Social Science Fiction
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -A weekly podcast that examines the politics of nerd fiction. What can political science teach us about our favorite sci-fi settings? Listen to find out. New episodes every Tuesday morning.
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Episodes
The Politics of Star Wars with Stephen Kent
April 16, 2021 08:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBA big thanks to Stephen Kent for joining me this week. We talk about growing up with Star Wars and growing into Star Wars fans. Stephen shares some ideas from his upcoming book. We close with a discussion of the Jedi and what Star Wars has to say about democracy and authoritarianism. Check out: Beltway Banthas (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beltway-banthas-star-wars-politics-more/id1110510480) Right Now with Stephen Kent (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCll6bwOabDOqN0_al...
Analyzing the Empire: Authoritarianism in Star Wars
January 14, 2021 20:31 - 28 minutes - 32.3 MBWelcome to 2021! We start off the new year with Star Wars. Discussing authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and the politics and government of the Empire. Notes: 3:01 - Hence the term "totalitarianism." An attempt at total control of all aspects of state and society. 3:12 - This is not to say that authoritarian governments don't have secret police or spy on their people. There is, of course, lots of overlap between these regimes. The point is that totalitarian re...
More Thoughts on Cyberpunk
December 24, 2020 15:35 - 22 minutes - 25.6 MBI've still barely scratched the surface of the game but I have a few more thoughts. I've also read up on the criticism of CDPR by fans and observers and I have more to say about the mess that is the game's release. The short version: a lot of the criticism is fair, some isn't, most probably could have been avoided if CDPR had handled its messaging better. Happy Holidays! Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed und...
Cyberpunk 2077: Is This Our Political Future?
December 18, 2020 01:09 - 34 minutes - 39.6 MBAre we heading towards a Cyberpunk future? A discussion of how Cyberpunk (the game and the genre) depict the state and other political entities. Other topics include balancing against threats in international relations and the concept of extended deterrence. I close with my thoughts on the game so far. Notes: 0:42 - Like many gamers, I was a big fan the Witcher 3. I was lukewarm on the preceding titles. 0:59 - Reviews seem very mixed at the moment and vary dramatically across ...
Avatar: The Last Airbender, V for Vendetta, The Dark Knight and More: The Fiction of the Bush-era
December 10, 2020 09:33 - 38 minutes - 42.5 MBSo much fiction of the 2000s seemed eager to comment on the politics of the time. From the War on Terror, to the Patriot Act, we discuss how the politics of the Bush-era were examined through sci-fi and fantasy. Notes: 13:12 - Moore apparently disliked this adaptation, being annoyed that his anarchist messages were dropped and the villain took on a more neoconservative flavor. 13:28 - Margaret Thatcher was the British Prime Minister whose leadership seemed t...
Game of Thrones and Political Legitimacy
December 04, 2020 00:42 - 34 minutes - 35.6 MBA discussion of political legitimacy in A Song of Ice and Fire and the Game of Thrones tv series. How do different regimes legitimize their rule? Why is it dangerous to share power with a religious establishment? The theories of Max Weber and Mancur Olson are featured. Notes: 2:45 - Max Weber is a big name in political science. His Essay, Politics as a Vocation, discusses political legitimacy among other topics. 5:04 - I suppose the Arryns are in the mix there too. They always ...
Thanksgiving Episode
November 25, 2020 20:47 - 51 minutes - 51.4 MBHappy Thanksgiving! A big thanks to all my listeners. This week I share my thoughts on the muddled political message of Buffy's Thanksgiving episode. Also, my brother and I talk X-Files, Mass Effect, and other videogames. Notes: 2:46 - After recording, it occurred to me that King of the Hill also did a Thanksgiving episode that raised these issues and also seems to conclude with an ambiguous message. 11:38 - Do check out the Dork Web (https://thedorkweb.net...
Lord of the Rings and World War II (Featuring Adam Robertson)
November 18, 2020 21:14 - 42 minutes - 41.6 MBI'm joined by my brother Adam and we revive a childhood discussion. If the War of the Ring was World War II, who would everyone be? Sidetracks include a discussion of Tolkien's theology and the overlooked virtues of Boromir. Notes: 1:28 - Mage Knights (the miniatures game, not the board game) was an interesting game that began the brief "Clix System" craze. I remember it being a lot of fun. A nice combination of the collectible and random element fro...
