Stars and Swords: Footnoting Genre Fiction

This week, we continue our spookily-seasonal unit on David Sodergren's The Haar. What is the role of memory in a story preoccupied with bodies? How is identity constructed? Is this book the first recorded instance of Cosy Gore? To see the video version of this week's show, click here [https://youtu.be/2jcWm4ld6Ew]; to see the slides, click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1feTCb7hx2uxCnc7Y_6M0hIbekSSev8p-/view?usp=sharing]! Next week, we conclude David Sodergren's The Haar, live on Patreon [http://patreon.com/nextword]on Thursday, October 9th at 9PM Central Time.  Footnotes: * The Haar [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-haar-a-horror-novel-david-sodergren/6f4c7a29cba8dd23] * You've Been Trumped (2011) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/] * Trump International Golf Links, Scotland [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_International_Golf_Links,_Scotland] * Haggis Wildlife Foundation [https://haggiswildlifefoundation.com/] Follow Stars And Swords on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@StarsAndSwordsPod], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/starsandswords.bsky.social]and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/starsandswordspod]. To join me for the live broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord [http://patreon.com/nextword] and pledge your support!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://patreon.com/nextword]

Welcome to spooky season, and our Modern Horror unit on David Sodergren's The Haar. What is the necessary context for this novel? How does the possibility space of a horror novel work in practice? Is Muriel Margaret McAuley the best protagonist we've studied? To see the video version of this week's show, click here [https://youtu.be/1YtWY0zocu8]; to see the slides, click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cmLXPp6emYQRIJMB186ke2AmAyb60Nq/view?usp=sharing]! Next week, we continue David Sodergren's The Haar, live on Patreon [http://patreon.com/nextword]on Thursday, October 2nd at 9PM Central Time.  Footnotes: * The Haar [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-haar-a-horror-novel-david-sodergren/6f4c7a29cba8dd23] * You've Been Trumped (2011) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/] * Trump International Golf Links, Scotland [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_International_Golf_Links,_Scotland] * "Protected sand dunes to lose special status after environmental damage by Trump golf course." (London School of Economics) [https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/protected-sand-dunes-to-lose-special-status-after-environmental-damage-by-trump-golf-course/] * "‘People have seen through him and he’s not welcome’: Scotland tees up for Trump visit." (The Guardian) [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/26/not-welcome-scotland-donald-trump-visit-protests-golf-courses] Follow Stars And Swords on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@StarsAndSwordsPod], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/starsandswords.bsky.social]and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/starsandswordspod]. To join me for the live broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord [http://patreon.com/nextword] and pledge your support!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://patreon.com/nextword]

This week, we conclude our discussion of Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility. How does the text position WIlloughby as an interesting villain? Is there a moral lesson to be found in Marianne's last transformation? Is Edward enough for Elinor? To see the slides, click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cis2ZPkiUoBNgKFkJBYMV_Rf1rDrBIWF/view?usp=sharing]!  Don't forget to check out my new Tolkien-related show, Shire Reckoning [http://shirereckoningpod.com/]! Next week, we begin David Sodergren's The Haar, live on Patreon [http://patreon.com/nextword]on Thursday, September 25th at 9PM Central.  Footnotes: * Sense And Sensibility [https://bookshop.org/p/books/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen/15258494?ean=9780141439662&next=t] * A Calendar for Sense and Sensibility [http://www.jimandellen.org/austen/s&s.calendar.html] * Sense And Sensibility (1995) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/] * Stars And Swords on Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org/shop/starsandswords] * The Haar [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-haar-a-horror-novel-david-sodergren/6f4c7a29cba8dd23]  To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord [http://patreon.com/nextword] and pledge your support!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://patreon.com/nextword]

This week, we continue our discussion of Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility. How are the Miss Steeles revealed to be undesirable types? Why does Mrs. Jennings set up a great conflict, then immediately resolve it? Just how feminist is Austen anyway? To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/fUhWKhbO_Wk]; to see the slides, click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zND1LLxEw15KzMNvB2zwFxxbUorPCsfX/view?usp=sharing]!  Don't forget to check out my new Tolkien-related show, Shire Reckoning [http://shirereckoningpod.com/]! Next week, we finish Sense and Sensibility, live on Patreon [http://patreon.com/nextword]on Thursday, September 18th at 9PM Central.  Footnotes: * Sense And Sensibility [https://bookshop.org/p/books/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen/15258494?ean=9780141439662&next=t] * A Calendar for Sense and Sensibility [http://www.jimandellen.org/austen/s&s.calendar.html] * Sense And Sensibility (1995) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/] * Stars And Swords on Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org/shop/starsandswords]  To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord [http://patreon.com/nextword] and pledge your support!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://patreon.com/nextword]

This week, we continue our discussion of Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility. How does Colonel Brandon's awkwardness communicate his honesty? How do we understand the backstory of Willoughby and Eliza? Is John Dashwood or Robert Ferrers worse? To see the video broadcast of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/_pb5bUFyXlI]; to see the slides, click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wqsF2X5puupnmB7RvGhsjbf__wzvSnQ-/view?usp=sharing]! Don't forget to check out my new Tolkien-related show, Shire Reckoning [http://shirereckoningpod.com/]! Next week, Volume 3, Chapter I (37) to VII (43) of Sense and Sensibility, live on Patreon on Thursday, September 11th at 9PM Central. Footnotes: * Sense And Sensibility [https://bookshop.org/p/books/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen/15258494?ean=9780141439662&next=t] * A Calendar for Sense and Sensibility [http://www.jimandellen.org/austen/s&s.calendar.html] * Sense And Sensibility (1995) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114388/] * Stars And Swords on Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org/shop/starsandswords]  To join me for the live YouTube broadcast, to support the podcast, to join the conversation on Discord and to get access to monthly bonus episodes, please visit Patreon.com/NextWord [http://patreon.com/nextword] and pledge your support!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ [https://patreon.com/nextword]