Conversation #0004: Star Trek, The Original Series - Continuities of Empire
Release Date: 11/13/2025
Let's Prattle #1 - AI in Video Games
The Left Page
A new kind of episode! Lighter and more current, as we talk about what we've been playing, some things we've been thinking about, and the new Left Page Book Club! Time stamps 00:00:00 - 00:40:40 Intro + What are we watching, reading, playing 00:40:40 - 01:27:45 AI In Video Games 01:27:45 - 02: 23:45 Left Page Book Club The article we talked about: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/new-research-shows-over-90-of-gamers-find-playing-with-ai-powered-npcs-to-be-enjoyable-and-rewarding
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What Escapism Has Sown
The Left Page
We deploy Critical Harvest Theory in this episode, when we ask: What happens when we don't look critically at escapist fantasies? We then try to answer this question by looking at two video games: Stardew Valley (2015) and Citizen Sleeper (2022 & 2025) Going into the ways of how these games create their realities and end up surviving in or attempting to sideline capitalism, which will surely go well, right? Right? That, and more, in this episode about capital, land, time and space! Enjoy! If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more,...
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Wolfenstein: How to Kill Fascism? W/ TheLitCritGuy
The Left Page
Wolfenstein is a fascinating series of games, so let’s talk about the recent Machine Games’ iterations. Asking the fundamental question of how to properly kill fascism and how this game is presenting it, or not. Enjoy! Check out Jon’s stuff: & Morris Rosenfeld’s poem from 1914 Intro song: Machine, Machine. Nits. 2019, Werf & V2 Records Outro song: Nazi raus. Marti Fischer. 2024, ContentView GmbH
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The Left Page - Oddysscourse. The Tragedy of MAGA-memnom
The Left Page
Hello everyone!! Today we're starting off with our new kinds of episodes, as we discuss a more broad element... the discourse on the new Oddyssey film! We've often talked about historical representation, mythology, and what "historical accuracy" can mean, but not as directly as of yet. So this time we went full into some of the terrible ways those are all used, distanced from any interesting or useful cultural critique, and only a terrible weapon to brandish. So come along as we seek to prepare ourselves and others to not fall into those same pitfalls and traps that are misrepresenting and...
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The Left Page 7 Year Anniversary!
The Left Page
Good lord! It's sure been a while, huh?
Celebrating 7 years of running this podcast, Frank and Leon go over some of the changes, some of the achievements, how they see the pod, how they think of it moving forwards, and a couple of interesting things to come!
Thank you all so so much for being here, for listening, and especially supporting the show, for as little or as long as you have! It means the world!
Here's to the great things coming!
Check out all
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The Left Page - Episode 100 - Don Quixote: Jousting with Fiction
The Left Page
To celebrate the centennial Left Page we go to the start, the originator of the modern novel: Don Quixote de la Mancha!
We go over the fantasies of Don Quixote, the way the two books deal with reality, fantasy, and primarily books and reading! All the while not forgetting the deep materiality involved in the depictions, and how there is still more than we think to it.
Come celebrate our 100th episode with one of the greatest of all time!
Enjoy!
Check out
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The Left Page - Episode 99 - The First Law Standalones Pt. 2: The Heroes Journey
The Left Page
Hello everyone!!
We continue with the First Law Standalone novels, now going into Heroes and Red Country!
We talk about how these characters continue to be engagin, how the materiality of war and conflict continues, and how change, propelled by capital, can be such a dangerous thing the world over, fantasy world it might be.
Enjoy!
If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out o
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The Left Page - Episode 99 - The First Law Standalones Pt. 1: Back With a Revengeance
The Left Page
Hello everyone!!
We continue with Joe Abercrombie's First Law series, now talking about the 3 standalone novels: Best Served Cold, Heroes, and Red Country!
Because these books are great and there is a lot to talk about, we split these episodes in 2 parts, both already available for Patrons! First we talk about Abercrombie and the setup to these books, then Best Served Cold and how to write a phenomenal revenge story indeed.
Enjoy!
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Here Be Media - Episode 64 - Hades II: The Pitfalls of Chronic Therapy
The Left Page
Hello everyone!!
We visit the sequel of our very first Here be Media episode, coming alongside a very special announcement in the first 10 minutes about the future of this podcast.
We set out to explore the pitfalls of exclusively centreing psychology in your familial narrative, that is therefore ot able to grapple with the existential conflict it seeks to portray.
Please enjoy!
If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty mo
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Here Be Media - Episode 63 - Superman: Fortress of Imperialism w/ André
The Left Page
Hello everyone!!
We're wrapping up the year in serious fashion, diving once back into Imperialism everywhere, with the 2025 Superman, and bringing our superhero liasion along, André!
This was a film really well talked about for being positive, and progressive and... things which it isn't. It's still imperialist and still very much on the US' side when thinking about anything.
So come along as we look at this at first, maybe good superhero film, and yet, rather vile film, re
info_outlineIn our latest Conversation, Frank has something special for us!
Following attempts at bringing together all their academic work, Frank goes into Star Trek proper for the first time in the podcast, surprisingly. In an attempt to articulate how the original 1966-1969 run articulated a certain version of the future that, while utopian, was still entrenched in Liberalism and certain elements of Empire from which it could not imagine a different outcome.
So follow along as we dive into proto-Q, liberal visions of race, a mining colony, and the Cold War all over again! Enjoy!
Episodes discussed:
- S1E17 - The Squire of Gothos
- S1E21 - The Return of the Archons
- S1E25 - The Devil in the Dark
- S1E26 - Errand of Mercy
- S2E19 - A Private Little War
- S2E23 - The Omega Glory
- S3E15 - Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
Some bibliography from Frank's own current research into the topic:
GOLUMBIA, David. “Black and White World: Race, Ideology and Utopia in Triton and Star Trek.” Cultural Critique v. 32, Winter 1995-1996. pp. 75-95.
MCKAGEN, E. Leigh. “45. Colonialism and Imperialism” GARCIA-SIINO, Leimar; MITTERMEIER, Sabrina; RABITSCH, Stefan. (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Star Trek. New York: Routledge, 2022. pp. 332-339.
RIEDER, John. “Chapter Two: Fantasises of Appropriation”. ______. Colonialism and the emergence of Science Fiction. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2008. pp. 34-60.
SPIEGEL, Simon. “60. Utopia” GARCIA-SIINO, Leimar; MITTERMEIER, Sabrina; RABITSCH, Stefan. (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Star Trek. New York: Routledge, 2022. Utopias in Star Trek pp. 471-472.
STEPHENSON, Anders. Manifest Destiny: American Expansion and the Empire of Right. New York: Hill and Wang, 1996.
WORLAND, Rick. “Captain Kirk, Cold Warrior” Journal of Popular Film and Television. Los Angeles, 16, n. 3, 1988. pp. 109-117.
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