Hi 👋 

It’s Monday again, which means it’s time for another Lazy Reader reading list of some of the best pieces of longform journalism from across the Web ✨

I’ve been sick the past week (awful, awful case of food poisoning) so I was in no mood to read. Or to do anything else aside from lie down and sleep, for that matter. So this week’s list is going to be on the lighter side—just wanted to get that out of the way.

I’ve recovered quite a bit though, so I was able to still get some heftier entries in here. (But also we all need to lighten up once in a while, no?)

In any case, if you missed last week’s email, here are some choice picks:

• Demons walking among us.

• Demons walking among us. (Corporations lie about the climate crisis)

• Demons walking among us. (Cops kill ChatGPT conspiracist)

As always, please let me know what you think of the list this week by voting in the poll below.

Happy reading and see you again next Monday!

Story in Spotlight

Mr. Maysh does it again.

The man has such a talent for finding these obscure but really interesting, character-driven stories, and then fleshing them out in a compelling way. Bonus points here, too, because this technically is True Crime. Space True Crime?? Sign me up.

The title of this piece pretty much gives it away, which is unfortunate, but that doesn’t really diminish how outrageous his schemes were. And it certainly doesn’t prepare you for how bold-faced this man is. I’d argue that that fact alone—the sheer audaciousness of this man and of his lies—carries quite a bit of the story. You kind of just want to keep on reading to see how far he can go.

It's pretty entertaining, too, to see how many people fell for his schemes. I’m sure there’s a lesson to be learned there: about how few safeguards there are, even for things you’d think would be highly protected, like NASA; about the need for us to always check our information; about how strongly unchecked aspirations can corrupt.

There’s just a lot in this story that makes it a really enjoyable read. There’s even a bit of history of space scams, which isn’t something that I thought existed. There’s also this sort of cat-and-mouse between the titular Fake Astronaut and a man dedicated to bringing him down. Just an overall fun experience overall.

All of that said, I think the weakest point of this story is that partway through, it becomes apparent that it relies quite a bit on secondary sources. But that’s not unreasonable, I’d say.

Long, but not too serious, so not really an overly difficult read. I’d say 1 hour at the very most.

The Longform List

The Informer | Texas Monthly, $

It seems like every week, I run into a story that just proves how much of a sucker I am for unconventional, unusual ways of telling a story. This one is no different, but it also benefits massively from an incredible narrative.

The prose here mixes both second- and third-person, transitioning between the two very smoothly. And very effectively, too, because it really helps you root for The Informer and it raises the stakes: The Informer’s line of work is very dangerous, and in order to be effective, he has to put himself in harm’s way. He’s good at what he does, but that also makes him complacent, maybe overconfident. And as a reader, you find yourself hoping against hope that it doesn’t come bite him in the ass.

All-American Despair | Rolling Stone, $

This one was difficult for me. At first I found it difficult to empathize with the men in this story, and I had to really grit my teeth through the first 15% or so. But the writer has some magical magnetism to his prose. He is simultaneously unapologetic about this topic, while also addressing concerns of privilege and fault. And he doesn’t seem to care if you buy it or not. I’m not sure how it works, but it worked on me.

And it’s great that it did! It was good for me to have witnessed the writer’s journey through Wyoming, confronting not just the conditions that make it easy for these troubled men to take their own lives, but also his own demons. I’d like to think that I’m a more empathetic person because of this story.

Dead Weight | Outside, $

I loved this story so much. It’s a perfect blend of funny, heart-warming and heartbreaking—something that only a writing genius could have pulled off so well. Huge plus points, too, for being another one of those experiential essays. Gotta love writers who aren’t afraid to put their bodies on the line for a story.

There’s a tough lesson at the heart of this, about tourism and economic inequality, and I thouroughly believe that this essay is leagues better because of it. But I do also accept that even at a most surface level appreciation, this piece is top-shelf.

The Secrets of the World's Greatest Art Thief | GQ, $

I won’t lie: The first half of this was nice, but nothing compelling. The strongest hook, obviously, is the sheer scale and boldness of the thefts. The story is otherwise milquetoast. But it slowly builds up (and the characters grow on you, not to mention you start feeling for the characters, too) until the crimes hit their climax and leaves the reader reeling in its aftermath. I was hooked from then on.

The Men Behind Deepfake Pornography | Der Spiegel, Free

Yet another story that illustrates the dangers of AI. I can accept (begrudgingly) that the technology can bring some good to some people, but is it really worth all of these harms? This is one of Der Spiegel’s harder-hitting investigations, I think, because it shows how frighteningly easy it is to use AI to ruin the lives of young girls, and how incredibly difficult it is to hold the men who run the models accountable.

My Couples Retreat With 3 AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them | WIRED, $

Interesting take on AI, one that is refreshing in how it doesn’t automatically position the technology as inherently evil. (Again: I’m not a fan of AI, but I do think there’s value in understanding its nuances).

This would have been a better story if it leaned all the way in on its philosophical musings about relationships and personhood and companionship. The weekend getaway was a necessary vehicle for those, but I think the writer was too caught up in making the “we barely survived” angle work—I thought it was corny and way overplayed.

What’s Wrong With AAA Games? The Development of the Next Battlefield has Answers. | ARS Technica, Free

This one is for me. I, too, am an avid videogamer. It’s among the other hobbies that I try to maintain to keep myself from being completely absorbed by work. And not coincidentally, I used to be heavily into (and pretty good, if I do say so myself) at these shooter-type games, though I never did touch the Battlefield franchise. So it was fun to read about what was happening behind the scenes.

That said, this story still paints a grim reality—one that I and my fellow gamers have known for quite some time: That the videogame industry has become fatalistically obsessed with the bottom-line. That’s why releases in recent years have become so flat, so soulless, so expensive.

Nearly 200 Cows Disappeared. The Case Remains Cold. | The Washington Post, $

Fun, light longread that’s a bit mysterious, a bit sinister, but nothing really heavy. There’s a lot here that the writer could have gone much deeper on but chose not to, which I normally don’t like. But this week, given my overall disposition, I found that to be a blessing.

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ALSO: I know some of the stories I recommend might be behind paywalls, and maybe I can help you with access to those. Send me a message and let’s see what we can do 😊

Until next Monday! 👋