The Getting Lit Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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J David Osborne joins us once more, this time to talk about his new psychedelic cyberpunk epic novel, Gods Fare No Better. 

We talked about spirituality, cyberpunk, science fiction, and the impact of various media on JDO's work, as well as book marketing strategies, industry challenges, and the importance of creativity and playfulness in literature and art.

Buy Gods Fare No Better here:

https://ronintrash.bigcartel.com/product/gods-fare-no-better

or here:

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Fare-Better-David-Osborne-ebook/dp/B0F2GXQGRZ?ref_=ast_author_mpb

And the discussion continues over on Patreon where we talk about one of the novel's main influences, Cyberpunk 2077. To listen, go to https://www.patreon.com/GettingLit

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This week, we chat about an ancient classic, Medea by the Athenian tragedian Euripides. 

We also discuss Lars Von Trier's 1988 TV movie adaptation of the play, written by Carl Theodor Dreyer.

Sini also published a well-received essay on men reading books on podcasts at Unherd, which you can read here: 

https://unherd.com/2025/04/the-literary-man-isnt-dead/

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Glen and Psi from Rare Candy podcast join us to talk about three stories from the science fiction writer, Thomas M Disch.

The stories discussed include Descending, The Number You Have Reached, and The Squirrel Cage.

Subscribe to Rare Candy's premium feed (we both do, it's great!): https://rarecandy.substack.com/
Follow Glen on X here: https://x.com/Rarecandypod1
Psi here: https://x.com/rarepsi

To get access to the full archive of The Getting Lit Podcast, plus the special aftershow Back Matter, subscribe at http://www.patreon.com/GettingLit

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This episode, we're joined by River Page (@gayliaronline on Twitter), contributing editor at Twink Revolution and Twitter enfant terrible. We chat about The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell's harrowing account of the plight of the poor and working class in northern English coal mining towns. We talk about the disconnect between the working class and the middle class socialists who want to "help," Orwell's fiction vs his nonfiction, identity vs class politics, the deep problems with left politics and therapeutic culture, Oprah, as well as River's insightful essay on the Democratic Socialists of America, "The Standpoint Bureaucracy."

River's essay: https://twinkrev.com/2021/02/the-standpoint-bureaucracy/

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Reuben and Matt are joined by Sina (@KhanKuchek on Twitter) from the Trepidation podcast to talk about Michel Houellebecq's Submission and Michael Haneke's 2005 film, Caché. For once, they aren't drinking! Is this because they've converted to Islam and are extremely pious now? Or because it was too early in the morning?
Topics and themes covered: multiculturalism, French identity, the decline of the West, Islam, the difference between religious texts and literature, and whether Houellebecq is an enfant terrible satirist or something else entirely.

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While smashing down a few bottles of soju, the lads discuss South Korean writer Han Kang's disturbing novel, The Vegetarian. Not only do they delve into this tale of violence and non-conformity, but somehow Australian triple threat Keiynan Lonsdale is brought into the discussion. Because this is a show that embraces the digression.

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In the second part of our first episode, Reuben makes us read noted English wanker Will Self, Rio elevates things a little with the Grande Dame of Science Fiction, Ursula K LeGuin, then Matt sickens everyone with a notorious Chuck Palahniuk short story.

Will Self's short story, "Prometheus" is featured in his collection, Liver.

You can read LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" here.

Chuck Palahniuk's "Guts" can be found here or in his collection, Haunted.

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In the first part of the inaugural episode, we introduce ourselves and then throw some shade at Sally Rooney, before talking a bit about transgression in literature and the plan for the podcast. In part 2, we give the listeners a taste of our own tastes, each sharing a short story we think represents us. 

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Josh from The Dionysian Dream substack talks all things Wicked.
The original novel, Wicked (1995) by Gregory Maguire, the stage musical (2003) by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, and the 2024 film version directed by Jon M Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Read Josh's great theatre criticism here: https://substack.com/@thedionysiandream/

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This week, we read Sigmund Freud's 1930 essay Civilization And Its Discontents and paired it with Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 film, Frenzy.

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