we’re winding down our eco module with the deluge by stephen markley: one of our longest books on the pod and arguably our most depressing. we discuss how the narrative reflects a movement toward total chaos and how reading the book at a very strange time (with regards to weather and politics) made it even more impactful. we talk the book’s ambition (and simultaneous lack thereof), markley’s well-understood praise from stephen king, and the various ways the text is written (and what markley is best at). we make our picks for the book’s main character, share some love for shane battier, and make our picks for who we envisioned as the pastor. did markley underestimate the influence/impact of ai? could this be adapted into a chernobyl-style miniseries?

reading list for season nine

land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang

the overstory by richard powers

something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman

barn 8 by deb olin unferth

fever dream by samanta schweblin

square wave by mark de silva

the glacier by jeff wood

the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi

the deluge by stephen markley

drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk