Expounded Universe - podcast cover

Expounded Universe

Jef Aldrich and Jon Taylorsystemmasterypodcast.com
Jef and Jon review Star Wars expanded universe novels. Every week they discuss a few chapters at a time making their way through some of the strangest and most insufferable entries in the Star Wars canon.
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Episodes

276 - Nick at Nite Reference

The penultimate episode dawns! A race begins as the Zandalari and Horde fight to stop the Widow's Bite from killing Bwonsamdi. You know what all those words mean, right? I sure do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 16, 202457 minEp. 284

275 - Anduin Jereks It For Stress Relief

Well, I'd love to tell you things are coming to a head, but we still don't know what that would look like. We are getting mentions of actual Shadowlands content though! That's neat! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 29, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 275

274 - That Girl is Poison

Well, we know Shaw is still alive now, and meanwhile we settle the debate from the end of the last episode (Jef was right, weird) and see what's going on with Thrall and Ji now that they've arrived on the insurrection-torn shores of Zuldazar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 18, 202458 minEp. 274

273 - History Would Prove Them To Be Roommates

Okay so I may have lost this episode for a few weeks. And that definitely means I forgot what's in there, besides that there was definitely some fairly intriguing Matthias Shaw romance. So hopefully you're into that! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 20241 hr 10 minEp. 273

272 - A Loa Down Dirty Shame

In this installment, we finally do what WOW must do, devote way too much time to Thrall. After he meets with the other people the game frankly could abandon for six expansions and everyone would be happy (obviously Tyrande and Malfurion), it's time for Zul'More Trolls (Hah, remember that? I'm so old) in Zuldazar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 18, 20241 hr 3 minEp. 272

Expounded Universe 271 - Press F to Torture Human Dad

I'd like to say that this is the start of a depressing trend of torture in this book, but at least the book seems aware of it, and it's just Alleria and Turalyon both times, so maybe it's part of the story and will be dealt with. We can hope it gets fixed instead of getting the 24 treatment. Meanwhile, Mathias Shaw is sailing along with Flynn Fairwind, who is actually from the games! And Nathanos is meeting up with Apari the Blood(?) Troll again for various dark purposes. Learn more about your a...

Jan 03, 20241 hr 11 minEp. 271

270 - Right Click to Torture Orc Mom

Yep, it's one of the classic staples of the WOW genre, That kind of justified torture that your favorite heroes just can't help but do, because of the greater good. Oh and also Zekhan meets Bwonsamdi and ... I'm sure there must have been a third thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 21, 202358 minEp. 270

269 - Zekhan A Mission From God

In which we figure out who's likely to be our primary Horde protagonist, we send him on his way to adventure, and also Anduin continues to fret in well-known locations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 06, 20231 hr 5 minEp. 269

268 - The Flame War of the Trolls

Sheesh, I thought we knew some stuff about World of Warcraft but we're completely in the weeds here. We don't know about Battle for Azeroth era trolls, and that's what we seem to have blundered into. Oh well, at least Bwonsamdi is cool. We're meeting some maybe-important Blood Trools, hanging out with Talanji, and meeting WOW's ultimate wife-guy energy man, Nathanos Blightcaller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...

Nov 22, 202358 minEp. 268

267 - Where Was Anduin When the Westfall Fell?

And we're back! Our new scene is set, it's split between Westfall and Ogrimmar, in which an author must deal with the dizzying array of world leaders available in the Battle for Azeroth era of a game at least a bunch of us were already starting to forget. You'll never forget such luminaries as Kiro, Caravan Leader of the Vulpera, right? I sure won't. Anyway, we barely even get an idea of what's about to happen here. Something about the elements being angry? You know how these are. Learn more abo...

Nov 09, 20231 hrEp. 267

266 - Rogue Planet Wrapup

All your questions answered! All our thoughts explained! And of course the next book, announced! I, uhhh, I let Jon pick again. I will always vote for the chaos option given the choice, you know this. What horrors are we due? You'll soon find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 26, 20231 hr 23 minEp. 266

265 - That Can't Be Right

The end is upon us! Or at least of this book. Once again a massive amount of stuff needs to be handled in just a few short pages, and this time, well, it kind of isn't! Do we at least finally figure out specifically what the deal is with Zonama Sekot? No! What fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 20, 202358 minEp. 265

264 - Anakin and the Amazing Technicolor Sekot

A new character has entered the arena, though we've been hanging out on them for a while now. That's right, it's time to meet Sekot proper, unravel some secrets of the past, and set up for the last 20 pages, where apparently, almost all of the stuff will happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 264

263 - Wiping at Magister's Terrace

And, as must happen in all these books when there's like 40 pages to go, the action kicks into high gear. Anakin, Jabitha (are we sure) and Ke Daiv are in one ship, Shappa Farr and Obi-Wan in another, and all the while our petulant pal Raithe Seinar is up in space being lorded over by Tarkin. All in all, a good time, with a good moment even! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 07, 20231 hr 5 minEp. 263

