Category Archives: Journey to Vapor Island

Robert Stark talks to James O’Meara about Mysticism After Modernism

Robert Stark speaks with James O’Meara about his book, Mysticism After Modernism: Crowley, Evola, Neville, Watts, Colin Wilson, & Other Populist Gurus. Mysticism After Modernism is published by Manticore Press, where it is available for purchase. You can also find it at Counter-Currents and on Amazon.

“Our spirituality has gotten too tame today. James J. O’Meara has a solution [in Mysticism After Modernism]
Mitch Horowitz, PEN Award-winning author of Occult America and The Miracle Club

-The intersection of mysticism with politics and culture, and how mysticism is available to any political persuasion
-Countering the Hippie-dippy liberal  stereotype about New Age gurus
-Critiquing the reactionary who passively accepts cycles of decay, and the need to embrace infinite possibilities
-A practical take on magic/mysticism, in regards to enacting real world change
-Aleister Crowley’s definition of magic as transforming the World in accordance with one’s will
-Examples of opinions and attributes of Alan Watts and William Burroughs that come across as anti-liberal
-Greg Johnson’s article, “The Spiritual Materialism of Alan Watts: A Review of Does It Matter?
-Watts’ ties to quasi-fascist Serbian mystic, Dimitrije Mitrinović
New Thought, and an explanation for how Neville Goddard’s Law of Assumption works
-New Thought as a vehicle for political change, by removing all mental constraints
-Why Theosophy is the theology best adapted to hereditarianism (eg. illiberal pluralism)
-William Burroughs’ obsession with rejecting control in a metaphysical sense
The Greek Qabalah, hidden esoteric traditions in Abrahamic faiths
-Colin Wilson’s practical mysticism, focused on expanding consciousness
-Parapsychology and Spiritual Science
-The need for spiritual elitism and Aristocratic Radicalism
-Robert’s novel, Vaporfornia, which has themes relating to New Thought
-James’ book, Passing the Buck: Coleman Francis and Other Cinematic Metaphysicians

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark talks to Dan Baltic about his debut novel Nutcrankr

Robert Stark and Matt Pegas talk to Dan Baltic about his debut novel Nutcrankr. Dan Baltic is the co-hosts of the literary podcast, New Write, with Matt Pegas. Nutcrankr is available in print and ebook at Terror House publishing.

Topics:
Intro to the protagonist Spencer Grunhauer and the plot
Spencer’s philosophy and his manifest
The psychological process of how one becomes more alienated, unstable, and unhinged
Psycho-sexual motives behind politics and moral panics
Social status, elite overproduction, and out of whack life expectations
Making your own way “pill”
Narratives about online grifters
Bullishness on the future of dissident arts
Terror House’s book reading in Brooklyn, NYC
Creating effecting satire
The literary genre of alienated loners
A homage or modern day reboot of Confederacy of Dunces
Comparisons to Robert’s novel Vaporfornia and Matt’s Dragon Day

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark talks to Andy Nowicki about his Novella Muze

Robert Stark talks to Andy Nowicki about his new novella, Muze, and Robert’s new surreal dark comedy novel, Vaporfornia. Andy Nowicki is a former English professor and the author of numerous books including The Columbine PilgrimLost Violent SoulsHeart Killer, Beauty and the Least, Under the Nihil, and The Insurrectionist. Check out Muze on Terror House Publishing and Andy’s YouTube channel and writings at his Substack.

