literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Bad Wolf, Planet-Hopping Dangers, and The Man Who Feels The Turn of the Earth -- the Ninth Doctor in Literature (2 of 2)
(Author's Note: the original article contained all 6 books in the run, but extended past the max word count. To fix this, the article has been split into two sections. Please read part 1 first, which can be found by clicking here. Thank you!)
By Justin von Bosau6 months ago in Geeks
Bad Wolf, Planet-Hopping Dangers, and The Man Who Feels The Turn of the Earth -- the Ninth Doctor in Literature (1 of 2)
In 2005, a young woman was almost killed at her department store job. She was looking for a coworker, a man named Wilson, and when she went to the basement to see if he was working on the electrical system of the building, she was followed by what just had to be a group of college students dressed as shop window dummies. Cornered, she shut her eyes, terrified as the plastic men advanced—and then, everything changed.
By Justin von Bosau6 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "A Hidden History of the Tower of London" by John Paul Davis (Pt. 2)
By the time we move into the new age of the Medieval sector we are made to realise by the author, how different Edward II is from his father, Edward I. If you know me then you'll know that I adore Edward II's era and love learning about who he was and what kind of person he became into his reign. I just think for a man who barely had any real training on kingship apart from war, he was dealt a pretty bad hand to begin with let alone, the fact that it would be in absolute ruins by the end of his reign. Under criticism from the horrid state the Tower was kept in, Edward didn't really carry out many repairs on it - Isabella gave birth there underneath a leaking roof dripping with rain. The author definitely makes the upkeep of the Tower seem almost reflective of Edward II's reign. There was no upkeeop and that is where this is heading.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "A Hidden History of the Tower of London" by John Paul Davis (Pt. 1). Top Story - April 2026.
Rating: 5/5 - what a wicked way to begin a book about one of the most intriguing buildings in the whole country! In the introduction, we are aptly brought into the world of the Tower of London and get to see why it was built in the first place. John Paul Davis teaches us about its Norman History and how nobody had yet seen anything quite like it in the country. It was changed and changed again until being really completed in the 14th century. Though it is a bit here and there about what exactly it was used for - John Paul Davis definitely makes it one of the most interesting and fun topics to learn about when it comes to the history of one of the most enigmatic cities of the world. It has been directly and indirectly involved with so much, there are the crown jewels kept there but there are also engraved names on the stone showing us the horrors of those who were housed there, awaiting execution. I think the author does well of explaining of how this book means 'so many things to so many people' as he says himself in the text.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Arguably" by Christopher Hitchens (Pt. 5)
The section opens with an essay on the revolutionary Victor Serge, in which Hitchens discusses the origins of the word Totalitarian which Serge credits himself with creating. Serge's life and political 'career' (if you can call being imprisoned a career) was under the Stalinist regime he was so critical of. A man who clearly understood the word Totalitarian, I'm not sure he is the one who created it. Adapting a word and creating its use are two different things and I cannot see words like that being created so recently. Even though Hitchens uses Orwell's creation of the term 'Cold War' to denote how recent things are, I am still on the fence about the Totalitarian fact. This is by no means the only thing the essay is about, but it was the only fact presented to me that I showed concern towards.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Arguably" by Christopher Hitchens (Pt. 4)
The section entitled Offshore Accounts is one that (I have to say) is probably the least interesting as most of it concerns Hitchens' opinions of the East of which I have heard multiple iterations of in his speeches and other books. I will, nonetheless, try to find things within that I have enjoyed such as his critique and response regarding arguments put forward in Edward Said's magnum opus Orientalism. This is a book I frequented whilst studying my undergraduate degree and ultimately using it, I wrote an essay.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D'Urbervilles was first published in 1891 and still stands today as one of the most depressing books ever written. It generated quite a bit of controversy back in the day and yet, the author was already established in the literary world - so you can imagine the kind of extra notoriety it got him. It was a novel that critiqued Victorian morals to an extreme degree, presenting people with the horrors of purity culture and the way in can destroy an entire life and society.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Arguably" by Christopher Hitchens (Pt. 3)
This section opens with the essay Why Women Aren't Funny and is not about what you think it's about. Rather than stating that women aren't funny (an approach taken by many a misogynist, but not by actual men who are fans of women like Lucille Ball and Lauren Bacall), Hitchens states that men are simply more childish about humour. He references tests done and results achieved to show that women use more of their brains when examining humour whilst men would rather simply fill the silence when laughing at a joke regardless of whether it is actually funny.
By Annie Kapur6 months ago in Geeks
Around The World in 80 Days at 70: When Cinema Went Global
The Journey Begins Based on Jules Verne’s 1873 novel of the same name, Around The World in 80 Days follows the eccentric British gentleman Phileas Fogg, who makes a bold wager that he can travel around the world in 80 days. He risks 20,000 pounds and immediately sets off from London with his newly hired valet, Passepartout. Together, they embark on a rapid journey across continents filled with delays, misunderstandings, and unpredictable challenges that threaten Fogg’s strict timetable.
By TheScreenAnalyst6 months ago in Geeks
Invincible Series Review (Season 4)
Over the last five years, Robert Kirkman’s Invincible has been on a knock-out run, standing at the top of the adult-oriented superhero scene. The fourth season has arrived sooner than expected, just one year after its predecessor. It delivers another impressive and wildly enjoyable outing.
By Robert Cain6 months ago in Geeks
