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
Jun 27, 2022 • 55min
S2E22: The Prestige
Ana and Dan breed a bunch of identical canaries and prepare to get their hands dirty. This is a fun film about some terrible people and it's best not to think too hard about the role of women in the narrative. There is IR in this movie and a surprisingly robust critique of capitalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 20, 2022 • 55min
S2E21: JURASSIC PARK
Ana and Dan sign all the appropriate waivers and copter into the most violent tourist destination this side of Hostel. They literally don't make them like this anymore. (OR DO THEY?) Why is Alan Grant so easily bribed? How can Ian Malcolm be a genius but can't tell Ellie and Alan are a couple? Maybe it would be okay if the kids died, right? There is IR in this movie. (Also in this episode: A special guest appearance by my tiny furry baby raptor.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 18, 2022 • 55min
S2E21: JURASSIC PARK (PATRONS)
Ana and Dan sign all the appropriate waivers and copter into the most violent tourist destination this side of Hostel. They literally don't make them like this anymore. (OR DO THEY?) Why is Alan Grant so easily bribed? How can Ian Malcolm be a genius but can't tell Ellie and Alan are a couple? Maybe it would be okay if the kids died, right? There is IR in this movie. (Also in this episode: A special guest appearance by my tiny furry baby raptor.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 13, 2022 • 1h 18min
S2E20: STATION ELEVEN
Ana and Dan hitch their horses up to the station wagon and ride out to explore the rosiest post-pandemic landscape in a generation. There is self-reflection by your hosts! Find out what airports they would choose to live out the rest of their years! What skills they might barter if this whole podcasting thing doesn't survive the apocalypse! There is an argument about capitalism! (Though it turns out they don't really disagree that much.) There is, frankly, not a lot of IR in this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 6, 2022 • 59min
S2E19: STRANGE NEW WORLDS
Ana and Dan put on their red shirts and get ready to count the Easter Eggs in the latest entry into the Star Trek Cinematic Universe. It's both backward-looking and optimistic -- faithful to the original series right down to its updated social justice values. There is IR in this series! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 30, 2022 • 1h 8min
S2E18: EDGE OF TOMORROW
Ana and Dan can't believe you found coffee! Wait, have we had this conversation before? "Groundhog Day goes to war" turns out to be much better than any movie with seven or eight different screenwriting teams should be. What about Tom Cruise makes watching him die so delightful? Is the one kiss in this movie one kiss too many? If we designed those drop-ships, did we maybe deserve to lose? There is IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 23, 2022 • 58min
S2E17: GATTACA
Ana and Dan get distracted by how smoking hot Jude Law is in this, his American film debut. It's also a pretty good movie! It gets so much right about the future, BUT: No internet? Why are the display screens low-red green on black? SO MUCH PAPER! There is IR in this movie and not nearly as much of a critique of capitalism as Andrew Niccols probably thinks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 16, 2022 • 1h 3min
S2E16: DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Ana and Dan bow to the Sorcerer Supreme and enter into Marvel's infinite IP loop. What kind of natsec clearance do you need to know about Thanos' defeat? How do you tell the difference between "witchcraft" and "sorcerery"? Is this a movie that we can recommend to Karen???? There is IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 9, 2022 • 54min
S2E15: CANON FODDER: THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS
Ana and Dan put on their p-suits and shove "Ayn Rand in space" into the airlock, because certain kinds of political hectoring should be a capital offense among decent people. Why do people love this book? No, seriously, why? There is IR but absolutely zero critiques of capitalism in this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 2, 2022 • 55min
S2E14: ROGUE ONE
Dan and Ana just have the pilot give the plans DIRECTLY TO THE REBELS, but decide to watch the movie anyway. Can you make a great movie entirely premised on a retcon? Does it take extremists to goad rebellions into action? How would Adorno feel about all this? There is IR in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
