Your hosts discuss a childhood classic, The Hobbit. Turns out, it’s pretty different from Lord of the Rings. They talk a lot about Tolkien and dwarves and how Bilbo is just like you and me (or, Sara and Lilly, at least). They also spend a lot of time defending the Hobbit movie trilogy. The new tv show “Rings of Power” comes up despite good intentions. “Worms” features in this episode’s segment of Worms are Weird. Big huge thank you to Fellowship! The Musical Parody of Fellowship of the Ring, for...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 60
In this episode, your hosts try to find something nice to say about Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett. They struggle, because there’s a lot of racism. There are some fun octogenarian barbarian hijinks, at least? This episode also features a segment about how Words are Weird (and, shockingly, isn’t about pronunciation for once). 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...
Sep 14, 2022•59 min•Ep. 59
Your hosts are joined by Patty Tavormina to discuss her novel Aerovoyant, which is science fiction that gets the facts spot-on for all of the terrifying parts (like climate change). They talk about merging storytelling with informative science and how her background in planetary and geological sciences was the foundation for this world. They also bring up heartbreaking families and triumphant character growth. Lilly has also now developed an obsession with Blue Dragons If you want to read more f...
Sep 07, 2022•45 min•Ep. 58
Your hosts are joined by Ciel Pierlot to talk about all things fandom. They discuss the joys of fanfiction, including Sansûkh by Determamfidd that Ciel attributes with getting her back into writing. They also bring up systemic issues with Fandoms and when things get “problematic.” They also spend a lot of time talking about Tolkien’s work, the works surrounding his work, and their adaptations far and wide. Are they excited for the new show? Short answer: kinda. You can find Ciel at: https://ciel...
Sep 03, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Your hosts discuss the first novella in the “Run with the Hunted” series by Jennifer Donohue (also called “Run with the Hunted”). They disagree vehemently on the POV character (surprising no one) but DO agree about fun heists, playing with tropes, and big ass diamonds. This episode features a Pet Peeve Corner about people who are obnoxious about word pronunciation. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodwa...
Aug 31, 2022•52 min•Ep. 57
Your hosts talk with author Chris Farnell about his darkly humorous science fiction novel "Fermi's Progress". The conversation ranges from planets that didn't make it into the book to how he managed to make the superman character sympathetic rather than obnoxious. They also talk about diverse alien cultures in a "planet of the week" format. You can find more from Chris here: https://twitter.com/thebrainofchris https://chrisfarnell.com/ https://scarletferret.com/books/fermis-progress-season-pass ...
Aug 24, 2022•37 min•Ep. 56
Your hosts were thrilled to finally talk about “The Marauders, the Daughter, and the Dragon” by KRRLockhaven. They discuss emotional breadth, having cozy moments without being “cozy fantasy,” and the high stakes of personal loss. They also visit the pet peeve corner, where Sara complains about how no one but Lockhaven seems to have figured out an enjoyable way to include songs in books (yes, we’re looking at you, Tolkien). More from KRRL on Twitter and on his website Find the book on Amazon here...
Aug 17, 2022•57 min•Ep. 55
Three poops ago, we read The Gunslinger with the Fantasy Files. Gabe was so annoyed by it that he refused to come to the recording (jk he was trapped in capitalism hell) so we chatted with Spencer about all the ways we want to see The Gunslinger cry. Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of fictional sexual assault. You can find more Fantasy Files content on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA87yRdWyzRMq3Im1leK6OA Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 54
SPOILER WARNING: This entire episode contains spoilers for Wild Magic, the Immortals Series, The Song of the Lioness Series, and other Tortall books. Your hosts are joined by Hannah and Laura from On Wednesdays We Read for a Nostalgia Book Club episode (it’s a thing now). They talk about Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce, an extremely foundational Tween Girl Has Secret Magic Powers and Saves the World book (and also there are horses. And wolves). They still love it, but the nostalgia goggles got a lit...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 53
Your hosts have finally reached the first Discworld novel to feature Susan (Death's granddaughter), and they are (understandably) thrilled. They spend a lot of time talking about how thrilled they are, in fact. They also discuss Pratchett's call out of all Saras who spell their name without an "h", music references, and how all of the Death books kind of repeat the same plot points over and over, actually. This episode also has a brief Pet Peeve Corner in. (...see what we did there?) Thanks to t...
Jul 27, 2022•40 min•Ep. 52
Your hosts discuss Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard, as decided by a vote on the Fiction Fans Patreon (link below!?!). They talk about the importance of accurate book comps and how much of a difference it can make being in the right mood for a book. They also bring up relationship-centered storytelling and slow-revealed fantasy worlds. This episode features a Pet Peeve where Lilly spends a lot of time complaining about hArD mAgIc SyStEmS. https://patreon.com/fictionfanspod Thanks to the foll...
Jul 20, 2022•35 min•Ep. 51
Your hosts are joined by Gabriela Houston to talk about her book The Wind Child. They discuss grief and how to write about serious concepts for younger children. They also talk about the many depictions of motherhood, best friends, and Slavic folklore. 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 License...
Jul 13, 2022•51 min•Ep. 50
Your hosts indulge a little too much in “this is more of a comment than a question” as they are once again joined by Sherwood Smith, this time to talk about Inda (one of Sara’s favorite books ever). They discuss choreographing big battles, sex positivity in fiction, and Sherwood’s current projects. You can find more from Sherwood here: https://www.sherwoodsmith.net/ https://www.patreon.com/user/posts?u=6632848 Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of ...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 49
Your hosts discuss the novel Ten Low by Stark Holborn. They praise this iteration of the Western sci-fi setting and how none of the conflict fabricated for the sake of the story. Since this novel is written in the first person, Lilly does complain a bit about that. But don’t worry, she stuck around long enough to get to the TRAIN HEIST (and it was totally worth it). This episode features a book-related Words Are Weird. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for th...
Jun 29, 2022•47 min•Ep. 48
In this episode of (non)Fiction Fans, your hosts talked with best-selling science author Mary Roach about her latest book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. They discuss in-the-field research, humor in non-fiction, and what surprised Mary most about her research. Oh, and they also unexpectedly talk a lot about tiger penises. You can find more from Mary Roach here: https://maryroach.net/ https://twitter.com/mary_roach Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the u...
Jun 22, 2022•46 min•Ep. 47
Your hosts are joined by Chris Panatier to talk about his novel Stringers. They discuss writing by the seat of your pants, bug facts, and and how Patton is probably the best friend in all of fiction. This episode also features a Words are Weird segment about Guush, the grossest word for intergalactic currency around. Find more from Chris here! https://twitter.com/ChrisJPanatier Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” ...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 46
Your hosts are joined by the wonderful K. R. R. Lockhaven to take another step on their journey to the center of the Discworld to discuss Men At Arms, the fifteenth novel in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Of course, they have to mention the Vimes Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness. Lilly fangirls a little bit over Angua, and the team attends the Humor of Pratchett Appreciation Hour (even though this episode’s Words Are Weird features a misunderstanding of one of his jokes). They also touch ...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 45
For this special 25th of May episode of Fiction Fans, your hosts discuss Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (and the Glorious Revolution). One of them even reread the book! They talk about rebel cops, economic inequality, and the inherent nonsense of time travel (and how it fits surprisingly well into the overall nonsense of Discworld). 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...
May 25, 2022•51 min•Ep. 44
Your hosts once again welcome author Andrew Cartmel on to the podcast to discuss Attack and Decay, the latest book in his Vinyl Detective cozy crime series. Follow the Vinyl Detective to Sweden where he gets embroiled in a mystery involving metal bands, local charity shops, and a crime novelist. As expected, Sara once again talks about all the mouth-watering food in the novel. They also talk about research trips, meta references, and keeping characters consistent over long series. You can find m...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 43
In this episode, your hosts discuss the lyrical, lovely, looney novel Saint Death’s Daughter by C. S. E. Cooney. There’s a lot of talk about bones (understandable when the book features a necromancer as the main character). The conversation ranges from abusive family dynamics to discovering excellent found family. This week’s Words Are Weird pits two equally legitimate sources against each other – Merriam-Webster vs LiveJournal – and features a weird synonym for “to scrape” (as in “to scrape you...
