In the 2nd part of our conversation about Cyberpunk 2077 we are rejoined by Roberto to talk The Soul of Theseus, morality, and sexism in the player community. Spoilers for every possible ending to the game (along with which one makes you a good person).

Roberto's Pods: @tsarpowerpod & @History_Georgia

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

We have brain worms we need to exorcise, and so we've invited our friend Roberto on to talk about the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Made by CD PROJEKT RED and set in the universe created by Mike Pondsmith, this game is a masterful blend of politics, themes, and storytelling. In part 1 we discuss the political situation of Night City, the implications of all the chrome, and how to write love interests. Sorry for the wait and we hope you love this game as much as we do.

Roberto's Pods: @tsarpowerpod & @History_Georgia

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

What if the kid from Hatchet went to the post apocalypse future instead of Canada? That's what we're here to discuss in Gary Paulsen's "The Transall Saga". We talk slavery, YA romance, and the world's fastest language learner. One of Asha's favorite childhood books!

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

*CONTENT WARNING*
What happens when you take a YA novel and throw in a healthy dose or horrendous war crimes? The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang! We talk with our guest Shawn about fiction depicting barely disguised real history and the morality of retributive violence.

Follow Shawn on twitter @theavatarshawn

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

Aliens, math, and the utter failure of the Cultural Revolution are the main points of discussion in this episode about The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Liberal reforms and the fate of humanity are intertwined in a way that made Asha say, "I don't give a shit about computers, where the fuck are the aliens?"

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

It's been 2 years since we started the pod, so we wanted to take a quick look back at what we've learned, and talk about what's coming up in the future. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who listens and has stuck with us. You're the best.

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

It's a very special episode for our 2 year anniversary. We sat down with Dr. Sara Brown, Chair of Language and Literature at Signum University, to talk about her upcoming book: Race, Gender, and The Other in Tolkien. Sara leads us through a wonderful discussion about Orcs, Eowyn, Shelob, and how queer Lord of the Rings can really be. Thank you all for 2 years of listening!

You can find Dr Brown on twitter @AranelParmadil or on her website https://sarabrown.academia.edu/

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69

This week we cover a classic of the scifi genre: Harlan EllIson's seminal short story, "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream". Horror, humanism, and the final triumph of the human spirit are blended together in a precursor to much of the modern scifi movement.

patreon.com/swordsandsocialism
Email: SwordsAndSocialismPod@protonmail.com
The Show: @SwordsNSocPod
Asha: @Herbo_Anarchist
Ketho: @MusicalPuma69