Litcast Of Doom

Happy holidays, friends and fiends! To celebrate, we're turning back the clock to Halloween, when we spoke to Chris Panatier on his debut, THE PHLEBOTOMIST! Willa Wallace, a government phlebotomist in a dystopian future where blood donation is mandatory, discovers a shocking secret that will change the world as she knows it forever! Also featuring: Lawyer Tasks, [redacted], and much more!

Forget the holidays, join us for a giggle-filled interview with Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, the brain and brawn behind M.A. Carrick and a deliciously delightful debut, THE MASK OF MIRRORS. Ren, a con-artist, tricks her way into a noble family only to find that it's more of an adventure than she's bargained for. Also featured: not a clown but the whole circus, the sound of one interview cry-laughing, Wonder-Twin powers, and much more!

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  It's a young boy's trauma tearing through the cosmos!This week we've got Essa Hansen as a special guest to talk about her debut, NOPHEK GLOSS!  When everything Caiden is brutally ripped from him, he sets out on a journey filled with discovery and vengeance on a galaxy-wide scale. What could go wrong? Also featured: the best (and worst) versions of Fuck/Marry/Kill, avoiding the word "alien," and much more!

We're back, baybey! This week, we're talking NIGHT TERRORS by Tim Waggoner, graciously gifted to us by the folks at Angry Robot!  Welcome to the Night Watch, an organization built to keep the balance between humanity and the physical manifestation of their nightmares. Audra and her partner Mr. Jinx (the clown that haunted her nightmares as a child) are on. the hunt for a mysterious killer and uncover a mystery bigger than either of them could imagine.  Also featured: two dollars in the swear jar for monster-f*cking, empathy as a narrative arc, the lady doth protesting too much, and much more!

We're back in super-powered waters with this week's episode, HENCH by Natalie Zina Walschots!  When Anna, a temp who specializes in working for villains, gets badly hurt in an altercation with a hero, she turns to the one thing that makes sense: running the numbers.  Who knew superheroes caused so much damage?  Her findings lead to her next job with the most powerful supervillain in the world, and it only gets more wild from there.  Also featured: villain arcs, my bones (or lack thereof), what superheroes look like on the inside, and much more!And as promised, the links to Lindsey Ellis's videos on the wolf erotica lawsuit! 

Happy Halloween, guys and ghouls!  Who's ready for some Halloween horror goodness?  We're starting the week off with NIGHT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Stephen Graham Jones!  Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  Is it a monstrous mannequin come to life in search of revenge? Check out the episode to find out!  Also featured: the horror of IT FOLLOWS, unreliable narrators with their urges for murder, the makings of horror, and much more!

Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Rik Hoskin flying by the sheer joy I had reading BYSTANDER 27!  BYSTANDER 27, a tale of grief and vengeance compounded with the high-impact trope of superheroes and villains, is one for the ages. Join us as we talk about John Hayes (our main protag), the fuck/marry/kill question that haunts my dreams, and what is easily the most laugh-filled episode yet!

We've got a special treat this week, friends and fiends - the glorious Andrea Stewart has popped by to talk about her debut, THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER! In a society built around constructs powered by pieces of bone, we follow a daughter trying to claim her place as heir, a smuggler discovering his true motivations, a couple clashing over their class differences, and a stranger trying to escape a mysterious island. Also featured: another rousing game of Fuck/Marry/Kill, way too many hands, some well-earned praise, a peek at the timeline of publishing a book, and much more!