Topics:

Revisiting Andy’s earlier work and the genre of the alienated loner
References to incel culture in Muze
Other themes in Muze, including pharmaceuticals, transhumanism, blackmail, and mind control
Writing about depravity from a socially conservative/Catholic perspective
The revival in 00’s conspiracy theories
David Lynch and open ended narratives
Robert’s novel Vaporfornia and its similar themes to Muze
Allegories for degradation
Revisiting Robert’s mocumentary Supply
Matt Pegas’ Dragon Day
The growing dissident literary scene
Andy’s trip to South Africa in 2011
The politics of crisis: acceleration vs. gradual decay

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark talks to Brandon Adamson about his Mid-Century Modern inspired NFTs

Robert Stark talks to Brandon Adamson about his Mid-Century Modern inspired NFTs (Mid-Century Modern Inspired NFT Collection “Mod Commodities” Launches Exclusively on Proton ($XPR)). Brandon Adamson is a Phoenix-based artist and poet, and the former co-host of the Stark Truth (2015-2017). Check out Brandon’s NFT collection, “Mod Commodities,” at ArtworkDealer, his culture blog Rabbit’s Foot, and follow him on Twitter.

Topics:

Brandon’s initial interest in penny stocks and bitcoin, and the crypto boom and bust cycles
Brandon’s artistic background, interest in mid-century modern to 70s aesthetics, modern art, and malls
Why Brandon shifted from painting to creating NFTs
The process of creating and minting NFTs
Why Brandon uses the blockchain, Proton
Virtual real estate in the metaverse and Decentraland
Brandon’s response to skeptics and his advice to focus on the project and not fret about the booms and busts
Brandon’s bullishness on long-term economic opportunities for artists to be at the forefront with VR
The importance of having a theme and why Brandon thinks Robert should create NFTs for his art and book, Vaporfornia
Political burnout and the rise in alternative cultural scenes

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark discusses his novel Vaporfornia

Robert Stark is joined with Matt Pegas and Dan Baltic to discuss his new novel, Vaporfornia. Vaporfornia is a surreal dark comedy, a coming of age story set in California, and is the sequel to Robert’s first novel, Journey to Vapor Island. This show is a simulcast with Matt and Dan’s dissident, counter-culture, literary podcast, New WriteVaporfornia is available for purchase on Lulu publishing. Also check out Matt’s review of Vaporfornia.

Topics:

Contrasting Vaporfornia with Journey to Vapor Island, and how both novels capture the zeitgeists of their respective eras
The niche genre of the satirical moving adventure story
Literary comparisons to a Confederacy of Dunces, William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, Lucky Jim, Voltaire’s Candide, and Gulliver’s Travels
The situational humor and dramatic irony
Vaporfornia as a satire of the themes in Robert’s Substack that delve into California’s social, political, class, and demographic dynamics
Vaporfornia as a travelogue for California
Allegories and symbolism in the book
Saudade, a longing for what could have been or nostalgia for lost futures
Gio Pennacchietti’s video about how Robert’s literary fiction and visual art complement each other
The protagonist’s personal and political journey
The politics of the “Chad Centrist” presidential candidate Roger Blackstone
Whether Robert Stark will run for California Governor or have a Vaporfornia tour some day

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark talks to Matt Pegas about Dragon Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Matt Pegas about his debut novel Dragon Day. Dragon Day is published by Matt Forney’s Terror House Press.

Topics:

Dragon Day’s setting at a fictional University in 2015, the era’s purposeful choice for its political climate, and semi-autobiographical elements
Matt’s Addendum To Dragon Day on Substack, contrasting hyper-liberalism with the Straussian dialect
How Dragon Day’s narrative is open to interpretation
The theme of unmet psychosocial needs and untapped erotic energy being channeled into other endeavors both creative and harmful
Influences from Pagan and Gnostic aspects of the right and Camille Paglia on Homonationalism
Counter-elitism and aristocratic radicalism vs. populism
The horseshoe theory on power dialects in regards to human nature

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark interviews artist Gio Pennacchietti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matt Pegas talk to Gio Pennacchietti about aesthetic, cultural, and social trends. Gio Pennacchietti is a social impressionist painter and writer from the “first post-national country” (Canada), Gonzo Philosopher, and failed academic. Check out his YouTube channel GiantArt Productions, Instagram, writings at Substack and WordPress, and Twitter.

