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
Mar 27, 2023 • 1h 8min
S3E11: THE CORE
Ana and Dan ask their graduate students to find "weird news" on the Internet and toss the scientific method aside to examine this not-quite-good bad movie. The script is as bad as the science, but the acting is... not so bad! Why were their "earth suits" on the ship, when they didn't know they'd have to leave it? What part of Professor Keyes' brain was removed so that he didn't realize he was extremely tasty? What were Hillary Swank's Oscars doing while she did not act in this film? There is IR and a critique of capitalism in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 20, 2023 • 1h 12min
S3E10: THE LAST OF US
Ana and Dan dig into some twenty-year-old Chef Boyardee and ponder what they will do for love. Personally, I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that. We liked this show, but quibbles abound! Dan lives ten miles outside Boston, to start. Our expert weighs in as to whether it's "really" a zombie show. Thirst for Pedro is real. There is IR and kind of a critique of capitalism in this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 13, 2023 • 1h 6min
S3E10: MY SOUL TO KEEP
Dan and Ana oppose pointless animal torture, but let's move on. Octavia Butler and Stephen King, friends of the pod, blurbed this book, so how could we not like it? And yet. A history's least competent immortal manipulates his child, abuses his wife, and commits murders as unnecessary as they are bloody. Just a really, really stupid immortal. There's some IR and I guess a critique of capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 6, 2023 • 1h 3min
S3E9: NOPE
Ana and Dan will not look it in the eye but will take a look at this gorgeous, layered, and maybe too-smart-for-its-own-good film from Jordan Peele. When a movie makes you think, "Man, I bet there are some good essays about this," while you're watching it, is that a good or bad thing? How many ways can you signal that the movie is about the making of movies? There is not a whooolllle lot of IR in this film but would it be possible to ignore its critique of capitalism? Nope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2023 • 1h 2min
S3E8: KINDRED (ENCORE)
We're doing an encore because let time get away from us -- but at least we were not unwillingly unwittingly transported to the antebellum south like Butler's heroine. Butler uses the bones of a science fiction story to explore the reverberations of slavery through our history and Black people's bodies. Dan says of all the books we've read for the podcast, this is the one he still thinks about the most. FX's adaptation debuted this year to good reviews but scant attention and was not renewed for a second season, but the book is worth revisiting again and again. Compare and contrast to last week's discussion of The Underground Railroad! There's IR and very much a critique of capitalism in this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 20, 2023 • 1h 11min
S3E7: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Ana and Dan crawl into the old mica mine for this excursion into the darkest depths of American history. Very Cool Dude and MacAurthur grant winner Colson Whitehead expands on a childhood notion about the historical Underground Railroad and uses it to explore the contradictions and cruelties of slavery and white supremacy. For a such a sobering subject, there is a remarkable amount of swooning (mostly Ana). There is IR and oh boy yes a critique of capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 13, 2023 • 1h 9min
S3E6: GROUNDHOG DAY
Ana and Dan rise and shine and aren't forgetting their booties because it's the end of Cold Sci-Fi Winter! Or... is it? It's always Groundhog Day somewhere. To discuss: How much of the movie's success is Bill Murray and how much is Harold Ramis? Just how long is Phil in the time loop? That hotel scene, kind of date rape-y! Does Phil really wind up being a good person? Does it matter? There is IR and a critique of capitalism in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 6, 2023 • 56min
S3E5: ALIEN V. PREDATOR
Ana and Dan protest that doing this episode is a bad idea, and they will walk out rather than do it, but then again, well, let's do this. The Predators are remarkably sympathetic; could it be because they're late-stage capitalists, just like us? There is a tight five of IR in this movie. (Apologies for the delay in posting; infrastructure issues!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 30, 2023 • 1h 16min
S3E4: THE GONE WORLD
Ana and Dan bundle up for Cold Sci-Fi Winter and venture past the Yardogger tree only to find themselves staring at the sky, their mouths filled with silver. The Gone World's plot is twisty enough that it broke Dan, people, it broke Dan. (Here's a diagram.) Thus it is with a slightly different pod structure that we discuss this beautifully written if ultimately somewhat frustrating sci-fi noir set in the past, the present, and at least two different futures. IR: 🇺🇸 Capitalism: ꩜ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 23, 2023 • 1h 5min
S3E3: THE THING
Ana and Dan pour their drinks on the special chess-playing computer that was supposed to keep them entertained all through COLD SCIFI WINTER and thus have to make do with John Carpenter's 1982 cult classic, The Thing. Too gory for its time, the movie is somehow both dated and timeless, like the patriarchy. It also features one of the great animal actor performances of all time. IR: 🇳🇴 Critique of capitalism: 🛸 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
