feminism
The Stand
In this episode of Novel Ideas, everybody dies. This week we discuss The Stand by Stephen King, a book about the apocalypse, or at least an apocalypse. And surprisingly, not many people survive the end of the world. In the course of our conversation we get around to most of the characters, many of the events, and some of the significance. Fans of the book will recognize that many details don’t get covered because this book was loooooooooooong. But we hit the highlights, including the demographics of the apocalypse (though Ben’s math is not exactly, you know, correct), the likely pathways of social breakdown, the static nature of characters, and whether the final act is necessary.
The music bump this week is “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult. It is referenced in the book and happens to be a celebration of the fact that everybody dies.
Childhood’s End
Giant spaceships appear in the sky and hover over major cities across the globe! Soon they start wiping out cities and hunting down the beleaguered survivors… or am I getting Childhood’s End confused with “Independence Day?” Turns out that these aliens want to bring unprecedented peace and virtual utopia to the people of Earth. But at what cost? This week, we get away from dystopia and examine utopia. Is it realistic? Is the cost too high? We discuss these issues, along with our usual hot buttoned topical pals, feminism and religion. And for good measure, we throw in a discussion of race because nothing makes people feel more comfortable than a discussion about racial issues. Our new recording studio (aka our “new” recording “studio”) is refreshingly free of sirens, barking dogs, and leafblower engines, but does neighbor a bird who badly wants to be a guest on the podcast.
The music this week is “The Darkest Day” from David Arnold’s soundtrack for “Independence Day,” because that joke really needed to come full circle.
Dracula
Vampires are hot right now. Sexy, sexy vampires. So this week we decided to talk about Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We’re kicking it old school with the Count and his band of noble adversaries. Check out the podcast where we discuss the diverse and interesting cast of the book, sexism, and a very interesting modern screen adaptation of this frequently movie-ized classic. So strap on your man-brain and prepare to find out how much Dracula sucks. Blood, that is.
This week’s musical selection is “Sortie (Le Vent De l’Espirit)” by the great Olivier Messiaen. It’s a tad anachronistic, but what self respecting, centuries old, avatar of evil doesn’t want some creepy organ music in the background?
The Hunger Games!
Here it is, the long anticipated debut of the Novel Ideas Podcast, featuringThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In this episode, we cover Katniss and why she is a badass, Peeta’s lack of hunting skills, reality TV, feminism, and Thresh’s weird lack of verbal skills. Try not to be terrified by our bizarre and inaccurate renditions of regional accents as we break down this dystopian YA thriller. This book is not for the faint of heart, and neither is our recording; there may be some “explicit content.”
This week’s music bump is “Fanfares for the Jubilee of Rimsky-Korsakov” by Anatol Liadov. We thought a fanfare was appropriate to open the games, as it were.
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Novel Ideas 
A Handmaid’s Tale
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Welcome back, book lovers! This week’s episode features A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, a dystopian future where women are second class citizens. The conversation is a little longer and darker than average as we take turns atop the feminist soapbox. We also attempt to offend the whole world by discussing religion and motherhood. Our high standards of broadcast quality are maintained as a landscaper starts his leafblower and leaves it sitting outside the window. Prepare to be slightly depressed and more than slightly outraged as we explore yet another dystopian future.
The music this week is Rockapella’s arrangement of “Amazing Grace,” because: 1) Rockapella is awesome, 2) Amazing Grace appears in the book, and 3) we find it difficult to take even twenty seconds of Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.”
A quick administrative note: If you are reading along at home, there is now a schedule link at the top of the page so you can follow us more easily.
07 – A Handmaid’s Tale – Feminism Gets Boned
This entry was posted in Episodes and tagged A Handmaid's Tale, christianity, dystopia, feminism, feminism again, gender politics, horrible room of boredom, landscaping hour, Margaret Atwood, more feminism, religion, social commentary.