Workers' Lit

Due to busy schedules and a mild back injury (explanations within) we didn't finish prep to talk about this week's novel, so instead we read and...let's say critique...Adam Wren's "How Lord of the Rings Shaped JD Vance's Politics" for Politico. You can read it here. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) Episode art is from the article itself for some Eru-forsaken reason.

That flesh do be tender The shelfers take on Augustina Bazterrica's 2017 horror novel (or cookbook if you're really weird I guess), "Tender is the Flesh." They're really out here eating people. This is a book about justifying your place as a node in the extractive machine of capitalism, and as such it's pretty intense. We try not to over-dwell on the goriest bits, but this book does feature extreme violence as well as sexual assault and human trafficking. Please be warned that these things will be discussed Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is the cover art of the novel's English release

Yee...and I can't stress this enough...Haw The Shelfers dive into VP hopeful, evil lawyer, and overgrown garden gnome J.D. Vance's 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." Does this book (and its 2020 film adaptation) answer all the questions about the Rust Belt and the white working class??? Uh. No. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is a selfie J.D. Vance took last night but he accidentally dropped his phone and just got his mouth in it perfectly centered somehow and then he texted it to us for some reason.

A blast from the past...we've dug up an episode recorded several months ago. Why didn't we release it? Uhh...idk honestly. Anyway! It's Harlan Ellison's work of sci-fi/horror, "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream." Why on earth does this evil computer hate us so much?? Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is original cover art.

It's a three-peat folks! They're calling him the three-peater! Josh Boerman of the Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast is BACK to help the Shelfers crack Ted Dekker's 2004 evangelical fantasy novel, "Black: The Birth of Evil." We examine the inherent weaknesses of the evangelical fiction author, figure out why Ted hates the French so much, ask bold questions about magical super-vaccines, and discuss the horrifying banality of a story set in paradise. Oh also, we have some serious questions about why Ted based his stand-in character's love interest on his daughter. Yikes. Interview with Ted by Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/579.Ted_Dekker More Josh Boerman/Worst of All Possible Worlds: https://www.worstpossible.world/ and @BoshJ on Twitter Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is Ted looking kinda fresh tho.

"A Picture of Doran GAY" was too low-hanging of fruit, but I did consider that as an episode title. This week the Shelfers dive into the only novel Oscar Wilde ever wrote, 1891's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Come for the Gothic horror, stay for the overt homosexuality. We discuss Wilde's life, which is so exciting and tragic we *almost* forgive him for being a follower of Kropotkin rather than Marx. We talk about class in Victorian England, the politics of repressed desire, and those types of guys who use philosophy as an excuse to be a bad person. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is Oscar in all his glory

WE! ARE! BACK! The Shelfers have RETURNED! This week we discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's 1953 quintessential fantasy novel, "Fellowship of the Ring." (If you're interested in Tolkien as a guy, you may want to catch the first part of our episode on "The Hobbit," because we go into detail there) Is the Shire the perfect society? What's the deal with Tom Bombadil? Is Middle Earth becoming woke? Are elves boomers? All this and more will be discussed. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is the completely unedited theatrical poster for Lord of the Rings

And so it begins...The Socialist Shelf Tolkien deep dive. The Shelfers begin an examination of the ultimate fantasy series, "The Lord of the Rings," starting with 1937's "The Hobbit" (not technically part of the trilogy but pretty darn important if you want to understand it.) We also talk about the life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a world-historic wife guy, a mustard gas survivor, history's greatest expert in "mad fairy language," and a...conservative anarchist? Maybe? Sort of? We get into it. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is the fellow himself.

It's short, but it's important (to us!) Ahead of our next month of Tolkien deep-dive, we need another week to read and study. However, we did want to use this time to announce that Jacob is now querying for his novel, "They Called Her Rebel." "They Called Her Rebel" is a story about people power, fantastical revolution, and queer love. If you're interested in reading it and providing some feedback, or better yet, have any kinds of connections to agents or the publishing industry, please let us know at: thesocialistshelf@gmail.com Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art is based on some characters in Jacob's book, drawn by Tay, whose art and commissions you can view here.

Alternate episode title: "Who Killed Captain Aleph?" The Shelfers get Zen as we dive into Ruth Ozeki's 2021 work of magical realism, "The Book of Form and Emptiness." This book has got it all: psych wards, nonbinary ferrets, anarchist goth GFs, Zizek in a wheelchair, disaster capitalism, Marie Kondo, ghostly fridge magnets...none of this is a joke by the way. Also, Jacob yelled at the President last weekend, so that's pretty cool. Video of that here. Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart,) episode art from "Angelus Novus" by Paul Klee.