Podcasts about Universal Harvester

On this episode of Horror Joy, Brian Onishi and Jeff Stoyanoff unpack the discomforting narratives of John Darnielle's Universal Harvester and A24's Heretic, examining how faith fuels both profound peace and unsettling horror. We'll trace the emotional arcs of these characters, exploring the role of belief in their lives and in our own.We'll discuss:·      The role that expectation plays in what we are willing to believe and what we reject·      The impact narrative has on meaning, community, and discourse·      The horrors of manipulating someone's beliefs for the sake of power and control·      The sweet sadness of family, loss, and time·      And the nostalgia for a time organized and documented by VHS tapesSo, light your favorite candle and join us as we dig deep into the world of faith and belief. But check the tapes before we go, lest you get lost in the labyrinth of iterations. 03:17 Heretic35:55 Universal Harvester57:30 Finding Joy in the Mundane01:07:01 Final Thoughts and Recommendations HereticUniversal Harvester – by John Darnielle Rhetoric, Hermeneutics, and Translation in the Middle Ages by Rita CopelandHorror Tropes and Human Sadness in Universal Harvester by Carmen Maria MachadoHorror and the Death of God by Simon Marsden, in Horror and Religion – New Literary Approaches to Theology, Race, and SexualityDan MaclellanShock Induction by Chuck PalahniukChekhov's GunHermeneuticsThe Call of the Eco-Weird in Fiction, Film, and Games – edited by Brian Hisao Onishi and Nathan M. Bell

John Darnielle, front man to The Mountain Goats, and author of the previously covered Wolf in White Van and Universal Harvester has a new book. We are covering it RIGHT NOW. 

In this bonus episode, producer Andrew Gill interviews John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats about his most recent novel, "Devil House" and his previous two novels, "Universal Harvester" and "Wolf In White Van."Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvc Send us a Voice Memo: https://bit.ly/2RyD5Ah Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9T

Each Tuesday night, Ersa Lowly brings you Clairaudience, a selection of mellow compositions to lull you to sleep and strange, far out stories from the WASTOIDS hotline. This week, we've got a special guest calling in: John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, a reliable source of literate folk rock for decades (and a big sensation on TikTok). He's also a writer, the author of Wolf in White Van, Universal Harvester, and a new one called Devil House, about a true crime writer and the aftermath of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. He joins Ersa for a conversation about the new book, far out dreams, and more. 

"Diversions & Dramas"Like father, like daughter? Not on this episode! Kate takes the serious route, Steve the lighthearted one—meaning you're sure to hear about something that you'll like. Serial Killers, Abductees, & Ancient EvilsKate's picks fall in the serious British drama mode—a serial killer loose in Thailand ("Serpent") and an abducted young woman who escapes from captivity after 13 years ("Thirteen," starring a pre-"Killing Eve" Jodie Comer). She delves into  the Netflix fantasy series "Shadow and Bone," in which a young woman with magical powers moves through a world plagued by a swath of permanent darkness. And she recommends the novel "The City We Became," with representatives of New York City's boroughs confronting an ancient evil. Whew!From the Colombian Jungle to the French RivieraMeanwhile, Steve is on an adventure-filled romp through the jungles of Colombia in "Romancing the Stone." Then he's laughing at one of the silliest, and yet still enjoyable, British comedies ever, "The Love Punch," with Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan trying to pull off an elaborate diamond heist on the French Riviera to get their pensions back. (You read that right.)  Novel-wise, he recommends "Universal Harvester," a beautifully-written "horror" novel about America's lost and lonely. Popahallics #35 PlaylistOur latest playlist features artists such as the Beatles, Dar Williams,  the Time, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with songs about spies, jungle love ... and Iowa.Click through the links to watch/read what we're talking about.

On the second EVER episode of Read Weens Thomas, London, and Joe discuss two novels by The Mountain Goats frontman and founder John Darnielle. What are your thoughts on the books? Love them, hate them? Let us know.

In which Jeff and Maggie discuss John Darnielle's UNIVERSAL HARVESTER, a book that they both finished in a normal amount of time! This one is a really fun listen and we hope you enjoy! Points of Interest: Daria, Scorcese, Sugar Nips, Inaccurate Waterfowl Anatomy, Iowa, Dudeism

When we learned that poet Jackson Holbert asked to speak with John Darnielle for this episode, it made so much sense to us. Holbert’s poems in the magazine are simple in construction, but the voice is incredibly distinct. The poems deal with heavy subjects in a way that feels normal, everyday. For those listeners who spent the 90s listening to cassettes of Darnielle’s musical moniker, The Mountain Goats, you know that Darnielle has one of the most deceptively simple and distinct vocal styles you’ll ever encounter.  Holbert and Darnielle discuss everything from Iowa, a shared love of Slipknot, metal, and the physicality of writing. You’ll hear Darnielle read an unreleased lyric for a future song, and read from his latest novel, Universal Harvester. Holbert reads “The Uncle Poem” from the January 2021 issue of Poetry.

Welcome to the first episode of Read Weens, the monthly podcast where London, Thomas, Joe, and on occasion Pierre will discuss some sort of literary work. This first episode is pretty ROCKY and hopefully we can get the video to not look like garbage next time around, but we do talk about Bleach, which for a period of time was one of the BIGGEST manga coming out. Specifically we take a look at the first 182 chapters, covering the first and second main arcs of the story. Next month we will be covering Wolf in White Van and Universal Harvester, two novels by John Darnielle, frontman and founder of The Mountain Goats.

We read this book at the request of our Patron Will as part of his Patreon rewards. If you, too, would like to force us to read a book, head over to our Patreon and select the $10/month tier. On page 2 of Universal Harvester, you're already invested in the mystery: what's being spliced into the tapes at the local video rental store - snuff; child abuse; human trafficking? If you lived during the era of VHS rental, have ever liked a David Lynch creation, a Chuck Palahniuk book, or House of Leaves and ache for a story with emotional intelligence that's anything but predictable - John Darnielle has your number. Content warnings: Our usual barnyard language, plus: car accidents and suggested captivity/torture/murder.

Port Moody Public Library is kicking off their 2020 Booktoberfest with a Readathon. Find out what staff are planning to read in the 72 hours. Read along with us and chat about your Readathon books on our Facebook Group. Books discussed are: The City and The City, A Wish in the Dark, Highway of Tears, Rebecca, Son of a Trickster, Lobizona, Stamped, Black Flamingo, Mother for Dinner, Universal Harvester, Space Opera, Soul of the Sword, The Honjin Murders, Shine, and The War That Saved My Life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keepitfictional/message

John Darnielle, for those who are not in the know, is the front man, musician and head writer for the awesome band The Mountain Goats as well as a poet, an author - most notably of two novels "Wolf in White Van" and "Universal Harvester" - and podcast co-host for I Only Listen To The Mountain Goats.He also happens to love movies, specifically slasher horror films, and they have influenced or inspired some of his writing. So, after hearing many interviews with him about music and literature, I thought the world deserved John Darnielle's take on films and his fandom for them.We talk Spider-Man, Hellraiser, Death Wish, Charles Bronson, Universal Harvester, writing, books, vhs, authenticity, music and so much more. It's a fascinating, one of a kind chat with a unique person - take a listen and enjoy!!The Mountain Goats new album In League With Dragons is released on April 26th and can be pre-ordered from http://www.mountain-goats.com/John Darnielle is also the co-host of the podcast "I Only Listen to The Mountain Goats" which is available wherever podcasts can me found. Check it out!

Episode 1-44: Overstuffed Wherein I review: 161. Universal Harvester by John Darnielle 162, The Labyrinth Index (Library Files #9) by Charles Stross 163. The Three Sacred Cities (Jack West Jr. #5) by Matthew Reilly 164. Dark Sacred Night (Harry Bosch #21, Renee Ballard #2) by Michael Connelly 165. Fooling Houdini by Alex Stone 166. Target: Alex Cross (Alex Cross #26) by James Patterson 167. The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen 168. The Beast of Barcroft (Fatal Folklore Trilogy #1) by Bill Schweigart 169. Northwoods (Fatal Folklore Trilogy #2) by Bill Schweigart 170. Bill, the Galactic Hero (Bill the Galactic Hero #1) by Harry Harrison

Summer knits with the twins!WolkigTill the Cowls Come HomeOlivia MittsHoneylocust LoopMount PleasantSnapBinicSamTake HeartMineSeawayDuane Park TriangleWatersThe Handmaid's TaleThe Song of AchillesCirceA Gentleman in MoscowThe Woman in the WindowThe Left Hand of DarknessThe Great AloneUniversal Harvester'Salem's LotMusic: She May Call You Up Tonight by The Left Banke Direct Link

Amanda and Jenn discuss pioneer fiction, distraction reads, slashers, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love and First Lessons by Lina J. Potter.   Questions   1. Hello! I am a literature and linguistics double major and am going to be taking 5 classes at an intensive this summer. I am looking for books that are easy to read and really draw you in. I love “The Vacationers,” “the Secret History,” and “the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,” and am also a huge fan of classics but want something a bit easier to read than that. I am also looking for fiction books that take place during the rise of Irish Nationalism in the 1910s. I am reading Yeats and Joyce and would like books that will fill in a bit of background information. Thanks so much! –Quinn Elle   2. Hi, I’m looking for a specific type of book that I’m at a loss of where to find. I love love love the Little House on the Prairie series and I have not been able to find any others like it! I enjoy reading about how people lived in the pioneer days. I recently read The Snowchild which was a story of survival as well and I enjoyed that too. Please find me some books similar to those! I like fiction, nonfiction, historical, YA is fine, but please no short stories, poems, or graphic novels. Thanks so much in advance, I look forward to hearing what you recommend! –Susan   3. Hi gals, I believe you have covered something like this before, but I am not sure how to really search for without going through every past episode. Hoping you can help me! My cousin/bestie’s mother-in-law is starting chemotherapy and radiation and they would like to read something light and easy together. My cousin loved the Twilight series and she and her MiL like Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steele. Both of them, but especially her MiL are progressive and her MiL isn’t religious (my cousin believes in God but also isn’t overly religious). Do you have any uplifting books for them to read? I think they would prefer something that distracts them a bit from the cancer and the physical and emotional pain it causes, so I’d rather it not be about anyone dying or that focuses a large part of the plot on being ill. That said, if it is an uplifting story about someone overcoming a serious illness and you think it would be a good fit for them, I’d certainly consider it. Thank you very much, –Kristin   4. Hello Get Booked! I’m a longtime listener of all things Book Riot and am coming to you for a recommendation for my mother, whose birthday is right around the corner (along with Mother’s Day). To give you an idea, she’s an avid and curious reader who loves plants and gardening, food, historical fiction, cute/feel-good stories, and books with great writing. She also likes current books, books that are on the new releases/hot reads shelf at the library, that she hears about on NPR, etc. Some books that she’s really enjoyed have been Lab Girl, Stay With Me, The Sympathizer (loved the story/writing, didn’t like the ending), The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Goodbye Vitamin. What she doesn’t like are books that are heavy-handed with their message or that have an unrealistic/unrelatable plot (she didn’t like The Nightingale, The Family Fang, or Manhattan Beach). Hopefully that will help you/me out and I can nail her birthday gift this year!! Thanks so much, –Chloe   5. Hi! I have a book swap quickly approaching with a complete stranger. It’s a “slasher” themed swap (which I have understood to mean horror or dark psychological suspense). My partner has listed Stephen King, Grady Hendrix, Richard Laymon, Anne Rice, and James Newman as her favorite authors. She has read and enjoyed The Grip of It by Jac Jemc, Bird Box by Josh Malerman, Universal Harvester by John Darnielle, NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, and Little Heaven by Nick Cutter. She did not particularly enjoy Final Girls by Riley Sager or Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones. Could you recommend a book or two for this swap that would make her day? Thanks! –Tanya   6. My sister is trying to get into reading and she keeps coming to me for book requests, which is great, but I’ve run out of ideas on what to suggest to her. She likes reading Nicholas Sparks, Sarah Dessen and John Green, but I believe at this point she’s read them all. She also thoroughly enjoyed Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, mostly because the plot line kept her interested and she loved the sections about the elephants. I got her Where’d You Go Bernedette for her birthday which she seemed excited for but she hasn’t read it yet. She loves the outdoors and animals and nature, she just needs a plot line that is going to keep her interested from beginning to end. Thank you! –Allyson   7. Hi Amanda and Jenn! I recently discovered this podcast and have been loving it. After binging several episodes, I was tempted to submit a request of my own. I’m in my late twenties and have never been in a relationship; the short way to put it is just that I make friends rather slowly, have never found the idea of romance that appealing, and haven’t yet met anyone to change my mind. I do want a partner though and have tentatively started dating, but I’m not finding the process much fun. I wonder if you could recommend a sweet-hearted story with an older, skeptical or inexperienced narrator with a similar mindset and a happy ending. (In the ballpark of The Rosie Project maybe? Have read Persuasion and Attachments.) I have seen contemporary stories about online dating mishaps, but even humorous takes on this aren’t that encouraging for me. Obviously a Romance would be fine, but it’s also okay for the relationship to be off to the side (enjoy general fiction, mysteries, SFF, and historical fiction). I’m fine with straight or LGBTQIA, steamy bits are welcome, and actually I’ve had some luck with fantasy settings where relationships are arranged/necessary for magical health, etc. No YA and please no trigger warnings. –KS   Books Discussed   The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt The Mothers by Brit Bennett Giveaway! bookriot.com/bookstore500 Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich Burial Rites by Hannah Kent A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes (TW: harm to children and basically everyone else also) Security by Gina Wohlsdorf (rec’d by Liberty) When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

Stephanie and Meghan are joined by Phil Gonzales of Deep in Bear County, It's Del Toro Time, and Klickitcast to discuss Universal Harvester by John Darnielle!  We have a hard time categorizing this book, as it appears on the surface to be a horror book, yet diving into it ..... we still can't quite figure out how to classify it. And yet, none of us could put the book down!  We discuss small town life, feelings of dread and incompleteness, how our views of horror books shouldn't be shoehorned in, the necessity of loss in life and how it can't be avoided....but strangely in an upbeat kind of way? Book drink: Milwaukee's Best (a Beast!)  Find us on the web: Website | Twitter | Facebook |Facebook Group | Instagram | Email: judgingcoverspodcast@gmail.com Find our hosts: Meghan's Twitter | Stephanie's Instagram and guest:  Deep in Bear County A Bernstain Bearcast | It's Del Toro Time | Klickitcast: A Beverly Cleary Podcast

John Darnielle, lead singer of the Mountain Goats and writer of Universal Harvester and Wolf in White Van, sits down in the Damn Library for a far-ranging conversation covering everything from addiction to translated fiction. They talk about being frightened and why John writes, along with a myriad of other things. John also brings Mathias Énard's one-sentence novel Zone (translated by Charlotte Mandell) to the guys, and they discuss hypnosis and dispel some 90s nostalgia.  music: Disaster Magic - Volkswagen Folklore (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) contribute to our patreon! patreon.com/smdb for book lists, drink recipes, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imogen Watches the classic 2017 film Universal Harvester. (download) |  (music by HIRS and Tender Defender | (podcast title image by Annie Mok)

Brea and Mallory present the Reading Glasses Holiday Gift Giving Guide! Use the hashtag #ReadingGlasses to participate in online discussion! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com! Reading Glasses Tote Bags and Bookmarks- https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-rg-dnd-tote   Amazon Wish List http://a.co/dw6o3Jx   Sponsor - Storyworth storyworth.com/readingglasses   Links -   Abe Books https://www.abebooks.com Reading Glasses Transcriptions on Gretta https://gretta.com/1246042223/   Reading Glasses Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/259287784548200/?ref=bookmarks   Reading Glasses Goodreads Group https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/224423-reading-glasses---fan-group   Apex Magazine Page Advice Article https://www.apex-magazine.com/ Books Mentioned -   Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780735224292   Old Man’s War by John Scalzi https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780765348272   The Name of the Wind by Pat Rothfuss https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780756404741   House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780375703768   Fun Home by Alison Bechdel https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780618871711   World War Hulk by Greg Pak and John Romita https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780785125969   Play Their Hearts Out by George Dohrmann https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780345508614   Dream From My Father by Barack Obama https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400082773   Down Among The Sticks and Bone by Seanan McGuire https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780765392039   Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062405838   The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062498533   Universal Harvester by John Darnielle https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780374282103   Abandon Me by Melissa Febos https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781632866578   Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594633737   My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781606999592   The Changeling by Victor LaValle https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780812995947   The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062661340   Exit West by Mohsin Hamid https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780735212176 We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781101912195   Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780307949332   I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501126949   Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780060733483

Ever felt stuck in a rut? Today's story is about a woman who feels trapped in a life she never expected to live. Her husband doesn't appreciate her. She doesn't have any hobbies, any friends or really any social interaction aside from her children. But an old friend has stopped by to help her break out of this funk. Somebody from her childhood that always shows up when she needs him.Support us on PatreonFollow us on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Join the Westside Fairytales Horror and Lit ClubSend us an emailArtwork by Yui BreedloveThis month’s recommendation:Literature recommendation: ”Universal Harvester” by John Darnielle See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Infinite Gestation goes contemporary in this episode featuring John Darnielle's debut novel, Wolf in White Van, nominated for the National Book Award in 2014. Though many know Darnielle as singer-songwriter and member of The Mountain Goats, he is making a well received foray into fiction. His first novel is in no way a vanity project and despite some flaws, stands as a fine specimen of a freshman novel. His sophomore effort Universal Harvester was released in February of this year. Follow @Infin8Gestation on Twitter • Visit InfiniteGestation.com Show Notes & Links Wolf in White Van John Darnielle The Mountain Goats A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (podcast episode) Universal Harvester Weeds (TV Series) We Shall All Be Healed (2004 album) Game Systems Inc. Middle Earth Play-By-Mail (PBM) Briefcase/Suitcase in Pulp Fiction MacGuffin Larry Norman Paul McCartney Death Hoax (Paul is Dead) Backmasking Marabou Stork Nightmares by Irving Welsh The Ice Storm by Rick Moody The Garden of the Forking Paths by  Louise Borges Luca and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

Universal Harvester (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Jeremy works at the Video Hut in Nevada, Iowa a small town in the center of the state, the first a in Nevada pronounced ay. This is the late 1990s, and while the Hollywood Video in Ames poses an existential threat to Video Hut, there are still regular customers, a rush in the late afternoon. It s good enough for Jeremy: It s a job, quiet and predictable, and it gets him out of the house, where he lives with his dad and where they both try to avoid missing Mom, who died six years ago in a car wreck. But when a local schoolteacher comes in to return her copy of "Targets" an old movie, starring Boris Karloff, one Jeremy himself had ordered for the store, she has an odd complaint: There's something on it, she says, but doesn t elaborate. Two days later, a different customer returns "She's All That," a new release, and complains that there s something wrong with it: There's another movie on this tape. Jeremy doesn't want to be curious. But he takes a look and, indeed, in the middle of the movie the screen blinks dark for a moment and "She's All That" is replaced by a black-and-white scene, shot in a barn, with only the faint sounds of someone breathing. Four minutes later, "She's All That" is back. But there is something profoundly unsettling about that scene; Jeremy's compelled to watch it three or four times. The scenes recorded onto "Targets" are similar, undoubtedly created by the same hand. Creepy. And the barn looks much like a barn just outside of town. There will be no ignoring the disturbing scenes on the videos. And all of a sudden, what had once been the placid, regular old Iowa fields and farmhouses now feels haunted and threatening, imbued with loss and instability and profound foreboding. For Jeremy, and all those around him, life will never be the same. John Darnielle’s first novel, Wolf in White Van, was a New York Times bestseller, a National Book Award nominee, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction, and was widely hailed as one of the best novels of the year. He is the writer, composer, guitarist, and vocalist for the band the Mountain Goats. He lives in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife and sons.

