needs to be done to deal with Rand and to prepare the White Tower for the Last Battle, beyond Elaida’s need for personal glory, beyond even her inability to see how those left in the Tower are being divided against each other to the point where the entire White Tower is about to fall apart for good, Elaida can only envisage commanding loyalty through punishment and decrees, up to the point that she is considering putting an oath to the Amyrlin in with the Three Oaths that sisters swear when they are raised. Elaida punishes and hounds and frightens and chases, Egwene <em>leads</em>.</p> <p>The Amyrlin is called Mother after all. She is not a monarch, or a general, or a dictator. She is the highest in the hierarchy of power, but she is meant to care for her daughters, to teach and guide them. And from everything we have seen, especially since she has been captured, Egwene is prepared to do just that.</p> <p>This, I think, is what Meidani is speaking about when she exclaims at the end of the chapter that Egwene really is the Amyrlin. Egwene is confused because Meidanai has already formally acknowledged this fact and agreed to obey her as the Amuyrlin, but that was because Meidani had little choice, and because she was maneuvered into accepting the logic and lawfulness of Egwene’s position. Egwene’s ability and desire to care for her people, however, is a completely different and higher aspect of being Amyrlin, as is her ability to understand what truely makes the White Tower.</p> <p>Egwene’s readiness to praise Silviana for doing here duty, even though it comes at a personal cost to Egwene, shows how she can rise above petty feelings of injury and vengeance and put the good of the Tower before all, and <em>that</em> is what Meidani is awed by.</p> <p>Looks like the secret about Traveling is finally out of the bag, though. Katerine is teaching it to the sisters in Dorlan to help deal with Bryne and the rebel army, and it’s not going to take very long for everyone else to learn it, I think. Elaida’s followers knowing how to Travel isn’t great for Egwene and the rebels, but I can’t help thinking about how the Seanchan have captured Aes Sedai who know about Traveling, which means that they almost certainly have it or will have it shortly.</p> <p>Since we know that Egwene’s dreams are always true, this means that the Seanchan are going to attack the White Tower, and I’m sure they will do so using Traveling. The Tower Aes Sedai knowing Traveling can’t stop the Seanchan from having that advantage, but perhaps they will be able to better maneuver if they have the weave as well.</p> <p>Gosh, I really am worried about that attack. I don’t want to see even one more woman collared by the Seanchan, and I know that they will be. I’m still really upset about the Wise Ones Tylee carried off.</p> <p>Speaking of Wise Ones, it looks like Cadusane is going to be calling in Sorelia to help in the interrogation of Semirhage in chapter 14, and I think that is going to be really, really interesting to read. And then we’ll be checking in with Rand again in chapter 15.</p> <p>I hope everyone has a great week, and I’ll see you next time![end-mark]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/">Reading The Wheel of Time:<i>The Gathering Storm</i> (Part 9)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/">https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-the-gathering-storm-part-9/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=832031">https://reactormag.com/?p=832031</a></p>

All of Gene Stratton Porter’s books are An Experience, and The Harvester is no exception. At the beginning of the book, the Harvester has just posed to his dog (his sole companion) his yearly question: shall I get married this year?

He is appalled when the dog signifies a resounding YES! So he sits on his stoop, staring over the lake and sulking about how he’ll have to go COURTING and put on clean CLOTHES and she probably won’t like his CABIN, when out of the moonlight on the water a vision appears: a beautiful girl, glowing in gold, who floats across the lake to him, plants a kiss on his lips, and disappears.

Charged with this vision of the Girl, the Harvester begins to build a proper house for her. “Going to get married?” the builders ask. “Yep!” says the Harvester, who has not yet met the Dream Girl in the flesh.

(A sidenote: the Harvester and the Girl do eventually get names, but the narrative mostly refers to them as the Harvester and the Girl and so will I.)

The Harvester, by the way, is named for his profession of gathering medicinal herbs from the woods. Over the past decade, he has slowly transplanted to his woods medicinal herbs from the surrounding area, so the whole forest is one great medicinal garden where these plants can grow to their full medicinal potential in natural conditions.

