Episodes
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Annihilation
What happens when you can't trust your teammates, your senses, or even your own mind? Impenetrable secrets, deadly environments, and the nature of what can be known all await as Aurora and Ketho dive into the eerie and mind-bending scifi novella Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer....
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A Psalm for the Wild Built
In a utopian world where all your needs are met, what does it mean to try and find meaning? Between tea, robots, and the sound of crickets, Aurora and Ketho are joined by Theresa to talk about A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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City of Brass
If you like djinn, magic, and the whole world teaming up to make one woman's life worse, then you'll enjoy Aurora and Trevor talking about City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. Set far outside the Euro-centric confines of most fantasy, City of Brass mixes deep and interesting world building with...
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The Left Hand of Darkness
It's time for a classic. We are joined by returning champion Trevor to discuss Ursula K. Le Guin's seminal work, The Left Hand of Darkness. We talk about gender, how you have states without war, and of course, the balance of light and dark. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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Feed
It's time for a little sci-fi horror! This episode we are joined by Bry and Fry from the Pontifacts pod to talk about Feed by Mira Grant. A near future were zombies are a fact of everyday life, bloggers are super important, and we look with post 2020 eyes at how someone in 2010 imagined we would...
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Creation: Part 2
A crossover episode with Trevor from The History of Persia from a couple years ago. We discuss historicity, Zoroastrianism, and well, creation! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69
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Creation: Part 1
A crossover episode with Trevor from The History of Persia from a couple years ago. We discuss historicity, Zoroastrianism, and well, creation! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69
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This Is How You Lose The Time War
We are back for the end of Pride Month with one of Aurora's favorite books, the lesbian scifi love story This Is How You Lose The Time War. Robotic bodies, complex time travel, and handwritten love letters dominate this wonderful book. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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Cyberpunk 2077: Part 2
In the 2nd part of our conversation about Cyberpunk 2077 we are rejoined by Roberto to talk The Soul of Theseus, morality, and sexism in the player community. Spoilers for every possible ending to the game (along with which one makes you a good person). Roberto's Pods: @tsarpowerpod &...
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Cyberpunk 2077: Part 1
We have brain worms we need to exorcise, and so we've invited our friend Roberto on to talk about the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Made by CD PROJEKT RED and set in the universe created by Mike Pondsmith, this game is a masterful blend of politics, themes, and storytelling. In part 1 we discuss the...
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The Transall Saga
What if the kid from Hatchet went to the post apocalypse future instead of Canada? That's what we're here to discuss in Gary Paulsen's "The Transall Saga". We talk slavery, YA romance, and the world's fastest language learner. One of Asha's favorite childhood books! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism...
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The Poppy War
*CONTENT WARNING* What happens when you take a YA novel and throw in a healthy dose or horrendous war crimes? The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang! We talk with our guest Shawn about fiction depicting barely disguised real history and the morality of retributive violence. Follow Shawn on twitter...
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The Three Body Problem
Aliens, math, and the utter failure of the Cultural Revolution are the main points of discussion in this episode about The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Liberal reforms and the fate of humanity are intertwined in a way that made Asha say, "I don't give a shit about computers, where the fuck…
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2 Year Review
It's been 2 years since we started the pod, so we wanted to take a quick look back at what we've learned, and talk about what's coming up in the future. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who listens and has stuck with us. You're the best. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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Queering The Lord of the Rings: An Interview with Dr. Sara Brown
It's a very special episode for our 2 year anniversary. We sat down with Dr. Sara Brown, Chair of Language and Literature at Signum University, to talk about her upcoming book: Race, Gender, and The Other in Tolkien. Sara leads us through a wonderful discussion about Orcs, Eowyn, Shelob, and how...
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I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
This week we cover a classic of the scifi genre: Harlan EllIson's seminal short story, "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream". Horror, humanism, and the final triumph of the human spirit are blended together in a precursor to much of the modern scifi movement. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle
This is the end! Of Narnia anyway. Asha and Ketho are rejoined by Trevor and Alex to discuss Revelations for children. A false prophet, a gay unicorn, and quite a bit of confusing Christian theology join together for the end of C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia". It's all been building to...
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
It's time for Genesis! Ketho and Asha are joined by Trevor from The History of Persia to talk about the 6th book in the Narnia series, "The Magician's Nephew", in which Alastair Crowley tricks children into multiverse travel, Jadis tries to girl-boss London, and we discuss the academic obsession...
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The Chronicles of Narnia: Books 4 & 5
Part 2 of our 4 part series on C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Ketho and Asha discuss The Silver Chair and The Horse And His Boy. We have a reversal of favorite and least favorite books in the series, Jadis 2.0, and a plot so well done it probably belongs in a different series....
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The Chronicles of Narnia: Books 1-3
We begin our 4 part series covering the entire Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Covered here are The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We welcome Alex to the podcast to discuss Lewis' particular brand of Christianity, his incorporation of...
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The First 1984: We
It's a crossover spectacular! A little while back Asha and Ketho went on the Tsar Power Podcast to discuss the first dystopian novel about a totalitarian state: "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, published in 1924. Mass surveilance, depersonalization, and why Productionism is terrible. Check out Roberto…
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The Lord of the Rings: Hope
It's the Asha episode. She goes into detail about what hope is in the works of Tolkien, reads some selected quotes, then gives a talk about how this has shaped her views on radicalism, trans rights, and how to fight for a better future. This one came from the heart folks, we hope you enjoy it....
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Parable of the Sower
Imagine a world where the climate crisis gets so bad that the US brings back company towns and slavery. A far stretch, but Octavia Butler has already done the hard work for us in her seminal novel, Parable of the Sower. Ketho and Asha talk about change, community, and the most realistic…
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Everything Everywhere All At Once [Unlocked Bonus]
In honor of all the awards and hype around this movie right now, we decided to unlock this bonus episode from last summer! Existential nihilism, dadaist art, and how the internet has broken everyone's minds. It's genuinely one of our best. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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Binti
It's our first Novella! Better late than never, we're back with Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. We talk culture, home, and the value of diversity. This book was a happy little break between what came before, and what comes next. Enjoy! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email:...
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The Fifth Season
We begin Black History Month with an absolute chest punch of a book: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. This is a story with a powerful exploration of race, slavery, and representation. Read it. Please. Read it then come listen to our conversation about how cultural myths affect real world...
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Snow Crash
We have reached the end of Cyberpunk month and alas, the end of good cyberpunk books as well. We finished up by talking about Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. History, religion, psychology, and technology are all brought together in the story of Hiro Protagonist. It's...something....
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Ghost In The Shell
Cyberpunk Month continues with a story about what happens if you Ship of Theseus yourself. Ghost in the Shell is an all time classic of the genre, and much funnier than you expect. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha:...
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Neuromancer
It's a Christmas miracle! We are alive, and we are back to finally kick off Cyberpunk Month. We decided to start with Neuromancer by William Gibson. This novel popularized nearly all of the themes and aesthetics that would typify the genre for decades to come. AI, posting addiction, regular...
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Coraline
Happy Halloween! Through listener vote, we are finishing off spooky season with the Neil Gaiman classic, Coraline. We talk about Fairy, bravery, and why the scariest parts might not be what you think they are. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show:...
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Berserk
What do Bernini, Nietzsche, and Hellraiser have in common? They are all influences on the darkest fantasy we have ever (or may ever) cover: Berserk. This story of power, fate, and astronomical violence provided us with possibly our most intellectual conversation to date. Listen to us talk with...
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The Black Company
*CONTENT WARNING* There are a few mentions of rape and sexual assault in this episode, one including a minor. Please be aware of this if it's upsetting to you. It's very generalized with no specific details, but is mentioned. Dark Fantasy Month begins with a dive into The Black Company by Glen...
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Starship Stormtroopers: Fascism in Fiction
We had an (in-person!) conversation about Michael Moorcock's 1977 essay about the prevalence of reactionary politics in science fiction and fantasy. We work through his arguments, examples, and get annoyed that he's calling us out, specifically. The lesson: be more critical of the media you...
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The Tombs of Atuan
The 2nd of the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin. This is a wonderful story about a young woman learning how to cope with systems of oppression, hope, and how to free yourself. Please read this book if you haven't. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at...
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Jurassic Park
It's the first book of season 2! We talked about one of the most famous scifi books of all time, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Capitalism, Chaos Theory, climate change, and just a tiny hint of racism all mixed together to (somehow) make a really good novel. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism…
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1 Year Anniversary Q&A
It's a big one! To celebrate our 1 year anniversary and 5,000 downloads, we brought Nicole and Trevor back to talk authors, tropes, and a surprising amount about The Last Airbender. Thank you all so much for listening and sticking with us! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show...
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The Light Fantastic
Through popular demand we're back in Pratchett land! It's the 2nd Discworld novel, and our first sequel. More intricately constructed nonsense, luggage high jinks, and why wizards are so murderous. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at...
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Bonus Teaser: Everything Everywhere All At Once
A teaser of our latest bonus episode about nihilism, the internet, and Chekhov's butt plug patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69
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News From Nowhere
We're back with a "scifi" story by an old school anarchist named William Morris; the 3rd in our series about utopias. The plot is thin, but the politics are heavy in his description of a post-revolution anarchist England. We talk youth liberation, family abolition, and of course, work abolition....
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The Shire: Cottagecore Utopia?
We are officially diving in to the Lord of the Rings and continuing our discussions about utopia. Is Tolkien's Shire as idyllic as it seems, or is even his best imagined society still plagued by the greatest of pests, landlords? patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email…
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Starship Troopers
We're finally back, and we discussed the scifi "classic" Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. Plot is non-existent and abuse is ever-present. Ketho breaks down the worst description of the labor theory of value ever put in fiction while Darius loses his mind from the bottom of the tin can he...
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The History of Fiction
Darius and Ketho are joined by Elias (@aPebbleInTheSky) to talk about the origins of fiction as a genre. We talk about the intertwined nature of Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror, the development of each, and the scientific disenchantment of our world. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show...
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JK Rowling Sucks
As a writer and a person, JK Rowling sucks. Today Darius is joined by Nicole and Trevor to talk about a few of the reasons why, and what we should do with her legacy. We also talk about jacked toddlers. Follow Trevor @HistoryofPersia, and Nicole @gi66le_tits (if she ever unlocks again)....
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Robert Jordan: Trans Ally & Wife Guy
Part 2 of our talk about Wheel of Time. We discuss the gender binary of magic, consensual harems, and the Amazon adaption. Please consider supporting Alex's gay bakery/book shop here: https://humva.dev/2022/03/15/books-baking-and-queer-things/ Or listening to Roberto's podcast here:...
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The Wheel of Time: Dualism & Free Will
We dip our toes for the first time into Robert Jordan's extensive world. Special guests Alex and Roberto join Darius to talk about a dualist world and Jordan's take on the existence of free will. (If you're a Ketho fan, too bad. He's not here.) Please consider supporting Alex's gay bakery/book…
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*UNLOCKED* Bonus Episode 1: Star Wars
To tide everyone over until our next series, we decided to unlock our first bonus episode. This one's about why the new Star Wars properties feel soulless, why copyright laws are bullshit, and how every fantasy story can be solved with a gun. If you enjoy these non-book episodes, you can…
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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Our first dive into the works of Philip K Dick. We talk about emptiness, empathy, and how it all comes down to simulacrums of real life. Also, Darius remembers the name of a philosopher. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at [email protected]...
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Watership Down: Mythology & Alienation
The 2nd half of our talk about Watership Down! We discuss rabbit mythology, alienation, and why Hazel is a better Odysseus. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at [email protected] Darius: @Himbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69...
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Watership Down: Leadership & Existential Dread
Time for another classic! Here in part one of our conversation about Richard Adam's "Watership Down" we talk about leadership styles, thinking outside the box, and the existential dread of living while surrounded by the threat of death. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show…
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On Fairy Stories
Part 2 of our episodes on the foundations of the podcast; we talked about J. R. R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories". We discuss his definition of what a fairy story is, why fantasy isn't just for children, and why Darius hates Joss Whedon so much. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show...