a novel in five lectures, like 24, but more in less

November 9, 2010 8:07 PM

Karen, Rick, Luke and Rachel are four people marooned in an airport lounge sometime in the very near future. The price of oil goes through the roof, and a kind of apocalypse takes over the world- or at least the world that they can see through the windows of the bar and on the crackling, intermittent news reports. Thick ash falls from the sky. The taps are dry. Cellphones don't work. Sealed in, the four can only talk to each other, examine their lives and the meaning of love, and try to confront their own demons. There is no turning back, they realise.

CBC is proud to present the 2010 Massey Lectures, by celebrated Canadian author and artist, Douglas Coupland. A cultural commentator with international impact, Coupland presents this year's lectures in the form of a novel, Player One. What is to Become of Us.

The novel and lecture together present a story set over five hours in an airport lounge which asks; at what point do humans stop being humans and become something else? Where, if anywhere, do modernity and classical theology overlap? What is time? What is the human essence? And how does storytelling fit into all of this?

Listen:

Radio Broadcast
The Massey Lectures will be broadcast on IDEAS Monday, November 8 to Friday, November 12, at 9:05 pm on CBC Radio One.

Podcast
Each lecture will be available to download as a podcast the day after each broadcast.
Download the podcast here. This free podcast will be available up until Sunday, November 14th.
(Episode One MP3 Download Link)

The lectures will also be available for purchase on iTunes the day of the broadcast.

Streaming
You can also listen to streaming audio files which will be posted the day after each broadcast. The streaming files will be available until Sunday, November 21st.

Listen to Player One: What is to Become of Us - Episode 1

(PLEASE NOTE: The links to the podcast and streaming files will be posted the day after the broadcast of each lecture.)

posted by infinite intimation (21 comments total)

Oooooh thanks! I've been so busy lately I haven't heard much of my CBC and didn't knw who was doing Massey this year. Listening now!
posted by saucysault at 8:11 PM on November 9, 2010

The story is five one-hour lectures, but there are take-outs from the 6th book/chapter/lecture (which is basically a 'glossary/notes/etc.,') interspersed into the radio lecture production, they are a particularly great element of it.
posted by infinite intimation at 8:15 PM on November 9, 2010

Just finished listening to tonight's episode; riveting speculative fiction drama. Massey Lectures are always interesting; this one has the bonus of being suspenseful, fast-paced and funny.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 8:17 PM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Link to series on the CBC podcast subscription page here.
posted by cgk at 8:44 PM on November 9, 2010

Waiting for God-oil.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:17 PM on November 9, 2010

The summary immediately tipped me off that this was Coupland, but finding him on Ideas was a surprise. Will have to take a listen.
posted by maudlin at 9:34 PM on November 9, 2010

I will have to listen, Coupland is my favorite.
This book was right behind "Girlfried in a Coma" and "Hey Nostradamus" for me.
posted by aloiv2 at 9:53 PM on November 9, 2010

I'll certainly be tuning in for round two.

Did anyone else find his pronunciation of 'human' slightly jarring?
posted by twirlypen at 10:33 PM on November 9, 2010

Speaking as someone who's sort of avoided Coupland, it's been very enjoyable and interesting. I was thinking about posting this - good to see it here, regardless!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:22 PM on November 9, 2010

That was great fun, thanx so much for linking. (wishing they were all online right now, I'd listen all night long...)
posted by dancestoblue at 11:31 PM on November 9, 2010

I heard a snippet of this tonight but had to turn it off so I could get some work done. I didn't realize it was going to be available as a limited-time podcast, so I'm really glad you posted this. I've got a soft spot for both Coupland and dystopian fiction (I still need to read Generation A).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:00 AM on November 10, 2010

Karen, Rick, Luke and Rachel are four people marooned in an airport lounge

Maroon 4?
posted by iviken at 12:14 AM on November 10, 2010

Is the audio skipping for anyone else with the MP3? It's driving me crazy!
posted by Joe Chip at 12:57 AM on November 10, 2010

Seeing the good comments here makes me want to check it out despite this description of the goings on: " Sealed in, the four can only talk to each other, examine their lives and the meaning of love, and try to confront their own demons.".

"Meaning of love" and "confront demons" sounds really trite, but I'm hoping it's the marketing person's fault.
posted by josher71 at 4:48 AM on November 10, 2010

o wow awesome. dling now.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:20 AM on November 10, 2010

Oh, I love Coupland. I just tried to listen to this at work but I won't be able to get anything done, so it'll have to wait :/
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:05 AM on November 10, 2010

I am so, so, so, so burnt out on post-apocalyptic anything (I can't bring myself to watch The Walking Dead despite it being a good show by all accounts), but I am a former Big Fan of Coupland (haven't read him in a while for no particular reason), so I will check this out (thank you).
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:33 AM on November 10, 2010

In case you need persuading; it's really light on the post apocalyptic, heavy on the life-like, tragically-yet-c'est-la-vie-funny.
These characters are far from walking dead, they feel vibrant, somehow more substance than shadow real.
Think less The Road (film), and more fast times at ridgemont high meets Antoine Dodson meeting The Dude; Meeting Ripley, narrated by Zordon. -Mostly.

Anyone who thinks timeless and valid questions like "what is love", and "how to confront demons" (see Socrates, wrestling with his Daimon, stopping him from entering politics, and sophistry, and helping him stick to Philosophy in "The apology" and other works) are trite are my mortal enemies... Having jokingly said that, I agree, the summary doesn't nearly do justice to the work.

I considered trying to type out a really awesome pull -quote (there were so many to choose from; the "expiry date obsessed who allow bottles of Kraft Catalina dressing to sit in the refrigerator shelf for years; Karen's bottle of Thousand Island that knew where it was during the Kennedy assassination... Rapture Goo... in the end I realized I didn't have to sell this work hard. No summary would do justice. Can text really capture that delivery.
posted by infinite intimation at 8:38 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Isn't this just Huis Clos?
posted by yellowcandy at 12:58 PM on November 10, 2010

And now after listening to the first two chapters, I can say: Thank you for this, it's GREAT so far! And I never would have found it on my own. Awesome. Love.
posted by fiercecupcake at 9:45 PM on November 10, 2010

I heard it starting on Ideas tonight, but had to dive for the radio and turn it off so I wouldn't start in the middle. I do have the first two podcasts downloaded, though, so I will play the whole thing soon.
posted by maudlin at 9:52 PM on November 10, 2010