DEATH // SENTENCE

Are books... dangerous? A lot of people think so, from Moms For Liberty to the mostly-imaginary internet spectre of the censorious Puriteen. Lyta Gold joins us to talk about which books are most dangerous and which might be able to redeem the act of reading. Theme tune by Caina: https://cainaband.bandcamp.com/ Danger is our Patreon's middle name: https://www.patreon.com/DeathSentence

Eden and Langdon both exist (maybe) and with this snippet of existence, they discuss the historiography of the Paris Commune on the left and suggest a proper position (empathy) towards its hopes and failures. Then, they discuss the beautiful and problematic "Five Ways to Forgiveness" by Ursula K. Le Guin, a short story suite about slavery, feminism, war and Hain. Music played: Object Unto Earth -...

Olga Tokarczuk's first book since winning the Nobel prize in Literature is deeply feminist folk-horror with more than a little influence from Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain. Is it just a fun ghost story or a warning about how the Male Loneliness Epidemic(tm) will end in tragedy. More importantly, does Langdon yearn for the production lines?

This time around, Langdon and Eden discuss what can be done in our personal lives, regardless of the potential for a revolution or any feelings of hope and despair. Then, they dive into the mesmerizing verse-prose of Jason Guriel's Forgotten Work, a novel in heroic couplets about the power of music, obsession, cult followings, and sick teleportation technology. Music played: Kyros - Esoterica http...

One of the greatest fantasy epics of the 21st century ends here, with Alex Pheby's mind-bending Waterblack. We go in-depth into the trilogy and the surprising inspirations behind its central themes. Also, Skibidi Toilet. Music by Homeskin: https://homeskin.bandcamp.com/track/blood-to-disk Theme tune by Caïna: https://cainaband.bandcamp.com/

Ready to get DAMP? Sophie Sleigh-Johnson's Code: Damp explores fucked Anglo vibes through the work of sitcom legend Leonard Rossiter, star of Rising Damp and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Buy it from Repeater Books here: https://repeaterbooks.com/product/code-damp-an-esoteric-guide-to-british-sitcoms/

Y'all ready to get DELEUZIAN? Victoria Brooks' Silicon God is a goopy, rhizomatic book about time mistresses from the future and a bunch of stuff that we definitely can't talk about here. Music by Phrenelith: https://phrenelith.bandcamp.com/album/ashen-womb

Why is Guan Yu so powerful? Which Universal Movie Monster tastes best? How can you get somebody to enjoy Brutal Death Metal? Will Communism win? Our audience has asked all of these questions and many more, and we tackle them all with our trademark professionalism and focus. Music by Wrekmeister Harmonies Theme tune by Caina.

Langdon is joined in the Wizard's Tower by Kayte Terry of Tender Subject and Jon Greenaway of Horror Vanguard to discuss Robert Eggers' tale of a Dracula trapped in a world he never made, looking for love in all the wrong places. Music by Ambrose Akinmusire

Langdon and Eden tackle linear time and how World War II, and its retellings, fit in with our cultural memories of the past. Then, they dive into the fragmented, gorgeous, and shocking Unknown Language, a tale shifting rapidly between alternative presents, futures, holy wars, love, and violence, all through the inimitable and kaleidoscopic lens of Hildegard von Bingen, Huw Lemmey, Bhanu Kapil and...

Kazuo Ishiguro season keeps on truckin' into 2005's Never Let Me Go, perhaps his most widely read and equally widely loved novels. There are brain-donor clones drawing dank pepes, Ruth being a total b-word and -even though we are 100% anti-worldbuilding- some bad worldbuilding. Music by Skagos: https://skagos.bandcamp.com/album/chariot-sun-blazing

ENTER THE WIZARD'S TOWER with this episode in which we stretch the concept of a 'text' to breaking point by talking about a film- specifically 2024's The Substance. Joined by comedian Jake Flores and Tender Subject host Kayte Terry, will we survive the intricate mind maze of feminist discourse?

This time around, Langdon and Eden dive into the question of geo-political narratives and the stories we tell ourselves, specifically about the "American Century" and it's dubious decline. Then, they dive deep into Oh God, the Sun Goes, the debut novel by David Connor. State of mind, Pynchon-esque misconnections, hazy realities, and the power of the desert, combine into a flawed but highly moving...

