PEL Presents (sub)Text: Sex and Tech in "Alien" by Ridley Scott

<p>The Nostromo is a labyrinthine spaceship, a hulking ore refinery run on a sophisticated computer operating system and manned by a crew of seven. But somehow it’s not the most impressive piece of technology in Ridley Scott’s 1979 film <em>Alien</em>. That distinction belongs to the title character, an organism with blood of acid and two sets of jaws, highly-evolved, adaptable to any climate. Its scientific mission, if you will, is to fulfill a basic biological imperative: to become a parent. Fitting, then, that it chooses to prey on a ship controlled by its own problematic Mother. Just what kind of existential threat does this techno-sexual organism pose to a man-made and sterile future? And how does one woman manage to defeat it? Wes &amp; Erin discuss. </p> <p>Subscribe: <a href="https://subtextpodcast.com/">(sub)Text</a> won’t always be in the PEL feed, so please subscribe to us directly: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sub-text-literature-and-film-podcast/id1526882382"> Apple</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2PQ2gT1DbrsOb7g1Dune1V?si=Omtb29FFTkGj9Oo6yrteKA"> Spotify</a> | <a href="https://subscribeonandroid.com/subtextpodcast.com/feed/podcast/"> Android</a> | <a href="https://subtextpodcast.com/feed/podcast/">RSS</a></p> <p>Bonus content: The conversation continues on our after-show <a href="https://subtextpodcast.com/category/(post)script/">(post)script</a>. Get this and other bonus content at by subscribing at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/subtext">Patreon</a>.</p> <p>Follow (sub)Text: <a href="https://twitter.com/enjoysubtext">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/subtextpodcast/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://subtextpodcast.com/">Website</a></p> <p>Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/maroonblazer">Nick Ketter</a> for the audio editing on this episode.</p>