Jim launches into a diatribe about the use of the word ‘mindset,’ matcha vs. coffee for increasing combativeness, the Clover Machine that used to be at Starbucks, Lattes and the word puerile. Lionel extols the virtues of Syracuse and its surrounding towns, replicable results in chain cafes, and the conversation continues from there. References to: Too Much Coffee Man by Shannon Wheeler, Planetfall by Emma Newman and the hoarding of memory, Low Density Parity Check Code, Dust (Lionel actually meant Shift) by Hugh Howey, 1984 by George Orwell, and rebelling against the surveillance state. Jim talks about returning to social media and his sense of time while away. Notable exceptions are Slaps and Wattpad. Jim mentions his new video for Spinning by Snorri Bros. Jim recommends sending questions to the pod via the website. We discuss The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis and its relationship to sociopaths and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.The rest of our conversation centers around the use of humor in speculative fiction, including works by Stephen R. Donaldson, Mark Leyner, Susanna Clarke, & Neal Stephenson. Jim brings up Malcom Gladwell’s definition of story. Lionel recommends watching The Day of The Jackal. We make a plan to read some Robert Whitehill. Jim watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and they discuss the role of the game in that movie. Jim mentions his invite as a guest speaker at a college English class at Defiance College. Jim quotes his friend Barry Crimmins. At the end Jim has a question for our listeners about moving the podcast to Substack. You can reach him via the email address he mentioned or via our contact form.If you want to support this podcast and Jim’s other creative projects, become a patron or subscribe to his Substack.