But to return to our story. A few months later, the Harvester at last catches sight of the Girl at the local railway station! After a protracted search, he finds her staying at the home of her uncle, the Harvester’s most perfidious neighbor. To rescue her from this uncle (and after suggesting various other solutions to the problem of getting her away from this uncle, like sending the girl who is very ill to the hospital), the Harvester asks the Girl to marry him.

“YES we are going in for some FORCED PROXIMITY” I shrieked, and OH BOY ARE WE. The Girl moves into the Harvester’s house! The Harvester promises that she shall be free until she comes to love him! The book is about as forthright as a book in 1911 can be that this means the marriage will remain unconsummated until the Girl feels a reciprocal, passionate sexual love for the Harvester.

But the Girl’s ill health catches up with her. She is sick with Fever, that convenient early-20th century literary disease so conducive to hurt/comfort. In her delirium only the Harvester’s touch can soothe her. (GSP knows what the people want and she is GIVING it to us.) He strokes her hands and tells her of the beautiful life of the woods, tethering her to this world with the sound of his voice! When medicine gives her up for dead, he cures her with a natural elixir made from the medicinal plants grown on his land!!!!

The Girl is now passionately attached to him, and during her convalescence there’s lots of cuddling and hand-kissing. But she’s still not sexually attracted to him. At this point her mother’s relations conveniently appear, and she’s whisked off to a round of Society in Philadelphia, at which point the Harvester wearily confides to his friends that she loves him but she doesn’t LOVE love him, at which point they roundly scold him: doesn’t he know that a good girl won’t LOVE love him till after the wedding night? It’s up to him to teach her what passion is!

This is a common nineteenth-century idea, and GSP both kind of embraces and repudiates it. On the one hand, there’s all this cuddling and hand-kissing and face-kissing and that times the Harvester gives her a single passionate kiss on the lips just to show her the difference between that and the kiss of sisterly affection she gave him, and what can you call that but coaxing along the growing tendrils of the Girl’s sexuality?

But in the end, the Harvester’s decision to let her go and see if absence will make the heart grow fonder is vindicated. The Girl does come back to him from Philadelphia: she did realize, on her own, that she now passionately loves him, and it does give her that flush of warm sensation that he tried to describe. She comes to him through the moonlight, sitting by the lake, and at last plants her kiss on his lips.

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Posted by Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/dutch-regulators-tell-tesla-fans-to-stuff-it.html

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After Elon Musk sicced his fanbois on Dutch transit officials, the RDW calmly asked everyone to take their fingers off the keyboard and stop being weird. It turns out that flooding a European government agency with emojis and entitlement doesn't fast-track your illegal and deadly driving software. — Read the rest

The post Dutch regulators tell Tesla fans to stuff it appeared first on Boing Boing.

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Posted by Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/with-cnn-in-their-sights-the-ellisons-ask-trump-who-to-axe.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098766

Leading the rightwing media consolidation craze, Larry and David Ellison are taking their orders from the White House and Donald Trump himself. With CBS already bleeding out and TikTok in their sights, they're now pondering a CNN makeover.

The Ellisons have since set their sights on Warner Brothers, CNN, and HBO.

— Read the rest

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Posted by Sarah

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https://reactormag.com/?p=831980

Books Science Fiction

Consider Setting Your Space Operas on Saturn

…or more precisely, on one of its many, many moons!

By James Davis Nicoll

Published on November 25, 2025

Credit: GSFC/NASA

Credit: GSFC/NASA

It’s fashionable amongst persons of a certain age to moan about how the future has not lived up to expectations, how children are rude and everyone is writing a book, or how goods and services provided today are inferior to those provided forty years ago¹. However, there is one aspect of our future that everyone I queried agreed has delivered beyond expectations (at least, once it became clear that was the most efficient way to end the conversation). That’s the state of planetary science.

