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Articles

Cucks vs. breeders

3 weeks ago | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! In this week’s dispatch:A further dissection of the differences between the first and second Trump administrations, focused in this case on the sexual fantasies that structure the politics of each; andan examination of Chinese manufacturer TikTok and its response to the Trump tariffs.
What is it like to be a low I.Q.?

1 month ago | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! In this week’s newsletter, a rundown of a particular flavor of I.Q. discourse on Twitter. A reminder: This newsletter, which comes out at least twice a week and almost always has at least one (1) good joke, is written an edited by one guy (me).
Is OpenAI's new story-generating model good at writing?

2 months ago | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! An A.I.-heavy newsletter this week, discussing the new short story generated by a secret OpenAI model (“it got the vibe of metafiction so right,” says Sam Altman) and the continuing use of “A.G.I.” by tech journalists. First, a reminder: This newsletter is the product of a lot of reading, thinking, listening, interviewing, staring at the ceiling, writing, deleting, writing again, etc.
The A.I. backlash backlash

2 months ago | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! In this week’s newsletter, a consideration of the current state of A.I. discourse. Some housekeeping: This week I appeared on Vox’s “Today, Explained” podcast with Noel King to talk about the Zizians. Also, Jamelle Bouie recently posted video of my appearance talking about Air Force One on the “Unclear and Present Danger” podcast with him and John Ganz.
A tribute to Gene Hackman in 'Enemy of the State'

2 months ago | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! A quick extra newsletter this week occasioned by the death of one of my favorite actors, Gene Hackman.
Read Max

Feb 12, 2025 | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Explaining the weird new future, one newsletter at a time. Subscribe for a twice weekly delivery of internet culture, mega-platform grotesquerie, crypto conspiracies, deep forum lore, fringe politics, and other artifacts of what's to come.
Soy Right ascendant

Feb 12, 2025 | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! Today’s newsletter is an attempt to define and analyze the dominant strain of online activity for second-term Trumpists: The Soy Right. A reminder, as always, that every Read Max newsletter is the fruit of a full-time job’s worth of hours reading, analyzing, discussing, thinking, staring into space, pacing nervously, etc.
The Zizians and the Rationalist death cults

Jan 31, 2025 | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! Today’s newsletter is a ~4,700-word missive on the “Zizians,” the transcontinental Rationalist cult implicated in at least six murders since 2022. In the piece, I try to explain “Rationalism,” cover the Ziz lore in a fairly straightforward fashion, and understand why Rationalism has been a breeding ground for so many cult-like objects.
Is Curtis Yarvin 'influential'?

Jan 23, 2025 | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! Today’s newsletter is on the right-wing blogger Curtis Yarvin, f/k/a Mencius Moldbug, recently interviewed in The New York Times. If it’s not enough Read Max for you this week, keep an eye out tomorrow for a new podcast episode with John Ganz and Quinn Slobodian discussing Elon Musk and the tech right.
The Musklash

Jan 17, 2025 | maxread.substack.com | Max Read

Greetings from Read Max HQ! In this week’s newsletter, a discussion of recent criticism Elon Musk has received from the gaming community, and how it affects his political prospects. A reminder: newsletters like this, which require me to consume, synthesize, and analyze an enormous amount of Pure Garbage, are supported almost entirely by paying subscribers.