Your hosts talk with Xueting Ni, editor and translator of Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction. This collection of short stories features a diverse selection of authors and themes bringing the best of Chinese Science-Fiction to the English speaking world. We discussed her selection process, translating genre fiction, and how much we appreciated her notes after each story. You can find Xueting on twitter here: https://twitter.com/xuetingni And more from here here: http://snowpavil...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 31
Your hosts discuss Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch, the first book in his Rivers of London series. They talk about detective genre tropes and pose an awful lot of questions – some even get answered! Lilly complains about Jeeves and Wooster sauce in this week’s Words are Weird. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 ...
Feb 09, 2022•58 min•Ep. 30
Your hosts revisit the classic A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and discuss how surprising it can be rereading a book in a different stage of life. Apparently Arthur Dent is only 30? We don’t don’t actually bring that up in the episode but Lilly is pretty sure he was middle aged when she read it in high school. Sara also brings up an atrocious example of tags on AO3 in this week’s Pet Peeve Corner. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the...
Feb 02, 2022•37 min•Ep. 29
Your hosts spoke with Dani Finn, author of the Maer Cycle and the Weirdwater Confluence, about writing their sword-free fantasy novel The Living Waters. The conversation covered rafting adventures, the virtues of varied relationship arcs, and the inherent issues with evil races in fantasy. Dan also brought their own Words Are Weird to the podcasting table You can find Dan on twitter at https://twitter.com/DanFitzWrites And more on their website https://www.danfitzwrites.com/ Thanks to the follow...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 28
Your hosts continue their Journey to the Center of the Discworld with a discussion of Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. They talk about how much they love Greebo the cat, and the exploration of the witch archetypes and how they interact with fairytales. This episode also contains a Words Are Weird coming to you straight from Terry Pratchett. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodward for the use of “Elec...
Jan 19, 2022•56 min•Ep. 27
Your hosts had the incredible opportunity to interview Andi Ewington and Rhianna Pratchett about their recent project, Campaigns and Companions. They discuss the joys and tribulations of our furry friends, especially when they knock dice off the table. Tune in for animal hijinks, D&D, Tabletop Roleplaying Games in general, and yes, a little bit of Terry Pratchett. Find our guests online: https://twitter.com/AndiEwington https://twitter.com/rhipratchett
Jan 14, 2022•58 min
Your hosts talk about their 2021 Year in Review, and their plans for 2022. Then they discuss Nophek Gloss, by Essa Hansen, and how even though the main character made bad decisions that frustrated them, ultimately it makes for a compelling story that they enjoyed. En is the best, and Threi is the definition of a trash villain (so obviously Sara’s a fan). Finally, we have a Words Are Weird about the alleged differences between “fecund” and “fecal”. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 26
We put 3 book lovers in a (virtual) room and told them to talk about books they enjoyed reading in 2021 with absolutely zero parameters. What could possibly go wrong? This episode was recorded directly after our "What We’re Excited to Read in 2022" collab in December, so things are a little out of date and a lot wacky. Sara would like to add “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers to her list, which she read after the episode was recorded but before 2022 so it still counts. You can find A...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 25
In this ostensibly Christmas episode, your hosts talk about The Muppet Christmas Carol. Unsurprisingly, Lilly is the big muppet fan and Sara is more…not. For some reason, they bring up Christmas a hell of a lot. There’s also a short Wheel of Time TV Show Check-In and a discussion about how portmanteaus are weird words. Listen to our discussion with OWWR Pod about the Wheel of Time TV Series . We're matching your donations to the Imagination Library through 12/29. More details are on our website:...
