My Favorite Posts

Here are some of my personal favorite posts from this blog arranged by general subject and updated whenever I get around to it, which isn't very often. (Last updated 8 Jan. 2022)

Philosophy and Science Fiction

• "Philosophy as Science Fiction; Science Fiction as Philosophy" (My very first post that explains the guiding idea for this blog)
• "Is the Study of Ancient Philosophy Like Science Fiction?"
• "Interstellar and the Meaning of Human Life" (A video of a talk I gave based on two blog posts - here and here).
• "Terminator Genisys: Part One: Is Time Travel Possible?" (See also Part Two: Genisys is Not About Time Travel)
• "The Doof Warrior and the Value of Subtle Humor" (This post was ridiculously fun to write!)
• "Weird Knowledge: Lovecraft as Science Fiction and Philosophy"
• "MLK, Social Justice, and Science Fiction"
• "Women's History: Snapshots in Philosophy and Science Fiction"
• "Philosophical SF Recommendations"
• "Star Trek as Regulative Ideal: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary"
• "Sci-Fi Stoic Week 2016: Star Trek, Relationships, and the View From Above"
• "Buddhist Philosophy and Ghost in the Shell: Studying the Ghost to Forget the Ghost"
• "A Tale of Two Conferences: Con Nooga and Central APA"
• "Five Lessons from Le Guin"
• "42: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams"
• "New Article: "Ursula K. Le Guin's Science Fictional Feminist Daoism"

Philosophy-Centered Posts

• "Mokṣa and Money: Two Hyper-Values"
• "A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart (Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!)" 
• "The Atomic Theory of Human Nature: A Critique -- Why (Most) Libertarians are Wrong"
• "Three Uses of Philosophy"
• "On the Shallowness of Modern Life -- Why We Think We Don't Need Philosophy, and Why We're Wrong"
• "Uses of Philosophy, Part 2: Coolness of Mind"
• "Uses of Philosophy, Part 3: Intellectual Empathy - Understanding Without Agreeing"
• My Book is Coming Soon! -- Three Pillars of Skepticism in Classical India: Nāgārjuna, Jayarāśi, and Śrī Harṣa

• "Pre-Prolegomena to Future Discussions of Including Non-Western Philosophy in the Curriculum"
• "The Need for Auto-Skepticism: Epistemic Modesty, Transphobia, and Philosophy"
• "On the Need to Fall Silent"
• "Racism and the Discipline of Philosophy"
• "Think for yourself, Forget your Self: Ancient Buddhist advice for modern uncertainties (Video of a talk on April 8, 2021)"
• "My Appointment with Destiny (if by "destiny" you mean a tweet with several hundred likes)"

Science Fiction-Centered Posts

• "Spock, Stoics, and Buddhists: A Philosophical Tribute to Leonard Nimoy"
• "Death and Utopia: Reflections on the Culture" (On the Culture series of Iain M. Banks)
• "The Once and Future Past: Science Fiction with Ancient Themes"
• "Black History and Science Fiction: A Review of Reviews"
• "Chattacon 45 Report!"
• "Why I Love Dune"
• "Hugo Results 2021"

Book Reviews

• "Sci-Fi Plato: The Just City by Jo Walton" (How could I not love a book in which a time-traveling goddess sets up Plato's Republic with the help of robots?  See also my reviews of the sequel and the third volume).
• "Review of Kindred by Octavia E. Butler"
• "Daoist Dreams: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin"
• "Review of Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (edited by Sheree R. Thomas)" (Includes my reflections on the importance of diversity in science fiction and fantasy)
• "Culture Round Up: Reviewing the Culture Series of Iain M. Banks" (One of my favorite science fiction series.  Includes my suggestions about reading order.)
• "Melancholy Among the Stars: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson" (Probably my favorite book of 2015)
• "The Swirling Depths of First Contact: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor"
• "Reading The Clan of the Cave Bear in Memory of Mom"
• "The Horror of Ourselves, the Horror of the Unknown: Carrie by Stephen King and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson"
• "History of the Future: Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer"
• "Invisible Men: Wells and Ellison"
• "Philoso-monks Save Some Worlds: Anathem by Neal Stephenson"
• "Space Chillwave, Not Space Opera: Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers"
• "Phantasmagoric American Myth: The Stand by Stephen King"
• "The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction, Edited by Tarun K. Saint"
• "Hypatia the Time Traveler: Unburning Alexandria by Paul Levinson"
• ""Politics by Means of Literary Analysis": A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine"
• "Frankencraft: Revival by Stephen King"
• "Melancholy Utopianism: The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson" 

