Virgin Lands: RDR2's Dream of Colonizing Eden Close examination of RDR2 shows that Rockstar Games is a willing participant in colonialist traditions like cultural appropriation.

This piece has been largely rewritten. It also now identifies the sources for some of the art in RDR2, which (surprise!!) Rockstar misappropriates.

readdead.com/2024/08/21/v...

This is my favorite climate change chart. Japanese monks, aristocrats, and emperors kept meticulous records of cherry blossom festivals for 1,200 years and accidentally built the world's longest climate dataset.

To Turn Towards Death: The Secret Mythology in RDR2 RDR2 alludes to a famous episode from Greek mythology to give deeper meaning to the endings of both Redemption games.

Added to this piece: close reading reveals more evidence of Rockstar's racism. Also, Charles Manson, maybe? readdead.com/2024/08/14/t...

definitely should have used scare quotes around "fit"

oh, you're a woman? name 5 pant sizes that fit you

"Desperate Revenge": Paradise Lost and Micah Bell How Rockstar drew on diabolical characters from John Milton's Paradise Lost to create Micah Bell III, and who he's named after.

Added here: closer consideration of how RDR2 positions Micah Bell as a Satanic figure, and that weird, weird lighting in "Red Dead Redemption." readdead.com/2024/07/17/d...

What i've highlighted isn't just a cute line: The narrative set-ups, basic tasks, and easy conclusions of video games — "go here, do this, find that, feel this," etc — mirror children's picture books to a pretty crazy degree. I should know, I read a lot to my 3-year-old!

good piece, grayson

You know how humans have a strong preference to look at other human faces, starting at like 2 months old? When I try to compare these two images, even though the right is "more realistic," my eyes slide off it and land on the left every time.

I got beef with Rockstar, but one thing I'll say is I didn't have to hunt around to show that an RDR2 character looks like a historical figure.

Still from a cutscene from Red Dead Redemption 2. It shows Dutch Van der Linde in profile, with Charles Smith, Arthur Morgan, and John Marston in the background.

A classical portrait of the poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, in profile. He looks similar to the still of Dutch in several ways: dark curly hair, flushed cheeks, a slight bump in the nose, and the beginnings of male pattern baldness. Both men wear white shirts and red and black jackets/vests.

I didn't use this shot in the essay bc of Dutch's hat, but several of RDR2's cutscenes nod to the portraits Rockstar drew on when designing characters.

Death and the Devil: Dutch Van der Linde and Paradise Lost Paradise Lost and the iconic historical writer who helped to inspire RDR2's Dutch Van der Linde.

Added to this piece: a visual comparison of Dutch Van der Linde and George Gordon, Lord Byron. readdead.com/2024/07/09/d...

The article that quote is from — "Chris Evans, Original Insurgent" — is a major source of inspo for Dutch Van der Linde in general. Very specific "a real piece of work" vibes coming through

Outlaws in the Big Trees: More Sontag & Evans in RDR2 RDR2 characters inspired by historical figures whose lives intersected with outlaws Chris Evans and John Sontag.

Added to this piece: a (definitely very real!) conversation Chris Evans reported having with Collis P. Huntington, which inspired Dutch Van der Linde's "you rob; I rob" dialog with Leviticus Cornwall.
readdead.com/2025/07/23/o...

From Chicago and the Twin Cities to Vermont, police departments play an essential role in the ICE abductions, violently suppressing resistance that would otherwise keep people safe from the clutches of the kidnappers.

ICE is the enemy of humanity. So are police.

crimethinc.com/police

This particular piece has been updated several times for two reasons: one, did Christopher Evans [notthatone] ever lie. Also Wallace Smith was, at best, a really bad researcher. TL;DR: never believe a man just because he's a history professor.

Philosopher, Outlaw, Poet, Robber: The History that Wrote RDR2 History in RDR2: the little-known outlaws who inspired the characters Dutch Van der Linde, Hosea Matthews, Arthur Morgan, and Micah Bell.

Highlighting some site updates! To begin: discovering the historical fight that inspired RDR2's "Americans at Rest." Also, over 100 years later, I definitively exonerate Sontag & Evans of one of the murders they were accused of. NBD!
readdead.com/2025/06/18/p...

I'm very glad to hear it!!! sending all my most healing thoughts ❤️

oh my god, sending you all the best (weird time to say hi but hi, this is Octavia/Ruby from toast twt)

An open letter to Grammarly and other plagiarists, thieves and slop merchants To everyone at Grammarly, I am writing a book right now, a really challenging endeavor that no doubt someone in Silicon Valley will think it’s fine to steal the day it’s published. I’ve been a profes...

I finally lost my shit about so-called AIs, LLMs, enshittification & everything fucking evil that @officialgrammarly.bsky.social is doing. I'm fucking furious, and not just about what 1 company has done. An open letter to Grammarly & the rest of the LLM hype machine www.moryan.com/an-open-lett...

I still have important new research to share on RDR2's history and geography, but I'm feeling a bit winded/demoralized. It's hard being a person who makes things in this world! So … visit and share the site, if you're so inclined.

Read Dead Exploring the literature & history that influenced Red Dead Redemption II.

NEW on Read Dead: … everything! The site has been completely redesigned. The essays have been edited for clarity and updated with new evidence. Many new photos, inc. classical art bc fuck generative AI. Also, DARK MODE now available!
readdead.com

Once again, I am promising Democrats there are literally thousands of former department of justice people who will crawl over broken glass to prosecute this administration given the chance

I hope all those Rockstar North boys go choke 💕

Donate to Aid For PHILSpecialMeter To Stay Housed, Healthy, & Helpful, organized by PHIL Special Meter "LIFE, GAMING, AND FANDOM ON HRD MODE...." Thanks for s… PHIL Special Meter needs your support for Aid For PHILSpecialMeter To Stay Housed, Healthy, & Helpful

Pals! A friend of mine is in serious need in LA. Phil is one of the kindest people I know, and he's always taking care of other people. If you can give to his fundraiser, or share it, please do!!!
www.gofundme.com/f/psmpowerup...

ABOLISH ICE

Thesis: ICE is un-American and the Minneapolis protestors are real Americans.

Antithesis: Ackshually ICE is operating in a long American tradition of racist terror.

Synthesis: Minneapolis is now the epicenter of a clash between two distinct but historically grounded American political traditions.

no, those are my emotional support 50 screenshots from 1 minute of primary text

actually, now that I think about it, it's fucked up that we never get to send any telegrams in RDR2

nonsense about telegraph poles and spider webs??

oh I love her