Podcasts about Electric Sheep

This week, our friends Holly Burn and Derek Sheen join us for epic poems, weird jingles, and shady headlines. Derek Sheen would like to plug Unrelatable and recommends Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep and Joe Dombrowski Holly Burn would like to plug Dream House and recommends Barry Castagnola And finally Dave is on Bluesky! Find us on Instagram! Call us on the International Waters hotline 323-435-3017 Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts, recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher. Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters

In this incredible Family Friends episode, Guy spends 10 full minutes explaining a fascinating situation involving the English national test cricket team absolutely ruining themselves. On our way to this, we get Tim waxing lyric on the benefits of having a big ass kindle thing you can write on and what's wrong with Philip K Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. And also Oppenheimer. But mainly this is about the cricket story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have the band back together this week and posed new questions about the shape of wombat poop and other topics all while reviewing three different books! Cloudthief by Nathaniel Rich The Ballad of Ronan McCoy by Collin Morgan Dead but dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

Welcome to Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Before I get into this week’s episode, let me tell you that the entire uninterrupted interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union is now available on YouTube under Cyd Ropp Gnostic Insights playlist. I’ve tried and tried to upload the captioned transcript underneath the video, but neither YouTube nor my video editing software will cooperate. I can only chalk it up to Demiurgic interference, so this must be one important interview! The link is provided here to go straight to it on YouTube. Please “like” it and forward it to friends. Thanks. This week I exchanged emails with a podcast subscriber that presented me with some excellent questions prompted by recent episodes. I asked his permission to share them with you anonymously. I always treasure sincere observations and questions from subscibers because it prompts my gnosis. So here we go. Hi Cyd how's it going? I hope that all is well with you. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your series of podcasts with the Bishop. Very interesting to hear some stuff on the unpacking of the original Gnostic texts. I thought that today's pod about your discussion was also very revealing as somebody who loves history, but it's giving me an insight into why you are so suspicious of history—would I be right in thinking that you want your texts to be unfiltered from various historical takes from different flawed human recounters? Yes. It is a common saying that history is written by the victors. This refers to the fact that the winners of wars, both physical killing wars and more subtle ideological wars, write the narratives of their opponents from then on. This is why we have had a couple of thousand years of hearing only one side of the gnostic story and one conventionally accepted version of Christian theology. And we have heard that version from Catholic Councils of the 4th century on down through the Protestant churches of today. The surviving descriptions of the nature of gnosticism were written by those who hated gnosticism, and their work is still read and venerated to this day. And I can tell you that even in the little village I live in, the church folks who have no idea what gnosticism even is are dead set against it and dead set against my efforts of sharing my gnostic insights with them and others—and they let me know of their disapproval. I think these divisive times we are living through now also illustrate how what passes for truth is malleable and untrustworthy. We can all see for ourselves how half of the population characterizes the big picture one way and half of the population characterizes it in a completely different way—and these two sides of the ideological divide are incommensurate with each other. Incommensurate is one of those big words I learned during my graduate studies in rhetoric. It means exclusive—both can't be right—you can't hold both positions—it's either or. So if you extrapolate the culture wars forward a few hundred or a few thousand years into the future, how will history frame the disputes that are currently raging through society? If, for example, socialism finally wins out do you think capitalism will be fairly represented? The reverse is also true, and the winner of this tug of war will be the one who lives to tells the tale. My correspondent goes on to say: I think it must be very appealing to be able to narrow down everything into one text and say that we are only going to look at this one source of right thing for the true knowledge. I think this approach has led us to the Bible and the Koran and other food containers which some followers take quite literally and interpret very strictly. There must be safety and comfort in this approach which could be described as textual at best—literal and possibly in a kind way, and without any judgement, fundamentalist, in its true essence. However, and I expect you are waiting for the but… What is listening whilst listening? He continues: It did occur to me that what you are basically saying is that everything in the Tripartite Tractate is correct. And all of the other texts are interesting, though they may be not to be taken seriously because they are myths. Surely it must've occurred to you that the writer of the Tripartite Tractate was also a human, and ergo—a product of the culture that surrounded him or her? Knowing you to be such a thoughtful and perceptive person, is there something I'm missing here? What is objectively different about the Tripartite Tractate, written by a human, just like all of those other gnostic texts? I am not trying to score points here, I genuinely would like an answer. To which I respond: Truly I do not agree with everything the Tripartite Tractate says and, conversely, much of what the other books say is right, though obscured with layers and language of mythology. The difference between the Tripartite Tractate and the other gnostic texts is that it stands alone and doesn’t depend upon a preexisting mythology to make sense. By that I mean that the Tripartite Tractate is a logical argument that any Sophist would be proud of. It speaks in the language of symbolic logic rather than mythology or (purported) history. The Tripartite Tractate begins with a starting premise (a priori) that in the beginning was consciousness without form. It then proposes a method by which consciousness and its attendant qualities, such as power and love, emanate from the origin and make their way downstream into us and other living creatures. It calls the descent of consciousness a fall, but does not condemn the fall, as it was necessary to escape the purely ethereal and create matter. It describes the fall as a “presumptuous thought” choice by Mr. Rationality itself—Logos. I characterize this presumptuous thought as the first action of “ego” made independently outside of the cooperation of the Fullness. This all seems to me to be an entirely rational argument that simply describes the process of the distribution of consciousness. We don’t have to argue the originating premise because our consciousness is self-evident. We are asking where it came from and going upstream until we reach a logical a priori starting point. A lot of what I share at Gnostic Insights comes from my own Theory of Everything—A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything—that I conceived and wrote 20 years ago, without benefit of any gnostic texts. So that lens informs my reading of the gnostic books. And I immediately recognized my own T.O.E. when I first read the Tripartite Tractate. The Simple Explanation is written using secular, non-religious language and lots of science and math. My illustrations and charts are different than my gnostic illustrations and charts. But the master chart is identical. The Tripartite Tractate did give me an answer I had been chewing over within the Simple Explanation, that being the difference between living creatures and inert elemental matter. I appreciated that clarification and incorporated it into the Simple Explanation. Otherwise, the book still stands as True. What is meant by True in this philosophical sense is whether or not the argument is coherent and internally consistent and comports with direct observation of the world. Now, as to whether or not I believe that only the Tripartite Tractate is true gnosis and the other gnostic books are mostly mythological–that is not the way I would put it. I don't take the Tripartite Tractate as more holy than other books, and there are a couple of aspects I don't fully understand or agree with. For example, the Tripartite Tractate aligns with other gnostic books in saying that there are three types of humans—the spiritual—called the pneumatic; the ordinary, emotional type called the psychic; and the material, called the hylic. The Tripartite Tractate doesn't seem to think that the hylic types are true second order powers and that they didn't exist in the beginning and will not return to the ethereal home above after death. The final page of the Tripartite Tractate codex is riddled with burned out areas from a fire, yet it seems to say, and I'm filling in some missing words: “While the material beings will be left behind until the end to perish, for they will not give their [missing words—probably acknowledgment of the Christ or allegiance to the Christ ]… If they have returned once more to that which … [missing words—probably worships the demiurge] … in the way that they were… [missing words—probably passing as humans] while they do not exist… [missing words—probably from the beginning] but they had been useful [for the] time that they were among them, even if they are not… [missing words—probably second order powers, —possibly among creation] at first, then… [missing words—possibly they were brought forth] to do something else by means of the power they had in the establishment [to] oppose them.” [yes, I realize I am interpolating a lot of missing words. if you have a more cogent interpretation, please offer it.] This final section of the Tripartite Tractate seems to indicate there are hylics among us with whom we live and work side by side who will not be redeemed at the end of time. This holds out the possibility that there are non-second order powers among us who can pass for living beings—not an uncommon thought in gnostic circles. My brother, Bill, and I contend that all life forms come from above and contain the consciousness and life of the Source. So for a non-living creature were to be born in the usual way is an impossibility. In my mind, the only way a truly non-living hylic so-called “human” could walk among us would be in the form of robotic facsimiles. There are many examples of this in science fiction, such as the cylons of “Battlestar Galactica” and the self-aware bots in P.D. Dick's “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” which became the film called “Blade Runner.” We are now be on the threshold of building and employing these newly constructed robots who appear human, appear conscious, appear living, but are actually programmed imitations that did not exist from the beginning. (Battlestar Galactica carries this very question throughout the series as the cylons become self-aware and question their relationship with God.) If that is the case, then these could be the hylics that will not return to the ethereal because they did not come from the ethereal and the end times would need to be pushed back far enough to accommodate their undetectable assimilation into society. But hey—that's just my notion. And here at Gnostic Insights I try to stick with gnostic insights, not my wild speculations. Cylons of Battlestar Galactica television series. The cylons adapt to become more and more “human.” What is true is that I believe the Tripartite Tractate describes our existence and our origins, as well as our future. But we have to remember it is at least 2,000 year old prophecy and embedded in the language and concepts of that time. Maybe the writer was indeed anticipating androids among us, but that seems an unlikely interpretation. I have been watching quite a few “alternate history” videos lately on YouTube that propose completely different backstories and histories that stretch eons into the past—histories that could indeed have been technologically sophisticated enough to produce androids that blend in with the crowd. But we're getting way into the weeds here. One reason that most readers of the Tripartite Tractate and other gnostic texts think there is an order of unredeemable humans is that they are referred to as “those who belong to the imitation.” The most basic interpretation is that those who we call materialists are the people who only believe what they can see, measure, and taste. In that sense, they belong to the imitation since the imitation is the material projection that is this cosmos. The atheists among them do not believe in the ethereal space Above, or the originating Source, and so by default they belong to the imitation. Yet, if all living creatures are children of the Fullness above, even these will return to the Fullness at the end of time. The way I reason this comes from following the logic of emanation and return—the Fullness would not be Full without them, and it is a basic proposition that nothing of the Source can ever be lost. So you see, the logic is what drives my interpretations, logic—Logos—not mythology. At least that how it seems to me. Another aspect of the imitation is the molecular structure of our world, including our bodies. We inhabit a molecular body. Our living essence, the light of consciousness that makes organisms soft and squishy and alive, literally inhabits an otherwise dead, rocky, elemental body of molecules. So everywhere we go, it goes. And when we “die” and our spirit exits this material cosmos, our hylic body is left behind. It belongs to the imitation—get it? So in this case, the hylic human refers to the elemental molecules that make up our bodies—that inert mud that the Demiurge could not raise up to life, as the mythological version goes. So, this material aspect of our earthly existence is part of the imitation and will not return to the Fullness along with our spirits because it did not exist from the beginning. It is a product of the fall. But I digress—back to the subscriber's email: Secondly, I would like to ask you a question about giving glory to God. I liked what you were saying about turning your attention away from yourself, and your ego, and to look towards the divine and offer up a prayer. I am at the stage of my journey where this is something that does not seem so completely alien, as I am moving gradually away from materialist atheism, which has been caught on my existence for the past 50 odd years. Where I get into trouble is basically the whole business of giving glory to God, because the monad who is omniscience and immutable is hardly likely to need me to do a lot of worshipping or giving glory. This was like a bit controversial, and I'm not trying to argue in bad faith, but wouldn't the demiurge himself be more likely to want humans to give glory to him than the monad? I imagine that giving glory means something to people who have come up in a Christian background, but personally it seems completely irrelevant and unnecessary – A bit like one of those business buzzwords, you hear like synergism or government types talking about inclusiveness or diversity—a sort of empty phrase that could really mean anything you want. It would be really helpful if you could unpack it a bit for me because I'm sure I'm missing something here. Giving glory is not for the benefit of the Father. Giving glory is how we tune into the Father’s resonance. Giving glory is for our benefit, not God's. Now, the God of the Old Testament, the Demiurge—is that jealous, forgetful god that thinks it’s the be-all and end-all. It does like to receive worship and glory because it feeds its ego. But the God Above All Gods, the Father of consciousness and the ALL, doesn’t need our worship and glory—you are right about that. It is we who need to give glory, not It that needs to receive glory. The Totalities of the ALL which were the first emanations from the Son, and the Aeons of the Fullness love to give glory. The Totalities do nothing but give glory to the Father, and that is a pure expression of love and devotion to the Father. It's a good thing for us, way down here in the consciousness stream, that they give unceasing glory, because they are the first emanations out of the Son and the fountain of the consciousness and love that eventually flows into all living creatures. The Totalities that give glory continuously are like an electrical plug that stays connected to the greater originating Source. As above so below—we also connect with the Source when we give glory. And since connecting with the Source cannot be accomplished when ego rules your psyche, you must be humble enough to set your ego aside and pray to/give glory to the greater Source. Surely you recognize that your ego is a lesser being than the Father of everything. If your ego does not allow you to think that, then you are not putting your spiritual foot forward but merely your ego. Our correspondent replies: Dear Cyd As usual- I’m so impressed by your clear and reasoned thinking – it is so elegant and simple. I wish I could think like that. However, there are a few things I would like to push back on respectfully. I have been dialoguing with the Demiurge – Chat GPT – and here’s what the archonic AI came up with in answer to your firm assertion that there is no mythology in the Tripartite Tractate. It basically thinks that it’s an overstatement – and I quote: The text gives an extensive creation story involving:• an unknowable Father;• the Son and the Church;• emanated aeons inhabiting the Fullness or Pleroma;• Logos making a presumptuous, defective attempt to comprehend the Father;• the production of deficiency, psychic and material powers;• a Demiurge who creates humanity;• three fundamental classes of human beings;• and a Saviour who descends to restore what has become divided. [Cyd] Let me pop in here to correct a very important error in this demiurgic version of Gnosticism. It sneaked into its answer a very demiurgic assertion that is not True: • a Demiurge who creates humanity The Demiurge certainly did not create humanity or any other living, conscious being. The second order powers—all living beings—are children of the Aeons of the Fullness, sent down into this lifeless cosmos to remind the Demiurge of the greater power Above, the true source of life, love, and consciousness. I have a habit of calling us the children of the Fullness, but the Tripartite Tractate actually calls us the fruit or the spores of the Fullness. Which is another way of saying the emanations of discreet packages of consciousness, or what I call in Simple Explanation language units of consciousness. To me, this is not mythological but descriptive to the best of our ability. Now, back to the correspondent's email: That is all mythological material. So then it rambles on quoting lots of sources etc BUT what the machine is getting at is that the difference between the Tripartite Tractate and some other gnostic texts is that there is a solid logic framework under the superstructure of mythological language and characters.This fits in with your TOE very neatly – and it is no surprise that you had an ‘OMG’ moment when you discovered the Tripartite Tractate—I would also have thought the same if an ancient text fitted perfectly into a system of thought that I had spent years developing. And you might be right—the uncanny fit could be a ‘tell’ that this truly IS the way of everything. On the less interesting point of contention though – I must disagree with you – there IS mythology in the Tripartite Tractate superstructure – the language is mythological – maybe less so than other gnostic texts. As an aside, as a writer – I would also say -there is nothing particularly bad about being mythological either. To which I reply: I have to laugh at using Dialogue with Demiurge AI as a trustworthy source. lol. I will see your Chat GPT and raise you Microsoft CoPilot AI (poker language, I assume you recognize). My AI says this: “This work presents a restored cosmology of the Fullness — a structural, metaphysical account of creation, fracture, and restoration. It is not myth, nor allegory, nor theology in the conventional sense. It is architecture: a precise description of how consciousness, relation, and harmony operate across the three great phases of existence.” I like that description—that the Tripartite Tractate gives the metaphysical architecture of consciousness rather than a myth. I always like to take the higher, meta view of information, which is literally a step above the normal language and arguments. That’s the secret of how I observe and reconcile seemingly irreconcilable positions—by looking up above the words for the meaning behind them. It seems to me that most people are lost in the language and “can’t see the forest for the trees.” Not meaning you, necessarily, it’s just my observation of how understanding goes awry. By taking the meta approach, the concepts automatically simplify as many points of view and language choices are collapsed into their base meanings. The words I use in my Simple Explanation of gnosis and science and everything else are not written in stone. They are my attempt to convey large concepts in the simple, most recognizable forms. If I say “god” it’s because people are familiar with that term. I offer alternative words, like Source, Mother-Father, Metaverse, the Great One, the Origin, so that people will see that the particular word is less important than what it represents and that what they think of as god has a broader meaning than the meme they have been holding onto. These images from my well-worn copy of the Tripartite Tractate of The Nag Hammadi Scriptures edited by Marvin Meyer, show you the process by which I read and interpret arcane texts. I put the language into illustrated concepts and words I can recognize and understand. The writer shared this final thought from the Chat GPT: There is also a genuine philosophical difficulty: how can a perfect and harmonious divine Fullness generate an irrational act? Saying that Logos possessed the capacity to exceed his proper limits explains the mechanism only by placing the possibility of deficiency inside the supposedly perfect order. He says, I think that is actually a pretty decent question from our AI demiurge—right? I expect that you have a great answer though. To which I reply: As to the Demiurge’s new question that you have put forth in this email—that’s an old canard that is often trotted out to stump theists. “How could a good and perfect God allow for the creation of evil?” I am not at all stumped by that question. The answer can most simply be stated in two words: Free Will. If we begin with the premise that the Father/Source/etc. emanates its entire nature outward with its emanation, then obviously free will is a part of that emanation. After all, it is inarguable that the Source possesses free will. The Aeons have free will. Logos is an Aeon. Logos has free will. While the rest of the Aeons were using their free will to cooperate with each other and to glorify the Father and the Son, Logos used its free will to go in a fresh direction. Logos thought it would be going upward to rejoin the highest glory. The Tripartite Tractate says that Logos didn’t realize this was in impossibility, because no one can approach the power source that is the Origin without being annihilated. And like a magnetic polarity, Logos was repelled by the Source and was knocked out of alignment with the Fullness (the fall). This dissonance became our material cosmos. And because Logos had free will, we have free will. This all flows logically from the a priori definition of the Source. This may sound mythological, but it is not. It could be easily described in scientific terms. Like the way a beam of focused light still allows for stray photons to go off beam. Or boiling water in the kettle mostly clumps together on the top of the water as bubbles, but some bubbles go outward to the edge of the kettle and pop. And so forth. The limit is our language, not the architecture or process. The limit is also imposed by the meme bundle being held the human observer-inquirer when their memes do not allow for certain possibilities to be seen and accepted. It is our meme attachments that limit our capacity to observe and learn. So says me.

