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day 1 at the communal puzzle club: i see a puzzle with a sign next to it that says "please help with our communal puzzle" and i say to myself "don't mind if I do" and did the whole thing

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people make fun of surgeons for being annoying and smug and such but i 100% get it. cutting up and putting together bodies all day, doing this fundamental transgressive act, cutting open flesh, for the sake of saving lives, fixing bodies, gaining esteem, and money. man its so cool

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when i was a kid i thought google maps was the coolest thing in the world. and now i just want to kill myself

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Life here I come - Sampsa Sarparanta, 2025.

Finnish, b. 1973 -

Oil on board , 122 x 182 cm.

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the way of the pipe

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hi bavitz, I'd be interested to hear what other webfiction you keep an eye on / recommend

I'm probably not as prolific a reader of web fiction as I should be. My reading has much more frequently tilted toward the classics, where there's a lot less of a need to sift large amounts of mediocrity for hidden gems. The way web fiction is monetized also encourages works that are absurdly long compared to conventional fiction. A million words seems to be the baseline for any big-name webfic; this is the equivalent of three 1,000-page novels. This length, it seems, is often accomplished via bloat rather than variety and depth of things to say, and it also makes actually engaging with these works a full-time job.

That said, here is a list of web fiction I've read that I would recommend to others:

The works of Nostalgebraist: He has four novels, all of which are worth reading. One of the most unique and fully realized voices in the webfic scene, especially with his later output (Almost Nowhere and Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen). The Northern Caves is his most notable and page-turning work.

Worth the Candle by Alexander Wales: Though a million+-worder (and currently stubbed for publication on Amazon), this is a pretty remarkable pinnacle of the LitRPG isekai genre that absolutely infests the mass-market male-readership webfic scene, using the genre as a vehicle for complex and at times harrowing personal introspection. The climax is incredible.

The Flower That Bloomed Nowhere by Lurina: Another million+-worder, this time in the vein of Umineko. An intersection between philosophical debate on the goals of medical science and a dissection of the meaning of personal identity. Currently ongoing.

Chili and the Chocolate Factory by Gazemaize: Really funny. Leans into the slasher horror aspect of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is good because slasher horror is the ultimate form of fiction.

Antilia by Pigoseg: Highly obscure author compared to the others on this list; they're on my radar because they originally wrote fanfiction of Fargo and Chicago. Antilia is their first original work, a short but perfectly-constructed story with an incredible concept. I currently have the first draft of their next novel, a Doki Doki Lit Club fanfic where Monika makes a society of clones of the other characters who then get into a race war, and so far it's shaping up to be even better. Name to watch out for.

CORDYCEPS by Benedict: Another short, tightly-constructed work with a lot of punch. Very strong emotional climax despite the more formalistic puzzlebox construction of the narrative.

Detective Pony by sonnetstuck: Modern Cannibals but more deeply rooted in academic postmodern thought.

How the Questing Beast Chased, and Caught, Her Own Tail by Avunvain: Very interesting prose stylist, which sets this work apart from a lot of the rest. A heady and psychological work that can take some close reading (and rereading) to parse, which is always a rewarding experience. It's Madoka Magica fanfic. Ongoing.

I'm probably forgetting something else (edit: I did, and edited it in) but this is a pretty good list. (I'd love to fill it with some more Fargo/Chicago fanfic like London but that'd probably be too self-indulgent.)

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When you can't sleep, it's crazy how many fears enter your mind. At around four o'clock in the morning, even the slightest thought can get a grip on my consciousness and work me into absolute fear. Did I really wire that lightswitch properly? Is my tax withholding correct? Have I neglected the investment potential in my home's equity? To solve this problem, I've invented an alarm clock that can't read four o'clock.

When the witching hour of fear approaches, it simply switches to 5 o'clock. At 5:59AM, it merely goes back to 5:00 and proceeds throughout the day as if nothing had happened. Really a very simple process, if you're the kind of person who rewires alarm clocks for fun already.

This might seem simple. In fact, to some of you, it might seem delusional. Surely, four o'clock still exists? And yet, we are dealing with an irrational series of late night fears. If I roll over, stone awake, and see that it is 5 o'clock, the brain does not immediately produce a bunch of bullshit fears. Instead, it goes "oh shit, we need to go back to sleep. Have to get up for work soon." I haven't slept better in years, and it's all thanks to my invention.

At sleep-theory conferences, where I present this magical device to thunderous applause, some sleep scientists ask me if just removing the clock altogether will have the same effect. No, because then the alarm doesn't go off, and I don't get to work on time. Then I eat an entire bag of Doritos for breakfast when I get up at 2:30 in the evening, and stay up until 4:00 in the morning. This is a more comprehensive problem, and is easily solved by getting an alarm clock that doesn't work very well.

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Ice station zebra, Charles Xelot

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in order to catch a break you have to think like a break

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i always feel bad listening to really politically articulate music while like. doing dishes. like i’m so sorry mr. daniel kahn sir i should probably be sitting at my desk taking notes while i’m listening to this but these plates need washed bad

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Steven Messam, “Pointed,” Mellerstain House and Gardens, Scotland

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When a piece of media's title consists of the names of its two leads, I feel like it makes a difference whether those names are conjoined with an ampersand, or whether they write out "and" in full. "A & B" versus "A and B" – these are fundamentally different species.

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how long i've been waiting

crumpled barns, texas, 1995 • nadav kander

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Where's it made? Who brought it here? How much were they paid? Who makes it? Is it made in separate parts and put together? How much were they all paid to do this? Where do they get the materials? Who paid for that? Who brings it there? How much were they paid? Who streamlined the base materials? How much were they paid? Who gathered the base materials? Where? How much were they paid? Is it good for them? Is it good for us? Is it good for the land? Is it necessary? Is it biodegradable? How much does it hurt? Do I need it? Do I even want it?