Workers' Lit

What if everything was bad...and then it got worse...and then it kept getting worse...and everything generally stayed bad forever? That's what Omar El Akkad tackles in his work of climate fiction, "American War," and that's what the Shelfers are here to discuss. But wait! Joining us is noted apocalyptician and student of declining empire, Josh Boerman from The Worst of All Possible Worlds! What will happen to the American South without left organizing? What is the trajectory of a society without hope? What, if anything, is the use of novels preaching dire climate warnings? What's the deal with the Mississippi Sea? All this and more! Check out Josh's work at https://www.worstpossible.world/. Seriously, it's one of the best podcasts out there. Music by Kevin MacLeod, cover art is from the cover of American War

Part 2! Welcome back to the godless wasteland roamed by the Glanton Gang. We, along with our guest, Drew Mason, will be your guides. We're talking more about Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian." In this episode, we ask how the Judge Holdens of the world can be fought, try to puzzle out just what that epilogue is talking about, and give a send-off to one of the best writers to ever do it. We're on BlueSky now! Check us out @socialistshelf.bsky.social. Also, be sure to follow our guest on Twitter @dkpmason. Episode art from Unsplash. Music by Kevin MacLeod.

Everybody's favorite dirt mage, Drew Mason, is back to talk with us about "Blood Meridian" by the recently late, forever great, Cormac McCarthy. What does the Western (or in this case, anti-western) teach us about the foundations of the United States? What is the truth behind this nation's founding myths? Can we have an episode even darker than our discussion of "The Jungle?" All that and more within. If you liked this episode, check out @dkpmason on Twitter. If you didn't like it, check him out anyway. He's a cool guy, we can vouch. Music by Kevin MacLeod, the cover art is a picture of the greatest bean-eating pond swimmer to ever grace the literary world.

No poetry for this episode summary, just appreciation for Tamsyn Muir's blast of a novel, "Gideon the Ninth." How does the internet intersect with Millennial and Gen Z art? How much lore is the right amount of lore? Is romance dead? (Spoilers, it's not.) Also, here's a link to a really good interview between Three Crows Magazine and the author. If you didn't already like her from this book, you'll like her by the end of the interview. Check it out! The episode art is a picture of Tamsyn herself. Episode music, as always, by Kevin MacLeod.

Two for the stories reread in our dreams Three for the prose we remember in memes Four for the books that we both recommend Five for the ones where we're glad for the end Six for the classics debated to death Seven for those that have wasted our breath Eight for the novels inspiring our stuff and Nine for the pod and for all of its scuff (P.S. Sorry to Ms. Tamsyn Muir for the fact that I can't say your last name right. I liked your book.) Music by Kevin MacLeod, episode art from the cover of "Gideon the Ninth."

"Stop reading this! It's too awful!" our brains cry. "No," we reply, as we sink further into madness. Yep, we're back with more of "The President is Missing" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. How do reactionary politics work hand-in-hand with liberalism? What is Joss' personal lore with Bill Clinton? How do you create the world's most annoying vision of utopia? Plus...is that Wario and Waluigi I hear? Music by Kevin MacLeod. Art is just a normal, totally unedited picture of Clinton and Patterson.

Bill Clinton wrote a novel, y'all...Yes, that Bill Clinton. Join us as we slowly lose our minds trying to crawl through the nightmare that is "The President is Missing" by James Patterson and former U.S. President, Bill Clinton. We'll be answering such questions as: "Can a former President still be deeply insecure?" (Yep.) and "Can liberalism save us?" (Nope.) If you thought "Left Behind" had us worked up, you ain't seen nothing yet!!! Music by Kevin MacLeod, cover photo from Whitehouse.gov.

We're back with more of Kurt Vonnegut's anti-war sci-fi classic, "Slaughterhouse-Five" ft none other than known Vonnegut-head, TRENT. In this episode, we talk more about the fate of poor old Edgar Derby, discuss what makes Paul Lazarro the perfect American hero, and ask ourselves...is Billy Pilgrim the Muad'Dib? Music by Kevin MacLeod, episode cover from the film adaptation of "Slaughterhouse-Five"

We've got another guest, folks. You know him, you love him, it's the legend himself...TRENT (a college buddy of Jacob's) It's time to hop into Kurt Vonnegut's classic, semi-autobiographical work science fiction, "Slaughterhouse-Five." What makes for a "just war," and is that even a thing? What's the deal with all these buff, homoerotic British officers? How much attention do you really need to pay to your climax to make it climactic? Find out now! Music by Kevin MacLeod. Cover art is Kurt Vonnegut (including one of the many cigarettes that failed to kill him.)

It's what you've been waiting for, folks: the GAMING portion of Liu Cixin's sci-fi headscratcher, "The Three-Body Problem." Okay, okay, there's more than gaming. We've got political intrigue, we've got nano-violence, we've got existentialism, we've got futuristic internationalism...and more. Plus, our Netflix-based plan to prevent World War 3. Episode Art from LiveScience (depicting an actual three-body diagram.) Music by Kevin MacLeod.