Fiction Fans: We Read Books and Other Words Too

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Join two casual readers as they completely ignore their academic backgrounds and talk about the books they loved, and sometimes the ones they didn’t. Includes segments like “Journey to the Center of the Discworld,” “Words are Weird,” and “Pet Peeves.” Ever wonder why someone would read bad fanfiction? They talk about that too.

Lilly and Sara


    • May 28, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 57m AVG DURATION
    • 212 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Fiction Fans: We Read Books and Other Words Too

    Saint Death's Herald by C.S.E. Cooney

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 68:21 Transcription Available


    Your hosts read Saint Death's Herald, the second book in the Saint Death series. They discuss how much they remembered from book 1, and how that affected their experience with book 2. They also talk about the various relationships (from heartwarming to delightfully toxic) and their favorite animal companions (all of them. Every single animal, dead or alive or just less dead).Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Chai and Cat-tales by Lynn Strong

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 52:57 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Lilly's cats to discuss Chai and Cat-tales by Lynn Strong. They cover how much they love cats, the unexpected delight of finding recipes in a novel, how much they love cats, inclusive fantasy in a cozy setting, how much they love cats, what makes a romance and finally, how much they love cats. Lilly did cut some of the cat talk, they promise.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: The Fall is All There Is by C. M. Caplan

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 52:26 Transcription Available


    Your hosts welcome C.M. Caplan on to the podcast to chat about The Fall Is All There Is, book one in his scifi/fantasy trilogy Four of Mercies. They talk about his world building process, complicated family dynamics, and unsatisfying violence.Find more from Connor:https://bsky.app/profile/cmcaplanwrites.bsky.socialFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Down In the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 36:10 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss San Francisco, intertwining narratives, and the optimism of seeing a community come together against discrimination in Down In the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong. Content warnings for this episode include discussion of sexual assault and sex trafficking.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 44:34 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Stephen Aryan to discuss The Judas Blossom, the first book in his soon to be completed trilogy. They talk about the balance of historical accuracy in a historical-fantasy novel, his inspiration from 13th century Persia, and improbable tomatoes.Find more from Stephen:https://stephen-aryan.com/https://bsky.app/profile/stephenaryan.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/stephenaryan_writer/Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Murderbot: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 61:20 Transcription Available


    Your hosts read Artificial Condition, book two in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. Lilly struggles with pronouns, but they still manage to talk about casting for the upcoming tv show.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: Underscore by Andrew Cartmel

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 53:44 Transcription Available


    Your hosts welcome Andrew Cartmel back on to the podcast to chat about Underscore, the latest novel in his cozy crime series The Vinyl Detective. They discuss cinematic inspirations, new characters in established series, and just how hard it is to do bad things to your fictional darlings.Find more from Andrew:https://medwayprideradio.co.uk/show/the-vinyl-detective-show/https://www.instagram.com/vinyldetectivelondon/https://twitter.com/andrewcartmel?lang=enFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    House of Odysseus by Claire North

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 70:20 Transcription Available


    Your hosts finally get to read House of Odysseus by Claire North, book two in her Songs of Penelope series. It has been a minute since they read book 1 for their interview with North, so there is some reorienting that needed to be done. They also talk about their nostalgia for Greek Mythology, the new narrator for this book, and the different kinds of power that can be exerted from behind the scenes.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 36:01 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Murder on the Orient Express, a reread chosen for them by their Patreon supporters as part of the quarterly “Patron's Choice” selection. They debate whether or not it's mean to describe a fictional character as “ugly”, talk about racism in the 1930s and in Christie's work, and chat about the experience of knowing the ending because you're rereading vs having the ending spoiled for you on a first time read.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 49:42 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss how fun it is to see mundane space station jobs in Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez. They talk about the main character's toxic work environment, and his eventual entanglement in a thrilling space adventure. They also consider the book's mix of humor with unexpectedly graphic violence while enjoying Johnny's relationships (platonic and less platonic), and the intriguing universe Rodriguez has built.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Nostalgia Book Club: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine with OWWR Pod

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 56:29 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Hannah and Laura from OWWR Pod to discuss Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, part of their Nostalgia Book Club series. They talk about how much less weird it would be if the characters were a little older, the dark implications of Ella's obedience curse, and of course, Anne Hathaway.Find more from On Wednesdays We Read:https://owwrpod.com/https://bsky.app/profile/owwrpod.bsky.socialFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Shards of Shattered Darkness by Mark N. Drake

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 44:03 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss "Shards of Shattered Darkness," a collection of stories by Mark N. Drake. They debate where exactly they think the collection falls on the horror genre spectrum, talk about how the collection works (or doesn't) as a thematic whole, and highlight some of their favorite pieces like "The Grey Berserker" and "Vane Harbor."Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 47:24 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Premee Mohamed's latest collection of stories, "One Message Remains," and praise its evocative writing and strong character development. They explore the book's themes of colonization, exploitation, and war, and discuss how the fantasy setting reflects real-world issues. They also appreciate the collection's progression from plot-driven to introspective storytelling, and the portrayal of resistance against oppressive system.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: Fermi's Wake by Chris Farnell

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 38:26 Transcription Available


    Your hosts welcome Chris Farnell back on to the podcast to talk about Fermi's Wake, his new collection of novellas featuring the ragtag crew of the Fermi. They discuss crab-centric evolution, ego driven characters, and confronting readers with complicity via scifi shenanigans.Find more from Chris:https://chrisfarnell.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/thebrainofchris.bsky.social Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers edited by Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 31:21 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers, a new anthology edited by Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell. They talk about enjoying the mix of “new to them” and familiar authors, what makes a story a bummer (complimentary), and the experience of reading a short story that forms part of a larger body of work.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Dracula by Bram Stoker

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 75:54 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Dracula by Bram Stoker, and almost start talking about various Dracula adaptations as well before they manage to rein themselves in. They cover the mysteriously incorrect publication date in Lilly's copy of the novel, how much they love Mina, and how much Stoker hated Lucy.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: The Ruptured Sky by Jessica A. McMinn

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 47:54 Transcription Available


    Your hosts speak with Jessica A. McMinn about The Ruptured Sky, the first novel in her debut fantasy quartet. They talk about worldbuilding, asshole mentors, duty, and consequences.Find more from Jessica:https://jessicaamcminn.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/jessicaamcminn.bsky.socialFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 46:48 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Dan Hanks to discuss his scifi, thriller, adventure, every-genre-really novel, The Way Up is Death. They talk about large casts in focused scenes, unlikeable vs irredeemable characters, and the meaning of life.Find more from Dan:https://www.danhanks.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/danhanks.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/dan_hanks/Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 54:49 Transcription Available


    This week, your hosts are covering The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, which turns out to be a delightful intersection of both of their interests. They discuss emotional journeys in adjacent fantasy, political coups, and unique grammar conventions. They also evaluate what, exactly, makes a goblin.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 50:04 Transcription Available


    Excited for Mickey 17, the upcoming movie featuring Robert Pattinson, your hosts read Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. Despite their complaints about the narrative voice and Mickey's POV, they really did enjoy the book, they promise. They also discuss the effect of cloning on the sense of self, the implications of space colonization, and neat aliens.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    2024: Year in Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 60:04 Transcription Available


    Your hosts reflect upon 2024 and their podcasting experience, including some stats about the books they read in the last year. They also award some superlatives, such as "Best Supporting Character," "Best Re-read," and "World Most Likely to Kill Us Instantly."Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 50:17 Transcription Available


    Your hosts finally reach the end of their Discworld reread with The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett, and they're feeling all sorts of ways about it. They talk about Tiffany Aching's arc over her mini-series as a whole, tying up (and leaving) loose threads, and everyone's favorite Kelda, Jeannie.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Escher Man by T. R. Napper

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 43:03 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss The Escher Man by T. R. Napper. They consider what makes a story better fit for a movie format. They also talk about characters they're emotionally invested in, family dynamics, and cybernetic enhancements.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Coup de Grace: Firefly tie-in by Una McCormack

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 48:06 Transcription Available


    In this episode your hosts discuss the TV show Firefly, and Lilly fundamentally misunderstands "tie-in" novels. They also talk about colonialism vs. capitalism and what Wash's shirt actually looks like.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 44:17 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are baffled by Raising Steam, the penultimate Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. They debate which miniseries it ought to belong in, talk about how long it takes for the plot to take off, and actually enjoy all of the wife characters we see in the book. They rejoice in pro-goblin propaganda and have a brief Words are Weird discussion about smut.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 45:54 Transcription Available


    Your hosts indulge in some serious escapism with Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. They talk about how terribly Basgaith War Academy is run, ask themselves why anyone would want to attend it, and yet defend to the death their right to enjoy this book.Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 49:48 Transcription Available


    Your hosts read Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov (and get a little distracted argreeing [that's arguing and agreeing at the same time] over how it's different from Kushiel's Dart). They discuss political plotlines in SFF, both relatable and antagonistic characters, and assign an exact genre-percentage-breakout between Fantasy, SciFi, and Horror.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Snuff by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 45:59 Transcription Available


