Steve Talks Books

After 23 chapters, the Blood Meridian read-along is complete—but the questions certainly aren't.For this special concluding conversation, I'm joined by Steven Frye, author of Understanding Cormac McCarthy, to dig into some of the biggest questions I was left with after finishing Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian.What exactly is Judge Holden? Why is he so interested in the kid? Does the kid actually change? What does his refusal to completely embrace the Judge's philosophy tell us about him? And what really happens in the jakes at the end of the novel?We also discuss the Judge's philosophy of war, the possibility of reading him as a Gnostic figure, McCarthy's recurring imagery of fire, the role of nature and the desert, the Judge's mysterious ledger, the historical Glanton Gang, the dancing bear, recurring bird imagery, and whether Blood Meridian is really as nihilistic as it initially appears.Steven also explains why the kid's resistance may matter even if it ultimately fails—and why Blood Meridian rewards readers who keep returning to it.If you've followed the chapter-by-chapter read-along, this conversation brings together many of the questions we've been tracking from the beginning.Topics include:What is Judge Holden?The Judge's philosophy of warWhy Holden singles out the kidMercy, resistance and the kid's moral developmentWhat happens in the jakesThe mysterious epilogueFire throughout McCarthy's fictionNature and “optical democracy”The meaning of the Judge's ledgerCycles of violenceThe historical Glanton GangIs Blood Meridian nihilistic?Birds and recurring imageryThe dancing bearWhat to watch for on a second readingFind Steven: https://www.csub.edu/english/sfrye.shtmlOn Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Steven-Frye/author/B001KHDZPEPage Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We start with Jarrod's thoughts on Supergirl, which leads us into a larger conversation about superhero movies, shorter theatrical windows, interconnected universes, and whether Marvel and DC would be better served by worrying less about the bigger universe and simply making good individual movies. 149Then it's time for this week's comics, including Lost Fantasy #2, Absolute Cassandra Cain #1, Detective Comics #1113, Absolute Green Arrow #5, The Hab #4, and Hellraiser: Resurrections #1. There aren't any complete disasters in the stack, but there are definitely a few books hanging on by a thread. 149 149 149That brings us to what we're calling our “light Picks of the Week.” Jarrod falls back on an old favorite with Savage Sword of Conan #16, while Steve goes with Viking Moon #4. Good comics? Absolutely. Books that blew us away? Not exactly. 149But then there's Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 17: The Will of the Fang.The series continues to ramp up as Ogami faces bounty hunters, former pupils, desperate peasants and the brutal winter itself. More importantly, we're beginning to see something unusual from Ogami: the stoic assassin is starting to crack. One confrontation in particular produces an emotional response unlike almost anything we've seen from him so far. 149 149By the end, we realize the truth: Lone Wolf and Cub was our real Pick of the Week. 149Join us for another week of comics, and now you can watch along with us again, too.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We've reached the end of Blood Meridian.Chapter 23 brings the kid, now the man, face-to-face with Judge Holden one final time, and suddenly so many things we've been tracking throughout this read-along begin connecting.The dancing.The kid's capacity for mercy.The Judge's obsession with war.Predators and prey.Cycles of violence.And the question we've been asking almost from the beginning: Why did Judge Holden take such an interest in the kid?In this episode, I work through my immediate reaction to the ending, the dancing bear, the Judge's final conversation with the man, and the horrifying ambiguity of what happens in the jakes.I also look back at the kid's journey and the possibility that his great failure in Holden's eyes wasn't that he refused violence because he certainly didn't, but that he refused to surrender himself completely to it.And then there's the Judge.Decades have passed.He seemingly hasn't changed.He dances.He says he'll never die.What exactly is Judge Holden?I don't think Blood Meridian gives us an easy answer.And after spending a chapter a day with this novel, I'm not sure it should.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

