The batarang umbrella

A terrific new crime thriller and gnarly kung-fu movies: Roundup 05/14/2024

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 terrific new crime thriller about meth heads, white supremacists, bodybuilders, and the power of friendship;

• articles, columns, and essays on A.I. as a cultural force, A.I. as fascist kitsch, political nihilism, and the game Set;

• a well-curated collection of kung-fu movies with gnarly weapons, perfect for midnight viewing; and

• four tracks I’ve been digging lately.

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: