Why It's Okay if Techies Are Jerks, What "Futurama" Would Look Like IRL and More Morning #Mustreads

Happy Friday!

Here’s some great content from around the Web, brought to you by the team at Re/code:

1. The comedy site Splitsider flagged a video and photo gallery from Russian artist Alexey Zakharov, which depicts an ultra-realistic version of the universe of Futurama, the cartoon science-fiction comedy from the creator of The Simpsons.
2. We’re all drowning in more email then we can handle; this video starring The Atlantic’s health editor James Hamblin offers a simple solution to the Unstoppable and Overwhelming Email Epidemic.
3. The Silicon Valley Asshole is now its own brand, much like the Wall Street Banker Asshole or the Careerist Capitol Hill Asshole. Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, Joel Stein defends the notion of “techies-as-jerks,” arguing that arrogant young men have “always been part of the Valley’s DNA.”
4. “Gossip Girl” star and (former?) It Girl Blake Lively has taken after Gwyneth Paltrow and launched her own website-lifestyle-brand-thingy, a strange creation named Preserve. One Vanity Fair reviewer tried out the Preserve lifestyle for a week, so you don’t have to. Check out Preserve’s creepy launch ad on Vimeo.
5. Amazon’s war on book publishers has hit a snag in recent weeks, as more and more high-profile authors turn against the tech giant. The New York Times reported on the latest hitch in Amazon’s plan: More than 900 authors have signed a letter condemning the company, and it will appear as a full-page ad in the Times on Sunday.

If you see any stories you’d like to send our way (or have any questions/comments about stories we’ve recommended), feel free to shoot an email to noah.kulwin@recode.net.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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