Joe Kasabian, who you might know from his memoir The Hooligans of Kandahar, his sci-fi novels and the military history podcast Lions Led by Donkeys joins us to talk about his new book The Highlands Burn, and the responsibility writers have for getting conflict right.
Music by Panopticon
Muskism, with Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff
11/05/2026 | 1h 7 mins.
Is Elon Musk just a guy who can't post, or is he the avatar of Muskism - a new philosophy for our postliberal age? Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff's book Muskism: A Guide For the Perplexed argues the latter, taking us through techno-fascist South Africa to Silicon Valley - and along the way we find out that two of the most insightful critics of technology and neoliberalism know a *lot* about anime.
Music by Neurosis: https://neurosis.bandcamp.com/album/an-undying-love-for-a-burning-world
You too can become meme by joining our Discord (it's free): https://discord.gg/mk928WGds
Event Factory and the Collapse of Ontology
24/04/2026 | 56 mins.
Langdon and Eden dive into the collapse, tackling Event Factory, the first book from Renee Gladman's Ravicka novels. Meaning disappears, rituals empty of signal, and the malaise of our urban existence is revealed. But also, potentials are exposed, connections are made, and understanding hinted at.
Sports betting, crypto, predictions markets, Buy Now Pay Later, getting a credit card to pay off your credit card - what if we said that isn't even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to nihilism and finance? Amin Samman joins us to talk about his book Currency of Nihilism, punk rock, the abyss of meaning that is money and why French poststructuralists are Like That.
Music by Warning: https://warningdoom.bandcamp.com/album/rituals-of-shame
Give us your money: https://www.patreon.com/DeathSentence
Hang out with us on Discord (for free!): https://discord.gg/zHBV9qCE
Weird Awe and The Human Chord
21/03/2026 | 1h 20 mins.
This time around, we go back to the early 20th century to discuss a foundational work of British Weird - The Human Chord by Algernon Blackwood! We survey the cultural trends of the 19th and 20th century literary and occult scenes in general, the gripping power of this tight and precise novel, and the feeling of dread and awe so often invoked by the weird.
Ireland