If you like djinn, magic, and the whole world teaming up to make one woman's life worse, then you'll enjoy Aurora and Trevor talking about City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. Set far outside the Euro-centric confines of most fantasy, City of Brass mixes deep and interesting world building with characters we loved to hate. Also war crimes. patreon.c…

It's time for a classic. We are joined by returning champion Trevor to discuss Ursula K. Le Guin's seminal work, The Left Hand of Darkness. We talk about gender, how you have states without war, and of course, the balance of light and dark. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @He…

It's time for a little sci-fi horror! This episode we are joined by Bry and Fry from the Pontifacts pod to talk about Feed by Mira Grant. A near future were zombies are a fact of everyday life, bloggers are super important, and we look with post 2020 eyes at how someone in 2010 imagined we would react to a world wide deadly pandemic. Sometimes dyst…

A crossover episode with Trevor from The History of Persia from a couple years ago. We discuss historicity, Zoroastrianism, and well, creation! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @MusicalPuma69Bởi Asha & Ketho

A crossover episode with Trevor from The History of Persia from a couple years ago. We discuss historicity, Zoroastrianism, and well, creation! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @MusicalPuma69Bởi Asha & Ketho

We are back for the end of Pride Month with one of Aurora's favorite books, the lesbian scifi love story This Is How You Lose The Time War. Robotic bodies, complex time travel, and handwritten love letters dominate this wonderful book. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_A…

In the 2nd part of our conversation about Cyberpunk 2077 we are rejoined by Roberto to talk The Soul of Theseus, morality, and sexism in the player community. Spoilers for every possible ending to the game (along with which one makes you a good person). Roberto's Pods: @tsarpowerpod & @History_Georgia patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAnd…

We have brain worms we need to exorcise, and so we've invited our friend Roberto on to talk about the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Made by CD PROJEKT RED and set in the universe created by Mike Pondsmith, this game is a masterful blend of politics, themes, and storytelling. In part 1 we discuss the political situation of Night City, the implications …

What if the kid from Hatchet went to the post apocalypse future instead of Canada? That's what we're here to discuss in Gary Paulsen's "The Transall Saga". We talk slavery, YA romance, and the world's fastest language learner. One of Asha's favorite childhood books! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show…

*CONTENT WARNING* What happens when you take a YA novel and throw in a healthy dose or horrendous war crimes? The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang! We talk with our guest Shawn about fiction depicting barely disguised real history and the morality of retributive violence. Follow Shawn on twitter @theavatarshawn patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsA…

Aliens, math, and the utter failure of the Cultural Revolution are the main points of discussion in this episode about The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Liberal reforms and the fate of humanity are intertwined in a way that made Asha say, "I don't give a shit about computers, where the fuck are the aliens?" patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: …

It's been 2 years since we started the pod, so we wanted to take a quick look back at what we've learned, and talk about what's coming up in the future. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who listens and has stuck with us. You're the best. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herb…

It's a very special episode for our 2 year anniversary. We sat down with Dr. Sara Brown, Chair of Language and Literature at Signum University, to talk about her upcoming book: Race, Gender, and The Other in Tolkien. Sara leads us through a wonderful discussion about Orcs, Eowyn, Shelob, and how queer Lord of the Rings can really be. Thank you all …

This week we cover a classic of the scifi genre: Harlan EllIson's seminal short story, "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream". Horror, humanism, and the final triumph of the human spirit are blended together in a precursor to much of the modern scifi movement. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @Sword…

This is the end! Of Narnia anyway. Asha and Ketho are rejoined by Trevor and Alex to discuss Revelations for children. A false prophet, a gay unicorn, and quite a bit of confusing Christian theology join together for the end of C. S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia". It's all been building to this. Alex: @humvadev Sapphic Sweets & Reads: https://s…

It's time for Genesis! Ketho and Asha are joined by Trevor from The History of Persia to talk about the 6th book in the Narnia series, "The Magician's Nephew", in which Alastair Crowley tricks children into multiverse travel, Jadis tries to girl-boss London, and we discuss the academic obsession with Atlantis. Also Jesus gets bonked on the head wit…

Part 2 of our 4 part series on C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Ketho and Asha discuss The Silver Chair and The Horse And His Boy. We have a reversal of favorite and least favorite books in the series, Jadis 2.0, and a plot so well done it probably belongs in a different series. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@prot…

We begin our 4 part series covering the entire Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Covered here are The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We welcome Alex to the podcast to discuss Lewis' particular brand of Christianity, his incorporation of ancient Greece, and why its very very important that y…

It's a crossover spectacular! A little while back Asha and Ketho went on the Tsar Power Podcast to discuss the first dystopian novel about a totalitarian state: "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, published in 1924. Mass surveilance, depersonalization, and why Productionism is terrible. Check out Roberto and Brendan's podcast where they're ranking every rule…

It's the Asha episode. She goes into detail about what hope is in the works of Tolkien, reads some selected quotes, then gives a talk about how this has shaped her views on radicalism, trans rights, and how to fight for a better future. This one came from the heart folks, we hope you enjoy it. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialis…

Imagine a world where the climate crisis gets so bad that the US brings back company towns and slavery. A far stretch, but Octavia Butler has already done the hard work for us in her seminal novel, Parable of the Sower. Ketho and Asha talk about change, community, and the most realistic apocalypse ever encountered. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Em…

In honor of all the awards and hype around this movie right now, we decided to unlock this bonus episode from last summer! Existential nihilism, dadaist art, and how the internet has broken everyone's minds. It's genuinely one of our best. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Her…

It's our first Novella! Better late than never, we're back with Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. We talk culture, home, and the value of diversity. This book was a happy little break between what came before, and what comes next. Enjoy! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_Anarchis…

We begin Black History Month with an absolute chest punch of a book: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. This is a story with a powerful exploration of race, slavery, and representation. Read it. Please. Read it then come listen to our conversation about how cultural myths affect real world acceptance and how cool it is to be a bisexual polyamorous …

We have reached the end of Cyberpunk month and alas, the end of good cyberpunk books as well. We finished up by talking about Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. History, religion, psychology, and technology are all brought together in the story of Hiro Protagonist. It's...something. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmai…

Cyberpunk Month continues with a story about what happens if you Ship of Theseus yourself. Ghost in the Shell is an all time classic of the genre, and much funnier than you expect. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69 patreon.com/swordsandsoci…

It's a Christmas miracle! We are alive, and we are back to finally kick off Cyberpunk Month. We decided to start with Neuromancer by William Gibson. This novel popularized nearly all of the themes and aesthetics that would typify the genre for decades to come. AI, posting addiction, regular addiction, Japanese influence, killer women with body modi…

Happy Halloween! Through listener vote, we are finishing off spooky season with the Neil Gaiman classic, Coraline. We talk about Fairy, bravery, and why the scariest parts might not be what you think they are. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Darius: @Himbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidP…

What do Bernini, Nietzsche, and Hellraiser have in common? They are all influences on the darkest fantasy we have ever (or may ever) cover: Berserk. This story of power, fate, and astronomical violence provided us with possibly our most intellectual conversation to date. Listen to us talk with special guest Brendan of @tsarpowerpod about the man to…

*CONTENT WARNING* There are a few mentions of rape and sexual assault in this episode, one including a minor. Please be aware of this if it's upsetting to you. It's very generalized with no specific details, but is mentioned. Dark Fantasy Month begins with a dive into The Black Company by Glen Cook. A group of morally questionable mercenaries get h…

We had an (in-person!) conversation about Michael Moorcock's 1977 essay about the prevalence of reactionary politics in science fiction and fantasy. We work through his arguments, examples, and get annoyed that he's calling us out, specifically. The lesson: be more critical of the media you valorize. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @…

The 2nd of the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin. This is a wonderful story about a young woman learning how to cope with systems of oppression, hope, and how to free yourself. Please read this book if you haven't. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Darius: @Himbo_Anarchi…

It's the first book of season 2! We talked about one of the most famous scifi books of all time, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Capitalism, Chaos Theory, climate change, and just a tiny hint of racism all mixed together to (somehow) make a really good novel. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocia…

It's a big one! To celebrate our 1 year anniversary and 5,000 downloads, we brought Nicole and Trevor back to talk authors, tropes, and a surprising amount about The Last Airbender. Thank you all so much for listening and sticking with us! patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com…

Through popular demand we're back in Pratchett land! It's the 2nd Discworld novel, and our first sequel. More intricately constructed nonsense, luggage high jinks, and why wizards are so murderous. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Darius: @Himbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPu…

A teaser of our latest bonus episode about nihilism, the internet, and Chekhov's butt plug patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com The Show: @SwordsNSocPod Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist Ketho: @MusicalPuma69Bởi Darius & Ketho

We're back with a "scifi" story by an old school anarchist named William Morris; the 3rd in our series about utopias. The plot is thin, but the politics are heavy in his description of a post-revolution anarchist England. We talk youth liberation, family abolition, and of course, work abolition. Sorry Darius is inside a tin can again, it'll be fixe…

We are officially diving in to the Lord of the Rings and continuing our discussions about utopia. Is Tolkien's Shire as idyllic as it seems, or is even his best imagined society still plagued by the greatest of pests, landlords? patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Darius: @H…

We're finally back, and we discussed the scifi "classic" Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. Plot is non-existent and abuse is ever-present. Ketho breaks down the worst description of the labor theory of value ever put in fiction while Darius loses his mind from the bottom of the tin can he was recording in. We're back! It's great! patreon.co…

Darius and Ketho are joined by Elias (@aPebbleInTheSky) to talk about the origins of fiction as a genre. We talk about the intertwined nature of Fantasy, Scifi, and Horror, the development of each, and the scientific disenchantment of our world. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonma…

As a writer and a person, JK Rowling sucks. Today Darius is joined by Nicole and Trevor to talk about a few of the reasons why, and what we should do with her legacy. We also talk about jacked toddlers. Follow Trevor @HistoryofPersia, and Nicole @gi66le_tits (if she ever unlocks again). patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod …

Part 2 of our talk about Wheel of Time. We discuss the gender binary of magic, consensual harems, and the Amazon adaption. Please consider supporting Alex's gay bakery/book shop here: https://humva.dev/2022/03/15/books-baking-and-queer-things/ Or listening to Roberto's podcast here: https://historyofsaqartvelo.com/ patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Fo…

We dip our toes for the first time into Robert Jordan's extensive world. Special guests Alex and Roberto join Darius to talk about a dualist world and Jordan's take on the existence of free will. (If you're a Ketho fan, too bad. He's not here.) Please consider supporting Alex's gay bakery/book shop here: https://humva.dev/2022/03/15/books-baking-an…

To tide everyone over until our next series, we decided to unlock our first bonus episode. This one's about why the new Star Wars properties feel soulless, why copyright laws are bullshit, and how every fantasy story can be solved with a gun. If you enjoy these non-book episodes, you can subscribe to our patreon for $3 and get 1 to 2 bonus episodes…

Our first dive into the works of Philip K Dick. We talk about emptiness, empathy, and how it all comes down to simulacrums of real life. Also, Darius remembers the name of a philosopher. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Darius: @Himbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69 patreo…

The 2nd half of our talk about Watership Down! We discuss rabbit mythology, alienation, and why Hazel is a better Odysseus. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Darius: @Himbo_Anarchist Ketho: @StupidPuma69 patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmai…

Time for another classic! Here in part one of our conversation about Richard Adam's "Watership Down" we talk about leadership styles, thinking outside the box, and the existential dread of living while surrounded by the threat of death. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com Da…

Part 2 of our episodes on the foundations of the podcast; we talked about J. R. R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories". We discuss his definition of what a fairy story is, why fantasy isn't just for children, and why Darius hates Joss Whedon so much. patreon.com/swordsandsocialism Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@prot…

We're back with a foundational text from the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin. This is one of the most important short stories in the history of scifi, and we talk utopia, anarchism, and waking up to the suffering our world is built on. We were firing on all cylinders for this one. Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonm…

Our first dive into the works of Sir Terry Pratchett with The Colour of Magic! A pessimist bum and an eternally optimistic tourist stumble their way past the destiny Fate is so desperately trying to lay out for them. We talk satire, fate, and the unstoppable power of luggage. Follow the show @SwordsNSocPod Email us at SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonma…