Monthly Archives: January 2019

Ep004: Foundation

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Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Science fiction cannot be discussed without discussing Foundation. In this episode of Leave It To The Prose, we discuss the items of Foundation that have stood the test of time as well as what aspects of the story have not aged well.

Spoilers

  • Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Other Media Mentioned

  • The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
  • Dune by Frank Herbert
  • JRR Tolkien works such as The Lord of the Rings
  • Piers Anthony works such as A Spell for Chameleon
  • Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
  • The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin (‘seasons’ book referred to)

Foundation

Based loosely on the fall of the Roman Empire, Foundation takes us into the future to look at a society spanning hundreds of planets. Across this hard science fiction lens Asimov tells a story of social determinism and if humans can be the masters of their own destinies.

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Ep003: The Devil and Tom Walker

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The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving

A retelling of an old story. In this episode of Leave It To The Prose Reid and Isaac discuss an American Faust. In this work of speculative fiction we discuss Irving’s opinions portrayed in the prose as well as devil interpretations over time.

Spoilers

  • The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving

Other Media Mentioned

The Devil and Tom Walker

One of Washington Irving’s many folklore stories, The Devil and Tom Walker tells of the fateful day when Tom Walker meets a strange creature in the swam.

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Ep002: Arrival/ Story of Your Life

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Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang

Diving into science fiction Leave It To The Prose dives into Story of Your Life, the story that led to 2016’s movie Arrival. In this episode Reid and Isaac discuss each media portrayal on their own and also as a movie adaptation.

Spoilers

  • Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
  • Arrival (2016 movie)

Story of Your Life

Story of Your Life was originally published in 1998 (correction from discussion) and then collected into a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang in 2002. The short story collection was called Stories of Your Life and Others.

Story of Your Life is a mother’s tale set against first contact with aliens, and the story brings up many powerful themes such as language and freewill.

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Ep001: Lord of the Flies

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Lord of the Flies by William Golding

In this first episode of Leave It To The Prose we discuss the first work by William Golding, Lord of the Flies. Our conversation includes Golding’s view of the world conveyed through his characters, power dynamics and how they are conveyed, and the human nature portrayed through children stranded on an island.

Spoilers

  • Lord of the Flies

Other Media Mentioned

  • Red Rising (series) by Pierce Brown
  • The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies was originally a financial disappointment when published in 1954, but has since grown in popularity to be a regular reading requirement in literature courses. Often featured on ‘the best’ reading lists for novels, Lord of the Flies makes the reader look inward at the nature of humans. Set on a deserted island a group of boys have to build their own society, make their own relationships, and decide how to get along. Join Reid and Isaac in episode 1 of Leave It To the Prose as they discuss Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

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