literature

Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.

Book Review: "Isaiahs in the Void" by Kendall Defoe
Check out his full page below: Have you ever wanted to read a book by your favourite creators on Vocal? Well, I have. I actually wish some of my favourite creators would write books so that I could read them. I was in luck when Kendall Defoe published his book (you should get it) and definitely supports my claim that there is nothing else I could give it but 5/5. Full marks. Brilliant. Awesome. In these hot spring days, one thing I can say I need more of in my life is poetry and who better to go to than one of my favourite poets on this entire site (and possibly anywhere if I really think about it), than Kendall Defoe? I'm so glad I read this.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
Did Eren Love Mikasa… or Historia? Let’s Talk.
(Warning: Spoilers; the entirety of Attack on Titan anime) In Eren’s story, two people (debatably) stand out when it comes to love — Mikasa and Historia. Most fans agree that Mikasa is the main love interest. I agree — for the most part.
By Scarlett R. 🍁about a year ago in Geeks
How Books Shape Our Lives
Previously, I wrote about 'What's in a Reading Experience?' to find out about how we can recall the experience of reading certain books and that, in turn creates a memory for us. These memories become more important when we return to those books. For example: I have read Cloud Atlas many times and every time I read it, my mind returns to the first experience of doing so - and because it was positive, I enjoy the new reading experience more.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
The Strangest Discoveries Made by Accident (Expanded Edition)
Introduction: When Chance Rewrites History Throughout human history, some of the most groundbreaking discoveries didn’t emerge from meticulous planning or intentional research. Instead, they came about thanks to fortunate accidents, unexpected mistakes, and moments of serendipity. These surprising twists have reshaped science, medicine, technology, and even our understanding of the universe itself. In this article, you’ll explore 15 of the strangest discoveries ever made by accident—proof that sometimes, a mistake can change the world. 1. Penicillin: The Mold That Saved Millions In 1928, Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find that a petri dish containing Staphylococcus bacteria had been contaminated by mold. Strangely, the bacteria near the mold had died. Fleming had accidentally discovered penicillin, the first true antibiotic. Penicillin has since saved countless lives by treating bacterial infections like pneumonia and syphilis, revolutionizing modern medicine. 2. Microwave Oven: The Candy Bar Incident While working on radar technology in 1945, engineer Percy Spencer noticed that a candy bar in his pocket melted when he stood near a magnetron (a type of radar tube). Realizing microwaves could cook food, Spencer went on to invent the first microwave oven. Today, microwave ovens are found in nearly every kitchen around the globe. 3. X-Rays: The Invisible Rays In 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was experimenting with cathode rays when he noticed that a fluorescent screen in his lab glowed even though it wasn’t in the direct path of the rays. He had stumbled upon X-rays. X-rays revolutionized medical diagnostics, allowing doctors to see inside the human body without surgery. 4. Vulcanized Rubber: The Spill That Strengthened Tires In 1839, Charles Goodyear accidentally dropped a mixture of rubber and sulfur onto a hot stove. Instead of melting, the rubber became tough and elastic. This process, known as vulcanization, made rubber durable and weather-resistant, leading to the development of tires, waterproof clothing, and industrial materials. 5. Pacemaker: The Wrong Resistor Engineer Wilson Greatbatch was building a heart rhythm recording device in 1956 when he accidentally inserted the wrong resistor. The circuit pulsed rhythmically, mimicking a heartbeat. This led to the creation of the implantable pacemaker, which has since extended and improved millions of lives. 6. LSD: A Mind-Bending Accident In 1938, chemist Albert Hofmann synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) while researching treatments for respiratory diseases. Five years later, he accidentally absorbed some through his fingertips and experienced vivid hallucinations. Though controversial, LSD has influenced fields from psychiatry to art and continues to be studied for its potential therapeutic benefits. 7. Velcro: Inspired by Burrs In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed that burrs stuck stubbornly to his dog’s fur during a walk. Examining them under a microscope, he found tiny hooks that latched onto loops in fabric. This observation inspired Velcro, the hook-and-loop fastener now used in everything from shoes to spacecraft. 8. Radioactivity: The Foggy Plates In 1896, physicist Henri Becquerel stored photographic plates next to uranium salts. To his surprise, the plates were fogged even without sunlight exposure. This accidental discovery of radioactivity paved the way for nuclear energy, medical imaging, and atomic physics. 9. The Rosetta Stone: A Key to Ancient Egypt In 1799, French soldiers digging a fort in Rosetta (modern-day Rashid, Egypt) uncovered a black basalt slab inscribed with the same text in Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone allowed scholars to finally decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, unlocking the secrets of ancient Egyptian civilization. 10. Ötzi the Iceman: The Frozen Time Capsule In 1991, hikers in the Ötztal Alps on the border between Austria and Italy discovered a frozen, well-preserved mummy. Dating back over 5,000 years, Ötzi offered invaluable insights into Copper Age life, tools, diet, and even early medicine (he carried medicinal plants). His body and artifacts remain one of archaeology’s greatest accidental finds. 11. Teflon: The Slick Mistake In 1938, chemist Roy Plunkett was trying to create a new refrigerant gas. Instead, the gas polymerized inside its container, forming a slippery, waxy solid—polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). He almost threw it away but noticed it was highly resistant to heat, chemicals, and corrosion. Teflon first coated pipes and military equipment. By the 1960s, it appeared in nonstick cookware. Fun fact: the Apollo 11 lunar module used Teflon-coated fabric to withstand extreme temperatures. 12. Saccharin: The Sweet Laboratory Spill In 1879, Constantin Fahlberg forgot to wash his hands after working with coal tar derivatives. That evening, he noticed his bread tasted sweet. He traced the cause to saccharin, the world’s first artificial sweetener. Saccharin faced bans in the 1970s due to cancer fears. Later studies showed no risk to humans. Today, it’s used in diet sodas, toothpaste, and even table salt substitutes. 13. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: The Echo of the Big Bang In 1964, radio engineers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson tried to eliminate mysterious static from their antenna. They cleaned pigeon droppings, adjusted electronics, but the hiss remained. Turns out, they’d stumbled upon leftover radiation from the birth of the universe—predicted by theorists Robert Dicke and Jim Peebles. The discovery cemented the Big Bang theory and earned Penzias and Wilson the Nobel Prize in 1978. 14. Safety Glass: The Lab Mishap In 1903, Édouard Bénédictus dropped a glass flask coated in cellulose nitrate. Instead of shattering dangerously, it cracked but held together. This led to the invention of safety glass used in windshields and skyscrapers. 15. Post-it Notes: The Failed Glue That Stuck In 1968, 3M scientist Spencer Silver created a pressure-sensitive adhesive that didn’t fully stick. Years later, colleague Art Fry used it to keep bookmarks in his hymn book—launching the iconic yellow sticky notes. Conclusion: Embracing Serendipity From antibiotics and sweeteners to cosmic echoes and sticky notes, these accidental discoveries remind us that curiosity, open-mindedness, and even mistakes can change the course of history. The next time something unexpected happens in your work or life, remember: you might just be on the brink of a world-changing discovery.
