The Fandom Apprentice

It is a period of civil unrest. Rebel podcasters, striking from a hidden recording studio, have created their first episodes of a NEW SEASON.  Now, Ryn must bring Sam back to the beginning, to the very first STAR WAR, to show her the place where it all began...  What's this? A Monday update? On an off-week? Happy Star Wars Day, listeners! This is Part 1 of 2 episodes about A New Hope, covering pretty much just the plot and visual choices! We'll talk more about The Making Of and associated topics next time! But for now, topics include Leia being the most competent character, yippee-coding, post-release changes, the Force, a we establish the season's first new Rule of Fantasy! And also C-3PO and R2-D2 are married. We make the rules and they're married. Anyway, come listen! I promise we're charming to the last.   Covers the plot of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977)

Whoops! We took an unintentional break in there but we're back with the last two episodes of the Mandalorian Season 1! We discuss the weather, the music, production, whether droids have souls, video game main questlines, Giancarlo Esposito as the Perfect Villain, and Armor Mommy! Covers Episode 7: The Reckoning and Episode 8: Redemption of The Mandalorian Season 1

We roll into Mando's Monster of the Week era, get drunk on shrimp alcohol, fight a Disney Princess, wax poetic about Connor Storrie's ass, the art of tight storytelling, Kurosawa, and spoiler culture and twists! 

We enter the galaxy far far away in something of an unexpected spot with our favorite bounty hunter, and discuss his ascent into Daddy-hood, how Jawas are the Minions of the Star Wars galaxy, the galaxy's absolute worst vibrator, Space Nazis, and why Baby Yoda is so goddamn cute!Covers episodes 1-3 of The Mandalorian: Season 1

Hello there everyone and welcome back! We've missed you, but we're back now with a whole new season! Join us as we make the jump to hyperspace and set course for a galaxy far far away to discuss Star Wars! If you're new to the show, this is a great place to start. Come get (re)introduced to the scruffy-looking nerf herders hosting this thing and hear about our plans for the season. We're very excited to dive in and hope that you'll join us in this wretched hive of scum and villainy. This is the podcast you're looking for!

Finishing out our coverage of the Murderbot Media current available, we discuss worker's rights, music, special effects, sexual tension, and as a special bonus, Ryn has a Biologist Moment!Also stay tuned at the end for our announcement about whats happening for Season 3!! We're going to be taking a short break but will be back in a few weeks with brand new episodes on some media Ryn grew up with and Sam didn't! Thanks for listening to Season 2, and we hope to see you in Season 3!Covers Season 1 Episodes 7-10 of the AppleTV+ show Murderbot (2025)

There's a place beyond the wormholes... we haven't found it yet but come search with us! We have reached the Murderbot TV show! We talk visual decisions, casting, story adaptation, throuples, tentacles, and our love of practical effects! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING NEXT EPISODE! Stay tuned! Covers episodes 1-6 of the AppleTV+ show "Murderbot" (2025)

The last Murderbot book episode and we struggled a bit here keeping up with the action, but we still love it! Murderbot is having, as per usual, a bad time, and Ryn and Sam are having an excellent one, and would love for you to join us!Topics of discussion include: the paradox of free will, putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others, and how none of us are immune to propaganda!Covers chapters 6-end of The Murderbot Diaries: System Collapse (2023) by Martha Wells

We're back! Took an unexpected break, but we're back with a new episode, which is great for us, and Murderbot is back on the planet, which is terrible for it! Ryn and Sam discuss the first half (minus 4%) of System Collapse, delving into such important topics as whales, petty data analysis, how bananas relate to far-right death squads, PTSD, and the paradox of free will! Covers chapters 1-5 of The Murderbot Diaries: System Collapse (2023) by Martha Wells

Ryn and Sam finish out Network Effect and boy howdy is Murderbot having a Bad Time! And so are the other SecUnits. Wait, other SecUnits? We have commentary on such topics as naming conventions, queer generations, suspension bondage, ART's total and complete lack of chill, and the ethics of murdering your digital baby. Is it murder if the digital baby was essentially a bomb in the first place? Covers chapters 14-end of The Murderbot Diaries: Network Effect by Martha Wells (2020)

ART is alive and Murderbot gets to stop running through the stages of grief! Problem is it stopped on Anger, which it has every right to tbh. Ryn and Sam talk ART and Murderbot's relationship (and relationships in general), trusting kids to handle difficult topics, modern "AI" vs sci-fi AI, and statistics!  Covers chapters 8-13 of The Murderbot Diaries: Networt Effect by Martha Wells (2020)

Step inside (your best friend's corpse), it's a fucked up ride (through the wormhole)! Amena wishes this was a normal field trip, but with SecUnit? No way! Take your second right past Mars and join us while we talk about knees, gravity, faster than light travel, anxiety, and potential future cinematic choices for the show!Covers Chapters 4-7 of The Murderbot Diaries: Network Effect by Martha Wells (2020)

Not all is well with Murderbot, but when is it ever? Ryn and Sam follow our favorite rogue SecUnit through the first three chapters of Network Effect, the first novel in the Murderbot Diaries! Topics include the gender politics of aunts, cis discomfort with trans presentation, intense feelings in platonic relationships, puppy eyes as a weapon of war, and Murderbot murdering on a murderboat. Covers Chapters 1-3 of The Murderbot Diaries: Network Effect (2020) by Martha Wells, winner of the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the  2020 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2021 Locus Award for Best  Science Fiction Novel

here's been a murder! And despite what you might expect, it wasn't Murderbot's fault. It promises. And we promise topics including sleeper agents, queer assimilation, translation, and things that go blorp in the night.  Covers The Murderbot Diaries: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (2021)

So, as it turns out, there are there are also some short stories in the Murderbot Universe! We get to dig into the minds of some side characters, learn more about the origins of constructs, and talk about queerplatonic relationships, coming out, and non-human personhood! If our audio quality is a wee bit sharper on this one, it's because we had some issues with our primary recordings and were working from our backups, and Sam worked her wizardry as best she could. Bear with us. Timestamps for potential/light Network Effect spoilers: 0:40:04-1:04:08This can be listened to in any order with the Fugitive Telemetry episode that you will see right above this in your feed! Your fate is your own! Choose your own adventure! Although I recommend this one first. Covers the following short stories/novelettes in the following timeline order, all of which are available for free online:1. "Obsolescence", written for the anthology Take Us To A Better Place (2020)2. "The Future of Work: Compulsory" written for Wired magazine (2018)3. "Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory" released in Reactor magazine (2021)4. "Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy" written for Reactor magazine (2025)

Murderbot has to go find some old friends! We're entirely normal about it acknowledging PresAux as friends. Other topics include consent, gender presentation/human-passing, the self and the body as separate but connected entities, and finally, as all folks hitchhiking on bot-driven transports across the galaxy must, we grapple with towels.   Covers The Murderbot Diaries Vol IV: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

Ryn and Sam are wildly unfocused, probably because we are simultaneously monitoring two dozen intel drones, HubSystem, and Episode 372 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon! And also being slightly horny on main, giving mini-reviews of horror movies and a romance novel, discussing Murderbot's D&D class, and once again providing evidence that capitalism is the worst villain! All before we get betrayed by our mysterious augmented human security team or before the terraforming station breaks up and falls out of orbit, whichever happens first... Anyway, come join us! Covers The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 3: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Murderbot travels to RaviHyral to investigate... well, murder. That it may or may not have been responsible for. Join us as we grapple with concepts of non-human personhood, gender, terrible bosses, queerplatonic relationships formed on threats of terrible violence, and murder! So much murder.Covers The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 2: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Welcome to season 2! We begin with everyone's favorite heartless killing machine that just wants to watch Space Netflix and unfortunately keeps having emotions! Join Ryn and Sam as we discuss aliens, why capitalism is always the problem, international law in space, and sci-fi horror!   Covers The Murderbot Diaries Book 1: All Systems Red by Martha Wells (2017)

Hello everyone, and welcome to the next phase of the Fandom Apprentice! If you're new to the pod, this is a great place to start- get (re)introduced to us as the hosts, our background with sci-fi, and our plans for season 2, focused on Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries! If you're a regular, come on in and get cozy with some new media!

Ryn and Sam know absolutely nothing about poetry. Neither of us took a single college-level English course. That will not, of course, stop us from having opinions on Tolkien's poetry and songs. This is what Bilbo Baggins hates. And/or what the Man in the Moon himself came down to listen to. You be the judge!     There is also An Announcement: This Is The End. Of Tolkien commentary anyway. For now. An announcement on what media comes next can be found in the last few minutes of this episode, so stay tuned! We promise it will be an excellent time.Featuring music and voices from Maury Laws, Glenn Yarborough, A.R. Rahman, Donald Swann, William Elvin, The Tolkien Ensemble, Sir Christopher Lee, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Howard Shore!x.7

A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not listen? Long have Ryn and Sam, the hosts of this podcast, overanalyzed the Lord of The Rings series. We come to the last of the movies today, so join us as we ride for ruin and the story's ending through discussions of gravity-defying snakes, mutilated tomatoes, the neverending road to cavalry tactics, music, and much more! Covers The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) (2003)

We move on to the second film in the trilogy, The Two Towers! Ryn provides more commentary on music, Sam continues to hate Gollum, and we are confused about some story choices! Join us for discussions on tragically cishet immortals, incredibly hot Numenoreans, Shakespearean actors, and Skyrim! Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Listeners of our podcast do!  Covers The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) (2002)

We finally dive into the movies with an emphasis on our special interests of soundtrack, costume design, and Aragorn! Join us as we ask the big questions: what's a leitmotif? How many hugs are in the movie? And why is Aragorn so hot? Covers The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) (2001)

We get our appendixes out! That is, we talk about the Lord of the Rings appendices. That's right, there's still more text to read! Join us as we pour over Arwen and Aragorn's romance, family trees, and the Book of Numbers, Tolkien Edition! aka a detailed timeline history of Numenor and the Second and Third Ages of Middle Earth.  Covers Appendices A-F, published at the end of Return of the King

Having reached the end of the books, we take a minute to reflect on this journey and its stages, check in to see if our Definitely Universal Rules Of Fantasy hold up, talk about Sam Gamgee as The Everyman, and dig into our remaining lingering questions! 

All good things must come to an end, a last stage, if you will. Join us as we discuss the very end of Return of the King, prison abolition, authoritarianism, Sam Gamgee's knowledge of buns, hobbit reproduction, and our feelings here at the end of this stage of our wonderful journey!   Covers Return of the King Book VI, Chapter VIII: The Scouring of the Shire (Part B) and Chapter IX: The Grey Havens  Some reading/watching/listening from our discussion this week- Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra Podcast (2023-2024) Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America by Sarah Kendzior (2020) They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent by Sarah Kendzior (2022)  No One Is Disposable: Everyday Practices of Prison Abolition video series by Reina Gossett, Dean Spade, and Hope Dector (2014)  Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis (2003) Abolition Democracy: Beyond Prisons, Torture, and Empire by Angela Y. Davis (2005)  They Can't Kill Us All by Apes of The State (2023)

The Hobbits have returned home, but it has not escaped the ravages of time- we finally come to Ryn's favorite chapter in all of Lord of the Rings, The Scouring of the Shire, which definitely has absolutely no relevance to the current political climate, none whatsoever. Anyway, for no reason at all it's a really good time to get to know your neighbors and local communities.    Covers most of Book VI, Chapter VIII: The Scouring of the Shire- We had quite a bit to say, so we'll finish the chapter next episode!