Welcome to Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Before I get into this week’s episode, let me tell you that the entire uninterrupted interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union is now available on YouTube under Cyd Ropp Gnostic Insights playlist. I’ve tried and tried to upload the captioned transcript underneath the video, but neither YouTube nor my video editing software will cooperate. I can only chalk it up to Demiurgic interference, so this must be one important interview! The link is provided here to go straight to it on YouTube. Please “like” it and forward it to friends. Thanks. This week I exchanged emails with a podcast subscriber that presented me with some excellent questions prompted by recent episodes. I asked his permission to share them with you anonymously. I always treasure sincere observations and questions from subscibers because it prompts my gnosis. So here we go. Hi Cyd how's it going? I hope that all is well with you. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your series of podcasts with the Bishop. Very interesting to hear some stuff on the unpacking of the original Gnostic texts. I thought that today's pod about your discussion was also very revealing as somebody who loves history, but it's giving me an insight into why you are so suspicious of history—would I be right in thinking that you want your texts to be unfiltered from various historical takes from different flawed human recounters? Yes. It is a common saying that history is written by the victors. This refers to the fact that the winners of wars, both physical killing wars and more subtle ideological wars, write the narratives of their opponents from then on. This is why we have had a couple of thousand years of hearing only one side of the gnostic story and one conventionally accepted version of Christian theology. And we have heard that version from Catholic Councils of the 4th century on down through the Protestant churches of today. The surviving descriptions of the nature of gnosticism were written by those who hated gnosticism, and their work is still read and venerated to this day. And I can tell you that even in the little village I live in, the church folks who have no idea what gnosticism even is are dead set against it and dead set against my efforts of sharing my gnostic insights with them and others—and they let me know of their disapproval. I think these divisive times we are living through now also illustrate how what passes for truth is malleable and untrustworthy. We can all see for ourselves how half of the population characterizes the big picture one way and half of the population characterizes it in a completely different way—and these two sides of the ideological divide are incommensurate with each other. Incommensurate is one of those big words I learned during my graduate studies in rhetoric. It means exclusive—both can't be right—you can't hold both positions—it's either or. So if you extrapolate the culture wars forward a few hundred or a few thousand years into the future, how will history frame the disputes that are currently raging through society? If, for example, socialism finally wins out do you think capitalism will be fairly represented? The reverse is also true, and the winner of this tug of war will be the one who lives to tells the tale. My correspondent goes on to say: I think it must be very appealing to be able to narrow down everything into one text and say that we are only going to look at this one source of right thing for the true knowledge. I think this approach has led us to the Bible and the Koran and other food containers which some followers take quite literally and interpret very strictly. There must be safety and comfort in this approach which could be described as textual at best—literal and possibly in a kind way, and without any judgement, fundamentalist, in its true essence. However, and I expect you are waiting for the but… What is listening whilst listening? He continues: It did occur to me that what you are basically saying is that everything in the Tripartite Tractate is correct. And all of the other texts are interesting, though they may be not to be taken seriously because they are myths. Surely it must've occurred to you that the writer of the Tripartite Tractate was also a human, and ergo—a product of the culture that surrounded him or her? Knowing you to be such a thoughtful and perceptive person, is there something I'm missing here? What is objectively different about the Tripartite Tractate, written by a human, just like all of those other gnostic texts? I am not trying to score points here, I genuinely would like an answer. To which I respond: Truly I do not agree with everything the Tripartite Tractate says and, conversely, much of what the other books say is right, though obscured with layers and language of mythology. The difference between the Tripartite Tractate and the other gnostic texts is that it stands alone and doesn’t depend upon a preexisting mythology to make sense. By that I mean that the Tripartite Tractate is a logical argument that any Sophist would be proud of. It speaks in the language of symbolic logic rather than mythology or (purported) history. The Tripartite Tractate begins with a starting premise (a priori) that in the beginning was consciousness without form. It then proposes a method by which consciousness and its attendant qualities, such as power and love, emanate from the origin and make their way downstream into us and other living creatures. It calls the descent of consciousness a fall, but does not condemn the fall, as it was necessary to escape the purely ethereal and create matter. It describes the fall as a “presumptuous thought” choice by Mr. Rationality itself—Logos. I characterize this presumptuous thought as the first action of “ego” made independently outside of the cooperation of the Fullness. This all seems to me to be an entirely rational argument that simply describes the process of the distribution of consciousness. We don’t have to argue the originating premise because our consciousness is self-evident. We are asking where it came from and going upstream until we reach a logical a priori starting point. A lot of what I share at Gnostic Insights comes from my own Theory of Everything—A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything—that I conceived and wrote 20 years ago, without benefit of any gnostic texts. So that lens informs my reading of the gnostic books. And I immediately recognized my own T.O.E. when I first read the Tripartite Tractate. The Simple Explanation is written using secular, non-religious language and lots of science and math. My illustrations and charts are different than my gnostic illustrations and charts. But the master chart is identical. The Tripartite Tractate did give me an answer I had been chewing over within the Simple Explanation, that being the difference between living creatures and inert elemental matter. I appreciated that clarification and incorporated it into the Simple Explanation. Otherwise, the book still stands as True. What is meant by True in this philosophical sense is whether or not the argument is coherent and internally consistent and comports with direct observation of the world. Now, as to whether or not I believe that only the Tripartite Tractate is true gnosis and the other gnostic books are mostly mythological–that is not the way I would put it. I don't take the Tripartite Tractate as more holy than other books, and there are a couple of aspects I don't fully understand or agree with. For example, the Tripartite Tractate aligns with other gnostic books in saying that there are three types of humans—the spiritual—called the pneumatic; the ordinary, emotional type called the psychic; and the material, called the hylic. The Tripartite Tractate doesn't seem to think that the hylic types are true second order powers and that they didn't exist in the beginning and will not return to the ethereal home above after death. The final page of the Tripartite Tractate codex is riddled with burned out areas from a fire, yet it seems to say, and I'm filling in some missing words: “While the material beings will be left behind until the end to perish, for they will not give their [missing words—probably acknowledgment of the Christ or allegiance to the Christ ]… If they have returned once more to that which … [missing words—probably worships the demiurge] … in the way that they were… [missing words—probably passing as humans] while they do not exist… [missing words—probably from the beginning] but they had been useful [for the] time that they were among them, even if they are not… [missing words—probably second order powers, —possibly among creation] at first, then… [missing words—possibly they were brought forth] to do something else by means of the power they had in the establishment [to] oppose them.” [yes, I realize I am interpolating a lot of missing words. if you have a more cogent interpretation, please offer it.] This final section of the Tripartite Tractate seems to indicate there are hylics among us with whom we live and work side by side who will not be redeemed at the end of time. This holds out the possibility that there are non-second order powers among us who can pass for living beings—not an uncommon thought in gnostic circles. My brother, Bill, and I contend that all life forms come from above and contain the consciousness and life of the Source. So for a non-living creature were to be born in the usual way is an impossibility. In my mind, the only way a truly non-living hylic so-called “human” could walk among us would be in the form of robotic facsimiles. There are many examples of this in science fiction, such as the cylons of “Battlestar Galactica” and the self-aware bots in P.D. Dick's “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” which became the film called “Blade Runner.” We are now be on the threshold of building and employing these newly constructed robots who appear human, appear conscious, appear living, but are actually programmed imitations that did not exist from the beginning. (Battlestar Galactica carries this very question throughout the series as the cylons become self-aware and question their relationship with God.) If that is the case, then these could be the hylics that will not return to the ethereal because they did not come from the ethereal and the end times would need to be pushed back far enough to accommodate their undetectable assimilation into society. But hey—that's just my notion. And here at Gnostic Insights I try to stick with gnostic insights, not my wild speculations. Cylons of Battlestar Galactica television series. The cylons adapt to become more and more “human.” What is true is that I believe the Tripartite Tractate describes our existence and our origins, as well as our future. But we have to remember it is at least 2,000 year old prophecy and embedded in the language and concepts of that time. Maybe the writer was indeed anticipating androids among us, but that seems an unlikely interpretation. I have been watching quite a few “alternate history” videos lately on YouTube that propose completely different backstories and histories that stretch eons into the past—histories that could indeed have been technologically sophisticated enough to produce androids that blend in with the crowd. But we're getting way into the weeds here. One reason that most readers of the Tripartite Tractate and other gnostic texts think there is an order of unredeemable humans is that they are referred to as “those who belong to the imitation.” The most basic interpretation is that those who we call materialists are the people who only believe what they can see, measure, and taste. In that sense, they belong to the imitation since the imitation is the material projection that is this cosmos. The atheists among them do not believe in the ethereal space Above, or the originating Source, and so by default they belong to the imitation. Yet, if all living creatures are children of the Fullness above, even these will return to the Fullness at the end of time. The way I reason this comes from following the logic of emanation and return—the Fullness would not be Full without them, and it is a basic proposition that nothing of the Source can ever be lost. So you see, the logic is what drives my interpretations, logic—Logos—not mythology. At least that how it seems to me. Another aspect of the imitation is the molecular structure of our world, including our bodies. We inhabit a molecular body. Our living essence, the light of consciousness that makes organisms soft and squishy and alive, literally inhabits an otherwise dead, rocky, elemental body of molecules. So everywhere we go, it goes. And when we “die” and our spirit exits this material cosmos, our hylic body is left behind. It belongs to the imitation—get it? So in this case, the hylic human refers to the elemental molecules that make up our bodies—that inert mud that the Demiurge could not raise up to life, as the mythological version goes. So, this material aspect of our earthly existence is part of the imitation and will not return to the Fullness along with our spirits because it did not exist from the beginning. It is a product of the fall. But I digress—back to the subscriber's email: Secondly, I would like to ask you a question about giving glory to God. I liked what you were saying about turning your attention away from yourself, and your ego, and to look towards the divine and offer up a prayer. I am at the stage of my journey where this is something that does not seem so completely alien, as I am moving gradually away from materialist atheism, which has been caught on my existence for the past 50 odd years. Where I get into trouble is basically the whole business of giving glory to God, because the monad who is omniscience and immutable is hardly likely to need me to do a lot of worshipping or giving glory. This was like a bit controversial, and I'm not trying to argue in bad faith, but wouldn't the demiurge himself be more likely to want humans to give glory to him than the monad? I imagine that giving glory means something to people who have come up in a Christian background, but personally it seems completely irrelevant and unnecessary – A bit like one of those business buzzwords, you hear like synergism or government types talking about inclusiveness or diversity—a sort of empty phrase that could really mean anything you want. It would be really helpful if you could unpack it a bit for me because I'm sure I'm missing something here. Giving glory is not for the benefit of the Father. Giving glory is how we tune into the Father’s resonance. Giving glory is for our benefit, not God's. Now, the God of the Old Testament, the Demiurge—is that jealous, forgetful god that thinks it’s the be-all and end-all. It does like to receive worship and glory because it feeds its ego. But the God Above All Gods, the Father of consciousness and the ALL, doesn’t need our worship and glory—you are right about that. It is we who need to give glory, not It that needs to receive glory. The Totalities of the ALL which were the first emanations from the Son, and the Aeons of the Fullness love to give glory. The Totalities do nothing but give glory to the Father, and that is a pure expression of love and devotion to the Father. It's a good thing for us, way down here in the consciousness stream, that they give unceasing glory, because they are the first emanations out of the Son and the fountain of the consciousness and love that eventually flows into all living creatures. The Totalities that give glory continuously are like an electrical plug that stays connected to the greater originating Source. As above so below—we also connect with the Source when we give glory. And since connecting with the Source cannot be accomplished when ego rules your psyche, you must be humble enough to set your ego aside and pray to/give glory to the greater Source. Surely you recognize that your ego is a lesser being than the Father of everything. If your ego does not allow you to think that, then you are not putting your spiritual foot forward but merely your ego. Our correspondent replies: Dear Cyd As usual- I’m so impressed by your clear and reasoned thinking – it is so elegant and simple. I wish I could think like that. However, there are a few things I would like to push back on respectfully. I have been dialoguing with the Demiurge – Chat GPT – and here’s what the archonic AI came up with in answer to your firm assertion that there is no mythology in the Tripartite Tractate. It basically thinks that it’s an overstatement – and I quote: The text gives an extensive creation story involving:• an unknowable Father;• the Son and the Church;• emanated aeons inhabiting the Fullness or Pleroma;• Logos making a presumptuous, defective attempt to comprehend the Father;• the production of deficiency, psychic and material powers;• a Demiurge who creates humanity;• three fundamental classes of human beings;• and a Saviour who descends to restore what has become divided. [Cyd] Let me pop in here to correct a very important error in this demiurgic version of Gnosticism. It sneaked into its answer a very demiurgic assertion that is not True: • a Demiurge who creates humanity The Demiurge certainly did not create humanity or any other living, conscious being. The second order powers—all living beings—are children of the Aeons of the Fullness, sent down into this lifeless cosmos to remind the Demiurge of the greater power Above, the true source of life, love, and consciousness. I have a habit of calling us the children of the Fullness, but the Tripartite Tractate actually calls us the fruit or the spores of the Fullness. Which is another way of saying the emanations of discreet packages of consciousness, or what I call in Simple Explanation language units of consciousness. To me, this is not mythological but descriptive to the best of our ability. Now, back to the correspondent's email: That is all mythological material. So then it rambles on quoting lots of sources etc BUT what the machine is getting at is that the difference between the Tripartite Tractate and some other gnostic texts is that there is a solid logic framework under the superstructure of mythological language and characters.This fits in with your TOE very neatly – and it is no surprise that you had an ‘OMG’ moment when you discovered the Tripartite Tractate—I would also have thought the same if an ancient text fitted perfectly into a system of thought that I had spent years developing. And you might be right—the uncanny fit could be a ‘tell’ that this truly IS the way of everything. On the less interesting point of contention though – I must disagree with you – there IS mythology in the Tripartite Tractate superstructure – the language is mythological – maybe less so than other gnostic texts. As an aside, as a writer – I would also say -there is nothing particularly bad about being mythological either. To which I reply: I have to laugh at using Dialogue with Demiurge AI as a trustworthy source. lol. I will see your Chat GPT and raise you Microsoft CoPilot AI (poker language, I assume you recognize). My AI says this: “This work presents a restored cosmology of the Fullness — a structural, metaphysical account of creation, fracture, and restoration. It is not myth, nor allegory, nor theology in the conventional sense. It is architecture: a precise description of how consciousness, relation, and harmony operate across the three great phases of existence.” I like that description—that the Tripartite Tractate gives the metaphysical architecture of consciousness rather than a myth. I always like to take the higher, meta view of information, which is literally a step above the normal language and arguments. That’s the secret of how I observe and reconcile seemingly irreconcilable positions—by looking up above the words for the meaning behind them. It seems to me that most people are lost in the language and “can’t see the forest for the trees.” Not meaning you, necessarily, it’s just my observation of how understanding goes awry. By taking the meta approach, the concepts automatically simplify as many points of view and language choices are collapsed into their base meanings. The words I use in my Simple Explanation of gnosis and science and everything else are not written in stone. They are my attempt to convey large concepts in the simple, most recognizable forms. If I say “god” it’s because people are familiar with that term. I offer alternative words, like Source, Mother-Father, Metaverse, the Great One, the Origin, so that people will see that the particular word is less important than what it represents and that what they think of as god has a broader meaning than the meme they have been holding onto. These images from my well-worn copy of the Tripartite Tractate of The Nag Hammadi Scriptures edited by Marvin Meyer, show you the process by which I read and interpret arcane texts. I put the language into illustrated concepts and words I can recognize and understand. The writer shared this final thought from the Chat GPT: There is also a genuine philosophical difficulty: how can a perfect and harmonious divine Fullness generate an irrational act? Saying that Logos possessed the capacity to exceed his proper limits explains the mechanism only by placing the possibility of deficiency inside the supposedly perfect order. He says, I think that is actually a pretty decent question from our AI demiurge—right? I expect that you have a great answer though. To which I reply: As to the Demiurge’s new question that you have put forth in this email—that’s an old canard that is often trotted out to stump theists. “How could a good and perfect God allow for the creation of evil?” I am not at all stumped by that question. The answer can most simply be stated in two words: Free Will. If we begin with the premise that the Father/Source/etc. emanates its entire nature outward with its emanation, then obviously free will is a part of that emanation. After all, it is inarguable that the Source possesses free will. The Aeons have free will. Logos is an Aeon. Logos has free will. While the rest of the Aeons were using their free will to cooperate with each other and to glorify the Father and the Son, Logos used its free will to go in a fresh direction. Logos thought it would be going upward to rejoin the highest glory. The Tripartite Tractate says that Logos didn’t realize this was in impossibility, because no one can approach the power source that is the Origin without being annihilated. And like a magnetic polarity, Logos was repelled by the Source and was knocked out of alignment with the Fullness (the fall). This dissonance became our material cosmos. And because Logos had free will, we have free will. This all flows logically from the a priori definition of the Source. This may sound mythological, but it is not. It could be easily described in scientific terms. Like the way a beam of focused light still allows for stray photons to go off beam. Or boiling water in the kettle mostly clumps together on the top of the water as bubbles, but some bubbles go outward to the edge of the kettle and pop. And so forth. The limit is our language, not the architecture or process. The limit is also imposed by the meme bundle being held the human observer-inquirer when their memes do not allow for certain possibilities to be seen and accepted. It is our meme attachments that limit our capacity to observe and learn. So says me.

Drew and Roth are joined by acclaimed horror novelist Paul Tremblay! Not only does Paul have a new book out, Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, but he's also now a certified cancer survivor. He's also sued OpenAI, used to teach BC calculus, and is a huge Boston sports fan. They talk about all of that, including how this Red Sox winning streak is treating Paul. Then, they open up the funbag to answer questions from real Defector readers and Distraction listeners, and Paul shares his worst dishwasher habit.Pick up Paul's new book, Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, now!Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!Stuff We Talked AboutPackies and scratchiesBrains in jarsA gas leak in the clubhouseDishwasher heathensDoes DJT believe in ghosts?Credits- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth- Producer: Brandon Grugle, Multitude- Editor: Mischa Stanton, Multitude- Production Services & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Defector!About The ShowThe Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get out the half and half and pour yourself a White Russian because we're talking about The Big Lebowski with returning guest, author Paul Tremblay (Horror Movie, The Cabin at the End of the World)! We chat about our own connections to the film, the Coen Brothers' oeuvre, why the film is a cult classic, and how it holds up in 2026. Then we have a spoiler-free Q and A with Paul about his latest novel, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, which is a truly unique and exciting read. Read along for our next Bookpisode about All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke on August 4. Then join us for another fun Othersode with Clay McLeod Chapman. We'll talk about the film Fallen and then we'll interview him about his new novel, Devil Inside, on August 18. We'd loooooove for our listeners to leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! Next time you see a video of Jimothy, let that be a reminder to you to write a little review for your gals over at Book Squad Goals.TOC::30– Welcome, Paul! 15:30–Movie Intro17:00–Previous experience with the Dude24:30–How familiar are we with Raymond Chandler and do we see the connection with his work29:20–The Coen Bros34:00–Why is this a cult classic?40:45–How does this movie work in 2026?50:33–Interview with Paul Tremblay!1:31:17–What's on the blog? What's up next?

