site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   2822 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 9, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

5
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

I’m reading The Invisible Library by Genevieve Coleman(?). It’s a light fantasy romp about a secret library that collects books throughout the multiverse. It’s interesting, definitely a bit heavy on the female librarian fantasy, but not terrible.

Quick read, good for light junk fantasy.

I’ve also got Sacred Yoga about a Benedictine nun’s journey discovering yoga. Just started it but it’s interesting so far.

Btw you might like this novelette: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_for_Beginners_(novella)

(it's available online: http://web.archive.org/web/20060111060529/http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/fiction/kl01.htm)

Ty! I’ll check it out.

"Female librarian fantasy" is one of those things that always felt like it should appeal to me but doesn't. Like nurses, or feet.

But lately I have had a hankering for the genre of 'dark academia' and don't know where to begin. Any recommendations?

Max Gladstone's Three Parts Dead is dark law, strictly speaking, but necromantic law school is very important to the story.

That’s an amazing series as well! I loved The Craft Sequence as a whole, highly recommend. @Unsaying

I'm almost finished with the first one, so it was on my mind.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic in that genre although I haven’t read it. The Atlas Paradox is good but the series is unfinished which turns me off.

Otherwise I haven’t read too much in that vein. Invisible Library would probably fit though, there’s lots of mystery and politics and intrigue.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats