Jon Evans
@rezendi.com
engineer / novelist, occasional journalist / CTO / archivist / peripatetist; see https://rezendi.com/
Having a beer in Jack Astor's in downtown Toronto, watching hockey, feeling very very 🇨🇦
November 16, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Having a beer in Jack Astor's in downtown Toronto, watching hockey, feeling very very 🇨🇦
Reposted by Jon Evans
Gemini explains Diffie-Hellman pretty well these days.
November 15, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Gemini explains Diffie-Hellman pretty well these days.
It's almost always fun to compare contemporary reviews with reassessments. The anti-reviewers at the time were just big mad that the action genre was even a thing. Always instructive to wonder about what dismissed genre today will be reassessed in 30 years...
November 15, 2025 at 4:55 PM
It's almost always fun to compare contemporary reviews with reassessments. The anti-reviewers at the time were just big mad that the action genre was even a thing. Always instructive to wonder about what dismissed genre today will be reassessed in 30 years...
Reposted by Jon Evans
This is, of course the divide between conservative and liberal/leftist thought. The right wing is obsessed with what's in people's hearts because they think evil is inherent, something you are or aren't. On the left, we care about actions. Evil is what you DO.
Okay real talk? I kind of don’t even care about what Epstein was or wasn’t attracted to, what matters is what he fucking did and what people participated in and enabled
There’s what gets you horny and then there’s deciding that satisfying your horniness is important enough to ruin someone’s life
There’s what gets you horny and then there’s deciding that satisfying your horniness is important enough to ruin someone’s life
November 14, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This is, of course the divide between conservative and liberal/leftist thought. The right wing is obsessed with what's in people's hearts because they think evil is inherent, something you are or aren't. On the left, we care about actions. Evil is what you DO.
Reposted by Jon Evans
50 copies of our essay collection Trace Elements to give away on Goodreads, sign up for it and maybe you will be lucky enough to win! @adapalmer.bsky.social on manga, me on romance, both of us on protagonists, the history of SF publishing, the author-reader contract www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Book giveaway for Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton Nov 10-Dec 01, 2025
Enter to win one of 50 free copies available. Giveaway dates from Nov 10-Dec 01, 2025. From two of the most acclaimed writers in the field today, a groun...
www.goodreads.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:28 PM
50 copies of our essay collection Trace Elements to give away on Goodreads, sign up for it and maybe you will be lucky enough to win! @adapalmer.bsky.social on manga, me on romance, both of us on protagonists, the history of SF publishing, the author-reader contract www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
"Since we last asked the question a year ago, China has made big gains as the world’s preferred “leading power” ... the younger the respondent, the more likely they are to welcome Chinese leadership" www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
China’s growing global fan club
Our new poll shows global opinion is swinging its way
www.economist.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:58 PM
"Since we last asked the question a year ago, China has made big gains as the world’s preferred “leading power” ... the younger the respondent, the more likely they are to welcome Chinese leadership" www.economist.com/china/2025/1...
Reposted by Jon Evans
Reposted by Jon Evans
He's on a mission from God
What's from Chicago, hates Illinois Nazis, and is holy as fuck?
It's the Pope in 1982.
It's the Pope in 1982.
November 13, 2025 at 2:13 AM
He's on a mission from God
Look, this may not be an admirable life, but it sure is an extraordinary one www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
How Graham Hancock became conspiracy theorists’ favourite historian
His Netflix show claims to uncover the truth about our ancient past. Critics say he peddles dangerous nonsense
www.economist.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Look, this may not be an admirable life, but it sure is an extraordinary one www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
Whatever happens to musicians, etc. www.whiskeyriff.com/2025/11/08/a... cc @bruces.bsky.social
An AI-Generated Country Song Is Topping A Billboard Chart, And That Should Infuriate Us All
A RIFF on what country is really about.
www.whiskeyriff.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Whatever happens to musicians, etc. www.whiskeyriff.com/2025/11/08/a... cc @bruces.bsky.social
Look I'm looking forward to Gemini 3 and it's cool that "The new Gemini model’s performance on HTR meets the criteria for expert human performance" but this has Betteridge's Law written all over it generativehistory.substack.com/p/has-google...
Has Google Quietly Solved Two of AI’s Oldest Problems?
A mysterious new model currently in testing on Google’s AI Studio is nearly perfect on automated handwriting recognition but it is also showing signs of spontaneous, abstract, symbolic reasoning.
generativehistory.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Look I'm looking forward to Gemini 3 and it's cool that "The new Gemini model’s performance on HTR meets the criteria for expert human performance" but this has Betteridge's Law written all over it generativehistory.substack.com/p/has-google...
Reposted by Jon Evans
Advanced read giveaway of the essay collection on the history & craft of science fiction & fantasy that Jo & I have coming out in spring! Pacing, plot, What Is Genre?, flying grapefruit, evolution of printing tech, impact of international translation, and much more!
(This giveaway is US only, alas)
(This giveaway is US only, alas)
Goodreads giveaway for Trace Elements!
@adapalmer.bsky.social is very interesting, science fiction is very interesting, sometimes when it isn't a Monday morning even I can be a bit interesting -- if you use Goodreads, sign up in the hope of a free copy of our book
www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
@adapalmer.bsky.social is very interesting, science fiction is very interesting, sometimes when it isn't a Monday morning even I can be a bit interesting -- if you use Goodreads, sign up in the hope of a free copy of our book
www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Book giveaway for Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton Nov 10-Dec 01, 2025
Enter to win one of 50 free copies available. Giveaway dates from Nov 10-Dec 01, 2025. From two of the most acclaimed writers in the field today, a groun...
www.goodreads.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Advanced read giveaway of the essay collection on the history & craft of science fiction & fantasy that Jo & I have coming out in spring! Pacing, plot, What Is Genre?, flying grapefruit, evolution of printing tech, impact of international translation, and much more!
(This giveaway is US only, alas)
(This giveaway is US only, alas)
"If the American English department is indicative of the whole, the humanities have lost cultural influence precisely when society most needed them." adamgagewalker.substack.com/p/the-fall-o...
The Fall of the English Department
and the rise of new stewards
adamgagewalker.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:46 AM
"If the American English department is indicative of the whole, the humanities have lost cultural influence precisely when society most needed them." adamgagewalker.substack.com/p/the-fall-o...
Reposted by Jon Evans
Is Damon Knight’s story “Dulcie et Decorum” an ancestor of Roko’s Basilisk?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcie_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcie_...
Dulcie and Decorum - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Is Damon Knight’s story “Dulcie et Decorum” an ancestor of Roko’s Basilisk?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcie_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcie_...
Reposted by Jon Evans
“What is civilisation? I don’t know. I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet. But I think I can recognise it when I see it. And I’m looking at it now.” -Kenneth Clark
24/7 cake vending machine in the middle of nowhere. Maximum Poland.
November 9, 2025 at 10:32 AM
“What is civilisation? I don’t know. I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet. But I think I can recognise it when I see it. And I’m looking at it now.” -Kenneth Clark
This is the fundamental democratic dilemma the purist American left has yet to reckon with: "there is simply no way to win elections other than to secure the votes of lots of people who disagree with you about lots of things." substack.com/home/post/p-...
Bigots in the tent
What did you think winning meant? vibes? papers? essays? losers.
substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:05 PM
This is the fundamental democratic dilemma the purist American left has yet to reckon with: "there is simply no way to win elections other than to secure the votes of lots of people who disagree with you about lots of things." substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Jon Evans
The most incredible library in the world, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk opened to OTD 1602, through the energy, money & commitment of Sir Thomas Bodley. It began with 5k books, & now more than 22m, with 2m+reader visits a year, & multi-million online users across the globe. Privilged to be its 25th librarian!
November 8, 2025 at 7:20 AM
The most incredible library in the world, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk opened to OTD 1602, through the energy, money & commitment of Sir Thomas Bodley. It began with 5k books, & now more than 22m, with 2m+reader visits a year, & multi-million online users across the globe. Privilged to be its 25th librarian!
PREDATOR: BADLANDS (Trachtenberg 2025) - OK, so a PREDATOR found-family movie sounds like a staggeringly bad idea at first, but this was, actually ... phenomenally good? And also arguably the best franchise crossover movie ever? Huh.
November 8, 2025 at 6:46 AM
PREDATOR: BADLANDS (Trachtenberg 2025) - OK, so a PREDATOR found-family movie sounds like a staggeringly bad idea at first, but this was, actually ... phenomenally good? And also arguably the best franchise crossover movie ever? Huh.
Reposted by Jon Evans
As the prophets prophesied:
November 7, 2025 at 1:25 AM
As the prophets prophesied:
Reposted by Jon Evans
At last! My translation of Michio Hoshino's The Traveling Tree is out today in the UK! I’ve been dying to translate this beautiful book for more than 15 years.
Read my thoughts on translating it:
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Or purchase a copy:
www.amazon.co.uk/Travelling-T...
#japaneseliterature
Read my thoughts on translating it:
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Or purchase a copy:
www.amazon.co.uk/Travelling-T...
#japaneseliterature
November 7, 2025 at 4:36 AM
At last! My translation of Michio Hoshino's The Traveling Tree is out today in the UK! I’ve been dying to translate this beautiful book for more than 15 years.
Read my thoughts on translating it:
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Or purchase a copy:
www.amazon.co.uk/Travelling-T...
#japaneseliterature
Read my thoughts on translating it:
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Or purchase a copy:
www.amazon.co.uk/Travelling-T...
#japaneseliterature
Reposted by Jon Evans
Defense begins, “This case, ladies and gentlemen, is about a sandwich. A sandwich that according to Agent Lairmore somehow both exploded on his chest in a spray of mustard and onions but also landed intact on the ground still in its Subway wrapper.”
November 5, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Defense begins, “This case, ladies and gentlemen, is about a sandwich. A sandwich that according to Agent Lairmore somehow both exploded on his chest in a spray of mustard and onions but also landed intact on the ground still in its Subway wrapper.”
Reposted by Jon Evans
The World Bank’s latest data shows a quiet global triumph: 93% of people aged 15 to 24 can now read and write. In many regions youth literacy has reached or neared universal levels, marking one of the most successful, least reported stories in development. buff.ly/vnsUhLo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
World Bank Open Data
Free and open access to global development data
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The World Bank’s latest data shows a quiet global triumph: 93% of people aged 15 to 24 can now read and write. In many regions youth literacy has reached or neared universal levels, marking one of the most successful, least reported stories in development. buff.ly/vnsUhLo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo