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Overdue

Ep 105 - The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell

Overdue

Headgum

Craig Getting, Arts, Books, Podcasts, Literature, Comedy, Andrew Cunningham

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2015

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We're back to sci-fi this week, but we take a break from the politics-heavy universe of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow instead uses science fiction to discuss anthropology, colonialism, and theology. There's some genuinely funny and warm stuff in this book, but there's a shadow hanging over the proceedings from the outset: eight people set out to explore the first known alien planet inhabited by sentient life, but only one comes back, and he's much worse for the wear.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

While Andrew and Craig believe the joy of discovery is crucial to enjoying any well-told tale,

0:05.1

they will not shy away from spoiling specific story beats when necessary.

0:10.4

Plus, these are books you should have read by now.

0:30.7

So last night I woke up at four in the morning.

0:40.6

Why do I wake? Thinking about work, stressing about life,

0:47.4

and I did not go back to sleep for another two and a half hours. It was awful.

0:52.4

I don't know what did you do? Not to wake up, but what did you do in that time when you were awake?

1:00.0

There was nothing else to be doubt about it. I spent 20 minutes in bed just lying there being upset about it.

1:09.6

And I got up and I went to the computer and I

1:16.9

it's the 21st century so I got a Facebook, you know, I looked at Facebook for a while

1:23.6

and then I played on the computer a little bit and then I read

1:28.9

Zen in the art of motorcycle maintenance for about 45 minutes. I hope I don't forget all the stuff I read.

1:36.2

Because then if I have about six-thirty I said, well, I need to go to sleep so I went to sleep.

1:42.0

Because that's always the thing is when you wake up like that and I

1:46.0

I've been having the most boring dreams lately like last night at a dream that I was at like because I

1:52.4

you know I do the tech writer thing during my day job. This is for the benefit of the listeners mostly.

1:59.4

And sometimes I have to go to these big presentation things and I like live blog them which

2:05.3

just involves typing everything that's said on stage and I have to take pictures and I'm doing all that stuff.

2:10.5

So like last night I wake up because I had this dream where I was at one of these but I couldn't

2:18.2

find a good seat like I got up from a seat. I went and found another one but it was bad too

2:24.0

and then I tried to go back to my previous seat but someone was in it and then I woke up like,

2:29.6

what kind of a dream is that? I feel like I should be able to do better but anyway my point,

...

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