Star Trek is a massive franchise heavily influenced by themes and myths of colonization. This episode gives a brief overview of these themes.

Sources:

For more on taming of savagery and individualism as frontier values, see The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America by Greg Grandin

Turner's Thesis PDF

For more on the Indian-hater trope, see Gunfighter Nation by Richard Slotkin

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This episode explores the fear of rural people and the still existing periphery in America through three of the more well known backwoods horror movies: Jeepers Creepers, Deliverance, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

If you would like to help some rural folks resist development you can learn more at:

Dunnellon, Untold Stories of a Two River City

Sources:

Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” University of Minnesota Press.

Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Columbia University Press. 1982.

Slotkin, Richard. Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America. 1992.

The Cannibal Pig People of Pig Hill by American Hysteria

Apologies for this episode being rushed! The World Through Fiction deviates from its usual format in this episode as I cover current events and compare them to antifascist literature.

Sources:

Pulver, Dinah Voyles. n.d. “‘A New Wildfire Paradigm’: Why California Fires Are Growing Larger and More Destructive.” USA TODAY. Accessed January 19, 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/18/why-california-wildfires-are-getting-bigger/77592814007/.

“At EPA, Trump’s Second Term Is Already Having Consequences - POLITICO.” n.d. Accessed January 19, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/02/trump-epa-departures-00194903.

Martínez, A. 2024. “Trump Wants to ‘Drill, Baby, Drill.’ What Does That Mean for Climate Concerns?” NPR, November 15, 2024, sec. Environment. https://www.npr.org/2024/11/13/nx-s1-5181963/trump-promises-more-drilling-in-the-u-s-to-boost-fossil-fuel-production.

Borunda, Alejandra. 2024. “Wildfire Smoke Contributes to Thousands of Deaths Each Year in the U.S.” NPR, April 18, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2024/04/18/1245068810/wildfire-smoke-contributes-to-thousands-of-deaths-each-year-in-the-u-s.

Inskeep, Steve. 2025. “Steve Bannon Says MAGA Populism Will Win — as Trump Is Surrounded by Billionaires.” NPR, January 19, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5254112/donald-trump-elon-musk-steve-bannon-inauguration-day-2025-billionaires.

Caldwell, Noah. 2024. “The Family Politics behind J.D. Vance’s ‘childless Cat Ladies’ Comment.” NPR, July 25, 2024, sec. Politics. https://www.npr.org/2024/07/25/nx-s1-5051873/the-family-politics-behind-j-d-vances-childless-cat-ladies-comment.

McCammon, Sarah. 2024. “Trump Tells Christian Voters They ‘won’t Have to Vote Anymore’ If He’s Elected.” NPR, July 27, 2024, sec. Elections. https://www.npr.org/2024/07/27/nx-s1-5054272/trump-christian-wont-vote-anymore-speech.

Allyn, Bobby. 2025. “TikTok Is Offline in the U.S. after Supreme Court Upholds Ban.” NPR, January 19, 2025, sec. Business. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/18/nx-s1-5266146/tiktok-offline-supreme-court-ban.

Allyn, Bobby. 2025. “TikTok Is Back Online in the U.S., Following Trump’s Promise to Pause the Ban.” NPR, January 19, 2025, sec. Business. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5267568/tiktok-back-online.

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism

https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/filippo-tommaso-marinetti/the-futurist-manifesto/