Stranger Than (fan)Fiction Podcast

Welcome to the second to last episode of season 2!!! Be sure to join in for our Season 2 Finale Livestream on Friday, June 25th, streaming on Facebook and Twitch at 7:00pm EST! 219 opens with the boys discussing their respective roles in the zombie apocalypse before diving headlong into the Weekly Prompt. Reddit user NotThatJaredBlack writes: A woman has been dating guy after guy, but it never seems to work out. She's unaware that she's actually been dating the same guy over and over; a shapeshifter who's fallen for her, and is certain he's going to get it right this time. What follows suit is the crafting of “The J Word”, an incredibly ambitious, star-studded cast of A-list celebrities that unite in an epic rom-com/Lovecraftian adventure. Hearkening back to our favorite childhood programming, we touch on a dangerous new interpretation of Barney, the Friendly Dinosaur. Perfectly Purple by author Flexor crafts a much more sinister truth about our old pal, Barney, as we read a story that takes us into what happens when a perfectly innocent childhood show is actually built around a bloodthirsty, prehistoric bioweapon…

218 opens with alien-relations, Rhys mimicking insects, and ladybug stories before launching into the Weekly Prompt. Reddit user colorfulmarzipan offers us: WANTED: MALE/FEMALE ROOMMATE TO ROOM WITH THREE OTHERS - $190 PER MONTH. We are three lovely HUMANS currently renting out Acre house, just off campus. We're walking distance from college, have WIFI and air conditioning. 4 rooms. (Just to clarify, we are definitely human). The subsequent storycrafting, coupled with yet another AI Generated Fanfic™, takes us into the unexpected juggalo territory of The Insane Clown Posse, Facebook (aka, “The Book”), and the true meaning of the acronym “WiFi”. Nostalgia brings us to the era of Sunday morning comics as inspiration for today's fanfiction! We read The Lengthy Dimly Lit Coffee Break of the Psyche by author dotfic, which takes a very poignant look into the world of Calvin and Hobbes. Post-read, we move into a more serious discussion about the loss of childhood— specifically, the place of whimsical creativity in a world ruled by pragmatism and practicality, and what it truly means to “hold on to your Hobbes.”

The boys open 217 with anecdotes relating to the self-inflicted torture of foods, reflecting on Hot Ones™ hot sauce (The Last Dab), vegan mayonnaise, and gluten intolerant-intolerance. Continuing the condiment conversation, we move into Weekly Prompt, coming to us from the official Reddit account of Kraft Mayonnaise: Please explain how you eat a sandwich with no mayo. DRY. How could you possibly take a bite of bread, meat and cheese with nothing in between? Does it just crumble in your mouth like wood shavings? When you speak, does dry sandwich dust fly from your mouth? Make your case. Best responses get gold. A subsequent AI Generated Fanfic™ kicks off an absolutely ridiculous storyline involving a father, a son, and the spirit of Buffalo, New York. We have our first ever anonymous author for today's fanfiction. The concept? Dark Winnie the Pooh. The result? The Terrible Thing About Tiggers, a story in which Christopher Robin wishes that Tigger was a real tiger. Needless to say, when Tigger morphs into a fully grown Bengal tiger, things go…well…poorly, to say the least.

Animal talks dominate episode 216, opening with the boys' respective favorite animals, touching on bat varieties, giraffe facts, the life cycle of jellyfish, bee colonies, and porcupines— aka, nature's Switzerland. Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user Jhustice: You're not really smart. You just have a power that pauses time each time someone asks you a question and time is unpaused only when you have the correct answer. One day your child asks you, "What is the meaning of life?". After kicking off the discussion with the return of our AI Generated Fanfic™, the boys spiral into a surprisingly somber and profound tale about an unsuspecting trio's time-stopping journey. Today's fanfiction has us taking back to the simpler days of nursery rhymes…and then twisting that simplicity with dense scientific vernacular. Taking inspiration from the children's poem Little Bunny Foo Foo, author Random_Nexus graces us with Diminutive Oryctolagus Cuniculus, which explores the same plot of the mischievous little bunny through the lens of someone likely working on their PHD in biological etymology.

We open episode 15 by sharing our post-COVID rehabilitation fantasies, ranging from Yoga classes, putting our mouths on strange objects, water fountains, and drunken escapades. The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user KryptCeeper: You are a sleeper agent, your trigger word... "Bro". Whenever you hear the word, whatever command follows you must obey. This hasn't been an issue for most of your life, but yesterday... you met Todd. A surfer on vacation from California. We discuss the hilarious ramifications of this literal bro code, and the inevitable battle for the sleeper agent's control between Todd and Ddot, his evil counterpart who wants to use the bro code for nefarious purposes. We take to the world of high fashion with an Asgardian twist in today's fanfiction. Loki Runway by author Xparrot takes a look at the Marvel Universe's beloved intergalactic fugitive/ Trickster god, Loki, as he applies his flexible style and magical prowess as a contestant on Project Runway. Is it a fair competition? Probably not. But who in this competition has the gall to speak out against him? Listen in to find out!

Welcome back to STFF Next Chapter, formerly our Minisodes! We've now made our Patreon exclusive content FREE for all of our listeners! Today, we return to a fanfiction featured in our very first episode from Season 1! D5-1 Meddling Kids in Nowhere is the Scooby Doo x Courage the Cowardly Dog story by author wsdsrdbw4096. Listen to another wonderfully crafted chapter as we finally reveal what Scooby Doo's voice sounds like to other dogs, and answer the long-awaited question: Who stands behind Celine Dion?

The boys open episode 214 with discussions & lamentations about things they were denied in their childhood, touching on marshmallows, international trips, Live Strong bracelets, and summer retreats for the end of the world. Our Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user dragonlover4612: A kaiju is shrunken down to the size of a kangaroo by the anti-kaiju defense force during its latest battle in Tokyo. As a result, the kaiju wanders through the city at night, and discovers an entire world of beauty it had never seen while it was 120 meters tall. The storycrafting that follows takes a sad look into how the influence of human life and uncontrolled capitalism inevitably corrupts all, even radioactive lizards. An alternate storyline has Kong meeting Koko the Gorilla, eventually leading to a Planet of the Apes takeover. We continue to flush out the absolutely awesome world of home & auto insurance fanfiction with today's fanfiction, merging the newly coined Insurance Cinematic Universe with the story structure of Harry Potter. Accio Insurance by author Merlin Missy (mtgat) follow's young Flo's journey to Aflac School of Insurance Sales, “the premiere school for teaching young minds about the high art of selling insurance.” Listen in to this heartwarming and charming tale as she meets new friends, embarks on new adventures, and most importantly, learns new ways to save you money on your home and auto insurance!

We have no words for the first minute of this episode except… YES SENSEI. The boys open episode 13 with the origin of bread, alternate universes, and what their alternate selves would be before diving into the Weekly Prompt: You have a power to gift people special abilities, but you cannot gift them to yourself. You are a assaulted by gang of bullies who threaten you to give them powers, but little do they know you can add a side effect as well. The subsequent list of side effects prove to be both detrimental and embarrassing. Today's fanfiction takes us deep into the power of punctuation, specifically, the Oxford Comma, and its ability to completely change the context of a story. Continuing the conversation of parallel universes, the boys dive into Who Gives an F about the Oxford Comma? by author pandamug, which details the importance of that tiny little comma when presented with the items: “The Strippers, JFK, and Stalin” versus “The Strippers, JFK and Stalin”. Listen in as universes split and stories shift in this smart, hilarious tale.

Welcome to our very first recorded Off the Page, now FREE for all listeners! Off-the-Page is a segment where we celebrate our other passions, interests, and original creative works! For our first episode, our very own co-host, Hunter, brings in a fanfiction lovingly titled Stranger Than (fan)Fiction: the Fanfiction, or STFFff for our listeners who are fond of unnecessary acronyms. The synopsis: In a world in which Hunter has the ability to thrust his friends into alternate dimensions of their choice, where will they first visit? Listen in to hear this love letter to our STFF friendship, and what we've been able to create together.

The boys break down the latest Space Jam 2 trailer, diving into critical discussions about LeBron James's alleged Stanislavsky acting method, Michael Jordan cameo possibilities, and multiverse theory. After a brief chat on Ellen Degeneres, they dive into the Weekly Prompt coming to us from Reddit user Vengeful-Pickle: Your co-worker looks you up and down, “You look like shit Jerry, long night?”. You begin to sob, “I didn't get any sleep last night, again. I got summoned 3 times. These goth kids haven't left me alone since they found my blood totem last week. They just keep asking for the same thing...”. The ensuing discussion has us flushing out the true relationship between man and fiend, and perhaps discovering a bit of sympathy for our overworked demon friends. It's a truly special thing when our seemingly superficial childhood board games get a massive lore drop. That's none more apparent within today's fanfiction: Conservation of Momentum written by author roseclaw, a Candyland fanfiction with devastating implications. Tune in to listen to this bittersweet (but mostly sweet) apocalyptic tale!!

Welcome to STFF Next Chapter, formerly our Minisodes! Our Patreon content is now FREE for all of our listeners! Bear with us if we still refer to this as a Minisode. That'll phase out in time. ;) For our first edition of these abridged STFF Episodes, we return to one of our many favorite stories, House Griffin by author Wweather, previously featured on Season 1, Episode 19 (119). Listen to this Family Guy x Game of Thrones tale unfold as Peter Griffin continues to struggle with the idea of leaving Winterfell, and Stewie discovers two royal siblings in a compromising position.

Big changes! First off— we have video! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to listen in to our episodes while looking at our beautiful faces! Also, to make things a little more digestible for your fanfiction GI tracts, we've streamlined our episodes to one fanfiction— let us know how you like the new format by messaging us on Facebook, Instagram, or leave us a review on Apple Podcast! The boys discuss peoples' first impressions of themselves before moving into the Weekly Prompt: People really can believe things into existence. You started the yeti myth to drum up some business for your failing resort. People believed all of it and now you're not sure what to do with the 8 ft. creature in your living room. Discussions ensue over what wishing power really looks like, and what happens when someone believes a little too much. The Mythbusters meet the Avengers in Myth Challenge Accepted, an epic fanfiction written by author s_alt. When Adam Savage & Jamie Hyneman's latest tank-busting experiment goes awry due to an unexpectedly raging Hulk, things get a little shaky (literally) for the whole crew.

Rhys is bald now, so naturally we open Episode 10 by spending 10 minutes talking about it. The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user Wajcha125: The finale of international chess tournament takes place. Two grandmasters sit in front of each other in ultimate showdown. The thing is nobody knows that both of them got here by cheating. First is a mind reader and second one has an ability to see the future. The resulting debate and story-crafting keeps the boys on their toes as they try to rationalize which superpower will prevail. Taha kicks off the fanfiction train by finding a unique My Hero Academia x Key and Peele crossover. The Anger Translators by author Naggeluide takes the famous Key & Peele sketch and superimposes the relationship onto Bakugo and Todoroki, respectively. Class 1A will have their hands full as they confusingly admire the newfound sense of crass communication between these top two heroes. Hunter follows up with Ace Ventura: Pan Detective, the Ace Ventura x Peter Pan crossover written by author ThreeHats. As Tinkerbell goes missing, Peter Pan seeks the assistance of the only man capable of solving the mystery of a missing creature— Ace Ventura. Fun fact— it only took the author less than 30 minutes to complete this awesome story!!

Episode 9 opens with yet another bit running out of control as the boys entertain a world completely dominated by peanut butter being the most important life commodity. Reddit user KingManTheSaiyan brings us The Weekly Prompt: The seven aspects of the universe gathered in the room, Good, Evil, Life, Death, Order, Chaos, and Dave, from accounting. Discussions ensue over the origin of Dave's power over all forms of currency, as well as the greatest galactic redemption arc for all accountants everywhere. Taha brings in Harry Potter and the Start of Something New by author UnwrittenLegacy, a High School Musical / Harry Potter crossover. Harry, after taking a hiatus from Hogwarts after the death of Sirius Black and being displaced by the Dursley's, is sent to the Muggle world in ABQ, New Mexico to reside with the Evans family (a distant relation of his mother). How will Harry adjust to Muggle high school, specifically, in the midst of a particularly robust theatre scene? Hunter follows up with A Glitch of Thrones by author Right What is Wrong. This hilarious story accurately takes the all-too-familiar glitch-factory that is the beloved video game, Skyrim, and merges it into the narrative of Game of Thrones. Complete with awkwardly flying dragons, radish surfing, open-air pitfalls, and plenty of random thrashing, this tale packs plenty of nostalgia through the lens of another fantasy world.

The boys enter episode 8 and send a shout out the biggest STFF fan, bona fide Renaissance-man Idris Elba. They then proceed into hashing out their newest idea— pro-gamer babies playing video games in a segment called Let's Play- Babies. The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user De_faulty: There is a bar located between life and death. All those who died sit for their last drinks before marching onto the afterlife. Unbeknownst to them, the bartender is also the judge. Forgiveness is up to God. Retribution is the Devil's call. Judgement is given by the one who serves you drinks. What follows is the creation of our favorite, no-nonsense Purgatory bartender, Rob. As the overworked gatekeeper of customer service, be weary of your drink orders and always tip, or you may find yourself on a one-way trip to eternal damnation! Rhys finds The Dragons of Moria by author PristineUngift, a fanfiction merging the fandoms of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Interesting timelines and a series of events lead to Harry's animagus transformation into a Young Adult Dragon, who loses his sense of self as he slumbers within his new abode, the mines of Moria. As the Fellowship make their way through the mines, their encounter with the slender, emerald-eyed dragon is far different than expected. Wes follows up with a delectable crossover between The Great British Baking Show and Batman (seriously, we don't know how he finds these gems). Star Baker by SapphoIsBurning takes a look at Alfred Pennyworth's unwavering resolve (and culinary prowess) as he investigates a potentially dangerous anomaly concocting within the competitive tent-flaps of the Great British Bake Off.

Noah Berry is BACK, and he's even more powerful than we expected. Please. Send help. After a rousing session of who Noah would f*ck, marry, kill, and open a business with between the boys, the quintet dive into an improv game to uncover the true reason of why Hunter's pinkie was in a splint this day. What transpires is an epic ballad of Hunter, the wiffleball bat-wielding warrior who fought bravely against Barney the dinosaur (though in actuality, he dislocated it playing basketball during a game of Horse. Gotta keep him humble.) The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user MrJuic3: One day you wake up with 30 dollars and a note that says “For Rent”. The thing is you aren't renting out the place. The next day you see a spider and right before you kill it you hear it say, “Please I paid my rent don't kill me.” With Noah and Hunter as the resident arachnophobes, the discussion spirals into a tale of a landlord's nonstop escapades with his 8-legged tenant. A Noah visit entails a SpongeBob fanfiction as a guaranteed feature of the episode, to which Rhys delivers us We're All Okay by author Scientia_Fantasia. Taking on a more emotional tone, this story explores a touching moment of understanding from Squidward as he attempts to comfort a traumatized SpongeBob after the harrowing events of SpongeBob Squarepants: the Musical. Awakening a genuine compassion and vulnerability from the cynical cephalopod, this story embraces redemption in a heartwarming way as the boys deep dive into plenty of sentimentality (as well as theory crafting the origin story of Mr.Krabs along the way). Wes follows suit with a truly unique fanfiction. Insurance Insurgence by Pi_Cloud merges the commercial world of Home & Auto Insurance agencies— namely State Farm and Progressive— paralleled to the Montagues and Capulets in the bloody tale of Romeo and Juliet. Seriously. This one is special, and no blog description can do it proper justice. So listen to the damn episode already!!!

The boys open episode 6 discussing improv comedy— specifically reminiscing over the brilliance of the duo that is Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles from Whose Line is it Anyway. Embracing their example, the boys try and fail at ridiculous segues. The implications of a hilarious meme (When you see Superman using the car you're still making payments on as a weapon) leads into the conversation of superhero insurance policies. Discussing readily available references from Amazon's The Boys and the corporate exploits of the billion dollar company, Vaught, the STFF boys touch on hero worship, propaganda, brainwashing, and the in's and out's of hush money in a world where collateral damage is just another Monday. Our Weekly Writing Prompt comes to us from Reddit User orangek1tty: Turns out God was a slacker and gave "Free Will" to not have to "plan" anything. He kicked out Lucifer cause he was a control freak. When you die turns out you have a choice, between a chaotic rule free Heaven or a smoothly machine operated Hell. With undesirable circumstances in either choice, the boys debate the specific boundaries associated with “super heaven” and “super hell”. After literally playing Devil's advocate, they land on a discovery that the afterlife might just be a direct parallel of everyday life…just suped up. Weekdays are spent working in Hell, while the weekends are saved for some R&R in my timeshare in Heaven. Taha opens things up with a Breaking Bad fanfiction with an interesting concept. Author Villakulla's White Light takes a look at the quiet death of Jessie Pinkman years after the events of Breaking Bad and El Camino as we follow his train of thought during a heart attack. Post-read, they discuss the very serious ramifications of addiction, as well as the profound impact of mentors and influential figures that shape us. Hunter follows up with a BBC's Sherlock and Doctor Who crossover that pits our 221B Baker Street boys against a terrifying enemy. O Fortuna by MegaFrost4, capturing the humor and pacing of the BBC show, introduces the Weeping Angels as an adversary to both the Doctor as well as Sherlock and Watson. After reading the introductory chapter, the boys theory-craft what is to come as they discuss the likely competitive relationship between Sherlock and the Doctor, and the adventures that lie in store for them all against this incredibly dangerous enemy.

Opening season 2 episode 5 comes yet another theory-crafting— today, it's building the PERFECT outfit. Complete with Elmo-colored dress Heely's, Black 3.0 socks, sexy dark-washed jeans, a chinese-collar dress shirt with a minimalist Elmo design, breakaway vest, neon windbreaker, and a wide-brimmed hat with a marijuana plant instead of a feather, the boys have created a magnificent being who can dominate business meetings AND the club. The weekly Writing Prompt comes to us from Reddit user solidsecondplace: There is nothing unusual about a man in a business suit carrying a briefcase, rushing off to work. But since he just quickly passed you as you are climbing up Mount Everest in full winter gear, you have questions. What transpires is a direct transplant of our perfectly dressed man as one of the greatest social media influencers in the galaxy. After spiraling into hypotheticals about how and why this man has the wealth and power he's attained, the boys naturally stumble upon him being none other than Mark Zorkaplex, the alien progenitor of the intergalactic social media platform, Spacebook. Taha leads with the first fanfiction of the show. Embracing this episode's theme of alter-egos, the boys crack open Fake Empires by author CopperBadge, a Superman x Batman crossover that takes a deeper look into the humanity of journalist Clark Kent and the billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, respectively. In a tense one-on-one interview between the legendary duo, prior to either confirming their suspicions about each other's superhero personas, we get to see a side of Clark Kent's journalistic instincts as he pokes and prods for the truth. Hunter follows suit with the opening chapter of a legendary story in its own right. At one point the LONGEST FANFICTION EVER WRITTEN, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl inspired Subspace Emissary's World Conquest, by author AuraChannelerChris, has nearly 10 years of consistent development. As noted by the author, this story is about the struggle of a prolonged fight against the Subspace army— a “what if” version of what would have happened if the Smashers had never defeated Tabuu the second time they fought him.

Dictator. Dick-Tater. Richard Potato. That's it…that's the entire train of thought that led to this episode title. God help us. Wes opens Episode 4 with a dive into grandparents' appreciation— the boys regale each other with various tales of grandparent experiences from the past in the form of sandwiches, Karachi (Pakistan), golf cart hit-and-runs, and the History Channel. The Weekly Writing Prompt was taken from Reddit user zxcxdr: Every Saturday of your life you've spent in the park, playing chess against the same nice old man. Today you beat him for the first time. You smile at him triumphantly, until he says "Finally. Good luck!" And dissolves. The boys take the prompt and run, story-crafting a scenario in which Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter universe enters the greatest international Wizard's Chess tournament the world has ever seen. With every major city's landmark buildings as the chess pieces, Ron embarks as London, England's official champion as he takes on a titanic quest of cities battling cities. Wes brings us the first story of the show. The Blade of a Princess by Word_Devourer is a wonderfully crafted fanfiction of the timeless classic, The Princess Bride. This meta interpretation very cleverly reimagines the beginning of the original story in modern COVID times. The story itself explores a despairing Buttercup swearing revenge upon the pirate killers of her true love. Rhys follows suit with the first Jimmy Neutron story featured on the podcast (it's about time, honestly). The Other Side of Tomorrow by author AntiqueDreams explores the failure of Jimmy's latest teleportation experiment. With him and the Retroville gang (comprised of Sheen, Carl, Cindy, and Libby, and Goddard) plunged into an alternate reality, they become entangled in a deadly conflict and slowly begin to piece together a vision of their own future far too terrible to imagine.

Wes opens episode 3 with a compelling question: If you were given an opportunity to allow yourself to live longer at the expense of sacrificing your organic bodily parts, would you do it? The boys then expand on their respective arguments. Random Fandom is GONE…but not forgotten. The boys introduce a new segment, the Weekly Writing Prompt, where they find a writing prompt on Reddit and spiral into where they think it'll go. This week's prompt comes from Reddit user BLT_With_Ranch: It's 3 AM. An official phone alert wakes you up. It says "DO NOT LOOK AT THE WALRUS". You have hundreds of notifications. Hundreds of random numbers are sending "It's a beautiful walrus. Look. What transpires is a truly marvelous…ly stupid devolution into the relevance of Rhys' phallic size, and his subsequent rise to power as Kid (d)ic(k)arus. Sincerely, we know, it's the dumbest idea we've ever had. Taha finds a lovely Spider-Man story entitled Quite a Bargain by author WilliamRiverdale. Differing from most other Spider-Man stories in its tone, this fanfiction takes a deeper look into the sharp rapport between Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson, ending with a heartwarming glimpse into Jonah's humanity. Hunter follows up with a story that properly merges the already adjacent worlds of Disney's Frozen and Brave: Braving the Frozen Heart by Clytemnestra13, which details Merida and her family attending the coronation of Queen Elsa in the first Frozen movie.

Opening with the role call of Captain Brown Pants and his boisterous crew aboard their fictional ship, The Prairie Dog, the boys lead with their basest sense of humor as yet another poo bit spirals out of control. Season 2, Episode 2, begins with an exploration of guilty pleasures. Wes discusses meme culture— what is the social currency of the little photos that seem to saturate our feeds, and how have they evolved? That deep discussion is quickly stifled, however, by Rhys’s guilty pleasure of creating Facebook events to attract people to parties, and the alleged cyberbullying that he needs to keep it functioning. The LAST Random Fandom for the foreseeable future takes a look at the merging of two nerdy video game icons: World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy. A rousing AI Generated Fanfic creates a resulting world with interesting implications for Chocobos, Moogles, and Cactour. Rhys brings in an Avatar the Last Airbender story to kick things off, taking a look at post-war life as Aang and the gang prepare for a unity festival of the four nations. Full of culture, sentiment, and historical allegory, this story provides the boys with a wonderful discussion regarding the associations between art and war. Wes leads with a unique Seth Meyers x Stefan story that takes us all into a colorful, musical, and trippy reading as they explore New York’s Hottest Club with the Saturday Night Live duo. This is STFF 2, 2?

Welcome to Season 2 of Stranger than (fan)Fiction! Pioneering into 2021 comes a new moniker: LEVEL-UP. The boys hope to continue to learn, grow, and farm podcast XP as they create more content just for you (and figure out how this whole business thing works). They then pivot as they discuss aliens, the hit Chinese ballet production Shen Yun, the intricacies of building their respective Truman Show productions, and Guy Fieri. Hunter kicks off Season 2 by embracing his current pirate obsession by finding an epic Pirates of the Caribbean mashup with Percy Jackson and the Olympians. A Pirate's Life for Me by Celestial Element takes a creative look at our favorite demigod, Percy Jackson, at the end of his emotional rope after yet another harrowing encounter. With a distraught Percy no longer wanting to be a pawn of Olympus, Athena offers him a chance at a new life away from the influence of the gods— conditional on the loss of his prior memories, free to construct his own path. His girlfriend, Annabeth, follows suit with a plan to restore their affections and remind each other of the life they loved in the modern world. The boys read an excerpt from the opening chapter, then speculate about the limitless trajectory ahead as Percy and Annabeth are sent back into the peak seafaring world of PotC. How will the son of Poseidon, gifted with a new mystical compass, grow in this new adventurous world? More importantly, how will characters collide as our Olympian transplants find themselves in the company of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow? The boys deep dive into their own theories as they discuss the possibilities. In the face of COVID, there are a slew of new interpretations of storytelling that are unique, and often very humorous as a means of lifting our spirits. This was readily apparent within the second fanfiction of the show, The Fellowship of the Quarantine written by Thalion Estel (who also wrote Misrepresented, read on our S1 E17 Christmas Special). This particular telling of The Lord of the Rings takes a new look at a familiar scene in which Gandalf and Frodo discuss their realization of the dark force spreading across the land. Sauron’s means and influence, however, have evolved in this story as Mordor’s release of a novel coronavirus is the primary conversation weighing on the minds of our aged wizard and curious Hobbit. In a reading that carries all of the beats of Tolkien’s storyline merged with the modern precautions of hand sanitizer, masks, social distancing, the boys revel in the enjoyment of this tale, and proceed into their own ridiculous ideas for the world that Thalion Estel has set in motion. Though it’s a new start, the shenanigans remain the same as ever. Welcome to Season 2. Stay Strange.

Bumbling gratitude seems to be a recurring theme as the boys express their appreciation for you, listener. Episode 22, the Season 1 finale, begins with reflecting on the development of the podcast and the exciting new projects ahead. With the launch of Season 2 in mid-February comes the STFF Cassette Series, the Authors’ Spotlight Blog Series, as well as exciting Patreon exclusive content! Look out for the STFF Mini-sodes that will take a deeper look into some of our favorite fanfiction, as well as a newly developed segment, STFF Off-The-Page (name pending) where the boys will share their own creative writings, music, discussions, and unique passions! But that’s for a little later…Today, the boys wrap things up with an ultimate Random Fandom. Hearkening back to Episode 1, they begin a rapid-fire undertaking: creating brief crossover storylines between every fanfiction in each respective episode.Hunter regales us with our first fanfiction, a pairing of Death Note with the popular video game series, Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright. Even Chances by Blue Teller finds our brooding, candy-loving detective “L” in need of some unorthodox tools to solve a pressing case. Turning to spirit medium Maya Fey, they channel the spirit of a deceased victim to get closer to the truth. Post-read, after reminiscing about the famed Potato Chip scene, the boys discuss the legal implications in store as Light Yagami is taken to trial. Will firsthand accounts of a deceased spirit be acceptable evidence in a court of law to prove Light is Kira without a shadow of a doubt?Finishing out Season 1 comes something truly spectacular. We all love hypothetical appointees to the position of teacher at Hogwarts, but none so intense as a world renowned, lovable, and raging British chef. Harry Potter and the Lack of Lamb Sauce, the stupendous story crafted by Imagitory, takes a look at what happens when Dumbledore brings in an old acquaintance, none other than Gordon Ramsay, to the great halls of Hogwarts as their newest professor. After a hilariously heated introductory reading, the boys lose their minds in Ramsay-related discussions, impressions, and theory-crafting worthy of a Season finale.Thanks for coming along on the ride. This is STFF 22, the Season One Finale. Season 2, coming mid-February. :)

Well, it’s the end of the road. The boys discover that their talents are being wasted on this podcast, and are better served doing covers of Creed songs. Goodbye.KIDDING. Episode 21 kicks off with a deeper look at all of the exciting new projects ahead for Stranger Than (fan)Fiction— the children’s Cassette Series, as well as Patreon Exclusive content featuring Mini-Episodes and STFF After Dark, where the boys take on readings of erotic fanfiction guaranteed to raise the temperature of the room. The boys then pivot into discussions about nostalgic video games and childhood memories.Random Fandom takes us to this episode’s namesake as the boys explore the merging of the thoroughly meme’d Canadian band, Nickelback, paired with Oswald the Rabbit— the unofficial Disney mascot prior to Mickey, created in 1927. Wes gets things moving with yet another AI Generated Fanfic that opens with some epic implications, detailing Oswald’s partnership with Nickelback after getting discarded by Disney. This is truly the Oswald redemption ark that you didn’t know you needed. The boys return to some fan-favorite fanfiction for episode 21, hearkening back to Harry Potter and the Eagle of Truthiness by Christine Morgan— the epic Harry Potter x Stephen Colbert crossover. Briefly recapping the story so far from episode 10, the boys dive into Chapter 2, the final entry of this story. With a slew of familiar faces introduced into Professor Colbert’s line of fire, the boys enjoy a spirited read only to lament that this is the end of this tale (so finding Christine Morgan is now priority #1). Post-read, they discuss the possibilities of all major late-night TV hosts as significant players in the Wizarding World.Finishing off STFF 21 comes a return to Quarantine Bottom by zcross1997, our all-time favorite Spongebob fanfiction that explores Bikini Bottom’s response to a similarly quarantined world. Chapter 4 explores The Krusty Krab crew as they deal with deep cleaning, deliveries, and a reality check for a cynical Squidward. Post-read, the boys reflect on zcross1997’s ability to accurately reflect Spongebob imagery and his subtle-yet-hilarious comedic lens, as well as the perspective that comes with fusing real-world events into the cartoon we all know and love. Full of Creed covers, future endeavors, and plenty of hilarious reminiscence, this is STFF 21.

Opening with Rhys’s audition to become the new Iron Chef secret ingredient screamer— a bit worthy of the title of this episode, the boys launch into truly magnificent levels of absurdity. After a brief confrontation with the nonuse of the letter “f”, they discuss the merits and defects of reboot culture in our current media. Eying big-name franchises of the past and present, the boys take a closer look at the slew of successful and not-so-successful superhero films (looking at you, Fantastic Four), and clarify the differences between reboots and original adaptations. Kicking off this week’s Random Fandom segment is an exploration of the consequences in merging Ronald McDonald with Build-a-Bear Workshop. Wes suggests creating a new fast food icon for the merger of these two titans, or “Build-A-Fast-Food-Chain”, beginning with Ronald’s defection from McDonald’s. Taking his dangerous passion to a new level, Ron the Don builds his own immortal labor force of stuffed animals, monopolizing the food industry, taking over Fazoli’s, and breaking the laws of spacetime in a way no one has ever seen.Moving into fanfiction territory, Hunter finds a unique story that crosses over the colorful world of Pokémon with the hit anime/video game franchise of Danganronpa. Danganronpa: Pokemon's Despair by Heroi Oscura takes the ultimate high school battle royale to a new level, locking a myriad of confused Pokemon into a true life-or-death showdown. Post-read, the boys craft their future of the narrative as they discuss adding evolutions to the mix. They then discuss which Pokemon they would want to be in this awesome universe, and what their respective ultimate “Super High School Level” abilities would be. Wes follows suit with a Loony Tunes series that finds a very fed up Daffy Duck, who finally takes matters into his own feathered hands as he discovers the (arguably) biggest crossover opportunity in history. Bounty on a Bunny by Rabid Wookiee Y begins with Bugs Bunny readying himself for yet another showdown with Daffy Duck as they’re both pitted against Elmer Fudd. Daffy, having failed against the cunning rabbit yet again, stumbles across an advertisement for the “Crossover Club”, a mysterious organization from which he can hire contracted killers from different realities to help rid people of their enemies. With future chapters of this story having Daffy meet with Boba Fett and Gollum (to name a few), the boys discuss the endless possibilities ahead for what characters they’d love to see hired to try and kill Bugs Bunny.

