Space the Nation

We stopped recording our Backrooms episode to talk Talarico/Paxton, El-Sayed and more! Video version is at the Patreon!Here's Dan's pieces on the midterms:Exposure Therapy for Democrats, Part OneExposure Therapy for Democrats, Part TwoHere's my pieces on Talarico and Paxton specifically:A Path to a Texas BreakthroughJames Talarico’s Absence Handed Republicans a Gift — But Ken Paxton Fumbled it AwayMedia Leans on Tired Tropes to Undermine James Talarico’s Support With Black Voters

Dan and And would really like to take that back. Obsession was the one of the movies that made gave us Incel Summer; it's an exploration of consent, abuse, and the curdling of desire. Is it scifi? Not so much? Does it have lessons about international relations? You bet!Dan's Substack Ana's Patreon and website: anamariecox.comDan's article about the movie ThreadsOur episode about ThreadsAna's other podcast, Past Due.

Dan and Ana are played by stunt actors and only offer their voice acting for the entirety of this episode except for one special scene where they take off their helmets. There's some IR in this movie and IP is flat circle. We're very sorry for how long this took and appreciate your patience.I was raised in an alcoholic home and over-apologizing is my entire personality.

In which our heroes discuss recent non-great things in the realm of science fiction, including Disclosure Day as well as M3GAN and Greenland 2s.

We're still dedicated to producing the podcast, we're still here, we still appreciate your support!

We delve into Dan's backyard (the next edition of Theories of International Relations and Zombies ain't gonna research itself!) with the least-faithful-to-the-source-material movie of all time. A cursed production that wouldn't stay dead, this movie wound up going viral—it's still the highest-grossing zombie movie of all time.There is just a bit of IR, and the capitalism won't stay dead, either.

Well, is there a critique of capitalism in this movie? I'll buy that for a dollar!Commentary on, among other things: Corporate malfeasance, the carceral state, the market's encroachment on bodily autonomy, disability justice, and parody of ultraviolence done in service of capital? ACAB except Robocop, that's what I say. There is also IR in this movie.

What better way to end our celebration of mothers with this meditation on generational trauma—as well as the grit and grace it takes to survive. This is not Octavia Butler's novel with the most transparent commentary on the Current Troubles, it goes deeper than that: It raises questions about repair from trauma, what it is possible to heal, and when wounds have to be honored rather than salved. A perfect accompaniment to preparations for our country's 250th birthday!

The George Clooney Rule of competence porn ("If the movie contains Clooney, it contains competence.") overwhelms the argument that Gravity may not, at its core, really be competence porn so much as "barely-made-it-out-and-needed-a-male-presence-to-survive porn." Your space mileage may vary!