December 22

Ep. 0154: Orwell Your Orwell with David Ramsay Steele

In this episode of the DHP, CJ talks to David Ramsay Steele, author of many books including his most recent, Orwell Your Orwell: A Worldview on the Slab, which is the subject of this DHP episode. Dr. Steele is a libertarian speaker and writer, and is Editorial Director of Open Court Publishing Company. (Big thanks to DHP listener Lee for putting me in touch with Dr. Steele!)

Join CJ & David as they discuss:

  • How David challenges the standard view of Orwell & his beliefs in this book
  • How Orwell’s beliefs fit into the intellectual milieu of the early- to mid-twentieth century British Left
  • Orwell’s frequently stated opposition to progress, innovation, and technology, and how this was actually the source of many of his misgivings about Socialism (even after he himself became a Socialist)
  • Orwell’s sudden changes of ideological positions on major issues at various points in his life
  • Orwell’s thoughts on a variety of topics, including anarchism, the British Empire, manliness & masculinity, homosexuality, birth control, and more

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Category: Concepts and Theories, Interviews, Modern World History, Podcasts | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 17

Ep. 0153: Mike Resnick

In this episode of the DHP, CJ and Joshua of The Dusty Den Podcast talk to Mike Resnick, author of (among many, many other things) the novel Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future, which CJ & Joshua reviewed and discussed on the last DHP episode (#152). (Big thanks to DHP listener Jake for putting us in touch with Mike!)

Mike Resnick is (according to Locus) the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short fiction. He has won 5 Hugos (from a record 37 nominations), a Nebula, and other major awards in the USA, France, Japan, Spain, Catalonia, Croatia, and Poland. He’s the author of 75 novels, over 275 stories, and 3 screenplays, and the editor of 42 anthologies. His work has been translated into 27 languages. He is currently the editor of Stellar Guild books and Galaxy’s Edge magazine.

Join CJ, Joshua & Mike as they discuss:

  • The genesis of Mike’s love of science fiction
  • How Mike’s work in the ‘adult fiction’ genre influenced his work in other genres
  • Mike’s frequent incorporation of myths, legends, and tall tales into his scifi stories
  • How Mike’s worldview and knowledge of historical themes have influenced his stories
  • Mike’s experiences dealing with Hollywood
  • Mike’s experiences in writing, editing, and working with up-and-coming new scifi writers, and thoughts on the science fiction genre, plus some of his current projects

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December 1

Ep. 0152: Discussing Mike Resnick’s Santiago in the Dusty Den

In this episode of the DHP, CJ talks to Joshua of The Dusty Den Podcast about the excellent scifi Space Western novel Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future by author Mike Resnick (first published in 1986), a great book with a cult following that deserves to be much better known, especially among libertarianish types.

Join CJ & Joshua as they discuss:

  • Why Westerns (and Western-tinged subgenres like the Space Westerns and certain types of horror films) resonate so strongly with people of libertarian leanings
  • Great anti-heroes such as Malcolm Reynolds, Han Solo, and Snake Plissken
  • The concept of myth & legend, and how Resnick features them in Santiago
  • A review/synopsis of the novel, including some discussions of historical parallels to the American Western frontier
  • The potentially liberating nature of staunch pessimism/realism, and how it can lead one to more effective unconventional resistance against oppressive Leviathans

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Category: Book Reviews, Interviews, Podcasts | LEAVE A COMMENT