We're back into Science Fiction, and with a great friend and comrade! As Breht from RevLeftRadio fame joins us to talk about the relationship of this genre and Empires.

Talking the roots of imperial representation, how we can critique them, and how a lot goes back into colonialism, fascist projects and more.

A wonderful dive into how this genre and this representation and structure connect, enjoy!

Check out RevLeftRadio! https://revleftradio.com/

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun Episode cover art: Angus McKie, 1978

Our references and previous episodes:

• Memories of Future Empire: The Productive Effects of Imperial Imaginaries in Science Fiction – An Analysis of The Expanse - https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-8529.20244603e20230058

• The Course of Empire: A Survey of the Imperial Theme in Early Anglophone Science Fiction - https://www.jstor.org/stable/25746408?seq=1

• Episode 44 - Postmodern Literature, Climate Chaos and Irony. On White Noise w/ RevLeftRadio - https://theleftpage.libsyn.com/episode-44-postmodern-literature-climate-chaos-and-irony-on-white-noise-w-revleftradio

• Warhammer 40k - The Horus Heresy: The Immaterium's Negative Dialectic & How to Read Warhammer - https://www.patreon.com/leftpage/posts/warhammer-40k-to-157369486

• Episode 70 - The Expanse 1-3: Where Subtle Utopia Meets Responsible Dystopia -https://theleftpage.libsyn.com/the-left-page-episode-70-the-expanse-1-3-where-subtle-utopia-meets-responsible-dystopia

This time we go into how we think about Pathology in media and videogames, while still talking about gaming news and the Left Page Book Club, enjoy!

itinerary: 00:00:00-01:03:21 - Intro + Summer Games Fest + Minute AI rambling 01:03:21-01:55:05: - The Broader Pathology of Media 01:55:05-END - The Left Page Book Club

Our next set of chapters is from Catelyn VII to Catelyn VIII! (Another 16 chapters!)

Article mentioned: https://thehaunt.blog/2026/03/29/on-moral-repugnance/

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

We continue our travails this time with disecting the discourses around power fantasies and an interesting track through one of videogames largest franchises. Itinerary: 00:00:00 - 00:15:52 Intro (What are we up to) 00:15:52 - 01:03:28 Power Fantasies 01:03:28 - 01:40:00 AI in Music 01:40:00 - 02:16:50 AC 02:16:50 - END Book Club aGoT Jon II - Eddard V Essay mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN2ElcTXr6Y&t=3915s

We're talking about men this time.

Using different media like Star Wars, American Psycho, and Blade Runner 2049, we develop some theory on this idea of "media illiteracy", on masculinity and its toxicity.

Fundamentally considering what we mean when we talk about Patriarchy, how it exists and is historically defined, and what does it mean to consider and confront it today.

Enjoy!

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

A new kind of episode!

Lighter and more current, as we talk about what we've been playing, some things we've been thinking about, and the new Left Page Book Club!

Time stamps 00:00:00 - 00:40:40 Intro + What are we watching, reading, playing 00:40:40 - 01:27:45 AI In Video Games 01:27:45 - 02: 23:45 Left Page Book Club

The article we talked about: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/new-research-shows-over-90-of-gamers-find-playing-with-ai-powered-npcs-to-be-enjoyable-and-rewarding

We deploy Critical Harvest Theory in this episode, when we ask:

What happens when we don't look critically at escapist fantasies? We then try to answer this question by looking at two video games: Stardew Valley (2015) and Citizen Sleeper (2022 & 2025)

Going into the ways of how these games create their realities and end up surviving in or attempting to sideline capitalism, which will surely go well, right? Right? That, and more, in this episode about capital, land, time and space!

Enjoy!

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

Wolfenstein is a fascinating series of games, so let's talk about the recent Machine Games' iterations.

Asking the fundamental question of how to properly kill fascism and how this game is presenting it, or not.

Enjoy!

Check out Jon's stuff: Horror Vanguard & The Haunt Blog

Morris Rosenfeld's poem In The Factory from 1914

Intro song: Machine, Machine. Nits. 2019, Werf & V2 Records

Outro song: Nazi raus. Marti Fischer. 2024, ContentView GmbH

Hello everyone!!

Today we're starting off with our new kinds of episodes, as we discuss a more broad element... the discourse on the new Oddyssey film!

We've often talked about historical representation, mythology, and what "historical accuracy" can mean, but not as directly as of yet. So this time we went full into some of the terrible ways those are all used, distanced from any interesting or useful cultural critique, and only a terrible weapon to brandish.

So come along as we seek to prepare ourselves and others to not fall into those same pitfalls and traps that are misrepresenting and confusing all at once.

Enjoy!

Video Mentioned: https://youtu.be/O9KD3Xv7D1c

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord! https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

Good lord! It's sure been a while, huh?

Celebrating 7 years of running this podcast, Frank and Leon go over some of the changes, some of the achievements, how they see the pod, how they think of it moving forwards, and a couple of interesting things to come!

Thank you all so so much for being here, for listening, and especially supporting the show, for as little or as long as you have! It means the world!

Here's to the great things coming!

Check out all the free stuff on Patreon and support us if you can there!

https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

And do join our Discord for more chats about games, books, and plenty more!

https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Intro Music: All Along the Watchtower, Jimmy Hendrix; The Planets, Op.32 - 4. Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity, Gustav Holst; Gymnopédie n. 1, Erik Satie; Home, Karl Casey; I Would Never Have To Know, Samurai Drive; Ultralounge, Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Outro Music: Vistas - Downtime, Miracle of Sound

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To celebrate the centennial Left Page we go to the start, the originator of the modern novel: Don Quixote de la Mancha!

We go over the fantasies of Don Quixote, the way the two books deal with reality, fantasy, and primarily books and reading! All the while not forgetting the deep materiality involved in the depictions, and how there is still more than we think to it.

Come celebrate our 100th episode with one of the greatest of all time!

Enjoy!

Check out all the free stuff on Patreon and support us if you can there!

https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

And do join our Discord for more chats about games, books, and plenty more!

https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Intro Music: Ultralounge · Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everyone!!

We continue with the First Law Standalone novels, now going into Heroes and Red Country!

We talk about how these characters continue to be engagin, how the materiality of war and conflict continues, and how change, propelled by capital, can be such a dangerous thing the world over, fantasy world it might be.

Enjoy!

If you can and are interested in early episodes and our bonus content, soon to be plenty more, check out our Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/leftpage

Also! If you're not there already, feel free to join our Discord!

https://discord.gg/J2wgG3yrPN

Intro Music: Ultralounge · Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Outro Music: Don't Leave! · El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe. From the Album: Zareef ℗ 2006 El-Funoun

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.