E62 - Katabasis, Spoiler Filled (Episode 2 of 3) - "She is a character (derogatory)"

Episode two of our Katabasis deep dive is finally here! For some reason, we start the first of our spoiler-filled episodes with a sports metaphor before grumbling about Alice and Peter as academic types with whom we are quite familiar (and spoiler alert, we don’t like them).
We also consider Kuang’s construction of hell as a university–but with the pretty clear argument that salvation is definitely not a dissertation.
As a bit of a content warning, Katabasis deals with abuse and suicidal ideation. Because these themes are pretty central to the novel, we won’t be able to provide specific timecodes for when it comes up in our own discussion, but wanted to make sure you know going in.
What's Sparking Joy this episode: N.Flying & Heyley Williams
Episode was recorded October 19, 2025
Show Notes:
- Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcast
- Listen to our Joy Sparked: SLL Song Recs playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=d9df62854c684557
- Check out the Under Review Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-review/id1616708064
Other lit mentioned this episode: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Under Review Podcast
On Future SLL Episodes: Isekai and Transmigration
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Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.