diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 9abe197..c8e0869 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ local _batteries = {
 	vec3 = require_relative("vec3"),
 	intersect = require_relative("intersect"),
 	--
+	timer = require_relative("timer"),
+	pubsub = require_relative("pubsub"),
 	unique_mapping = require_relative("unique_mapping"),
 	state_machine = require_relative("state_machine"),
 	async = require_relative("async"),
@@ -73,6 +75,9 @@ function _batteries:export()
 	--overwrite assert wholesale (it's compatible)
 	assert = self.assert
 
+	--export the whole library to global `batteries`
+	batteries = self
+
 	return self
 end
 
diff --git a/pubsub.lua b/pubsub.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a877f07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pubsub.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+--[[
+	dead-simple publish-subscribe message bus
+]]
+
+local path = (...):gsub("pubsub", "")
+local class = require(path .. "class")
+local pubsub = class()
+
+--create a new pubsub bus
+function pubsub:new()
+	return self:init({
+		subscriptions = {},
+	})
+end
+
+--(internal; notify a callback set of an event)
+function pubsub:_notify(callbacks, ...)
+	if callbacks then
+		for _, f in callbacks:ipairs() do
+			f(...)
+		end
+	end
+end
+
+--publish an event, with optional arguments
+--notifies both the direct subscribers, and those subscribed to "everything"
+function pubsub:publish(event, ...)
+	self:_notify(self.subscriptions[event], ...)
+	self:_notify(self.subscriptions.everything, event, ...)
+end
+
+--subscribe to an event
+--can be a specifically named event, or "everything" to get notified for any event
+--for "everything", the callback will recieve the event name as the first argument
+function pubsub:subscribe(event, callback)
+	local callbacks = self.subscriptions[event]
+	if not callbacks then
+		callbacks = set()
+		self.subscriptions[event] = callbacks
+	end
+	callbacks:add(callback)
+end
+
+--unsubscribe from an event
+function pubsub:unsubscribe(event, callback)
+	local callbacks = self.subscriptions[event]
+	if callbacks then
+		callbacks:remove(callback)
+		if callbacks:size() == 0 then
+			self.subscriptions[event] = nil
+		end
+	end
+end
+
+--check if there is a subscriber for a given event
+function pubsub:has_subcriber(event)
+	return self.subscriptions[event] ~= nil
+end
+
+return pubsub
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 17fdb98..b4b3ab5 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ General utility data structures and algorithms to speed you along your way.
 - `set` - A set type supporting a full suite of set operations with fast membership testing and `ipairs`-style iteration.
 - `sort` - Provides a stable merge+insertion sorting algorithm that is also, as a bonus, often faster than `table.sort` under luajit. Also exposes `insertion_sort` if needed. Alias `stable_sort`.
 - `state_machine` - Finite state machine implementation with state transitions and all the rest. Useful for game states, AI, cutscenes...
+- `timer` - a "countdown" style timer with progress and completion callbacks.
+- `pubsub` - a self-contained publish/subscribe message bus. Immediate mode rather than queued, local rather than networked, but if you were expecting mqtt in 60 lines I don't know what to tell you. Scales pretty well nonetheless.
 
 **Geometry:**
 
diff --git a/timer.lua b/timer.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5c070d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/timer.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+--[[
+	basic timer class
+
+	can check for expiry and register a callback to be called on progress and on finish
+
+	if you find yourself using lots of these for pushing stuff into the future,
+	look into async.lua and see if it might be a better fit!
+]]
+
+local path = (...):gsub("timer", "")
+local class = require(path .. "class")
+local timer = class()
+
+--create a timer, with optional callbacks
+--callbacks recieve as arguments:
+--	the current progress as a number from 0 to 1, so can be used for lerps
+--	the timer object, so can be reset if needed
+function timer:new(time, on_progress, on_finish)
+	return self:init({
+		time = math.max(time, 1e-6), --negative time not allowed
+		timer = 0,
+		on_progress = on_progress,
+		on_finish = on_finish,
+	})
+end
+
+--update this timer, calling the relevant callback if it exists
+function timer:update(dt)
+	if not self:expired() then
+		self.timer = self.timer + dt
+
+		--get the relevant callback
+		local cb = self:expired()
+			and self.on_finish
+			or self.on_progress
+
+		if cb then
+			cb(self:progress(), self)
+		end
+	end
+end
+
+--check if the timer has expired
+function timer:expired()
+	return self.timer >= self.time
+end
+
+--get the timer's progress from 0 to 1
+function timer:progress()
+	return math.min(self.timer / self.time, 1)
+end
+
+--reset the timer
+--will resume calling the same callbacks, so can be used for intervals
+function timer:reset()
+	self.timer = 0
+end
+
+return timer