Episode 262 - Tarkin Back Sunday

Tarkin arrives, Seinar fumes, Obi-Wan and Anakin finally encounter that most regular of EU traditions, the eleventh hour info dump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 26, 20231 hrEp. 262

261 - Crashing the Ke Party

Man it has been a JOURNEY to get this thing to air. The ship is built and Ke Daiv attacks, I don't remember the rest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 25, 20231 hrEp. 261

260 - Great Balls on Fire

The shipbuilding begins! As Jabitha (that can't be right) leaves our heroes at the gate of the great factory, they meet new characters just in time for Anakin to start making it weird. Meanwhile, Seinar hangs out on his ship, and we hear about the comic misadventures of Ke Daiv, currently trying to buy a Sekotan ship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 30, 202358 minEp. 260

259 - Jabitha Hutt

In this episode Anakin meets a little girl roughly his age, Obi-Wan is bored enough to start getting crabby, and Raithe Seinar is just having big old sips of other people's anger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 259

258 - Balls on Parade

Our heroes emerge from the unexpected ball bath covered in the winnings of victory, which of course are more balls. Then a bunch of ball-related stuff happens. Luckily Seinar breaks in for one chapter to ... well sadly he just maintains that he is still heading towards the story from a distance, but at least he's not doing a ball thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 16, 20231 hr 7 minEp. 258

257 - Rogue Planet

In an attempt to give Anakin some more depth, we introduce... more whines of his? I guess now he loves spaceships but hates spaceships. Anyway he's still a kid, we can let that slide. Our heroes slowly explore the city of Middle Distance, while Seinar begins his own set of dastardly contingency plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 10, 20231 hr 5 minEp. 257

256 - Zonama be Startin' Somethin'

It's weird to be reading a book that is ostensibly full of weird surprises and decisions that necessarily go nowhere after Attack of the Clones came along and changed them, yet still keep running into stuff that is somehow important all the way to the Yuuzhan Vong crisis. But let's do it anyway! Today we finally land on Zonama Sekot and meet a couple very grumpy cult people. Also Raithe Seinar pouts a little but gets a cool new uniform and that cheers him up. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Aug 02, 202359 minEp. 256

Episode 255 - Anakin's Got Crabs

Another episode about shifting pieces into place for a story to happen, but still there's something here that's working for us. Not sure if it's the gay from space billionaire villain Raithe Sienar, the crazy polychaete alien Charza and his tidepool bioship, but something's just clickin' here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 19, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 255

254 - Tarkin What They're Given Cause I'm Wormin For a Livin

Okay, so now we know the bad guy of the hour! Raithe Seinar, starship engineer and generally rich weirdo, is apparently the right man for this job! Meanwhile our heroes absorb some info on Vergere before getting on a worm's tidepool spaceship. Honestly, respect for this guy's willingness to go crazy with the aliens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 15, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 254

253 - Raithe Squadron

Classic villain introduction this week as we watch a discussion (that we find slightly charged in that good gay way) between Raithe Seinar and Wilhuff Tarkin. That first name might not mean much to you, but he's a big name in TIE Fighters. Also Anakin is in trouble and Mace Windu is ready to drop the hammer about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 06, 20231 hr 6 minEp. 253

252 - Jedi Believe I Can Fly

We're opening with just chapter 1! That's right this is gonna be a 67 episode season! Ah okay I'm just kidding, chapter 1 is just weirdly huge compared to the rest. We catch up with currently 12 year old Anakin doing... I'm not gonna sugarcoat this he's just doing more race stuff. Just backpack podracing. Also Obi-Wan wants to stop him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 30, 20231 hr 3 min

251 - Wraith Squadron Wrap Up

Here we are at the end of all things, time to discuss our overall take on this look at the X-Wing side of the universe of Star Wars, answer just a big old heap of listener questions, and of course, you know it, announce the next book! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 16, 20231 hr 18 minEp. 251

250 - The Waggler Rides Again

The big finale for the first Wraith Squadron book has arrived! Who will live? Who will die? Will Tyria get any lines? And what will become of Admiral Fancylad Trigit? Stay glued to your seats and you too will learn! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 07, 20231 hr 6 minEp. 250

249 - Can You Trigit

Shoot I forgot to remember what was in this episode. I think Trigit maybe dies? I was supposed to remember this, wasn't I. Well, put it on my permanent record. Star Wars stuff, I tell you what. That's what happens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 29, 20231 hr 20 min

248 - Walking on Broken Glass Prowlers

Finally, a resolution to that whole "Get the crew of the Hawkbat sick via extremely convoluted heist" storyline! They... get the crew of the Hawkbat sick. Also an unexpected assignment, an accidental ambush, and Grinder gets his. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 20, 20231 hr 14 minEp. 248

247 - Phanan's Grinder Profile

The heist continues! Along with some sorta obvious character assassination of our Bothan slicer, presumably to set him up for either a betrayal arc or a big ol' red herring. Meanwhile our heroes just can't stop brutally killing folks who just have desk jobs! Hooray for the New Republic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 10, 202359 minEp. 247
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