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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. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 characters we loved to hate. Also war crimes. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 react to a world wide deadly pandemic. Sometimes dystopia is actually more positive that reality. @pontifactspod https://pontifacts.podbean.com/ patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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

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

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: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 & @History_Georgia  patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 political situation of Night City, the implications of all the chrome, and how to write love interests. Sorry for the wait and we hope you love this game as much as we do. Roberto's Pods: @tsarpowerpod & @History_Georgia patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

*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 @theavatarshawn patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

 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 are the aliens?"  patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69

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 queer Lord of the Rings can really be. Thank you all for 2 years of listening! You can find Dr Brown on twitter @AranelParmadil or on her website https://sarabrown.academia.edu/ patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: [email protected] The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Aurora: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69