Workers' Lit

We're in our spooky era. This week, we're talking about Creepypastas, that internet horror phenomenon that was the pride and joy of kids who "just didn't fit in" circa 2011. In particular, we focus on 2001's "Ted the Caver" and 2011's "Jeff the Killer." Lenore is off stuck in a cave or being murdered by a Joker clone somewhere, so we're joined...

Join the shelfers as we enter The Zone and explore a classic work of Soviet sci-fi, the Strugatsky brothers' 1972 novel, "Roadside Picnic." Never heard of it? You may know the film adaptation, Tarkovsky's critically acclaimed 1979 movie, "Stalker." Learn about this book's troubled publication history, hear Jacob get annoyed about thematic pieces not fitting just how...

Due to busy schedules and a mild back injury (explanations within) we didn't finish prep to talk about this week's novel, so instead we read and...let's say critique...Adam Wren's "How Lord of the Rings Shaped JD Vance's Politics" for Politico. You can read it here. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) Episode art is from...

That flesh do be tender The shelfers take on Augustina Bazterrica's 2017 horror novel (or cookbook if you're really weird I guess), "Tender is the Flesh." They're really out here eating people. This is a book about justifying your place as a node in the extractive machine of capitalism, and as such it's pretty intense. We try not to over-dwell on the goriest bits, but thi...

Yee...and I can't stress this enough...Haw The Shelfers dive into VP hopeful, evil lawyer, and overgrown garden gnome J.D. Vance's 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." Does this book (and its 2020 film adaptation) answer all the questions about the Rust Belt and the white working class??? Uh. No. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episod...

A blast from the past...we've dug up an episode recorded several months ago. Why didn't we release it? Uhh...idk honestly. Anyway! It's Harlan Ellison's work of sci-fi/horror, "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream." Why on earth does this evil computer hate us so much?? Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is origina...

It's a three-peat folks! They're calling him the three-peater! Josh Boerman of the Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast is BACK to help the Shelfers crack Ted Dekker's 2004 evangelical fantasy novel, "Black: The Birth of Evil." We examine the inherent weaknesses of the evangelical fiction author, figure out why Ted hates the French so much, ask bold questions about magical su...

"A Picture of Doran GAY" was too low-hanging of fruit, but I did consider that as an episode title. This week the Shelfers dive into the only novel Oscar Wilde ever wrote, 1891's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Come for the Gothic horror, stay for the overt homosexuality. We discuss Wilde's life, which is so exciting and tragic we *almost* forgive him for being a follower...

WE! ARE! BACK! The Shelfers have RETURNED! This week we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's 1953 quintessential fantasy novel, "Fellowship of the Ring." (If you're interested in Tolkien as a guy, you may want to catch the first part of our episode on "The Hobbit," because we go into detail there) Is the Shire the perfect society? What's the deal with Tom Bombadil? Is Middle Ea...

And so it begins...The Socialist Shelf Tolkien deep dive. The Shelfers begin an examination of the ultimate fantasy series, "The Lord of the Rings," starting with 1937's "The Hobbit" (not technically part of the trilogy but pretty darn important if you want to understand it.) We also talk about the life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a world-historic wife guy, a mustard gas...

It's short, but it's important (to us!) Ahead of our next month of Tolkien deep-dive, we need another week to read and study. However, we did want to use this time to announce that Jacob is now querying for his novel, "They Called Her Rebel." "They Called Her Rebel" is a story about people power, fantastical revolution, and queer love. If you're interested in readin...

Alternate episode title: "Who Killed Captain Aleph?" The Shelfers get Zen as we dive into Ruth Ozeki's 2021 work of magical realism, "The Book of Form and Emptiness." This book has got it all: psych wards, nonbinary ferrets, anarchist goth GFs, Zizek in a wheelchair, disaster capitalism, Marie Kondo, ghostly fridge magnets...none of this is a joke by the way. Also, Jacob ye...

