Show Notes for Ep. 60 "Cosmic Empathy With Ruthanna Emrys"
Coming on the show is Ruthanna Emrys, author of the recently released sci-fi novel, A Half Built Garden, as well as The Innsmouth Legacy series. In the first half of the episode, Mary Anne and Ben talk about Emrys’ latest book and the writing of characters with conservative ideologies, especially in the future. And in the second half, Emrys’ explains the Lovecraftian influences and mythos on her work of cosmic horrors and empathies, as well as the Jewish themes that run throughout her stories.
Recorded September 10, 2023 / Published October 9, 2023
Contents
- 0:00:00 – introduction to Emrys and her work
- 0:09:30 – on writing characters with conservative ideologies
- 0:29:49 – on counter-intuitive solutions in local government
- 0:42:27 – On the Lovecraftian and Jewish influences in Emrys’ work
- 1:06:06 – on how humanity would react to aliens and the other
- 1:22:36 – Emrys’ next project, RPG influences, and concluding thoughts
Works and Writers Mentioned
Organized by order of appearance.
- A Half Built Garden, by Ruthanna Emrys
- Cory Doctorow, author
- Ada Palmer, author
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
- Malka Older, author
- Mythologies, by Roland Barthes
- March, by John Lewis
- The Dazzle of Day, by Molly Gloss
- Woman on the Edge of Time, Marge Piercy
- He, She, and It, by Marge Piercy
- Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff
- Prey, Michael Crichton
- She: A History of Adventure, by H. Rider Haggard
- Don’t Worry Darling, movie
- The Screwfly Solution, by Raccoona Sheldon
- The Lesson, by Cadwell Turnbull
- Call of Cthulhu, role-playing game
- Ruthanna Emrys’ website