Topics:

Gio’s review of Robert Stark’s Art: The Fauvist Vaporwave Interiors
20th Century aesthetic genres, retrofuturism, post-modernism, late 20th century pop art, trends in nostalgia, and the psychology of hauntology
Political symbolism in aesthetics: 2010s minimalism, Neoliberal Kitsch, Sanford Biggers’ statue in Rockefeller Plaza, the de-evolution of Trump’s aesthetics, and the lack of a cohesive aesthetic trend for the future
Robert’s article on Pan-Enclavism and how it relates to Canada as a post-national nation
A critique of the Intellectual Dark Web
The need for a new bohemian/creative movement comparable to the Vienna Secession
Gio’s interest in the after prison Youtubers
Gio’s artistic background, influences, and art as a spiritual endeavor

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark & Matt Pegan discuss the work of Michel Houellebecq

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matt Pegan discuss the significance of French author Michel Houellebecq to our current zeitgeist and his novels Atomised, Whatever, Platform, Submission, and Serotonin.

Topics:

Houellebecq’s early “loser” status, achieving success later in life, and auto-biographical themes in his work
French archetypes and cultural themes
Houellebecq’s Incel Prophecy: The Alienated and Intimacy-Starved
Houellebecq’s comparison of the sexual marketplace to free-market economics
Houellebecq as a social commentator and satirist but offers no explicit political solutions
Transhumanism and Geomaxxing presented as non-conventional escapes from the post-modern predicament
The infamous night club scene from the film rendition of Whatever dealing with the Age Pill and Black Pill
The normie script for life and Houellebecq as an example of someone who broke the script and succeeded
Houellebecq’s commentary that the World Will Be Same But Worse After ‘Banal’ Virus and Study on long term impacts of pandemic on relationships                                                               
Houellebecq’s literary style and dry witty dark humor
Robert and Matt plug their upcoming novels which deal with similar themes to Houellebecq’s work
Submission, the vulnerability of atomized liberal societies to cohesive outside forces, and why France is the most politically significant European country

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson.

Robert Stark interviews Rich Houck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Rich Houck about urbanism, aesthetics, and the need for social capital. Rich is a recent law school grad and you can check out his blog on Patreon and his Twitter account.

Topics:

Rich’s interest in photography
Rich’s patronage of independent artists
Interest in both traditional and Retro-Futurist aesthetics
Neon nationalism: reclaiming the future we should have had
80s nostalgia: the 80s as a going away party
The Last Mall Rat OR The Decline and Transformation of The American Mall
The importance of communal spaces, whether it’s Interior Urbanism or a traditional village space
How urban planning models and density relate to social cohesion
Does Diversity Create Distrust?
Crime prevention through environmental design and A New Way of Understanding ‘Eyes on the Street‘ 
Impression of San Francisco, how it could have been an American Paris with a uniquely American European aesthetic
The spring COVID-19 took from me
How the pandemic is exposing a wide range of problems from open borders to factory farming
Robert’s novel Journey to Vapor Island’s lesson about taking the best from all sides
Symbolism of the Neon-Raccoon

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Catching up with Matt Pegan in Quarantine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Pegan returns to talk with Robert Stark about the social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and some of their upcoming projects. Follow Matt’s new account on Twitter.

Topics:

Why Matt decided to go under his real name
The new Weird Right cultural scene, with more freedom to be creative without guilt by association, and cross pollination with the Dirtbag Left
The TFW NO GF documentary
The impact of the pandemic on mental health
How the quarantine proves the value of leisure and whether it will spark a cultural renaissance
Transitioning into a new era after a long era of stagnation since the last election
How Covid-19 narratives are creating new political paradigms
How the quarantine vindicates nationalist policies with a safety net
The political impact of States re-opening
The pandemic’s long term impact on social bonds
The economic impact of the pandemic and how inequality will likely get much worse
Robert’s upcoming sequel to his novel Journey to Vapor Island and Matt’s novel Dragon Day(excerpt from Terror House)
Robert and Matt’s LA nostalgia series with David Cole(Part One: Westside Pavilion)
Will public spaces survive the pandemic?


Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island