The Socialist Shelf

Disclaimer: killing people is bad actually. Don't try Patrick Bateman's techniques at home.This week we check out Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 work of horror, "American Psycho." Join us as we dive into the absolute horrifying nihilism that is late century Wall Street and its logical conclusion: mass, indiscriminate torture and murder.We get into the elements of the book the film fails to capture, the author's own limitations politically, the genius of language, and some high quality fashion advice.While we don't quote the gnarliest bits of the book, this is a story that features rape and murder aplenty...so keep that in mind. No sweat if you need to skip this one.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Jacob behaving poorly.

Welcome to a new subseries of The Socialist Shelf: Article Brain!Once a month, we'll take a break from the books for each of us to bring forward an article specifically designed to drive the other two insane. We'll read them, we'll laugh, we'll weep, we'll rage.This week we talk about: CNN's 2028 Democratic primary predictions, the NYT Opinion Section asking you to pleeeeeeaaaase stop protesting, and Newsweek's AI-fueled Trump glaze session.You've asked for more current events content, so here you go! Hope y'all enjoy.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us straight up dueling.

Y'all like socialism?Y'all like queers?Get ready for some...queer socialism!!Matéo Penado of the Rainbow Collective joins us to talk about Leslie Feinberg's 2008 collection, "Rainbow Solidarity: In Defense of Cuba," an analytical, journalistic, and educational analysis of the history of the queer liberation struggle since the socialist Cuban revolution of 1959.How did Cuba go from being hell on earth for queer people under capitalism to the kind of place that passes the most progressive family codes in the world in 2022? That's through the tireless work of the militant queer working class!Interested in the Rainbow Collective? Check it out here!Follow Matéo on Instagram here!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is "El Che Radiante" by Alfredo Rostgaard.

We've seen plenty of dystopian futures...how about a utopian one?Terry Bisson's 1988, "Fire on the Mountain" explores an alternate timeline where Harriet Tubman was able to join John Brown at the Harper's Ferry raid, and with her tactical skill the raiders made it out and went on to start a nation-wide slave rebellion. How did history go differently? Listen on to find out!We talk about Bisson's own relationship to radical politics (including guerilla fighters!), and the liberatory possibilities of visionary fiction. Also, Jacob sings a really, really good song.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is John Brown's utopia, and what we're doing in it instead of podcasting.

Let's read a problematic gay fantasy novel!!!Author Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons, The Woods All Black, Feed Them Silence) and 5 time returning guest, writer, and podcaster, Aysha U. Farah (Life is Strange: Double Exposure, The Sky Left Us, All My Maidens Podcast) join us to discuss "Mélusine," a fantasy novel from 2005 by Sarah Monette (also known as Katherine Addison).We discuss the puritanical limitations put upon queer art, effective representation of abuse and trauma, and the myth of the perfect victim. As you may have picked up from that, we get into some pretty intense themes of sexual and physical violence in this episode, so feel free to skip this one if that sounds like something you're not in a place to listen to.Check out "Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity," edited by Lee and featuring a story from Aysha. It's a really remarkable collection. Buy Amplitudes here (or wherever you get your books) now!Check out Aysha's podcast, "All My Maidens" and follow Aysha on Bluesky @ayshaufarah.bsky.socialFollow Lee Mandelo on Bluesky @leemandelo.bsky.social‬ and check out Lee's website here,Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is our basic cover art...with a twist! We figured Aysha deserved her flowers after five guest appearances. Here's to five more!!

Today, a gorilla will set us straight.This week we're covering "Ishmael," a 1992 philosophical dialogue between a man and a gorilla, written by Daniel Quinn. We are joined by Jen Big Nasty, host of the podcast, "How the Red Was Won" to figure out just what this huge, hairy cousin of humanity has to teach us about life.We go deep into environmentalism, anthropocentrism, and humanity's place in the universe.Go check out How The Red Was Won!Follow How The Red Was Won on Instagram!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Ishmael if he embraced the immortal science of Marxism-Leninism.

Folks, we're not immune to the Andor hype! This week, we decided to return to the world of Star Wars to cover what can be seen as loosely as an Andor tie-in novel, Alex Freed's 2025 Star Wars novel "Reign of the Empire, the Mask of Fear".We are joined by Manuclearbomb of NotACast and My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast to unpack the rise of fascism in the Star Wars universe, examine the useful (and not-so-useful) manners of resisting it, and talk about how little it matters if Palpatine is actually a space wizard or not in the grand scheme of things.Check out Manu's podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts (including Star Wars bonus episodes for his patrons!)Follow him @manuclearbomb.bsky.socialMusic by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the properly updated great heads of communism.

We did it, Shelfers. 100 EPISODES OF THE SOCIALIST SHELF!!To honor this beautiful occasion we answer some questions from you, our glorious listeners, and then get into perhaps the our most complex work of literature to date, Gary Larson's 1982 comic, "Cow Tools." If you're not familiar with Cow Tools, take a quick look at it now.Stay tuned during the outro to hear the kind of thing we have to edit out to make this show coherent.We sincerely thank all listeners for joining us on this journey so far. Here's to 100 more!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Cow Tools plus some extra.

Don't worry, we're still a literature podcast, but we wanted to have our friends Jason and Ankita from Resistance Cinema ATL on the show to talk about their collective and the role of film (and art more generally) in revolutionary movements.We've got a handful of links here, so bear with us (and click on all of them you know you want to).Pre-order Jacob's book now!Follow Resistance Cinema ATL here!Check out Ankita's show, The Desi Gaze here!Check out Jason's show, Cold War Cinema here!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the book's cover.

STOP COP CITY!We are honored to be joined by Mariah Parker, editor and writer for the new collection, "No Cop City, No Cop World," a history, recounting, and analysis of the battle around the "Cop City" project in Atlanta's Weelaunee forest that led to global attention, severe local unrest, capitalist panic, and the state murder of a peaceful protester. This interview is great, but it's no substitute for reading the book yourself. Get the book here!Click here to donate to the Free Speech Forest Fund to support activists being persecuted by the City of Atlanta.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the book's cover.