#repentharlequin

Looking Back, Looking Forward

We spent this week talking about Harlan Ellison’s Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman. It is a chaotic little story about time, rebellion and what it costs to resist. It got us thinking about how much of our own lives are ruled by schedules and how easily we accept them. The conversation ended up going from jellybeans to industrial revolutions to Breaking Bad and somehow it all made sense in the end.

Next week we are switching gears but sticking with dystopia. Demolition Man takes us into a shiny sanitized future where swearing is illegal, physical contact is banned and everything dangerous or uncomfortable has been scrubbed away. It is pure 90s action but it is also a weirdly sharp critique of control and safety culture.

New Episode Out Now: Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman

What happens when a society is so obsessed with punctuality that being late is a crime? And what happens when one chaotic figure decides to fight back with jellybeans?

Our new episode dives into Harlan Ellison’s Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman. We talk about rebellion, time anxiety, the 1960s counterculture, and why this strange, whimsical story still hits hard today. Expect tangents on Breaking Bad, history, and why meetings make us miserable.

What Would You Do With Your Time?

Imagine living in a world where being late is illegal. Not just frowned upon but punishable. Every second of your life tracked, every heartbeat counted, and someone always watching the clock.

Would you follow the rules? Or would you throw jellybeans at the system?

This Thursday on Dystopedia we are looking at Harlan Ellison’s Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman. It is chaotic, playful, and angrier than it first appears. We are talking about time, rebellion, and what it costs to resist.

Time, Jellybeans, and Total Rebellion

Last week we talked about Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and how scary it is when people follow tradition without thinking.

This Thursday we are looking at Harlan Ellison’s Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman. It is a story about a world obsessed with punctuality where being late is literally a crime and one chaotic figure, the Harlequin, fights back by throwing jellybeans at the system.

We will get into Ellison’s hatred of the 9 to 5 grind, why the story feels so strange to read, and how its 1960s counterculture energy still feels relevant now. There are also tangents about Breaking Bad, time anxiety, and why meetings drive us mad.

📻 Sunday Reflections – From Stones to Seconds

This week we revisited Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, a story that still hits hard, even 75 years later. It reminded us how terrifyingly easy it is to follow tradition without stopping to ask why. The calm surface, the polite small town, the unquestioned horror at its core. That quiet compliance feels all too familiar.

It is not just about one village. It is about all of us.

Next week, we take that idea into the future with Harlan Ellison’s Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman. If The Lottery showed us the violence hidden in tradition, Harlequin shows us the violence hidden in schedules. One is rural and old-fashioned. The other is futuristic and clinical. But both ask the same question — what happens when someone stops obeying?

🎧 Catch up on The Lottery episode now 🕰️ New episode drops Thursday