Universal Harvester (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Jeremy works at the Video Hut in Nevada, Iowa a small town in the center of the state, the first a in Nevada pronounced ay. This is the late 1990s, and while the Hollywood Video in Ames poses an existential threat to Video Hut, there are still regular customers, a rush in the late afternoon. It s good enough for Jeremy: It s a job, quiet and predictable, and it gets him out of the house, where he lives with his dad and where they both try to avoid missing Mom, who died six years ago in a car wreck. But when a local schoolteacher comes in to return her copy of "Targets" an old movie, starring Boris Karloff, one Jeremy himself had ordered for the store, she has an odd complaint: There's something on it, she says, but doesn t elaborate. Two days later, a different customer returns "She's All That," a new release, and complains that there s something wrong with it: There's another movie on this tape. Jeremy doesn't want to be curious. But he takes a look and, indeed, in the middle of the movie the screen blinks dark for a moment and "She's All That" is replaced by a black-and-white scene, shot in a barn, with only the faint sounds of someone breathing. Four minutes later, "She's All That" is back. But there is something profoundly unsettling about that scene; Jeremy's compelled to watch it three or four times. The scenes recorded onto "Targets" are similar, undoubtedly created by the same hand. Creepy. And the barn looks much like a barn just outside of town. There will be no ignoring the disturbing scenes on the videos. And all of a sudden, what had once been the placid, regular old Iowa fields and farmhouses now feels haunted and threatening, imbued with loss and instability and profound foreboding. For Jeremy, and all those around him, life will never be the same. John Darnielle’s first novel, Wolf in White Van, was a New York Times bestseller, a National Book Award nominee, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction, and was widely hailed as one of the best novels of the year. He is the writer, composer, guitarist, and vocalist for the band the Mountain Goats. He lives in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife and sons.

John Darnielle has always had a facility with words. As singer and songwriter behind the Mountain Goats, Darnielle has made pop poetry about lonely outsiders and cultural marginalia. Now, in his second novel, Universal Harvester, he explores the lives of desperate people in a small Iowa town. He also talks about a song title so good that no singer could ever do it justice.  In the Spiel, how competent people are quietly undoing Trump. Today’s sponsors: ZipRecruiter.Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with$4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods atKeurig.comwith code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Darnielle has always had a facility with words. As singer and songwriter behind the Mountain Goats, Darnielle has made pop poetry about lonely outsiders and cultural marginalia. Now, in his second novel, Universal Harvester, he explores the lives of desperate people in a small Iowa town. He also talks about a song title so good that no singer could ever do it justice.  In the Spiel, how competent people are quietly undoing Trump. Today’s sponsors: ZipRecruiter.Post your job listing to all the top job sites with a single click. Try it for free by going to ZipRecruiter.com/gist. Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is passionate about making a smoother tasting cup. Try it today with$4 off when you buy two boxes of most Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup pods atKeurig.comwith code TRYGMC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we read and discuss Thomas Pierce's short story "Chairman Spaceman," published in the New Yorker. The story is about a man, Dom Whipple, and his last day on earth before he leaves, with no plan to return, to go live on a distant planet. Then, inspired by the way this story deals with the decision to go to space, we discuss our favorite books about space including "The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness, "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, and a whole lot of complicated feelings about "The Martian" by Andy Weir. Then, as always, we end the show with recommendations: Peter recommends 'The Alt-Majority: How Social Networks Empowered Mass Protests Against Trump,' a New York Times story by Farhad Manjoo. "It's just a fantastic read! A good, long, empowering read." MJ recommends listening to the hip hop group Migos and reading The Ringers profile of them, "Migos and the Never-Ending 15 Minutes of Fame." "This profile is absurd, it's phenomenal, it's smart, it's well written, there are times that I was laughing and I learned so much." Aliza recommends the movie 'Hidden Figures.' "It's beautiful and it's wonderful and it's perfect and everyone should go see it. You will learn things and you will cry and it's amazing."We hope you'll join us next week as we read and discuss John Darnielle's new book "Universal Harvester" with Darnielle himself! And if you're looking for a book to sink your teeth into, we recommend "History Is All You Left Me" by Adam Silvera, which is this our official MashReads book club book for February.And if you're looking for more book news, don't forget to follow MashReads on Facebook and Twitter.