Thomas Pynchon's Shadow Ticket: "They're out to destroy Cheese" episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 23, 2025 · 2H 37M

Thomas Pynchon's Shadow Ticket: "They're out to destroy Cheese"

from Half of God’s Face Podcast · host Austin and Zach

Episode 21. Intro by Sampson Hollander. This episode is an extended conversation about Thomas Pynchon's brand new novel Shadow Ticket, featuring special guests Ben Lobel and Sean Fahey! 11 minutes 10 seconds, the opening quote is introduced. 15 minutes 16 seconds page 1 is talked about. 18 minutes 26 seconds, Sean says John Turturro reads the audiobook for Philip Roth's novel Sabbath's Theater. Context of how Ben read the book at 19 minutes 32 seconds. 20 minutes 22 seconds in Ben explains the context of how the line from The Black Cat comes up in that movie. 22 minutes 49 seconds Zach describes how one of April's songs sets the mood. 24 minutes 31 seconds "he loves doing scenes where you go into like a bar." 27 minutes 6 seconds recurring characters from Pynchon novels. 28 minutes 31 seconds the rogue submarine in Lake Michigan. 29 minutes 25 seconds Sean says the scene Hicks says goodbye to April in the train station is one of his favorite scenes. 30 minutes 4 seconds Lew Basnight. 35 minutes 26 seconds Shadow Ticket's anger towards fascism. 39 minutes 55 seconds "Jonathan Franzen is a must read." 40 minutes 57 seconds "the 90's were packed." 42 minutes 3 seconds Pynchon stylistic overlap with Coen brothers, and technology in Pynchon is talked about. 48 minutes 17 seconds artist who make shorter works later in their career often times had already made epics earlier on in life. 50 minutes 20 seconds comparisons to Bleeding Edge are made. 54 minutes 38 seconds William Gass and his ideas are brought up. "Fascism of the heart." 56 minutes 59 seconds "you saved me so now I owe you my life" line from Inherent Vice appears in Shadow Ticket. 57 minutes 33 seconds "getting to this whole cheese thing." 1 hour 2 minutes 7 seconds "Cheese Fraud" quote. 1 hour 5 minutes 52 seconds "Do you think that Pynchon is playing the new Simpsons Fortnite that's dropping right now?" 1 hour 7 minutes 25 seconds "No I can't do it, Homer is my hero." 1 hour 10 minutes 1 second, how Hicks gets to Europe. 1 hour 14 minutes 53 seconds "Wait did we even talk about the elves?" 1 hour 18 minutes 21 seconds William Gass hated Pynchon, but was incorrect about his criticism. 1 hour 21 minutes 11 seconds Gass on Gertrude Stein. 1 hour 23 minutes 31 seconds on William Gass novel The Tunnel. 1 hour 27 minutes 9 seconds Zach on William Gaddis. 1 hour 34 minutes 51 seconds will Shadow Ticket get new readers into Pynchon? 1 hour 36 minutes 32 seconds Porfirio del Vasto appears. 1 hour 38 minutes 36 seconds Jules Verne type imagery in novels set before WWI and WW2. 1 hour 40 minutes 41 seconds Dziga Vertov appearance. 1 hour 44 minutes 20 seconds on the Al Capone of Cheese. 1 hour 49 minutes 22 seconds Zach debates Sean and Ben over if a sex scene occurs. 1 hour 50 minutes 49 seconds quotes from pages 203 and 204. 2 hours 2 minutes 8 seconds Ben's slutty Halloween costume. 2 hours 4 minutes 56 seconds Daphne's scene with Bruno. 2 hours 6 minutes 33 seconds page 224 referenced. 2 hours 9 minutes 50 seconds characters who appeared in second half. 2 hours 11 minutes 25 seconds Zach completely misses a massive aspect of the ending. 2 hours 14 minutes 26 seconds Zach explains an old teacher's theory about Gravity's Rainbow. 2 hours 16 minutes 6 second Hicks and Terike scene. 2 hours 17 minutes 20 seconds Sean brings receipts on massive spoiler alert. 2 hours 26 minutes 9 seconds Zach reads one of his favorite passages from page 268. 2 hours 34 minutes 27 seconds ending of book is discussed.

NOW PLAYING

Thomas Pynchon's Shadow Ticket: "They're out to destroy Cheese"

0:00 2:37:31

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Big Old Life: Heather Blackbird interviews people on planet earth. Heather Blackbird loves asking questions. This podcast is a learning experience. Join me, Heather Blackbird, as I talk to people about their lives. Frequency of new episodes is a little all over the place and I'm learning as I go. Big Old Life is a small way of talking about the vastness of life, one person at a time. If you are reading this or found this podcast it's probably because someone you know gave you a link to it. :) Explicit Tales Of A Superstar DJ The Insomniac Spun seemingly out of nowhere from her complacent life in the corporate world, turned seemingly overnight from 16-Hour shift work and into the life of a literally starving artist and working musician, The Protagonist navigates her supposed rise to fame and superstardom on a journey through spiritual awakening, coming-of-age, and intimate self-realization--guided by an omnipresent force and equipped with the power of love, magic, and music. {Enter The Multiverse.} [The Festival Project] The Festival Project, Inc.™ is a multidimensional multimedia platform which encompasses exploratory and artistic social personifications and expressions on cosmic theory, spirituality, growth, health & wellness, philosophy and theoretic dynamics in entertainment such as music, design, film, television, radio, dance and festival culture, art, fashion, literature, and science. The Festival Project™ and its subsidiary Non-Profit, The Collective Complex © aims to challenge modern artistic and philosop Explicit Bitcoin Is Dead Trey Carson Welcome to Bitcoin is Dead, the ultimate Bitcoin variety show where host Trey takes you on a journey through the ever-evolving world of Bitcoin. Each episode brings new personalities, fascinating locations, and insightful conversations with politicians, educators, and innovators shaping the future of Bitcoin. Whether you're a seasoned Bitcoiner or just starting your journey, tune in for thought-provoking discussions, unique perspectives, and a deep dive into the ideas and people driving the Bitcoin revolution. Explicit The Sacred +Profane Podcast nephtaragrace The Sacred + Profane Podcast is a provocative conversation dedicated to cementing a better future for all. We specialize in unpacking the nuances of what is considered sacred and profane, particularly focusing on sex, death, and all that pertains to the circle of life. Our aim in focusing on such ”taboo” subject matter is to demystify what is unconscious, bring to light what has been known for centuries as ”the occult,” and empower the rapid transformation that is occurring on the Planet. Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Half of God’s Face Podcast?

This episode is 2 hours and 37 minutes long.

When was this Half of God’s Face Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on November 23, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Episode 21. Intro by Sampson Hollander. This episode is an extended conversation about Thomas Pynchon's brand new novel Shadow Ticket, featuring special guests Ben Lobel and Sean Fahey! 11 minutes 10 seconds, the opening quote is introduced. 15...

Can I download this Half of God’s Face Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!