Dec 22, 2021•43 min
Your hosts welcome back Andrew Cartmel to talk about Low Action, the fifth book in his Vinyl Detective series. They ask hard-hitting questions like “in the recipe on pg 292, do you cook the mushrooms before adding them to the pasta?” They also discuss some of his mystery novel inspirations and other things more relevant to the plot than mushrooms. Sara gets very excited by the possibility of a spin-off series focused on book collecting. Andrew also shares about his new play, Glacier Lake, which ...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 24
Your hosts discuss the collaboration between humanity and AI in “The Salvage Crew” by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne. Lilly complains about first person point of view, although she realizes that that’s a “her” problem. They also read “Reaper Man” by Terry Pratchett, and theorize that “Mort” wishes it was as good. Finally, in the Words Are Weird segment, they complain about phrases that have gained cultural baggage. Fiction Fans is running a fundraiser! Send in proof of your donations to the Imagination Li...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 23
Your hosts wax poetic about nostalgic memories of the Old Kingdom series (even if Lilly doesn’t like that name). They give an overview of the series including the original trilogy Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen and the recent installations Clariel, Goldenhand, and Terciel & Elinor. It’s a rare pleasure to reread a book that was so influential to our youth that is still enjoyable as adults. They also explore purposeful mispronunciations of words (like Abhorsen) and the general foibles that fol...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 22
Your hosts agree that Michael Crichton is The Worst, although Lilly thinks Sphere could have been great and Sara says she’d never have liked it because the genre isn’t for her. They also talk about their latest stop in their Journey to the Center of the Discworld, Moving Pictures, and how it introduces familiar Unseen University characters and have female characters who actually feel like people (unlike Sphere). Also, Lilly issues a public apology for being a huge dingus and assuming identical w...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 21
This entire episode contains spoilers! Your hosts are joined by Connor Caplan to discuss the various adaptations of Dune through the years, including the 1984 movie, 2000 mini-series, and 2021 movie (one of two). They compare main characters, or more specifically, if there even is one, as well as the depiction of Bene Gesserits and whether they are evil, scheming, conniving witches (hint: they shouldn’t be). This episode also includes a Words are Weird segment courtesy of Herbert. “Sphincter” mi...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 21 min
In this Spooky Finale Sara has to deal with Lilly ranting about Zombies for about 45 minutes (most of which was cut) in their conversation about “A Ritual of Bone” by Lee C. Conley. They also discuss “Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder” by William Hope Hodgson and to what degree it is Sherlock Holmes fanfiction (more than zero).They also attempt to pronounce all of the weird, weird words Hodgson made up for his supernatural investigator. ‘Raaaee’ needs more consonants. Other Weird Words in this episode:...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 20
Before your hosts dive into spooky season, they talk about some book recommendations. They discuss The Apple-Tree Throne by Premee Mohamed but it was almost all spoilers, so you should just go read it. They also read The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers. They agree-- vampires are cool. Byron is byronic. But are the other characters real people? The answer may surprise you. This episode includes a visit to the Pet Peeve Corner: Are typos a stylistic choice? That answer won’t surprise you. The F...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 19
Your hosts discuss how true the part about the dragon really was as they talk about unreliable narrators and reminisce over D&D (and other tabletop roleplaying game) hijinks. Think Orcs get a bad rap? You’ll probably love The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson as well. Your hosts have also made it to Eric in their Journey to the Center of the Discworld, and Lilly got to enjoy the experience of reading a Pratchett book for the first time. Also a potential first for Fiction...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 18
Your hosts interviewed Sherwood Smith about her recent novel, The Phoenix Feather: Fledglings (and only brought up all of the other books of hers they love a little bit). They talked about Chinese literary traditions and discussed the appeal of familiar tropes in literature. Sherwood also compared experiences with both traditional and independent publishing. Find Sherwood Smith Online: her website her goodreads her patreon Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: Amarià for ...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 17
Your hosts dive into the world of cryptid research in South London with author Ashley Stokes in their conversation about his recent novel Gigantic. Topics in this episode include bigfoot mythology, father/son dynamics, and the tension between science and magical thinking. Also, the word “blobsquatch” is pretty weird (but apparently a real word according to spell check). You can find Ashley online here: https://twitter.com/ashleyjstokes https://ashleystokes.net/ Thanks to the following musicians ...
Sep 08, 2021•46 min
Disclaimer: things went awry with the sound file, so a) Sara turned into a robot and b) your hosts talk over each other a lot. Sorry in advance. Your hosts talk about Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons and the brilliant 1995 adaptation. They also continue on their Journey to the Center of the Discworld with a discussion of Guards! Guards! (and how refreshing it is to finally get a female character that has more going for her than “love interest"). This episode also includes some talk about how ...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 16
Recorded on 7/17/21 Your hosts are joined by authors Angela Boord and Krystle Matar for a conversation about genre and societal conventions in the romance genre. With a side of magic. Find Krystle Matar Online: krystlematar.com https://twitter.com/KrystleMatar Find Angela Boord Online: https://twitter.com/Angelaboord Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise” Scott Buckley fo...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 7 min
In this episode (Part 2 of 2), your hosts continue their discussion of Legacy of the Brightwash with author Krystle Matar. Featuring some silly questions, some spoilery questions, and Sex Words Are Weird. Find Krystle Matar Online: krystlematar.com https://twitter.com/KrystleMatar Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris" Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise Scott Buckley for the use of “Twilight Echo” Licensed ...
Aug 20, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 15
Your hosts talk (and drink) with Krystle Matar about her debut novel, Legacy of the Brightwash. Content: Discussion of violence against children and addiction Part 1 (of 2) features some questions from Twitter, some questions from Sara, and an awful lot of whiskey talk. Find Krystle Matar Online: krystlematar.com https://twitter.com/KrystleMatar Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” Josh Woodward for the use of “Elect...
Aug 18, 2021•55 min•Ep. 15
Your hosts welcome K. R. R. Lockhaven to discuss “The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex” and “Zoth-Avarex’s Escape Plan,” and his inspirations from both literature and his personal life. Lilly insists that Lockhaven write a zombie novel. Sara says that they talked about The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex in the third episode, but she was wrong (it was actually the fifth). You can listen to that episode here: https://www.fictionfanspodcast.com/episodes/episode/4ce70fb3/good-omens-and-the-conjuring-of-zoth-avare...
Aug 11, 2021•40 min
Your hosts argue over the relationship dynamics in “Smuggler’s Fortune” by Angela Boord while Lilly tries not to drool over the main “flirt interest.” (She fails). They also discuss “Pyramids” by Terry Pratchett, and the overall Discworld tropes that are well-explored possibly for the first time. Sara gets really into puns. Lilly brings us on a trip to her Pet Peeve Corner where she complains about “shy porn” and horrifying euphemisms. Leave kittens out of it!!! Thanks to the following musicians...
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 14
Your hosts are joined by Hannah and Laura from On Wednesdays We Read Podcast (OWWR Pod) to discuss “American Hippo” by Sarah Gailey. Are hippos adorable or terrifying? Maybe both. This episode also explores one of Hannah’s Pet Peeves. And how could OWWR Pod be on the air without a “brief” foray into the Wheel of Time? You can find more from OWWR Pod here: https://owwrpod.buzzsprout.com/ https://twitter.com/OwwrPod https://www.instagram.com/owwrpod/ Thanks to the following musicians for the use o...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Your hosts reprise their discussion about Mat and Tylin from Wheel of Time, inspired by this (extremely spoilery) Reddit post . They also chat about Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn, and the emotional journey it brings the reader on. Lilly finally forced Sara to read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (much to everyone’s enjoyment). Lilly rants about sci fi (only a little bit), and your hosts heap praise on the crew of the Wayfare r. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 13
Recorded on 6/23 Your hosts are joined by Justin Gross of FanFiAddict to discuss ostensibly obscure books they read as children. The conversation also encompasses reading habits and some classic favorites (and other classics that are on our anti-TBR). Other topics include the appeal of fanfiction, SciFi "vs" Fantasy, and the eternal struggle between rereading books, reading classics, and reading new work. There is also an extremely brief visit to the Pet Peeve Corner. PSA: There is more than one...
Jul 14, 2021•57 min
In this episode, your hosts welcomed Charles and Dylan from the Friends Talking Fantasy podcast to discuss “The Last Wish” (first installation of the Witcher Saga) by Andrzej Sapkowski. They dove into the collection of short stories on its own, and compared it to the Video Game and Netflix adaptations. Charles and Dylan also joined the Journey to the Center of the Discworld with a conversation about “Wyrd Sisters” by Terry Pratchett. Sara was also finally joined by someone who knows anything abo...
Jul 07, 2021•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 12
Your hosts react to the adrenaline rush that is “Red Harvest Moon” by Miles Hurt (and also cast Vin Diesel in the theoretical movie adaptation… more than once). They also argue over just about everything in “Gideon the Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir. This episode also features a “Words are Weird” segment concerning bridges and the state thereof. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunri...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 11