    Your hosts spend 17 minutes talking about some tropes they didn't love in Snuff by Terry Pratchett, and then roughly two hours (cut down to a reasonable time) gushing about the rest of the book in the spoiler section so we can't talk about it. Vimes kind of has magic powers, his wife Sybil actually does things in the plot, and there's a character named Stinky (that's really all you need to know).Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 58:08 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss witchcraft and religion in their conversation about The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. They talk about familiar conflicts in fantasy settings, surprising (and not so surprising) character arcs, and whether rivers of blood or rivers of bones would be scarier.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Scott Buckley for the use of “Twilight Echo”- Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    scott buckley witching alexis henderson
    The Call of Cthulhu & Other Works by H.P. Lovecraft

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 45:39 Transcription Available


    Your hosts were thoroughly unimpressed by the selection of works they read from Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft. They talk about trying to avoid bias going into a work, and racist mthrfckrs. They also discuss cosmic horror, Cthulhu's tentacles, and Lovecraft's reputation. Did they read the wrong works? Maybe.In this episode, they discuss:The Call of CthulhuThe Color From Out of SpacePickman's ModelThe Shadow Over Innsmouth (kind of, like maybe a quarter of it)Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    From These Dark Abodes by Lyndsie Manusos

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 44:14 Transcription Available


    Your hosts talk about skeletons, mythology, and what makes a horror story in Lyndsie Mansusos' debut novella, From These Dark Abodes. Yes, Lilly made them watch Spooky Scary Skeletons before they started recording.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Editor Interview: Sinophagia edited and translated by Xueting Ni

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 54:47 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Xueting Ni to talk about her experience translating and editing Sinophagia, a collection of Chinese horror short stories. They discuss both cultural and personal horror. At the end, Sara and Lilly go over their favorite stories in the collection.You can find Xueting on twitter here: https://twitter.com/xuetingni And more from her here: http://snowpavilion.co.uk/ Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Books of Blood vol 1 by Clive Barker

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 48:19 Transcription Available


    Lilly drags Sara into hell with their first Spooky Month book -- Books of Blood volume 1, by Clive Barker. They discuss the collection of short stories as a whole, and some of the appeal (and repulsion) of horror as a genre. They also talk about each story, going over the ones that freaked them out the most (Lilly's favorite, Sara's least favorite) and the ones that freaked them out the least (Lilly's least favorite, Sara's most bearable).Content Warnings:Death, Animal Death, Underage Relationships, Self Harm, Suicide, Cannbalism Stories:The Books of BloodThe Midnight Meat TrainThe Yattering and JackSex, Death and StarshineIn the Hills, the CitiesFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 64:18 Transcription Available


    Your hosts take another step on their Journey to the Ends of the Discworld with "I Shall Wear Midnight," by Terry Pratchett, the YA novel to define all YA novels. They talk about quintessential genre examples, relatable teenage angst, and unfortunate Deus ex Machinas. They also discuss realistic romance arcs, unrealistic romantic interests, and what makes a villain scary. There's a brief visit to the Pet Peeve corner to talk about Cromwellian click bait.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: Countess by Suzan Palumbo

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 75:35 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Suzan Palumbo to talk about food, colonialism, and more in her new novella, Countess. They also talk about the unique experiences of queer characters and classic lit inspirations by way of The Count of Monte Cristo.Find more from Suzan:https://bsky.app/profile/sillysyntax.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/sillysyntaxhttps://www.instagram.com/gothicsyntax/Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 52:28 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. They talk about how eerie it is to read a dystopian future set in… pretty much indistinguishable modern day (although with a little extra cannibalism sprinkled in). They also talk about religious themes, relatable characters, and the importance of kindness. Lilly sneaks in an unplanned Pet Peeve corner.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 85:45 Transcription Available


    Your hosts pretend to know things about football in their discussion about Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. They talk about character arcs, well developed (and well developed) female characters, and sweet little precious baby goblins.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    City of Spores by Austin Shirey

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 44:49 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss City of Spores by Austin Shirey. They talk about detective/noir tropes and avoiding common pitfalls, as well as subtle worldbuilding in novellas. Mushrooms do come up once or twice.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 38:43 Transcription Available


    Your hosts discuss Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike. They talk about fantasy maps, RPG tropes, and the genre that is “adventuring but make it a bureaucratic capitalist hellscape.” There's also charming goblins, less charming halflings, and a new take on elves.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Making Money by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 47:06 Transcription Available


