The Monk and Robot series. Takes place in a postindustrial eco conscious society. A young monk decides to become a traveling tea maker (an actual profession, sort of a casual therapist).
Eventually they meet a robot that wants to learn about humans.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1CPB-gBhcNVqwY0-fWgIdjnkPeMcfFFE David Bowie narrates Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘Peter And The Wolf’. The narrator tells a story and the orchestra illustrates by using different instruments to play a “theme” that represents each character in the story.
For modern stories I like The Curse. It’s about an archeologist that falls in love with a mummy that comes to life.
I’m in the same boat. My girlfriend is pescatarian, mostly because she thinks animals are too cute to eat. She loves pigs and thinks they are adorable.
I agree that vegetarianism is more sustainable and humane, but I also really like carnitas burritos. I eat way more seafood now and, though she says she doesn’t care, I try to avoid “farm animal” meat when we go out.
I’ve definitely reduced my meat consumption and I will probably continue to do so, but I’m not ready to cut it out yet. I had prime rib for Thanksgiving and it was amazing. Apologies and thanks to the cow.
I’m not big into matching band music, but I went to a MarchFourth concert on a whim and had a fun time. Lots of juggling, hula hooping, dancing. They even had a guy doing yo-yo tricks to a saxophone solo.
Heist has a story and preset levels. Each level is usually a different ship you have to board and clear. They’re all connected by a sort of star map. The objectives for each level are preset. Though, the level layouts may be generated. I’ve rerun a couple and I remember the layouts being a bit different.
SteamWorld Dig 1&2 are platformers. I really enjoyed them. The gameplay for Heist is different but it still feels like the same quality.
Steam World: Heist. Tactical turn based shooter. Somewhere between Worms and X-Com, definitely on the lighter side. It’s the same vibe as Steam World 1 and 2, but now the cowboy robots are in space. It’s perfect for the Deck and easy to pick up for a few minutes at lunch or in between meetings.
I loved the first two, but I had a hard time getting through the third. It has interesting concepts but it takes a long time to make its point. Plot structure spoilers:
The main reveal should have happened half way through, not at the end.
Apologies for mobile formatting
The Children of Time books by Adrian Tchaikovsky have a lot of those themes. Half of the first book is about an ark ship sent out to find a habitable planet because earth is dying. It spans hundreds of years as key crew members go in and out of hyper sleep. Relationships and political factions form and dissolve as the ageing ship continues its mission to find a new home.
The second book focuses on a terraforming crew that was sent to another star system to prepare a planet for humans. However, the planet’s ecology is so alien it proves very difficult to gain a foothold.
I’ve got a playlist, “Everything sucks but that’s ok”. This Year by The Mountain Goats is usually a solid pick. It’s wistful and defiant without being too sweet.
Misanthropic Drunken Loner by Days N Daze is bleak with a wry smile.
Nausea by Jeff Rosenstock.
I got so tired of discussing my future I started avoiding the people I love Evenings of silence and mornings of nausea Shake and sweat and I can’t throw up
And if things are starting to get a little better Good As It Gets by Little Hurt is great. It is incredibly catchy.
Shitshow by Peter McPoland.
Cool. Beekeeper is a ridiculous movie and it fully commits to the Beekeeper bit. I only wish there had been more actual bees.