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
Dec 25, 2023 • 1h 31min
S3E51: OBAMA OR O'BUMMER: LEAVE THE WORLD
Ana and Dan sit down to binge Friends but get distracted by all those deer! That's so wild, so many deer just standing there! This is our second "Obama or O'Bummer" in a month, but you all really wanted us to talk about it, and we were curious ourselves. Now I wonder why we thought yet another example of prestige-bait science fiction was gonna be much different than other Obama picks! It's gorgeous and has a lot of ~ideas~ in it, but is it very satisfying? Listen and see! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 18, 2023 • 1h 11min
S3E50: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
Ana and Dan stick to the script and break down the candy-colored communist dream machine "Sorry to Bother You," an unsubtle condemnation of late capitalism and wage slavery! Filled with dynamic performances and clever imagery, Boots Riley's fantastical bits may not land as hard as the uncomfortably close-to-home portrayals of microaggressions and moral compromise. This episode contains our longest Cancelvania travelogue yet; the movie contains IR. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 11, 2023 • 1h 10min
S3E49: OBAMA OR O'BUMMER: SEA OF TRANQUILITY
Ana and Dan stop their book tours to talk about Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility for this first edition of "Obama or O'Bummer," in which we rate our former president's science fiction recommendations on a scale from one to seven almonds. Are you ready to explore the expanded MCU (Mandel Character Universe)? Check your timeline for glitches and get on board. There is some IR in this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2023 • 1h 8min
S3E48: THE MARVELS
Ana and Dan gesture toward a lot of exciting stuff but don't really get into it, because it's a Marvel movie, and you don't need exciting subtexts to love the Marvels no matter what, right? What we liked: Iman Vellani (A LOT), Samuel L. Jackson's goofy performance, and the flerkens! A flight of flerkens! What we didn't like: Character motivations are muddy, the relationships among the women don't ring true, only one great fight scene (and it's when they're practicing). There is some IR in this movie! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 23, 2023 • 1h 3min
S3E47: SPACEGIVING
Ana and Dan give thanks for the science fiction and genre efforts that they're glad they got to consume in 2023. Discussed: Loki, Wheel of Time, Scavengers' Reign, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Lower Decks, Gen V, New Rockstars. Image: A scene from the first Thanksgiving in space, fifty years ago today (11/22), celebrated by Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue. Carr (right) and Gibson (left) pictured. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 20, 2023 • 58min
S3E46: IDIOCRACY
Ana and Dan got super-spicy about this because Ana hated it with the white-hot passion of a thousand burning suns! If you would like to retain any fond memories of this movie (I assume because you haven't seen it lately), don't listen because I promise to do my best to ruin it for you. There's some IR and lots eugenics in this movie. **CORREX:: MIKE JUDGE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TROPIC THUNDER, SORRY, MY BAD.** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 13, 2023 • 1h 19min
S3E45: THE ARRIVAL
Ana and Dan put their baseball caps on backward and sneak up to Charlie Sheen's secret radio telescope lab for a movie, so 90s, you'll be macarena-ing before it's through! Mysteries abound: Global warming aliens, mysterious Arctic landmasses, why Teri Polo's character stays with Sheen's character! There is IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 6, 2023 • 46min
S3E44: EVENT HORIZON (ENCORE)
You break all the laws of physics and you seriously think there wouldn't be a price? The price is an encore episode! This is a personal favorite movie and conversation with Dan; the gift of this not-great week is getting to introduce it you again. I'm going to re-watch the movie right now. Enjoy! Original episode description: Ana and Dan venture down the terrifying but pointless hall of whirling blades to figure out why this Alien rip-off has all but disappeared. Sometimes a derivative movie surpasses its source material, which is not this movie. But sometimes a copy of a copy is just a hoot to watch. Watch this movie if only for the greatest line reading of Lawrence Fishburne's career. There is IR (barely) in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 23, 2023 • 1h 18min
S3E43: THE SHINING
Ana and Dan can hold entire conversations without ever opening their mouths, but for this one, they talked, because this is a podcast and you probably expect to hear something. King's deft study of abusive relationships disguised as a haunted hotel story has everything: alcoholism, hedge animals with a taste for human flesh, a man bashing his own face in with a mallet. Watch out for wasps. There is IR in this novel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 16, 2023 • 1h 7min
S3E42: NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU
Ana and Dan arm themselves with hot water and a curling iron to deal with the universe's quietest, if also least explicable alien invasion. It's a great movie with many logical flaws, like most movies; it's also 90 minutes, unlike most movies -- watch it, already! There's IR and very thorough critique of capitalism in this movie.Get this episode ad-free -- and exclusive video content -- by supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
