Space the Nation
Space the Nation
Space the Nation
On Space the Nation, we take our love of science fiction (and fantasy and horror) and smash it together with our professional passions: international relations (as brought to the table by Tufts University professor and Washington Post columnist Dan Drezner) and cultural criticism (as brought to the table by political columnist Ana Marie Cox). It's a highly informed but hilarious conversation that starts with an examination of a particular text (everything from Ursula K. LeGuin to the MCU, Star Trek to Colson Whitehead) and veers into current events, mental health practices and imagined conversations between Ted Cruz and the Predator. For people who like white papers and graphic novels, Chapo Trap House and what Political Science Twitter used to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
ENCORE: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022)
We continue with encore presentations of mothers in space for May. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert use slapstick, sci-fi, and hotdog fingers in this hallucinatory exploration of agency and commitment and the everything bagel. There's IR and a critique of capitalism in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 13
53 min
THE MERCY OF THE GODS (2024)
The minds behind The Expanse are back with a novel about academic infighting and enormous space bugs. Dan identifies with one of the characters! It's a brutal look at how humanity does and doesn't survive contact with utter cruelty. There is lots of IR (and academic intrigue!) in this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 13
1 hr 11 min
ENCORE: ALIENS (1986)
Mothers: Can't live with them, can't have existed without them. Science fiction is dominated my male voices, some of them have mommy issues. Here are some of our mommy issues. (Octavia Butler, author of one of encores, is the only creator to be exploring the issue from the inside.)First up is Aliens, the ultimate not-without-my-daughter text. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 6
1 hr 11 min
ENCORE: WATERWORLD (1995)
Presenting the Schlock or Awe collection, encore presentations of the best worst movies we've seen. Patrons get episodes ad-free.Fourth wave: Urine for a treat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 29
1 hr 3 min
OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001)
We are forced, once again, to ponder the power of charisma in creating the illusion of perfection. Of course things never go wrong for George Clooney. Unless he portraying a small-time legal fixer (see: Michael Clayton), in which case we just know we're watching a fantasy.Steven Soderberg, also at the top of his game, makes this a movie that's about criminal enterprise but goes down like a spa day at a luxury Vegas hotel.There is IR, kinda, in this movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 27
1 hr 2 min
ENCORE: DEMOLITION MAN (1993)
Presenting the Schlock or Awe collection, encore presentations of the best worst movies we've seen. Patrons get episodes ad-free.Third in the roster: three shells. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 22
1 hr 5 min
PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026)
What's the connection between Competence Porn and hotness? Is it a comment on the currency of conventional attractiveness, that we simply perceive the very hot as very competent? In any case, the Goslingness of it all papers over the movie's more casual approach to scientific accuracy. We did not mind.There is some IR in this movie! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 20
1 hr 17 min
ENCORE: BATTLESTAR  GALACTICA (1978)
Presenting the Schlock or Awe collection, encore presentations of the best worst movies we've seen. Patrons get episodes ad-free.Specimen two: The toasters that defined a generation, in the original Battlestar Galactica. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 12
1 hr 9 min
ENCORE: PLANET OF  THE APES (1968)
Presenting the Schlock or Awe collection, encore presentations of the best worst movies we've seen. Patreons get episodes ad-free.First up: 1968's Planet of the Apes. There's a twist! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 5
1 hr 4 min
THE MARTIAN (2015)
For our Competence Porn series: Mark Watney, Space Pirate, sciences the shit out of that thing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 4
1 hr 32 min
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