Over the last two decades, while working from his supervillain lair beneath the surface of Utah, Brandon Sanderson has published the largest interconnected fantasy universe in literary history: the Cosmere. "No one else is doing a project at this scale, ambition, quality—and most of all, pace," says Sam Winkler, the narrative director of the video game Borderlands 4 and a huge Sanderson fan. "Where other connected universes might seem smaller for their nods and cameos, Sanderson only indulges when the connection ends up begging more questions, rather than answering them conveniently."
For Esquire's guide to the Cosmere, we prioritized narrative continuity to provide the smoothest possible reading experience. Instead of bouncing from planet to planet like a pinball, this reading list shepherds you through each arc of Sanderson's cosmic story before moving on to another. We also included a preview of the next twenty books Sanderson has announced, if you'd like a glimpse at the Cosmere's future. |
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Fiscal responsibility never looked so good. |
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Over the years, I would blow hot (mostly) and cold (rarely) on Lynch's films. But even when I didn't care for them, I never blamed him, I blamed myself. I just assumed that I must not have been clever enough to pick up what he was putting down. But from the moment that he dropped out of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1967, he was one of those rare, capital-A artists that it was impossible to ignore or be luke-warm on. And now, with Lynch's unexpected death at age 78 (not too bad for someone who relished sucking on lung darts as much as Lynch did), it's hard not to feel like we've all lost an ineffable and irreplaceable piece of cinema. |
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Long-sleeves are just $18. |
| To my surprise, the company makes a great do-it-all pan. |
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I don't usually do this. Actually, I never do this. But this Friday morning, Severance season 2 premiered on Apple TV+—marking the celebrated sci-fi show's return to television after a three-year-long break. We all deserve a treat, don't we? So, Esquire is officially providing a Melon Bar, for everyone. And if you hit quota by EOD, we'll kick off next morning with a Waffle Party, too! No expenses spared.
Okay, I don't actually have the power to host a Melon Bar for everyone reading this—I'm just excited that season 2, episode 1 is out in the world for you all to watch. But I can offer you Esquire's review of Severance's sophomore season—spoiler alert, it's phenomenal—and a recap of the premiere episode. |
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 You can understand why Severance fans worried that season 2 would return after a three-year break, only to just serve audiences more in-office shenanigans and lob mystery after mystery with few answers. If this is the first review of Severance season 2 you've read, let me be the first to tell you: Not only is that not the case, but the Apple TV+ series makes a strong case for itself as the best show on TV. Hell, I would've waited another three years if I knew that season 2 was this damn good. |
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I did not love him in spite of his suffering; I loved him more deeply because of it. |
| You can score up to 50% off its most popular winter gear. |
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It was a rough and rowdy day in the committee rooms of the United States Senate on Wednesday as a cabal of Cabinet nominees faced their confirmation hearings. Butter failing to melt in their mouths, the nominees assured the senators that they would be fiercely independent in their stewardship of their respective departments, and that, no, they will not necessarily be taking orders from a president-elect who measures everything in the known universe by the level of slavish devotion to his every whim. It was a fairly hard sell. |
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From what to choose to how to knot it, here's what you need to know. |
| It's time to switch up your rotation. |
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To be completely honest, I don't like cookware sets, but that's why I'm the best person to test them. I think it's a trick cookware companies use to get novice home cooks to overspend on too many skillets and saucepans. You can often build your own set for half the price by going to a handful of different home retailers and cookware brands. That said, if you're judicious about how you rank cookware sets, like I am, you can find some good deals to fully outfit your kitchen in one go. For me, it's these three sets from Tramontina, Cuisinart, and All-Clad. |
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