Sluice Issue #18

Sluice  | by Arthur H. Manners

Issue #18

Things to share this week

1.  Books: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. Every now and then you read a book and it's just so juicy that you're angry it hasn't been in your life all along. When the human activities of a city reach a certain point of maturity, the city is born, and a single person becomes the embodiment of that city. This person must fight Lovecraftian horrors from other realms to protect the city from chaos. This is the way of all cities in history. Until now: New York has just been born, and it has not one avatar, but several. And the horrors from beyond the veil are breaking rules too. The cover quote for this book is from Neil Gaiman, and that should tell you everything you need to know about the feel of the story. Jemisin won three Hugo awards in a row for a reason: she's an absolute force and this is an example of what a writer can do when they're in their prime.2. TV/Film: Archive 81 on Netflix. A series of about 8 episodes. 90s-themed supernatural horror/psychological thriller. A man who restores old film is employed to transcribe some burned video tapes from a building that burned down in the 90s. We get to see his story as well as the story of the person who filmed the tapes, who discovers her apartment building is inhabited by a satanic cult. Oh, and the video tapes might be haunted. I loved this one, it hit me at just the right moment. Can't wait for season  2.3. Books: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver BurkemanThis book has basically exploded across the self-help scene in the last six months, which is great because it's actually very critical of the self-help genre. The premise is simple: an average person has four thousand weeks in their life. Anyone looking to optimise their experience of life shouldn't be looking to produce more or make a dent in the universe, using hacks and supplements and clever notetaking techniques — but to make simple, meaningful choices about how they want to use their limited time. This was the best book I read in the latter half of 2021; in places it's cathartic as a Matt Haig book, and that's saying a lot.4. TV/Film: Mindhunter. This serial-killer hunter series has been out for a few years now, and has run into multiple seasons, but I'm just coming to it now. I'm not usually a fan of the crime genre, and the serial killer theme is a bit cliche and procedural for my tastes. But this series has really grabbed me. It's got great characterisation and the acting is phenomenal in places, and very good all around. Plus the seventies FBI vibe adds a little spice to keep it interesting.5. Podcast: Tim Ferris interviews Margaret Atwood. What can I say other than listen? Margaret Atwood is just one of those people I would sit and listen to until the end of time. She has such an indefatigable spirit and curiosity, and an unhurried way of speaking that's very refreshing. There's a lot in this episode, covering her career and general attitudes to life, to her course Practical Utopias.

Until next time, be good.

Best regards,

Art

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