• Episode 6: Brave New World Part 1
    May 4 2025

    Here is Part 1 on our Brave New World series! Finally we get to listen to Sydney yap while Samuel listens as politely as he is capable of! In this part Sydney takes us through the plot of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, highlighting all the elements that are important to understanding the themes and ideas of the book. Haven't read Brave New World before or don't remember it very well? This episode will get you caught up for the rest of the series! Be sure to join us next week as we continue the series with Sydney breaking down all the historical context behind the book and the author!

    Other works discussed this episode:

    Erasure by Percival Everett

    Brat by Charli xcx (Brat summer forever)

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    Want to support our podcast and a local bookstore? Check out our page on Bookshop.org to pick up any book we cover on the show, or our personal favorites!

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Episode 5: How To Get Ahead In Advertising
    Apr 27 2025

    Welcome to our first interlude episode! This week Samuel is talking about How To Get Ahead In Advertising, a 1989 film following an advertising executive who is slowly losing his mind. It satirizes the advertising industry, government propaganda, and good old capitalism. Plus it has a lot of connections with 1984 by George Orwell! Did Sydney like the movie? Does Samuel do a Richard Grant impression? Listen to find out!

    Other works discussed this episode:

    Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

    Anora (2024)

    The House That Screamed (1969)

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    Want to support our podcast and a local bookstore? Check out our page on Bookshop.org to pick up any book we cover on the show, or our personal favorites!

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode 4: 1984 Part 3
    Apr 20 2025

    On this episode of The Satire Fire, Sydney and Samuel conclude our 1984 series by digging into the themes and messages Orwell is using. Samuel talks a lot about NewSpeak! Sydney can't get enough of individual expression! It's bananas! Haven't read 1984? Maybe go back and listen to Part 1 to get caught up! Want to know what the history is that led us to our conclusions? Give Part 2 a try!

    Other books discussed in this episode:

    Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

    The House of my Mother by Shari Franke

    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 3: 1984 Part 2
    Apr 13 2025

    On this episode of The Satire Fire, Sydney and Samuel continue their series on 1984 with a history of the author George Orwell! Samuel takes us through Orwell's life from his birth in British India up to the writing of 1984 and everything in between that helps us understand the context of 1984. Haven't read 1984? Maybe go back and listen to Part 1 to get caught up! This is our last background episode for 1984, so be sure to come back next week for the conclusion of the series.

    Other books discussed in this episode: The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Hijab Butch Blues; A Memoir by Lamya H

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 2: 1984 Part 1
    Apr 6 2025

    On this episode of The Satire Fire, Sydney and Samuel start their series on 1984 by George Orwell! Part 1 will be a plot breakdown, with Samuel covering all the basic elements you will need to follow along with later discussions. Haven't read 1984? Or maybe read it too long ago to remember it fully? Then this will get you up to speed!

    Other books discussed in this episode: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe and Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 1: A Modest Proposal
    Mar 30 2025

    Welcome to The Satire Fire! Sydney and Samuel are on a mission to read every piece of satire ever written and we want to bring you along with us! In this episode we introduce ourselves and the podcast, then break down the most famous satirical pamphlet we know; "A Modest Proposal" by Dr. Jonathan Swift. What is Jonathan proposing? Is it modest and demure? Do we have a new culinary sensation on our hands? Tune in to find out!

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    1 hr and 3 mins