Books Undone

Books Undone

by Livia J. Elliot
Books
Season 3
The Witness and the Liar: Morality in The Road and The Shape of the Sword
Cormac McCarthy and Jorge Luis Borges. On the surface, their styles and worlds could not be more different. But there is one book and one short story that have more in common than it first appears: they are circling the same premise. Is morality something we do, or something we tell ourselves we've done? Let's get these books undone. https://www.booksundone.com
S3 · E7
Jun 17, 2026
1:00:57
Language Makes Horror Bearable: The Linguistics Behind Tender is The Flesh
Tender Is The Flesh is not simply the vegan allegory some readers assume it to be. The horror here serves a more unsettling purpose: it shows the power of language. Like Marcos himself said in the book: "Words carry the weight necessary to mold us, to suppress all questioning." Today's episode discusses how can language make violence palatable, and why does it reshape ethics and morality. Find the transcript and citations: https://liviajelliot.substack,com
S3 · E5
May 13, 2026
39:59
Scarcity Makes Status: What Dune and Blade Runner Reveal About Prestige
What do Blade Runner and Dune have in common? Both revolve around the same mechanism: scarcity creates demand, and demand turns possession into prestige... but here is the twist. Prestige is not just about wealth, because status only emerges when wealth is tied to something else: an ethical meaning. In this episode we'll explore one unique possibility: what if prestige requires morality? Full transcript (and links): https://liviajelliot.substack.com
S3 · E4
Apr 15, 2026
39:03
A Feint Within A Feint, Within A Feint: Destiny and Deception in Dune ~ Guests Talk 15
In this discussion, we dive into the layered deceptions of Dune — a “feint within a feint within a feint.” We explore whether free will can survive foreknowledge, how cycles shape history, and whether heroes are truly liberators… or traps. We also ask a bold question: is religion a belief system, or a technology engineered for power? My guests: K.D. Marchesi, Sarah K. Balstrup, and Henry Nielsen. My Substack: https://liviajelliot.substack.com
S3 · E3
Mar 18, 2026
1:06:46
When Religion Becomes Strategy: Political Theory in Dune
Dune is, by no means, a simple book. It examines how an environment shapes a society and its politics, how political and economic power intertwine, and how resources can both provoke or deter war. It speaks about the consequences of scarcity, and how differently we treat abundance when it overflows. With that in mind, this episode will focus on two key threads—details often smoothed in adaptations: the geopolitics of Dune's universe, and how religion and myth are leveraged to manufacture authority. Let's get this book undone. Check my latest book, The Omens of War: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNN94R17
S3 · E2
Feb 18, 2026
1:16:29
We Lie, Therefore We Think: The Linguistics of Deception in Embassytown
Embassytown is one of the most extraordinary linguistic thought-experiments in modern SFF. This episode explores how Miéville uses language—not just as a tool for communication, but as the very architecture of consciousness, politics, and power. We look at how signs and symbols shape meaning, why the Hosts can't lie, Avice’s role as a living simile and the moment language evolves into something new. If you love stories where words remake the world, this is for you. My substack: https://liviajelliot.substack.com My book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNN94R17
S3 · E1
Jan 7, 2026
1:12:43
Season 2
Broken Heroes, Broken Ethics: Guests Talk on Watchmen (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons)
Watchmen: the greatest graphic novel ever written, a Rorschach test on morality where every character’s goodness is afflicted with greyness and nuance. Join me in a terrific group discussion with Jarrod (from The Fantasy Thinker), and Britton (from smectite). My Substack: https://liviajelliot.substack.com Get The Omens of War: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNN94R17
S2 · E17
Dec 3, 2025
1:06:31
No Exit from Half-Life: Demiurges and Unanswered Questions in Ubik
Joe, like Plato's escaped prisoner, is forced to confront a possibility that his world is not the 'real' one at all. In this podcast, I analyse Ubik's layered realities. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://liviajelliot.substack.com
S2 · E16
Nov 12, 2025
54:12
We Are Someone's Dream: Guests Talk on The Circular Ruins by Jorge Luis Borges
"The goal that led him on was not impossible, though it was clearly supernatural: he wanted to dream a man." This is the premise of another mind-blowing, reality-bending short-story by Jorge Luis Borges: The Circular Ruins. Join me in a Guests Talk with a dream cast of guests: Jarrod (from The Fantasy Thinker), Kris (from A Fictional Escapist), P.L. Stuart (author of A Drowned Kingdom Saga), Jose (from José's Fantasy Worlds), and Dr Philip Chase (author of The Edan Trilogy). Subscribe to my newsletter: https://liviajelliot.substack.com Books mentioned (in order): "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas R. Hofstadter "Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage" by Gary John Biship "A Drowned Kingdom" by P.L. Stuart "The Way of Edan" by Phillip Chase Movies mentioned (in order): "Inception" by Christopher Nolan
S2 · E15
Oct 1, 2025
58:40
When Books Offend Us: What Our Taste Reveals About Ourselves
We are slowly losing our ability to question ourselves—our likes, our preferences, our judgements on literature... and from there, we're one step away from no longer questioning why we hate something. After all, "What do you despise? By this are you truly known". This episode is actually a response to fellow BookTuber Britton from SomeOkieDude. Back in April (2025) he spoke about political commentary in fiction and made quite a compelling call of action: "[...] if there is a book or show that rubbed you the wrong way, I want you to sit back and think about why it did that. What was it about this piece of media that offended you so much?" Let's get this idea undone. Transcript & newsletter: https://liviajelliot.substack.com
S2 · E14
Aug 27, 2025
20:16
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