Reviews of Films, Music, TV, etc.

• "Review of Mad Max: Fury Road: Fierce Furiosa and the Lessons of Dystopia"
• "Sci-Fi Music (Part 1)" (See also Part 2: Metal Edition)
• "Sense8: Ambition and Altruism"
• "The Martian: Book/Movie Review"
• "More 80's Than the 80's: Stranger Things and my Totally 80's Nostalgia-thon"
• "About Time: A Review of Arrival"
• "Rewatching the Matrix Sequels"
• "The Last Jedi is the Most Philosophically Interesting Star Wars Film"
• "Chattanooga Film Festival 2020: Online, but Undiminished"
• "Bill and Ted's Most Triumphant Return: Bill and Ted Face the Music"
• "Four Thanksgiving Horror Movies to Watch at Home Instead of Spreading the Coronavirus to Your Family"
• "Twelve Nights of Christmas Horror Movies, Part One" (part two)
• "Spoilery Review of Dune (2021)"
• "Initial Non-Spoilery Thoughts about The Matrix Resurrections"

Horror, Fantasy, and Other Genres

• Why Do People Like Horror?: The Philosophy of Horror by Noël Carroll
• "Post on the APA Blog: Horrific Thoughts: Incorporating Student Film-Making in a Course on Horror and Philosophy"
• "Is Toni Morrison's Beloved a Horror Novel?"
• "Is Dead Better?: Pet Sematary by Stephen King"
• "Four Reasons Why I Love Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series (and You Might, Too)"
• "The Horror of Knowledge: The Dead Zone by Stephen King"
• "Almost Philosophical Zombies: Devil's Wake by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes"
• "Dark Tower Re-Read, Book 7: The Dark Tower"
• "The Epistemology of Evil Twins: The Dark Half by Stephen King"
• "Pinhead the Philosopher: The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker"
• "Fantastic Americas: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse"

Random Thoughts series

• "Random Thoughts, Part 1"
• and many more... up to "Random Thoughts, Part 16: Dune the Random Things" and ongoing...

Pandemic Journal series

• "COVID-19 Journal, Part One"
• and many more.... up to "Pandemic Journal, Part 24: Best Wishes for Pandemic Year Three" and ongoing...

Miscellaneous: Life, Culture, Politics, etc.

• "In Praise of Paper Books" 
• "Nonviolence for White Americans"
• "Commemorating the Anniversary of my Mom's Death"
• "Birthdays and Deathdays: Why Birthdays are Worth Celebrating"
• "Which Midlife Crisis is Right for Me?: Reflections on Turning 40"
• "Disgust and Hope: Thoughts on the 2016 US Presidential Election"
• "RIP Elsie (2001-2017)"
• "Auschwitz, Immigration, and the Currents of Cruelty"
• "Reflections on Life, the Universe, and Everything Upon the Event of my 42nd Birthday"
• "Thoughts on the 20th Anniversary of my Mom's Death"
• "Thoughts on the Pandemi-versary: Will we really learn anything?"
• "Some Thoughts on the Chauvin Verdict"
• "Stairs to Nowhere: A Photo Essay of Things I See on my Daily Walks"
• "Nondualism and the Pandemic, Part 1" (part 2)