BOOK-RELATED PODCAST EPISODES

We've recorded five Literary Virus episodes this year (so far)
on the Dear Discreet Guide podcast.
A listening alternative... Click on title to listen.

"Andromeda Strain, a Literary Virus"
We talk about The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton's first book under his own name, which tells the story of an alien bug brought to earth by a military satellite. That microorganism goes on to kill a whole town and create an unholy climax involving a potential nuclear disaster. We read an excerpt and talk about Crichton's reaction to Robert Gottlieb's criticism as his editor and read from Gottlieb's book, Avid Reader, about the process. Finally, we consider the Odd-Man Hypothesis and explore the case of a real scientist who thought he was a fictional character.

"Stephen King's The Stand and Another Literary Virus"
We look at the origins of The Stand, a post-apocalyptic nightmare after Captain Trips, a virulent influenza, has killed off most of the world's population. An epic battle ensues between good and evil, personified by two memorable characters, one of whom, Randall Flagg, makes his first awful appearance, though it won't be the last in King's novels. We cover the difficulty of producing the work and where it fits in King's legacy. We also review his book On Writing, part-memoir, part how-to guide, and read some sections on being a hack, stupid criticism, and why to write. We also talk about some dogs. Also F-bomb alert. Even if you're not a King reader, I think you'll get something out of this episode.

“Katherine Anne Porter and her Literary Virus”
We discuss "Pale Horse, Pale Rider," Katherine Anne Porter's work which covers the 1918 Spanish flu, along with a review of her long career with relatively sparse output, as spitefully described by Truman Capote. Porter's insights into people's behavior during a war or crisis offer a perspective for today, and her acerbic tongue is delightful as long as it isn't directed against you. She also reflected on how her own near-death experience changed her. As part of her participation with a leftist group, she protested the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti and wrote a clear-eyed and biting essay near the end of her life about how bias can affect justice. A literary episode with a surprise.

"The Plague by Albert Camus"
We take a look at Camus' novel, The Plague, published in 1947 after Camus had fought in the French Resistance and become disillusioned with communism. He explores the tendency to downplay the severity of the infestation, by both citizens and authorities, and the eventual moral dilemma faced by an intrepid band of humanists who find there is no other choice but to leap into the fray. We consider the work in the context of Camus' philosophical evolution and review his life's work as a moralist and reluctant existentialist. A reckoning relevant right now.

"Did Eyes of Darkness Predict Covid-19?"
In February 2020, Twitter erupted with the theory that Dean Koontz's novel Eyes of Darkness had foreshadowed the Covid-19 pandemic with its Wuhan 400 virus. We review some goofy conspiracy theories, as well as dissecting the plot of the novel (spoilers galore), and finish with a brief review of Koontz's career, his writing style, his many pen names, and his own witty comments on Twitter. A fun, short, escapist episode.

There are lots of other episodes about books and authors though most of them are about work-related topics. Click here.