Bundle up, it's time to head to the frozen tundra! And be sure to double-check your canned goods before going or you may not like your nutritional options!

In today's episode, Alice, Helen, and Abigail discuss the first season of AMC's The Terror (2018) (an adaptation of the Dan Simmons' supernatural horror novel of the same name), which takes as its focus the lost Franklin Expedition to the Arctic (1845-1848). Starring Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciaran Hinds, Paul Ready, Nive Nielson, Ian Hart, and Adam Nagaitis, The Terror tells the tale of the 129 men who perished on the expedition's search for the Northwest Passage. As the historical record shows, starvation, scurvy, and even cannibalism have their roles to play, but in this version, so does a violent Inuit spirit known as the Tuunbaq.

So join us for a wide-ranging discussion on Arctic exploration, maritime customs, cultural and naval understandings of cannibalism, Inuit mythology, and why we, as a species, seem so fascinated with historical disaster mysteries.

Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it.

Find us on Instagram at @historical_friction, on Bluesky at @historicalfriction, or email us at [email protected].

Bluesky: Alice - @aaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray

Instagram: Alice - @aliceaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray

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