By amgadabout a year ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Literature for the People" by Sarah Harkness
As I have discussed previously, I have recently found a great love for reserving books at the library and then picking them up instead of sticking around in what is less of a library and more of a social club. Yes, I'm ranting about why people can't be quiet in a library these days. I will have to say though that back when I was in Birmingham, most people were quiet in the library and the library itself was bigger with far, far more people in it. Perhaps it is just this one that's like this (I hope so). But I reserved this book and I am so glad I did. Big and chunky, it is all about the history of Macmillan Publishing.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
"A Laugh, Distinct, Formal, Mirthless"
Background and Context: About 8 years' ago, I was planning to do a podcast on soundcloud, but I never did. I wrote over 15'000 words of content on Jane Eyre alone and lots more on a bunch of other 19th Century novels so, enjoy.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Victorian Psycho" by Virginia Feito
Virginia Feito is the mastermind behind one of the greatest modern suburban horrors written in the last decade: Mrs March is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I was keeping my eye on anything else she was set to write and then I saw it: Victorian Psycho. I read the blurb that was on Amazon far before the release date and just kept watching it. When it came out though, I didn't have the money to get it! I was so sad and so, I saved up some extra money which was the exact amount I needed to buy Victorian Psycho on Kindle. I was so happy. I knew it was going to be good. It's Virginia Feito... I have faith...
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
Les Enfants Terrible by Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau’s Les Enfants Terribles, a novel that captures the intense, surreal lives of two siblings trapped in their own private world, was first published in 1929. Cocteau, a versatile artist, poet, and filmmaker, was inspired to write the novel after witnessing the dynamic relationships among young friends and family members in France. Initially released in French, the novel was subsequently translated into English by Rosamond Lehmann in 1955. Cocteau’s close friend, photographer Jacques-Émile Blanche, provided illustrations for the original edition, lending a dreamlike quality to the work that complemented Cocteau’s language.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Hotel" by Daisy Johnson
It is March 2025 and my health is a bit here and there to be honest. It's cold and I'm back in my hometown of Birmingham for some rest. However, that didn't stop me from borrowing some books from the library to take back with me. This book, entitled The Hotel by Daisy Johnson might be a short one, but that doesn't mean it is any lesser than others. With a beginning that will remind you of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, this short set of stories encompasses a hotel which is known for its horrid happenings. Beginning with a prologue, it gives us an overview before plunging us into the depths of fourteen terrifying stories surrounding that patch of cursed land. I will now go through some stories I thought were notable within this anthology...
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
Book Review: "I Want to Go Home But I'm Already There" by Róisín Lanigan
I think I've found a new sub-genre of horror: Screwed-Up-Sally-Rooney. If you've been paying attention, a while back I published a bit of an opinion article (which took me bloody ages to write in comparison to my more academic articles because I had no idea what I actually wanted to say). It was called Everything is Cannibalism. I had a big idea to turn it into a book before I realised I could probably never write a book (chuckles nervously). But, in the article I start talking about all these sub-genres of horror and how they are probably fun for about a year until they all become the same.
By Annie Kapurabout a year ago in Geeks
The Kashmir Files Full Story Explained | The Painful Truth of 1990. Content Warning.
The story begins on 19 January 1954 when two children, Raghav and Arif, are playing cricket with their friends in Kashmir. Raghav plays well and starts taking the name of a famous player, but some people present there get angry and say that this is Pakistan, not India; such names are not accepted here. Then they start beating Raghav but his friend Arif somehow saves him and runs away from there. From here we understand that there is no religion in true friendship. Then we reach the time of 1990 when Kashmiri Pandits were being forcibly evicted from their homes.
By Ayush Vermaabout a year ago in Geeks
Frightening and Familiar
The 19th century marked a great period for Gothic literature, reflecting deep cultural anxieties provoked by rapid social and scientific change. As Britain underwent industrialisation, with its sprawling cities and alienating machines, writers increasingly turned to the supernatural and psychological to explore the hidden recesses of the human mind. Gothic fiction flourished as a vehicle for expressing fear of the unknown whether spiritual, moral, or technological, and often drew upon liminal settings and the uncanny to disturb the boundaries between reality and imagination. The short story, emerging as a dominant form during this period, proved especially effective in delivering concentrated doses of terror, often set within claustrophobic or morally ambiguous spaces.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks