Alien barriers, sweet Majors, and messy diplomacy, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by returning champion Andrea Hairston for an interview about Mindscape ! Together, they explore Andrea’s approach to writing character and dialogue, the roots of the novel’s premise, the influence of language on culture and the self, reality TV, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Andrea Hairston’s Things: Website Instagram Facebook Bluesky Mindscape (Tor Books)...
Aug 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Gendered rants, bird ships, and secret cities, oh my! Shaun Duke , Paul Weimer , and Trish Matson join forces to discuss Marie Corelli’s The Secret Power (1921). Together, they examine the reception of Corelli in her time, explore Corelli’s legacy, discuss the book’s approach to social relations, villainy, technology, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions ! Follow us on Twitch ! The Secret Power by Marie ...
Aug 04, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Bug hybrids, evil organizations, and intense vertical kicks, oh my! Brandon O’Brien and Iori Kusano are joined by Jennifer Brozek to discuss 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider ! Together, they explore their feelings about the SHOCKER organization, Hideaki Anno’s approach to Kamen Rider, where this particular version fits into the canon of the franchise, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Shin Kamen Rider (2023) Jennifer Brozek’s Things: Website Bluesky Instagram...
Jul 30, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Brain sucking, kite hoverboards, and upgraded dogs, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by special guest and longtime listener, DanDan the Transient, to talk about 1997’s Doom Runners ! Together, they talk about Tim Curry’s remarkable performance, the logic of the film’s post-apocalyptic world, the “Corporations,” and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions ! Follow us on Twitch ! Doom Runners (1997) ...
Jul 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Bog bodies, ticks, and familial terror, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by a special guest host and friend, Kendra Hare , for an interview with Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue . Together, they explore Johanna’s approach to 19th century gender relations, tackle the remarkable history of bog bodies, uncover the depths of madness and perspective, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Johanna van Veen’s Things: Website Instagram Blood on Her Tong...
Jul 21, 2025•52 min
Mystical fungus, rigid empires, and haunts, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Kate Elliott for an interview about her new novel, The Witch Roads ! Together, they explore Kate’s approach to worldbuilding, the structure of empire and writing characters who are part of its machinery, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Kate Elliott’s Things: Website Bluesky The Witch Roads (out now from Tor) Video versions of our episodes appear on our handy...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr
Mountain isolation, reality warping, and axes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Paul Bickel’s Our Happy Place (2024). Together, they explore the film’s themes of isolation and psychological destruction, Paul Bickel’s direction and Raya Miles’ performance, ways of interpreting its narrative, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions ! Our Happy Place (2024) If you have a question yo...
Jul 05, 2025•46 min
Oil City, big feets, and a coke, oh my! Shaun Duke , David Annandale , and Trish Matson join forces to discuss 1976’s Creature from Black Lake ! Together, they talk about the history of big foot myths in the South, how this film approaches its anthropological narrative, a cacophony of bad jokes, burgers and fries, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions ! Follow us on Twitch ! Creature from Black Lake (1976...
Jun 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Dashing scoundrels, naughty mummies, and sand, oh my! Shaun Duke , David Annandale , and Trish Matson wander into the archives to discuss 1999’s The Mummy ! Together, they discuss the film’s connection (or lack thereof) to its predecessor, its visual stylings and narrative structure, the threat of the apocalypse, librarians, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions ! The Mummy (1999) Our next film: Magnifice...
Jun 28, 2025•58 min
Snarky elders, dark magics, and macabre displays, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Helen Marshall for an interview about her new novel, The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death ! Together, they explore Marshall’s approach to storytelling, the complexities of family trauma, history, and war, circus acts, research, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Helen Marshall’s Things: Website Bluesky The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved...
Jun 21, 2025•59 min
Translucent people, cookie cutter cities, and madness, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Mohamed Kheir’s Sleep Phase! Together, they explore the work’s lyrical prose, its themes of change, alienation, and madness, its surrealist approach to the fantastic, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes ...
Jun 14, 2025•59 min
Gamer foxes, finding your people, and literature with fur, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by Kyell Gold and Robert Lyle for a wide-reaching discussion of furry culture and fandom, furry literature, the Furry Writers’ Guild, and more! If you’ve ever wanted to know about this vibrant community, this episode will learn you a thing or two! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page....
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Milquetoast heroes, creepy uncle Dracula, and stagecoaches, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1966’s Billy the Kid Versus Dracula! Together, they talk about how the film got made and its place in cinematic history, why Dracula isn’t named in the film, Carradine’s weird performance, silent films, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a mes...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Fanbots, questionable eye contact, and steampunk adventurers, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by the wonderful Martha Wells for a discussion about her career, Murderbot (and the new TV show on Apple TV+), the Emilie books, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our conta...
May 24, 2025•53 min
Complicated families, long lost friends, and lizard creatures, oh my! Shaun Duke and Stephen Geigen-Miller join forces to discuss Molly Knox Ostertag’s Hugo Finalist graphic novel, The Deep Dark! Together, they discuss the work’s various metaphors and core themes, examine intergenerational trauma, and deep dive into the visual poetry and structure of this brilliant work! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to ...
May 17, 2025•1 hr
Haunted desires, lakes of death, and agrarian utopias, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu monogatari (1953). Together, they discuss the film’s tragic storyline, the nature of desire and its destructive force, Mizoguchi’s women, the film’s production, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and...
May 10, 2025•56 min
Colonial cities, hard-boiled detectives, and murder, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by Tochi Onyebuchi for an in-depth interview about Harmattan Season! Together, they discuss the book’s West African setting, Tochi’s influences in and approach to detective fiction, the complex social influences of colonialism, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetSt...
May 03, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Canned performances, cheap sets, and lost plots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 2013’s Atlantic Rim! Together, they talk about the mockbuster genre, examine the film’s plot and cast, laugh about nonsensical stock footage and shot sequences, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mo...
Apr 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Patriarchal systems, a modded Continental, and dynamite, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale wander into the archives to discuss 1977’s The Car! Together, they discuss the film’s reception, tackle its themes of vengeance and repressive politics, and dive into the logic of an evil car, plus more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes...
Apr 19, 2025•56 min
Methane gas, planetary disks, and Martian sunsets, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by John E. Moores for a discussion about the solar system, planetary science, Mars, and other wonders of our little corner in the universe! Unsurprisingly, we learned a lot, and so will you! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy M...
Apr 12, 2025•1 hr
Mythical boar, pastoral vibes, and wizards, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss Patricia A. McKillip’s 1974 fantasy novel, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld! Together, they tackle the novel’s examination of fairytales, the meaning and terror of controlling someone’s mind, and the destructive power of revenge, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message...
Apr 08, 2025•59 min
Rage virus rats, anachronistic intertitles, and nudists, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss 1964’s The Monster of Camp Sunshine or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nature! Together, they get a film history lesson from David, chat about the bizarre film universe of the film, ponder just who made this movie, side-eye Motley Crue, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to an...
Mar 29, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Delicious soup, fizzz tunes, and Greedo’s repeated death, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser bring back our Star Wars literary podcast, Thrawn and On and On, for an in-depth discussion of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina edited by Kevin J. Anderson! Together, they talk about Star Wars anthologies, get deep into the murky depths of Greedo’s mind, and explore what works and doesn’t work in this classic anthology. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to ...
Mar 22, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Multiversal politics, plot armored captains, and flying whales, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Cadwell Turnbull and Craig Lincoln, two members of the writing collective, Darkly Lem! And they’re here to talk about their first Darkly Lem novel, Transmentation | Transience! We tackle the ins and outs of collaborative writing, bending and blending genres, spy narratives and multiverse premises, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Haunted engines, scary memories, and cancelled shore leave, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Eden Royce for a return visit to 1997’s Event Horizon! Together, they explore the film’s production history, its themes and approaches to horror, the cast and characterization, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us t...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Pig disposals, dirty feet, and yabba-dabba-doo, oh my! Shaun Duke, Julia Rios, and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1994’s The Flintstones! Together, they chat about the history of the original show, tackle the film’s nonsensical plot choices, discuss 1990s practical set design, and get grossed out by feet, plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our...
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Emperors, wars, and medieval propaganda, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by David M. Perry to discuss Oathbreakers (co-written with Matthew Gabriele). Together, they tackle the complex task of writing history for a general audience, the narratives of medieval peoples, Charlemagne, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question yo...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Submarines, space mutants, and bad kitties, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and special guest Natania Barron join forces to tackle Wing Commander (1999)! Together, they talk about the 90s aesthetic, what it means to be pretty in space, the logic of space submarines, the Backstreet Boys, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes ...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 32 min
Coups, subtle language cues, and kitty killing machines, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by R.S.A. Garcia to discuss her latest novel, The Nightward. Together, they explore the complicated politics of matriarchal societies, writing with subtlety, what makes giant cats so fascinating, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a questio...
Feb 15, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Bugs, alien messages, and root beer dispensers, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer meet in a hotel room at Capricon to spin a delightful yarn with the indie narrative story game Foretold: From Earth! We’ve received a mysterious message from space, and we’ve got no choice but to build a makeshift ship in someone’s barn so we can investigate! Will we succeed? Or will things go sideways? Tune in to find out! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 1 min
