I’m not sure this entirely counts as climate fiction, but it has enough of the vibe that I’m keeping it. Acts of God is comedian Kanan Gill’s debut novel. It’s a twisty sci-fi novel set after a climate apocalypse, in which a scientist has discovered the art of perfect simulation. He uses this to simulate human history… until the simulation breaks, every time, at a specific point.

Gill tells two stories in parallel – the story of Dr. Krishna and that of his simulation. On the surface, both are stories about transparency, free will, legacy, and the ethics of control. Dr. K wants to interfere with the simulation (super-illegal) and, inside it, there’s one character who consistently stops him. But at its heart, Acts of God is about teams and bonds – Dr. K’s broken one with his partner, his self-reliance compared to his simulations’ teamwork.

It’s also a pretty strange book. Gill comes up with some pretty interesting concepts for what the future could look like, including a tribe that rejects all technology. His narration combines an omniscient technological narrator, a log output of simulation, and various other documents. And there are plenty of (nonsensical? philosophical?) rambling stream-of-consciousness passages. I’m glad I read it, but I’m not sure who I would recommend it to…

I actually started listening to this months ago, as a bridge between a morning podcast and a long-form audiobook. The premise – profiles of civil servants, written by some of the best writers of the day – was enticing. And I feel the time listening has paid off.

Through this book, I got to meet a young antitrust aficionado, an IRS cybersecurity cop, and a cave engineer. I learned about what makes the National Cemetery Service tick (way more complex than I realized) and more about the fight against rare diseases than I expected. It’s a love letter to civil service that Jed Bartlett would take pride in. Oh – and the audiobook is narrated by the essay authors, and an even more engaging production for it. If you’ve ever wondered what we fund in the federal government, this is worth the listen.

I was in high school when my family got cable. I immediately started channel-surfing, and fell in love with the Food Network. While my brother and I enjoyed the competitions (which of the giant cakes will topple?), my secret favorite was Good Eats. Alton Brown’s cooking show reminded me how much cooking is a scientific endeavor, and made it more fun in the process. But cookbooks aren’t really my thing, so I’d never really read any of his writing…

Until I found his book of essays, Food for Thought, in an indie bookstore. (Something something serendipity.) Turns out, Brown is just as snarky and thoughtful in his writing as in his shows. I particularly enjoyed learning more about his journey to Good Eats and later, Iron Chef – even as it made me wonder how accessible the same journey might be to someone today. And I enjoyed learning more about Brown’s quirks – his preferences while cooking, his thoughts on modern American society and its isolationist tendencies. I might not always agree with his perspectives, but it was fun to learn them and see them expressed well. Plus, cute doodles! If you, like me, enjoyed Good Eats, this might be worth the read.