The Nietzsche Podcast

Patrons: "Have you ever said Yes to a single joy?" Salts: "Yes"

"Many lies tell the poets" - Homer. Nietzschean exploration of art, of truth and appearance in the artistic world, the way that madness, art and ritual relate, and the translation of artistic expression into different cultural contexts. Join me for this continuation of our The Gay Science readthrough!

In this episode, Mynaa and I discuss The Repairer of Reputations, the first story in Robert Chambers' collection, The King in Yellow. Concepts in Chambers work contributed to the creation of the 'weird fiction' genre, and remain influential on media today - including the King in Yellow, the notion of a book that can drive you mad, and names such as Carcossa and the Hyades. We've delved into the topic of madness quite thoroughly on the podcast recently, so it only seemed fitting to continue the discussion through to the Halloween episode. Our topics include a broader discussion of madness and society, the unreliable narration of the protagonist, how his delusional fantasies reflect his political madness, the "lethal chamber" and its meaning, and much more. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Samhain is fast approaching, and this week we're going to have two spooky episodes of the podcast. This episode will be a philosophical exploration of the significance of Arthur Machen's weird fiction/horror novella, "The Great God Pan". While I'd originally planned this for the second leg of the season, we're interrupting The Gay Science readthrough for the sake of the holiday, and because this story brings together many of the elements that we've discussed so far this season, namely: madness, the horror of science, the gulf between appearance and reality, and the Dionysian reaching out from ages past to disturb the modern world. Join me for a romp through the woods with our new friends Helen, and The Great God Pan!