Episode 201: The Dog Stars / Big Machine

This week, Josh and Dietrich pick up the gauntlet thrown by the other, and each discuss a book assigned to them by the other. First, Josh talks about Peter Heller's The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic novel that manages to find joy, hope, and decency among the ruination and despair of the end of the world. He talks about the odd writing style and why it eventually works, the characters that buck the initial assumptions, and the way that the hope of this book makes it stand out in its genre. Next, Dietrich tackles Big Machine by Victor LaValle, a surreal book that blends several genres as it follows the path of a middle-aged black janitor that finds himself fulfilling an old promise, and getting caught up in secret societies, Lovecraftian horrors, and his own past.  Dietrich raves about the slow reveal of the character's histories, the fascinating nature of the library in the book, and the strange and yet oddly fitting ending. In addition, Dietrich revisits a book by one of the great statistical minds of today, Josh continues raving about Clive Barker's masterful short story collection, and they wrap up with Dietrich deciding that Josh doesn't get to discuss his remarkable, life changing movies before Dietrich talks about superheroes anymore. You can send questions or comments to librarypolicequestions@gmail.com

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Links

Monster Factory