Join us as we take our favorite books off the shelf, dust them off, and remind ourselves why we love them. New episodes drop on the 7th and 21st of each month.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman is Tony's pick this time, the first of a trilogy about some of the worst people you'll ever encounter. Brilliant, bitter, and brimming with magic, this book asks what happens when power isn't given to heroes… but to real, damaged, deeply flawed humans. A tough read for Tom, this one made both hosts ask: What happens when you strip fantasy of its wonder and fill it with people you wouldn't want to share an elevator with?TTYpodcast.comThumbingThroughYesterday.com
Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton is Tom's pick. Is it really "the least Crichtony Crichton novel?" Maybe. But both Tom and Tony love this, Crichton's response to a dare to make the epic poem Beowulf entertaining. Does he succeed? Not, perhaps, in the way you might expect.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling is Tony's pick this time around. The third book in the series, this one shows a depth and complexity that was missing from the first two. Plus, we begin to dance with some actual darkness. A first read for Tom, Azkaban starts to explore some of the potential the earlier books ignored.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
On The Beach by Nevil Shute is an early,chilling tale of nuclear warning. After just 30 days of missles and bombs, the entire northern hemisphere is irradiated and lifeless. Radioactive dust drifts slowly south... and the rest of the world waits to die. A first read for Tony, this hauntingly beautiful and depressing book is a favorite of Tom's. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers is a mind-bending blend of historical fiction and fantasy, where 20th-century scholar Brendan Doyle is unexpectedly transported back to 19th-century London. Amid a world of magic, time travel, and intrigue, Doyle must navigate a city brimming with strange powers and dangerous figures, all while trying to survive and find a way back to his own time. A favorite of Tony, Tom loved his first trip through this convoluted story. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Good Shepherd by CS Forester is a thrilling, tension-packed story set during WWII. Commander George Krause heads a 4-ship defense force escorting a convoy of 37 unarmed merchant ships across the Atlantic. They run afoul of a German submarine wolf pack, and are harried for days as Krause struggles to save both ships and lives for the Allies. A first-read for Tony, Tom loves this action-pack adventure. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Roger Zelazny's Roadmarks is a bizarre book about time travel. And magic. And dragons. And sentient AI. And cars. And dinosaurs. A favorite of Tony's, this is a first-read for Tom. What an adventure! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is one of Phillip K. Dick's best-known novels, and the basis for the Bladerunner film franchise. Tom loves this book, but what's Tony's take? And how do the big ideas from 1968 hold up in the 21st century? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is probably his best-known novel, a quasi-autobiographical account of the fire-bombing of Dresden mixed with a typically bizarre tale of alien abductions and time travel. What's not to like? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Watchmen by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins, is one of the finest graphics novels ever made. Perhaps the best? A favorite to both Tony & Tom, revisiting this was an absolute joy! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes, is Tony's pick this time around, a book that is also on Tom's list. We had very different experiences, revisiting this old friend! TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com#larryniven #jerrypournelle #stevenbarnes #nivenpournellebarnes #thelegacyofheorot #grendel #samlon #beowulf #thumbingthroughyesterday #podcast #books #scifi #scifibooks
Who Goes Here? by Bob Shaw is a quirky Sci-Fi adventure. Our protagonist, Warren Peace (yes, Warren Peace!) awakens in a doctor's office with literally no memory of who he is, why he's there, or anything about himself. The memory erasure is a "perk" of having enlisted in the Space Legion. Warren quickly realizes that the only way to survive is to regain his lost memory and flee the Legion. It's a fun tale, with a number of surprises and an unexpectedly complex plot. A favorite of Tom's, Tony had never heard of it before. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com#bobshaw #whogoeshere #oscars #spacelegion #savoryshrimpsauce #thumbingthroughyesterday #podcast #books #scifi #scifibooks
Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a Hugo Award-wining novel that Tony loves and Tom hasn't read before. It's structured like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, but in space! Full of big ideas and complex characters, this book is a deep dive into an astoundingly well-built future. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne is often regarded as a classic of early science fiction, but is it any good? Tom has fond memories of reading this as a child, but what happens when we revisit this book so many decades later? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Robert Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky kicks off our 4th year of continuous podcasting. One of Heinlein's juvenille series, this is a fast-paced page-turner about a group of high school students accidentally marooned on an alien world, left to survive on their own. One of Tony's favorites, this was a first-read for Tom.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
