Pipsy
My heart belongs to the worlds of Fantasy ⚔✨ but I occasionally enjoy philosophical non-fiction
13622 points
Pipsy commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Very excited to announce that you can now download the app on Android!! Google Play approved us this afternoon :) we're still waiting on Apple and will make a big release announcement once both platforms are available.
If you're on Android, we'd love if you give us a download and leave a review. In typical non conformist PB fashion I do find it hilarious that we are available on Android before Apple; a karmic win for all our Android baddies.
Can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the app!!
156Pipsy commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I just brought this up to a fellow book reader and she hadn’t thought about it before so I thought I’d make a discussion post about it to get everyone’s thoughts!
I’m reading a book right now that is giving me the vibes that AI was used during the writing process, I could be wrong (I see a lot of AI usage at my job to assist writing so that’s why I tend to notice) and I really struggle with authors using AI.
I feel that this turns their writing into not their own and the way that it makes the writing feel more robotic. Has anyone else noticed this? i’ve seen a lot of talk of authors using AI for their covers, but I haven’t seen a lot of talk about AI assistance with writing.
106Pipsy commented on catarinagc08's update
catarinagc08 finished a book
Uma Aventura nas Férias de Natal (Uma Aventura, #2)
Ana Maria Magalhães
2Pipsy commented on spacebunny9925's update
Pipsy commented on notbillnye's update
Pipsy commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I just read the first chapter of a book called Speculative Whiteness for my college class on fantasy/sci-fi lit, and it talked bout how alt-right white men tend to dominate some sci-fi spheres and the themes they use to justify their racist/sexist rhetoric (space colonization, superior "races", etc).
The book was published relatively recently, but I feel like we don't see as much alt-right sci-fi as we might have in the past? Maybe I'm just not on that side of the book community (thankfully), or maybe I'm missing something. Do you think that alt-right men still dominate sci-fi? I want to make it clear I'm not looking for recommendations; I'm just struggling to come up with examples that I could use in my class discussion.
I was also curious if anyone thinks this trend continues into fantasy and/or books written by women. I was specifically recalling the Silver Elite controversy with potentially right-wing rhetoric in a "dystopian" novel, but I don't think it's as extreme as what Speculative Whiteness was describing with the alt-right white men.
37Pipsy commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Well hello, it hasn't been long since I found out about pagebound and let me tell you I got ADDICTED Comparing to other apps and sites I have used the community, the variety and if I may say the "fashion" is wayyy more prominent and I have been enjoying it more than I could ever have anticipated
I had been a "Goodreads" user for five years now and I was pretty faithful to it, I lived for the annual voting round, the monthly lists and recently I was getting very into the monthly challenges It was a good start but this year I also had my ✨awakening ✨ let's say in terms of world issues and personal ethics So when someone mentioned that "Goodreads" belonged in Amazon and funded/fueled a billion dollar company that is starting to gain monopoly in books and not alone I tried to find something to replace it and that something was "Fable" I liked that it felt more personal, I joined many bookclubs, I preferred the reviews and rating system compared to GR and was very satisfied overall UNTIL the app really enforced AI into its functions and I could no longer support it
No I found "Pagebound" through Instagram as an alternative to be both and I have been very happy here 🪷💕 I guess what I want to say is I have been trying to find the best version of an ethical book space and has taken a bit of a toll on me, getting used to new functions and all
The community has been great, a big thank you to all of you 🩷🩷🩷
62Pipsy commented on kittytornado's update
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Pipsy commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
my tbr wants dates to look forward to hehe! what new or upcoming releases are you most excited for and why?
38Pipsy wants to read...
Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
Karen Hao
0Pipsy commented on marissa's review of Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
This book is exceptional. I mean it will do horrible things to your psyche, but it's so well written. You should read it! Karen Hao's knowledge clearly runs deep, but it’s her ability to escape the narrow ‘revolution or nothing’ framing that makes this book so compelling. What you get instead is a sharp, balanced, and thoroughly researched look at how this technology and the company at its centre are shaping our world.
