Resistance Reads

In this episode of Resistance Reads, Michael Kilman and Matt Wellström discuss Percival Everett’s novel James, a powerful retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. We explore how Everett reimagines one of the most influential works in American literature while confronting the realities of slavery, race, and freedom.

We compare Everett’s novel with the original text, examining character development, histori...

This episode dives into We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a pioneering dystopian novel that helped define the genre. We examine the author’s life, the political context of the book, and the inner conflict of D-503 as he grapples with individuality, love, and rebellion inside a tightly controlled society.

Our discussion covers themes of authoritarianism, emotional suppression, regulated relationships, and the illusion of happiness without str...

In this episode, we dive deep into Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, unpacking its powerful exploration of colonialism, genocide, Indigenous history, and reimagined vampire lore. Through a close reading of the novel, we examine how horror becomes a vehicle for confronting historical injustice and moral accountability.

We discuss Stephen Graham Jones’ background as a Blackfeet author, the haunting moral evolution of Goo...

In this episode of Resistance Reads, we dive deep into Heavenly Tyrant, the highly anticipated sequel to Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is not just a book review. It is a critical conversation about power, resistance, feminism, and the political structures that shape both dystopian fiction and the real world.

We explore the novel’s political themes, pacing, and character dynamics, with particular attention to women-led resistan...

In Episode 11 we discuss the powerful themes in R.F. Kuang’s Babel and share our critique of Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein. We explore Babel’s unique magic system rooted in language and translation, the complex relationships between its characters, and the book’s sharp examination of colonialism, resistance, and identity.

We also reflect on the novel’s portrayal of betrayal, moral dilemmas, and the costs of fighti...

In their 10th epsiodes, Michael and Matt take a fresh look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (the 1818 edition) and why this classic story still matters today. They explore the novel’s powerful themes of creation, ambition, and isolation while connecting them to modern life, the industrial revolution, AI, the Tech industry, and capitalism. They also compare the 1818 edition to the 1831 edition and how Mary Shelly's life experiences ch...

In Episode 8 we cover the early Afrofuturist novel Black Empire. The plot is essentially, what would it be like to have Marvel's Killmonger/A James Bond Supervillain as your boss. The book is a collection of two major serials stories from the 1930s compiled in the 1990s into novel format. It follows newspaper man Carl Slater, who, is kidnapped by Dr. Belsidus in the very first chapter after witnessing a murder. Dr. Belsidus then en...

Episode 7 covers Sinclair Lewis's 1935 Dystopian political novel, It Can't Happen Here. The book is about the rise of a fascist dictator in America and an allusion to the rise of Adolf Hitler, in a time when many American's didn't even know who Hitler was. In many ways, this book was a prescient warning about what was already unfolding in Europe, and, a book that echoes elements of our own time ninety years later. So, join us for a...

Episode 6 swashbuckles its way into the 2005 novel Zorro written by the legendary Isabel Allende. This book is a kind of Zorro origin story and covers his journey to become a champion of the common people and his fight against corrupt officials before the Spanish American War, when California was still a part of Mexico. We learn about Zorro's parents, his adventures in Spain, and what drives him to take on the mantle of the masked ...