For twenty-two chapters, we've been asking the same question.Why is Judge Holden interested in the kid?We've noticed the smiles.The conversations.The Judge's attempts to influence him.The kid's apparent resistance.Holden hunting him through the desert.And throughout all of it, we've wondered whether the Judge sees something in the kid that we don't.Chapter 22 may finally give us the answer.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 21 is short, but it gives us one of the clearest looks yet at who the kid has become.Wounded and still being hunted by Judge Holden, the kid has multiple opportunities to abandon Tobin and save himself. Tobin even tells him to go.The kid refuses.He also gets an opportunity to fire at the Judge and doesn't take it, raising another question we've been carrying since Chapter 15: is the kid actually afraid of Judge Holden?Then comes one of the great reversals of the novel. The kid and Tobin are starving and near death when they're rescued by Indigenous people, the same people Glanton's gang spent much of the novel hunting, killing, and dehumanizing.In this episode, I look at the kid's loyalty to Tobin, his hesitation to shoot the Judge, the continuing supernatural aura surrounding Holden, the return of our bird imagery, and the possibility that the landscape itself now seems to have turned against the survivors.Only two chapters remain.Next up: Chapter 22.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Chapter 20, the remains of the gang are scattered and vulnerable. The kid is wounded, Toadvine and Tobin are trying to survive alongside him, and the hunters we've followed throughout the novel have finally become the hunted.Except for Judge Holden.The Judge emerges from the destruction of the gang seemingly transformed into an even more frightening figure. He stalks the survivors through the wilderness, calls out to them, offers forgiveness, and seems so capable of manipulating people through language that the others are afraid even to listen to him.In this episode, I look at the Judge as predator, the kid's transformation into a much more capable survivor, the recurring theme of dehumanization, and the way Chapter 20 completely rearranges the power structure of Blood Meridian.Glanton is gone.The gang is gone.And increasingly, it feels like we're being left with the two characters who have mattered since the beginning:the kid and Judge Holden.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We've reached the end of The Bonehunters.In this episode of Page Burners, we dive into Chapter 22, as Steven Erikson brings months of reading and storylines stretching across multiple Malazan novels, crashing together in an explosive finale.After four months with The Bonehunters, it's finally time to say goodbye to Book Six and figure out exactly what this ending means for the Malazan Empire and the characters we've followed this far.As always, this is a full-spoiler discussion for The Bonehunters and everything we've read previously in Malazan Book of the Fallen and the connected Ian C. Esslemont novels.The Deck has been dealt.The Fourteenth has come home.And nothing will ever be quite the same.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 19 brings one of the biggest turning points in our Blood Meridian read-along: John Joel Glanton finally meets his end.After taking control of the Colorado River ferry, Glanton's gang turns another opportunity for profit into something far more horrific. Travelers who simply want to cross the river become victims of robbery, murder, assault, and abuse as the gang's violence reaches another extreme.But this time, there are consequences.The Yumas attack the ferry operation, killing Glanton and many of his men. After spending so much of the novel hunting, murdering, and profiting from others, Glanton finally becomes the hunted.In this episode, I look at whether Glanton changed over the course of the novel, our long-running question of profit versus pleasure, the historical basis behind his death, and the contrast between Glanton's fate and Judge Holden's seemingly impossible ability to survive.The Judge escapes with the howitzer, and with the imbecile still in tow.We're nearing the end now.Next up: Chapter 20.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 18 of Blood Meridian is extremely short, but there's much more happening here than its length initially suggests.The chapter focuses on the disabled man Glanton's gang has been carrying in a cage. When a group of women discovers him, their reaction creates a striking contrast with the way the gang has treated him: they release him, wash him, care for him, and seemingly recognize a humanity the men around him have ignored.Then Judge Holden intervenes.After the man wanders into the water and begins to drown, the Judge pulls him out by the heels and revives him in imagery that resembles a strange combination of birth, baptism, and ritual.In this episode, I explore that contrast between care and dehumanization, the continuing mystique surrounding Judge Holden, and why this tiny chapter may connect directly back to the Judge's philosophy from Chapter 17.Next up: Chapter 19.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In this episode of Beyond the Page, Steve sits down with filmmaker, professor, TEDx director, and author Don Schechter to discuss his science fiction techno thriller Ascendants.Don shares the remarkable 20 year journey that took Ascendants from an idea for a film to a series of short films and eventually a novel. They explore the book's collision of science and belief, what happens when technology divides society into those who can "ascend" and those who cannot, and why the story feels particularly timely in the age of AI and enormously powerful technology companies.The conversation also dives into the realities of publishing and book marketing, finding the right audience, the influence of Dune, Star Trek, Arrival, Children of Men and other science fiction, and Don's work in filmmaking, education, and TEDx.And, of course, we discover one of the strangest pizza-and-Coke combinations we've heard on the show.Find Don: https://ascendantsbook.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 17 may be the most revealing Judge Holden chapter of Blood Meridian so far.The Judge lays out his philosophy of war, games, morality, chance, agency, and the human desire to impose order on a universe that may have none. His argument that war exists independently of human judgment gives us one of the clearest glimpses yet into the worldview behind this mysterious character.But then McCarthy complicates things even further.Around the fire, the Judge performs an apparently impossible trick with a coin, leaving us once again wondering whether we're witnessing something supernatural or simply another carefully constructed performance designed to strengthen the Judge's mysterious authority.In this episode, I explore the Judge's philosophy, the biblical quality of McCarthy's language, the idea that morality and order may be human inventions, and one of the biggest questions of our entire read-along:Is Judge Holden revealing the truth about the world or constructing a philosophy that justifies the world he wants?Next up: Chapter 18.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

This week on Panel Chewing, we're talking Batman, dropping comics from our pull lists, discovering some unexpected favorites and reading a comic that feels like an actual nightmare.We kick things off with a list of the Top 10 standalone Batman stories, including The Long Halloween, Hush, The Court of Owls, The Killing Joke, Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns. Some placements make sense. Others? We're not so sure. We also discover a couple of Batman stories we somehow haven't read yet. Then we dig into this week's comics, including Cruel Kingdom Vol. 2 #1, Fury of the Firestorm #6, Honor and Curse: Eternal #6, The Omega Book #2, Rook: Exodus #11, The Dirt Beneath the Devil #2, The Forever Home #1, and Witness Point #2.Some books are getting better. Some are hanging on by a thread. And one finally gets cut from the pull list.For Picks of the Week, Jarrod catches up with Steve's pick from last week, Karmen Blade #1, and falls for its strange, surreal dark-fantasy world. Steve's pick is The Eye Collector #3, a bizarre horror comic that's haunting, uncomfortable, dreamlike and almost impossible to explain. Finally, our Lone Wolf and Cub readalong reaches Volume 16, where the series continues exploring the people caught beneath the systems of Edo-period Japan. We also wrestle with a difficult question: How different are Ogami and Retsudo when it comes to what they're willing to put their children through? Join us for Batman, weird comics, tough cuts, our Picks of the Week, and another journey down the assassin's road.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 16 returns us to Glanton's gang as they continue moving across the landscape and leaving death behind them.This isn't one of the most character-heavy chapters of Blood Meridian, but it reinforces just how completely violence has become the gang's normal way of interacting with the world. Murder barely requires justification anymore, and consequences seem almost irrelevant.In this episode, I look at the horrifying fate of the Delaware scouts, the killing of Owens and the gang's apparent lack of concern about accountability, another disturbing disappearance, and the cruelty surrounding two brothers separated by violence.Judge Holden also gives us another demonstration of one of his most dangerous abilities: he can manipulate not only violent men, but legal and social systems as well.And above all of it, McCarthy gives us storms, stars, animals... and a meteorite.The cosmic imagery surrounding this journey continues to grow.Next up: Chapter 17.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

On this episode of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by science-fiction author Dawn Ross, creator of the seven-book Starfire Dragons series.Dawn explains how the “dragons” of Starfire Dragons aren't literal creatures, but symbolic of a futuristic warrior culture. At the center of the story are characters dealing with loyalty, family, morality, and the difficult choices that arise when doing the “right” thing isn't always clear.We also talk about Dawn's lifelong love of character-driven storytelling, how being bullied as a child led her to create heroes and adventures in her imagination, and what it was like to finally complete a seven book series only to discover she wasn't quite ready to leave the world behind.Dawn also opens up about the difficult side of publishing, including losing $10,000 to someone posing as a literary agent, what that experience taught her, and the warning signs aspiring authors should watch for.We get into writing, worldbuilding, editing, marketing as an introvert, negative reviews, Comic Cons, selling books at farmers markets, Star Trek, Red Rising, anime—and even wearing the Chuck E. Cheese costume at Dawn's first job.Find Dawn: https://dawnrossauthor.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 15 shifts the focus back toward the kid as Glanton's gang is scattered, exhausted, starving, and on the run.In this episode, I look at the kid's encounter with the wounded Shelby and his refusal to kill him, raising a difficult question we've encountered before: is refusing to kill an act of mercy when it leaves someone behind to suffer?We also get one of the most striking scenes in the novel so far as the kid encounters a burning tree in the desert surrounded by animals. For a brief moment, he seems to enter a world outside Glanton's gang, a natural world that doesn't know who he is, what he's done, or how he should be judged.The birds we've been tracking also return in interesting ways: doves appear around Shelby, an owl appears near the burning tree, while buzzards remain associated with death and human remains.And when Tobin asks whether he's afraid of Judge Holden, the kid simply says no.Does he mean it?Next up: Chapter 16.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 14 pushes Glanton's gang even further into violence that seems increasingly disconnected from profit, survival, or any practical purpose.After wondering last chapter whether these men kill for profit or pleasure, I'm beginning to lean toward an answer. The scalp trade may finance their reign of terror, but much of what they're doing now seems to exist simply because they want to inflict violence.In this episode, I look at that escalation, one particularly disturbing act involving two puppies, the return of buzzards and blood soaked landscape imagery, and Judge Holden's increasingly revealing worldview.The Judge continues documenting the natural world in his mysterious ledger, but now he gives us something approaching an explanation: whatever exists without his knowledge exists without his consent.That raises a much bigger question about everything we've been tracking:Does Judge Holden simply want to understand the world—or does he want to possess it?Next up: Chapter 15.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our full-series reread of R. Scott Bakker's The Warrior Prophet reaches its conclusion with Chapters 22–25.We also look back at The Warrior Prophet as a whole and ask a question that surprised all three of us: Is this book actually better on a reread than we remembered? Both Shawn and Shobz found the battles and desert journey much less overwhelming this time, while I found myself appreciating the Esmenet and Serwë material more than I remembered. ⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse.Next time, the Slog continues with The Thousandfold Thought, Chapters 1–4.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 13 continues one of the darkest stretches of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian as Glanton's gang moves from place to place leaving bodies behind them.At this point, one question is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: are these men still killing for money, or do they simply enjoy killing?In this episode, I explore the gang's increasingly indiscriminate violence, the kid's growing boldness, Glanton's apparent abandonment of the life he once had, and Judge Holden's remarkable ability to move between murderer, strategist, intellectual, and political operator.We also return to the contrast that has followed us throughout the novel, the desert remains extraordinarily beautiful even as the people moving through it become increasingly monstrous.And Glanton finally has a bounty on his own head.The hunters are becoming the hunted.Next up: Chapter 14.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In this episode of Page Burners, we enter the penultimate stretch of Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters with a full-spoiler discussion of Chapters 19–21—and one of the strangest convergences we've encountered in Malazan so far.As always, this is a full-spoiler discussion for everything we've read so far in Malazan Book of the Fallen and the connected Ian C. Esslemont novels.Only Chapter 22 remains.The pieces have converged. The heavens have fallen. Now it's time to see how The Bonehunters ends.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 12 is one of the most disturbing chapters of our Blood Meridian read-along so far.Next up: Chapter 13.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 11 might be the most difficult and revealing chapter of our Blood Meridian read-along so far.I'm not pretending I have Chapter 11 figured out. This is one we're putting a big mark beside so we can return to it later.Next up: Chapter 12.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

What happens when life suddenly reminds you that time isn't guaranteed?On this episode of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by author, musician, and storyteller Ray Hartjen for a conversation about creativity, resilience, and learning to live with greater intention.It's a conversation about making something meaningful out of difficult experiences and remembering to actually live while we have the opportunity.Find Ray: https://rayhartjen.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 10 of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian gives us our deepest look at Judge Holden yet.Next up: Chapter 11.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

This week on Panel Chewing, we have the opposite of a bad comics problem: there were almost too many good books to choose from.Join us for a great week of comics, some unexpected favorites, and another journey down the assassin's road.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 9.This isn't a definitive guide to Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter per day, recording immediate reactions and watching our interpretations change along the way.Next up: Chapter 10.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 8.This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time and keeping a running notebook of our observations as they develop.Next up: Chapter 9.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 7.Next up: Chapter 8.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

The Slog continues as our full-series reread of R. Scott Bakker's The Warrior Prophet reaches Chapters 18–21.The Holy War enters one of the most brutal stretches of its journey. Water disappears, the desert becomes an enemy of its own, and the enormous scale of death becomes almost impossible to comprehend. Even when salvation seems to appear, it brings new horrors with it. As always, we're rereading with knowledge of the entire series, so later events are constantly informing how we interpret these early chapters.⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse.Welcome back to the Slog.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Chapter 6 is a short but important transitional chapter in our journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian.It's a brief stop in the read along, but it feels like we're crossing a threshold.Next up: Chapter 7.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 5.This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time, recording observations, asking questions, and building a notebook that we'll revisit as the novel develops.Next up: Chapter 6.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

This week on Panel Chewing, Steve and Jarrod do something that almost never happens: they choose the same Pick of the Week.But first, why are there so many #1 issues? We talk about the appeal of jumping into a brand-new comic from the beginning, whether publishers are leaning too heavily on #1s to boost sales, and why more comics might benefit from starting as limited series instead of promising an ongoing that could be cancelled before the story has a chance to finish. Then we dig into this week's stack, including American Caper #10, Powers 25 #12, Denver #1, Conan the Barbarian #34, Battle Beast #12, Black Star #2, Regicide #1, Batman: Bad Seeds, Terabytes #9, and Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1.There's plenty to like this week, including the gloriously violent fun of Battle Beast, but The Last Driver isn't so lucky and earns a visit from the dreaded trombone. Then it's time for Pick of the Week, and somehow we both picked the same book. We talk about its deeply flawed protagonist, excellent dialogue, fantastic artwork, and a tense first issue that left both of us wanting to know what happens next. Finally, our Lone Wolf and Cub readalong reaches Volume 14: Day of the Demons, putting us officially halfway through the series. This volume offers another fascinating look at Edo-period Japan, the ordinary people caught within its rigid social structure, and Daigoro's remarkable ability to maintain his compassion despite everything he's witnessed on the assassin's road. Join us for comic reviews, our rare shared Pick of the Week, and another journey down the road of demons.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 4.This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time, recording what stands out and building a running notebook as the novel develops.Next up: Chapter 5.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

What happens when corporations don't just control the things you buy, but begin to own pieces of your life?It's a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, creativity, television, books, and writing something you genuinely care about.Find Matt: https://mattwittenwriter.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 3.This isn't a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time, recording observations, asking questions, and seeing how those ideas change as the novel develops.Next up: Chapter 4.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

The journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 2.This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time, recording observations, asking questions, and seeing where those questions take us.Next up: Chapter 3.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 24 of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by scientist, educator, human rights advocate, and author Zafra Lerman for a remarkable conversation about a life devoted to education, freedom, and peace.This is a conversation about science, courage, human rights, diplomacy, education, and what one person can accomplish by refusing to believe that division has to be permanent.Find Zafra: https://zafralerman.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We're beginning a chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, reading and discussing one chapter every day.Read Chapter 1, listen along, and join me tomorrow for Chapter 2.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our full-spoiler reread of R. Scott Bakker's The Warrior Prophet continues with Chapters 14–17, bringing us to the end of Part Two.⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse.Welcome back to the Slog.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In this episode of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by author and professional violinist Brigid Kennedy for an incredible conversation about family history, lost treasure, Irish roots, the Amazon, and the unusual experience that led her to become a novelist.It's a conversation about much more than writing a novel. It's about preserving the stories that might otherwise disappear—and sometimes creating the ending your family never received.Find Brigid: https://brigidkennedybooks.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

This week on Panel Chewing, Steve and Jarrod are back with another stack of new comics, some winners, some disappointments—and one comic carrying a whopping $15 price tag.Join us for comic reviews, industry talk, our Picks of the Week, and another journey down the assassin's road.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 22 of Beyond the Page, I sit down with author and fellow podcaster Michelle Miles to talk about fantasy romance, fairy-tale retellings, dark paranormal romance, worldbuilding, and the enduring appeal of the happily-ever-after.Michelle has written more than 45 books across fantasy, paranormal romance, and fairy-tale retellings. We discuss how the recent rise of romantasy has brought fantasy romance back into the spotlight and why Michelle was drawn to combining magic, adventure, and worldbuilding with slow-burn romance long before the genre's current boom. We also dig into her approach to worldbuilding as a discovery writer, including how she creates kingdoms and magic systems as the story develops, keeps track of established canon, and plants connections and Easter eggs across different books and series. From there, our conversation turns to fairy tales and why these familiar stories continue to resonate. Michelle talks about deconstructing stories like Cinderella while preserving the elements readers recognize, and why themes of hope, love, fear, rejection, and adventure remain universal. We also discuss morally gray characters, the popularity of darker paranormal romance, genre expectations, heat levels, author branding, newsletters, finding readers, and the realities of trying to build a career in an increasingly crowded publishing industry.Whether you love romantasy, fairy tales, paranormal romance, or simply enjoy hearing how writers build their worlds, there's plenty to dig into in this conversation.Find Michelle: https://michellemilesbooks.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our full-spoiler reread of R. Scott Bakker's The Warrior Prophet continues with Chapters 9–13, as Kellhus's influence over the Holy War begins to grow at an astonishing pace.⚠️ Full-series spoilers: This discussion assumes you have finished The Second Apocalypse. Nothing is off limits.Welcome back to the Slog.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 21 of Beyond the Page, I sit down with author Guy Morris to discuss his new nonfiction book, The AI Tsunami, and the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.It's a fascinating conversation about technology, power, creativity, risk, and what individuals can do as AI becomes an increasingly important part of everyday life.Find Guy Morris: https://www.guymorrisbooks.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Panel Chewing #144 talks Marvel vs. DC, reviews this week's comics, reveals our Picks of the Week, and discusses Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 12.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 20 of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by author Maxim Langstaff to discuss his novel SASQ'ET and the fascinating research that took him far beyond the popular image of Bigfoot.It's a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, technology, nature, creativity, and the strange things that make us human.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We've reached the end of our Carpentry in the Elven Forest by Alex French readalong!Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

This week on the Page Chewing Weekly Update, I'm catching up on what I've been reading, what's happening across the podcasts, and what I'm getting ready to tackle next.Question of the Week:Do you start a fantasy series when it hasn't been completed yet, or do you wait until the entire series is finished?Thanks for listening, and let me know what you're reading this week!Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

Our Second Apocalypse reread continues as we begin The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker and it doesn't take long for the questions to start piling up.And, because this is a reread, we inevitably end up asking questions that take us all the way to The Unholy Consult.⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion assumes you have finished all seven books of The Second Apocalypse. Nothing is off limits.Welcome back to the Slog.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In this episode of Page Burners, we continue our journey through Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters with a full-spoiler discussion of Chapters 17 and 18, as storylines from across the Malazan world begin to collide.As always, this is a full-spoiler discussion for everything we've read so far in Malazan Book of the Fallen and the connected Ian C. Esslemont novels.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 160 of the Friday Conversation, Steve is joined by Alex French and Layla Goushey for a wide ranging discussion about AI, creativity, technology, books, and the increasingly blurry line between science fiction and reality.It's an open, unscripted conversation about AI, art, authors, readers, fandom, technology, and what storytelling might look like in the future with plenty of tangents along the way.Find Layla: https://baladimagazine.com/Find Alex French: https://www.thedeepdarkscave.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

In Episode 19 of Beyond the Page, I'm joined by historical romance author Paula Panariello to talk about writing love stories within the realities of the past, the research required to make historical fiction believable, and beginning an entirely new creative chapter after retirement.Paula spent decades reading romance before deciding to try writing one herself. What began with a writing workshop and a very rough first manuscript eventually grew into something she never expected: a genuine love of writing.We discuss the familiar tropes and expectations of romance, why predictability isn't necessarily a weakness, and the challenge of creating characters and historical circumstances compelling enough to make readers care about the journey even when they have an idea where it's heading.Paula also takes us behind the research that goes into her fiction, including learning about deafness in Regency-era England and turning to her 100-year-old aunt for firsthand memories of life during World War II.We also talk about self-publishing, marketing, writing as a hobby without allowing it to become another job, and the moment Paula finally stopped feeling like an impostor and realized she really was a writer.Find Paula: https://paulapan.com/Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe