Sweet Sweet Fantasy

After taking a longer than expected quarantine break, we're back! Isolation has taken its toll and we're a little older and a little weirder. But that's why you're here, right? The book that brought the band back together is an incredibly fresh take on the magical coming of age trope. We talk wizarding school, future of YA, grumpy heroines, and more!

It's the Valentine's Day special! What better time to talk about a kissing book. We take a trip into romantasy with C.L. Wilson's 'The Winter King.' It's Matt's first time with the genre and he has some pretty hilarious take-aways. Tune in if you've ever hoped for fantasy heroes and heroines who were just a little less noble in their love affairs.

Did you know emo urban fantasy was a thing? It is and it pushes all the buttons if you are a super serious introvert like Anne. This book will remind you of a time when moral philosophy was having a pop culture heyday (Hi Matrix) and serve as a guide of how to write the grey area between Good and Evil in a compelling way.

In this episode we break down a TV show for a change. Break down may be overstating - HBO's fearless adaptation of Watchmen is so deeply layered, it would take more time and more brains than we have to truly get to the bottom of it. In our discussion, we focus on the mechanics of telling difficult stories in a medium known for pure entertainment, new hero tropes, and why Regina King is a boss. 'Nuff said.

In this episode, Matt and Anne discuss Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Riding the zeitgeist, babies. What's the deal with this book? Why has it achieved cult status? Why now for the TV adaptation, Amazon? This book was not our favorite in the moment, but after we started to discuss it, it became apparent that we could have picked the text apart for many more episodes. It's almost like a book of Aesop's fables if Aesop was a Gen Xer who wanted to make fun of humans instead of trying to teach them something. Just listen and the analogy will make perfect sense.

In this episode, Matt and Anne discuss the Witcher series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.  It's a slightly giddy discussion, due to the fact that we are obsessed with this series, but we manage to flesh out a smidge of lucid critique.  These books have been adapted into a super popular video game series, as well as a Netflix show, but they are weird, wild, and shockingly original.  At its bones, the story is about a guy who hunts monsters and is on a quest to save a princess.  Sound familiar?  Every genre author strives to put a new spin on the classic fantasy tropes.  Sapkowski is one who truly succeeds and in ways that are so naturalistic, it's a while before you realize you're not in Kansas anymore.  The princess is a killer and the monsters are the least of our worries.  Free sex? Feminism? Anit-Capitalism?  Also Wizards?  It's a bold doctrine but holy shit you get sucked in fast.  

This month, big nerds Matt and Anne gush about The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. Tune in for 31 minutes of comedic, insightful commentary.