Show Notes
Langdon and Eden discuss the too-often bland and safe nature of science fiction and fantasy before diving in to a work that's anything but, "One Hand to Hold, One Hand to Carve"! Body horror, familial obsession, and finally being at peace with yourself mix in this arresting and clever novella about a man sawed in half!
Music played:
Rintrah - Fearful Symmetry https://rintrahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/fearful-symmetry
Kayo Dot - Oracle By Severed Head https://kayodot.bandcamp.com/track/oracle-by-severed-head
More from DEATH // SENTENCE
Langdon and Eden return from the void of unreality to tackle, fight, love, and hate How I Killed the Universal Man by Thomas Kendall. It's an excellent and infuriating cyberpunk/noir book about mind-altering drugs, the violence of infrastructure, and how philosophy sucks, actually.
Eden and Langdon return to disparage Francis Fukuyama (and mispronounce his name, sorry) before moving to lauding Italo Calvino's tongue-in-cheek, sharply constructed The Nonexistent Knight. They explore questions of historical reception, "herohood", identity, and (post)modernism.
Kayte Terry from Tender Subject podcast joins Langdon to talk about The Singularity, the first serious piece of Italian science fiction and a story of getting yourself all messed up about AI, the cold war and weird Zones.
The Chaos Configuration emerges to discuss Missouri Williams' beguiling, frustrating, oppressive, and gorgeous The Vivisectors. A tale of the end of history, the collapse of meaning, how weird gardens are, and a messed up city.
The long and storied career of Anathema is not just a template of the trajectory of a certain type of metal band but also a massive influence on the lives, minds, and hearts of Langdon and Eden. In this episode, we dive into the ways in which Anathema has changed over time, the power of their music, and the personal impact it has had on us.