diff --git a/pytools/__init__.py b/pytools/__init__.py
index 4d98418bbc61d3576e531771e7e6623f65409035..228ed61acd921b6ce47e1cd988459b9ad2bd36eb 100644
--- a/pytools/__init__.py
+++ b/pytools/__init__.py
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ class RecordWithoutPickling:
     def __repr__(self):
         return "{}({})".format(
                 self.__class__.__name__,
-                ", ".join("{}={!r}".format(fld, getattr(self, fld))
+                ", ".join(f"{fld}={getattr(self, fld)!r}"
                     for fld in self.__class__.fields
                     if hasattr(self, fld)))
 
@@ -1843,14 +1843,14 @@ class CPyUserInterface:
         print()
         print("The following variables are recognized:")
         for v in sorted(self.variables):
-            print("  {} = {}".format(v, self.variables[v]))
+            print(f"  {v} = {self.variables[v]}")
             if v in self.doc:
                 print("    %s" % self.doc[v])
 
         print()
         print("The following constants are supplied:")
         for c in sorted(self.constants):
-            print("  {} = {}".format(c, self.constants[c]))
+            print(f"  {c} = {self.constants[c]}")
             if c in self.doc:
                 print("    %s" % self.doc[c])
 
@@ -1925,7 +1925,7 @@ def typedump(val, max_seq=5, special_handlers=None):
         if isinstance(val, dict):
             return "{%s}" % (
                     ", ".join(
-                        "{!r}: {}".format(str(k), typedump(v))
+                        f"{str(k)!r}: {typedump(v)}"
                         for k, v in val.items()))
 
         try:
@@ -2726,7 +2726,7 @@ def sphere_sample_equidistant(npoints_approx: int, r: float = 1.0):
 
     for m in range(M_theta):
         theta = np.pi * (m + 0.5) / M_theta
-        M_phi = int(np.ceil((2 * np.pi * np.sin(theta) / d_phi)))  # noqa: N806
+        M_phi = int(np.ceil(2 * np.pi * np.sin(theta) / d_phi))  # noqa: N806
         for n in range(M_phi):
             phi = 2 * np.pi * n / M_phi
             points.append([r * np.sin(theta) * np.cos(phi),
diff --git a/pytools/batchjob.py b/pytools/batchjob.py
index d5ac7adad4da60aef6bc8f7bbefe70e3a9d61db9..d4369bb033fa82c929c61c705391ddc54ac8e6c9 100644
--- a/pytools/batchjob.py
+++ b/pytools/batchjob.py
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class ConstructorPlaceholder:
         return "{}({})".format(self.classname,
                 ",".join(
                     [str(arg) for arg in self.args]
-                    + ["{}={}".format(kw, repr(val))
+                    + [f"{kw}={repr(val)}"
                         for kw, val in self.kwargs.items()]
                     )
                 )
diff --git a/pytools/convergence.py b/pytools/convergence.py
index a9e2dd4a3882fba2e6429e134b49a73506a807b5..46d8b033b2643f3fc313c81ef202de7077b977ef 100644
--- a/pytools/convergence.py
+++ b/pytools/convergence.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class EOCRecorder:
         order = result[0, 1]
         outfile.write("\n")
         for absc, _err in self.history:
-            outfile.write("{:f} {:f}\n".format(absc, const * absc**(-order)))
+            outfile.write(f"{absc:f} {const * absc**(-order):f}\n")
 
 # }}}
 
diff --git a/pytools/spatial_btree.py b/pytools/spatial_btree.py
index f5249da7f415de9aeea074a500eaeebfc10d1dec..91e0f0d7ff1db55e7fe26089adede9b67b5a8c19 100644
--- a/pytools/spatial_btree.py
+++ b/pytools/spatial_btree.py
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@ class SpatialBinaryTreeBucket:
             yield el
 
     def visualize(self, file):
-        file.write("{:f} {:f}\n".format(self.bottom_left[0], self.bottom_left[1]))
-        file.write("{:f} {:f}\n".format(self.top_right[0], self.bottom_left[1]))
-        file.write("{:f} {:f}\n".format(self.top_right[0], self.top_right[1]))
-        file.write("{:f} {:f}\n".format(self.bottom_left[0], self.top_right[1]))
-        file.write("{:f} {:f}\n\n".format(self.bottom_left[0], self.bottom_left[1]))
+        file.write(f"{self.bottom_left[0]:f} {self.bottom_left[1]:f}\n")
+        file.write(f"{self.top_right[0]:f} {self.bottom_left[1]:f}\n")
+        file.write(f"{self.top_right[0]:f} {self.top_right[1]:f}\n")
+        file.write(f"{self.bottom_left[0]:f} {self.top_right[1]:f}\n")
+        file.write(f"{self.bottom_left[0]:f} {self.bottom_left[1]:f}\n\n")
         if self.buckets:
             for i in self.all_buckets:
                 i.visualize(file)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e77140cf1e7db9112e220b9be20041488f086844..c92ea983c129e4622bb3bce813a3b1e0505db30b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 from setuptools import setup
 
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ exec(compile(version_file_contents, "pytools/version.py", "exec"), ver_dic)
 setup(name="pytools",
       version=ver_dic["VERSION_TEXT"],
       description="A collection of tools for Python",
-      long_description=open("README.rst", "r").read(),
+      long_description=open("README.rst").read(),
       classifiers=[
           "Development Status :: 4 - Beta",
           "Intended Audience :: Developers",