Color us clueless, because we thought y'all already had your hands on this bad boy, but this week we're covering ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY by Karen Osborne!  When Ash, a salvage pilot trying to hide the extent of her illness from her team and the megacompany that holds her life in its hand, she encounters something dangerous that changes the scope of their alien enemy forever.  Also featured: the lack of surprise that I love the aliens the most, dying bookstores, Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness, and much more!-Our featured Kickstarters:Monster Skulls: Premium Enamel PinsSpace: Let's Go!Locus: A Mystery-Horror TTRPG

Who's ready for a classic cowboy adventure, BUT IN SPACE?  This week we're rocking with RED NOISE by John P. Murphy, following the marvelous misadventures of a woman known as The Miner, as she faces down dirty cops, petty gang warfare, and - on god - a dude who strapped a nuke to his chest.  What a crowd, what a crowd.  Also featured: take a shot each time I say "Fantastic!", going full-on John Wick over an orchid, fair Verona, and much more!Once again, we're also highlighting the Wyrmwood Kickstarter and the Unseen Kickstarter - check them out now!

This week we're here to talk about the marvelous misadventures of Simon Kovalic in THE ALEPH EXTRACTION by Dan Moren.  Can his team retrieve this mysterious alien artifact, or will they be beaten to the punch by Illyrican forces?  Read on to find out!  Also featured: listing The Umbrella Academy and Indiana Jones as comp titles, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE, Kickstarter coverage, and more!Yes, we're covering some Kickstarters this week! Most notably, the ones from Wyrmwood Gaming and the crew behind Wolf 359!  Check them out now!

We're back and better than ever with a brand new debut, THE HEREAFTER BYTES by Vincent Scott!  Is there anything better than a thought-provoking sci-fi murder mystery?  (Yes, actually - a FUNNY thought-provoking sci-fi murder mystery!)  Also featured: murder puppies, arrow aces (wink wink nudge nudge), and a couple callbacks to my years in grad school writing a master's thesis!

We had the distinct honor of having Melissa Caruso over for a chat over her latest book, THE OBSIDIAN TOWER!  You want some magic demons?  You want some murder mystery?  You want some crazy architecture that plays into said murder mystery?  Boy howdy, you're gonna have a blast with this one!  Also featured: the lack of our swear jar, questions about our crow beau Kathe, reasons to go visit the Winchester Mansion, and more!

Sometimes . . . we build endless cities . . . to cope?  Welcome to HEARTS OF OAK by Eddie Robson, where a wooden city is ever-expanding, ever growing, for reasons you'll never guess.  And yes, we can confirm that the cat is involved.  Also featured: we question Robson's deal with cats, quarantine hobbies, explaining a love for a mystery without spoiling it, impending t-shirts, and much more!

We're back and better than ever! When a small-town librarian witnesses a murder, he reacts in the oddest possible way: an out-of-body experience. We're talking OUT OF BODY by Jeffrey Ford, set for publication on May 26th! Also featured: throwing down some money for the swear jar, exposition on feelings for The Hunger Games, the ever-pressing question of how you want to be mourned, and much more!OUT THIS WEEK:RULE by Rowenna MillerThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

LITCAST OF DOOM is a weekly review of the latest sci-fi and fantasy novels to hit your shelves! Find us on iTunes, Spotify, and your favorite podcatchers!

Welcome back to Litcast of Doom, please remember to stay at least 6 feet away!  This week, we're bringing you our top 5 plague fiction books to highlight what we want to see with this pandemic, and we're including hits such as THE STAND by Stephen King and QUIETUS by Tristan Palmgren!  Also featured: the Itinerary, being mean, the celebrities that need to pony up lest they feel my wrath, one too many resurrections, and much more! ("Roni, why didn't you include (x)?" questions please direct to us on Twitter, @litcastofdoom!)

Not even the gods can save you now.Say hello to our review of RUTHLESS GODS by Emily A. Duncan! The long-awaited sequel to WICKED SAINTS, this novel is everything you loved about the first cranked to 15 before the knob broke off, with extra body horror and angst!  Also featured: burned-out vocal chords, stanning a Queen, some godawful nonsense that I don't want to spoil, and much more!OTHER BOOKS TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK:WEAVE THE LIGHTNING by Corry L. LeeTHE AGE OF WITCHES by Louisa Morgan BONDS OF BRASS by Emily Skrutskie

Y'all want some FOUND FAMILY?  How about some SLOW BURN and MUTUAL PINING?  Then boy howdy, do we got a book review for you!  This week we're talking THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune, featuring Linus Baker as a caseworker for magical youth sent to investigate the mysterious Arthur Parnassus and the children under his care.  Also featured: sunshine in troubling times, an intense hatred of St. Patrick's Day, my plans for the rest of the week, and much more!BOOK TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK:88 NAMES by Matt RuffHEARTS OF OAK by Eddie Robinson --Remember to look for us on Twitter and Instagram at @litcastofdoom!

There is no consent under capitalism.A harsh magnifying glass is held to our world with K.M. Szpara's novel DOCILE, in which Elisha Wilder, inheritor of decades of family debt, sells himself into servitude to save himself and his family.  Today, we spoke with Kellan about what it takes to write a sexy journey with a side of self-discovery, healing from emotional trauma, and relationship building blocks.Also featured: the best game of fuck/marry/kill you'll ever hear, naked people, the two-act structure, and much more!

A friend will pick up your mantle and take on your destiny as his own, but a BEST friend will do it all while carrying your severed head and hallucinating your voice as he does so :) This week we're talking THE FATE OF THE FALLEN by Kel Kade, following a forest-loving best-bro as he shoulders his friend's destiny to save the world while being constantly and continuously surrounded by death!  Fun times, right?  Also featured: pirating from The Mouse, a shot for every time I mention The Hero's Journey (by JOSEPH Campbell, not JOHN Campbell), and much more!WHAT'S COMING OUT THIS WEEK:MASTER OF SORROWS by Justin Travis CallTHE LAST SMILE IN SUNDER CITY by Luke ArnoldFINNA by Nino Cipri 

How much would you give to save someone?  Your name?  Your life?  Your identity?  We're confronted with the concept in THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION by Kiersten White, starring a queen who isn't all that she seems.  Also featured: the ultimate form of tree-hugging, the concept of teeth growing back, being soft and gay, and much more!BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:THE UNSPOKEN NAME by A.K. LarkwoodSTORMSONG by C.L. PolkTHE LIGHT YEARS by R.W.W. GreeneDAUGHTER FROM THE DARK by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko-Remember to check us out on Twitter and Instagram at @litcastofdoom!

We've spoken with Sarah Gailey before about their novel MAGIC FOR LIARS, but this week we've got something slightly more futuristic, but not in the lazers-and-jetpacks way. UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED follows Esther, a girl in the futuristic SOuth West under the control of a fascist regime as she stows away with the Librarians, a group of folks handing out more than just Approved Materials.  It's here, it's queer, and we're here for it! Also featured: a dollar in the swear jar, who we want topping us, goin' through the desert on a horse whose name we forgot, story-braids, and much more!WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:A CONJURING OF ASSASSINS by Cate GlassMAZES OF POWER by Juliette WadeBURN CYCLE by Joel Dane

We're possessed but don't call this exorcist - he's more likely to wreck me than save me.  Though, of course, that might be the best course of action - find out why with our review of PROSPER'S DEMON by K.J. Parker!  Also featured: local book reviewer sticks hands in hot bronze and refuses to tell listeners what it feels like, the morality of demon-hunting, bite-sized books, and more!WHAT WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS WEEK (besides PROSPER'S DEMON):HIGHFIRE by Eoin ColferBUZZ KILL by David SosnowskiFind us on Twitter and Instagram @litcastofdoom!