Paul Tremblay has written a science fiction book that will prompt all sorts of important questions about AI, the role of consciousness in humanity, and how writers might have to work around AI in order to keep their work original and sustainable and it's called DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. We love a book that poses important questions like these while still being a good page turner, and this is one of those. This is the story of Julia, a semi professional video gamer asked to take remote control of a body in a vegetative state. It's suspenseful, strange, and will leave you with all sorts of questions about the age in which we live. We also talk to Final Draft Books in Wichita Kansas, which is opening this weekend (TAKE NOTE WICHITA). This husband and wife owner team bring a starry eyed excitement to the store that will charm the pants of all our listeners. Join us! Find books mentioned on The Book Case: ⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay The Pallbearer's Club by Paul Tremblay Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Phillip K. Dick The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed by Christof Koch 2666 by Robert Balano Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grab your shovels for a conversation about The Body—no, not that The Body. This one is by Bethany C. Morrow and we're not totally sure why that's the title! We talk about the protagonist, Religious Trauma, infidelity, that ending, and whether or not this is a horror novel. Next up on the podcast, it's an Othersode with returning guest Paul Tremblay, author of the new novel Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep! We'll be talking about the cult classic The Big Lebowski and having a spoiler-free chat about Paul's book on July 21. For our next Bookpisode, we'd love it if you'd read along and check out All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke on August 4! Alsooooo please leave us a rating and review. We love ratings and reviews!:30 – Hello! Mary's not here womp womp9:00 – Book intro10:35 – How does starting the novel in this way set the tone for the rest of the book?17:42 – Mavis as a character25:55 – Religious trauma and marriage30:05 – What even happened at Mavis' wedding?35:50 – A whole rainbow of infidelity48:39 – “Too good to be true?”52:12 – The ending1:02:43 – Is this horror?1:06:05 – Goodreads rating—why so low?1:19:34 – Mary's thoughts on the book1:21:32 – Ratings1:29:29 – What's Up Next? Kelli's had it with your shit!

Paul Tremblay ne craint plus seulement la page blanche. Il craint désormais qu'une intelligence artificielle puisse absorber les récits humains, reproduire leurs structures, imiter leur voix et transformer la création en simple surface rentable. Dans ce podcast horreur français, je reviens sur Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, le nouveau roman de l'auteur de A Head Full of Ghosts, pour explorer une question plus inquiétante qu'un simple robot devenu fou : que reste-t-il d'une histoire quand la machine peut en copier la forme sans avoir jamais vécu la douleur, le désir, la mémoire ou le manque qui l'ont fait naître ?Ce podcast horreur analyse la peur moderne qui traverse l'œuvre de Paul Tremblay : non pas celle d'une IA qui deviendrait humaine, mais celle d'un système capable de reproduire l'apparence de l'humain assez bien pour rendre l'original économiquement remplaçable. À travers Julia, Bernie et ce corps transformé en interface, l'épisode interroge l'horreur de la création vidée de son expérience, l'angoisse de l'imitation parfaite et la frontière trouble entre conscience, rêve et génération artificielle. Une chronique noire entre intelligence artificielle, littérature horrifique, angoisse technologique et futur de la fiction.

In this episode, we caught up with New York Times best-selling and Bram Stoker Award-winning author Paul Tremblay, whose acclaimed novels include The Cabin at the End of the World (adapted into the film Knock at the Cabin), A Head Full of Ghosts, which is currently in the works as a film, Horror Movie, and his latest novel, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, coming out this week. We chatted with Paul about all the recent news in his world, from the upcoming A Head Full of Ghosts adaptation to the release of Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. He also opened up about major changes in his life, from a recent health scare to retiring after 31 years as a math teacher to pursue writing full-time. Paul shared what it was like visiting the set of A Head Full of Ghosts in Ireland, calling it a dream to see the film finally come together. We also dove into the origins of Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, discussing his thoughts on human creativity versus AI-generated work, the unique challenge of writing between two perspectives, and the question of whether AI could every possess consciousness. This was an insightful conversation about horror, creativity, and technology, something that couldn't be more relevant today. Sooo … COME HANG OUT!!! Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram & Threads: @mostlyhorrorpodTikTok & Twitter/X: @mostlyhorrorSteve: @stevenisaverage (all socials)Sean: @hypocrite.ink (IG/TikTok), @hypocriteink (Twitter/X)Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more horror fans like you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we're putting the boot right into the ribs of the AI Industry, but doing it in horrific style, with Paul Tremblay and Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep.   It's a story of a young gamer, tasked with piloting a man's comatose body across the United States using AI tech. But deep inside, the man is still conscious, and what he's experiencing is nightmarish.   Dark stuff, but surprisingly fun, maybe even funny. Paul and I talk about the humour and the human indignity of his story. He discusses the challenges of writing such a bodily novel, the horrific potential of endless virtual suffering, and we hear notes from the frontline of his legal case against ChatGPT.   Always a joy to have Paul on the show!   Enjoy.   Other books mentioned:   The Sister's Brothers (2011), by Patrick DeWitt “No, Artificial Intelligence is Not Conscious” (2026), by Ted Chiang – in The Atlantic Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003), by Mary Roach The Deluge (2023), by Stephen Markley The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread But Can't Be Computed (2019), by Christof Koch “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967), by Harlan Ellison The Loop (2020), by Jeremy Robert Johnson A Short Stay in Hell (2009), by Stephen L. Peck The Flayed Man (2026), by Chloe Lauter Tillinghast (2026), by Clare Cavenagh Trad Wife (2026), by Sarah Langan Babylon, South Dakota (2026), by Tom Lin The Rouse (2026), by China Mieville Desert Radio (2026), by Pamela Durgin   Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Featured Titles: Born in Flames by Bench Ansfield Neptune's Fortune by Julian Sancton Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung Angel Down by Daniel Kraus Go Gentle by Maria Semple   The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden   Five Weeks in the Country by Francine Prose   Diavola by Jennifer Thorne All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby   Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Hang out with Shawn (The Butcher) and Vertebrae33 as they talk to the incredible horror author Paul Tremblay.What a fantastic conversation about writing, music, movies, AI and his new book: Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep! Check out our AMAZON Storefront! We have links to a bunch of Paul's books there.Get the goods, support the show!https://www.amazon.com/shop/vertebrae33?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_KG6FVG5MFX63RJN46YSMBuy our shirts at: https://inmadness.com/Check out our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/71IoaCGS364P7ecmfnmcys?si=85fd524664784e3dFollow us on Instagram & Twitter at @inmadnesspod. Email us at: inmadnesspod@gmail.com - On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inmadnesspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoilers Ahead!!!For this month's BONUS EPISODE it's Book Club time, weirdos! This time  we're joined by bestselling horror author Paul Tremblay for a conversation about one of our favorite recent reads: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito! We dive into everything that makes this deliciously deranged novel so unforgettable, from its razor-sharp dark humor and gloriously unhinged protagonist to the gothic atmosphere and jaw-dropping moments that had us audibly gasping. So grab your beverage of choice, settle in, and join us for a delightfully creepy conversation with one of horror's finest. And if you haven't read Victorian Psycho yet... consider this your sign, and join the bookclub discussion once you've devoured it! Check out Paul Tremblay's newest book Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by preordering now, or grabbing it at your local bookstore next Tuesday June 30th! And DEFINITELY check out his other incredible books that are available wherever books are sold!     Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Put on your best bad wig and join us for our discussion of the Amanda Bynes classic She's the Man with returning special guest, author Samantha Allen! We talk about the star quality of Amanda, the original text of Twelfth Night, gender stuff, romance, and feminism(?). Then we have a spoiler-free interview with Samantha about her latest novel, Puck, which is inspired by another Shakespearean play! Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on The Body by Bethany C. Morrow on July 7. Then join us another Othersode with author Paul Tremblay on July 21, wherein we'll discuss The Big Lebowski and Paul's newest novel, Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep.:30–Welcome, Samantha! 9:30–Movie intro11:00–How do we all feel about this movie nostalgically? Amanda Bynes?19:22–Has anyone read Twelfth Night?21:28–The Gender of it All33:10– Is this movie romantic?38:04–Is this movie funny?41:55– Is this movie feminist?51:04–Interview with Samantha Allen about Puck!1:44:00–What's up next? 

As you are about to hear, my Paul Tremblay story goes a long way back. I've read almost every book he's written, and in that time some titles have stood out to me as being extra special. THE PALLBEARER'S CLUB is one of those books, and now DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP too. At the risk of being hyperbolic, Paul took a damn swing with this book, and he connected. That is to say that he wrote a Paul Tremblay book with all the trappings you would expect to find, and somehow deftly wove such a strong and exciting FUCK YOU to AI into the story that, man, deserves all the praise. I don't want to say too much as to spoil the way Paul worked his magic, but holy hell i'm impressed and excited, and really just think everyone needs to read it. It's metatextual in such a specific and targeted way. Absolute chef's kiss. But to put people at ease, it's not JUST a book that stands on business. It's a really touching story about someone discovering their life and its assorted tragedies. It's about someone who seems to not care too much about anything being thrust into a situation where they face truly horrific consequences of their actions. It's about Weekend at Bernie's-ing a dude across the country while quoting The Big Lebowski - like you do. So yeah, I'm biased about Paul, but you don't become a NYT Bestseller and have multiple films adapted from your books because of what I say. I wish I had that kinda gravity. Buy the book!It's a great book, friends, and great books deserve huge releases. What you can do is get preorders in. Ask your library to buy it. Leave reviews if you got an ARC. Don't Support AIAnd you know what else you can do? Cut it out with the AI. Your brain and your soul will thank you.For those folks who like a little video avec their audio: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

As always there are spoilers ahead! Blade Runner was not a huge hit in 1982 but it did gain a fair few fans on its initial release. One of those fans was a teenager from Cheshire by the name of Paul Franklin who would go on to work on numerous big budget films and win two Oscars for his work as a Special Effects Supervisor on Interstellar and Inception. I spoke to Paul about his first impressions of the film, what makes it special and how it influences Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises.   Apologies for the abrupt ending to this episode. It is late, I've been quite busy and I have other work I really must tend to. Details of the next episode at the bottom of the show notes.  You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky. If you would like to support the podcast you can become a patron and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free versions of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm   Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:47 Paul's first impressions 07:11 Influences on Blade Runner 14:01 Syd Mead's design 17:52 A future without Blade Runner 21:28 PK Dick & Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep 23:36 The plight of the androids 27:18 Deckard as replicant 32:01 Influence of Blade Runner on Paul's work 40:45 Vangelis 41:58 ET vs Blade Runner NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be discussing the rather striking and uncomfortable 1966 Japanese film The Face of Another. The film is available on Criterion Channel in the US and Canada and on YouTube.  You can check the Just Watch website to see where the film is available in your region.

June is here and the long summer days are stretching out ahead, which means it's time to settle in front of the air-conditioner with a pile of books. (Just us?) But which ones should you read this summer? The “Book Review” podcast's Gilbert Cruz talks with the Book Review editors Joumana Khatib and MJ Franklin about the titles they're most excited about. Books discussed in this episode: “Red Sheet,” by James Ellroy “Villa Coco,” by Andrew Sean Greer “They All Fall in Love at the End,” by Haili Blassingame “Whistler,” by Ann Patchett “As If,” by Isabel Waidner “The Housewives Underground,” by Kaitlyn Tiffany “Nebraska,” by Monica Datta “Cool Machine,” by Colson Whitehead “The Mortons,” by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld “Country People,” by Daniel Mason “Fixer Chao,” by Han Ong “Biological War,” by Annie Jacobsen “We Were Forbidden,” by Jacqueline Harpman “The Amateur,” by Chris Bohjalian “A Tender Age,” by Chang-rae Lee “The Jackal,” by Joby Warrick “A Moment in the Sun,” by Shane White “A Sudden Flicker of Light,” by David Thomson “Rabbit, Fox, Tar” by P.C. Verrone “The Au Pair,” by Teddy Wayne “Land,” by Maggie O'Farrell “Sublimation,” by Isabel J. Kim “Cloudthief,” by Nathaniel Rich “Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep,” by Paul Tremblay “You Won't Get Free of It,” by Rachel Aviv “Awake Awake,” by Fiona Mozley “Triage,” by Claudia Rankine “Catch the Devil,” by Pamela Colloff “Helpless,” by Jessica Knoll “Life of M,” by Rachel Cusk Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Science fiction readers love a mechanism, they love a bit of world-building and mystery-solving. Premee Mohamed joins us to discuss Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus, a book that asks: what if a science fiction book intentionally avoided all of that?  Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Premee Mohamed Title: The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough References: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Moby-Dick by Herman Melville Mercutio by Kate Heartfield Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky Orbit 10 anthology edited by Damon Knight William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just To Say” and its many responses Premee’s And What Can We Offer You Tonight Meander, Spiral, Explode by Jane Alison Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad The Vorrh by B. Catling The face dancers from Frank Herbert’s Dune series Mystique and the Kree from the Marvel/X-Men comics Michael Swanwick's Stations of the Tide Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire Premee’s The Butcher of the Forest & Wickhills "sentients" & "sapients" “The Great Chain of Being” Star Wars series The Bad Batch and The Clone Wars Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead Octavia Butler's Dawn Tolkien's On Fairy Stories Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? & Ridley Scott's Bladerunner Premee’s The Siege of Burning Grass Hilary Putnam's “Twin Earth” Premee's Patreon, Website, Bluesky Wickhills & From the Library of Jurgen Leitner The Carl Brandon Society

Introducing: Horror TBR episodes!This episode begins a new series of episodes on the podcast, where every month I will have someone on to talk about the books we're excited for each month! I have enjoyed doing my Horror Preview episodes with Becky Spratford and Emily Hughes - and those will continue! But I feel like there's an opportunity to do more, and I'm taking that opportunity. The formatMe and my guest will prepare a small list of books that we're looking forward to releasing that month, and we'll take turns sharing. It's the same format as my Horror Preview episodes, but since it's just a month, there's more room to chat in between titles. Preorder/buy/ask your libraryI know everyone says that preordering is important, and we all kinda get that, but I don't know if anyone knows what will or will not happen if preorder sales aren't robust enough. I don't either, and I've been considering having an episode just on that topic. But until then, I will say that what I do know is that preorder strength can determine if Barnes & Noble chooses to stock a title in their stores for launch day. It's a driving factor on stores in general doing pre-release bulk orders. If demand looks weak, they can always order it in. So. yeah, preordering can make or break a title. June Releases!Here are the books we talked about in this inaugural Horror TBR episode (in the order they were mentioned)Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul TremblayMarion by Leah RowanThe Instruction Manual to Being A Vampire by Craig WallworkHeadlights by CJ LeedeDopefoot by Joshua MillicanThe Other by Annie NeugebauerMarla by Jonathan JanzRed X by David DemchukIt Came From Neverland by Cynthia Pelayowith honorable mentions to books Clay has blurbed:Back Stabbers by Eliza JaboreThe Siren of Groves Peak by Glenn RolfeGoing to the Six by AC HessenauerFor the folks who prefer the YouTube experience: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Thanks to some great feedback and some more of that awesome Barney Dicker chat to share, this episode is basically a second instalment of Movie Monday: Blade Runner. But before the Blade Runner chat, I respond to a message from M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis concerning April's movie Michael Crichton's Westworld. Then it's onto some Blade Runner feedback from Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast, Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Goblin's Henchman, before rounding things off with more of my chat with Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus. Honourable mentions: 2001: A Space Odyssey dir. Stanley Kubrick, Dark Star dir. John Carpenter, Westworld (TV series), Masters of the Universe dir. Travis Knight, Legend dir. Ridley Scott, Edge of Tomorrow dir. Doug Liman, Minority Report dir. Steven Spielberg, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, Alien dir. Ridley Scott, The Long Tomorrow by Dan O'Bannon and Moebius, The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, Blade Runner 2049 dir. Denis Villeneuve Read Barney's “Stroboscopic Revelations in Blade Runner” here https://www.academia.edu/36398665/_Stroboscopic_Revelations_in_Blade_Runner_PhotoResearcher_No_29_2018_ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ So, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The movie for June is 1987's Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you'd like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

May's Movie Monday, was specially requested by Goblin's Henchman “This one goes out there for Geoff”. This month, we watched Ridley Scott's dystopian neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner from 1982. Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hanna, Edward James Olmos, M Emmet Walsh, Brion James, Joanna Cassidy, Joe Turkle and William Sanderson. Adapted from Philip K Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin's henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis (podcast) Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Read Barney's “Stroboscopic Revelations in Blade Runner” here https://www.academia.edu/36398665/_Stroboscopic_Revelations_in_Blade_Runner_PhotoResearcher_No_29_2018_ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ So, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The movie for June is 1987's Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you'd like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Once upon a time not so very long ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was a product of speculative science fiction, especially in films from Metropolis to Blade Runner.Today, AI has so infiltrated our daily lives, the thought of not having access to Google or other AI-driven apps on our mobile phones and computers scares the crap out of a lot of people. Paul continues his investigation into AI with able assistance from author, Silicon Valley survivor and depth psychologist Elizabeth Nelson who explores the wide gulf between human and machine this week on Spirit Gym.Check out Elizabeth's essays and individual coaching groups, watch her video presentations and read her essays on her website.Timestamps7:54 Defining technology and machines.12:05 Artificial intelligence, large language models (LLMs) or large language machines?19:12 “Technology is not neutral.”23:48 Confusing data and information with real knowledge.29:50 The intrusion of machine language into our humanity.37:45 The danger of LLMs emulating humans.51:23 Exploring the gulf between human and cyborg/machine in books and films like Blade Runner.57:23 When describing what AI does, calling it making crap up or AI slop is better than hallucinating.1:08:26 Are we turning an it like AI into a being?1:14:15 The irony of some people celebrating the end times while others turn to transhumanism.1:38:18 Can you leave your tech toys at home for a week without feeling anxiety?1:49:48 Why is it so important for humanity to understand very clearly what reality is?ResourcesDepth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence: Soul and the Machine, edited by Jason Batt and Jonathan EricksonThe Art of Jungian Couples Therapy: An Introduction by Elizabeth Nelson and Anthony DelmedicoThe Art of Inquiry: A Depth Psychology Perspective by Elizabeth Nelson and Joseph CoppinPsyche's Knife: Archetypal Explorations of Love and Power by Elizabeth NelsonJournal of Jungian Scholarly StudiesUnderstanding Media: The Extension of Man by Marshall McLuhan and Lewis Lapham Elizabeth's Psyche, Soma, Cyborg course at the Pacifica Graduate InstituteThe Ship of Theseus (Theseus's Paradox)Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. DickExteroceptionElysiumThe work of James Hillman and Edward EdingerPaul's podcast conversation with B. EarlDNA: Pirates of the Sacred Spiral by Leonard HorowitzFrankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary ShelleyThe Forgotten Truth: The Common Vision of the World's Religions by Huston SmithThe Social Dilemma on NetflixElizabeth's presentation during the recent Soul and the Machine webinar on the International Society of Mythology websiteFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesPique LifeCHEK InstituteWe may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.

In this episode, I sit down with Aditya Karanam — part of the Effective Altruism community in India and an animal advocate working with Electric Sheep and Animal Ethics — to figure out what it actually means to "do good" well.We cover two big things. First, the basics of Effective Altruism: what it is, where it came from, and the three things the community uses to decide which problems to work on first (scale, neglectedness, and tractability). Why so much of the EA crowd seems to come from tech, what counts as an "EA intervention," and what the community in India actually looks like today.Then we pivot to animal advocacy — why Aditya has chosen this cause over every other one, what factory farming in India actually looks like (we're the second-largest beef producer in the world, by the way), and whether tech like lab-grown meat is the answer or just part of it.I push back through a lot of it — I'm a meat eater myself — so this is less a lecture and more me trying to figure it out in real time.EPISODE LINKS:Electric Sheep : https://www.electricsheep.is/Aditya's Linkedin : https://in.linkedin.com/in/aditya-s-karanam-84859b10280,000 Hours : 80000hours.orgGiving What We Can — givingwhatwecan.orgPodcast Socials :Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/decentmakeoverTwitter : https://twitter.com/decentmakeovrLinkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-dsouza-74542b295/PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://anchor.fm/ryandsouzaApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NQhg6SSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3qJ3tWJAmazon Music: https://amzn.to/3P66j2BGoogle Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3am7rQcGaana: https://bit.ly/3ANS4v1RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/609210d4/podcast/rss

