If you're finding yourself shellshocked and paralyzed by the times that we're living through, you're not alone! It's a great time to remember how art, and especially literature, can remind us that there are many possible futures, and reconnect us to our agency.

In this short episode, you'll hear a "book playlist" of speculative fiction that I turn to when I'm feeling despair about the world. On the list: R.F. Kuang's Babel, Kelly Barnhill's When Women Were Dragons, Chris Adrian's The Children's Hospital, and N.K. Jemisin's duology The City We Became/The World We Make.

And an extra bonus: DJ Diego Dela Rosa is back with a curated mixtape "This Playlist Made Me Resist." You can find it on Spotify.

Let us know what books keep you going in these times! Drop us your greatest hits at our Instagram page , or contact us directly at [email protected].