The Unreliable Narrators

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Brent and Amanda discuss the brilliance of Gene Wolfe’s work: his short stories, his poetry, and his letters. We are interested in the extended Wolfe Universe, which is probably this one, but maybe not. The constellations are many, let us tell the stories of the stars.

Amanda Patchin and Brent Towell


    • Apr 21, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 49m AVG DURATION
    • 34 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Unreliable Narrators

    Book Collecting Madness

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 109:48


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss their own and others' obsession with collecting books.

    The Boy Who Hooked the Sun by Gene Wolfe

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 65:07


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Gene Wolfe's The Boy Who Hooked the Sun: originally published as a chapbook and then collected in Starwater Strains and The Best of Gene Wolfe.

    C-Side: The Worst Werewolf Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 38:51


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss two stories that Gene Wolfe declared the "Worst Werewolf Story" and "The Worst Miracle Story". 

    Date Due - Gene Wolfe's Hidden Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 46:41


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss "Date Due" a hidden short story contained in the Introduction to Gene Wolfe's Book of Days and in the compilation Castle of Days.

    The Hero as Werwolf 2 of 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 53:47


    In which the Unreliable Narrators continue discussing Gene Wolfe's short story "The Hero as Werwolf.

    The Hero as Werwolf 1 of 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 50:30


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Gene Wolfe's The Hero as Werwolf.

    End of Year Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 82:57


    In which the Unreliable Narrators talk about a year's worth of podcasting.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen 9 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 54:22


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the bonus characters included in the paperback printing of Bibliomen.

    Bibliomen 8 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 49:48


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the final chapters of Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen (Cheapstreet edition).

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen 7 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 46:13


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss characters from Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen.

    Robert Borski's In the Crowded Part of Heaven

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 67:25


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Robert Borski's short story In the Crowded Part of Heaven.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen - 6 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 56:06


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss yet more characters from Gene Wolfe's delightful and strange Bibliomen.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen: 5 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 41:44


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss three more characters from Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen. In case you want to read along: https://archive.org/details/bibliomen20characterswaiting/mode/2up

    Ada Palmer's "New Gray to Join the Olympic Five"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 34:19


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Ada Palmer's sort-of short story "New Gray to Join the Olympic Five" which first appeared in Shoreline of Infinity, volume 8 & ½ - Summer of 2017.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen: 4 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 46:06


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss three more characters from Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen. In case you want to read along: https://archive.org/details/bibliomen20characterswaiting/mode/2up

    Dan Knight's Justice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 50:53


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the short story "Justice" by Dan Knight, founder of United Mythologies Press, author, recording artist, and friend of many. Justice was published in Feast of Laughter volume 3.   Chapbook of the Hedgehog Press interview with Dan Knight available HERE on AbeBooks.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen: 3 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 47:52


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Mary Beatrice Smoot Friarly, SPV. 

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen: 2 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2024 39:14


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the third and fourth "characters" of Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen. In case you want to read along: https://archive.org/details/bibliomen20characterswaiting/mode/2up

    Filipina Baby (possibly) by Gene Wolfe

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2024 28:52


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the short story "Filipina Baby" and try to determine whether or not it is actually by "our" Gene Wolfe.  Published in 1969 in The Laurel Review.

    Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen: 1 of 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 40:45


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the foreword and first two "characters" of Gene Wolfe's Bibliomen. In case you want to read along: https://archive.org/details/bibliomen20characterswaiting/mode/2up

    Gene Wolfe's The Monday Man

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2024 39:39


    In which the Unreliable Narrator's discuss "The Monday Man" which appeared in Readercon in 1990 and also in 2004's Innocents Aboard.

    Volksweapon by Gene Wolfe

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2024 30:19


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Gene Wolfe's "Volksweapon." Originally published in Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, September 1967, then collected in Young Wolfe in 1992 and Wolfe at the Door in 2023.

    Eaters of the Dead an Essay by Gene Wolfe

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2024 28:00


    In which the Unreliable Narrators Discuss Gene Wolfe's essay "Eaters of the Dead" which was published in Fantasy Newsletter #46 in March of 1982.

    Why Private War: A Poem

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2024 41:53


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss "Why Private War" a poem from the collection Now We Are Sick edited by Neil Gaiman and Stephen Jones. It also appeared in For Rosemary in 1988.

    From the Cradle Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2024 45:21


    In which the Unreliable Narrrators continue to discuss Gene Wolfe's From the Cradle which first appeared in Shelf Life in 2002 and is also collected in Starwater Strains from 2005.

    From the Cradle Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 50:25


    In which the Unreliable Narrrators discuss Gene Wolfe's From the Cradle which first appeared in Shelf Life in 2002 and is also collected in Starwater Strains from 2005.

    Meditations On Middle Earth B-Side

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2024 64:17


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss the collection Meditations on Middle Earth and determine the precise degree of foolishness demonstrated in rejecting Gene Wolfe's "The Best Introduction to the Mountains."

    Gene Wolfe's ”The Best Introduction to the Mountains”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 59:44


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Gene Wolfe's essay "The Best Introduction to the Mountains." an essay on Tolkien, which appeared in Interzone in 2001.

    Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien (not Gene Wolfe)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2023 53:32


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss Tolkien's short story Leaf by Niggle for Gene Wolfe related purposes.

    Gene Wolfe's Letter to the Editor from Alien Critic #9

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 41:07


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss a letter to the editor in the fanzine Alien Critic from Gene Wolfe about his experiences as an editor of Plant Engineering.

    Gene Wolfe's First: ”The Dead Man”

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 48:23


    In which the Unreliable Narrator's discuss Gene Wolfe's first professional sale: "The Dead Man," which appeared in Sir Magazine in 1965 and was later collected in Young Wolfe and is now available in The Dead Man and Other Horror Stories.

    Gene Wolfe (and Brian Hopkins) Rattler

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 59:26


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss "Rattler," which first appeared in Realms of Fantasy in 2004. 

    Gene Wolfe's ”Westwind”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2023 51:18


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss "Westwind," originally appearing in Worlds of IF, 1973.

    Gene Wolfe's ”Dumpster World”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 29:51


    In which the Unreliable Narrators discuss "Dumpster World" which appeared in the fanzine The Alliterative Argentus, issue 5, in 2005.

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