A fascinating book about an 18th-century "madman" and the influencing technology that tormented him, a tense Spanish thriller, and more

Roundup 03/24/2024

Greetings from Read Max HQ, and welcome to our weekly roundup column, in which I pick out some worthwhile and often overlooked books, articles, movies, and music to recommend to paying subscribers. For this week’s round-up, I’ve got:

• A historical biography that’s hard to describe but involves revolutionary conspiracy, early-modern psychology, and a giant machine that used air bellows to control people’s minds;

• a tense, well-made Spanish thriller set in rural Galicia; and

• a new Prince-influenced E.P. from one of the best indie R&B artists working today.

If any of that sounds interesting -- and if you want to support Read Max in its continuing mission of explaining the future to relatively normal people -- please subscribe below. Subscribers get access to these weekly emails and to the comprehensive Read Max Master Lists of Good Movies to Watch and Good Books to Read--as well as preferred pricing on merchandise like the Read Max “EMAIL SUPPLY” caps. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you.

I love to hear from readers who want to recommend a cool book or movie (or whatever!) to me, or from readers who are looking for specific kinds of recommendations. Just leave a comment or drop me a line at maxread@gmail.com.

Finally, please note that I may receive a small commission if you purchase books via links in this email.

Now, the roundup. First, as always, a dispatch from the future: