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Jake Casella Brookins

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A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 44- PALADIN OF SOULS with Liz BourkeReviewer and historian Liz Bourke joins to discuss religion, historical overlaps, and examinations of gender in Paladin of Souls and fantasy more generally. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Liz Bourke Title: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough References: Blood Tide by Sophie Burnham Jen Lyons' Green and Deadly Things Hiron Ennes’ The Works of Vermin C...
2026-02-231h 08A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 43- DIASPORA with Eden KupermintzGreg Egan’s work exemplifies a certain kind of “hard” science fiction: not that it’s obsessed with big manly space battles, but rather that it’s using science to really dig into some complicated subjects. Eden Kupermintz, of Death // Sentence and many other cool projects, joins to discuss the scope and the scale, philosophy and physics in Diaspora.   Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.   Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Eden Kupermintz Title: Diaspora by Greg Egan Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Gisel...
2026-02-091h 13A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 42- IMARO with Jon TattrieCharles Saunders’ sword and soul narratives, pulp-fantasy-inspired tales of Black and African heroes, helped blaze a trail for the genre—but, like Saunders himself, they have a complicated and still-developing story. Jon Tattrie, author of the newly-released Saunders biography, To Leave A Warrior Behind, joins us to talk about the foundational novel Imaro: its themes, its history, and its legacy. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Jon Tattrie Title: Imaro by Charles R. Saunders Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrie...
2026-01-261h 07Octothorpe
Octothorpe151: Only Ding-Dong for Good and Not for EvilJohn is trying, Alison is watching a video and Liz is humming. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: Global inequality (letters of comment), harassment (Montreal discussion) Letters of comment Christopher J Garcia (email) “Kenya: Where Can You See Lions?” Darin Briskman (see below) Fredrick V Coulter (Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) and Espa...
2026-01-151h 05A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 41- THE BEETLE with Marisa MercurioIf you read Dracula and thought: “I like the ancient shapeshifting nemesis and the homoerotic subtext, but I don’t like how subtle the sexual and national anxieties are,” you’re in luck! Editor, reviewer, and scholar Marisa Mercurio is here to talk about not-so-subtle horrors in Richard Marsh’s 1897 novel The Beetle. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Marisa Mercurio Title: The Beetle by Richard Marsh Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhar...
2026-01-121h 06A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 41- THE BEETLE with Marisa MercurioIf you read Dracula and thought: “I like the ancient shapeshifting nemesis and the homoerotic subtext, but I don’t like how subtle the sexual and national anxieties are,” you’re in luck! Editor, reviewer, and scholar Marisa Mercurio is here to talk about not-so-subtle horrors in Richard Marsh’s 1897 novel The Beetle. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Marisa Mercurio Title: The Beetle by Richard Marsh Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhar...
2026-01-121h 06Wizards Vs. Lesbians
Wizards Vs. LesbiansBONUS: ANGELMAKERJake Casella Brookins of the Ancillary Review of Books and A Meal of Thorns joins us to discuss a novel by Nick Harkaway. We last encountered Harkaway carrying on his father's spy novel franchise, and this isn't that - it's more Neverwhere as directed by Guy Ritchie - but there's still a lot in there about legacies and dads. 
2026-01-111h 02A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 40- 2025 Wrap-Up with Dan HartlandWe’re closing out this strange year with a “big-picture” episode: editor & critic Dan Hartland is on to talk about trends and directions—or lack thereof—in recent speculative fiction. We talk about the interesting spread of books & awards this year, do some armchair speculating about genre shifts & their accompanying arguments, and have some very insider-baseball discussion of what gets reviewed (or not) and why. And, of course, Dan and Casella talk about their favorite reads from 2025. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!...
2025-12-291h 10A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 40- 2025 Wrap-Up with Dan HartlandWe’re closing out this strange year with a “big-picture” episode: editor & critic Dan Hartland is on to talk about trends and directions—or lack thereof—in recent speculative fiction. We talk about the interesting spread of books & awards this year, do some armchair speculating about genre shifts & their accompanying arguments, and have some very insider-baseball discussion of what gets reviewed (or not) and why. And, of course, Dan and Casella talk about their favorite reads from 2025. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!...
2025-12-291h 10A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 39- THE SECRET HISTORY with Roseanna PendleburyWe’re tracking down the wellspring of “dark academia” in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, and plucking on threads that stretch out to current fantasy and science fiction literature, with reviewer Roseanna Pendlebury as our guide. Casella manages to throw some shade at Arrival, somehow, and also references Dumb & Dumber.   Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.   Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Roseanna Pendlebury Title: The Secret History Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem...
2025-12-151h 25A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 39- THE SECRET HISTORY with Roseanna PendleburyWe’re tracking down the wellspring of “dark academia” in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, and plucking on threads that stretch out to current fantasy and science fiction literature, with reviewer Roseanna Pendlebury as our guide. Casella manages to throw some shade at Arrival, somehow, and also references Dumb & Dumber.   Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.   Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Roseanna Pendlebury Title: The Secret History Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem...
2025-12-151h 25A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 38- VENOMOUS LUMPSUCKER with Cameron KunzelmanAcademic, critic, and prolific podcaster Cameron Kunzelman joins for a far-ranging discussion about how climate fiction, science fiction, and personal and political connections to the environment intersect. Bonus hog sighting. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Cameron Kunzelman Title: Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Ranged Touch podcasts The World is Born...
2025-12-011h 23A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 38- VENOMOUS LUMPSUCKER with Cameron KunzelmanAcademic, critic, and prolific podcaster Cameron Kunzelman joins for a far-ranging discussion about how climate fiction, science fiction, and personal and political connections to the environment intersect. Bonus hog sighting. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Cameron Kunzelman Title: Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Ranged Touch podcasts The World is Born...
2025-12-011h 23A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 37 – THE HISTORIAN with Sean GuynesVampire scholar, science fiction studies editor, and ARB co-founder Sean Guynes joins to discuss Kostova’s 2005 historical vampire thriller. We both have fairly negative opinions of the book, but it did lead us to talk about what historical thrillers are (or are not) theorizing, vampire novels we like more, and much else besides.Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Sean GuynesTitle: The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob...
2025-11-171h 27A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 37 – THE HISTORIAN with Sean GuynesVampire scholar, science fiction studies editor, and ARB co-founder Sean Guynes joins to discuss Kostova’s 2005 historical vampire thriller. We both have fairly negative opinions of the book, but it did lead us to talk about what historical thrillers are (or are not) theorizing, vampire novels we like more, and much else besides.Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Sean GuynesTitle: The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob...
2025-11-171h 27A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 36 – UNDER THE EYE OF THE BIG BIRD with Eleanor McAdamWriter, scholar, and academic organizer E.F. McAdam joins to talk about human evolution & extinction, AI, pseudo-science, and much more in Kawakami’s very strange and really quite funny far-future novel. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Eleanor McAdam Title: Under The Eye Of The Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John W...
2025-11-031h 04A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 36 – UNDER THE EYE OF THE BIG BIRD with Eleanor McAdamPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Eleanor McAdamTitle: Under The Eye Of The Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa YonedaHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Current Research in Science FictionVanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley TakemoriAnnie Bot by Sierra GreerEmily Tesh’s The Incandescent and
2025-11-031h 04A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 35 – 60 Stories with Timothy MooreBarthelme’s surreal, post-modern writing was massively influential for the short story market and for evolving conceptions of literary realism and irrealism, but he’s not often discussed in speculative circles. Author & teacher Timothy Moore is on to help rectify that: we dig into some of our favorites from this landmark connection, with lots of spitballing about the limits of interpretation. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Timothy Moore Title: 60 Stories by Donald Barthelme Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Gisell...
2025-10-201h 24A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 35 – 60 Stories with Timothy MoorePodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Timothy MooreTitle: 60 Stories by Donald BarthelmeHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Timothy Moore’s I Will Teach You RetributionJoan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock & Peter Weir’s film adaptationMolly Templeton’s Bluesky request for Australian Gothic“Intermittent Anhedonia”Ethan Rutherford's
2025-10-201h 24A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 34 – BURNING BRIGHT with Ursula WhitcherCombining cyberpunk, space opera, and a strong interest in artistic creation and gaming, Burning Bright is an unusual SF novel from a very specific era. Author Ursula Whitcher joins us to talk about the novel’s many strange facets, its fascination with endings, and its connections to developments elsewhere in gaming and science fiction. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Ursula Whitcher Title: Burning Bright by Melissa Scott Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patt...