The team of Magical Bomb Squad: The Novel is back in Magical Bomb Squad: The Sequel (otherwise known as THE MONSTROUS CITADEL by Mirah Bolender)!  Laura Kramer and Okane Sinclair are back and better than ever, only to find out that the worst monsters they fight are human.  Also featured: three dollars in the swear jar, me losing my domestication, the grumpy one being soft for the sunshine one, being gay for both Clae Sinclair AND Laura Kramer, and much more!WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:THE WILL AND THE WILDS by Charlie N. Holmburg SPELLHACKER by M.K. EnglandA QUEEN IN HIDING by Sarah KozloffRIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi THE SEEP by Chana Porter 

Have you ever wondered if you were meant for another world beyond this one?  Welcome to the world of the Wayward Children, who get called to adventure in far-off worlds (be it Wicked or Sweet, Logical or Illogical).  In our latest installment COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire, Jack and Jill are back in a life-or-death adventure that only twin sisters can come up with.  Also featured: the breaking point of siblings, DUDE, the eating of kneecaps, Watsonian and Doylist explanations for a narrator, and much more!WHAT'S BEING RELEASED THIS WEEK:DEEP AND DARKEST RED by Anna-Marie McLemoreTHE VANISHED BIRDS by Simon JimenezINFINITY SON by Adam SilveraBURN THE DARK by S.A. HuntTHE BROKEN HEAVENS by Kameron HurleyFind us on Twitter and Instagram as @litcastofdoom!

I've got a monster cold this week, so let's see how well I do talking about fantasy on the high seas - we're talking THE BONE SHIPS by R.J. Barker.  When Joron Twiner loses the role of shipwife to the illustrious "Lucky" Meas Gilbryn, he has no idea how life aboard the black ship The Tide Child will change.  We had a marvelous time reading this book, but tune in to find out what we loved best.  Also featured: turning children into lightbulbs, magical beings so strong it scares the bejeezus out of you, oh my god find out why doctors hate this woman who had 13 children, and much more!-WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:THE NIGHT COUNTRY by Melissa AlbertCOME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuireNAMELESS QUEEN by Rebecca McLaughlinSCAVENGE THE STARS by Tara Sim- Spotify * iTunes * Podbean* Instagram

Ready to ring in the new year with something sure to shiver your timbers?  Check out book 3 of the Tales of Pell trilogy, THE PRINCESS BEARD from Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne!  Sail the seas with the Clean Pirate Lucre, discover what elf butts have to do with the god of Pell, and figure out what happened to slumbering princess Harkovita.  Also featured: some salty opinions about Jolkien Rolkien Rolkien Tolkien, what a comedic fantasy trilogy will do for your shelf, the sound of my cat chasing his tail, a dollar in the swear jar, and much more!----more----BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:SPLINTEGRATE by Deborah Temaris ChristianFRONTIER, VOLUME 1 by Jonathan HickmanTHE DYING AND THE DEAD by Jonathan Hickman----more----ALSO MENTIONED:MAINLINE by Deborah Temaris Christian SAGA by Brian k. Vaughan and Fiona StaplesTHE WICKED + THE DIVINE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvieSHREK (please don't make me link this)THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien----more----Twitter/Goodreads/Instagram 

Happy holidays from the Doom household!

We're not saying everyone missed Jedeo as much as we missed Jedeo, but boy howdy are we pleased as punch to get a whole anthology of stories set in the hexarchate.  We're thrown back into stories of political intrigue, introspection on what it means to be a person, and shifty Shuos games with HEXARCHATE STORIES by Yoon Ha Lee.  Also featured: ghosts of Christmas fanfiction past, gay yearning, the exception to our anthology rule, and much more!----more----NEW BOOKS RELEASED 12-17-17THE HANGED MAN by K.D. EdwardsWEATHERING WITH YOU by Makoto ShinkaiTHE DISASTERS by M.K. EnglandOTHER BOOKS MENTIONEDTHE LAST SUN by K.D. Edwards

There's an art to storytelling, an art to commenting on the storytelling, and an art to commenting on the commentary of the storytelling.  (Comment-ception, we have to go deeper.)  This week we're talking A CHOIR OF LIES by Alexandra Rowland, a sequel to the amazing A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS!  Also featured: me almost knocking the mic over out of excitement, angry kitty noises, what it means to be a haunted house, and much more!----more----BOOKS COMING OUT THIS WEEK (DEC. 10TH):- THE LIGHT OF ALL THAT FALLS by James Islington- CROWNBREAKER by Sebastion de CastellBOOKS WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT:- UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 3: HOTEL OBLIVION by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba- THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY by Jonathon Stroud- BABY YOU'RE A HAUNTED HOUSE by Gerard Way

It's that time of year again - the time to give gifts and use physical items to tell your loved ones how you really feel about them!  (Also featured: the roofer coming tomorrow, the lack of time I get to read, and much more!) BOOKS WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS WEEK:- DEAD ASTRONAUTS by Jeff VanderMeer- CHILDREN OF VICE AND VIRTUE by Tomy Adeyemi- ANYONE by Charles SouleGIFTS WE'RE EXCITED TO RECIEVE (AND GIFT)- Pin-Pocket Booksleeve from HideYourSpoons- This Victor Vale pin from LitPinsCo- Event Beaus by BookBeau- Subscription from Illumicrate 

Patronuses are out, time to decide what animal you'd shadepact with.  Welcome to the world of STEEL CROW SAGA by Paul Krueger, where four destinies collide as a magic-user defies all known boundaries rolls out on a deadly rampage.  Also featured: big anime vibes, one dollar in the swear jar, the mortifying ordeal of being loved and hated by a younger sister, big comparisons to Fullmetal Alchemist, and much more!

There's something malevolent afoot, and our angel bro Azarias is the only one who can lead us.  Today we're featuring a very special guest - Rick Norris, here to talk about his new book ANGELIC WARS: FIRST REBELLION!  Also featured: rockabilly roots, technology swooping in to provide the multimedia experience you've dreamed up, angelic choirs, and much more!

Who's ready for emotional roller coasters and heart-punching?  I can't tell how tall you are, so there's no height requirement for this ride, so boy howdy are your feelings about to get manhandled!  We're talking THE HEART OF THE CIRCLE by Keren Landsman (shoutout to Angry Robot for hooking me up)!  Also featured in this review: going Full Homestuck, a dollar in the swear jar, saying FUCK YOU to terrorists and putting kids in cages, and much more!

Who's ready to talk about feelings?  We're not, but we're doing it anyways!  This week we're talking THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by Alix E. Harrow, and what it means to love and be loved!  Also featured: THREE DOLLARS in the swear jar, sad feelings about my dead dog (pour one out for Apollo, the goodest boy), grave robbing is bad 2: the squeakwel, and much more!(We do talk about dead dogs in this episode, and while I only got a little teary-eyed, you might want to avoid this one if it hits you in the soft feels like it does me.)

Our hottest take!  Our unpopular opinion!  The hill that we have firmly planted our flag into and prayed to our gods on with the intent to die on it!  . . . No, it's #notthatdeep but in all seriousness.  In what was meant to be a mini-episode (and wound up 10 minutes long), we detail how OFF stands out from the other indie games of its time and how its theme on violence ties in perfectly with Undertale's.  Also featured: TWO DOLLARS in the swear jar, rage the likes of which you've never seen, the video game that's on your side, and much more!

Halloween is in the air, and we've gorged ourselves into a stupor on pumpkin seeds and chocolate.  So what better way to contemplate our existence than by recounting some of our favorite fall stories?  We've got haunted houses, haunted caves, haunted accountants, and my own personal haunted teenagerhood!  What else could you ask for during such a spooky holiday?

What makes a thing a monster?  Is it monstrous deeds?  Or the self-proclamation of monsterhood?  The best way to answer it is check out our review of THE MONSTER OF ELENDHAVEN by Jennifer Giesbrecht!  Also featured: burying your gays in the corpses of their enemies, establishing boundaries like a boss, getting mentally pistol-whipped, and much more!

October's been full of doom and gloom, but thankfully we've got a book that's taken those vibes and made them a lot more fun!  We're talking GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir this week!  Also featured: a lack of a NYCC recap, my favorite fictional trope, necromancy to the max, life goals or wife goals, and so much more! -- Don't forget to check out our Patreon!--

Can you believe that this is my only Spiderman quote?  Hope you're ready, we're talking THE DRAGON REPUBLIC by R. F. Kuang!  We dive deep into the philosophical nature of power and the trauma it can induce in the bearer!  Also featured: vaguely-hinted distain for Game of Thrones, lying on the floor and letting feelings wash over you, dumplings of insidious origins, and much more! 

Ever wondered what it'd be like to be a teen detective?  Mira Grant answers this question with IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDTHRIFT HOUSE, a horror novella sure to give you the heebie-jeebies!  Also featured: the horror of a deer that is no longer a deer, what we would and wouldn't do for 3 million dollars, THE END, and much more!

Talk about a dirty side-hustle, am I right fellas?  *cricket noises*  Yeah, I know, not every joke can land as awesome as THE RESURECTIONIST OF CALIGO by Wendy Trimboli and Alicia Zaloga, who are our featured guests today!  Also featured: the ins and outs of graverobbing (and the guides that started it all!), letter-writing as a literary device, family drama for the ages, and much more!

To be FAIR . . . I would wholeheartedly adopt this spaceship as my son.We're talking VELOCITY WEAPON from Megan E. O'Keefe!  Also featured: too many narrators in the kitchen, AI hijinks, a teeth-kicking surprise, and much more!  Reminder that we're doing something special for Patreon this month because it's our birthday!

(I promise there are no gratuitous RvB references in the episode.)  Fall in love with the future, the past, and every second in between with THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone!  Also featured: speaking into the void, the difference between romance and capitol-R Romance, the things you need to hear the moment you hear them, and much more.  Reminder, again, that Patreon backers get extra-cool goodies this month because it's our birthday!

I'm all for loving nature, and this book takes you to the next step to say that nature loves you too!  We're talking SILVER IN THE WOOD by Emily Tesh!  Also featured: a mom almost as cool and butt-kicking as my mom, the inversion of the 'bury your gays' trope, my ability to withstand said trope, and much more!(Reminder that we're back on Patreon for our birthday month!  Check it out!)

Get comfy and grab you plushies, we're talking THE IMAGINARY CORPSE by Tyler Hayes with none other than the author himself!  If you love detective noir with heart (that happens to be dinosaur shaped), this is gonna be the book - and interview - for you!  Also featured: my absent Carolina-kitty, being ride-or-die, inoculating yourself against a harsh world with harsher literature, and much more!Reminder that we're live with Patreon as a celebration for our 2-year anniversary!  

Hard to warn you of a Phoenix when we don't know where it'll show up! Maybe Sean Grigsby knows?  Either way, here's here to talk about his new book ASH KICKERS!Also featured: tell Sean to turn on his location because I just want to talk, my still-healing heart from DAUGHTERS OF FORGOTTEN LIGHT, every YA/MG horror anthology ever, noir robots, and much more!(Explicit because Mom said it's my podcast and I can use the fuck word.)

We're talking WANDERERS by Chuck Wendig - a book that unfortunately has been labeled DNF. Also featured: the exhaustion of realistic fiction, dice-painting, love letters to Stephen King, and much more.TRIGGER WARNING: a rape scene is mentioned and discussed (but not described) from 8:30 to 9:40. Click to view: show page on Awesound

This week we're talking THE OUTSIDE by Ada Hoffman! Also featured: Lovecraft but make it gay, NYCC appearances, TVTropes, me getting distracted by things I love in stories, and much more!Click to view: show page on Awesound

We're talking magic crimes in AN ILLUSION OF THIEVES by Cate Glass this week! Also featured: some creepy magic creatures, THROWING SOMEONE IN A RIVER OUT OF SHEER RAGE, what happens when you go crazy with some magical heists after some drama-bombs, and much more! (Also ALSO featured: news on appearances this summer!)Click to view: show page on Awesound