Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2025-03-11
Books mentioned on Part One: The Zizians: How Harry Potter Fanfic Inspired a Death Cult
Earlier this year a Border Patrol officer was killed in a shoot-out with people who have been described as members of a trans vegan AI death cult. But who are the Zizians, really?
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is a classic science fiction short story about a malevolent supercomputer that tortures the last surviving humans.
Discussed“it's primarily based on a Haron Ellison short story called I have no mouth but I must scream which is one of the Great short stories of all time”
Where to get it
-
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky is a massive, widely discussed work of fan fiction that rewrites the first Harry Potter novel through the lens of scientific reasoning and cognitive science.
Discussed“Harry Potter and the methods of rationality which is the name of his fanfic is a massive much longer than the first Harry Potter book rewrite of just the first Harry Potter book where Harry is someone rewrote this sorcerer Stone to be rational”
Where to get it
