Book Club From Hell

Cairo Smith is an author and filmmaker. We got to talk about his latest short story collection Quarterlives, the literary new wave, didacticism in fiction, and much more. Quarterlives: https://www.amazon.com/Quarterlives-Cairo-Smith-ebook/dp/B0DJPZDH91?ref_=ast_author_dpFuturist Letters: https://www.futuristletters.com/X: @cairoasmithCairo's Website: https://cairosmith.com/Cairo's RecommendationsArbogast: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09C7WR25F?ingress=0&visitId=d9c3d12b-6586-44fb-b1a0-2fcf0b4f0e9a&ref_=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3, https://substack.com/@arbogast1Slater Ross: https://authorslater.weebly.com/Sid Winnarchist: https://www.futuristletters.com/p/one-twenty-thirdVERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

For this episode, we were joined by the reigning Empress of Internet Anthropology, Katherine Dee!Pro-ana, or pro-anorexia, is a largely-online subculture based on the experience of anorexia nervosa. At times promoting this illness, at times offering a refuge for those struggling with eating disorders, the broader eating disorder subcultures offer us a way to explore our relationship with food, control, body image and more.Katherine DeeX: @default_friendSubstack: https://default.blog/VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

Postliberal Book Reviews writes, surprisingly, book reviews from a Catholic, post-Vatican II, postliberal perspective. Being less flippant, he writes very thoughtful reviews of both fictional and non-fictional works, and everyone here should check out his Substack page.Travis' RecommendationsThe Neighbour - Caleb CaudellNutcrankr - Dan BalticIncel - ARX-HanLost Causes - Richard NicholsVERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

Moon people, published in 2008, is, in many ways, the sci-fi equivalent of The Eye of Argon. Bizarre plotting, even more bizarre characters, and, most importantly, it's oddly charming. Buy Moon Peoplehttps://www.amazon.com/Moon-People-Dale-M-Courtney/dp/1436372135VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

David Herod's Improvidence is an 'overnight novel', a brisk novella combining adventure, a dash of weird fiction, and some truly beautiful descriptions of a post-collapse West Virginian and Ohioan landscape. We talked about Improvidence, didactic fiction, fictional relationships and more.Improvidence: https://www.amazon.com/Improvidence-David-Herod/dp/B0CWCF7J13Tooky's Mag: https://substack.com/@tookysTooky's Sidebar Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@tookysmagDavid's RecommendationsMixtape Hyperborea - Adem Luz Rienspects - https://www.amazon.com/Mixtape-Hyperborea-Adem-Luz-Rienspects/dp/B0BW32CX2GIncel - ARX Han - https://www.amazon.com/INCEL-Novel-ARX-Han/dp/B0C9SNQK9CNutcrankr - Dan Baltic - https://www.amazon.com/NUTCRANKR-Dan-Baltic/dp/195189779XUnreal Press - https://unrealpress.substack.com/Shagduk - JB Jackson - https://www.amazon.com/Shagduk-re-dordica-Book-One/dp/1956453067 My Confession - Samuel Chamberlain - https://www.amazon.com/My-Confession-Recollections-Samuel-Chamberlain/dp/0876111568VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

David McGowan's Programmed to Kill (2004) is a seminal work of conspiratorial thinking, well-regarded among members of the online commentariat on parapolitics, as well among conspiracy theory aficionados generally. Paedophile rings, satanic cults, the Phoenix Program, mind control, psychiatric induction of alternate personalities for the purposes of mind-control assassination, the creation by the FBI of the concept of 'serial killer' to terrorise the American public; there's a lot going on here. For this episode, we were joined by David from Tooky's Mag and the Tooky's Side Bar Book Club podcast. He was a wonderful guest, and I encourage everyone to check out the projects he's part of.VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONTooky's Mag: https://tookys.substack.com/David's book, Improvidence: https://www.amazon.com/Improvidence-David-Herod/dp/B0CWCF7J13Jack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

Caleb Caudell is an American author who has recently released 'Hardly Working'. Described as 'semi-auto fiction', Hardly Working uses Caudell's experiences working in the service industry, dating, writing, and living in terrible apartments to explore our deracinated moment.Caleb is an outrageously erudite man, and I had a lot of fun hearing him talk about medieval theology, Dostoyevsky, short stories, the concept of the secular, and much more.Caleb's Books:Hardly Working: https://www.amazon.com/Hardly-Working-Semi-Auto-Caleb-Caudell/dp/0645776874Novelty: https://www.amazon.com/Novelty-other-stories-Caleb-Caudell/dp/0645776815The Neighbour: https://www.amazon.com/Neighbor-Caleb-Caudell/dp/0645066427Caleb's Substack: https://middleamericanliterature.substack.com/VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

Vladimir Nabokov finished writing Lolita in 1953. It took him, an established author, until 1955 to have it published. Why? It's a book about a middle-aged man who has a sexual relationship with a twelve-year-old girl. Publishers were uncomfortable, etc. The thing is, it's also a phenomenally well-written book. VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetWebsite: thebookclubfromhell.comPatreon: patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's website: www.jackbc.meJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: levimk.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/bcfhWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @levimk_com

Among other things, Abbie Lucas is a filmmaker, and Kevin Kautzman is a playwright and podcaster (shout out to The Art of Darkness podcast). They've co-written a play, Basilisk, about spooky internet AI horror story Roko's Basilisk. We talked to them about their play, about AI, about crypto, about film versus theatre, and more.Basilisk radio play (produced by Dark Pony Radio): https://open.spotify.com/episode/29EGS0THzSnq2fPE1GVBmI?si=iviG232_T4ed0RcYTZGEbQKevin Kautzmanhttps://kevinkautzman.com/https://badmouthtc.com/https://artofdarkpod.com/Abbie Lucashttps://abbielucas.com/Voices (directed by Abbie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRKDNWXOEXMVERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel called Tower!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetThe first nine chapters of Tower are available for free here: jackbc.substack.comOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi

The Accursed Share (vol. 1 published in 1941) lays out Bataille's concept of general economy. What do Aztec human sacrifice, potlach, Islamic conquest, Calvinism and the rise of capitalism, the Marshall Plan and avoiding World War III all have in common? Bataille has the answers.VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONJack has published a novel!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Jack-BC-ebook/dp/B0CM5P9N9M/ref=monarch_sidesheetOur Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBookClubfromHellJack's website: www.jackbc.meJack's Substack: jackbc.substack.comLevi's website: www.levioutloud.comwww.thebookclubfromhell.comJoin our Discord (the best place to interact with us): discord.gg/ZMtDJ9HscrWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0n7r1ZTpsUw5exoYxb4aKA/featuredX: @bookclubhell666Jack on X: @supersquat1Levi on X: @optimismlevi