E63 - Katabasis, Spoiler Filled (Episode 3 of 3) - "Grimes' Crimes"
The final installment of our deep dive into R. F. Kuang’s Katabasis is finally here!! Even three episodes in, we somehow still have more to say about this dark academic journey to hell.
Corinne flexes her academic muscles in a conversation about consent in fantasy (and academic reality). Then we wrap up by turning to the book’s ending and our feelings about Alice and Peter's relationship.
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.
Many thanks to our pinch-hitter editor, Jordan, who handled this episode!
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
Other lit mentioned this episode: Tess of the Road
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.
