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The Word From Tomorrow

The Word From Tomorrow

Written by: Case and Keith
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 A Transmetropolitan read along podcast!2026 Art Science Fiction
Episodes
  • Transmetropolitan Vol 2: Lust for Life - with Gen Moonen

    Transmetropolitan Vol 2: Lust for Life - with Gen Moonen
    Apr 27 2026
    Foglets. Revivals. The City in full swing. Case and Keith are joined by Gen Moonen to continue their Transmetropolitan reread with Vol. 2: Lust for Life, as Spider Jerusalem navigates a world that somehow feels even more relevant now than it did on the page. Support us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Edited by Case Aiken Scored by Bret Eagleston Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 FOLLOW US: ▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia Character Depth: Shannon reveals emotional blind spots, enhancing readers' connection and exploring themes of grief and acceptance. Spider's Evolution: Spider Jerusalem becomes more nuanced, revealing a caring side while facing consequences of his past actions. Worldbuilding Expansion: The story explores diverse subcultures, identity politics, and ethical tensions in a hyper-advanced society. Journalism's Impact: Spider's columns expose societal issues, highlighting ethical gray areas and the limits of journalistic influence. Tone and Narrative Diversity: A mix of humor and serious themes keeps the reader engaged, showcasing the chaotic world of Spider. Philosophical Questions: The narrative questions identity and humanity through cyberpunk technology and the consequences of experimentation. Notes Character and Story Development The volume deepens the emotional and narrative complexity of key characters, especially through Shannon's perspective and Spider Jerusalem's evolving humanization (07:10). Shannon serves as an effective audience surrogate, revealing emotional blind spots in an otherwise worldly character, which helps readers connect to the transformative nanite downloading process involving Zhang and the foglet community (08:35). This emotional investment allows the story to explore themes of grief and acceptance, grounding the sci-fi elements in relatable human experience. Jeff Moonan highlighted the narrative choice to balance exposition with genuine emotional stakes, enhancing reader engagement. The witnessing of Zhang's transformation offers closure and insight, reinforcing journalistic integrity and the pursuit of truth despite personal pain. This perspective shift also humanizes Spider, showing his softer, more caring side beyond his typical abrasive persona. Spider Jerusalem's complexity increases, moving from a caricature to a more nuanced figure who, despite his chaotic nature, shows genuine concern for people around him (14:21). His role as a journalist fighting for the underserved remains central, as he balances being an "asshole" with achieving real impact. The narrative exposes collateral damage caused by his ruthlessness, particularly through the backstory of Indira, a former assistant harmed by his actions, which challenges readers' perceptions of him (01:43:11). The arc culminates in Spider confronting multiple personal consequences, including threats from past relationships and enemies, deepening his character's stakes and vulnerabilities (01:22:20). Worldbuilding and Sociocultural Themes The volume expands the world of Trans Metropolitan by exploring diverse subcultures and the tension between preservation and progress in a hyper-advanced society (56:00). Nanite foglets represent a new form of immortality and identity, portrayed with more sympathy than the transient community from Volume One, emphasizing self-identification and decentralized leadership (17:25). The foglets' godlike abilities to manipulate matter showcase advanced technological evolution, adding depth to the cyberpunk setting. This community contrasts with the transients, highlighting nuanced views on body modification and identity politics within the story. The narrative embraces complexity without condemnation, reflecting real-world diversity in identity and community. Reservations act as cultural preservation zones with ethical tensions, where volunteers reenact ancestral lifestyles, some involving harmful practices like female genital mutilation (57:03). These biodomes illustrate conflicts between cultural respect and modern human rights, sparking critical reflection on preservation versus harm. The failed Tikal reservation and its violent history underscore the challenges of maintaining authentic cultural experiences amid a futuristic cityscape. The Farsight community reservation experiments with unregulated science and cybernetic augmentation, testing the boundaries of human enhancement and technological risk (01:11:22). These diverse enclaves emphasize the fracturing of monoculture, showing siloed identities emerging within a homogenizing world dominated by capitalism and English language dominance (01:31:29). Journalism and Ethical Inquiry Journalism remains ...
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    2 hrs and 14 mins
  • Transmetropolitan Vol 1: Back on the Street - with Pat Edwards

