Episode 5: Time Travel
Summary: Today, Holly and Devin tackle books that center around time travel, but in two very different ways. They agree that time travel can often create gaping plot holes and can become a distraction from other themes and elements of plot. In the two books they brought, however, the time travel was well executed and augmented other aspects of the story instead of detracting. Both books were united not only in time travel but how moving through time opened up analyses of civil rights struggles for BIPOC and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Topics Discussed:
The Heart (1:48): Devin discussed One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston, a book that centers a romance in the most unlikely place - the Q train in New York City. Her key takeaways were:
Found family in the queer community was a major element of the book, and the cast of characters felt authentic, unique, and delightful as rendered by McQuinston’s sharp writing.
The magic elements around Jane’s time travel not only served as a conduit to better understand the LGBTQIA+ struggles of the 70s and 80s, but also served to increase tension and romance throughout the novel.
August and Jane have incredibly strong chemistry for a couple that cannot meet outside of a train car on the Q, and the sex scenes are a cleverly rendered display of queer passion in unusual circumstances.
The Dagger (24:54): Holly discussed Kindred by Octavia Butler, a gripping thriller in which the protagonist, Dana, is sent against her will between 1970s Los Angeles, CA and an antebellum plantation in Maryland. Her key takeaways were:
Butler used Dana’s experiences in modern day and antebellum Maryland to explore how the past affects the present, how the present impacts the past, and how history affects how we understand ourselves.
The narrative explores the complex and long-reaching horrors of slavery from the viewpoint of a modern Black woman who knows she’s descended from these individuals.
After an explosive and gripping opening sequence, Butler’s approach to time travel is unique; by forcing Dana without her express will between eras, Butler evaporates time between the two and emphasizes how close that period in history still is to our modern experience.
Hot On the Shelf (42:56):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (47:06):
Holly: The Last Duel, film featuring Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, and Matt Damon
Devin: Heli Skiing at Silverton Mountain in South-Western Colorado.
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