StarTalk Radio The Power of Storytelling, with Salman Rushdie
Sep 14, 2018
Join literary scholar Jonathan Gottschall as he unpacks the vital link between storytelling and evolution. He argues that stories serve as cultural technology, preserving vital information across generations. Salman Rushdie contributes with insights on magical realism, blending the real with the fantastical to deepen human connections. They discuss how well-constructed fictional worlds require internal logic and coherence. The conversation also touches on how fiction can provoke change and the impact of immersive technologies on storytelling's future.
48:39
Artists Learn From Science
- Salman Rushdie nearly became a scientist and retains deep respect for physics and math.
- He says scientific ideas can inspire artists, but artists must understand facts before distorting them.
Stories Are Virtual Simulations
- Jonathan Gottschall calls storytelling a virtual-reality simulation that builds scenes in the reader's mind.
- He argues consistency within a story's internal rules preserves immersion even if it defies real-world physics.
Explain Your Story's Magic
- When a story introduces impossible elements, invent coherent pseudoscience to explain them.
- Salman Rushdie stresses taking fantastical moments seriously to keep the world credible.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Rushdie's Path: Scientist Turned Novelist
01:30 • 2min
Artists and Scientists Share Goals
03:31 • 3min
Science as Inspiration for Storytellers
06:06 • 5min
Consistency Rules in Fictional Worlds
10:59 • 4min
Tolkien, World Depth, and Authorial Knowledge
15:25 • 6min
Ad break
21:36 • 1min
Magical Realism: Magic Rooted in the Real
22:54 • 2min
Stories as Cultural Technology
25:10 • 12min
Fiction's Power to Change Readers
37:11 • 3min
Literary Neuroscience: Brains Immersed by Story
40:35 • 2min
Why Stories Make Us Gullible
42:48 • 3min
Immersive Reality and the Future of Story
45:44 • 2min
Defending Rationalism in a Post-Factual Age
47:52 • 5min
Cosmic Perspective: Stories Versus Reality
53:18 • 17sec
Outro
53:35 • 1min
#
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights
Salman Rushdie
'Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights' by Salman Rushdie is a fantastical novel blending historical and mythical elements.
Set in a near-future New York City, the story unfolds as a series of djinn-related events occur after a powerful storm.
The narrative draws inspiration from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, weaving together themes of love, war, and the battle between reason and unreason.
Rushdie explores the clash between the world of humans and the realm of the djinn, creating a vibrant and imaginative narrative.
The novel delves into philosophical questions about belief, storytelling, and the nature of reality.
#8
• Mentioned in 423 episodes
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R. R.
Tolkien, is an epic high fantasy novel set in Middle-earth.
The story follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo.
The Ring, forged by Sauron, holds the power to control all other Rings of Power and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return.
Frodo is joined by a fellowship of other characters, including Gandalf the Grey, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, as they embark on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth.
The novel explores themes of good vs.
evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle between fate and free will.
#2466
• Mentioned in 15 episodes
Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
The novel tells the story of Saleem Sinai, who is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the moment of India's independence from British rule.
Saleem's life is intricately linked with the history of India, and he possesses telepathic powers that allow him to communicate with other 'midnight children' born between 12 a.
m. and 1 a. m. on that date.
Each of these children has unique magical powers, and Saleem acts as a conduit to connect them.
The story spans various historical events in India, including the partition, wars, and the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi.
It explores themes of identity, history, and the fragmented nature of a newly independent nation.
#4029
• Mentioned in 10 episodes
The Storytelling Animal
Our Stories Make Us Human
Johnathan Gottschall
#424
• Mentioned in 55 episodes
Fifty Shades of Grey
E. L. James
The novel follows Anastasia Steele, a literature student, as she interviews Christian Grey, a young and enigmatic entrepreneur.
Their encounter leads to a complex and passionate affair, where Ana is introduced to Christian's world of BDSM and must navigate her own desires and boundaries.
The story explores themes of control, submission, and the deepening emotional relationship between the two characters, despite Christian's dark past and his need for dominance.
#982
• Mentioned in 31 episodes
Satanic Verses
Salman Rushdie
The novel follows the lives of two Indian Muslims, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, who survive a plane hijacking and subsequent explosion.
As they fall from the plane, they are transformed into angelic and satanic figures.
The story delves into various themes, including the founding of Islam through the character Mahound, the story of a visionary girl named Ayesha, and the struggles of identity and faith.
The book is known for its complex, multilayered plot and its use of dreams within dreams, which generated significant controversy due to its satirical and imaginative treatment of Islamic themes.
#880
• Mentioned in 33 episodes
Finnegans Wake
David Hayman
James Joyce
Finnegans Wake is James Joyce's final and most complex work, written over a period of seventeen years.
The novel is set in a dream world where the protagonist, Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker (HCE), and his family—wife Anna Livia Plurabelle (ALP) and their children Shem, Shaun, and Issy—undergo various transformations and identities.
The book is known for its innovative use of language, combining elements from multiple languages and creating new words through portmanteaus and puns.
It explores themes of identity, history, and the cyclical nature of life, drawing on Irish mythology, biblical narratives, and personal experiences.
The novel's structure is circular, ending with the sentence that begins the book, creating a continuous loop.
#75
• Mentioned in 173 episodes
The Odyssey
Homer
The Odyssey, attributed to Homer, is an ancient Greek epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. The poem explores Odysseus's encounters with various mythical creatures, divine interventions, and natural challenges.
Upon his return to Ithaca, he must confront the suitors who have been vying for his wife Penelope's hand in marriage.
With the help of his son Telemachus and the goddess Athena, Odysseus devises a plan to defeat the suitors and reclaim his throne.
The poem is a reflection on human nature, loyalty, and the consequences of one's actions, and it remains a crucial component of ancient Greek literature and Western cultural heritage.
#123
• Mentioned in 126 episodes
The Iliad
Homer
The Iliad is an epic poem attributed to Homer, set during the Trojan War. It begins in the ninth year of the war, where a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles sets off a chain of events.
The poem explores themes of heroism, honor, and fate as it describes the battles and interactions between Greek warriors like Achilles, Diomedes, and Odysseus, and Trojan warriors like Hector and Paris.
The story is interspersed with divine interventions from Greek gods and goddesses, influencing the outcome of the war.
The poem culminates with Achilles' reconciliation with Agamemnon and his subsequent rage against the Trojans, leading to the death of Hector and the eventual funeral rites for Patroclus and Hector.
#201
• Mentioned in 92 episodes
Ulysses
James Joyce
Ulysses is a groundbreaking and complex modernist novel that chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners over a single day.
The novel is loosely based on Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey', with Leopold Bloom paralleling Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus paralleling Telemachus, and Molly Bloom paralleling Penelope.
It explores themes such as antisemitism, human sexuality, British rule in Ireland, Catholicism, and Irish nationalism.
The novel is known for its innovative use of language and narrative techniques, including stream-of-consciousness and multiple literary styles.
It captures the essence of early 20th-century Dublin, providing a detailed snapshot of the city's social, political, and cultural landscape.
Gather ‘round everyone, it’s story time! Neil deGrasse Tyson, world-renowned author Salman Rushdie, comic co-host Eugene Mirman, literary scholar Jonathan Gottschall, and literary neuroscientist Natalie Phillips investigate the history, science, influence, and future of storytelling.
NOTE: StarTalk All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://www.startalkradio.net/all-access/the-power-of-storytelling-with-salman-rushdie/
Photo Credit: Brandon Royal.
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