Disco! Drama! Divorce! Nothing brings these things together like Swedish pop icons ABBA. Like many musicians, the band used their music as an outlet to express the turmoils and triumphs of their real lives. Unlike many musicians, however, ABBA’s medium was pop. Come with us on a journey into the storied history of the making of the 1980 album Super Troupers.

From Gilgamesh to Frodo and Odysseus to Harry Potter, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the narrative journey great heroes must take. Pop cinema revolutionary George Lucas knew this well when creating 1977's A New Hope. Join us as we take a shallow dip into the bottomless waters of exploring Star Wars to find out just how deeply ingrained the Hero’s Journey is into this story.

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Episode Sources:

• The Closer Look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDTOD94YRpY
• Han's Realization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ami5FpSWcho
• Comparison of Obi Wan's Screams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-Fdf2-8Z4
• Hollywood Reporter Article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-mark-hamill-unaware-carrie-fisher-harrison-ford-affair-953831/

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Stephanie's Further Readings:

• The World According to Star Wars by Cass R. Sunstein
• Light and Magic - A documentary about ILM on Disney+

Sierra's Further Readings:

• George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones
• 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey - Christopher Vogler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNNaMuBOxv4
• QUEEN Carrie Fisher's Writings: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/627235-anyway-george-comes-up-to-me-the-first-day-of

From CW dialogue and illogical world building to interesting perspectives on history and genuine disability representation, it’s time to explore Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. We seek to scratch the surface of one question: Can this booktok famous, romantasy bestseller objectively be considered good? Find out in our most chaotic and sleep deprived episode yet!

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Recommended Reading Soundtrack:

• Forgotten Odes by Eternal Eclipse

Stephanie's Further Reading:

• Prince and the Pauper
• Oliver Twist
• Little Dorrit
• Tale of Two Cities
• Lord of the Rings (specifically the audiobooks read by Andy Serkis)
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Si's Further Reading:

• FANTOMINA: Or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (specifically the audible original read by Thandiwe Newton
• The short stories of Katherine Anne Porter
• Save me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald