The Socialist Shelf

It's time to talk about the quintessential vampire novel, Bram Stoker 1897 gothic horror, "Dracula." *Scary music plays, lightning flashes, we look very cool in an old castle* The Shelfers are joined by Scoob, Bluesky Elder, vampire expert, and longtime follower of the Count. Learn how Bram Stoker was the Forrest Gump of late 19th century literature as he stumbled his way through a prolific but disappointing career that exploded following his death. We ask such questions as...Is Dracula gay? (Yes.) Is Dracula racist? (Also yes.) Is Jonathan Harker a petite bourgeois reactionary? (100% yes.) Does Mina deserve better? (Yes, yes, yes.) Check out Scoob's other passion (posting!) @scoobydouchebag.bsky.social Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us doing the long walk (from the book's cover)

It's been a minute, but it's time for another famous Socialist Shelf interview!! We're delighted to feature Andy Boyd, a brilliant playwright and artist to talk about her play, "Occupy Prescott," a funny and thoughtful show about an Occupy Wall Street encampment in the much-smaller-than-Wall-Street Courthouse Square of Prescott Arizona. Purchase "Occupy Prescott" here! Get Andy's other show, "The Trade Federation or Let's Explore Globalization Through the Star Wars Prequels" here! Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is from the cover of "Occupy Prescott."

We walk. And walk. And waaaalk. Welcome to the twisted mind of Stephen King, AKA Richard Bachman, and his 1979 dystopian horror, "The Long Walk." What if America was bad? Like...even more bad. What if we had young men play sports that killed them...like killed them even more than the ones they do now. The Shelfers investigate. Fascism. Masculinity. Sexuality. Repetitive Writing. We get into it all. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us doing the long walk (from the book's cover)

It's a year in review episode but also we do a short story because that's what we doooo, baby.It's been a great year for the show (and in basically no other way). We celebrate it in this episode by the giving of dubious gifts, reflecting on our favorite episodes of the year, and being slightly disrespectful to Jimmy Carter.We also discuss Ted Chiang’s 2001 short story, "Hell is the Absence of God." We get sad and philosophical about it.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us emerging to seize the new year!

It's not just a poem, it an EPIC poem. This week, the Shelfers take on Harry Martinson's 1956 Swedish, sci-fi epic, "Aniara." Joining them is Max Johansson, who will be considered our pod's official Sweden expert from here on out. Proletarian literature, running away from your problems, existential despair, quibbling over translations, nuclear apocalypse!!! This one's got it all. Want more of Max? Well, you'll need to speak Swedish, but if you do, go and check out his podcast, Brodrafolkens! You can also follow him on Instagram @maxjohkna. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠,) episode art is us blasting off.

Let's get into the savage heart of the American dream, shall we? Join us as we visit Hunter S. Thompson's pocket dimension version of Las Vegas in his 1971 work of gonzo journalism, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Hear us praise the writing, be moved by the characters, and get really pissed at the author. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠,) episode art self is my proposed new cover for the novel

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here. Worst of All Possible Worlds’ Josh Boerman, veteran of both the Socialist Shelf and the battle every young man must face, join us as we take on the villainous Arterburn M Stephen and the downright freaky Fred Stoeker’s 2002, sexual purity self-help book, “Every Young Man’s Battle” If you’ve ever wanted to face the intersection of evangelical sexual oppression and the New Right down while laughing about sumo wrestlers and stallions, this is your episode.  Disclaimer: the ideas spouted in this book are really gross, downright heinous. Please keep that in mind as you listen, and feel free to skip this one if the discussion makes you too uncomfortable. More Josh Boerman/Worst of All Possible Worlds: https://www.worstpossible.world/ and @Bosh.Worstpossible.World on Bluesky. Episode art is Fred Stoeker's Instagram feed. He's joined by a few cool folks who are just driving by.

Title: "Luke Castellan and the Heroic Kronosian People's Front's Noble and Correct War Against the Poseidonist Running Dog Known as Percy JacKKK$on and the Imperialist, Westernist Pigs at KKKamp Halfblood, Including the Reactionary and Hyper-Consumptivist Diony$u$ and the Liberal Moralist Annabeth Cha$e, Who Represent Scant Resistance to the Titanic Proletarian-Peasant-Monster Aligned Forces of the People's Army of Tartarus." Today the Shelfers are discussing the 2005 novel, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," the first installment in Rick Riordan's YA Fantasy series that started as a bedtime story and became a mega-franchise. To be honest, the politics in this one are pretty limited. Jacob just really likes this book. We still think it's a good episode though! Oh yeah, apologies on the audio. We recorded in Lenore's basement and apparently her AC is counter-revolutionary. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is from the graphic novel but Lenore is a sword.

We went and ended the whole world this time. This week, the Shelfers unleash the powers of the Evil Earth with N.K. Jemisin 2015 fantasy hit, "The Fifth Season." We talk discrimination against earthbenders, repressed sexuality, and second-person narratives. Not necessarily in that order. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is my take on a fault line.

It's time to do some serious 3D Printing. The Shelfers are joined by comic artist and internet expert, Max Graves, to discuss Cory Doctorow's 2009, near-future sci-fi, "Makers." Together, we discuss what Doctorow got really right, what he got really wrong, and a bunch of stuff that's just plain confusing. Do you like cheap plastic? Fad diets? Disney World mercenaries? I hope not, because we go hard against these things. You can and should check out Max's phenomenal webcomic, "What Happens Next" here. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art from "Makers" cover (mildly tweaked.)