About this episode

This episode explores the transition from metaphor to reality in the context of clinical labor and language sanitization, using examples from literature and science fiction.

The “Hideous Bargain” moves from metaphor to the operating table. In this episode, we let loose the bonds of metaphor in Le Guin’s “Omelas” and meet the visceral reality of clinical labor. We examine how the “Sanitization of Language” allows societies—from the United Federation of Planets to modern biotechnology markets—to rebrand human suffering as a […]

People in this episode

Host: Steve Chisnell

Topics covered

• metaphor
• clinical labor
• language sanitization
• human suffering
• science fiction
• biotechnology

Keywords

• Utopia
• Star Trek
• Kazuo Ishiguro
• Omelas
• clinical labor
• language
• human suffering
• biotechnology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: United Federation of Planets, biotechnology markets

Books & works: Omelas, Star Trek

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