The World Through Fiction

Star Trek is a massive franchise heavily influenced by themes and myths of colonization. This episode gives a brief overview of these themes. Sources: For more on taming of savagery and individualism as frontier values, see The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America by Greg Grandin Turner's Thesis PDF For more on the Indian-hater trope, see Gunfighter Nati...

This episode explores the fear of rural people and the still existing periphery in America through three of the more well known backwoods horror movies: Jeepers Creepers, Deliverance, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre If you would like to help some rural folks resist development you can learn more at: Dunnellon, Untold Stories of a Two River City Sources: Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. “Monster Culture (Sev...

Apologies for this episode being rushed! The World Through Fiction deviates from its usual format in this episode as I cover current events and compare them to antifascist literature. Sources: Pulver, Dinah Voyles. n.d. “‘A New Wildfire Paradigm’: Why California Fires Are Growing Larger and More Destructive.” USA TODAY. Accessed January 19, 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/...

Welcome back, it's been a while! This episode traces the evolution of the road genre out of the western and explores America's psychological relationship with the automobile, building from where we left off in August. This episode did not go entirely as I planned, as along the way I became much more interested in the relationship between cars and fascism as current events have evolved. Sources: Sl...

This episode examines how colonial themes persist in stories set in the present through a case study in Supernatural (2005-2020). Concepts: Monster theses The strenuous life Home intrusion Fears of miscegenation Othering Men who know Indians Female captivity narrative Sources: Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” University of Minnesota Press . Leow Hui Min Annabeth. "Colo...

Have you ever wondered where the trope of the home intrusion boogeyman comes from? The origin of the cultural fear of kidnapping? This episode gives an introduction into the basis if these tropes in American media. Warnings: Frank discussion of fictional portrayals of sexual violence Concepts: Common sense Home intruson Female captivity narrative Fears of miscegenation Sources: On the concept of c...

Pirates are some of the most romanticized villains in pop culture, but what is the true story of their history? This episode attempts to dispel myths and bring to light truths about the origins and functioning of piracy, as well as uncovering the basis of some pop culture portrayals. Concepts: The periphery as space for difference Piracy as resistance to colonization Core and periphery Sources: Ka...

The cowboy is a symbol of nationalistic masculine identity in America, but what is the true history of these frontier legends, and how has the western genre misrepresented them? This is part one of a two part discussion on the expression of marginalized identities on the frontier. Part two out June 26th. Concepts: Gender and sexuality The usable past Periphery as space for difference Sources: Widd...

Colonization is an ongoing process that is still happening today. This episode examines how this process unfolds and why those who resist it choose to do so by examining a classic western, a Supernatural episode, and the lore of Lord Huron. Concepts: Waves of colonization Resistance to colonization Ruralmisia Sources: Turner's Thesis PDF: https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Turner%20Thesis%2C%20...

This episode examines how national identity in the United States has been created through colonization by looking at the symbology of the film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Concepts: National identity Othering The usable past Dog motifs Sources: Hixson, Walter L. The Myth of American Diplomacy: National Identity and U.S. Foreign Policy . Sheridan Books. 2008. Turner, Frederick Jackson, 1861-1932. The S...

This episode delves into why colonization occurs, looking to the structure of the world economy for answers and applying this lens of analysis to the two classic westerns Red River and My Darling Clementine Concepts: Colonization Core and periphery Never-ending expansion Capitalism The safety valve Race The usable past Sources: For more on the early history of colonization: Tan, Fidellithy. The Hi...

The stories we grew up with form a subconscious basis for how we engage with the world. This episode examines two such stories - Pocahontas and Treasure Island - and how they may influence our understanding of the world. Warnings: mild spoilers for Black Sails Concepts: Colonization The usable past Censorship Sources: Hixon, Walter. The Myth of American Diplomacy: National Identity and U.S. Foreig...