podcast friday
Apr. 29th, 2022 07:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabby It's time for a Podcast Friday!
Today's episode is "Subverting the Dying Earth and Vancian Fantasy" on DEATH // SENTENCE. DEATH // SENTENCE is one of my favourite new-to-me podcasts because it is about:
Dying Earth is a genre of stories set in the distant future, generally where the sun is dying, there's civilization collapse, and now is the age of monsters. It was pioneered by Jack Vance in his titular series and has had a profound impact on fantasy writing and D&D. If you've read any fantasy at all, you have been affected by Vance. Of course, he was also a man of his time, so there's a Not Unproblematic element to his work, which Langdon and Eden also explore in an intelligent, critical way.
What I really love about this podcast is the quality of the critique. When they talk about something being "problematic," they are using the original intent of the term—it includes reactionary elements but is not actually completely garbage, and as critics and creators we have to tease out these complications. The same idea can spawn both Gor and Elric of Melniboné. To give a spoiler for the next episode, you and a Nazi can both like black metal, and you are required to explore what about this is compelling rather than ignore and avoid. They reject simplistic categories of "safe" and "harmful" in favour of examining the aesthetics and philosophical implications of the work that they discuss.
Also they're very much into Adventure Time (which I didn't know was a Dying Earth story!) and it's adorable.
I have a weird relationship with extreme metal where I like it, I always enjoy going to metal shows, but I don't really follow individual bands or what exciting music is out these days. So I really like the musical interludes on this show because they expose me to an entire world of music to which I otherwise have very limited exposure.
This is one of the more exciting shows I've listened to lately, and this episode typifies the deep analysis, considered politics, and humour that you'll find in it.
Today's episode is "Subverting the Dying Earth and Vancian Fantasy" on DEATH // SENTENCE. DEATH // SENTENCE is one of my favourite new-to-me podcasts because it is about:
- Science fiction and fantasy
- Anti-capitalism
- Extreme metal
Dying Earth is a genre of stories set in the distant future, generally where the sun is dying, there's civilization collapse, and now is the age of monsters. It was pioneered by Jack Vance in his titular series and has had a profound impact on fantasy writing and D&D. If you've read any fantasy at all, you have been affected by Vance. Of course, he was also a man of his time, so there's a Not Unproblematic element to his work, which Langdon and Eden also explore in an intelligent, critical way.
What I really love about this podcast is the quality of the critique. When they talk about something being "problematic," they are using the original intent of the term—it includes reactionary elements but is not actually completely garbage, and as critics and creators we have to tease out these complications. The same idea can spawn both Gor and Elric of Melniboné. To give a spoiler for the next episode, you and a Nazi can both like black metal, and you are required to explore what about this is compelling rather than ignore and avoid. They reject simplistic categories of "safe" and "harmful" in favour of examining the aesthetics and philosophical implications of the work that they discuss.
Also they're very much into Adventure Time (which I didn't know was a Dying Earth story!) and it's adorable.
I have a weird relationship with extreme metal where I like it, I always enjoy going to metal shows, but I don't really follow individual bands or what exciting music is out these days. So I really like the musical interludes on this show because they expose me to an entire world of music to which I otherwise have very limited exposure.
This is one of the more exciting shows I've listened to lately, and this episode typifies the deep analysis, considered politics, and humour that you'll find in it.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-29 01:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-29 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 10:05 am (UTC)Though I am wryly amused at the dance they have to do to argue that no, it is permissible to be critical of Stalin and of North Korea, just a little bit (Stalin: Potentially Problematic???).
Oh, the left (n.b. I am a leftist).
no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 11:13 am (UTC)(Leftists can have a little critique of Stalin. As a treat.)
no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 05:12 pm (UTC)Anyway, hugely enjoying the podcast, so thank you for the rec!
no subject
Date: 2022-07-09 05:16 pm (UTC)