Death in The Garden

The Odyssey: An Ancient Story with Modern Implications | BONUS EPISODE

July 23, 2026·15 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comAs people who were willing to drive 3.5 hours one-way to see The Odyssey projected on 70mm IMAX, it’s safe to say we are fans of Christopher Nolan and we love the art of cinema. In this bonus episode with Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey, we discuss Nolan’s latest epic and all of the implications that his surprising retelling has today. We discuss the importance of myth and storytelling, and the need for us to engage consciously with stories. We ask, what is the line between adaptation and appropriation? Retelling and perversion? And who gets to decide? We also delve deep into the civilizational analysis that is embedded within The Odyssey, as well as it’s literal and spiritual predecessor (Maren’s favorite Nolan film) Oppenheimer.We talk about responsibility, consequences, the role of the gods, animism, and what it means when people refuse to engage with genuine art based on culture war controversies.We hope you’ll ignore the haters and go see this movie. As always, this entire conversation is available in its entirety for our paid subscribers only. If you’d like to support the project and gain full access to these bonus episodes, consider becoming a paid subscriber today!

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