    Transmetropolitan Vol 1: Back on the Street - with Pat Edwards
    Apr 20 2026
    Welcome to The Word From Tomorrow, a reread podcast diving into Transmetropolitan one volume at a time. Case and Keith are joined by Pat Edwards to begin at the beginning with Back on the Street, reintroducing Spider Jerusalem and laying the groundwork for a world that only gets wilder—and more relevant—from here. Support us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Edited by Case Aiken Scored by Bret Eagleston Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 FOLLOW US: ▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia Series Legacy: Trans Metropolitan is a 1997 cyberpunk series addressing political and social themes, highlighting artistic value despite creator controversies. Character Complexity: Protagonist Spider Jerusalem is a morally ambiguous antihero combining fame and violence to critique corruption and media influence. Worldbuilding Details: The series is rich with elements like advertisements and posthuman factions, showcasing immersive cyberpunk storytelling. Thematic Depth: Key arcs explore social unrest and identity through the lens of questionable leadership and media culture critiques. Cultural Impact: Spider Jerusalem is significant in comics, ranked #38 on Wizard Magazine's list, reflecting anti-establishment sentiments of the era. Engagement Discussion: The podcast encourages community conversations about art versus artist, ethical engagement with problematic works. Notes Series Context and Creator Background The discussion framed Trans Metropolitan as a cyberpunk series with strong political and social themes, created by Warren Ellis and Derek Robertson starting in 1997 (00:00). Patrick Edwards highlighted Ellis's controversial history involving coercion of women, impacting how audiences might engage with his work despite recognizing the series' artistic value. The hosts emphasized the collaborative nature of comics, underscoring that many contributors beyond Ellis deserve recognition, enabling critical appreciation without ignoring problematic aspects (00:10). Derek Robertson's role was noted as important, with a legacy including the Marvel Max line and co-creating The Boys, framing the series within the "British Invasion" of comics with edgy, provocative content (00:07). The series was contextualized as a pre-9/11 dystopian vision of a hyper-capitalist future, showing prescient political themes that still resonate today (00:31). Character and Worldbuilding Strategy The podcast detailed how the protagonist, Spider Jerusalem, embodies a complex antihero inspired by Hunter S. Thompson and early visual references to Alan Moore (00:02, 00:22). Spider is portrayed as a violent, abrasive journalist who leverages his fame to expose corruption but uses excessive force, creating a morally ambiguous figure that the creators seem to idolize despite his flaws (00:49, 01:33). The story's world is richly layered with background details, such as advertisements, cloned humans, and posthuman factions like the Revived and Downloaded, exemplifying dense, immersive cyberpunk worldbuilding by Robertson (00:32, 00:34). This setting includes a mix of cartoonish and serious violence, with Spider's actions swinging between comical and brutal, reflecting the chaotic tone of the series (00:27). Technological elements, such as the Maker device that can create almost anything and camera glasses, were noted as imaginative but sometimes quickly outdated by real-world tech advances, illustrating challenges in futuristic storytelling (00:30, 00:40). Narrative and Thematic Developments The first major story arc focused on Spider's return to the city, his investigation of the Transient movement, and the subsequent riot, underscoring themes of social unrest and media influence (00:47). Spider's exposure of police brutality during the Angel's 8 riot successfully curtails violent suppression, demonstrating journalism's power but also highlighting Spider's violent contradictions, as he both assaults people and defends the oppressed (00:49, 01:01). The Transients, a genetically modified dissident group led by the morally dubious Fred Christ, are portrayed as a cult-like faction rather than a direct allegory for real-world transgender issues, avoiding overt social commentary while exploring themes of identity and belonging (00:44). The narrative balances critique of authority figures, including a corrupt, Nixon-like President "The Beast" who is broke and desperate, with Spider's own anarchic, often crude methods (01:13). The series incorporates pervasive religious satire, mocking organized religion's exploitation through scenes depicting multiple new cults and Spider's irreverent "Jesus-like" rampages against charlatans (01:22). Reality TV and media culture are heavily ...
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    1 hr and 42 mins
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