Tender Is The Flesh is not simply the vegan allegory some readers assume it to be. The horror here serves a more unsettling purpose: it shows the power of language. Like Marcos himself said in the book: "Words carry the weight necessary to mold us, to suppress all questioning."

Today's episode discusses how can language make violence palatable, and why does it reshape ethics and morality.

Find the transcript and citations: https://liviajelliot.substack,com

What do Blade Runner and Dune have in common?

Both revolve around the same mechanism: scarcity creates demand, and demand turns possession into prestige... but here is the twist.

Prestige is not just about wealth, because status only emerges when wealth is tied to something else: an ethical meaning. In this episode we'll explore one unique possibility: what if prestige requires morality?

Full transcript (and links): https://liviajelliot.substack.com

In this discussion, we dive into the layered deceptions of Dune — a “feint within a feint within a feint.” We explore whether free will can survive foreknowledge, how cycles shape history, and whether heroes are truly liberators… or traps. We also ask a bold question: is religion a belief system, or a technology engineered for power?

My guests: K.D. Marchesi, Sarah K. Balstrup, and Henry Nielsen.

My Substack: https://liviajelliot.substack.com