MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• It's been 42 years since 'The Hitchhiker's Guide' answered the ultimate question
  The first Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book was published in October 1979. Fans are looking back at how the series has endured in popularity and why it's still relevant.
• What 'Squid Game' gets right and wrong about Pakistani migrant workers
  One of the characters in the global Netflix hit is Ali Abdul, a Pakistani migrant working (and exploited) in South Korea. Pakistanis are weighing in on the character — and the casting.
• Here's the data on Brent Spiner's loopy, self-referential new novel 'Fan Fiction'
  Fan Fiction is part memoir, part noir pastiche and maybe a little bit true. Is it a great work? No. Is it a lot of fun? Yes. Is it a book that could only have been written by Brent Spiner? Absolutely.
• 'Dune': A sweeping, spectacular spice-opera — half of one, anyway
  Denis Villeneuve's take on Frank Herbert's novel of galactic intrigue and revolution manages to be both epic and introspective, though it doles out its story with gravid deliberateness.
• Hollywood crew members reach a tentative deal with major studios, averting a strike
  After months of negotiation and a strike on the horizon, Hollywood crew members in the union IATSE have agreed to a deal with the major studios.
• 'Wait Wait' for Oct. 16, 2021: Sweater Weather Edition
  This week, the autumn leaves are changing, so we heat up some apple cider and remember some of our favorite moments from the past year.
• Feel like you're missing something in 'Squid Game'? Here's a rundown
  Everyone's talking about the Netflix series Squid Game, about debt-ridden South Koreans playing deadly kids' games for cash — and if you feel like you're missing some cultural context, we can help.
• The joys of surprising yourself with 'The Last Duel' ... and 'Succession'
  There's a kind of satisfaction that comes from something living up to your expectations. But there's a different kind of pleasure that only being surprised by your own reactions can bring.
• 'This Thing Between Us' wants to hurt you — and you should let it
  Gus Moreno's new novel follows a man who flees the city where his wife's murder became a political and media sensation, but he can't escape either his grief or the thing that haunted their apartment.
• Netflix fires employee as internal conflicts over latest Dave Chappelle special grow
  The company alleges that the employee leaked confidential information outside the company. Netflix employees have planned a walkout over transphobic comments made in Chappelle's new special.