American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

In this episode, we dive deeper into James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Deerslayer": a ransom, a rescue, and a kidnapping.

The Philip K. Dick Book Club moves onto 1955. In "War Veteran" Dick plays with time travel and conspiracies and the ongoing conflict between Earth and the colonies.

And now for a story I really do not like, "Strange Eden". "Strange Eden" is a story of ancient alien explorers mixed with some mighty strange sexual politics.

In this episode I look at chapters 7 through 12 of James Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Deerslayer." In this section, the Deerslayer, Natty Bummpo, makes his first kill and the mystery of the box of pirate treasure is examined.

In this episode of the Philip K. Dick Book Club, we look at the short story "The Father-Thing". It is a story about who children see the emotional instability of their parents. It is also (it seems) a story of childish imagination and adventure in a suburban environment.

Time to insanely charge into the Leatherstocking Tales. We will begin with the first in the series (although the last one published), "The Deerslayer." So, let's meet Natty Bummpo and his friends as they arrive at Glimmerglass.

In "The Turning Wheel", Philip K. Dick explores Eastern religions and the broader realtionship between the technocratic life and the religious life. It is one of his strongest early stories dealing with technology.

Our final episode in this series on Louisa May Alcott. In the second half of "Jo's Boys" our major heroes face adult challanges and even life and death choices.

In this episode, I look at Philip K. Dick's story "Progeny." How much power should we give to those we raise and educate our children? Can the posthuman (transhuman?) be achieved simply through education?

It is ten years after the events of "Little Men" and we check in on the adulthood of the graduates of Plumfield. In this episode, we look at Alcott's final novel "Jo's Boys".