Hello everyone!! For our first episode of July we have a very special collab! We are joined by Cassidy and Charkie of the Bad Game Hall of Fame to talk about bad videogames! Havin been interested in the subject for a while, we bring in the experts to dive into and games, and their merits! What makes a videogame bad? Why are they still interesting? How can we talk about and make content on them? How do we engage with their history? These are only some of the questions we go into in this episode, ...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Hello everyone!! For our Here Be Media episode of the month, we dive into some aspects of this horrible and conservative force we call: Canon! To start off this new Concept series we go into some media products and franchises, their issues as "IPs", fandom and their relationship to Canon, and finally, we talk about this terrible beast we see as the Literary Canon! Join us as we start laying the groundwork to show and elaborate on how this must necessarily be brought down. Enjoy! And please suppo...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Hello everyone!! For this month's Left Page we turn back to China Miéville, in a weird and fascinating book about detective stories, borders, and violence, it is The City and the City ! In this episode we dive into the place of these cities, both fictionally and the real-world cultures they interact with and are a part of; we consider the detective narrative and how it interacts with this story, and the inherent violence to sustaining and upholding borders! Enjoy! And please support our Patreon ...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 80
Hello everyone!! For this month's Left Page we talked about the very weird, very interesting, and very hybrid Gogmagog, by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard! And we are joined by friend and podcaster Eden, of Heavy Blog is Heavy, Death // Sentence and AnarchySF fame! It's a thorough conversation over the weirdness present in the book, the alegory with England and the broader aspect of Hybridity in the many intersections, exchanges and differences Gogmagog presents us. Join us as we dive into some very s...
May 30, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 79
Hello everyone!! For our second HBM we'll dive into an animated sci-fi series that's weird, strange and very very interesting, we talk about Scavenger's Reign! And we won't do so alone, as we invited our great friend Nate along! Join us as we discuss the challenges of being marooned in an alien moon, the inherent horror of capitalism in space, and how we must be open to engage with the environment and the world around us, and even then, we can't escape ourselves, our traumas, and our hopes. Enjo...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 33 min
Hello everyone!! For our first May episode we have a mega collab with Horror Vanguard, on Starship Troopers (1997), directed by Paul Verhoeven! As we interweave Heinlein's book with the film we ultimately dive into how fascism works and should be fought at every turn, in every way. Enjoy! Do check out Jon's book on Bloch and Utopia: https://www.amazon.com/Primer-Utopian-Philosophy-Jonathan-Greenaway/dp/1803413271/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1 Also check out one of our references and excellent approach to th...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Hello everyone!! For our Left Page episode of the month we are talking about a very interesting book, and documentary series! It's John Berger's "Ways of Seeing", and to dive deep we are joined by our friend, podcaster and art historian, Nadjah of Imaginarium Podcast! We think about colonialism, the idea of "value" when atributed to art, the connection with the viewer of an art piece and how all these questions are connected to the idea of the "canon" in art, and, more importantly, capitalism an...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 78
Hello everyone!! As a special treat for Pesach, we dive into the incredible animated film The Prince of Egypt! Approaching Faith and Liberation, we consider not just the question of religious & historical narratives and their complex relations, but also of their representation in media. Further still, we talk about violence and how to comprehend "violence" in the name of Liberation. In a conversation that is equal parts personal, religious, historical and, as always, political, we talk not o...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 59 min
Hello everyone! Our first episode of April is a different one, if something we've been meaning to do for a while, more than talking about a game, it's a studio, so join us as we talk about Bethesda and their games! Jumping off from our mention of Bethesda games and their connection to mods last month, and Leon's previous writing on Skyrim , we decided to dive properly into their games and their "style". We talk of narrative and engagement with the world, alongside what are some ways their big fr...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 34 min
Hello everyone! To round out this month's episodes, we dive back into sci-fi, and more utopian fiction! With a recommendation from listener, and patron, Nate: Monica Byrne's The Actual Star! It's a complex discusson on Utopian writing, its challenges, and how sometimes things don't quite work out as we'd like. So join us in this conversation on Utopia and Religion, historical and sociological approaches, and more! And if you, listener, have other suggestions and recommendations, by all means, le...
Mar 30, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 77
Hello everyone!! As we're rounding out March, we offer a different kind of conceptual HBM episode! We take a look at videogame mods, what they are, what they can be, and what's so damn interesting about them! Join us as we talk about the difficulties involved in modding, the relationship to game companies, and how mods, at their best, can express an immense passion and creativity, in an anarchic and decentralised way. Have fun! And please support our Patreon if you're interested and want access ...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Hello everyone!! As a logical continuation of Leon's writings on Rockstar and GTA, we both revisited a game (not a franchise, mind you), which enrages and frustrates us both Max Payne 3. In a game where you relentlessly shoot poor brown and black people and play the "American Hero" cop, we dive into what this game does with this setup and what it doesn't believe in. For as Leon put it before, there is little it believes but pure raw Hatred. Obviously, we have to talk about it, from the terrible ...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Hello everyone!! For this final February episode, we, talk about when Cyberpunk... goes awry, to put it mildly, it's time to see the issues of Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk Edgerunners! We dive into what happens when one tries to recreate just the aesthetics of a genre, and the effects of cutting out the politics. And so we turn to this hollowness at the heart of a "cyberpunk" that has left out all that was remotely punk about it. It is what Walter Benjamin calls politics rendered aesthetic, it i...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 32 min
Hello everyone!! We continue well into February, as we bring in the incomparable Labor Kyle to talk about... one of the best games of all time. It's time to talk about Disco Elysium!! Join us as we dive into the real genesis and formation of revolutionary character that can happen in Harry DuBois, and then, with no less gravitas, about the intersection of this game with Walter Benjamin's "Thesis on the Concept of History". How Harry himself can be History amidst the Ruins strewn about that we ca...
Feb 24, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Hello everyone!! Happy 5 year anniversary of the Left Page!! This is a huge achievement and one I still can't believe is here, and yet, it has been a wonderful journey so far, and we're not thinking about stopping anytime soon! To celebrate such a date, Leon and I spoke about a book foundational to my entire research, the 1516 book by Thomas More: Utopia. We delve into some of its history, the tradition of utopian literature, problems and interesting aspects of the very first literary utopia and...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 76
Hello everyone!! For our last January episode we dive into an excellent recent trilogy of games, Hitman: World of Assassination, and think about how good these games are, as they embrace strong silliness. Alongside advancing Frank's ideas and arguments for the silly, we look into the protagonist of Agent 47 and how his hypercompetence is both related to, and changed, by the silly aspects of the game. It's both a very fun show, and one that explores an interesting combination of the serious and t...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Hello everyone!! Kicking off 2024 for the Left Page we have a very special episode with dramaturgist and debut novelist Emma Hinds, as we talk about her, as of this episode's release, published book The Knowing! Via this gothic, queer, historical, and violent story, Emma joins us as we dive into some of the ways both the book, and ourselves, try to engage with Art: how to create it, understand it, and critique it. Further still, we think about the many ways Art connects with us personally, and h...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 75
Hello everyone!! To kick off 2024 we consider some of our different plans for the pods, our big ideas and the things we have in store! And, of course, we chat a bit about upcoming media we're interested in, some which interests us and some which uhhh concerns/frustrates us. It's a new year with a whole lot more to read, watch, play, and talk about! Have fun, and hapy new year! Please support our Patreon if you're interested and want access to early content and the bonus Reading Corners! https://...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Hello everyone!! To finally wrap up 2023, we stop for a moment and think back on both the things we saw/watched/played and even recorded this year, to review how it went. And overall, we're pretty happy with what we've done and are planning to do next year!! Thank you so much for a great year, especially, especially our Patrons, and here's to another fun and full of great conversations 2024! Thank you and see you soon! Please support our Patreon if you're interested and want access to early cont...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Hello everyone! For our final 2023 Left Page episode, we are joined by Jay, of LibraryPunk and Tender Subject fame to talk about the "original dark academia text" Donna Tartt's The Secret History! It's a wonderful send off of 2023 as we dive into what "dark academia" is and can be, the bad writing of novels, the characterization of terrible characters, and how rich people are always terrible! Enjoy! Jay's Good Dark Academia recs: - If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio, 2017 - Vita Nostra, Marina &...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 74
Hello everyone! As we round out the year, we have some very fun shows to share, and here we are with one of our favourite games this year: Armored Core VI! Nevermind the From Software bias, we do find plenty to talk about in regards to the destructive nature of the mech-economy, how characterization functions in this wonderfully fun game, and how inescapable the capitalist realist mech-economy might really be. Dark and fun throughout, enjoy our last videogame episode of 2023! Have fun! And if yo...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 41 min
Hello everyone!! As we wrap up November we talk about a game we encourage you NOT to play! And yet, there's still plenty interesting, and plenty important, to talk about regardless. So join us as we talk about another game in Bioware's roster, it's Dragon Age II! A somewhat timely discussion, given the many layoffs in Bioware and just how the politics in this game can be so quintessentially liberal, and awful. All in all, we get on the relevant point of how to stand and the need to stand, aside ...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 34 min
Hello everyone!! Because the Horrors are neverending, we have Leslie from Fangs for the Memorieeeeeees! To chat with us about Analogue Horror! In this more conceptually focused episode we go into what is Analogue Horror, the relationship of horror with form, media and technology. And to top it off, we go into one of the best things about this genre, the meeting place of nostalgia and horror, as we consider that nostalgia may not be all rose-tinted glasses and might indeed share some unnerving as...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr
Hello everyone!! For this first episode of November we have a very special show on our hands! We are talking about Marge Piercy's 1976 Utopian novel, Woman on the Edge of Time! And to do that, we invited on Brazilian researcher, translator, professor, and friend, Dr. Elton Furlanetto of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS)! Elton translated the first ever Brazilian edition of the novel, released earlier this year, and helped make this a phenomenal episode! To talk about this novel...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 73
Hello everyone!! As a slightly late Halloween bonus episode we have a fantastic chat about Vampires! It's Netflix's Castlevania show! We talk about how we do or don't relate to vampires, our interest in them, and how it can be the people and their own independent actions with and against vampires that can ellicit the most of our interest and sympathies. So join us as we explore the merits and faults of our favourite, and not so favourite, Vamps! Have fun!! Check out Jay's work elsewhere! Library...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 36 min
Hello everyone!! As is tradition for Spooky Month, we have dragged our favourite co-ghosts to chat with us! And in this episode we ask the following question: what is scarier than forms? Very little, we find! As we are once again talking about Franz Kafka, and this time, we're talking about the Law and, of course, punishment. It is the very thrilling, and scary, novel of The Trial! By all means join us four as we dive into alienation under capitalism, what is or can be The Law, and how it is, ob...
Oct 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 72
Hello everyone!! We kick off spooky month with an excellent collab, as Leon is joined by Jay and Kayte of Tender Subject and other pods, to talk about the 2016 horror film The Neon Demon . It is an excellent conversation about the question of "style over substance" and its related issue in terms of the industry, while also considering objects of desire placed in it. All while, of course, talking of queer theory, and in this case the depictions of bad queer people. A great start to October with g...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Hello everyone!! We have been doing back to back HBM episodes lately, but it doesn't mean we've not been doing Left Page! Here's a very fun and special episode, especially for Frank, as we talk about the anthology "Dispatches from Anarres" a collection of texts that seek to connect (or vibe) with Ursula K. Le Guin's work!! We dive into some of the more interesting aspects of some stories, while still managing to chat about all of them. There's environmentalism, morality, politics, faith, magic, ...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 71
Hello everyone! Thus time we have another great collab to share! We teamed up eith LibraryPunk to dive into the whys and hows of copyright being terrivle, alongside its many evils and negative effects on the world and in culture. It’s a very interesting, informative and fun conversation, where we both understand what copyright is, its reasons for being fundamentally flawed and why we don’t really need it, along with its practical realities and problems. An episode you really don’t want to miss! ...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Hello everyone!! For our first episode this September we talk about one of our favourite games, and better yet, one of our favourite space games! Paradox Interactive's Stellaris! We have a great chat on how to engage wit Sci-fi and the approaches involved with a macro and micro lenses in this strategy game. We also chat about how to create a sense of history (or not) and how it really can be fun to create and be involved with your own stories in your Galactic Empire. Have fun! Please support our...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 30 min
