53180083351 [they/them]

Only a few more years with these parties in charge before the whole country floods and we all die. What is global warming even? According to these people it doesn't exist.

Thanks for the rec! I've only read (n adored) Reynolds' short stories. I've been dying to read anything like those.

I love sci fi because it's such a good space to explore ideas. Barring the blockbuster audience oriented stuff, I feel like a ton of stuff coming out right now is actually really progressive, morally. I've been listening to DUST, which has some really cool short stories. The one w this future where u can outsource even sleeping and shitting really stood out to me. Like, that's not even subtle.

Like people have said, le Guin, PKD and Asimov are always good. Huxleys brave new world and island could almost have been written today (were it not for his... Antiquated use of language? Regardless I love them deeply).

Also a shoutout to Terry Gilliam, for fixing 1984. I've never liked the book, but by changing the oppressive system to clearly represent capitalism, the whole bureaucratic hellscape thing makes wayyy more sense. Watch Brazil if you haven't. Or don't, I'm not ur mom n it's not everyone's cuppa tea.

I haven't slept for like 30hrs so maybe I'm rambling or not contributing much to the conversation but yea. Sci fi rocks. Always has. Frankenstein? Star trek? Based as fuck. Lotta lowest common denominator stuff out there right now but also looots of specialised good stuff. It's like music. Simple, easily digestible, non-offensive stuff sells.

Edit: I forgot to conclude this wall of text with The Point I Was Trying To Make: I feel like sci fi n spec fi are a rlly good avenue to gently lead common denominator folk who don't think about politics into leftism. Because the big n well known stuff is so centrist n "inoffensive", ppl can come to like the genre from anywhere, n then when they go in deeper, all the classics everybody keeps talking about r so clearly left leaning. Like simple allegories that can make anybody understand how our system is failing. Like sure, things like Robert Heinlein n Black Mirror are Conservative to say the least, but if they make ppl interested in actually thinking about concepts, they will land at Asimov sooner or later. Or maybe that's me being hopeful n utopian or some shit.

Dude ripped into 1984 w so much more eloquence than I ever could.

Is it good sci fi? No. But is it a good story? Also no. Well does it at least clearly portray an ideological viewpoint? Fuck no.

I love that article so much.

Super fair especially considering most ppl on here are Americans. In the EU liberals r considered center right. Dont worry though, our actual left wing parties suck too.

Do you consider jacob geller to be breadtube? I feel like his topics are fresh and relevant, though not always directly political. Check out "designed for violence" if you haven't.

Like i agree, dunking on the same three conservative idiots gets old p quickly, but there's also cool stuff out there.

As a European I feel uncomfortable w "Liberal" being the closest option? I was raised SocDem I guess. High school was horrible and the system crushed me before my life even really started. Punks were nice and seemed to see how shit was fucked up so I became an anarchist by a p young age.

Anyone else's parents make it seem like they used to be rlly radical n then turn out to be only center left ish? Rlly fucks me up that my mom used to talk about living in squats n protesting the gvmnt n then turn around n be like "racism is an evolutionary need, capitalism is Good, actually, n women just need to present as attractive to men to find happiness"

Man I know your struggle. I'm at 337 days sober right now, which is a personal record for me. It's been hard as fuck, especially the first couple months. I slept a lot.

Use any distraction you can get, in my case mainly reading and video games. Just whatever works for you. I've heard good things about AA groups, dumb as it might seem. But if you, like me, don't have the resources or stability to get help like that there's apps and/or websites. It sounds really stupid, but it keeps count of my streak and how much money I've saved, but more importantly: whenever I feel like I really need that drink I can open the app and read other people's experiences. Solidarity, even in this disconnected way, can help a lot.

Expanding on that, the last thing that really helped me might be the hardest: I stopped surrounding myself with people who didn't care/encouraged me to drink. I know it's scary, but be honest to your immediate circle about your problem and desire to quit. You'll see which people have your back and want to support you. If there's none, it might be time to find a new circle.

You can do this.

Edit: if it seems like too big and scary of an undertaking, quit for a week. When you survive, you might as well quit for another. You made it two weeks? Up that high score to a month! I'll be getting to a year soon, which means it's likely I'll make it to two.

Even if you fail, aim for a week again. It's stupid and shameful and resetting your count sucks, but self loathing is a bad excuse to spiral and I know you can do better.

I know somebody really cool who goes by "it".. Sort of a taking it back thing. Imo it's a valid option for people to pick themselves.