May 11, 2022•56 min•Ep. 42
Your hosts are joined by Khan Wong to talk about his novel, The Circus Infinite. There’s a certain amount of gushing over the ace representation in the book as well as the relationships in general, platonic and otherwise. They talk about Khan’s circus background, whether he’s a pantser or a plotter (spoiler: he’s both), and the ways that consent is used and misused in the wider world of The Circus Infinite. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sé...
May 04, 2022•50 min•Ep. 41
In this episode, your hosts talk about Anthracite, a humorous Welsh cyberpunk (setting vs genre? You decide!) novel by Matt Thomas. They consider the pros and cons of an unreliable first person narrator, and discuss the slow-burn character arc of the main character Kevin. They also present a hybrid Pet Peeve Words Are Weird about infantile food words. 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...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 40
Your hosts are joined by Andrew DeYoung to talk about his apocalyptic novel The Temps. The conversation includes “What Do You Do With A BA In English” (yes your hosts are singing this as they write this description) and cautious optimism. They cover zombie inspirations, how offices don’t need help to seem like a dystopian hellscape, and how Millennials are apparently The Worst™. They also spring a surprise Pet Peeve Corner on Andrew. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: ...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 39
Your hosts discuss the 14th (out of 41) Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett. They both praise and criticize all of the witches, and introduce their new subpodcast, BACEd (relationship advice that is always summed up as “just fucking talk to each other”). They also wonder why Pratchett hyphenates “orang-utan” and discover the world of hyphen decay. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris” - Josh Woodwar...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 38
Your hosts speak with Ada Hoffman (author of The Outside) and R.B. Lemberg (author of The Four Profound Weaves) about their work. They talk about queerness and neurodivergence in fiction, how their educational backgrounds intersects with their writing, and the books and stories that inspired their work. R.B. also discusses translating Ukrainian war poetry in response to the ongoing war, which you can read online at Chytomo: https://chytomo.com/en/read/ Find R.B. Lemberg online at: http://rblembe...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 36
Your hosts are joined by Krystle Matar, author of Legacy of the Brightwash, to discuss Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. They speculate about Carey's influence on The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and talk a lot about consent issues in SFF and flipping genre tropes. As per usual, Sara and Lilly vehemently disagree on just about everything. Krystle suggests a Words Are Weird pulled from the book. You can find more from Krystle here: https://www.krystlematar.com/ https://twitter.com/krystlemata...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 35
Your hosts talk about Small Gods, arguably the best Discworld novel. They also discuss malicious gods, fake gods, and redeemed gods. If you aren’t interested in Discworld as a series, you should still read this book. Pratchett also suggests a great “Words Are Weird” segment about diction, and the type of boss who says “enter.” 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” - ...
Mar 09, 2022•55 min•Ep. 34
Your hosts are joined by Ciel Pierlot to discuss her debut novel, Bluebird. They all agree that the tagline, "lesbian gunslingers in space" is Very Good. They discuss fanfiction, naming characters, and how much they want more Rig and Ginka content. They also make a not so brief stop in the Pet Peeve Corner to talk about one of Ciel's Pet Peeves. You can find Ciel here: https://twitter.com/CielPierlot Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénade ...
Mar 02, 2022•57 min•Ep. 33
Your hosts are joined by book bloggers Haadiya and Ayah from Her Bookish Obsession blog to talk about Marissa Meyer’s latest entry into the fairytale retelling genre, Gilded. They discuss fairytale and mythological retellings across multiple mediums (aka: Lilly does shoehorn in The Witcher. PSA: Everyone should read Ella Enchanted). They talk a lot about insta-love and its use in this novel, and their predictions for the sequel. You can find more from the Her Bookish Obsession team here: https:/...
Feb 28, 2022•55 min
Your hosts read “Azura Ghost” by Essa Hansen, the sequel to “Nophek Gloss” (ep 26). They discuss time skips and character progression and the wide spectrum of trash villains to anti heroes to sinister “heroes.” They also go over their thoughts on the “Rings of Power” (Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings show) trailer. They are… unimpressed. In a brief Words are Weird segment, autocorrect strikes again. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amarià for the use of “Sérénad...
Feb 23, 2022•56 min•Ep. 32
