Our favorite longreads of 2020

Capers, heists, discoveries, and tales of redemption: take a breath and enjoy some of our best in-depth stories. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  01.03.21 We weren't just bingeing Netflix in this pandemic-blighted year. We were reading—voraciously. Yes, in 2020 WIRED readers flocked to long-form stories about the coronavirus disaster. But they also devoured in-depth articles about everything from alleged poker cheats to digital blackface to the finer points of eluding a hungry dinosaur. So, on the off-chance that you missed any of these gems, we're here to suggest a reading list of our favorites from the past year, a few of which you can find below. It's an admittedly subjective compilation, fueled by the picks of WIRED editors, reader favorites, and, yes, a few of my own darlings. Enjoy some reading. Then you can go back to Netflix. Mark Robinson | Features Editor, WIRED   YEAR IN REVIEW Our Favorite Longreads of 2020 BY MARK ROBINSON It was a brutal year. Take a breath and enjoy some of our favorite in-depth stories.   WHO AM I? The Devastating Decline of a Brilliant Young Coder BY SANDRA UPSON Lee Holloway programmed internet security firm Cloudflare into being. Then he became apathetic, distant, and unpredictable—for a long time, no one could make sense of it.   SOCIAL MEDIA The True Story of the Antifa Invasion of Forks, Washington BY LAUREN SMILEY A false report on Twitter exploded into a call to arms. Then a bus, carrying a family and two dogs, rolled into a remote Northwestern town.   COVER STORY TikTok and the Evolution of Digital Blackface BY JASON PARHAM On the app, users drape themselves in the trappings of Black culture—and steal the viral spotlight. It's exploitation at its most refined and disturbing.   BACKCHANNEL How to Outrun a Dinosaur BY CODY CASSIDY If, through some scientific malfunction, you found yourself transported 70 million years into the past, you might be safer from certain hungry reptiles than you think.   SHOWDOWN AT STONES The Cheating Scandal That Ripped the Poker World Apart BY BRENDAN I. KOERNER Mike Postle was on an epic winning streak at a California casino. Veronica Brill thought he had to be playing dirty. Let the chips fall where they may.   FOOTSTEPS To Run My Best Marathon at Age 44, I Had to Outrun My Past BY NICHOLAS THOMPSON After 20 years of long-distance competition, I ran my fastest. All it took was tech, training, and a new understanding of my life. GET WIRED New year, new ideas. Get WIRED for $10 $5. Last chance to get 1 year of access for 50% off. Plus get free stickers! Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.         This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions