The Road is set in a world that has been devastated by an unspecified cataclysmic event, resulting in the extinction of nearly all life on Earth. The story follows an unnamed father and his young son as they travel south along the road, carrying their meager possessions and a pistol with only two bullets. The father, suffering from a worsening respiratory condition, is determined to protect his son from the dangers of their new world, including cannibalistic marauders. Along their journey, they encounter various survivors, some of whom are cruel and others who show kindness. The novel explores themes of love, survival, and the preservation of humanity in a world devoid of hope. Ultimately, the father's health fails, and he dies, but not before ensuring his son's safety with a new family who may offer a chance for a better future[2][3][4].
Set in New York City in 2000 and 2001, the novel follows an unnamed protagonist who, despite her privileged life as a young, beautiful, and wealthy Columbia graduate, feels deeply disconnected and depressed. She embarks on a year-long quest to 'reset' her life by extensively using sleeping pills prescribed by a lax psychiatrist. The narrative delves into her past, including childhood traumas, her job at an art gallery, and her complex relationships, particularly with her best friend Reva. The book explores themes of mental health, alienation, and the search for meaning in a world that seems devoid of it. The story culminates with the protagonist's awakening just before the 9/11 attacks, which serves as a jarring wake-up call to her new reality[2][4][5].
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Head to https://buyraycon.com/friends to get up to 15% off the best-selling Everyday Earbuds. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring FPS!
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Note: this episode was recorded Monday May 5th - it went out late due team travel stuff.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
5:40 Ralph's Visit to Kojima Productions
28:06 GTA VI Trailer Discussion
42:09 Raycon (ad)
44:47 User Question 1
51:21 Doom the Dark Ages Discussion
01:07:17 Microsoft Price Hikes
01:18:01 Factor (ad)
01:20:34 User Question 2
01:31:48 What We've Been Playing
01:46:11 Show and Tell
01:55:46 Wrap Up
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Let's meet our hosts!
- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino
- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons.
- Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since.
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Friends Per Second 
