Episode 126: I Swear, It's All True!
This week, the trio tackles nonfiction, and promptly realizes just how massive a topic that even is. They could easily do entire episodes on memoirs, polemics, science books, military accounts, biographies, true crime, and more, but instead, they jam it all together and talk about some of the ways that nonfiction tells stories just as vividly as any novel out there. From the challenge of writing a political memoir that's not an orgy of back-patting to the difficulty of distilling concepts as complex as a furious battle in Somali slums or string theory to something palatable for the general public, nonfiction offers an array of challenges, and a handful of authors who are doing extraordinary work. In addition, Dietrich revisits a controversial science fiction classic, and gets extremely excited about a new fantasy series. Josh discusses a book about an origami Yoda, and is surprisingly pleased with a time-traveling serial killer account. Finally, Christopher helps us wrap up with a discussion about a first-person shooter that still thrives today, while Josh discusses the newest album from a musical icon. You can send questions or comments to questions@thelibrarypolice.com.
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What We've Been Reading0:00 to 23:24
- Tom Angleberger, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda - Lauren Beukes, The Shining Girls - Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora - Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game |
Non-Fiction23:24 to 1:18:09
- The fallacy of "non-fiction" as a single genre - Polemics and the political memoir - Military non-fiction - Science writing - How to tell a vivid story of a true event |
Off The Bookshelf1:18:09 to 1:44:35
- Borderlands 2 - Halo 3 - Assassin's Creed: Black Flag - Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 - Escape from Tomorrow |