Hans's thoughts with writer Cheyenne Huang about summer reading, David Foster Wallace, and early mornings. 

Brandon Sanderson's Elantris is an epitome of young-adult fantasy, one executing typical literary archetypes in a truly effective and empowering way. Elantris is an inspiration to young fantasy writers and readers. 

Tune in as Hans dissects Elantris from a literary perspective. No content warnings. 

Part of our Moderate series. 

Albeit its direction towards younger audiences, Orson Scott Card's sci-fi tale is unique in its own right- with deeply memorable characters, decisions, and unprecedented exploration of the subconscious, the story presents brooding motives and moral questions that formulate the very existence of his 'game'. Beyond them lies an aptly constructed world of fiction and parallel tales. 

Content overview: Brief violence, brief curses, racism utilized as literary device. Please research the novel before reading if you are uncomfortable with these topics. 

Rating: 8.0/10

Alas, one of Dostoyevsky's greatest (some argue the greatest) novels: Crime and Punishment. Profoundly complex and metaphysical, this dark tale draws much from the Russian literary titan's own life. In the pages you'll find scrawling prose with long-wound descriptions, densely psychological and grandiose plot-work, and more aspects that truly cement Dostoyevsky as a cornerstone of Western literature. 

This episode will serve as the first in our Moderate Literary Dips series, which will review novels that are suitable for less mature audiences. 

Content overview: Brief and largely non-graphic violence (murders),  portrayal of poverty, strong religious themes and spirituality, and psychological turmoil. 

Kafka on the Shore is a multifaceted novel, a surreal masterpiece by Haruki Murakami. In this episode, we explore in a brief analysis the uniqueness of Murakami’s prose, utilization of theme, plot, and ‘gaps of nothingness’ that he employs to keep the premise abstract and wandering. This novel holds great importance to Hans, as it is a major influence to his style. This episode will serve as the first in our Mature Literary Dips series which review and analyze works with mature themes such as strong sexuality, recurring violence, etc. 

TW: Please note- we talk about sexual themes in terms of literary motif and symbolism. There is no graphic description. Also, please research the content of Murakami's novels before reading if you are uncomfortable with mature themes and content. 

Rating of Kafka on the Shore: 9.5/10