Examining Black Mirror
November 12, 2020 03:25 - 42 minutes - 40.9 MBI spend a whole lot of time griping about Black Mirror but I do really like the show. I close with some of my favorite episodes. Notes: 1:53 - Everybody's who's seen this episode immediately knew what I was talking about and their mind just went to a dark place. 2:59 - Spoiler Warning: I will discuss the plots and twists of all the episodes I cover. 3:52 - Fridge logic is one of my favorite terms from TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FridgeLogic) 4:33 ...
The Politics of Mass Effect
November 04, 2020 08:36 - 49 minutes - 43.9 MBI heap praise on one of my favorite video games of all time and discuss the politics of the setting. Topics include theories of international relations and the structure of the United Nations and the UN Security Council. Mild spoilers for the Mass Effect setting but no major plot elements or twists are discussed. Notes: 3:18 - Isometric refers to a video game art style that involves creating a 2D map that appears to be 3D. Baldur's Gate, the original Fallout, and Diabl...
The X-Files (Featuring Jon LoChiatto)
October 28, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBI'm joined by Jon LoChiatto and we discuss the X-Files. Conspiracy theories, the current state of American politics, and the spiritual successor to the X-Files, Fringe, are also covered. Notes: 3:25 - The season 2 episode "Duane Barry" features the infamous speedo we reference here. 4:10 - In X-Files fandom, "mythology episodes" refer to episodes that build on the larger, series-spanning plot as opposed to the one-off, "monster of the week" episodes." 7:29 - Hired goons? (Bonu...
Aliens and Alien Invasions
October 21, 2020 03:57 - 23 minutes - 23.6 MBWeek three of celebrating Halloween and horror. This time it's aliens and alien invasion. From mindless monsters, to super-viruses, to conquerors, the many varieties of alien fiction. Notes: 1:26 - Discussing the sub-genres of alien fiction 1:46 - The alien as a monster 2:07 - Also known as the "space jockey" 4:07 - A brief reference of cyberpunk. Something that will surely be discussed in greater detail soon with Cyberpunk 2077 about to be released. ...
Zombies! The Many Meanings of the Zombie in Fiction
October 13, 2020 23:08 - 33 minutes - 34.6 MBA brief history of the zombie in folklore and popular culture. Followed by a discussion of World War Z (the book, not the mediocre movie). Ending with plan for the zombie apocalypse. Notes: 0:53 - Discussing the roots of the zombie in Haitian folklore. 2:13 - Amy Wilentz has written about this topic. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/opinion/a-zombie-is-a-slave-forever.html 4:00 - Early portrayals of the zombie in Western media. 6:17 - I Am Legend is a novel by Richard Mat...
Buffy Shrugged (or didn't)
October 06, 2020 15:31 - 32 minutes - 32.8 MBA discussion of Ayn Rand's Objectivism and how Buffy the Vampire Slayer opposes it. Also discussed are Faith's nihilist tendencies and Anya's love of capitalism. Notes: 2:05 - "Monster of the week" is a term originally coined by the writers of The Outer Limits. It describes an episode of a TV series that features a standalone story with a villain that is created solely for that episode. 3:32 - The basics of Rand and Objectivism 4:22 - Atlas was a figure in Greek...
Celebrating Banned Books Week
September 29, 2020 12:47 - 50 minutes - 49.4 MBA big thanks to Deborah Caldwell-Stone for taking the time to speak with me! In the first half of the episode, I do a list of recommendations of books to read in honor of Banned Books Week. I'm then joined by Director Caldwell-Stone to talk about the work of the Office for Intellectual Freedom and the purpose of Banned Books Week. Notes: 1:44 - I realize I'm being a bit optimistic here. Sadly, it seems a lot of people aren't actually fans of freedom of speech, the press, etc. 3...
The Politics of Robert Heinlein: For Us the Living
September 22, 2020 13:13 - 45 minutes - 46.4 MBWe wrap up the Heinlein series with a look at For Us the Living: A Comedy of Customs. From social credit to privacy rights, what does Heinlein's first novel tell us about how his politics evolved (or didn't) over time? Notes: 1:51 - Background of the novel. 4:55 - A brief plot overview. 5:00 - For those not familiar, Rip Van Winkle is the titular character of a short story by Washington Irving about a man who sleeps for twenty years, missing the American Revolut...
The Politics of Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land
September 15, 2020 11:38 - 38 minutes - 39.2 MBExamining the libertarian and hippie themes of Stranger in a Strange Land. Does this novel represent a shift in philosophy from Starship Troopers or are there consistencies to be found? Notes: 0:55 - Grok is a great term and is used a lot of different ways in the book and by nerds who have adopted the term since. It's generally used to mean something is understood or liked but characters in the book make clear that its true definition can only be expressed in the ...
Judging the Jedi: Feudalism and State-Building
September 08, 2020 10:17 - 43 minutes - 44 MBThis past week, in a town in Massachusetts... Social Science Fiction It is a dark time for the podcast. Having launched a few weeks ago, the fledgling show works to amuse its audience with insightful commentary on a range of nerdy topics. However, while covering numerous settings, it has somehow overlooked what is perhaps the most beloved and popular nerdy franchise of all time. Eager to correct this oversight, the brilliant and handsome host of Social Science Fiction discusses t...
The Politics of Robert Heinlein: Starship Troopers
September 01, 2020 10:56 - 54 minutes - 54.7 MBExamining the politics of Starship Troopers. Is the Terran Federation's citizen-civilian distinction inspired by the philosophy of Jean Jacques Rousseau? Is it actually a fascist state? What would Heinlein have to say about the foreign policy of Eisenhower and Kennedy? Listen to find out? Notes: 3:40 - I suppose the title is a giveaway there. 11:00 - The other alien species being the "Skinnies." At the beginning of the novel they are allied with the bugs but are later said to h...
Are Vampires Marxists? Examining Vampire: The Masquerade
August 25, 2020 09:53 - 38 minutes - 38.3 MBI analyze the world of Vampire: The Masquerade through a Marxist lens. I begin with a short discussion of the history of the game and the setting. Next I cover the basics of Marxist theory. Then I cram them both together and see what happens. I wrap up with a few thoughts on vampire fiction in general. Notes: 1:00 - Just a friendly joke. Absolutely no offense intended towards LARPers. It's actually something I could see myself getting into if I ever had the time. 1:30 - Not sur...
Warhammer 40K: Judging the Factions
August 22, 2020 02:25 - 40 minutes - 42.2 MBWe talked so much I had to add another episode! This time we do an overview of all the non-Chaos factions and I try to find the one I can root for. Notes: 12:45 - A short digression into Ork economics. Inflation is an economic term for when currency loses its value and, thus, prices increase. It can happen when a government prints more money (increasing the supply) or, if you're an Ork, when the currency literally fall out your head all the time. 13:37 - Ork economics leads to a...
Warhammer 40K: Judging the Emperor
August 18, 2020 09:00 - 49 minutes - 54.4 MBJon and I continue a debate that we began on the Dork Web Podcast. Check it out at thedorkweb.net. John argues the Emperor did what was necessary to save humanity. I argue he was, at best, incompetent and, at worst, evil. Who's right? Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed under CC BY.
Is Harry Potter a Secret Libertarian?
August 14, 2020 00:54 - 35 minutes - 37.7 MBA discussion of libertarianism and libertarian themes found in the first four (and a little bit of number five) books in the Harry Potter series. Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed under CC BY.
The Prime Directive vs. the Spider-Man Doctrine
August 14, 2020 00:53 - 35 minutes - 36.5 MBFirst episode! I discuss the doctrine of state sovereignty, its origins in Europe in the 17th Century, and how it relates to Star Trek's Prime Directive. This is followed by a discussion of Spider-Man's classic phrase - "with great power comes great responsibility" - and how it relates to the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). We end with a discussion of Captain America: Civil War and the competing philosophies of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Intro and outro music: "Swi...
Introducing Social Science Fiction
August 14, 2020 00:32 - 1 minute - 1.29 MBIntroducing the show. Meet the host and preview upcoming episodes.