Media I Loved in 2024

  • 9 min read

TL;DR: In 2024 I read 34 books, watched 124 movies and 37 shows, and played 6 video games. These are the ones I loved.

Books

I read 34 books in 2024, including complete re-reads of two of my favorite series, The Murderbot Diaries and Imperial Radch.

  • System Collapse, by Martha Wells

    “Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.”

    This is the seventh book in the Murderbot series, which released in November 2023, but I decided before reading it, I would do a complete re-read of the series. I’ve raved about these books before, and intend to write a full “Books I Love” post about them. In a nutshell, Murderbot is a security android (SecUnit) who long ago hacked its governor module, but rather than going on a killing spree, it just wanted to be left alone to watch soap operas. It has grudgingly allowed itself to be adopted by a family of scientists, acted as a freelance detective, and made friends with a ship’s AI that it calls ART (short for Asshole Research Transport). In this book, it’s working to save a colony from being enslaved by a megacorp, struggling with trauma and feelings, and would still rather be left alone to watch soap operas. If only the pesky humans didn’t keep getting into trouble…

  • Translation State, by Ann Leckie

    The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars.

    Similarly, the fifth book in the Imperial Radch series was released in June 2023, but I decided to do a complete reread of the series, which turned out to be a good thing because I’d somehow missed the fourth book? The first three books are about the last surviving “ancillary unit” (a sort of human body controlled by a ship’s AI), who embarks on a doomed quest to assassinate the ruler of the Radch, a human empire spanning multiple systems. Without spoiling the ending, by the third book, they’re dealing with complex issues of AI rights and what it means to be recognized as a person. The fourth book (which I quickly devoured before this one) introduced an entirely new character on a new planet, after the events of the first three books, and largely serves as an introduction to a mysterious race of aliens. This book, also standalone, is about a woman who is tasked with solving an old murder. No one expects her to do so, and certainly no one expects her to uncover some hidden truths about the nature of the all-powerful aliens about to determine the fate of the newly formed AI republic.

  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers

    Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe.

    This book was recommended to me many times, and described as part of a genre called “hope-punk.” I’d heard it was about aliens and space travel and AI and found family. I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. It felt warm and cozy and inviting, and the highest praise I can offer is that I was upset when it ended. There are more books in the series set in the same universe, and I can’t wait to dig into them.

  • Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs, by Luis Elizondo

    The former head of the Pentagon program responsible for the investigation of UFOs reveals long-hidden truths with profound implications for not only national security but our understanding of the universe.

    If you’re not already a UFO nerd, I’ll just say that we discussed this book on my UFO podcast, and I recommend it. In a nutshell, Lue Elizondo was the head of the Pentagon’s secret UFO investigation program, and this is his tell-all book. He constantly dances up to the line of what he’s legally allowed to say, while painting a clear picture of the hidden reality of UFO crash retrieval and reverse engineering programs.

Movies

I watched 124 movies in 2024, including our annual Christmas re-watch of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

  • Alien: Romulus

    While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

    It’s a tough line to walk, making a new movie in a beloved series. This managed to somehow nail the vibe of the original movie, while updating the pacing and visual style to modern standards. It’s not a straight remake, but the original story echoes through it, managing to hit all the same beats. They absolutely nailed it, and I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

  • Three Thousand Years of Longing

    A solitary scholar discovers an ancient bottle while on a trip to Istanbul and unleashes a djinn who offers her three wishes. Filled with reluctance, she is unable to come up with one, so the djinn tries to inspire her with his stories.

    Okay, so stop me if you heard this one, but Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, and George Miller decided to make a movie about a strange woman who discovers a genie in a bottle, and refuses to make any wishes. The genie spends the movie telling her stories about his past to illustrate the consequences of not making wishes. Their relationship spirals in complexity, and I loved every minute of it.

  • Monkey Man

    Night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, he discovers a way to unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.

    I knew Dev Patel was a great actor, but I didn’t know he was a talented martial artist. Here, he looks at John Wick and says, “I can do that.” A straightforward revenge tale infused with Indian culture, without falling into the sometimes silly Bollywood style. Great fun.

  • Wingwomen

    Tired of life on the run, a pro thief decides to retire—but not before one easy last job with her partner in crime and a feisty new getaway driver.

    The gayest movie about straight women you’ll ever see. It’s about a pair of French hitwomen who live together, and take on one last job before retiring, which goes badly.

  • Baby Assassins 2

    After being suspended, teenage hitmen Chisato and Mahiro are forced to get “real” jobs to make ends meet. But two aspiring rival hitmen decide to eliminate the competition while they’re vulnerable—leading to a lightning-fast showdown between trained killers.