What ever happened to Windows 9? Why did they skip the iPhone 9? Why do they keep trying to get rid of Pluto, the 9th planet? The boys open episode 1[9] with tin-foil hats as they uncover a deep international conspiracy regarding the cursed number 9 before divulging their favorite Disney movies (and the justifications for their choices).A hilarious Random Fandom continues the Disney train momentum by merging Mary Poppins with Lowes (yes, Lowes, the hardware store). Envision Julie Andrews taking flight with a magical weedwacker, armed with her Lowes Swiss Army umbrella™. Ruminate on the boys’ new casting decision of actor Sir Michael Caine as Dick Van Dyke as Bert, here to clean out your chimneys and fix your squeaky floorboards. Discover the origin of the TCCU, the Traveling Caretaker Carpenter Universe. Ever wonder what happens when the Halo franchise is merged with Ridley Scott's Alien? The first fanfiction of the show, Halo: Operation Wildfire by Xbamex, takes a deep look into the resulting epic sci-fi adventure of the titular Spartan super soldiers facing their newest adversary, the Xenomorph. After a nail biting read & combat sequence, the boys nerd out and speculate about the implications of this newly shared universe. Comparing the physiologies of the Elite race (Sangheili) to the parasitic nature of the Xenomorphs and the Flood, they arrive on a terrifying symbiosis that leaves the fate of humanity in question.Following close on its heels comes the second fanfiction, an absolutely brilliant Family Guy x Game of Thrones crossover that earned episode 19's namesake. House Griffin by wweather hilariously reminds us that the reigns of power are a fickle thing. What happens when the true lord of Winterfell, Peter of House Griffin, finds himself with the choice to become King Robert Baratheon's Hand? Following the events of Game of Thrones with the quippy incredulity of the Family Guy cartoon, this fanfiction perfectly encapsulates the kind of spoof reminiscent of Blue Harvest (the Star Wars/ Family Guy series). After a read fueled with their best impressions, the boys deep dive into guessing the remaining Family Guy characters’ roles into Westeros, such as Quagmire as Little Finger & Herbert the Pervert as the Master of Whispers. They finish out the episode with their own thoughts as to which fictional universe they would insert themselves into, given the opportunity. Full of carpentry, battle, science, fantasy, and hilarity, this is STFF 19. Stock your munitions and ready your weapons. Winter is coming…

Episode 18, The Worst Episode Ever, earns its namesake as the boys find themselves particularly frazzled from time changes, headaches, and a variety of other excuses as they try (and fail) to find their footing. The story of Goldilocks has deeper repercussions than you might think. They discuss the origin story of the "Bear Mafia" as they address the growing threat of the rogue little girl breaking into bear houses and stealing bear food (and bear sanity).Random Fandom explores Snow White and the Seven Dwarves clashing with the hit musical Hairspray, though a hilarious downward spiral continues throughout the discussion, leading the boys into a variety of tangents.Two epic fanfictions kick off the New Year, beginning with a My Little Pony/ Bible crossover that's rife with introspection, sacrilege, despair, and wisdom. Balancing out the episode comes a hilarious revisit to a podcast favorite fanfiction, Harry Sanchez and the Magic McGuffin-- aka, the Harry Potter/ Rick & Morty story worthy of Justin Roiland's full attention.Self-declared to be "the worst episode ever", this trainwreck is anything but. Join in on the hilarity with episode 18, hitting your podcast feed faster than some folks give up on your New Year's Resolutions.

Wanna know what Santa’s listening to on his long journey from home to home on Christmas Eve? STFF’s Christmas Santacular, of course! This special holiday episode kicks off with plenty of nostalgic reflection as the boys try to help out a flaccid (in holiday spirit) Wes. Random Fandom gets festive as the boys explore the crisscrossing potential of Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause universe. What happens when, on one fateful Christmas Eve night, Santa is unwittingly executed by Elon Musk's automated home defense system, leaving the eccentric billionaire as the next in line to inherit the powers of Santa? The boys discuss the implications of an even more new corporate-fueled holiday season featuring Santa Musk, Krampus Bezos, and the crazy Christmas legalities of Tim Allen's OG 1994 film.A special Mandalorian Holiday fanfiction kicks off the first reading of the show (definitely not us capitalizing off of the momentum of an epic season 2 finale). Why Wait by Soulshrapnel takes us on a masterfully written and detailed account of Mando and Baby Yoda traveling through the stars prior to Life Day, a holiday festivity akin to the celebratory nature of Christmas. The boys follow up their reading of this absolutely adorable story with a reminiscence about their favorite, most meaningful Christmas gifts received in their childhoods.Rhys follows up with a fanfic from his favorite Christmas story... The Lord of the Rings! Misrepresented by Thalion Estel takes a hilarious look at what happens when Lord Elrond and friends watch a screening of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, only to perceive (as suggested by the namesake of its title) a grossly misrepresented version of the Elven race, leading to a rage-fueled breakdown. Post-read, the boys speculate the future of this story, including Elrond taking to the Undying Lands only to find himself at the North Pole facing Santa himself, who may just be as bad (if not worse) than the ole Dark Lord, Sauron.We hope you’ve been nice this year for all of our sakes, because we may on Santa’s naughty list for the next few decades. Come hear why on this special Christmas Santacular episode here at STFF!

What would do if you had an unlimited budget to make a restaurant of your dreams? The boys discuss their absurdly expensive and fantastical idea of a super restaurant and it’s just as impossible as you would guess. Following the theme of extreme corporate spending, the random fandom sees how Apple Inc. would use their wishes if they had found the Genie’s lamp from Aladdin. Will the billionaires of the world use the power of creation to save the world? Probably not, but who knows!Taha kicks off the first fanfiction with a story titled Stranger Things Have Happened by Brodie-Wan. Seeing Dustin from Stranger Things have a heartwarming conversation with Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, this fanfiction poses the question of whether one of Star Wars’ biggest fans can reignite the rebellious passion of the last true Jedi who’s lost all hope.Moving into the second fanfiction, the boys take on a story brought in by Rhys titled As Close as Hands and Feet by Scribbler. Taking place in the world of The Incredibles, this fanfiction takes a break from the high flying, explosive action of the family of superheroes and instead turns its gaze to the sibling relationship between Dash and Violet. As most of the cast (sans Wes) has siblings, this story hits close to home in many ways. Luckily, Wes has super speed so he relates to it as well.Stranger Things Have Happened by Brodie-WanAs Close as Hands and Feet by ScribblerRecorded 10/6

The boys start this week off by crafting a crossover of Jumanji x Super Mario Brothers before jumping into the first fanfiction, another crossover by the name of Venom vs. The Powerpuff Girls. After discussing the implications of mashing together Marvel and our favorite cartoon trio, they move to Wes's fanfiction which sets Lord of the Rings' Gollum as the guide to Mordor for Winnie the Pooh and a couple of his friends. What brilliant madness will ensue following the fanfiction? Listen to find out!Recorded 11/6

Our first guest! Technically. This week, the boys are joined by friend of the podcast, Noah Berry for a day full of Spongebob fanfictions. Before that, we dive into the Grinchverse with a Random Fandom of the Grinch and the hit Amazon superhero show, The Boys. Hunter brings Edward and Bella from the world of Twilight into Bikini Bottom, and Wes makes Spongebob a detective with Law & Order SVU x Spongebob. Recorded 10/3Contact Noah for amazing jingles at: Jingleberrytunes@gmail.com

It's the Thanksgiving Special! This week, the boys discuss what they're thankful for this year before creating the long lost mascot of Thanksgiving - Cornelius J. Cobb. Keeping in the spirit of the season, they bring in two Thanksgiving themed fanfics - BBC's Sherlock at his family's Thanksgiving Dinner, and a very unique dinner between Jedi and Sith.

Do you know the ins & outs of the M&M characters? The boys learn them here while discussing their random fandom, M&Ms and Rock Band. Rhys brings in a new view on the South Park kids with a South Park x Hunger Games crossover, and Taha shows off a world where Harry Potter ends up in the world of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloweentown. Recorded 9/29

What is the origin of the Pringles Man - and how could he find his way into the Zelda universe? The boys discuss their findings before jumping into some original stories of Aliens invading Australia (or trying, at least) and topping things off with an expertly crafted Shakespeare x Muppets crossover. Follow us on Instagram, @Strangerthan_Fanfiction, for previews and more!Recorded 9/25

This week, the boys dive into a world in which Sonic and Zootopia co-exist, or rather, they don't co-exist. Taha brings in a dark take on Cinderella, and Rhys lightens things up with a fanfiction that asks a very important question: What if Stephen Colbert became the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts?

This week on our Special Edition Halloween Spooktacular Episode, we discuss scary stories before jumping into a Child's Play x Toy Story Crossover. Hunter brings in a dramatic reimagination of the cult classic horror game Five Nights at Freddy's, and Taha exposes us to the darkest depths of a Demonic haunting original piece. Enjoy...while you can.

This week, we start off with a dive into a world in which the Doctor meets the DC Universe. Wes brings in a Fictional Mouse crossover called I Hate Stuart Little, and Hunter gives Boromir a chance at redemption with a Lord of the Rings x The Hobbit cross over.

This week, we start off with our Random Fandom of Big Bang Theory x Game of Thrones, followed by a more serious twist on Alice in Wonderland. After a discussion of our lives and mental health throughout Quarantine, we lighten things up with a brilliant Harry Potter x Rick and Morty combination.

This week, the boys kick things off by debating who would win in a fight: The Z Fighters from Dragon Ball Z, or the Looney Tunes? The first fanfiction is a South Park x Enders Game crossover, followed by a mashup of characters from various SpoOoOoOoky tales, such as Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde. Unfortunately, the episode before this one was lost to the nether of confounded technology, so the Power Rangers x Obama Administration random fandom was lost as well. Follow the link below to find our Social Media as well as any of the Fanfictions we've covered up to this one and their authors!https://linktr.ee/strangerthanfanfiction

This week, we analyze the utterly joyful combination of The Hunger Games and Les Miserables as our random fandom before diving into a Harry Potter x Inside Out cross over. After temporarily losing our minds, we finish things off with a wonderful fanfiction about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.Follow the link below to find our Social Media as well as any of the Fanfictions we've covered up to this one and their authors!https://linktr.ee/strangerthanfanfiction

This week, we kick things off with our Random Fandom, Gladiator x Lord of the Rings. Rhys brings a sexually charged Fairly Odd Parents fandom, and Taha ends things with an all-too-real fanfiction of Spongebob and Bikini Bottom in quarantine for...CORALID-20.

This week, we kick things off with a discussion of a question we've all wondered: What would happen if Remy from Ratatouille controlled King Kong? After that, Hunter brings in an Eragon x How to Train Your Dragon crossover, and Wes brings the Beatles into the Cantina with a Star Wars x The Beatles crossover.

What would happen if Elle Woods was plunged into the universe of Star Trek? We discuss those endless possibilities before reading a Breaking Bad x Death Note fan fiction and ending with an Avatar x My Hero Academia crossover.

On the first ever episode of the Stranger than (fan)Fiction Podcast, the boys comment on a Courage the Cowardly Dog x Scooby Doo cross-over, and then discuss how Godzilla & Crew fit into the My Little Pony universe. Not a bad start, huh?

After reading a Courage the Cowardly Dog x Scooby Doo cross-over, the boys discuss the implications of those universes colliding. Catch the whole episode when it drops on September 4th!