re: #372 Cato the Elder

I’m a big fan of Baroque style. Did you ever read John Barth’s “The Sot-Weed Factor”? Takes place largely in colonial Maryland.

I have and really enjoyed it.
I’m half was through the Baroque cycle at the moment.
Interesting side note, he wrote a satiric novel under a pseudonym Stephen Bury called “Interface” about a Governor that runs for president, and then goes from there.
It’s an early work but kind of good, and even though it’s a satire, it’s getting closer to the bone every election cycle. Worth reading, particularly if you like him.
When I find an author I like, I try to read the early stuff to see how the voice and style mature (silly, I guess, but I find it kinda cool) and it’s interesting to see how some writers progress and others don’t

Another of my favorite big idea books is the Red Mars trilogy by Kim Stanly Robinson.
The politics are fairly liberal, but it’s a fascinating look at creating a society from scratch.