Space the Nation
Space the Nation
On Space the Nation, we take our love of science fiction (and fantasy and horror) and smash it together with our professional passions: international relations (as brought to the table by Tufts University professor and Washington Post columnist Dan Drezner) and cultural criticism (as brought to the table by political columnist Ana Marie Cox). It's a highly informed but hilarious conversation that starts with an examination of a particular text (everything from Ursula K. LeGuin to the MCU, Star Trek to Colson Whitehead) and veers into current events, mental health practices and imagined conversations between Ted Cruz and the Predator. For people who like white papers and graphic novels, Chapo Trap House and what Political Science Twitter used to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 12min
SNEAKERS
Ana and Dan look great in light-wash Levis and a varsity jacket. This well-loved movie is both an instructive artifact of a different era and a timeless classic, much like it's anchoring star. There's not much science fiction (besides Redford's magical charm) but lots of IR. RIP to a real one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 10min
ALIEN: COVENANT
Ana and Dan land on an Earth-like planet and don't think it's suspicious at all. Touch things! Don't wear masks! What could go wrong? Part of our comprehensive coverage of the Alien franchise (by which I mean, I made Dan watch it), Alien: Covenant is notable mainly for Ridley Scott's surface-level capitulation to audience wishes (more xenomorph, less God stuff!) while still engineering a sizeable "f--- you" into the subtext. Also, Michael Fassbender fingers his flute. There is some IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 16, 2025 • 1h 12min
ALIEN 3
Ana and Dan prefer the prison planet, thank you. Ana coaxed Dan into watching the Alien franchise entry once praised by Vox as "far from the worst Alien movie!" Now, I owe him a "Buckaroo Banzai" or something. There is not much international relations in this movie, but Weyland-Yutani ordered the inclusion of a critique of capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 1min
ALIEN: EARTH
Dan and Ana tear the slicer off a paper-cutter (which are still necessary in the year 2120) and enter into battle with a newly speedy xenomorph. There are many other creepy crawlies and just as many unwise corporate decisions. Cats beware.Ana is just making it out of Covid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 7, 2025 • 1h 5min
WE KNOW WHAT WE DID LAST SUMMER (2025)
Dan and Ana take you on a trip through their summer media consumption, including The Last of Us second season, Blindsight, Murderbot, Foundation, Strange New Worlds and many more! Just in time for a week past Labor Day!(Ana had Covid.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 12min
WAR OF THE WORLDS (2025)
Ana and Dan settle into their computer screens for this time capsule of 2020 cinema, a "screenlife" take on H.G. Wells' public-domain IP. Gen X viewers will appreciate Ice Cube's Big Dad Energy and... it's very GIF-able? Watch the GIFs, not the movie. There's shockingly little IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2025 • 1h 25min
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS
Dan and Ana are back! Perhaps you've heard a little something about the (latest) movie intended to relaunch the Marvel brand. It's worked out so well that three weeks after its release, you may have already decided not to see it! (As many people have.)Apologies for the delay—late capitalism, travel, heat death of the universe, etc. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 16, 2025 • 46min
ENCORE ENCORE: EVENT HORIZON
We've released this a couple of times; it's one of our favorite episodes about one of our favorite movies. It is now not just old enough to drink, but also to have regrets about their first serious relationship and realize they'll never be able to buy a house. Welcome to hell!(Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Jason Isaacs, and one of the wildest deleted scene stories you will hear your entire life.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 30, 2025 • 1h 19min
FANTASTIC FOUR
Ana and Dan are into Peak Mid-Aughts: Spoon, the early seasons of the Office, books that are histories of a single consumer product, political blogs, and this version of the Fantastic Four. This single movie proves that history is not over, culture keeps changing, Chris's keep evolving.There is IR in this movie and no critique of capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 12min
SUPERMAN (2025)
Ana and Dan are the real punk rock. We talk Space Lex mugs, corporate hero squads, the carceral logic of pocket universes, and why showing people evacuating with their pets could be James Gunn's greatest contribution to the genre. There is IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
