The Last Sisyphus Podcast

In this episode, I go into a bit of detail about my new favorite television series: Ted Lasso. It's a show I've recommended to several people already. I also happen to think it's one of the most important shows to come around in a long time—perhaps since The Office. I maintain that Ted Lasso is a show about leadership and human connection, and it's told through a metamodernist lens. (If you don't happen to know what metamodernism is, I define it in this episode.) Especially in these rough times—both politically and socially—we need people to come together. We need more human connection.I'd love to hear your thoughts on the show, if you've already watched it. I don't know a ton of people who have seen it...If you enjoy the podcast and wish to help out, consider supporting me through the following links. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram, @TheLastSisyphus!PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

This week, I'm returning to the man who inspired this podcast: Albert Camus. I don't feel enough people are familiar with his work. And in this episode, I try to convince the listener that Camus is one of the most accessible and worthwhile writers and thinkers. I address his writing style, his lyricism, and his most pivotal philosophical position. Even if you've already read Camus, perhaps I'm able to provide a perspective you haven't thought about before.I'd love to hear your thoughts about Camus and his ideas. If you have something you'd like to say, get in touch with me! If you enjoy the podcast and wish to help out, consider supporting me through the following links. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram, @TheLastSisyphus!PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

This is my first review of 2022, and it's a doozy! After taking some time away from the podcast, I decided I would kick off the new year with an independent author I have had the privilege of engaging with on Twitter. House of Sleep is an intriguing work that heavily leans into the power and drawbacks of dreams, and the havoc that arises when we learn of our ability to penetrate another's sleeping state. I highly recommend this work.You can find Brad Kelly on Twitter @BradKelly.  He will even read your tarot cards! If you are interested in what else he is doing, you can visit his site at www.bradkellyesque.com.Book blurb:“At an exquisite mansion perched on an edenic plateau, twenty-some guests are remembering their dreams as clearly as yesterday. All that's required is to let an eccentric guru called the Diving Man work their subconscious like a snake-charmer. Parts Willy Wonka, Judge Holden, and Tim Leary, he seems to know what can't be known, professes a bizarre philosophy, and spends his days leaping from the cliffs to hold his breath for minutes on end in the churning river below. He is also plotting against the dissolution of the world. The House draws Lynn, an anxious, earnest therapist who foresaw her fiancé's death in a dream. . .or, just maybe, called it into being. This is her last chance to heal, but only if she can come to terms with her dark connection to another seeker—the young logophile Daniel, who is afflicted with a strange disease inextricable from an even stranger gift.”If you enjoy the podcast and wish to help out, consider supporting me through the following links. I would also love to hear from you. Don't be afraid to reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram, @TheLastSisyphus! PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

Writer's block is something that a lot of people experience—undoubtedly. One of the most common places writer's block happens is at the beginning of a writing project. When facing the blank page.However, this hasn't been my experience. Writer's block—at least for me—tends to happen about halfway through a project, when there are so many different directions a story could go. It's not so much a lack of ideas or direction as it is about what direction to go in. This can be paralyzing (and often is), because, if you're a perfectionist like me, you don't want to screw it up.My debut novel Project: Sleepless Dream is now available all around the world, via Amazon. You can also purchase from me directly (if you live in the U.S.). Just shoot me an email at CollinJones15@protonmail.com—I'll even sign it for you!GOODREADSPATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

The reason I finally decided to give Dick's VALIS a try is due to my research into esotericism and the occult. Dick's major contribution to the field of esotericism is his posthumously published work called The Exegesis. However, he addresses many of his ideas in his fiction.VALIS  is one I could see myself reading again and again. There is so much to get from it, and it's certainly not a conventional science fiction story. Have you read this book? If so, what are your thoughts?My debut novel Project: Sleepless Dream will be available all around the world at the end of this month, via Amazon. You can pre-order the Kindle edition by clicking THIS LINK. All patrons will receive a signed copy of the book. Consider supporting the podcast with the links below!PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

Though it goes without saying, one of the most unique factoids about dreams is that we all have experience(s) with them. In one way or another. According to scientists and researchers who specialize in neurology and dreams, everyone dreams. Even if you don't remember what you dreamed the night prior, you did, in fact, dream.I'm not completely sold on the idea mainstream science says about dreams—that they are essentially information dumps. In this episode, I discuss my thoughts on dreams. I would like to hear from you! What are your thoughts on dreams? Have you had any unique experiences with them? Let me know on social media and/or through email! My debut novel Project: Sleepless Dream will be available all around the world at the end of July, via Amazon. You can pre-order the Kindle edition by clicking THIS LINK. All patrons will receive a signed copy of the book. Consider supporting the podcast with the links below!GOODREADSPATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

I've received several messages and emails, asking me to explain how my writing process works. To learn that people would be interested in my experience is not only flattering for me, but it communicates to me that others are thinking of writing something of their own. And that's perhaps the best news.And then I'm sure there are several of you who have already published your first book...or second book...or even your third book. If that's the case, you may find some of this information a bit redundant or contradictory to your own experience. And that's all right. We all have different ways of going about the same thing.My debut novel Project: Sleepless Dream will be available all around the world at the end of July, via Amazon. You can pre-order the Kindle edition by clicking THIS LINK.Consider supporting me below:PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

Adventures in Immediate Irreality, from my perspective, takes up the idea of dissociation, and attempts to give the reader an idea of what that might be like. We have a narrator that could accurately be described as pessimistic, ruminating over the nature of reality in a way I have rarely seen in fiction. This book is truly one of a kind!You can purchase it right HERE. Consider supporting me below:PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRT

Battles in the Desert introduces and questions notions of nationalism, socio-economic status, and what it is like for one Mexican child living in a society gradually being taken over by American enterprise.Consider supporting me below:PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRTI also want to give a huge thanks to New Directions Publishing for the generosity in sending me a copy of this special book for review! Battles in the Desert is set to be released June 1, 2021. Give New Directions a visit HERE!

Philosopher John Gray does not have a lot of good things to say about humanism and progress, and some of his arguments are difficult to disagree with. I discuss precisely why he has a pessimistic view of the modern-day conception of progress. Support me on Patreon right HERE, or buy me a coffee right HERE!  Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, YouTube, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram!

Notes From Underground manifests as an excerpt from the general ramblings of a bitter and isolated unnamed narrator, who previously worked as a civil servant living in St. Petersburg. This is Dostoevsky's most concise argument against determinism, rational egoism, and so many of the other ideals/beliefs of the modern world. It is one of the most important pieces of philosophical fiction ever written!Consider supporting the podcast:PATREONYOUTUBESUBSTACKMUGT-SHIRTYou can purchase Notes From Underground with The Last Sisyphus Podcast affiliate link right here: https://amzn.to/3u0iYZL

There has been an ongoing debate on whether there is a difference between commercial fiction and literary fiction. While many people believe the distinction is quickly vanishing, I hold that there is a clear distinction, though there is often overlap.  In this episode, I discuss my position on art vs. entertainment, and why it is important for entertainment not to completely consume art in literature—which it seems to be doing more and more each day. Support me on Patreon right HERE!  Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, YouTube, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram!

Gabrielle Wittkop's The Necrophiliac is undoubtedly a disturbing novel about a man who has a particular sexual taste for, well, dead bodies. The book is a crash course in the idea of nature forming what and who we are, and how it can be nearly impossible to right the ship once we are down a specific road. The Necrophiliac is very similar to Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom and Georges Bataille's Story of the Eye. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about taboos and transgressive material that is not typically found in books written/published today. Check out my YouTube channel HERE!You can find the books mentioned (or alluded to) in this episode right here with The Last Sisyphus Podcast affiliate links:The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop: https://amzn.to/3cOg4QV120 Days of Sodom Marquis de Sade: https://amzn.to/3lAntagStory of the Eye by Georges Bataille: https://amzn.to/3eXbkv1

Though everyone tends to believe they are the arbiters of truth and what is right, the 18th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer disagrees. His stance was that too many rely on other people's opinions. His proposal is that we spend more time thinking for ourselves, coming to our own conclusions, and investigating the world through our own eyes instead of relying on some other authority.We should all be reading and learning and bettering ourselves—there's no question in that—but we should also be spending time with our own thoughts, and finding ways of navigating the world independent of what others say. You can purchase Arthur Schopenhauer's "Essays and Aphorisms" here: https://amzn.to/3ePhtt1 Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, YouTube, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram!

Knut Hamsun's Hunger  is a book, fundamentally, about hunger—in every sense of the word. Hamsun's nameless protagonist is starving for food, for love, and for relevance while simultaneously refusing the help of his fellow city-dwellers in Oslo, Norway. Hunger is filled to the brim with stream of consciousness, digression, and an almost unhealthy dose of self-reflection. Hamsun's work is very much in line with Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground and the writings of Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, specifically). One fundamental question the book asks is: How far will an individual go in order to retain their pride?You can find the books mentioned (or alluded to) in this episode right here with The Last Sisyphus Podcast affiliate links:Hunger by Knut Hamsun: https://amzn.to/3tfpNWXMrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: https://amzn.to/3ckYBz6Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky: https://amzn.to/3rWRhAFThe Complete Stories by Franz Kafka: https://amzn.to/3viFFd3Manifestoes of Surrealism by Andre Breton: https://amzn.to/3cwsJYsThe Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand: https://amzn.to/3bIXwlPThe Ego and His Own by Max Stirner: https://amzn.to/3eBB9AnDon't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you liked this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram @TheLastSisyphus! 

Emil Cioran—a Romanian philosopher— is sometimes considered to be the best aphorist since Friedrich Nietzsche. This episode addresses Cioran's position on consciousness, and that to reflect too much on the world is oftentimes a tragedy. Instead, what we ought to do is focus on completing tasks, keeping our minds busy so as to avoid slipping into an existential crisis. Though much of his writing consists in bleak rhetoric about life, consciousness, and death, he expresses what many of us have thought at one point or another in our lives. Life is difficult—and sometimes it just doesn't get better. Cioran would suggest that we might as well continue, in spite of life itself. You can purchase Emil Cioran's "The Trouble With Being Born" here: https://amzn.to/3cm1vE3Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, YouTube, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram!

Emil Cioran—a Romanian philosopher— is sometimes considered to be the best aphorist since Friedrich Nietzsche. This episode is about Cioran's position on suicide—something he believed one always elects to do too late. His ultimate position is that it is a tragedy for mankind to have come into existence at all, what with all the suffering, pain, and doom that lurks behind every moment in life. This position is oftentimes compared to the anti-natalist position—the belief that it is morally and ethically wrong for human beings to continue producing other human beings.Though much of his writing consists in bleak rhetoric about life, consciousness, and death, he expresses what many of us have thought at one point or another in our lives. Life is difficult—and sometimes it just doesn't get better. Cioran would suggest that we might as well continue, in spite of life itself. You can purchase Emil Cioran's "The Trouble With Being Born" here: https://amzn.to/3cm1vE3Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram! 

Stephen Graham Jones' book Mapping the Interior is one of those special books one wishes they would have found earlier. It is a book both about the elusive nature of truth and the potential illusion of memory—and how one young boy attempts to commune with his dead father's ghost amid a fractured reality. Jones has been compared to David Foster Wallace and the New Sincerity movement—a literary methodology that attempts to bind the postmodern tropes of cynicism and irony with that of unalloyed sentimentalism. It turns out that horror is oftentimes one of the best genres through which to tell a love story.You can purchase Stephen Graham Jones' "Mapping the Interior" here: https://amzn.to/3rDYyoP Don't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram! 

Most of us have asked, at one point or another, what the meaning of life is, and by extension, how to proceed through life once one realizes that it could be meaningless. This was a huge topic of reflection for the French-Algerian journalist and thinker, Albert Camus, throughout the first half of the 20th century. In this episode of The Last Sisyphus Podcast, I discuss how Camus' philosophical idea of "the Absurd" manifests in his first published piece of fiction, "The Stranger," and how we, in the 21st century, can realize and apply the Absurd in our own lives.You can purchase Camus' "The Stranger" here: https://amzn.to/38vupQUDon't forget to check out The Last Sisyphus' social media, Patreon, and Substack by clicking HERE!If you like this episode, consider sharing, subscribing, and letting me know your thoughts directly on Twitter and Instagram!