There was a lamentable period between July 1965 (when Mariner 4 arrived at Mars) and March 1979 (when Voyager 1 arrived at Jupiter) in which the impression given by our space probes was of a dead, boring Solar System. The Moon was an airless dead rock, Mars was a nearly airless dead rock, Venus was an overheated dead rock, Mercury admittedly had a fascinating spin-orbit resonance but was still a dead rock.

Furthermore, the impression given wasn’t just of a dead Solar System, but a static death. Terms like “primordial” were thrown around. The Solar System wasn’t just dead—it had been dead and unchanging for billions of years. I can tell you, this was a major bummer for anyone who was, as I was, a kid in the 1960s and 1970s.

Once the images of Jupiter’s moons began trickling in, at a hilariously low baud rate, that changed. Jupiter’s moons were clearly dynamic worlds. Europa, at least, seemed to have a subsurface ocean. Our understanding of the Solar System was transformed, a process that is ongoing.

A convenient example of the pace of revelation would be John Varley’s 1979 Titan, whose plot is set in motion by the discovery in 2025 of a twelfth Saturnian moon. Unfortunately for Varley, the twelfth Saturnian moon is not a vast alien habitat suitable for thrilling adventures, as we learned when it was discovered just a year later, in 1980, along with two more moons. Even more moons followed.

In March 2025, the number of moons known to be orbiting Saturn jumped from 146²—already far more than Jupiter’s 97—to 274, thanks to the discovery of 128 previously undetected small moons. I am going to go out on a limb here and speculate that there are probably a metric whackload of small bodies that have yet to be spotted. Further, given that Saturn already has so many more known moons than Jupiter (even though Jupiter is much closer to us, which makes spotting Jovian moons easier) Saturn will probably be able to keep its lead³.

So, what does that matter to hard-working science fiction fans and writers? Aside from the sheer awesomeness of Saturn’s moon system, Saturn, or at least its moons, have tremendous potential, from a space opera perspective.

As you may recall from this semi-recent essay, space operas seem to require a multiplicity of worlds and a certain grandeur of scale. However, as I pointed out in that essay, given judicious worldbuilding choices, the Solar System can provide that scale. Saturn alone can deliver that scale.

Some folks will point out that those new moons are fairly small; most of them are barely over 3+ km diameters. That’s quite true. However, even a dinky moon is large in human terms. If my slide rule does not betray me, a 3 km diameter ice moon might mass about 12 billion tonnes, or fifteen New York Cities. Put together, the newly discovered moons probably mass about two thousand New York Cities.

Many space opera worlds give the impression of being not much larger than a Paramount backlot. The area of fifteen New York Cities combined is generally held to be larger than a Paramount backlot. Even ignoring the large moons (and why would we?), there’s enough easily accessible material in the Saturn system to justify a vast constellation of space cities⁴, each one of a size around which authors can easily wrap their minds.

Rather conveniently for your budding space opera author, many Saturnian moons abound in organic material, which is to say, the stuff from which living organisms are made⁵. Many protagonists are living organisms, so it’s pretty handy to have organic matter from which to construct them. In fact, there are speculations that moons such as Enceladus and Titan might already have life-bearing oceans; science is still out on that.

Saturn’s orbital dynamics offer intriguing plot potential. First, getting from one moon to another moon demands only modest delta vees and for most of the major moons, modest travel times.

Second, because it is so far from the Sun, Saturn is isolated in terms of delta vee and travel time from the other planets. Getting around within Saturn’s moon system will always be inherently faster and easier than travelling to Jupiter or to the inner system. Therefore, Saturn’s penumbra is a natural region.

Third, while the largest of Saturn’s moons orbit share a common plane and direction, Saturn’s smaller, irregular, moons include a number of dynamic families, moons whose paths around Saturn are similar to the other members of the family but different from other moons. These may be remnants of bodies whose capture by Saturn was kinetically exciting. Examples include the Inuit group, the Gallic group, and various subgroups of the Norse group, such as the Phoebe and the Kari. Again, because travel within families will be easier than travel between families, those families represent natural divisions.