What really impressed me is the sheer scope of the book. Hao traces OpenAI from its confusing beginnings to all the messy power struggles and Sam Altman’s larger-than-life personality (not someone anyone should be idoling..), through its rapid rise to global influence. She’s been reporting on the company since its earliest days for MIT Tech Review and The Wall Street Journal (which is actually incredible when you think about it!), and that long history shows in the depth and detail she brings. You feel like she’s been in the room for some of the drama, and sometimes she actually was!
But the book is about much more than just corporate intrigue. Hao puts OpenAI in context, arguing that it behaves like an empire: expanding aggressively, rewriting rules to suit itself, hoarding resources, and justifying its dominance by claiming that if they don’t build the future, someone worse will. Like all empires, it leans on labor exploitation and resource extraction, which Hao documents through powerful reporting, from data workers in Venezuela and Kenya to water activists fighting massive data centres in Chile and Uruguay.
The reality she lays out is hard to ignore. AI isn’t here to break down inequality or decentralize power. If anything, it’s just reinforcing existing hierarchies, keeping wealth and control in the hands of a small group of elites who are already looking to entrench their dominance for generations to come. Sometimes names would be brought up and I thought to myself "isn't that person already involved with this other company." The technology might feel revolutionary, but its role in society is anything but. And yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. Hao’s work is valuable precisely because it opens up the possibility of doing things differently. She makes it clear that AI didn’t have to evolve the way it did.. that choices were made, often recklessly, and that we should think hard about who benefits and who pays the price.
This is definitely a must-read if you’re curious about AI, OpenAI, or just the way power operates in our time. It’s not only a company history but also a sociological deep dive into technology’s impact on ethics, labour, the environment, and inequality. Hao’s reporting is vivid, her analysis is valuable, and her storytelling makes even the technical debates feel engaging.
11Post from the Isles of the Emberdark forum
“It might find you curious,” Ed said, “but it will also want to destroy you. Nazh’s people call them the Evil for a reason. They seek out and destroy Investiture. It will likely decide to eat you.”
This warning isn’t just a boring old “proceed with caution” deal... it’s got layers, like an onion, or maybe a really complicated cake. It’s pulling us in with this mix of danger and curiosity, basically daring us to ignore common sense.
And honestly, the way it hints at some bigger forces gives the whole thing a sort of cosmic mischief. It’s not just about tripping over a rock or touching something we shouldn’t. There’s this undercurrent that something way bigger is pulling the strings. Maybe fate has a twisted sense of humour, and we’re just the latest contestant on its reality show. The warning’s got this dry, almost sarcastic tone, like it’s in on a joke we don’t get yet. That sort of dark humour makes everything feel more alive, and way more unpredictable.
What I especially like is how it makes the adventure feel less scripted. We’re wading through a story that could swerve into chaos at any second. That unpredictability keeps my brain spinning with wild theories. Basically, this isn’t just a warning. It’s an invitation to embrace the madness and see where the ride goes, consequences be damned.
0Post from the Isles of the Emberdark forum
“Their people were still free. So far.”
I think because I've been reading some books on Free Speech lately, these really stuck with me. It's like they are clinging to the page by their fingertips, much like Dusk and Starling gripping their fragile liberty amid the encroaching shadows of the emberdark, facing perilous bargains and poisonous politics in their quest for salvation and independence.
It completely mirrors our world today. That “so far” whispers a warning. Freedom of speech feels just as precarious, squeezed by censorship whispers and digital gags, yet we cling on, eyes blazing with that unyielding spark. The battle's far from won, but holding tight might be the thrill of it all.
0Post from the Isles of the Emberdark forum
“If you had been another trapper, I would have watched until you died, rather than leaving and hoping for a predator to finish you. You might have escaped to avenge yourself upon me.”
The whole vibe screams isolation... everyone’s basically watching their own back 24/7. Trust? Ha, good luck finding that out there. Every little decision seems to weigh a ton. Makes you wonder, where’s the line between keeping yourself alive and, you know, actually being human? Wild stuff.
0Post from the Isles of the Emberdark forum
Post from the Isles of the Emberdark forum
“A decade ago, I wrote a novella that just would not leave me alone. The story of a man, his birds, and the inevitable tide of progress.”
This really shows how some ideas just grow on you until they become something bigger. I love how it sets up the whole feel of change coming, and it makes the story feel so personal right from the start. 😊
0Pipsy commented on a post
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