A perfect Cold-War spy thriller, a malevolent folk-horror flick with a fantastic soundtrack, and more
Roundup 03/23/2026
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 perfect, gripping Cold War spy thriller from one of the masters of the genre;
essays, articles, and blog posts about the use of A.I. in war, polyamory, and more;
a terrifically dark and unsettling indie folk horror set in the world of Irish folk music and featuring a great soundtrack; and
four tracks I’ve been listening to a lot lately.
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Now, the roundup:
