Tolkien's Akallabêth and the Straight Road

Langdon and Eden dive into the collapse, tackling Event Factory, the first book from Renee Gladman's Ravicka novels. Meaning disappears, rituals empty of signal, and the malaise of our urban existence is revealed. But also, potentials are exposed, connections are made, and unders ...  Show more

Sports betting, crypto, predictions markets, Buy Now Pay Later, getting a credit card to pay off your credit card - what if we said that isn't even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to nihilism and finance? Amin Samman joins us to talk about his book Currency of Nihilism, punk ...  Show more

Strider’s path to Rivendell leads the hobbits through rough terrain; all the while, the days get colder and Frodo gradually succumbs to the evil effects of the Witch-king’s blade. A bad situation starts to look even worse when Pippin and Merry catch a glimpse of three trolls ahea ...  Show more

Many far-right conservatives think The Lord of the Rings is about them. They may love Tolkien, but it's very possible Tolkien would not have loved them back. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen with help from Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laur ...  Show more

Unable to meet this week, the Pugcast decided to share an episode from the 2019 archives. Tune in for this blast from the past!Perhaps the most controversial character in all of Tolkien's writing is Tom Bombadil. People seem to either love him or hate him. But regardless how you ...  Show more

For millions of Tolkien lovers around the world, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of sacred mythology and archetypal saga stories draw deeply into history and legend and profoundly resonate with universa ...