In this episode, we discuss the theme of the setting as a character. What would a haunted house story be without the house?? What would DUNE be without Arrakis? What would our show be without BOURBON?? Okay, so that's not really a setting, but...it's still bourbon.
Stephen and Mark spend a few minutes to talk about the caretakers of modern America's grand daddy of haunted houses. Hugh Crane might've built it, but it was the Dudley's that kept it from falling apart. ALSO, we try out a 30 year old bottle of Wild Turkey Stephen's father found sitting forgotten in a liquor cabinet.
WALKED ALONE. We spend some time wandering the halls of one of the greatest haunted house books of all time. " The Haunting of Hill House " by Shirley Jackson . Iconic. Classic. Ground breaking. To celebrate, Stephen and Mark will crack open and revel of the flavors of Old Elk bourbon. About Shirley Jackson Old Elk Distillery...
" Spin " by Robert Charles Wilson , is an epic tale. So, yeah. There's a boat load of stuff we didn't get to talk about.
In this week's episode, we look at the immensity of the history of the universe, and all the things living there, in comparison with the eyeblink time scale of the human race as we come face to face with our much older and more powerful neighbors in Spin by Robert Charles Wilson . When coming to terms with our fate gets too much, we hide inside Rabbit Hole Cavehill Bourbon .
We've discussed a lot of books that talk about the experience and imagery of doors. Physical doors. Doors in time. Doors in reality. Doors as a metaphor. In this episode, we make like cosmic lizards, break on through to the other side, and get into the Twilight Zone-esque twists of doors. Along for the ride is Long Branch Straight Kentucky Bourbon, a collaboration between Wild Turkey and Mister Alright Alright Alright himself, Matthew McConaughey.
MRS. KNIGHT?!?!?!? Let's dive once more into The Fold by Peter Clines as we talk aout the things we forgot to talk about.
We explore the multiverse in "The Fold" by Peter Clines, bringing with us one of the smoothest bottles of bourbon we've had yet, Jefferson's Bourbon.
What does it mean to be good? It's something explored in our book of the week, "The Ten Thousand Doors of January". It's also explored in the complex depth of our whiskey of choice to revisit. Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey.
This week, Stephen and Mark are faced with a universe of choices in " The Ten Thousand Doors of January " by Alix E. Harrow . In it, we learn that stories, doors, choices, and destiny are never exactly what you think they might be. Their guide and solace on this rollercoaster of a novel will be Journeyman Distillery's Corsets, Whips, & Whiskey wheated whiskey.
Stephen and Mark loved talking to Ronald Malfi so much, they had to continue the conversation in our 11th Oopsisode of season 1. If you heard our episode, "Come With Me", you've had a little foreshadowing about the topic of this Oopsisode. If you haven't, well, you really should, but did you know Ronald is in a band?? Also continuing from last week, Stephen and Mark continue on their exploration of the wilderness trail...Wilderness Trail Bourbon, that is.
In our second Interview Episode, we sit down with award winning author, Ronald Malfi, to discuss the release of his latest book, "Come With Me", premiering on July 20. We've talked about Ronald's work before with "The Night Parade" in Season 1, Episode 10, and we take a little time to revisit that as well to have the bigger discussion about time lapses, unreliable narrators, and why Dewar's Whiskey is a household staple in American homes. In discussing "Come With Me", we watch Aaron Decker follo...
Stephen and Mark try to remember all the stuff they forgot about the novel, "14" by Peter Clines.
Exactly how much horror can one find inside a low rent apartment building in L.A.? Stephen and Mark dive into the Lovecraftian steampunk modern day thrill ride of "14" by Peter Clines while drinking the dark and complex bonfire that is The Burning Chair Bourbon .
What did Stephen and Mark forget about the theory of Quantum Loop Gravity? Yeah, well, pretty much all of it. We're just not that smart. Come take a listen!
Stephen and Mark attempt to tackle quantum loop gravity, and get sucked into a black hole of understanding as they discuss " The Order of Time " by Carlo Rovelli. As their brains overheat, the guys attempt to cool things down with the smooth, rich flavor of 1792 Bourbon .
Stephen and Mark's memories sometimes vanish just like the birds. Good thing they've got a revisit from Redemption Bourbon to help them remember.
Humanity has left the Earth and taken to the cosmos in " The Vanished Birds " by Simon Jimenez. To fuel their flight, Stephen and Mark will try a store pick of Elijah Craig Straight Kentucky Bourbon .
Stephen and Mark spend a little time discussing the theme of magic from the perspective of books by Jonathan L. Howard, Lev Grossman, and Erin Morgenstern. But magic so often requires a payment or a catalyst to get it going. In this episode, the guys offer up Redemption Bourbon to get the magic flowing properly.
Stephen and Mark redeem their tickets to The Circus of Dreams. A place of light and shadow, enchantment and illusion, they discover a winding tale of wishes, mysteries, and danger. Welcome to "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Along the way, they tempt fate and destiny with Wigle Bourbon , aged in the Laphroaig scotch casks, brought to them by a special guest host.
In this episode, Stephen and Mark learn that magic is real...as long as you're the best of the best. Hogwarts meets Top Gun with a dash of Less Than Zero and a jigger of elitism in "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. Can they learn the correct hand positions for casting Magic Missile before the ennui of having phenomenal cosmic powers gives them the WORST PERIOD DAY PERIOD EVER PERIOD?? In trying to stave off the meaninglessness of it all, they will sample something from outside the United States, ...
Stephen and Mark explore what happens when you mix hard crime noir with Lovecraftian horror in the novel "Carter & Lovecraft" by Jonathan L. Howard. Add in a dash of ironic wit, a pinch of traditional homage turned on its side, and a delicious vocabulary to create the perfect recipe for fun. The perfect pairing for this story of unnatural monsters and firearms in action for our co-hosts is Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey.
In this theme episode, Stephen and Mark talk about the viral apocalypse in stories. The tropes, the narratives, and the parallels with reality. To lighten the mood, they will be sampling an American tradition, Old Forester Straight Kentucky Bourbon.
