A Grain of Sanderson

Many Apologies for this being so long overdue. I promise the next few will come out sooner. Due to a file corruption issue, The Episodes for Shadows for Silence Through the Forests of Hell and Mitosis have been lost. I'm going to try restore as much as is salvageable from that episode before the end of the year, but at least one full audiotrack will be missing. Join us next time for Dreamer, Sixth of the Dusk (featuring a special guest), and Way of Kings Prime!Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, caste systems, child abuse, child death, christian imagery, classism, colonization, death, decapitation, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, espionage, exsanguination, gaslighting, genocide, human sacrifice, insanity, knives, maiming, marital rape, mind control, misogyny, mormonism, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, rape culture, religious conversion, religious extremism, secret societies, self harm, settler colonialism, sexual content, sex work, slavery, slave races, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, surgery, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionOther Things MentionedNetflix's Stranger ThingsA Song of Ice and Fire by George RR MartinPluribus This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

Happy New Year! I am so sorry this episode is so late. Next episode, about Mitosis and Shadows for Silence Through the Forests of Hell will be out much, much sooner. Content warnings for this episode: beheadings, being unhoused, betrayal, bleeding, bullying, Christianity, conspiracies, corpses, corruption, death, gang violence, guns and gun violence, illusion magic, imprisonment, insanity, lying, mental illness, mind control, misogyny, murder, neglect, nuclear weapons, oligarchy, prisons, racism, religion, royalty, self harm, sexualization, stabbing, stereotypes, suicide, supervillains, torture, undeath, woundsOther mediaBrandon Sanderson reviews art of his charactersInjusticeAll Star Superman Superman Red SonDeath of SupermanBatman vs Superman The Reign of the SupermenInvincible The Boys Absolute UniverseThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read read truly one of the most baffling books we've ever tackled with special guest Sophie Abromowitz! Oh and a Wheel of Time cut chapter too.  Sophie's Vampire Short Story: https://thebrooklynreview.com/2025/10/31/rules-for-vampires-sophie-abromowitz/Sophie Substack: https://abromowitz.substack.com/Seriously everyone check these out, Sophie has very quickly become one of my favorite writers. Sophie Website: https://sophie-abromowitz.com/ Content warnings for this episode:  auditory hallucinations, betrayal, bleeding,  bullying, cheating/infidelity, child endangerment, child death, conspiracies, death, duels, gender dysphoria, god kings, human sacrifice, imprisonment, insanity, lying, mental illness, mind control, murder, neglect, nuclear weapons, oligarchy, prisons, religion, royalty, self harm, self hatred,  stabbing, tech billionaires, torture, undeath, wounds, xenophobiaNext month we'll be reading Steelheart! Episode airs, November 18th. Other Media The Coen Brothers Intolerable CrueltyMilwaukee PD Surviving Edged Weapons - Content Warnings Abound hereGod Emperor of DuneWii Sports ResortGuilty Gear Guild Wars 2 - Ghosts and Ascalon and The Sea of SorrowsThe Book of Atrus - Myst - Rand MillerRevenge of the Sith - Russel StoverChangeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men's Tennis - Giri Nathan Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive! - Melissa Lozada-OlivaHot Streak Board Game The West Passage - Jared Pechaček Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We're back with The Rithmatist!To skip A Memory of Light, Go to 29:41Next month we'll be reading Infinity Blade Redemption & River of Souls. Episode airs October 7th.Content warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding,  bullying, censorship, child abuse, child endangerment, child soldiers, Christianity, classism, colonialism, conspiracies, cults, death, displacement, existentialism, fandom, Harry Potter, human sacrifice, human transformation, immigration visas, J.K. Rowling, lying, mental illness, military, military academies, mind control, misogyny, Mormonism, murder, neglect, oligarchy, parental death, racism, religion, royalty, Scottish occupation, self harm, self hatred, settler colonialism, tourism, transphobia, undeath, Washington D.C.'s occupation, woundsReferencesThe Origins of the Wheel of Time by Michael LivingstoneGood Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (attain second hand)Brian Herbert Dune SequelsThe Expanse by James SA CoreyReturn of the King - The Scouring of the Shire You're Wrong About's 6 Part Series on Princess Diana This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read two novellas this month, The Emperor's Soul is really good! Legion is the craziest thing we've ever read for the show (and maybe off the show too). Huge thanks to Kirk for guesting on this episode, you can find all his information here. https://kirkhamilton.com/ Next month we'll be discussing The Rithmatist and the End of A Memory of LightContent warnings for this episode: ableism, Abu Sayyaf, assassination, atheism, betrayal, bleeding, blood magic, body horror, body modification, bombing, braindeath, broken bones, Catholicism, Christianity, classism, death, discussion of sexuality, enemies to lovers, genocide, hallucinations, imperialism, imprisonment, Islam, Israeli/Palestinian war, insanity, kidnapping, maiming, mind control, misogyny, Mormonism, murder, mutation, mutilation, Navy Seals, necromancy, racism, religious conversion, religious extremism, religious wars, Richard Dawkins,  self harm, settler colonialism, slavery, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide, suicide bombing, suicide by police, terminal illness, therapy, tokenism, undeath, wounds and infectionThings MentionedDave (1993) dir by Ivan ReitmanThe Princess Bride dir by Rob ReinerThe Princess Bride by William GoldmanGladiator (2000) dir  by Sir Ridley ScottThe Matrix (1999) dir by The Wachowski SistersYour Name (2016) dir by Makoto ShinkaiMiniature PaintingGreat Big Beautiful Life by Emily HenryQuote Investigator Article about the Quote I attribute to Emerson https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/06/20/books/ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) dir by Mel StuartCharlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald DahlDisco ElysiumThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

Our shortest episode yet!We read two short stories this month, The Eleventh Metal is pretty good, and HARRE (Heuristic Algorithm and Reasoning Response Engine) is pretty interesting from production standpoint. Next month we'll be reading The Emperor's Soul and Legion, Episode Airs:  Third Week of June. Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, arranged marriages, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugenic breeding, eugenics, fatphobia, gaslighting, genocide, hallucinations, homophobia, human sacrifice, insanity, maiming, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, references to Nazis, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery, spousal death, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionThings Mentioned: Once Upon a Time in HollywoodThe Dandelion Dynasty by Ken LiuKitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie VaughnA Small Place by Jamaica KinkaidPaladin's Grace by T. KingfisherBlood Over Bright Haven M. L. WangHow Long Until Black Future MonthThe Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuinThe Ones Who Stay and Fight by N.K. JemisinWhy Don't We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole by Isabel J. KimLocked Tomb Series by Tamsyn MuirAbsolute Wonder WomanAbsolute Martian Manhunter This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We talk about the highs and lows of The Alloy of Law, our first foray into Mistborn Era 2. Next month we'll be reading The Eleventh Metal and H.A.R.R.E, Episode Airs:  May 31stContent warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, arranged marriages, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugenic breeding, eugenics, fatphobia, gaslighting, genocide, hallucinations, homophobia, human sacrifice, insanity, maiming, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, references to Nazis, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery, spousal death, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionCorrections: Grant Morrison's pronouns are They/Them, many apologies for misgendering them. Correction 2:  Folks on the autism spectrum are moving away from the term "Asperger's Syndrome" for a multitude of reasons, one of which being the originator of the term was a nazi scientist. Things Mentioned: Grant Morrison's X-MenA Game of ThronesGrant Morrison's The Invisibles (Sympathy for the Henchman)Necropolitics - Achille Mbembe https://muse.jhu.edu/article/39984Society Must be Defended - Michelle Foucault (Biopolitics)Dicipline and Punish - Michel FoucaultRykers Island https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/nyregion/kalief-browder-held-at-rikers-island-for-3-years-without-trial-commits-suicide.htmlThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read two not very good stories and have 2 fantastic conversations about them with special guest Sophie Abromowitz! Sophie Short Story: https://joylandpublishing.com/fiction/jan-is-important/ Sophie Substack: https://abromowitz.substack.com/Sophie Website: https://sophie-abromowitz.com/ Next month we'll be reading Alloy of Law. Episode airs, end of April.Content warnings for this episode:  auditory hallucinations, betrayal, bleeding,  bullying, child endangerment, conspiracies, death, duels, gender dysphoria, god kings, human sacrifice, mprisonment, insanity, lying, mental illness, mind control, murder, neglect, oligarchy, prisons, religion, royalty, self harm, self hatred,  stabbing, undeath, wounds, xenophobiaInfinity Blade Screenshots https://www.epicgames.com/infinityblade/en-US/game-info/infinity-blade-iInfinity Blade II Screenshots: https://kotaku.com/games/infinity-blade-ii/galleryInfinity Blade II Opening Cutscene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSywlxTpqBA Words of Brandon: https://wob.coppermind.net/events/169/#e8839BooksFullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu ArakawaThe Dandelion Dynasty by Ken LiuThe Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth DickinsonPiranesi Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna ClarkeMoviesInception dir by Christopher NolanPaprika dir by Satoshi Kon TVStar Wars AndorOtherBoss Baby Tweet https://x.com/afraidofwasps/status/1177301482464526337?lang=en This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We're back in the era of normal length books with Alcatraz vs The Shattered Lens!Next month we'll be reading Infinity Blade Awakening & I Hate Dragons. Episode airs, March 25th.Around 59 Minutes in, we ask if ADX actually does the math correctly, she does not. ReferencesA Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick RiordanThe Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. LewisContent warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding,  bullying, censorship, child abuse, child endangerment, classism, colonialism, conspiracies, cults, death, existentialism, fame, fatphobia, foster homes, Harry Potter, human sacrifice, imprisonment, insanity, J.K. Rowling, lying, mental illness, mind control, murder, neglect, oligarchy, prisons, racism, religion, royalty, self harm, self hatred, settler colonialism, stabbing, transphobia, undeath, woundsThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read Towers of Midnight, Book 13 of The Wheel of Time. Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Shattered Lens, Episode Airs: Feb 18th. Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, amputation, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones , classism, colonization, death, domestic violence, fetishization, gaslighting, gender roles, hallucinations, insanity, J.K. Rowling, kink, knives, maiming, misogyny, murder, mutilation, rape, real world violence, religious extremism, self harm, sexual content, sexual violence, slavery, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, transphobia, trauma, undeath, Vietnam War, wounds and infectionJordan Quote About Language: https://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/comments/1mv9wv/language_in_the_world_of_wot/ Interviews Jack Citedhttps://aidanmoher.com/blog/2010/11/interviews/interview-brandon-sanderson-author-of-towers-of-midnight-and-the-way-of-kings/ https://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=547 Jack's RankingsThe Way of KingsWarbreakerMistbornAlcatraz vs. the Scrivener's BonesThe Hero of AgesElantris Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians  Alcatraz vs. the Knights of Crystallia (Book 3)The Well of AscensionThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

On this part two we finish The Way of Kings, making this comfortably our longest episode yet. Apologies for getting this out a day later than I said I would, the flu took me out.  New Discord! Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, caste systems, child abuse, child death, christian imagery, classism, colonization, death, decapitation, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, exsanguination,  gaslighting, genocide, human sacrifice, insanity, knives, maiming, mind control, misogyny, mormonism, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape culture, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, settler colonialism, sexual content, sex work, slavery, slave races, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, surgery, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionWorks MentionedA Wizard of EarthseaThe Grace of KingsDon QuixoteExhalation Stories of Your Life ArrivalLe Mort de ArthurDavid Graeber The Dawn of Everything This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

On this episode we read The Way of Kings, a book so massive we really only talk about the plot of the book in the last third of the episode. We split this episode in half because of how big this book is. It's slow, methodical, and we talked about it for 8 and a half hours. Happy New Year folks, I wish you a wonderful and safe start to 2025.Next Month: We read the entirety of Towers of Midnight, Episode Airs: January 28th. Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, caste systems, child abuse, child death, christian imagery, classism, colonization, death, decapitation, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, exsanguination,  gaslighting, genocide, human sacrifice, insanity, knives, maiming, marital rape, mind control, misogyny, mormonism, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, rape culture, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, settler colonialism, sexual content, sex work, slavery, slave races, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, surgery, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionCorrection: Graham does not have the most liked 1 star review of Tress of the Emerald Sea anymore, there are several other reviews that have dethroned them. Correction: about 34 minutes in, Graham says 4,000 years but means 1,000. Correction 1:36:50 It is the Stormfather speaking to Kaladin who says this, not a Dalinar vision. The Mormon Church’s tax exempt status in 1978 came under threat because of their views on race and excluding black men from the priesthood. The president of the church received a divine revelation. MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING FOR BOOKS 1-4 OF THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE: The Most Mormon Magic System: How Brandon Sanderson Turned Agency into Fantasy by Liz BusbyPurple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Normally we'd link this on our bookshop, but it second hand or get it from the library. This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of The Wheel of Time. This was a lot, and we apologize for the delay.  Happy Thanksgiving folks.Next month we'll be reading all of The Way of Kings, Episode Airs: December 24th, Christmas Eve. Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, amputation, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bone, classism, colonization, death, domestic violence, fetishization, gaslighting, gender roles, hallucinations, insanity, J.K. Rowling, kink, knives, maiming, misogyny, murder, mutilation, rape, real world violence, religious extremism, self harm, sexual content, sexual violence, slavery, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, transphobia, trauma, undeath, Vietnam War, wounds and infectionCorrection: Robert Jordan’s Assistants were Alan Romanczuk and Maria SimonsCorrection: Jordan’s Claim that he wouldn’t let anyone else finish the series, I say weeks in the episode but it is much more likely that Jordan changed his mind during the last year of his life, so months before his death not weeks. However, Sanderson makes this weeks claim here and is obviously much more qualified than I am. Michael Livingston Origins of the Wheel of Time The Gunslinger by Stephen King Real-world references Wheel of Time Ask Ann Landers  Women Want Me Fish Fear Me Moraine:  The Aiel as Cheyenne Dune Frank Herbert & David Lynch’s DuneThe Boundless Light of Islam TweetThe Fifth Season NK Jemisin  51 Books You Could Read Instead of The Wheel of TimeThe Once and Future King by T.H. WhiteLe Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Mallory (the translation by Simon Armitage is very good)Mercedes LackeyUrsula LeGuinDaggerspell by Katherine KerrFullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa Dragonball by Akira ToriyamaThe Power by Naomi Alderman   Generic Entertainment Wheel of TimeThe Green Bone Saga Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent The Expanse by James SA CoreyKitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn  Naomi Novik This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the interesting yet undersauced Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystallia!Next month we'll be reading The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Episode airs, November 12th. James Acaster's Repertoire is available from Netflix. ReferencesJonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel by Susanna ClarkeContent warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, addiction, betrayal, bleeding,  bullying, censorship, child abuse, child endangerment, classism, colonialism, conspiracies, cults, death, existentialism, fame, fatphobia, foster homes, Harry Potter, human sacrifice, imprisonment, insanity, J.K. Rowling, lying, mental illness, mind control, murder, neglect, oligarchy, prisons, racism, royalty, self harm, self hatred, settler colonialism, stabbing, suicide/suicidal ideation, transphobia, trials, undeath, woundsSorry for the late upload y'all, I ended up doing the last third of this episode behind the bar at work. This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We discuss the broader Cosmere, as well as some of the finer points of the ending of Warbreaker.Come back next week for Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystalia. This conversation is less professional, we can only hope it's entertaining.Content warnings for this episode: colonization, death, discussion of sexuality, settler colonialismThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the bright, colorful, and most importantly - good Warbreaker in its entirety. Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystallia, Episode Airs: October 15thhttps://x.com/headfallsoff/status/1051484419251425280 Message I sent to Jack during the pod, potential spoilers for Word of Brandon and Stormlight. https://imgur.com/HeaTJ6v.jpgI highly recommend this Library of Congress National Book Fair Talk with James SA Corey https://youtu.be/OWSo3qSKAuM?si=aKm4yKIRcgabOsO4 All those lectures and talks were quite good, if one sticks out to you give it a listen. There was an audio issue in the original version of this episode that has since been remedied, shout out to our listeners who got back to us so quickly. Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child abuse, child death, child sacrifice (non lethal), classism, colonization, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, fatphobia, fridging, gaslighting, genocide, human sacrifice, insanity, J.K. Rowling, knives, maiming, marital rape, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, non-traditional use of the word "rape", puppets, racism, rape, rape culture, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, settler colonialism, sexual content, sexual assault, sexual violence, skeletons, slavery, stabbing, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, undeath, wounds and infectionThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

