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 21, 2024 • 1h 26min
CONTAGION (FISHMAS PRESENT)
Merry Fishmas! We celebrate all things somber and authoritative with a selection of Laurence Fishburne masterpieces. In addition to Contagion, we're re-releasing our other Fishburne bangers including audience favorite Event Horizon and the truly execrable The Colony (our only episode devoted to script doctoring!).However, be forewarned: This is a non-jolly re-watch. Contagion has aged all too well, even four years after lockdown.We appreciate your patience with our erratic posting as of late: Dan got sick, Ana's house sprung a leak, and, you know ::gestures vaguely:: We hope you're doing ok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 7, 2024 • 1h 8min
SPACEGIVING 2024
In a festive twist, the hosts express gratitude for intriguing sci-fi works like 'House of the Dragon' and 'Titanium Noir.' They delve into Octavia Butler's chilling 'Parable of the Sower,' reflecting on its climate themes and survival dynamics. There's a playful chat about 'The Penguin,' showcasing its gritty Gotham narrative. Mixed feelings surface around shows like 'Bad Monkey,' while personal anecdotes underscore the importance of community and friendships. As they celebrate, the anticipation for new traditions like 'fishmas' adds a light-hearted touch!
Nov 25, 2024 • 56min
STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE “IN A MIRROR, DARKLY”
Ana and Dan put on their midriff-baring uniforms for this visit to the Mirror Universe, in Star Trek: Enterprises spin on the familiar Trek plot device that allows your favorite characters play slutty Halloween versions of themselves. There's IR but not enough critique of capitalism to sustain Ana's interest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 4, 2024 • 1h 7min
S4E45: BATTLESTAR GALATICA
Ana and Dan can't number their episodes correctly. Okay, that's totally on me, Ana, who writes these episode descriptions. I also originally gave him the wrong episode numbers to talk about; luckily, he understood what I was interested in (the occupation of New Caprica) and so the numbering didn't matter. Something to think about.This show is about the occupation of New Caprica by the cylons which has no parallels to anything that has ever happened on Earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2024 • 1h 18min
S4E42: DR. STRANGELOVE
Ana and Dan are in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing's over with! There is some IR in this movie. (This is part of our October Surprise series on sci-fi adjacent political thrillers!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 8min
S4 E41: UPGRADE
Ana and Dan become human Swiss Army knives, but without the nail files, because does anyone use that one? Welcome to a movie that we both liked! Logan Marshall-Green transcends being "not Tom Hardy" and the asshole boyfriend in Prometheus in this tightly-wound little body-horror thriller. There is IR as well as tech mogul named ERON. Eron. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 6, 2024 • 1h 21min
ENCORE: CIVIL WAR
First of all, Civil War is now streaming! Also, Civil War is even more terrifying than it was in April. Sorry for the lack of a new episode, things have been ::gestures at US election:: If you are a US citizen, please check your registration and vote as soon as you are able. Find out more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 29, 2024 • 13min
SPECULATIVE NON-FICTION 03: VP DEBATE PREDICTIONS
I forced Dan to make predictions about the upcoming Vice Presidential debate (that's Oct. 1, for those in the future). This is a special treat for not having an original episode this week. If you're hearing this in the podcast feed, know it's also available at Patreon as a video! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 24, 2024 • 1h 1min
S4E38: UGLIES
Dan and Ana were Thoreau-pilled at a young age, that's why they never even thought about becoming Pretties. What's really funny about taking this long to drop this episode is that it includes our discussion of current politics! Enjoy the time-traveling aspect, because the movie we're discussing isn't very enjoyable at all. Oh, and our audio is weird! Uglies episode, indeed. IR abounds! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 16, 2024 • 46min
S4E37: DS9 “PAST TENSE”
Ana and Dan don't like to study 20th-century history -- too depressing. In celebration of the Bell Riots, we take a trip backward-forward to 2024 as imagined in the mid-90s. There's a critique of capitalism in this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
