Shajedur Rahman

“Sleep is not escape—it is encounter.” A Planet in Slumber At this very moment, nearly two billion humans lie in silence, eyes closed, minds adrift. From Dhaka to Dakar, from São Paulo to Seoul, the planet hums with a strange stillness. Sleep has descended—not as a choice, but as a command. It is the most democratic of phenomena, the most private of rituals, and the most misunderstood of biological imperatives. Yet sleep is not merely rest. It is a rupture. A daily death. A cosmic exile. And in the words of H. P. Lovecraft, it is also a gateway. Hypnos : The God Who Whispers Beyond Wakefulness In Lovecraft’s Hypnos , the narrator seeks to transcend the boundaries of waking life, guided by a companion who may be divine—or monstrous. Together, they plunge into altered states of consciousness, chasing visions that defy language and logic. Sleep, in this tale, is not a passive retreat but an active rebellion against the tyranny of the real. Hypnos is not a god of rest. He is a god of escap...

W hat makes us human? What binds us together? What drives our species forward—and what holds us back? Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens is not just a history book—it’s a philosophical excavation of the human condition. It doesn’t merely recount what happened; it asks why it happened, how we interpreted it, and what it means for our future. Reading it felt like stepping outside of time and watching humanity unfold from a cosmic vantage point. It was unsettling, illuminating, and deeply personal. Harari divides human history into three major revolutions: the Cognitive Revolution (c. 70,000 years ago), the Agricultural Revolution (c. 12,000 years ago), and the Scientific Revolution (c. 500 years ago). Each one reshaped our species in profound ways, not just biologically or socially, but psychologically and spiritually. The Cognitive Revolution: Imagining Our Way Forward Harari begins with the idea that Homo sapiens became dominant not because of physical strength or intelligence alone, but bec...

This is not a ranking, but a gathering. This is a personal and evolving list of books that have shaped my thinking, stirred my emotions, or simply stayed with me long after I turned the last page. They span multiple genres—fiction, philosophy, poetry, memoir—and the order in which they appear has nothing to do with their status or importance. Some are classics, some obscure, some philosophical, some poetic—but all matter to me. It is my "100 must read books bfore you die" list. I’m still building this list, so consider this a living archive. Each title will eventually include a short reflection or reason why it belongs here. 📚 The List (Work in Progress) 1.  A Short History of the World — H. G. Wells A sweeping overview of human civilization—from prehistoric times to the modern age. This book helped me trace the arc of our collective story, showing how empires, ideas, and inventions shaped the world I live in today. It gave me a clear understanding of how we became what we ...

‘That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.’ Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American writer best known for pioneering the genre of cosmic horror. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Lovecraft crafted a literary universe filled with ancient gods, forbidden knowledge, and the terrifying vastness of the unknown. His work emphasized the insignificance of humanity in a universe governed by incomprehensible forces, and his influence can be seen across literature, film, and video games. Though largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Lovecraft’s legacy has grown into a cultural phenomenon, shaping the way we think about fear, reality, and the limits of human understanding. Lovecraftian horror, named after the American writer H.P. Lovecraft is a genre that delves into the fear of the unknown, the incomprehensible, and the cosmic. Unlike traditional horror, which often relies on gore or jumps scares, Lovecraftian horror evokes dread through a...

H.G. Wells’ A Short History of the World  is a masterful condensation of human history, written with the clarity and imagination that made Wells one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Published in 1922, the book offers a sweeping narrative that spans from the formation of the Earth to the aftermath of World War I. It is not merely a chronology of events, but a philosophical reflection on the evolution of life, society, and consciousness. “The history of mankind is the history of the attainment of external power. Man is the only animal who can transmit his acquisitions to his offspring.” — H.G. Wells Wells begins with the origins of the universe, grounding his account in scientific principles. He traces the emergence of life, the rise of vertebrates, and the development of human species through Darwinian evolution. This cosmic perspective sets the tone for the rest of the book, reminding readers of the vastness of time and the relative insignificance of individual...