This episode, we talk a bit about making Thumbing Through Yesterday. No novel to discuss, just an exploration of the podcast itself. Why did we start it? How successful is it? What have we learned? What are its secrets? TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Michael Moorcock's Elric saga is one of the most influential bodies of work in early fantasy. Elric, the titular character, is the last emporer of a waning empire, one founded on sorcery, dragons, and cruelty. This novel, ELric of Melnibone, is actually a prequel, exploring Elric's origins, and his aquisition of the legenrady runeblade, Stormbringer. A favorite of Toms back when it was new, this is a first-read for Tony.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard is a little bit of a deviation, being a play script instead of a novel. Still, it's a fascinating read, showcasing Stoppard's wit and esoteric bent. A favorite of Tony's, this is a new experience for Tom. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls is one of his best novels, a story about the nobility of war. Or is it about the futility of war? It depends on whether you ask Tom or Tony! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry is a beloved childrens' book that should have a place of honor in your bookshelf. A favorite of both Tom & Tony, we can't believe it's taken us nearly three years to visit this delightful tale. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
H.G. Wells is often referred to as one of the fathers of science fiction. The War of the Worlds is one if his masterpieces. It has been made into three films, was the source of the famous 1938 radio broadcast, has inspired over a dozen television and direct-to-video productions, and even been reimagined as a concept music album. But how does the original hold up? Both Tom and Tony think it does pretty well. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Comedy Writer is a novel by Peter Farrelly. If you know the name Peter Farrelly, it's likely from his screenplays. He's written such hits as Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal, and There's Something About Mary. How does he compare as a novelist? Let's find out! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Vampire$ is John Steakley's second novel. It's about a group of church-funded mercenaries who hunt, you guessed it, vampires. It's an interseting and aytpical portrayal of these ancient villains, the an interesting interpretation of the people who hunt them. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow is a strange tale about a new society, the first generation of immortal humans. Told from the first-person view of Julius, a centenarian whose life revolves around preserving Dinsey World's Haunted Mansion from the technological advances of the 21st century, it's a story of conflict and sacrafice, and thoroughly weird. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Larry Niven's RIngworld is a masterpiece of classic SciFi. WInner of teh Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, this is a favortie of both Tom and Tony. Join us as we revisit Louis Wu, Teela Brown, Speaker-to-animals, and Nessus the mad Puppetteer. How does this story hold up? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Camouflage by Joe Haldeman is Tony's pick this time around. A completely new experience for Tom, this book explores the life of an alien shapshifter who has been on Earth since before mankind evolved, long enough to forget it's an alien. Can it learn to love? And will the predatory Chameleon succed in its quest to murde the alien? Let's find out! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com
Starship Troopers is iconic Robert Heinlein. One of his best sellers, and arguably his most recognized novel, Starship Troopers explores life under the Terran Federation through the eyes of Johnny Rico as, after high school, he joins the military. In true Heinlein fashion, he does this to impress a girl. After failing to meet the standards for anything more elevated, Rico finds himself in the Mobile Infantry, combat soldiers who wear powered armor and specialize in lightning strikes.
John Scalzi's first novel, Agent to the Stars, is a fun story about Tom Stein, a moderately-successful talent agent, who finds himself with a race of aliens as clients. His job? Find a way to reveal their presence to humanity without causing a fuss. A favorite of Tony's and a first-read for Tom, this is a genuinely delightful tale.
Heavy Time by CJ Cherryh is one part her Company Wars series. Filled with political intrigue and hard sci-fi, we follow a small cast of asteroid miners who get caught up in sweeping events. A favorite of Tom's, Tony found it lacking in sympathetic characters. What do you think?
Masters of Doom by David Kishner is our first non-fiction choice, and one of Tony's favorites. This tale focuses on John Carmack and John Romero, two programmers who shaped both video games and pop culture for a generation.
Before it became an iconic film, Logans Run was a novel by William F. Nolan. Tony didn't realize that the novel existed, while Tom read this many times in grade school and high school. Does it hold up after all this time? Let's find out!
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle is a young adult scifi that both Tony and Tom read in their youth. It's a very accessible story about a conflict between dark and light, evil and good. It turns out that Tom scarcely remembered anything about it!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is one of Tom's favorite dystopian novels, although it's arguable whether the world is a dystopia or a utopia. Tom finds this book delightfully quirky and profoundly vague. Tony questions whether Huxley was a genius or a hack. What's your take?TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald is the first of a series of childrens books that Tony fell in love with during his youth. The stories center around Tom, the middle of three boys, and the shenanigans that ensue as he applies his great brain to the problems at hand, usually involving the acquisition of pennies. JD, the younger brother, is the naive lens through which we see Tom's machinations. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
This epsiode marks the first time we've had a guest on the show! Dr. Eva Rose Washburn-Repollo joins us in discussing one of her favorite books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, sometimes called "The Great American Novel." Join us as we talk about one of the best-known, and somewhat controversial, pieces of American literature.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Winnie the Pooh, along with The House at Pooh Corner, document the stories that author A.A. Milne told to his son, Christopher Robin. Two delightful collections of amazing stories and delightful language, well-suited for adults to share with children. What a joy it was to revisit these gems!TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Frank Herbert's Dune has been called the most important novel in science fiction. A winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and a favorite of both Tom and Tony's, join us to see if it lives up to the hype.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
H.P. Lovecraft is both the father of cosmic horror and the creator of the Cthulhu mythos. Since he didn't write novels, join us as we explore a collection of his short stories, culminating in the iconic Call of Cthulhu.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
In Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman set out to write a book that would do for adults what the books he had loved when he was younger had done for him as a kid. A favorite of Tony's, and a first-read for Tom, Neverwhere threads the line between dark fantasy and action/adventure, with a liberal sprinkling of dry wit.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic dystopian allegory, paralleling 1984 in showing Orwell's disdain for communism. Why does this book appeal so to Tom? Join us and find out!TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
You probably know Dave Barry as a Pulitzer prize winning humorour columnist. Did you know he is also a novelist? Tony's pick this time is Big Trouble, a fun-filled crime story that shows Barry at his comedic best.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Tom's return to yesterday is Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward. Tony characterizes this book as the epitome of hard sci-fi, and loved getting to revisit it. Join us as we explore life on a neutron star!TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Robert B. Parker is a favorite author of Tony's, and he's chosen Appaloosa, the first Western of a series featuring Virgil COle and Everett HItch. There's plenty of drama, action, terse conversations, and a surprising amount of humor in these pages! Tom was delighted, so much so that he quickly consumed the next three books in the series.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
A Fine and Pleasant Misery by Patrick McManus is a favorite from Tom's youth. Together with his best friends at the time, Tom lived many of the adventures that McManus so comedically recounts. Meet such memorable characters as old man and professional idler Rancid Crabtree; visit Grogan's military surplus store, where items with genuine jungle rot and bullet holes cost extra; learn the difference between a crick and a creek, and the proper techniques for fishing in each; and above all, get insights on how to proceed when a mean-tempered cow stands between you and the best fishing spots. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Glory Road is one of Tony's all-time favorite books, and his Robert Heinlein selection for our 2nd year. This is an atypical Heinlein in that, in Tony's words, it is "a deconstruction of a fantasy adventure."TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com"
This Day All Gods Die is the conclusion to Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap Cycle, and what a conclusion it is! This is a novel-length climax that's an edge-of-your-seat experience from the first to the last page!TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
We continue our journey through Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap Cycle with Chaos and Order, book 4 of the series. Events continue to accelerate and the scope continues to expand, with Trumpet facing the worst threats to her survival so far. As we're finally moving past some of the character-level cruelty, Tony is enjoying this book more than the earlier ones. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
A Dark and Hungry God Arises is the 3rd book in Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap Cycle. Tony isn't enjoying the read, but acknowledges the mastery of the world building. Tom is in awe of how well Donaldson is setting up events for the climax yet to come. In this volume, we see the core characters consolidate at Billingate, an illegal shipyard just inside Amnion space. Back at Earth, the conflict between the Dragon and Warden Dios begins to take shape. TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Forbidden Knowledge by Stephen R. Donaldson is the 2nd book in his Gap Cycle. We read the first for episode 9; now, we're undertaking the rest of the series. What happens to Morn now that she's escaped the clutches of Angus Thermopylae? How did Nick Succorso manage to get her away from Com-Mine station? What are the deeper threads that bind these characters? In book 2, we begin to get a glimpse just how big this universe really is.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Shogun by James Clavell is quite a read! This was Tony's pick, and a first-time read for Tom. It's a monster of a book, but completely fun and compelling! Set in Japan during the 1600s, James Blackwell, an English man piloting a Dutch ship finds himself involved in the intrigues and machinations of feudal Japan.TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
Lin Carter's Under the Green Star is something Tom fell in love with when it was fresh off the presses in the early 70s, and which has been unavailable until recently. A "sword and planet" science fantasy, Green Star gets very different reactions from Tom and Tony!TTYpodcast.comThumbingthroughyesterday.com
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