In the early 20th century Henri Bergson was a rockstar of philosophy, able to pack lecture halls and create the first ever traffic jam on Broadway. Today he's virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, and Dr. Emily Herring is aiming to fix that with her book Herald of a Restless World. Music by Lowen: https://lowen.bandcamp.com/album/do-not-go-to-war-with-the-demons-of-mazandaran-2

John Trefry's Massive is 764 pages of the densest post-everything literary noise possible, a monolith that you don't read, you move through. There's absolutely no way to describe it and it's brilliant. Buy it from Asterism here: https://asterismbooks.com/product/massive Music by Sunrise Patriot Motion: https://sunrisepatriotmotion.bandcamp.com/album/my-father-took-me-hunting-in-the-snow

This time around, Gareth and Eden are joined by Marijam Did to discuss her excellent research into the revolutionary and reactionary potentials, avenues, and practices of the video games industry! The three talk the COVID boom and bust, professionalizing esports as a practice of capitalism, and games under future communism! Music played: Solar Wimp - Enhanced Iconography https://solarwimp.bandcamp...

CW FOR BASICALLY EVERYTHING Charlene Elsby is one of the most renowned literary horror writers out there right now, and her two most recent books, the novel Violent Faculties (Clash Books) and short story collection (House of Vlad) are both incredibly intelligent and utterly horrific. Music by Gutless: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/high-impact-violence

This time around, Eden is joined by Kyle Winkler, author of Grasshands and, more recently, the cosmic horror, punk-infused, metal-slinging tale of a biker who refuses to go quietly. They talk violence, revenge, metal as aesthetics, and more! Music played: Dance with the Dead - Neon Cross https://dancewiththedead.bandcamp.com/track/neon-cross-feat-brandon-saller

Talia Lavin joins us to talk about her new book Wild Faith, on how the Christian Right is taking over America, but also raw milk, cruelty, demons and more. Also we declare Beef on another podcast. Music by MINTTT The power of Christ compels you to join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DeathSentence

Kazuo Ishiguro season keeps on truckin' to 2000's When We Were Orphans. After the divisive The Unconsoled, Kaz' is getting his groove back with this story of a gentleman detective who is so English that his brain doesn't work right. Music by Pig Destroyer and Streetfighter

Ever wanted to live out your worst impulses in America's sweaty armpit? Of course you have, and debut author Jillian Luft knows this. Her book Scumbag Summer is about failing to live up to your potential in Florida and it is glorious. Music by Full of Hell: https://fullofhell.bandcamp.com/album/scraping-the-divine Our Discord has often been called 'The Florida of Discords', and you can access it t...

Langdon and Eden travel to a future-past where TV hosts bring nations to their knees (hahahah oh god that's just our present) with Norman Spinrad's controversial (and excellent) Bug Jack Barron! But first, they discuss the fading power of debuts, early works, and the role of passion in art! Music played: Excuse - Sworn to the Crimson Oath https://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/track/sworn-to-th...

There are cars, hyperloops, even blimps - but no form of transport is better than the train. Gareth Dennis has been in the rail industry for a decade and hosts the podcast Rail Natter... and has been targeted by sleazy government officials after speaking up about safety. He joins us to talk about why trains are perfect, why hyperloop will never work and what we do to get a transport system that wo...

The Wizard's Tower emerges once more, this time gathering in its clutches Donald Ryan, author of Don Bronco's (Working Title) Shell! Meta-narrative, eggs (sort of), truth (not really), experimentation, and more! Music played: "I Cover the Mountaintop" by Elephant9 https://elephant9band.bandcamp.com/track/i-cover-the-mountaintop

Eden is joined by Adam C. Jones of the Acid Horizon podcast to discuss his upcoming book - The New Flesh: Life and Death in the Data Economy! The two discuss cybernetics, the human as battery, data flows as cybernetics, and the fall and fall of cyberpunk. Music played: Graveyard Addicted by Warpstone https://warpstone.bandcamp.com/track/graveyard-addicted