It's time to talk about DUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Educator and sci-fi lover Trent returns to the show to discuss Frank Herbert's 1965 epic tale of spice, sand, and worms. The movies get talked about a good bit too (we loved them.) Can Paul Atreides see the dialectic itself? Why is Frank Herbert so scared of women? What is "good" power and what is "bad" power, and why is Dune s...

Right at the top: y'all need to get this book. You can find it here. Journalist and author Vincent Bevins joins the Shelfers to discuss his new book, "If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution." Topics of discussion: the need for organization during mass movements, Hunger Games GIFS, and V for Vendetta. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.pat...

Special thanks to THE Count Dracula for stopping by! This week we get into Leo Frankowski's 1986 sci-fi—let's not say "epic," exactly—"The Cross-Time Engineer," the story of the coolest, buffest, smartest, sexiest engineer that's ever lived (and TOTALLY isn't a self-insert power fantasy character of the author!!) What's the deal with creepy libertarian men,...

This episode was delayed multiple times due to what is no doubt the curse of the ghost of Poe himself! This week we're discussing the life of famed American spook-smith, Edgar Allan Poe, with a particular focus on his short stories, "The Masque of The Red Death" and "Hop-Frog" Was Poe a tortured genius, or just some guy trying to get by? How do class politics bleed into the...

We're back with a Socialist Shelf author interview! This week we're talking to labor lawyer, long-time activist, and author of the book, "Fighting Times," Jonathan Melrod! Want to learn how to change the world through working-class organization? Jon is the man you need to hear from! He's an absolute fountain of wisdom. Don't miss this interview...or his book! Visit https:...

This is a fun one. Fantasy expert and professional hater Aysha U. Farah is back on the show to discuss C.S. Lewis' 1950 children's novel, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," though we really get into all of Narnia and spend a lot of time on its deeply fascinating author. Who was this odd, sometimes-brilliant, sometimes-foolish, always-insane author? What made Narnia so wildl...

We're covering Tony Kushner's 2009 (and 2010, and 2011, and many-times-since-edited) play, "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures," which incidentally could also be the name of this podcast. Joining us is beloved theater-enjoyer, A.J. Ditty from The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast! Together we dive into the mind of on...

It's 2024...new year, new books, a new name...the same, classic socialist spirit. We're talking about Francis Spufford's 2010 historical fiction...novel? Short story collection? Something like that... "Red Plenty." Come for the history of the first worker state, stay for the discourse on whether or not smoking is sexy. We both continue to remain dedicated to our organizing wi...

It's our last episode of 2023...so let's end it on something we all know and love, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin! What is it about this little story that gets inside people's heads? Is Omelas basically just the story of Jesus? Can you reform a system built on child misery? (I'll go on and answer that one: no.) For more top-tier Omelas content,...

Yeah. The dog dies. This week we're discussing Paolo Bacigalupi's sci-fi short story, "The People of Sand and Slag." There's a lot of sand, there's a lot of slag. There's not a lot of joy, but we and our fantastic guest from Podside Picnic, Karlo Yeager Rodríguez, manage to find it where we can. They haven't managed to write a story yet that can destroy the power...

Not all is well in the town of Salem...or Washington for that matter. Join the Shelfers as we dive into Arthur Miller's 1953 not-so-subtle-allegorical play, "The Crucible" Topics of discussion: McCarthyism, religious hypocrisy, Marilyn Monroe, and Jacob playing Judge Danforth in high school. We are doing shout-outs to anyone who donates to PSL Atlanta and sends proof of donation to o...

It's a lesser-known series...you probably haven't heard of it. Today the shelfers take on Matthew Stover's 2005 novelization of "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith," the novel that asks the dangerous question of what would happen if you made ROTS... good? Enjoy us diving into the concept of Star Wars legends, criticize Yoda for undialectical thinking, encouraging Bail Organa...

Joss reads the entire thing at the opening so you have no excuse not to absorb this text (unless you just don't want to in which case...fair) This week we discuss French philosopher Albert Camus' 1942, essential absurdist work, "The Myth of Sisyphus." You might have heard this one before, it's where the guy is happy despite his whole rock situation. We get into the life of Ca...