    Your hosts read “Making Money” by Terry Pratchett. They discuss consistent love interests and disappointing villains. Sara tries not to be too down on the book.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Ninth Life by Stark Holborn

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2024 46:27 Transcription Available


    Your hosts read Ninth Life by Stark Holborn, the third book in what may or may not be a trilogy, they actually have no idea. They talk about the difficulties of year-long gaps before reading a sequel, debate what an epistolary novel is, and look up the definition for 2nd person POV. Lilly also spills the tea about a gossip-themed Pet Peeve.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Bonus: Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 110:40 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Krystle Matar and Adrian M. Gibson for a spoiler-filled follow-up conversation about his debut novel, Mushroom Blues. They talk about dark themes, cultural influences on the Hopponese, and the character development of Koji and Henrietta.This whole episode contains spoilers for Mushroom Blues.Find more from Adrian:https://x.com/adrianmgibson Find more from Krystle:https://x.com/KrystleMatar Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 70:37 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Krystle Matar to talk about Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey, a book that covers the same events as Kushiel's Dart but from another character's perspective. Lilly can't even bring herself to describe it as "the love interest's perspective" due to how there is neither love nor interest in Kushiel's Dart (although Sara disagrees), but Cassiel's Servant was pretty fun. They discuss the huge shift in genre, different characters' priorities, and some retconning.Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of fictional sexual assault and grooming.This whole episode contains spoilers for both Kushiel's Dart and Cassiel's Servant.Find more from Krystle:https://x.com/KrystleMatar Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Bonus: Gods of Dust by Bryan S. Glosemeyer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 25:45 Transcription Available


    After our interview with Bryan about his Shattered Gates universe, we reconvened to talk about his short story Gods of Dust, and also bring up some of our thoughts that were, as they say, "more of a comment than a question."Check out our Patreon for the rest of the conversation.Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Learn to Howl by Jennifer R. Donohue

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 56:28 Transcription Available


    Your hosts bring some cousin related chaos to their conversation about Learn to Howl by Jennifer R. Donohue. They talk about cousin main characters, werewolf origin stories, dog mannerisms, and more cousin stuff. They also bring up religious metaphors and oh, also the fact that they are cousins.Content Warning: discussion of fictional sexual assaultFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 53:20 Transcription Available


    Your hosts take a quick detour to discuss ebook formats (including footnotes) before diving in to Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. They also talk about the empire of Nanny Ogg, Annagramma's Mean Girls character arc, and ask themselves: What Makes a Discworld book a Witch book?Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: Ashram Assassin by Andrew Cartmel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 47:08 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are once again joined by Andrew Cartmel, this time to discuss his novel Ashram Assassin, the second book in his Paperback Sleuth series. They talk about crime novel tropes, yoga, and curry.More information about Dressing Gown:https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/dressing-gown/Find more from Andrew:https://venusianfrogbroth.blogspot.com/https://medwayprideradio.co.uk/show/the-vinyl-detective-show/https://twitter.com/andrewcartmel?lang=enFind us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Author Interview: The Hunter's Gambit by Ciel Pierlot

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 57:22 Transcription Available


    Your hosts are joined by Ciel Pierlot to talk about her latest novel, The Hunter's Gambit. They discuss vampire lore, equality in fantasy settings, and hot threeways. They also ask the ultimate question: do vampires count as monsterfcking?Find more from Ciel:https://x.com/CielPierlot https://www.instagram.com/cielpierlot/ https://cielpierlot.com/ Find us on discord / Support us on Patreon.Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    Thud! by Terry Pratchett

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 66:16 Transcription Available


    Sara and Lilly read Thud! a City Watch book in Discworld that is probably not the best book in Discworld, but they genuinely liked it despite their complaining. Your hosts talk about fantasy racial tension, the Bechdel test, and lolrandom chickens. They also discuss Carrot's character development, the helpfulness of strippers, and poor, poor Sybil. This episode also features a Words are Weird dredged up from the cockles of their hearts.Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon.Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 56:49 Transcription Available


    Your hosts try not to make anyone too mad with their opinions about The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn novel. Credit where credit's due, it's got a really cool magic system. They spend some time comparing it to Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, and also talk about the YA to Grimdark pipeline, sex workers, and fun takes on the Chosen One trope.Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 43:56 Transcription Available


    The people have spoken! Your hosts let their patreon subscribers choose the book for this episode, and they chose "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Your hosts discuss narrative voice, Fantasy tropes from the mid 20th century, and how an author's reputation may affect the reader's experience. They also talk about coming of age stories, warm mentor figures, and depictions of positive masculinity.Find us on discord or support us on Patreon.Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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