Alec Nevala-Lee, author of Astounding, a forthcoming book on the history of science fiction, digs into the writing career of L. Ron Hubbard, gaining new insights into the life of the controversial founder of dianetics and the origins and nature of Scientology itself.
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Posted inBooks, History, Story, Unapologetic Women
The Slave Who Outwitted George Washington
Ona Judge slipped out of the president’s house one night and didn’t come back. But unlike most runaway slaves, she was never caught.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction
Mass Extinction: The Early Years
A quick rundown of the ecocidal empires that came before us.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction, Story
Theorizing the Drone
What does the rise of the drone mean for justice, for the ethics of heroism, for psychology? Most important of all, who is dying and why?
Posted inBooks, First Chapters, Nonfiction, Story
Falling in Love with Words: The Secret Life of a Lexicographer
Merriam-Webster lexicographer Kory Stamper describes how she fell in love with words and offers a peek into the complex process of making dictionaries.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Machiavelli of Maryland
A fascinating profile of Edward Luttwak—military strategist, classical scholar, cattle rancher, and an adviser to presidents, prime ministers, and the Dalai Lama.
Posted inNonfiction
How the Emperor Became Human (and MacArthur Became Divine)
The end of divine rule in postwar Japan, and the absolute power of General MacArthur.
Posted inNonfiction, Story
Playing with History: What Sid Meier’s Video Game Empire Got Right and Wrong About ‘Civilization’
Twenty-five years ago, Meier turned human history into a video game, and sold 33 million copies along the way. With the launch of Civilization VI, Kanishk Tharoor takes a closer look at its impact.
Posted inBlog Post, Nonfiction
Beautiful Nowheres: ‘No Man’s Sky’ and the 500th Anniversary of ‘Utopia’
Five centuries after Thomas More’s classic was first published, we still dabble in perfect-world-building.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Ties That Bind Jihadists
Most scholars of radical Islam focus on doctrine, military tactics, and political statements. However, a small but growing number of academics have turned their research to the seemingly mundane but rich field of jihadist culture, exploring everything from dreams and jokes to poetry.
