Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2025-01-11
Books mentioned on It Could Happen Here Weekly 164
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.
Robert Evans discussed Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis. Mia Wong recommended One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller, and discussed Whipping Girl by Julia Serano. Also mentioned: The General Strike and the General Betrayal by John Pepper, ¡Presente! by Diana Taylor, When Paris Went Dark by Ronald Rosbottom, and Setting the Desert on Fire by James Barr.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Transmetropolitan
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis is a celebrated science fiction comic book series featuring a cynical investigative journalist as its protagonist in a gritty, futuristic society.
Discussed“there's a great speech in the comic series Trans Metropolitan about how journalism is a gun uh that you you wire up to your eyes and your ears and several other organs in order to shoot at the world.”
Where to get it
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Whipping Girl
Whipping Girl by Julia Serano is a foundational feminist text that examines transmisogyny, the intersection of trans issues and traditional sexism, and the cultural policing of femininity.
Discussed“The one that was most emotionally impactful for me was getting to interview Dr. Julia Serrano, who um if you haven't listened to that episode, go listen to it. Great book. Whipping Girl is the book that literally created a bunch of the like like the concept of misgendering is like from that book, right?”
Where to get it
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The General Strike and the General Betrayal
The General Strike and the General Betrayal by John Pepper is a historical and political text that examines labor movements and strategic political actions.
Recommended“When I finish my book, you should buy it. Yes. But read General Strike.”
Where to get it
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¡Presente!
¡Presente! by Diana Taylor is a compelling and accessible book that examines historical acts of solidarity and resistance, focusing specifically on how San Francisco dock workers successfully blocked a shipment of weapons destined for El Salvador.
Recommended“I've been reading a book called Presente, which is in English. Uh, but it's about how San Francisco dock workers blocked a shipment of weapons to El Salvador. Mhm. And it just seems a very relevant book.”
Where to get it
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One of the Boys
One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller is a contemporary young adult sports novel that follows Grace, a high school senior and trans girl who returns to her school's football team after quitting over the summer when she came out.
Recommended“The The other one is One of the Boys. This is forthcoming. Uh is going to release May 13, 2025, uh by Victoria Zeller, and it's about a trans girl who's like the kicker on her football team, and she has to like leave the team because she transitions, but then the team needs her back cuz they don't have”
Where to get it
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When Paris Went Dark
When Paris Went Dark by Ronald Rosbottom is a detailed historical account of the Nazi occupation of Paris during the Second World War.
Recommended“It's called When Paris Went Dark, and it is a history of the occupation of Paris under the Nazis. That is a really fascinating social history by Ronald Rosebottom that I found very like emotionally affecting, especially in light of, you know, some things going on.”
Where to get it
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Setting the Desert on Fire
Why people recommend it: Setting the Desert on Fire by James Barr is a historical account detailing the British involvement in the Middle East during the First World War and the complex legacy of T.
Recommended“And then I would also recommend uh setting the desert on fire by James Bar, which is a uh one of the books about uh TE Lawrence that I uh I I cited in the Te Lawrence episodes. if you are are at all interested in the realities of uh needing to fight an insurgent war.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I guess uh just two recent things I've enjoyed. Finally finished The Steen Wolf by Herman Hess. Ah yes, I enjoyed that deeply. It kind of it kind of picked my picked my Twin Peaks the return brain.”
“I I feel like it's it's his fandom's getting close enough to pull some like weird crazy like a on like a deeply parasoccially destructive level like Stephen King's Misery. A a misery happens to Nick Fuentes, but he doesn't but he doesn't make it he doesn't make it out.”