Inverse Longreads
Inverse regularly produces longform journalism in the form of oral histories, investigations, definitive guides, narratives, essays, interviews, lists, and more. If you have a longform pitch, contact our editors.
new document
54 years ago, a computer programmer fixed a massive bug — and created an existential crisis
Here’s what vintage typesetting, defense software, and the Apple Lisa have to do with a ubiquitous computing feature.
"The future is history"
The oral history of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam's time travel masterpiece
Inverse speaks with director Terry Gilliam and nine other people involved in the making of this 1996 sci-fi cult classic.
Feature
Delta-8-THC: The rise and fall of a cannabis "Wild West"
Delta-8 exploded in popularity in 2020, but much of what's on the market could be unregulated or unsafe.
The Inverse Interview
Anthony Mackie is the leading man we need
The New Orleans actor talks Netflix, Marvel, and finding his new partner in crime.
Feature
The oral history of Idiocracy, Mike Judge's time travel triumph
“At a certain point, it went from a good vibe to thinking that this movie was cursed from the beginning.”
The Future is here
How George Lucas's biggest failure saved American sci-fi movies
How a young upstart (George Lucas) and his crew united to innovate Hollywood
Feature
Spielberg’s raptor
How Jurassic Park led to (and then ruined) the director’s chance to have a dinosaur named after him.
Part One
How Marvel's Shang-Chi had to "destroy" its own racist origins
The first in a series about Shang-Chi’s origins, rise, fall, and rebirth.
Innovation
Tesla Solar Roof reviews: 9 things you don't realize until you own one for a year
Super fans think you're amazing. Others will think you don't actually exist.
The Inverse Interview
The French father of Hollywood sci-fi is still planning his masterpiece (Exclusive)
“Maybe my work is too bizarre”
How the Adult Swim pirate ship set sail
Twenty years ago, it changed animation forever. Here's the unlikely true story.
scams
Dank Vapes Is the "Biggest Conspiracy" in Pot That Can Put You in a Coma
A thriving shadow economy is run on unsuspecting buyers and predatory sellers.
Deep Dive
30 facts you didn’t know about Terminator 2
#21: The first scene of Terminator 2, in which the nuclear apocalypse is depicted, cost more than the entire first film.
Bad internet
"Mars, fascinating:" Why a garbage video went viral before NASA could release the real one
A rotten ecosystem of science social media accounts is pushing hoax content to gin up audience numbers and sell low-rent affiliate ads. The Mars rover is the latest victim.
Deep Dive
15 facts you didn’t know about Drive, the best noir thriller of the century
Drive only happened thanks to a bizarre confluence of events that included Harrison Ford, flu medicine, and REO Speedwagon.
One Dead. 41 To Go.
“It felt like school.” The stars of Battle Royale reflect, 20 years later
Two contestants look back at the toils and triumphs of the controversial cult classic.
Feature
In Shakespeare, veterans find a “tower of strength”
“Shakespeare’s meter of iambic pentameter mimics the human heartbeat.”
Dream Teams
How a risky idea led to the most ambitious map of humankind ever created
“It was exhilarating, because you felt you were a part of something really, really important.”
One Year Later
The evolutionary reason all your friends made babies during the pandemic
“The pandemic really made me choose what I want, instead of what fits with what people expect.”
Part Three
How Asian American internet trailblazers gave new life to Shang-Chi
The final story in a series on Shang-Chi’s origins, rise, fall, and rebirth.
The Inverse Interview
Henry Golding channels his main character energy
“I’m always the outsider,” the Snake Eyes star says.
believe it
Mushrooms on Mars: A “modern Galileo” fights to prove alien life exists
“Our team is advancing science, but those who oppose us are anti-science.”
What if?
What if the MCU never existed?
Would Hollywood be a better place without Marvel?
“Aharon said it was healing.”
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is bigger than ever, but it’s at risk of being compromised by alleged abuse.
Future of Medicine
Peace blockade
Psilocybin liberates the mind from constant thoughts of death that often consume the terminally ill. But its usage is being blocked, despite the Right to Try Law.
The oral history of The Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel's game-changing comic event
30 years ago, Marvel redefined comics and superheroes forever. Here’s how.
Exclusive
How 'Fast Five' invented the cinematic universe before Marvel — and saved the Rock's career
“We did The Avengers a year before The Avengers came out.”
Jess Suttner
Cowabunga?
How Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles devastated the world’s turtle population
During the height of “Turtle Mania,” red-eared sliders were shipped all over the world as pets, but a lot of them didn’t stay in their tanks.
Feature
Can masks spread conspiracies? Inside the world of QAnon merch
The merch is the message.
Red Dead Week
Red Dead Redemption's honor system sends you to hell and back for a cool hat
The constant threat of consequences makes its violent sandbox uniquely memorable.
Ogres are like onions
The oral history of Shrek, the “ugly stepsister” that changed animation
Inverse speaks with the director, writers, and voices behind the 2001 DreamWorks masterpiece.
Staycation
Science has fixed the worst part of psychedelic drugs
If you’re looking to kick depression, psychedelic drugs could help, but not everyone wants to trip. A new study in mice could help.
The Inverse Interview
Amazon Luna chief reveals the 1 factor that will improve the future of video games
"I’m really excited about the future."
Entertainment
An Oral History of 'Too Many Cooks,' Adult Swim's weirdest experiment ever
"I had this idea but didn’t know if I could keep it going for 11 minutes..."
Codex
China's incredibly ambitious Tiangong space station: The complete guide
The Tiangong station represents the third phase of China’s crewed space program
Long read
Beast Wars redefined Transformers. 25 years later, it might happen again.
Inverse catches up with the writers and actors behind the beloved CGI Transformers cartoon ahead of its 2022 big-screen debut.
ACAB/MAGA
The left-wing gamers who love Call of Duty
For many players, a cultural reckoning about police violence hasn't dimmed the shine of the venerable shooter.
Video Games Issue 2021
The oral history of Banjo-Kazooie, the N64’s unlikeliest hit
The dream factory: Banjo-Kazooie creators relive Rare's golden age.
Video Games Issue 2021
The oral history of Banjo-Kazooie, the N64’s unlikeliest hit
The dream factory: Banjo-Kazooie creators relive Rare's golden age.
The Inverse Interview
It's Mark Millar's world. We're just living in it.
“It’s a terrible time to be a hater.”
Getty
Wait, what?
“Mushrooms on Mars.” How close was a controversial scientist to academic legitimacy?
“This is a question NASA does not want asked.”
Culture
Everybody calling the Cybertruck "brutalist" is wrong.
The Cybertruck is bold, but one of America's leading brutalism experts says that's not enough to earn the term.
Mask on
Inside the global social media movement that claims it changed the CDC's mind on masks
A viral image and a series of intertwining online groups are winning over policymakers.
