Heat Death: From Tolkien's Orcs to Star Wars' Empire - Asher and Saul Elbein Interview
The Lorehounds10 Syys 2025

Heat Death: From Tolkien's Orcs to Star Wars' Empire - Asher and Saul Elbein Interview

David sits down with brothers Asher and Saul Elbein, the journalist duo behind the fascinating newsletter and website Heat Death. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore the intersection of pop culture and politics through two major lenses: Tolkien's orcs and the decline of the Star Wars galaxy.

The discussion begins with their viral article "Orc is Man to Orc," examining the problematic nature of irredeemable species in fantasy and how colonial thinking shapes our understanding of the "other." From there, they dive into their ambitious "Decline and Fall" series, which traces Star Wars as an imperial chronicle - weaving together in-universe history, real-world American politics, and corporate IP ownership from Lucas to Disney.

The brothers bring their unique perspective as working journalists to bear on everything from anthropological theory to the "enshittification" of modern media. They discuss their approach to cultural criticism, the challenge of finding nutrition versus junk food in contemporary entertainment, and why they believe fiction serves as a crystal facet reflecting every aspect of our culture.


Check out Heat Death here:

https://heat-death.ghost.io/

You can find Asher at his website and on BlueSky:

https://www.asherelbein.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/asherelbein.bsky.social

And, you can find Saul under his byline at The Hill and also on BlueSky:

https://thehill.com/author/saul-elbein/

https://bsky.app/profile/saulelbein.bsky.social


Contact Us Questions or comments?

Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds


Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(613)

The Vampire Lestat – Interview with the Vampire S3 preview

The Vampire Lestat – Interview with the Vampire S3 preview

Part spin-off series following a new voice and perspective, part season 3 of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, all The Vampire Lestat. John and Elysia get together to discuss their favorite fanged vil...

2 Kesä 55min

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Elysia and John continue the journey of the galaxy's favorite father and son in The Mandalorian and Grogu. They catch up with the New Republic before meeting Hutts of various sizes, watching stop moti...

1 Kesä 1h 35min

Widow's Bay – S01E01-05 – The characters & all the haunts

Widow's Bay – S01E01-05 – The characters & all the haunts

John drops in for cocktail hour before Mark, Lisa, and Elysia make a meal of all the lore-building and juicy character moments in the first five episode of Widow's Bay on Apple TV – also laying out wh...

24 Touko 1h 58min

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) – MCUniverse Special Presentation

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) – MCUniverse Special Presentation

Jean, Luke, and Elysia check in on the good, the could-be-better, and the absolute Red-Band of the 2026 Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+. Their conversation is dotted...

17 Touko 1h 12min

Project Hail Mary (2026) – Hope for humanity

Project Hail Mary (2026) – Hope for humanity

John, Elysia, and Marilyn follow Ryan Gosling to the far reaches of space to save humankind from destruction. They discuss the impressive puppetry and visuals, the hopepunk core of the film, and the p...

13 Touko 1h 38min

The Pitt - S02 Season Wrap-Up w/Nichole, John & Ian

The Pitt - S02 Season Wrap-Up w/Nichole, John & Ian

David is joined by Nichole from Nevermind the Music, John from the Dune Minute Podcast, and Ian from Captain's Pod: A Star Trek Companion for a full-spoiler season wrap-up of The Pitt Season 2.The pan...

11 Touko 2h 34min

Daredevil: Born Again S2-E5-8 – A really Devilish lawyer (MCUniverse)

Daredevil: Born Again S2-E5-8 – A really Devilish lawyer (MCUniverse)

Jean, Luke, and Elysia are back to wrap up their discussion of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 with an analysis of episodes 5 through 8, and plenty of speculation of where this story will go in season ...

9 Touko 1h 42min

Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Stories We Need - A Conversation with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis

Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Stories We Need - A Conversation with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis

David sits down with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, professor of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic literature at Signum University and a contributor to the Hugo Award-winning podcast StarShipSofa, for a wide-...

8 Touko 1h 26min