Another travel episode! Ryn and Sam talk about their book club, immortality, what Legolas and Gimli get up to in the Glittering Caves of Aglarond, and compulsory heterosexuality! Join us for the last stage of the journey (again)!Covers Return of the King Book VI Chapter VI Many Partings and Chapter VII Homeward Bound

A disclaimer- we recorded this right after the election. So we are slightly... less enthusiastic than usual. If you don't want to hear us talking politics, skip to 0:09:16, but if you want to hear about a long furby and how're we're feeling, give our intro a listen!  Anyway, we talk about the downfall of Mordor, romance, power imbalance in relationships, and surprise Gandalf!  More within! Covers Book VI Chapter IV: The Field of Cormallen, and Chapter V: The Steward and the King

Here, at the end of all things, we finish our discussion of The Quest with  who's the top in Frodo and Sam's relationship, the professor's overuse of the phrase "last stage of their journey," volcanology, and our emotional attachment to cookware!   Covers Book VI Chapter III: Mount Doom

We're back! And we're in the darkest stage of our journey and not even the Phial of Galadriel can light our way out of this. Ryn & Sam talk ring corruption, the magic of friendship, orc bureaucracy, and true gay hobbit love!Covers Book VI Chapter I: The Tower of Cirith Ungol & Chapter II: The Land of ShadowIf you like what you're hearing, give us a follow wherever you're listening to this and on our socials @fanapppod, send us an email at [email protected], and leave us a nice review!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (apparently), and we're celebrating with a special family-friendly (for once) episode! This week we cover the Professor's "Letters from Father Christmas," aka "The Father Christmas Letters" (more on this in the episode)! Join us for a cozy holiday read through some Tolkien family lore! P.S.- The North Polar Bear did nothing wrong.x.6

Happy Thanksgiving to our American listeners and happy last week of November to everyone else! As you prepare your turkeys and gear up for... *ahem* interesting family conversations, know that you have us to keep you company! Topics of discussion include: the Year Without A Summer, mermaid ass, diplomacy, and Sauron's goose getting cooked! Or turkey, depending on the season.Covers Book V Chapter IX: The Last Debate and Book V Chapter X: The Black Gate OpensWe are now on Bluesky! Same handle as everywhere else @fanapppod

CW: Suicide, suicidal ideationSkip ahead to 0:38:45 to avoid discussion of these topicsCall the wizard and the fireman- Ryn and Sam return to Minas Tirith where Denethor has succumbed to madness and despair from the palantir, and Pippin must rush to save Faramir from a terrible fate. Tangents include the ethics of physician-assisted suicide, hot gay nurses, and a good bass line.If this episode brought up anything you would like to talk to anyone about, you can find resources here-Suicide Crisis Lines (US and Canada): 988 (https://988lifeline.org/) or 1–800–273–8255Crisis Text Line (US only): Text HOME to 741741Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 (US), 877-330-6366 (Canada) Run by and for trans peopleThe Trevor Project: 1–866–488–7386 or text START to 678678National Suicide Prevention Line UK (UK only): 0800 689 5652Telefonseelsorge (Germany): 0800 111 0 111, or 0800 111 0 222 or at http://www.telefonseelsorge.de/Centre de Prevention du Suicide (Belgium): 080032123Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: https://suicideprevention.caIf we did not include a crisis line here that is available in your country or preferred language, you can find more at the link below: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_linesPlease keep yourselves safe. With love, Ryn and SamCovers Book V Chapter VII The Pyre of Denethor and Book V Chapter VIII The Houses of Healing

It's our one year anniversary!! A quick thank you and retrospective and also a plea for US folks to get out and vote in the election next week. Anyway thank you for listening to us for a whole year! We look forward to bringing you our queer nerdy takes for a long time to come. We are very glad you are here with us. Here at the end of all things (but not the end of this podcast!) 

We back up to the "last stage" before the battle to check in on Merry and the Rohirrim and how they make it to the Pelennor Fields! Also discussed: hope, the death of a good king, the death of a bad king, children's hospitals, pterosaurs and other things that fly, and Shakespeare! Send us your best Hobbit band names!  Covers Book V Chapter V: The Ride of the Rohirrim and Book V Chapter VI: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

Rohan and Gondor prepare for The Horrors of War! Ryn and Sam discuss said Horrors, first aid training, Ryn's extensive trumpet knowledge, peace, Sparta, service, and My Little Pony! CW: contains discussions of war, suicide, and parental abuseCovers Book V Chapter III: The Muster of Rohan and Book V Chapter IV: The Siege of Gondor

We begin on the last stage of our journey with Return of The King! Points of discussion include Ba Sing Se, Hobbit gender, The Guns of August, accents, and the inevitability and moral neutrality of death!Covers Book V Chapter I: Minas Tirith, and Book V Chapter II: The Passing of the Grey Company

Ryn and Sam take a break from Tolkien to discuss Beowulf and our love for this ancient story- This time: Badgers, poetry, what makes a man, what makes a monster, and what makes a good king!x.5

Ryn and Sam take a break from Tolkien to discuss Beowulf and our love for this ancient story- This time: Samsara, the concept of storytelling, background on Beowulf, politics, what makes us humans, heroes, and monsters, and the translation of the word hwæt!x.4

Ryn and Sam reach the exciting conclusion of The Two Towers! We discuss Extremely Gay Hobbits, Goth Mommy Shelob, Extremely Gay Orcs, and The Importance of The Quest- come along! Covers Book IV Chapter IX: Shelob's Lair and Chapter X: The Choices of Master Samwise

Frodo & Sam continue their trek towards Mordor, and we follow along! Ryn & Sam talk platonic forehead kisses, whether or not Gollum is redeemable, and the purpose of fear and necessity of hope!  Covers Book IV Chapter VII: Journey To The Cross-Roads and Chapter VIII: The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

Ryn + Sam really dive deep with Faramir and his 300 warriors- join us as we discuss the concept of content, squirrels and other rodents of unusual size, voting, and what makes a monarchy legitimate!Covers Book IV Chapter V: The Window on the West & Chapter VI: The Forbidden Pool

Our hobbit friends would really like this journey to be over, but Sauron has other plans- join us as we discuss Gollum's humanity (hobbitiny?), explicit love confessions, and the introduction of the hottest man in all of Lord of the Rings!Covers Book IV Chapter III: The Black Gate Is Closed and Chapter IV: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

Sam & Ryn return to following Frodo & Other Sam and we aren't the only ones: Gollum joins the party to guide our heroes on this final stage of their journey to Mordor! We discuss the corruption of the Ring, Gollum's pronouns and self-identification, and bog bodies!  Contains discussions about death and sacrifice Covers Book IV Chapter I: The Taming of Sméagol and Chapter II:  The Passage of the Marshes

Happy Pride! Ryn & Sam take a break from Tolkien to talk about explicitly queer literature! We discuss what we consider queer lit, why we read queer lit, and why it's important to us and our identities! Check out our socials for a list of queer book recs and some resources for finding queer lit!You do not have to be queer to read queer lit! CW: This episode includes discussions of homophobiax.3

Saruman tries to talk his way out of consequences and Gandalf is having none of it, while Pippin discovers that even well-meaning impulsive actions have unintended consequences, but Gandalf didn't have to be so mean about it!- Ryn and Sam talk about magic wands, crystal balls, and the effect of a good voice. Come along as we finish our coverage of the first half of the book and Sam has a revelation about The Two Towers as a whole! Covers chapters X: The Voice of Saruman and XI: The Palantír

The Three Hunters finally find their quarry! And their quarry has found food and pipe-weed! That means of course, that it's time for a reunion dinner and some catching-up! Join Ryn & Sam as we discuss the history of cannabis, trees getting hasty, and the consequences of Saruman's actions!Covers the second half of Chapter VIII. The Road To Isengard and all of Chapter IX. Flotsam and Jetsam

Ryn + Sam talk about Gimli and Legolas's sex life, cheese, and nuclear proliferation and the horrors of war as we cover the Battle of Helm's Deep! Covers Chapter VII. Helm's Deep and the first half of VIII. The Road to Isengard