Let's Prattle #6 - What Makes a Genre Punk
The Left Page
Itinerary: 00:00:00 - 00:35:42 Intro+Games we're playing 00:35:42 - 1:21:31 Cyberpunk, Solarpunk, -punk 01:21:31 - END The Left Page Book Club™ For the Book Club we read chapters 1-13 of Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer. Next time we'll pick back up with chapters 14-26, join us then!
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The Actual Fifa 2026 World Cup
The Left Page
We talk about some of our experiences and familiarity with football, while understanding not only its role in culture, but how it can become a positive source of connection. Even under capitalism and vile organizations like fifa, the sport and the practices surrounding it can indeed be meaningful! Furthermore, how can we think about the national themes, and the political symbols they sometimes offer not only to their own countries, but to others! Enjoy! The articles Leon mentioned! If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more,...
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Let's Prattle #5 - Attacks on Utopia
The Left Page
Itinerary: 00:00:00 - 00:46:34 Intro+Anti-AI+Questionaire 00:46:34 - 01:29:00 Anti-Utopianism 01:29:00 - END The Left Page Book Club™ Join us next Lets Prattle where we will continue the book club with the Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe, where we will discuss chapter 1 to 13! Frank's sources: BLAIM, Artur. Anti-utopia. In: MARKS, Peter; WAGNER-LAWLOR, Jennifer A.; VIEIRA, Fátima (ed.) The Palgrave Handbook of Utopian and Dystopian Literatures. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. p. 39-51. CURTIS, Claire P. Ambiguous Choices: Skepticism as a Grounding for Utopia. In: DAVIS,...
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The Zone
The Left Page
We talk about The Zone in fiction. Inspired by we expand our understanding of Zones by also bringing in: The novel Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers The film Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky The Metro series of books by Dmitry Glukhovsky and its games And a touch of the S. T. A. L. K. E. R. games. There's a lot to the idea of Zones, so we establish a concept of what Zones are and how they can be successful ways of navigating and inventing fictional realities. And, of course, how certain Zones can succeed far more, and more interestingly, than others. Enjoy! If you can and...
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Mean Green Hermeneutic Machine w/ Jay
The Left Page
We take a dive into Arthuriana, adaptation, and more, as we talk about The Green Knight wit our good friend Jay! Considering how not only the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight connects with the Dev Patel film, but also exploring the themes involved and how they can be treated by a contemporary framing. And, of course, as we talk about adapting things, we go beyond just this pair, briefly going into Scorcese's The Last Temptation of Christ, but also interpretations of broader Arthuriana, and of course, how could we not go into Lord of the Rings? Lots to dive into and explore in history and...
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Let's Prattle #4 - The Poetics of Villainy
The Left Page
itinerary: 00:00:00 - 00:34:30 - Intro 00:34:30 - 01:44:40 - Villains! 01:44:40 - END - Book Club (Cat VII - Cat VIII) Given we're pretty close, we'll be going from the next chapter, Tyrion VII, all the way to the end!
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What's Next for Sci-Fi and it's Empires? w/ RevLeftRadio
The Left Page
We're back into Science Fiction, and with a great friend and comrade! As Breht from RevLeftRadio fame joins us to talk about the relationship of this genre and Empires. Talking the roots of imperial representation, how we can critique them, and how a lot goes back into colonialism, fascist projects and more. A wonderful dive into how this genre and this representation and structure connect, enjoy! Check out RevLeftRadio! If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! Also! If you're not there already, feel free to...
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Lets Prattle # 3 - Help! I am Being Pathologized!
The Left Page
This time we go into how we think about Pathology in media and videogames, while still talking about gaming news and the Left Page Book Club, enjoy! itinerary: 00:00:00-01:03:21 - Intro + Summer Games Fest + Minute AI rambling 01:03:21-01:55:05: - The Broader Pathology of Media 01:55:05-END - The Left Page Book Club Our next set of chapters is from Catelyn VII to Catelyn VIII! (Another 16 chapters!) Article mentioned: If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! Also! If you're not there already, feel free to...
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Let's Prattle #2 - Fantasies of Power
The Left Page
We continue our travails this time with disecting the discourses around power fantasies and an interesting track through one of videogames largest franchises. Itinerary: 00:00:00 - 00:15:52 Intro (What are we up to) 00:15:52 - 01:03:28 Power Fantasies 01:03:28 - 01:40:00 AI in Music 01:40:00 - 02:16:50 AC 02:16:50 - END Book Club aGoT Jon II - Eddard V Essay mentioned:
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"Concerning" Men: The Patriarchy & Weaponized Media Illiteracy
The Left Page
We're talking about men this time. Using different media like Star Wars, American Psycho, and Blade Runner 2049, we develop some theory on this idea of "media illiteracy", on masculinity and its toxicity. Fundamentally considering what we mean when we talk about Patriarchy, how it exists and is historically defined, and what does it mean to consider and confront it today. Enjoy! If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! Outro Music: Don't Leave!...
info_outlineItinerary:
00:00:00 - 00:46:34 Intro+Anti-AI+Questionaire
00:46:34 - 01:29:00 Anti-Utopianism
01:29:00 - END The Left Page Book Club™
Join us next Lets Prattle where we will continue the book club with the Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe, where we will discuss chapter 1 to 13!
Frank's sources:
BLAIM, Artur. Anti-utopia. In: MARKS, Peter; WAGNER-LAWLOR, Jennifer A.; VIEIRA, Fátima (ed.) The Palgrave Handbook of Utopian and Dystopian Literatures. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. p. 39-51.
CURTIS, Claire P. Ambiguous Choices: Skepticism as a Grounding for Utopia. In: DAVIS, Laurence; STILLMAN, Peter (Ed.) The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. New York: Lexington Books, 2005. p. 265-282.
DAVIS, Laurence. Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, v. 3, n. 2-3, p. 56-86, 2000.
JAMESON, Fredric. The Antinomies of Postmodernity. The Seeds of Time. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994. p. 1-73.