This episode is an audio unboxing special. I open a bunch of parcels and describe the contents. Featuring: Gunner Almer's Grimscar (solo) RPG https://crowheartroleplay.itch.io/grimscar-rpg-solo Charlie Ward's we&we from EX FIRST GAMES https://ex1st.itch.io/we Man Alone's Prima Materia https://dicenest.com/products/prima-materia-is-an-alchemical-oracle-for-solo-role-playing-worldbuilding-and-creative-inquiry Man Alone explains Prima Materia https://youtu.be/UXTwHg-HPwA?si=HTKR-x6SWTVA68mL Adam Hensley's Monolith https://adamhensley.itch.io/monolith James M. Spahn's White Box Dungeon Adventures from Barrel Rider Games https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-spahn/white-box-dungeon-adventures/paperback/product-57wrvy4.html?srsltid=AfmBOooPRv4dtyrYwPFipc55GwZ6Ezmikf_K1Lt4kHf7nXFIdMUpSStg&page=1&pageSize=4 Vagabond Pulp Fantasy Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook from Land of the Blind https://landoftheblind.myshopify.com/collections/vagabond-pulp-fantasy-rpg?srsltid=AfmBOoqAREu7j9Ii6dbfXCve0J5TZwKrXyaNrepT--gi_cuxCABzHWon Call of Cthulhu: 50th Anniversary Slipcase Set Honourable mentions: Andy Goodman (Grizzly Peaks Radio), Jen Fridy (HangnailJenny), Scott Dorward (The Good Friends of Jackson Elias), Mike Perceval-Maxwell (Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories), Barney Dicker (Loco Ludus) At the special request of Goblin's Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It's 1982's classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you'd like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss the new podcast I'm involved with, entitled With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. In our latest episode, we pit Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein against Luc Besson's Dracula. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me a 90-second audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

The third and final section elaborates the "deductive" method of myth criticism, and gets into the details of the fourfold cycle of the myth of the hero, which Frye believes underlies all of literature. Some references to Frazer and Jung, and discussion of Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as a case study.To support the show, and get early access to episodes and bonus content (written and audio), please visit https://www.patreon.com/symbolpod.--AA

In this episode, I respond to some Movie Monday: Westworld feedback from Goblin's Henchman and Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and share my initial thoughts on the Westworld TV series from 2016. If you'd like to be a paranoid android, why not try The Gaslight Club by Stoo Goff https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/335302/the-gaslight-club Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ At the special request of Goblin's Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It's 1982's classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you'd like to be included in the show. Also, be sure to check out With Wife and I. My wife, Isla, suggested we take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can email me at ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Greg welcomes Dr. Paul Hoffman, professor at Samford University and co-author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep. They discuss about leading and teaching in the age of intelligence and how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing technological world.

For April's Movie Monday, we watched the 1973 sci-fi western Westworld, written & directed by Michael Crichton. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Goblin's henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (itch, YouTube) & Jorphdan of Jorphdan's Jocular Junction (YouTube, jorphdan.com) M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis (podcast) Darkfluid of The Silver Key (podcast) & Q Joseph Gill of The Dekahedron RPG Podcast Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ At the special request of Goblin's Henchman, the movie for May goes out to Geoff. It's 1982's classic neo-noir sci-fi Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. That episode will air on May 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 23rd if you'd like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. In our latest episode, we pit Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein against Luc Besson's Dracula. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

The pleasures and perils of nostalgia & reference, the importance of identifying real play versus gamified labor, and whether the internet used to be fun: Matthew Leggat of the Utopian & Dystopian Fictions podcast joins to discuss Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Matthew Leggatt Title: Ready Player One by Ernie Cline Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough References: ARB’s Fundraiser!!! Matthew’s Cultural and Political Nostalgia in the Age of Terror, Play in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction, and Wastelands and Wonderlands The Utopian & Dystopian Fictions podcast I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas U&DF episode with Olivas Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash & Reamde William Gibson’s Neuromancer K.A. Teryna’s Black Hole Heart translated by Alex Shvartsman Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenya’s Chain Gang All-Stars Was It Yesterday: Nostalgia in Contemporary Film and Television edited by Matthew Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code Gamergate “Playing the Game of Literature: Ready Player One, the Ludic Novel, and the Geeky ‘Canon’ of White Masculinity” by Megan Amber Condis Captain Crunch: phreaker John Draper Kyle Chayka’s "Why the internet isn't fun anymore" William Gibson’s “The Gernsback Continuum” Ling Ma's Severance Helen MacDonald & Syn Blaché’s Prophet MacDonald’s H is for Hawk Stanislaw Lem's Solaris Alice Landsberg's Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture The television series Stranger Things Mark Fisher's Ghosts of My Life Richard Fleischer’s Soylent Green (based on Harrison’s Make Room! Make Room!) & Paul R. Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb Samuel Butler’s Erewhon B.F. Skinner’s Walden Two Voight-Kampf Test from Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner / Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The "lusory attitude" from Bernard Suits' The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia Ernst Callenbach's Ecotopia Philip Nel’s “I Love the ‘80s: Dystopia, Nostalgia, and Ready Player One” Michael Jackson 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back (That's Mike Nelson of MST3K Fame) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby Jordan Carroll's Speculative Whiteness Paul Hardisty'sForcing trilogy

Media historian Rex from Beyond Electric Sheep is here to chat about Evangelion video games! From visual novels to fighting games to mahjong, we (magma) dive into how one of Japan's most important anime is also emblematic of a special time in Japanese gaming history. Plus, I look at the wacky Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and the deathly serious Pokemon Champions.Follow our guest!Website: https://www.beyondelectricsheep.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BEYONDELECTRICSHEEPBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rnaboursiii.bsky.socialAnd check out this week's special ad: Kirby Conversations Podcast!https://www.soundstone.network/kirby-conversations(0:00) - IntroFeature(0:55) - Evangelion Video Games w/ Beyond Electric SheepGames(37:44) - Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream(47:14) - Pokemon ChampionsNews(56:22) - Rhythm Heaven Groove, new Nintendo merchSocial media:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tokyogamelife.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/TokyoGameLifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tokyogamelifeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tokyogamelife/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tokyogamelifeWebsite: https://tokyogamelife.com/Like and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Dr. Paul Hoffman is the author of the book "AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep." He serves as Associate Professor of Religious and Biblical Studies at Samford University. Dr. Hoffman discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence on church ministry today. 

This week, we discuss the atmospheric, dystopian sci-fi noir, Blade Runner, the film that ranks number 97 on the AFI list.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Warner Bros. and The Ladd Company production. Released on June 25, 1982. Directed by Ridley Scott. Screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. Cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth. Edited by Terry Rawlings. Music by Vangelis.

Dave McArthur welcomes guest host Jay Schweig to discuss the Philip K. Dick novella and source of the film Bladerunner, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, while drinking imitation beer and real Chablis.

In this episode, Jaime, Patrick and Micah discuss what's happening in our world through the lens of the Blade Runner films. This conversation proved to be riveting, sobering and challenging. We try our best to serve author Philip K. Dick's intentions when he wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. We discuss everything from why a system would develop a version of people without empathy to how immigrants are similar to Replicants.   This show touches on a lot of hot button topics and it's not for everyone. If you're looking for pure escapism and entertainment, this would not be the episode for you.   // For more on this and our other projects, please visit www.bladerunnerpodcast.com  // If you'd like to join the conversation, find us on our closed Facebook group: Fields of Calantha. // To support the show, please consider visiting www.bladerunnerpodcast.com/support. We've got some great perks available! // And as always, please consider rating, reviewing, and sharing this show. We can't tell you how much your support means to us, but we can hopefully show you by continuing to provide better, more ambitious, and more dynamic content for years to come.

Felonies are down by 99.8%. There hasn't been a murder in 5 years because the police know what will happen before it takes place. There couldn't possibly be any side effects to arresting people who haven't yet committed a crime...right?This sci-fi classic short story from the 1950's comes to us from the same author who wrote "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (aka Blade Runner) and is a great dip into the world of "what if?"Sign up for 'BTMC: Protagonist Edition', where you get EXTENDED VERSIONS of the episodes to take you even deeper into the story, plus bonus character analysis episodes and early access to the next novel so you can read along. Sign up link below: ---------------------------Get BTMC: PROTAGONIST EDITION: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://becomingmain.supercast.com/--GET THE FREE NEWSLETTER: "THE SCHOOL OF PROTAGONISM"Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@schoolofprotagonism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW BTMC FOR MORE GREAT CONTENT:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/becomingmain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/becomingmain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Glenn Sarangapany is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who serves as the sonic texturalist for Australian rock heavyweights Birds of Tokyo. Since joining the band in 2012, Glenn has become pivotal to their evolving sound, blending his classical piano and jazz guitar training to layer rich synthesizers and backing vocals on chart-topping albums like March Fires and Human Design. Beyond his touring work, Glenn is the founder and creative director of sound production studio Electric Sheep. We sit down with Glenn to discuss his journey from session player to full-time member and the specific gear he uses to build the band's massive live sound. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel Discussion topics covered during the show (links will open in new tab):   Birds of Tokyo – Starlights Glenn’s musical upbringing Jebediah live The Triffids Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts  Glenn with Birds of Tokyo at an early gig, 2009 The challenges of a Western Australian band going on tour Glenn’s Birds of Tokyo keyboard rig (you can also check out our seperate rig tour with Glenn here) Making space for keyboards in a guitar heavy band Adapting the studio recording keyboard parts to the live environment Bird of Tokyo Live – Unbreakable Birds of Tokyo – Anchor Birds of Tokyo – Lanterns Live on New Year’s Eve 2025 Upcoming music from Birds of Tokyo The joys of working with an orchestra Birds of Tokyo live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra  – Good Lord Electric Sheep Music The challenges and opportunities of AI and music Desert Island Discs: Self-Titled (Blue Album) – Weezer, OST – KPop Demon Hunters, Nevermind – Nirvana, Self Titled (Green Album) – Weezer, American Idiot – Green Day Key links: Buy some keyboard related merchandise Drop us a line via the website, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Threads, BlueSky, TikTok or LinkedIn Complete our listener survey to help us improve the show, it only takes 90 seconds. Support us on Patreon and receive bonus content Check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.The post Glenn Sarangapany, Birds of Tokyo appeared first on The Keyboard Chronicles.

Episode 2 of Park Bench Ontology looks at enframing — the idea that modern systems don't just control what we do, but how the world shows up to us in the first place.Using Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, we trace how empathy, humanity, and morality become measurable outputs inside a technological worldview — and what happens when people start treating themselves like machines.This isn't about robots. It's about work, burnout, identity, and why being human now feels like a performance metric.When everything becomes a resource — attention, emotion, relationships — the question isn't “Are we free?”It's “Free to do what?”Park Bench Ontology is a lo-fi philosophy series about ideology, culture, capitalism, and existential drift.New episodes weekly.

T777:https://substack.com/@realthomas777 https://x.com/ThomasCyr777 https://www.imperiumpress.org/shop/st... Radio Free Chicago J: https://findmyfrens.net/jburden/ Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/j.burden Substack: https://substack.com/@jburden Patreon: https://patreon.com/Jburden GUMROAD: https://radiofreechicago.gumroad.com/l/ucduc Axios: https://axios-remote-fitness-coaching.kit.com/affiliate ETH: 0xB06aF86d23B9304818729abfe02c07513e68Cb70 BTC: 33xLknSCeXFkpFsXRRMqYjGu43x14X1iEt

So this is the new year Welcome to 2026 listeners, it's looking like we are in for another great year of horror full of fresh voices and terrors. It's the perfect time to join the Books in the Freezer Reading Challenge.  Books Mentioned:  This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers Pig Wife by Abbey Luck A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200 by Robert Brockway Mama Came Callin' by Ezra Clayton Daniels Cruelty Free by Caroline Glenn Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaeffer The Body by Bethany C. Morrow For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward Dollface by Lindy Ryan Greedy by Callie Kazumi Dead First by Johnny Compton  First Date by Gemma Amor Sweetside Motel by E.L. Chen You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran Wretch: or the Unbecoming of Porcelain Khaw by Eric LaRocca Curse of Hester Gardens by Tamika Thompson Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker Molka by Monika Kim Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman The Seventh Sister by Dawn Kurtagich Odessa by Gabrielle Sher The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer Shy Girl by Mia Ballard Not Your Final Girl by Mikayla Randolph Accumulation by Aimee Pokwata Make Me Better by Sarah Gailley Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger Headlights by CJ Leede Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay Check out the Final Girl Playlist      

In today's Fantasy for the Ages episode, Jim goes solo to break down the Top 15 CONFIRMED Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror novels coming in 2026 — books with officially announced publication dates that are already shaping what kind of reading year 2026 is going to be.This isn't a speculative list. Every title discussed has been confirmed by publishers, and Jim digs into:• What kind of story each book is bringing• The genre and subgenre it fits into• Whether it's a standalone or part of a series (and which number)• Why each one matters in the bigger SFFH conversation• Whether Jim plans to read it or notFrom massive fan-favorite series returns to buzzy standalone releases, literary speculative fiction, dark fantasy, science fiction, and horror, this list covers the full spectrum of what SFFH readers can genuinely expect in 2026.

This week Scott and Patrick discuss the 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" By Philip K. Dick. This sci fi classic was the basis of the cult classic film "Blade Runner" however there is much intellectual curiosity to be found within the source material. We discuss at length.Don't forget to join our Telegram channel at T.me/historyhomos and to join our group chat at T.me/historyhomoschatFor programming updates and news follow us across social media @historyhomospod and follow Scott @Scottlizardabrams and Patrick @cantgetfooledagainradio OR subscribe to our telegram channel t.me/historyhomosThe video version of the show is available on Substack, Rokfin, bitchute, odysee and RumbleFor weekly premium episodes or to contribute to the show subscribe to our channel at www.historyhomospod.substack.comYou can donate to the show directly at paypal.me/historyhomosTo order a History Homos T shirt (and recieve a free sticker) please send your shirt size and address to Historyhomos@gmail.com and please address all questions, comments and concerns there as well.Later homos

Step into the neon-lit, blockbuster-driven, power-fantasy decade that reshaped speculative fiction forever. In today's episode, Jim counts down the best fantasy villain and the best science-fiction villain for every year of the 1980s — from 1980 all the way through 1989.From Lord Foul and Raistlin Majere… to the Formics and the Shrike… the '80s gave us some of the most iconic, influential, and unforgettable villains in genre history.Whether you love epic fantasy, cyberpunk, space opera, political SF, dark fantasy, or classic military sci-fi, this decade is PACKED with legendary antagonists worth revisiting.Which villain owned the decade for YOU? Tell us in the comments!If you enjoy this journey through SFF history, don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring that notification bell so you never miss an episode.And if you want to support the show and unlock bonus perks, check out our Patreon!:

Today Jenny and her sister Katie take on the epic challenge of comparing the Mary Shelley classic, Frankenstein with Guillermo Del Toro's new movie. We answer all the important questions - did the creature have a brain? Who the f*ck is Catherine? Mia Goth is British!? And what was the milk count?Books mentioned:Poor Things by Alasdair GreyMonstrilio by Gerardo Sámano CórdovaDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. DickLove, Sex and Frankenstein by Caroline LeaA Botanical Daughter by Noah MedlockMovies/TV mentioned:The Fly (1986)Tim Burton - The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissor Hands, FrankenweenieBlade RunnerJurassic ParkPenny Dreadful (TV)The Frankenstein Chronicles (TV)Wuthering Heights (2026)Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, we read stories about AI.• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Weird (ed. Ann & Jeff VanderMeer)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dangerous Visions (ed. Harlan Ellison)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Complete John Silence (by Algernon Blackwood)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon (Free Bonus Episodes)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Email us at genrepodcast@gmail.com“Mecahnical man” by Bill McConkey, used under CC BY 4.0. Changes: cropped/graded. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez is an extraordinary travelogue and memoir that invites readers on a journey through the world's cemeteries. Mariana joins us to talk about travelogues, epigraphs, confronting death, working through fear, horror films and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang.                    New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enriquez Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination by Avery F. Gordon

This week Machine Poetry stopped by the studio and had a great chat with us about art, poetry, ai, creativity and staying true to yourself in your art. Machine Poetrycan be found at the following links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themachinepoetry Instagram: instagram.com/themachinepoetry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themachinepoetry Enjoy their music on Spotify, or you can find them on the new 561 Music Playlist we created of various local artists that we will be continually updating. Machine Poetry on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1lugdzgw9pYmWOzzoRHNHN?si=KZsKCHOwSoCFFBbabQo4nA 561 Music Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7y2i0AgJTGRMtxMADgZ7AZ?si=Zp77sqBTuewWTDouxH2g 561 Music Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/561musicpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/561musicpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/561musicpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/561musicpodcast A huge thank you to our sponsors this week. STEINGER, GREENE &. FEINER, INJURY ATTORNEYS Stenger, Greene and Feiner has been a part of the community for over 25 years and prides themselves in not only in getting their clients the compensation they deserve, but also in getting involved the community through volunteer programs and supporting local charities. HARMONY MANAGEMENT GROUP Does it overwhelm you to walk into your small business or home office? Sometimes all you need is just a little help and that is where Harmony Management Group can help you. Offering anywhere from just a few hours a week of office help for basic office tasks like filing and organizing to full service business offerings like bookkeeping, payroll, tax services, data entry, scheduling, invoices and much much more. She is slowly becoming the go to accountant for artists and musicians because of her understanding of the music and art business. She can service all of your business needs and tailor plans specific your business spectrum. There is no need to stress and worry about the little things in your business (or the big things for that matter!). Take a deep breath and call Mary at Harmony Management Group at (561) 420-5652. That's Mary at Harmony Management Group at (561) 420-5652 and tell her Ben and Hector from 561 Music sent you. You won't be dissappointed and in fact you will be relieved you did. Let Harmony Management Group put the ZEN Back Into Your Life! JUPITER INLET BOAT RENTALS Jupiter Inlet Boat Rentals is Palm Beach County's Premier Boat Rental Company and Boat Rental Club. As an alternative to boat ownership, our membership club ranks number #1 in boat quality, availability and customer satisfaction. OASIS ROOT COFFEE AND KAVA LOUNGE Oasis Root Coffee and Kava Lounge in Jupiter is a fun, relaxing place to come by drink kava, java, or tea, and hang out… South Pacific Style! Open daily from 8am-1am. Located at 185 E. Indiantown Rd., Suite 111, Jupiter, FL 33477. LIVE MUSIC COMMUNITY Thank you to Justin and Live Music Community for all they do to make our podcasts as professional as possible. If you are looking to do a podcast, record an album, do a live stream, or anything of that type, Live Music Community is the place to go. LMC is also a music school that takes it up a notch by not only teaching the foundations of music theory and songs on instruments and vocals but also teaches the students the full band experience. They team your child up with like-minded individuals who then go on to play shows, do live streams, and learn the dos and don'ts of being in a successful working band. You can find them online at https://www.livemusiccommunity.com and on Facebook and Instagram @LMCFlorida 561 Music Podcast was recorded by our producer Justin Hucker at Live Music Community, which offers podcasting, video production, live stream, music lessons, recording and so much more. Check them out and take a virtual studio tour here: https://www.livemusiccommunity.com

Some of the most famous fantasy, science fiction, and horror books of all time bombed when they first hit shelves! In this episode, I kick off a five-part series exploring 50 legendary works that were ignored, rejected, or destroyed before finding their readers. From Dune's 20-publisher rejection streak to The Colour of Magic's tiny first printing, we're celebrating the ultimate literary comebacks.Join me as we rediscover how failure turned into fame—and why these books are now pillars of the genres we love.

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