Tales In Our Times
by Narrative Nerds
Two narrative nerds discussing storytelling and the way it influences every part of our lives. This content does contain swears and is intended for entertainment purposes. Additionally, please excuse any inaccurate factual information as our research is whatever we have time for in a given episode.
Episodes
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EP37. Adapted Narratives
Hello, beautiful readers. This week we talk about the ways in which different narratives are adapted. In a world with so many forms of media available, it’s interesting to see how some narratives are brought from one medium to another. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and audio...
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EP36. Magic Systems in Narratives
Hello, readers! We are back with another episode, this time all about the ways in which writers use magic. It’s such a keystone metaphor, it feels very interesting to us! Alright, I’m lying; this is a George episode. But Mum enjoyed herself, swear! See below for books mentioned. Intro song…
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EP35. Poetry Narratives (ft. Annmarie Lockhart)
Hello again, our friends! Please join us for this incredible discussion with our friend and family member, Annmarie Lockhart. We talk about poetry and all the ways in which verse can open our minds. It’s a fantastic discussion, I sincerely became smarter for it. Hope you enjoy, and see below for…
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EP34. Readers’ Narratives
Hello, readers! It’s been so long! We’re so happy to be back with a few episodes we recorded earlier last year, and soon will be back with some new episodes, huzzah! This episode we get a little judgmental; we look over an updated Top 100 list and George runs his mouth (que sorpresa). It’s fun to...
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EP33. Dinosaur Narratives
Rawwwwwr! It’s an episode about big bloomin’ lizards! Mum’s a huge dino fan, so we thought we’d look at some of the best narratives that include them, and what they’re helpful for. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and audio editing by Quatroizer. Logo art by Gabriel de Mello....
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EP32. Dystopian Narratives
Hello, again! We’re fresh off of George’s wedding, finally back to weekly posting, first off with our episode on Dystopian Narratives! A dystopia is…well, we probably don’t need to describe it to our listeners in the US, but there’s a rich vein of books and stories written in dystopian society...
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EP31. Library Narratives (ft. Amelia Zimmerman)
We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to interview friend and excellent librarian, Amelia Zimmerman!!! We talk to her about the need for third places, the ways that librarians work to provide valuable resources to their communities, and generally just have a laugh about the books we love....
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EP30. Terry Pratchett’s Narratives
In this week’s episode, we take an excursion through the work of one of our literary heroes: the excellent Terry Pratchett! The nerds talk about his beginning and evolution into the wizard of the Discworld that he became. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and audio editing by...
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EP29. One Hit Wonder Narratives
Give it to me; ONE TIME! And then never again. That’s what we’re talking about today, those authors who crushed the assignment so completely that they simply could not touch that record again. We don’t want this to seem like a list of “one-trick ponies”—this is a celebration. Come and have a…
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EP28. Dark Narratives
Ooh, flippin’ ‘eck. It’s gettin’ dark in ‘ere. Today the nerds talk about the dark night of the soul! We discuss the ways in which depressing narratives can secretly be liberating, and we highlight some of our absolute faves. See below for books mentioned. Intro song Bookmark and audio editing by...
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EP.27 China Miéville’s Narratives
Hello, dear listener! Today’s episode is our first Author Highlight episode. We told you we’d be trying new things in the second season, and this is one! The nerds take a dive into the writing of China Miéville and come up with recommendations based on where to start if you’re looking to get into...
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EP.26 Giving Narratives
FINALLY. WE RISE FROM THE GRAVE. Hey all. Sorry for the wait. One of us had to move house, and it really ballsed up our scheduling. Here’s an episode a day for the rest of the week to make up for it. First on the list is our chat about gift-giving narratives. We both love getting and giving...
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EP.25 Philadelphia Rare Book Fair Reflections
The nerds are back again with another proper late review of one of the events we went to. We took a moment at the top of the episode to remember the poet Refaat Alareer, killed by the war in Gaza. May he rest in peace. See below for books mentioned. Books Mentioned: King Lear by William…
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EP.24 Philadelphia Rare Book Fair Expectations
In this episode, the nerds talk about their expectations leading into the Rare Book Fair in Philadelphia, hosted by the fine folks over at Fine Book Fairs! We’re posting these as a duo, so look forward to our reflections on the event in the next episode. See below for books mentioned, and the...
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EP23. Thanksgiving Narratives
On this episode, George and Janet review the fallacies surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. We give a super late status update on the Booker Prize (congratulations in the present, Mr Lynch!), unpack some of the narratives surrounding Thanksgiving, and take a look at some good alternative options...
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EP22. Guy Fawkes’ Narrative
In their second episode of the second season, George and Janet review another holiday narrative: Bonfire Night. We review the history of the man who sparked the holiday, and some book options to introduce those of us who are unfamiliar. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and audio...
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EP21. Halloween Narratives
We’re back from a brief hiatus with our second season! Janet and George change it up for this season, discussing the recipe for a perfect Halloween story. However, they remain consistent with the time delay between current events and their episode topics. See below for books mentioned! Intro song...
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EP20. Season 1 Reflections
For our last episode of what we’re dubbing Season 1, Janet and George take a look back over their favorite bits so far. Mainly, it’s another chance for us to talk about how much we love Carmen Maria Machado. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and audio editing by Quatroizer. Logo...
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EP19. YA Narratives
In this episode, Janet and George are joined by their second guest ever, a member of their family: Becky! She comes in to chat with us about one of Janet’s most-read genres, Young Adult fiction. We look over the history of YA and reflect on what purpose it serves in the literary canon. Hope you...
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EP18. Kitchen Sink Narratives
In this episode, Janet walks us through an art movement that influenced her during her childhood: kitchen sink realism. Join in as we walk through the history of kitchen sink paintings, the inspiration taken from the similar ash can movement in the US, and the ways that people have always spoken…
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EP17. Comic Book Narratives (ft. Stevie King)
In today’s phenomenal episode, we play host to our first guest, writer and comedy genius Stevie King, as she walks us through her love of comic book narratives. We do a light exploration of comic history, and dive into what it is that makes them so enjoyable to some of us. George gets some facts...
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EP16. LGBTQ+ Narratives
Alternatively known as queer literature, our topic for this week’s episode is LGBTQ+ stories! It is as timely as ever to appreciate the beautiful stories that are born within the queer community, and it’s one of George’s favorite type of narrative to read. Apologies for some of the audio oddness,...
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EP15. Southern Noir Narratives
This week’s episode takes us to the American South, where Janet walks us through the origin and proliferation of the Southern Noir genre. Listen in to learn what makes a noir genre specific, and how the South developed such a substantial foothold in this particular canon. See below for Books...
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EP14. Picture Book Narratives
In the first episode out of the book fest hurrah, George and Janet take a look into the wondrous world of picture books. We examine their history, why they’re an important and HIGHLY necessary tool in teaching literacy, and which ones we like the best. See below for books mentioned! Intro song...
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EP13. Post-LOC National Book Festival
Janet and George are back from the LOC reading fezzy. Did they get a good story or did they come away not giving a book? Episode 13 finds our narrative nerds with lots to say about their field trip, including several shouts out to the lovely people who made it so grand. See below for books...
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EP12. Romance Narratives
For this episode, Janet walks us through the history and development of Romance as a literary genre. We talk about some of the classics as well as the things that separate Romance narratives from other types of stories. See below for books mentioned! Intro song Bookmark and editing by Quatroizer....
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EP11. Pre-LOC National Book Festival
We did a quick little interstitial episode talking all about what we’re looking forward to during the upcoming National Book Festival in Washington, DC! No books mentioned just yet, but we’ll update once we return from our trip! Intro song Bookmark and editing by Quatroizer. Logo art by Gabriel…
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EP10. Comedy Narratives
For the second episode we recorded since releasing the show, we tackle the vast open field of comedy in all its glory. The storied history, the cultural repercussions, and hey— what’s up with the lack of comedy novels? See below for books mentioned. Intro song Bookmark and editing by Quatroizer....
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EP09. Murder Mystery Narratives
Whodunnit is the question at hand this week, dear listener! Tune in to listen to Janet walk George through the history of the murder mystery, expound upon why they’re her go-to books to read, and generally goof around while we chat a bit of rubbish. See below for books mentioned! Intro song...
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EP08. Horror Narratives
In this episode, George and Janet talk about one of George’s favorite literary genres—Horror. The many ways in which we can relate to narratives centered around otherness and the toll of trauma responses take center stage this week, as we trace Horror’s history through gothic Europe into the…
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EP07. Fathers’ Narratives
Of course we couldn’t leave the Dads out! For this Father’s Day episode (who’s got an inconsistent and delayed release schedule? Not us!), George and Janet look at the ways in which their own fathers influenced their reading habits, from overseas read-alongs to county-wide library jaunts, and…
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EP06. Historical Fiction Narratives
In the first episode outside of our test group, Janet and George dive into the history behind histories. Or, sort of. We look at the genre of historical fiction, our personal experiences with books under its umbrella, and the importance of getting multiple different narratives into one story. We...
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EP05. Mothers’ Narratives
For our fifth episode, the last episode in our series of test run episodes, we highlight the narratives that we tell and hear about Mothers, as a treat for Mother’s Day. We look at how our own Mothers shaped our lives and narrative tastes, and how the way we tell stories about them changes the…
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EP03. Biographical Narratives
Our third episode is all about the stories about the self. Janet and George explore the ways in which biographies and memoirs possess their own special space in the world of narrative. We look at stories that authors tell about themselves and stories that authors tell about other people. See…
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EP02. Mythic Narratives
For our second episode, George and Janet dive into the origins of narrative by looking at myths. We discuss our humble beginnings as storytellers, moving up the timeline from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the Ancient Greek myths, further onward into the development of printed books. We try on a new…
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EP01. Audiobook Narratives
In our inaugural episode, George and Janet examine the medium of audiobooks. We investigate their history, discuss their benefits and differences from printed books, and talk about the things we like most about them. Intro song Bookmark and editing by Quatroizer.
About this show
Two narrative nerds discussing storytelling and the way it influences every part of our lives. This content does contain swears and is intended for entertainment purposes. Additionally, please excuse any inaccurate factual information as our research is whatever we have time for in a given episode.
Hosted by
Narrative Nerds