A Fresh Face in Hell with Jonathan Evison

As the father of two teenagers, I end up watching a lot of horror and science fiction films. What I find fascinating is all the different stories and techniques that filmmakers use to give the creeps. Turns out there is an actual science behind this. Austin Lim is a neuroscientist, professor, and the author of "Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction".  In his book, Austin explores the real science, psychology, and neurology behind famous horror and science fiction stories.  We talk about slashers, serial killers, liminal spaces, trauma monsters, uncanny valley effect, dystopian horror, body horror, and of course, clowns. Spooky season is upon us,  let's go!   

Austin Lim - https://www.austinlim.com/author-horror-on-the-brain
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In 1977, linguist and Christian missionary Daniel Everett took on the challenge of moving his family to a remote jungle region of the Amazon to study and convert a native tribe called the Pirahã. In his book, "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle," Daniel recounts his adventures living with the Pirahã and how their concept of truth ended up pushing him towards atheism. Daniel's incredible stories are a curious reflection on what we have gained and lost as a modern society. A telling example . . . the Pirahã have no cultural concept of suicide.  

Daniel Everett - https://daneverettbooks.com
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I'm back. The book edits are off to my editor, summer is over, and I'm ready for more high seas adventures!  Today, I talk with one of my favorite songwriters, Old 97's frontman, Rhett Miller. In addition to being a rockstar, Rhett also writes short-form fiction and teaches songwriting at The New School in NYC. We dive deep into our writing processes and compare notes on the similarities and differences of writing songs and novels. Turns out that we both aspire to, and are intimidated by, the other's discipline. We discover in the end that all you need is solid characters, evocative imagery, and some human truths. And in my case, I should probably learn how to strum a guitar.  

https://www.rhettmiller.com
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See ya soon!   Jonathan 
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As we’re currently discussing the Illiad and the Odyssey, I thought it was an opportune moment to revisit my conversation with Brian McVeigh about Julian Jaynes’ theory on the origins of consciousness. Jaynes believed that early humans lacked coordination between the two hemispheres of their brain. Consequently, they didn’t possess a sense of self, operating on a kind of autopilot. They would hear voices in their heads as the two hemispheres functioned independently. Without explanation, early humans attributed these voices to the voice of God or gods. However, as humans developed a greater capacity for language during the Bronze Age, the separation between the hemispheres began to dissolve, leading to the development of an inner voice and, consequently consciousness. If this sounds familiar this was the premise for HBO's Westworld series.  A fun little mind walk, enjoy!
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