Join us for our shortest episode yet! We delve into Sanderson's first works of science fiction, two interesting short stories about space and failure. Next month we'll be reading all of Warbreaker. Content warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, blindness, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, classism, conspiracies, cults, death, empire, existentialism, failure, fascism, gifted kid syndrome, gulags, homophobia, human sacrifice, human supremacy, imprisonment, insanity, imperialism, JK Rowling, maiming, mental illness, mind control, murder, Nazi Germany,  Orson Scott Card, prisons, self harm, self hatred, stabbing, suicide/suicidal ideation, torture, transphobia, wounds and infectionDefending Elysium: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/defending-elysium/Firstborn: https://reactormag.com/firstborn/Opening Scene to Cowboy Bebop: https://youtu.be/Z-4ImAf6qYkI totally blanked and missed the opportunity to talk about Jet as a disabled character in the episode, but alas, we record these in the morning and sometimes the brain misses the connection.Darko Suvin's Estrangement and Cognition: http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/estrangement-and-cognition/ - I did an embarassingly bad job talking about one of the foundational texts of science fiction studies. If it's relevant again I'll do a better job talking about it, but for now I highly recommend reading it only to better understand some of the reasons a text feels like "science fiction". If you're intersted in Star Wars or Grand Admiral Thrawn, I highly recommend A More Civilized Age, where Waypoint Radio Veterans Ali, Austin, Natalie, and Rob are going through Star Wars Rebels where he makes an appearance. This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We're confronted with our first sleeper hit, Alcatraz vs The Scrivener's Bones!Next month we'll be reading the short stories Defending Elysium (2008) and Firstborn (2008), Episode Airs:  August 13thContent warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, child death, child endangerment, classism, conspiracies, cults, death, existentialism, fighter jets, foster homes, gulags, Harry Potter, human sacrifice, imprisonment, insanity, maiming, mental illness, mind control, murder, prisons, religious extremism, self harm, self hatred,  stabbing, suicide/suicidal ideation, time loops, torture, transphobia, undeath, US Military, wounds and infectionSo in the episode I mentioned that I would put a primer to disability studies in the show notes. I'd recommend starting with Beginning with Disability by Lennard Davis, and then if you're interested in the politics of care I can recommend  Sunaura Taylor's Beasts of Burden and if you like disability as a product of environment, try Stacy Alaimo's Bodily Natures. There's a million more places you can go from those three books, so enjoy and happy reading. Castleman, M. D. (2011). Alcatraz and Iser: Applying Wolfgang Iser’s concepts of implied reader and implied author and reality to the metafictive Alcatraz Smedry series. Children's Literature in Education, 42, 19-32.Sorry for the late upload y'all, lost a bunch of editing in the export last night so I redid some work. This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

Spoilers for Hero of Ages (the book and our episode)This conversation is much less professional, we can only hope it's entertaining.Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugenic breeding, eugenics, fatphobia, gaslighting, genocide, hallucinations, human sacrifice, insanity, J.K. Rowling, maiming, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, references to Nazis, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, transphobia, undeath, wounds and infectionThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We rage and cry over The Hero of Ages, a book that is surprisingly hard to talk about because it's doing so much at once.Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Scrivener's Bones, Episode Airs:  July 9thContent warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugenic breeding, eugenics, fatphobia, gaslighting, genocide, hallucinations, human sacrifice, insanity, J.K. Rowling, maiming, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, references to Nazis, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, transphobia, undeath, wounds and infectionMeme from the episode: https://imgur.com/TSHo1tS.jpgThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the middle grade heist fantasy card battler Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians and talk about it for our shortest episode yet!Next month we'll be reading all of Mistborn: The Hero of Ages, Episode Airs:  June 11thContent warnings for this episode:  abandonment, ableism, betrayal, bleeding, broken bones, bullying, child abuse, child death, child endangerment, classism, conspiracies, death, foster homes, Elon Musk, gulags, Harry Potter, human sacrifice, imprisonment, insanity, maiming, mental illness, mind control, murder, prisons, religious extremism, self harm, self hatred,  stabbing, suicide/suicidal ideation, torture, transphobia, wounds and infectionCorrection: After the break I make a claim that the Bastille wasn't a prison for very long, I am very wrong! I am confusing it with a completely different French fortress which is embarrassing. The Bastille was made into a prison specifically for political prisoners and anyone the state deemed to be imprisoned, which is part of the reason it was stormed and was such a symbol during the revolution. I should know this better. The People's Joker Showtimes: https://www.alteredinnocence.net/thepeoplesjoker Really go see this one, it's all time banger of a film.This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the political thriller? Messianic deconstruction? YA romance? The intangible of genre Well of Ascension and discuss it for a long time.Next month we'll be reading all of Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians, Episode Airs:  May 14 Content warnings for this episode: ableism, addiction, age gap, betrayal, blackface, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, domestic violence, enemies to lovers, eugenic breeding, eugenics, fatphobia, genocide, hallucinations, human sacrifice, insanity, maiming, mind control, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, rape, references to Nazis, religious conversion, religious extremism, self harm, sexual assault, sexual violence, slavery, stabbing, sterilization, strangulation, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, transphobia, undeath, wounds and infectionLinks:Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People#/media/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Libert%C3%A9_guidant_le_peuple.jpgThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

Spoilers for Mistborn (the book and our episode)This conversation is much less professional and much more unhinged, however it is funny. Apologies for the mic quality, it was late at night and we didn't record on our nice microphones. This was recorded the day before the main podcast went live. CW: sexual discussion, discussion of erotic fanfictionTaylor's 2am reply https://ibb.co/QQpJg9t NYT Wirecutter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/This show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We read the shonen anime-heist movie that is Mistborn and have *a lot* of thoughts. Next month we'll be reading all of The Well of Ascension, Episode Airs:  April 16 Content warnings for this episode:   ableism, addiction, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, decapitation, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, eugenics,  genocide, human sacrifice, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, religious conversion, religious extremism, slavery, sterilization, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness,  undeath, wounds and infectionWe didn't mention it on air, but Hoid appears in Chapter 19 as an informant. Links:Thug Articles: https://www.npr.org/2015/04/30/403362626/the-racially-charged-meaning-behind-the-word-thughttps://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/thug/391682/Hilary Mantel Essay: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodiesAnimatics we didn't mention on air but did watch together, potential SPOILERS in the comments:Mistborn -Elend and Vin- "Don't Lose your Head" from SIX the Musical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxMjboq1e6kFlight across Luthadel | Short Mistborn animatic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRKsIrNbfVwThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)

We talk about the 2005 novel Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, in all its complexity.Next month we'll be reading all of Mistborn: The Final Empire, Episode Airs: March 12 Content warnings for this episode:   ableism, addiction, bleeding, body horror, body modification, broken bones, child death, classism, death, dieting, discussion of rape, discussion of sexuality, disembowelment, epidemics, fatphobia, genocide, human sacrifice, misogyny, murder, mutation, mutilation, racism, religious conversion, religious extremism, slavery, suicide/suicidal ideation, terminal illness, the r slur, undeath, wounds and infectionThis show is created by Graham Gillman, Taylor Lane, and Jack McLaughlan. PatreonDiscordInstagramBookshop Our theme music is "goodnight kiss" by 2mello off the album midnight broadcasts. (https://2mello.net/)