The Socialist Shelf

• His Pod Goes Casting On: Fire on the Mountain

  We've seen plenty of dystopian futures...how about a utopian one?Terry Bisson's 1988, "Fire on the Mountain" explores an alternate timeline where Harriet Tubman was able to join John Brown at the Harper's Ferry raid, and with her tactical skill the raiders made it out and went on to start a nation-wide slave rebellion. How did history go differently? Listen on to find out!We talk about Bisson's own relationship to radical politics (including guerilla fighters!), and the liberatory possibilities of visionary fiction. Also, Jacob sings a really, really good song.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is John Brown's utopia, and what we're doing in it instead of podcasting.

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• Gays Shouldn't Shut Up: Mélusine, ft. Aysha U. Farah and Lee Mandelo

  Let's read a problematic gay fantasy novel!!!Author Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons, The Woods All Black, Feed Them Silence) and 5 time returning guest, writer, and podcaster, Aysha U. Farah (Life is Strange: Double Exposure, The Sky Left Us, All My Maidens Podcast) join us to discuss "Mélusine," a fantasy novel from 2005 by Sarah Monette (also known as Katherine Addison).We discuss the puritanical limitations put upon queer art, effective representation of abuse and trauma, and the myth of the perfect victim. As you may have picked up from that, we get into some pretty intense themes of sexual and physical violence in this episode, so feel free to skip this one if that sounds like something you're not in a place to listen to.Check out "Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity," edited by Lee and featuring a story from Aysha. It's a really remarkable collection. Buy Amplitudes here (or wherever you get your books) now!Check out Aysha's podcast, "All My Maidens" and follow Aysha on Bluesky @ayshaufarah.bsky.socialFollow Lee Mandelo on Bluesky @leemandelo.bsky.social‬ and check out Lee's website here,Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is our basic cover art...with a twist! We figured Aysha deserved her flowers after five guest appearances. Here's to five more!!

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• Hear the Gorilla Out: Ishmael, ft. Jen Big Nasty

  Today, a gorilla will set us straight.This week we're covering "Ishmael," a 1992 philosophical dialogue between a man and a gorilla, written by Daniel Quinn. We are joined by Jen Big Nasty, host of the podcast, "How the Red Was Won" to figure out just what this huge, hairy cousin of humanity has to teach us about life.We go deep into environmentalism, anthropocentrism, and humanity's place in the universe.Go check out How The Red Was Won!Follow How The Red Was Won on Instagram!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Ishmael if he embraced the immortal science of Marxism-Leninism.

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• Saw Gerrera > Fail Organa: Star Wars, the Mask of Fear, ft. Manuclearbomb

  Folks, we're not immune to the Andor hype! This week, we decided to return to the world of Star Wars to cover what can be seen as loosely as an Andor tie-in novel, Alex Freed's 2025 Star Wars novel "Reign of the Empire, the Mask of Fear".We are joined by Manuclearbomb of NotACast and My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast to unpack the rise of fascism in the Star Wars universe, examine the useful (and not-so-useful) manners of resisting it, and talk about how little it matters if Palpatine is actually a space wizard or not in the grand scheme of things.Check out Manu's podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts (including Star Wars bonus episodes for his patrons!)Follow him @manuclearbomb.bsky.socialMusic by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the properly updated great heads of communism.

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• Episode 100: Cow Tools and Q&A

  We did it, Shelfers. 100 EPISODES OF THE SOCIALIST SHELF!!To honor this beautiful occasion we answer some questions from you, our glorious listeners, and then get into perhaps the our most complex work of literature to date, Gary Larson's 1982 comic, "Cow Tools." If you're not familiar with Cow Tools, take a quick look at it now.Stay tuned during the outro to hear the kind of thing we have to edit out to make this show coherent.We sincerely thank all listeners for joining us on this journey so far. Here's to 100 more!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Cow Tools plus some extra.

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