Against the Day: Chapter 9

Against the Day: Chapter 9

Author: Thomas Pynchon books discussed here! January 17, 2025 Duration: 2:05:50

This week in Mapping the Zone: Movement appears stalled. Not only do we remain with the Traverse household, but the only motion to be found is that of the mind. Kit begins to fathom the depth of Vectorism through the primal texts of electicity, and who is to find his talents but Nikola Tesla? It turns out, the understudy-in-perpetuity to Vibe, Foley Walker. The Earth may be striving to destroy our schedule, but the intrepids of this show shall not rest until we've ridden lightning through its heart.

We had planned on covering Chapters 9-10 in this episode, but by the time we were done recording, we had around 5 1/2 hours of audio, so the decision was made to split it into two episodes. As such, this episode ends with our discussion of Chapter 9—quotes, "Most 'Pynchon' Part" and details about our Part One wrap-up episode will be at the end of the Chapter 10 episode in two weeks.

If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:

Quaternions (somewhat) explained: https://eater.net/quaternions

Civil War Draft Records article by Michael T. Meier: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.html

Spirits of the Land: A Tool for Social Education by Ólina Thorvarðardóttir: http://www.literature.at/viewer.alo?objid=14721&viewmode=fullscreen&scale=3.33&rotate=&page=35

Films/TV: The Knick (2014-2015)

Music: “Cat’s In the Cradle” - Harry Chapin, “Father and Son” - Cat Stevens

If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.

https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone

As always, thanks so much for listening!

Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/

Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com


Dense, sprawling, and endlessly rewarding, the novels of Thomas Pynchon invite the kind of conversation that can last for hours. That’s precisely what you’ll find on Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast. Instead of dry literary analysis, this series offers the lively, sometimes meandering, talk of four dedicated fans unpacking these complex texts together. They approach each book as an adventure, tracing its winding plots, deciphering its historical and pop culture references, and debating the fate of its many peculiar characters. The tone is accessible and enthusiastic, driven by a genuine love for the material rather than an academic agenda. You’re essentially listening in on a great, ongoing book club discussion where the jokes are as welcome as the insights. Whether you’re a seasoned Pynchon veteran looking to compare notes or a curious newcomer daunted by the sheer scale of the work, this podcast provides a companionable guide through the zones of paranoia, coincidence, and profound humanity that define the author’s world. It’s a space where the pleasure of the text is taken seriously, one deep-dive episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast
Podcast Episodes
Against the Day: Ch. 29 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:34:37
Time: var. moments of social cavitationLocation: var. locales of New Old Mexico, esp. northernSubject: Quiselgur, El Chavalito "Frank Traverse"Concerns: - rigid and constricted manifolds - succulent flora - turnaboutReco…
Infinite Jest: Eating Granola With A Large Wooden Spoon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15:37
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com…
Infinite Jest: Eating Granola With A Large Wooden Spoon (v 2.0) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15:37
Nothing new about this episode, despite the 2.0 in the name. We had some problems with the original being Apple Podcasts exclusive, so the workaround was in changing the title (slightly).If you like what we're doing and…
Against the Day: Ch. 28 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45:25
Before setting sail, we check in on the bouncing baby Jesse and the newlyweds who made him. Things aren't going too hot for the young family, the line between reciprocal sacrifice and foolheadedness seeming blurrier ever…
Infinite Jest: Wherein We Begin By Beginning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:02
Thirty years ago, a monumental book was published which shook the literary world and completely revolutionized post-modern fiction. Not Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, or the first book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of I…
Against the Day: Chapter 27 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:39:51
Dally rolls into town just around the corner, readier than most to take the world by its horns, but our crew of worryworts can't help themselves from checking in. Helpful roommate Katie eases some concerns, but then agai…
Against the Day: Chapter 26 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:02:58
Kit's going through it, so we get down and rough it with the poor boy. It's nice to catch up with him, gives the crew an opportunity to connect some dots, draw some prospective lines. Between the continuance of Tesla v.…
Best Reads of 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:31
It's the end of the year, so we decided to talk about some books we read in 2025 that weren't Pynchon. Of course, we decided to do this after we finished recording a 4+ hour episode for Against the Day, so we were admitt…
Coming in 2026... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:54
Starting 01 February 2026, Cody and Kate will be (kinda) deep-diving into another book. What's the twist? It's not a Pynchon book (cue "shocking" sound bite). If you want to know what we're going to be covering in a mont…
Against the Day: Chapters 24-25 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:00:40
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com…