Workers' Lit

We're in our spooky era.

This week, we're talking about Creepypastas, that internet horror phenomenon that was the pride and joy of kids who "just didn't fit in" circa 2011. In particular, we focus on 2001's "Ted the Caver" and 2011's "Jeff the Killer."

Lenore is off stuck in a cave or being murdered by a Joker clone somewhere, so we're joined by our friend and expert horror-ologist, Rachel, who is here to keep Ryan and Jacob on the straight and narrow.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is from the original Ted the Caver story (plus a couple bonus Shelfers who happened to join him on his quest.)

Join the shelfers as we enter The Zone and explore a classic work of Soviet sci-fi, the Strugatsky brothers' 1972 novel, "Roadside Picnic." Never heard of it? You may know the film adaptation, Tarkovsky's critically acclaimed 1979 movie, "Stalker."

Learn about this book's troubled publication history, hear Jacob get annoyed about thematic pieces not fitting just how he likes them, and ask yourself...why is this book set in Canada?

As we mention at the top of the episode, we need your help! The Claudia De la Cruz, Vote Socialist 2024 Campaign is in need of donations of any size. Donate here now! Like our show? Like socialism? Like both? We kindly ask that you donate.

Due to busy schedules and a mild back injury (explanations within) we didn't finish prep to talk about this week's novel, so instead we read and...let's say critique...Adam Wren's "How Lord of the Rings Shaped JD Vance's Politics" for Politico.

You can read it here.

That flesh do be tender

The shelfers take on Augustina Bazterrica's 2017 horror novel (or cookbook if you're really weird I guess), "Tender is the Flesh." They're really out here eating people.

This is a book about justifying your place as a node in the extractive machine of capitalism, and as such it's pretty intense. We try not to over-dwell on the goriest bits, but this book does feature extreme violence as well as sexual assault and human trafficking. Please be warned that these things will be discussed

Yee...and I can't stress this enough...Haw

The Shelfers dive into VP hopeful, evil lawyer, and overgrown garden gnome J.D. Vance's 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."

Does this book (and its 2020 film adaptation) answer all the questions about the Rust Belt and the white working class??? Uh. No.

A blast from the past...we've dug up an episode recorded several months ago. Why didn't we release it? Uhh...idk honestly.

Anyway! It's Harlan Ellison's work of sci-fi/horror, "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream."

Why on earth does this evil computer hate us so much??

It's a three-peat folks! They're calling him the three-peater!

Josh Boerman of the Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast is BACK to help the Shelfers crack Ted Dekker's 2004 evangelical fantasy novel, "Black: The Birth of Evil."

We examine the inherent weaknesses of the evangelical fiction author, figure out why Ted hates the French so much, ask bold questions about magical super-vaccines, and discuss the horrifying banality of a story set in paradise.

Oh also, we have some serious questions about why Ted based his stand-in character's love interest on his daughter. Yikes.

Interview with Ted by Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/579.Ted_Dekker

More Josh Boerman/Worst of All Possible Worlds: https://www.worstpossible.world/ and @BoshJ on Twitter

"A Picture of Doran GAY" was too low-hanging of fruit, but I did consider that as an episode title.

This week the Shelfers dive into the only novel Oscar Wilde ever wrote, 1891's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Come for the Gothic horror, stay for the overt homosexuality.

We discuss Wilde's life, which is so exciting and tragic we *almost* forgive him for being a follower of Kropotkin rather than Marx. We talk about class in Victorian England, the politics of repressed desire, and those types of guys who use philosophy as an excuse to be a bad person.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is Oscar in all his glory

WE! ARE! BACK!

The Shelfers have RETURNED! This week we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's 1953 quintessential fantasy novel, "Fellowship of the Ring." (If you're interested in Tolkien as a guy, you may want to catch the first part of our episode on "The Hobbit," because we go into detail there)

Is the Shire the perfect society? What's the deal with Tom Bombadil? Is Middle Earth becoming woke? Are elves boomers? All this and more will be discussed.

And so it begins...The Socialist Shelf Tolkien deep dive.

The Shelfers begin an examination of the ultimate fantasy series, "The Lord of the Rings," starting with 1937's "The Hobbit" (not technically part of the trilogy but pretty darn important if you want to understand it.)

We also talk about the life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a world-historic wife guy, a mustard gas survivor, history's greatest expert in "mad fairy language," and a...conservative anarchist? Maybe? Sort of? We get into it.