Fuck fairies

+ A very creepy and useful boy

July 05, 2024

062

OVERWORLD:
-People really want to fuck fairies, it’s a $610 industry-

ONE BETWEEN:
-Guy thinks r/future is literally about the future-

THE DEPTHS:
-A very creepy and useful boy-

“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
— Mark Twain

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✦DISCOVERY PICKS✦

Human nature

People really want to fuck fairies, it’s a $610 industry

What are stories about fairy men making sexual advances on human women worth? You’re right, $610 million.

Seriously: The sales of romantasy (romantic fantasy) books are expected to reach $610 million this year.

Fatter and fatter: This follows a record $454 million in 2023, according to industry analyst Circana. In the first five months of 2024 alone, 11 million books were sold, nearly double from the same period last year.

Economic baboom: Independent bookstores, like Novel Grounds in Virginia, report that romantasy makes up a significant portion of their sales, indicating the genre's widespread appeal.

Resale market: There’s a whole collectors cult. On eBay, you’ll find first editions of between $99 - $200 and premium bound editions for $700.

✦The Michael Jordan of it all✦

Sarah J. Maas, a top author in this genre, is probably the biggest baller in the romantasy world. Her "A Court of Thorns and Roses" (ACOTAR) series is the biggest thing you probably haven’t heard of.

Sarah J. Maas, the human in question.

A 10-year journey: Bloomsbury published the first ACOTAR book in May 2015. Word of mouth did its thing, and then, TikTok's book corner BookTok took it to the moon.

Now, the Sarah J. Maas’ fans can be found all across Facebook groups, X/Twitter and Reddit.

They seem to be a tasteful bunch:

Nice.

✦TikTok numbers✦

In 2023 sales of books by authors prominent on #BookTok reached 46.3 million books, up 40% compared with 2022. Through the end of May, sales of books associated with #BookTok were up 42% compared with the same period last year.

There are about 364,000 posts under the romantasy hashtag, and more than 1.4 million centered on ACOTAR alone.

@bookswithjosie

Ranking every Romatasy Series I read this year!📚 Have you read any of the books I shared? What did you think about them? If you want my fu... See more

✦A formula old as humanity itself✦

People have been telling fantasy stories about humans banging mythological creatures and deities since like, forever.

Urvashi and Pururavas, a 3500-year-old romantasy story

In ancient Hindu literature, Urvashi, a celestial nymph, falls in love with Pururavas, a mortal king. In Greek mythology, Zeus transforms into a bull to fuck Europa, a Phoenician princess.

Thus, the formula is a principal recipe. Meaning, deep inside, every human being has some sort of longing for fucking an elf. So don’t judge.

THE KING NEEDS YOU

Human, you are a mere . Do you not seek grander ventures? A greater title? Honor? Take up arms, and help me expand my kingdom!

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Refer a friend with this link.
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✦QUICK HITS✦

✦Business & Tech✦

First: Greece is the first EU country to introduce a six-day workweek, despite global trends favoring shorter weeks. The new law allows extended hours but excludes food service and tourism. Critics argue it regresses labor conditions, especially as Greek workers already have the longest hours in the EU.

Not safe: OpenAI's ChatGPT macOS app had a security issue allowing easy access to stored conversations in plain text. This vulnerability was demonstrated by Pedro José Pereira Vieito. After The Verge alerted OpenAI, an update was released to encrypt the chats, resolving the issue.

Who’s using this thing? Threads now has 175 million monthly active users. Despite no daily user metrics, its growth is driven by Instagram promotions. Meta aims for continued growth, especially in markets like Japan. Ads may launch next year, leveraging Instagram’s system, targeting a brand-safe environment.

✦Fashion & Culture✦

Louis V Olympics: The upcoming Paris Olympics is about to be very very Louis Vuitton. That means LV-made medal trays and 1920s-inspired uniforms for the 515 volunteers selected to present medals, which is a nod to the last Paris Olympics in 1924 and the birth of sportswear. Cool.

✦Hmm… Interesting✦

Really, really cool 6-minute read: Should this be a map or 500 maps?

For developers: The saddest "Just Ship It" story ever

Big read for big brains: The Joy of Reading Books You Don’t Entirely Understand

Weird rabbit-hole (video): Advice to Young Mathematicians (2024)

ONE 

BETWEEN

Happy little accident

Guy thinks r/future is literally about the future

Last week, user Turbulent_Income_377 got on Reddit to discuss the future of US politics on r/future.

They began a thread titled "The Future of the US is looking Increasingly Bleak After the Presidential Debate," mistakenly believing the forum was for political predictions.

Fans of trap superstar Future then responded with very relevant lyrics:

Turbulent_Income_377 quickly placed an edit on the post: "Hey guys, I did not know that this subreddit was dedicated to a music artist at all. I just like predictions about the future of politics and society, and thought that this was the place for it," they wrote.

And so, a new Freebandz soldier was born, "I did decide to check out some of Future's music, and I liked it. I've always appreciated hip-hop and dream pop, and his oeuvre seems similar."

THE DEPTHS

Dental Sci-Fi core

A very creepy and useful boy

In the early 20th century, the field of dentistry witnessed a groundbreaking innovation.

Eduard Oswald Fergus invented the “dental phantom”. It’s essentially a lifelike replica of the human oral cavity, which provided a hands-on, practical training tool that transformed dental education and practice.

Before the invention of the dental phantom, dental students primarily relied on theoretical knowledge and limited practical experience, often practicing on live patients — which is risky for obvious reasons.

Fergus recognized the urgent need for a safer and more effective training method. His creation, the dental phantom, allowed students to practice a wide range of dental procedures, from basic examinations to complex surgeries, in a controlled and safe environment.

The dental phantom consisted of realistic dental structures, including teeth, gums, and surrounding oral anatomy, meticulously designed to mimic the human mouth.

These models were often made from materials that closely resembled the texture and hardness of real teeth, such as porcelain and later advanced polymers. The phantom could be adjusted to simulate various dental conditions, providing students with a comprehensive learning experience.

Today's dental schools continue to use advanced versions of the phantom, incorporating digital technologies and virtual simulations to further enhance the learning experience.