The Lorehounds10 Sep 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

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