Workers' Lit

Grab your three-ringed binders, highlighters, and spellbooks, this week we're talking about "The Incandescent," a 2025 academia fantasy novel by Emily Tesh.
We've got schools, and labor concerns, and demons, and bisexuality, and a fantastic guest: Brandon Crilly, author, organizer, and all around cool guy. You may know his novels, such as "Catalyst" and "Castoff," or perhaps his work on The Expanse RPG. Know him or not, you'll be a fan by the end of this episode!
You can check out everything Brandon's up to here:
https://linktr.ee/brandoncrilly
Go support us on Patreon, where we release exclusive content such as author interviews (including an upcoming one with Brandon himself!)
https://Patreon.com/workerslit

It’s time to talk about a true living legend: Angela Davis.
Educational YouTuber and podcaster RevolutionaryTh0t joins us to talk about the life of one of the greatest thinkers and organizers of our time before we hop into the 1981 book, “Women, Race, and Class.”
Fair warning, this book gets into the truly brutal American history of its three titular topics, so please be aware this episode features discussion of sexual and racial violence.
RevolutionaryTh0t is a non-binary socialist trying to undo decades of Red Scare propaganda and get people to believe in themselves so we can build a better world - one in which the individual can come to full fruition. Check out their fantastic YouTube Channel, as well as the podcast “Half The Sky,” at the links below.
https://www.youtube.com/@revolutionaryth0t
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/half-the-sky-podcast/id6786116578
Go support us and get bonus content at our Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/workerslit
Listen to the eugenics episode of “Ill Conceived” referenced on the pod here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Y7D9TuIhTD10Awoa3ZdRr?si=akdhoPwvQ_WZWWYJT42ZWA

Pull up a chair listeners, and heed the tale of a man named Zakalwe…
This month’s listener-chosen episode is “Use of Weapons” by Iain M. Banks, a 1990 sci-fi novel and one of the most famous entries in “The Culture” series.
Imagine an alien civilization so advanced that they spend all their time trying to help other species develop. Now imagine they have to recruit a mercenary to help them with extremely sticky situations. Now imagine that mercenary is the most obnoxiously try-hard faux cool jerk with deep-seated trauma surrounding cuck chairs.
Imagine that and you’ve got this book.
Want to suggest and help pick out future episode topics? Want access to weekly bonus content? Check out our Patreon!
https://patreon.com/workerslit

We are joined once again by Rae of the phenomenal ProlesPod, this time to discuss a deeply influential work of philosophy: Mao Zedong's 1937 essay, "On Practice."
Perhaps one day we'll do our big Mao deep dive episode. This isn't that. Instead, this is a close look at a particular aspect of practical theory for changing the world...and regardless of your take on what came after, it cannot be denied the Chinese Communists were pretty damn effective at that whole, "changing the world thing."
You can read or listen to the essay here:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_16.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86RIzuWVsYA
Go check out ProlesPod! It's a podcast about history, politics, and culture...without the liberalism.
https://prolespod.libsyn.com/
Go check out Half The Sky, Rae and Lenore's other podcast for communist women (and women adjacent).
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/half-the-sky-podcast/id6786116578
And finally, make sure you support us on Patreon!
https://patreon.com/workerslit

Let's get into some THEORY (don't worry, we make it fun)!
Lenore, Jacob, and Jen are discussing the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin's famous 1916 text, "Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism." Despite being more than 100 years old, this book feels deeply relevant in 2026...terrifyingly so.
We talk about the life of Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks, before going through the book chapter by chapter, showing how capitalism creates monopoly which chases after greater profits that eventually leads to imperialism and war. It's intense stuff, but it brings great clarity to the world we live in.
The entire book is available here:
https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/
The USSR is a complex and divisive topic. If you're interested in a primer on Soviet history, check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb5grDNww6U
Support us on Patreon!
https://patreon.com/workerslit
Check out "Half The Sky!"
https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/half-the-sky-podcast/id6786116578