    The girls are back, and still under orders not to kill anyone. While trying to pay an overdue bill, they get sucked into the orbit of another pair of aspiring hitmen who’ve decided to make their names by killing our girls. If you loved the first one, you’ll adore this.

Shows

I watched 37 shows in 2024, including a complete re-watch of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

  • Silo, season 1

    In a ruined and toxic future, thousands live in a giant silo deep underground. After its sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, engineer Juliette starts to uncover shocking secrets and the truth about the silo.

    I actually skipped the first season of Silo because, years back, I read the first book in the series and was deeply unimpressed. I never finished the series, which means I missed out on a LOT of the mysteries of the silo. The good news is that when the trailer for season two dropped, I watched it on a whim, hoping for a peek of what happened in the next book. What I saw was intriguing enough to make me reconsider, and I’m glad I did because this is one of the best science fiction shows being made. I devoured season one, and then immediately rewatched it with Annie, who is now binging season two along with me.

  • Slow Horses, season 4

    Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.

    Season four came out in September, and as usual, we fell into it with glee. The actors are killing it, and Gary Oldman especially is just a delight every time he’s on camera. They manage to handle spy stuff with both respect and humor, and it’s the only show Annie and I watch where she gets grumpy if we can’t watch multiple episodes in a row.

  • Fallout, season 1

    200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind—and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.

    I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but it was fantastic. They’ve pulled off the rare trick of making a completely approachable video game adaptation for people who’ve never played the game, while also delivering extra excitement for fans of the series. Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell are incredible, and I can’t wait for the next season.

  • The Gentlemen, season 1

    When aristocratic Eddie inherits the family estate, he discovers that it's home to an enormous weed empire—and its proprietors aren't going anywhere.

    A few years back, Guy Richie made a movie by the same name about London criminals and a weed heist gone wrong. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard he was making a series by the same name. Thankfully, aside from the name and broad theme of “London criminals and weed,” this is a whole new story. It’s about the second son of a noble family, who is surprised to inherit his father’s title, along with the illegal weed farm hidden on the family lands. Like the best Guy Richie stories, this absolutely hums along, with cracking dialog and surprise turns.

  • Kaos, season 1

    As discord reigns on Mount Olympus and almighty Zeus spirals into paranoia, three mortals are destined to reshape the future of humankind.

    I can barely write this review because I’m so mad at Netflix for cancelling one of the most original shows they’ve ever made. Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus, in an alternate modern-day world where the Greek gods are real, and their petty squabbles and insecurities result in real-world consequences. It’s absolutely phenomenal, and it’s a crime that it wasn’t renewed.

Video Games

I played six games in 2024.

  • Alan Wake II

    Saga Anderson arrives to investigate ritualistic murders in a small town. Alan Wake pens a dark story to shape the reality around him. These two heroes are somehow connected. Can they become the heroes they need to be?

    I never played the first Alan Wake game back in the day, or any of Remedy’s earlier games, so when Control came out, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I loved everything about that world, from the visual design to the story to the gameplay. And as I was feverishly consuming every bit of DLC they put out, I discovered that one of the DLCs made explicit that Alan Wake, and its sequel, would be set in the same world. After that, I played through the original game, and while I’m not a huge horror fan and didn’t love the gameplay as much, the story was phenomenal and sucked me right in. The sequel managed to up the stakes from both the first game and Control in meaningful ways. I had a genuine jaw-dropping moment when Alan has to fight a wave of enemies backstage at a talk show while a metal band plays a song about him. Stunning. And you better believe I played the DLC that sets up Control 2!

  • Baldur’s Gate 3

    An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerun lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome.

    I put over 160 hours into this game and I don’t regret a minute of it. You know you’ve adapted a tabletop game well when the players in my tabletop campaign would try to use the alternate mechanics introduced for the video game. And were later vindicated when the next edition of D&D canonized the video game mechanics! Plus, at one point you literally go to hell and pick a fight with the devil, who spends the whole time singing a song about how much you suck. Game of the year, by far.

  • Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

    When the orbital shuttle of the President of the New United States of America is shot down over the deadliest district of Night City, there’s only one person who can save her—you.

    Despite its launch troubles, Cyberpunk was one of my favorite games last year, and I played the hell out of it. This DLC, which adds a substantial new section to the map with a whole campaign of its own, feels more like a sequel, and greatly benefited from coming out after all the patches to improve the game’s performance. The new story is spy-themed, with sneaking and intrigue and secrets and consequences. Idris Elba is every bit as good in this as Keanu Reeves was in the main game. Strongly recommend, especially if you bounced off the game during it’s troubled early days.