Reading in the Age of Monsters 001: Introductions, and Mark Fisher

This is the first episode of Reading in the Age of Monsters podcast, a book criticism podcast. Let’s do some criticism that doesn’t suck. Mark Fisher wrote some criticism that didn’t suck, analyzing the culture of late capitalism with acuity. But his work and his image have been absorbed into a sphere of online discourse that fetishizes the depression, helplessness, and passivity Fisher knew well and lamented.

I admit to amateurishness in the recording. It might get better, but I admit it is not the highest priority. I had a smoother first version, actually, but recorded it without turning my mic on, like a dummy.

Find more of my work at Melendy Avenue Review.

If you’re already a subscriber, you should consider upgrading to Citizen status. For five dollars a month or fifty a year, you get double the podcasts, all of my 4-10 book reviews that I write a month in a weekly newsletter (instead of 1-2 monthly), the opportunity to vote on what I read, all the pictures of my beautiful cat… and you help keep my critical project afloat. Freedom isn’t free. Kick!