🎂 Snipette turns Four!
Dear reader,
Snipette has now completed four years of publication! It was on this day, four years ago, that we had our official “release” with the article Are Algorithms Dictating Your Life? It questioned how much we’re influenced by the first two search results on Google pages, an issue that’s still important today.
That’s one property we’ve been trying to incorporate into our articles — timelessness. Our articles should be relevant for a long time; not the kind that become outdated in a few months.
Up This Week: the science of dragons!
Later today, watch out for a bumper series on dragons by Zia Steele! More specifically, it’s exploring the science behind how dragons work and whether it’s physically possible for them to exist. This involves not a small amount of math and biochemical equations, which is why we’re experimenting with another new feature: a “math-free” toggle to show or hide the complex parts.
You can read the full series here in just a few hours and let us know how you like it!
SnipĂŞtte Ă TĂŞte: a chat with Paul Cathill
Rounding off the quarter was last week’s webinar with Paul Cathill! This was our second ever webinar, and we had him talk to us about history, as well as his personal writing process. The conversation was very interesting, with a lively debate on ebooks versus printed ones, as well as an in-depth back-and-forth on what it means to write on Medium. It was a special treat to see Nicole Cooper, another long-time writer, drop in for the call as well!
You can watch the recording of the webinar here, and contact us if you want to know more. A note to all our writers: we’re open to featuring any of you next time, so please speak up!
Out Last Month: a special treat from the Editors
This quarter, all four of us editors moonlighted as contributors — not because our calendar demanded it, but from personal interest.
Manasa Kashi and Badri Sunderarajan wrote The Last Sorcerer, about science and fantasy and how the two come together.
Akil Ravi and Nia Chari have written Words in Progress, about the weird and wonderful world of fanfiction, which will be coming out on the 25th of June — watch this space for its premiere.
Open Positions: join us!
Both those articles came from the wacky and deeply nerdy conversations that are always happening in our group thread. If you’d like a chance to be privy to more like those, and maybe do a little work along the way, then we have good news for you — Snipette is hiring!
We have a wide variety of remote positions to fill — from art to coding to editing, so it’s likely there’s a spot for whatever you like to do. Read more here!
The Editors’ Bookshelf: what are we reading?
As you might have guessed, we editors read a lot. That’s where a lot of these ideas come from. And now, you can read along with us! Here’s a relaunch of our now-discontinued Instagram feature: the Editor’s Bookshelf. A warning that these recommendations contain affiliate links where available: but we’re linking because we liked the books, not the other way round :)
Akil — What is the What by Dave Eggers
Based on the true story of Valentino Achak Deng, this book tells the tale of thousands of young children — the so-called Lost Boys — who were forced to leave their village in Sudan and trek through the deserts, pursued by militia and government bombers, in search of freedom.
Badri — A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin
The last installment so far of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, this book continues the saga, centred this time around Essos and the North, where rulers posture unaware of the threat that lurks beyond.
Manasa — Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
An interdisciplinary dive into everyday interaction, this book takes a look at the interactions we have everyday and explains why we have a hard time understanding the people we don’t know.
Nia — A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
Translated from French, this novel follows Ophelia as she’s whisked into an unknown world after her marriage is arranged to the mysterious Thorn. Set in a strange, shattered world, the book is a wonderful exercise in the absurd and scary, as Ophelia learns to navigate the courts (like, nobility) of this world.
If you end up reading these books, or have others you’d like to recommend to us, we’d love to hear from you. Hit reply on this email and tell us all about it!