Granted, transportation barriers aren’t the only factor defining borders. Just ask Ireland or Korea.

Admittedly, there is one resource in which the Saturn moon system is deficient⁶: heavy elements. Materials readily on hand around Saturn are mostly lighter elements and their compounds. Still, Saturn seems adept at capturing passing objects and it would not be surprising if a handful of M-type asteroids had been captured. Scarce resources are, of course, the stuff of which plot-driving conflicts are made.

I would argue that Saturn’s moons appear to offer every detail essential to space opera, with the added benefit of allowing authors to delay writing by investing time in calculating orbital parameters. Plus, Saturn has those beautiful rings, a spectacle no other planet can match!⁷ So, if you’re considering writing a space opera, consider setting it around Saturn.

For an example that has personal relevance, old time appliances were often as durable as T-34s and about as energy efficient. ︎
Not counting the ring particles as individual moons, or the count would be considerably larger. Speaking of the rings, because they orbit within the Roche limit of a gas giant, their orbital velocity is high and therefore retrieving material from the rings would be difficult. Well, except for groups living in the rings themselves. I don’t know that a habitat in the middle of a region filled with small, extremely fast-moving objects would last all that long. Yeah, the rings are mostly orbiting in the same direction at roughly similar speeds, but it still seems like it would be like living in a revolving cement truck drum filled with gravel. Plus, Saturn’s main rings have “an energetic particle and gamma ray photon radiation environment” which may not appeal. We probably don’t have to worry about corporations strip-mining the rings. Worst-case scenario, artists might squabble over what colour to paint the rings. ︎
Jupiter has the lead with respect to giant moons, four to Saturn’s one. However, most of the Jovian giant moons are within Jupiter’s powerful Van Allen belts, where an unprotected human could receive a lethal radiation dose in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Although since the moons also don’t have atmospheres as such, an unprotected human would be doing very well not to die in the first minute or so anyway. Not to mention their tea would boil away in the vacuum. ︎
Without necessarily being fast. Saturn’s farthest moons have orbital periods in excess of four years. Assuming minimum energy transfer orbits, travel time could be measured in years. ︎
And which can also be used to make plastic, which I suspect will dominate building materials. ︎
Two, including the current lack of space habitats. Three, if fusion isn’t an option. The downside of being so far from the Sun is that solar power will be that much more difficult, although it should still be workable. ︎
The rings, being thin, are essentially invisible to co-planar moons. This constitutes full disclosure for real estate regulatory purposes. ︎

The post Consider Setting Your Space Operas on Saturn appeared first on Reactor.

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Posted by Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/secretary-of-war-says-boy-scouts-no-longer-manly-enough.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098762

After a century of boys tying knots and earning badges beside the U.S. military, Pete Hegseth is notifying Congress that the party is over. The War Secretary says the Scouts have traded merit for woke, and so the Pentagon's support is on the chopping block. — Read the rest

The post Secretary of War says Boy Scouts no longer manly enough appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/secretary-of-war-says-boy-scouts-no-longer-manly-enough.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098762

Posted by Jason Weisberger

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/landlord-giant-greystar-agrees-to-quit-the-rent%e2%80%91jacking-algorithm-game-for-now.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098760

In the midst of a housing crisis stemming from unaffordability, rents keep going up and up, and we wonder why. Turns out, a giant landlord named Greystar was quietly playing algorithmic chicken with the entire rental market, sharing competitor rent data, using AI tools to set prices, and basically mowing the lawn while the rest of us picked the weeds. — Read the rest

The post Landlord giant Greystar agrees to quit the rent‑jacking algorithm game (for now) appeared first on Boing Boing.

https://boingboing.net/2025/11/25/landlord-giant-greystar-agrees-to-quit-the-rent%e2%80%91jacking-algorithm-game-for-now.html

https://boingboing.net/?p=1098760

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