2025-10-0653 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 34 – BURNING BRIGHT with Ursula WhitcherPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Ursula WhitcherTitle: Burning Bright by Melissa ScottHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:North Continent RibbonIndra Das’s The Last Dragoners of BowbazarFonda Lee's Green Bone books & game thereof w/ James Mendez HodesBruce Coville's
2025-10-0653 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 33 – THE FIFTH SEASON with Joy Sanchez-TaylorFresh off the release of her book Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of Color, Joy Sanchez-Taylor joins the podcast to discuss Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, a landmark book in SFF. Lots to talk about here: in terms of how the entire trilogy is tackling ideas about race and oppression, Jemisin’s approach to structure and genre categories, and The Fifth Season’s significance and ongoing legacy. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Joy Sanchez-Taylor Title: The Fifth Season by N.K...
2025-09-231h 03A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 33 – THE FIFTH SEASON with Joy Sanchez-TaylorPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Joy Sanchez-TaylorTitle: The Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of ColorRoutledge Handbook of Co-FuturismsDispelling Fantasies: Author of Color Re-Imagine a GenreIbi Zoboi's SkinExamples of YA novels in verse from the Boston Public LibraryLiliana Colanzi
2025-09-231h 03Octothorpe
Octothorpe143: A Major Movie in the Sand GenreJohn skips leg day, Alison skips art day, and Liz skips opinions. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None Letters of comment Alan Fleming & David Bamford (email) Eastercon 2027: Unconfined in Glasgow Christopher J Garcia (email) Doug Faunt (Facebook) Fredrik Coulter (Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins (email) Jesi Lipp (Facebook) Meg MacDonald (Facebook) Paul Weimer (Bluesky) Raj (Bluesky) ...
2025-09-1249 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 32 – AUTHORITY with Zachary GillanPicking the second book as an entry point into Area X, weird scholar and normal ARB editor Zachary Gillan is on the pod to talk about Jeff VanderMeer’s work and how the New Weird is more than just ecological anxiety. (Though it might be that, too.) Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Zachary Gillan Title: Authority by Jeff VanderMeer Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John B...
2025-09-081h 10A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 32 – AUTHORITY with Zachary GillanPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Zachary GillanTitle: Authority by Jeff VanderMeerHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Zach’s Profane Illuminations column at ARBRobert AickmanBothayna Al-Essa’s The Book-Censor's Library, translated by Ranya Abdelrahman & Sawad HussainBohumil Hrabal’s
2025-09-081h 10A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 31 – Seattle WorldconCasella heads to Seattle for the World Science Fiction Convention, reporting on his travels and the convention. Includes interviews with Worldcon guests & conrunners, thoughts on the Hugos and the event, and, of course, a quick coffee report. Credits: Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle The Hugo Awards Norwescon Kevin Black - Publications Division Head Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight, based on the novel by Stephenie Me...
2025-08-251h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 31 – Seattle WorldconHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:World Science Fiction Convention in SeattleThe Hugo AwardsNorwesconKevin Black - Publications Division HeadCatherine Hardwicke's Twilight, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer"Full Moon" by the Black GhostsArticle about John Anderson’s Beachcomber Museum, with link to the short documentaryDr. Kaitlyn CasimoThe Allen InstituteBrandon O'Brien - Poet Laureate for the Seattle WorldconThe Speculative Poetry Initiative
2025-08-251h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 30 – STONE OF FAREWELL with Karlo Yeager RodríguezTad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is a literally giant work that’s an exemplar of the chain-bookstore and mass-market epic fantasy boom. Author, editor, and critic Karlo Yeager Rodríguez joins to talk about the trilogy’s second entry, Stone of Farewell: its position within and influence upon the genre, and how it holds up. Credits: Guest: Karlo Yeager Rodríguez Title: Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Th...
2025-08-111h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 30 – STONE OF FAREWELL with Karlo Yeager RodríguezGuest: Karlo Yeager RodríguezTitle: Stone of Farewell by Tad WilliamsHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora, and our episode on itK.J. Parker's Making HistoryJared Diamonds’ Guns, Germs, and Ste
2025-08-111h 14Octothorpe
Octothorpe140: Nerdiest Nerds Who Ever NerdedJohn is laughing, Alison is coughing, and Liz has already eaten. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: Coughing (aftershow) Letters of comment Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook) Constanze Hofmann (Facebook) David Bamford (Bluesky) Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook) Tommy Ferguson (email) We also heard from Olav Rokne, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen 2025 Worldcon...
2025-07-311h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 29 – Readercon & LovestruckPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Featuring interviews with:Rae Borman @ ReaderconRiley @ Lovestruck BooksHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Rae BormanNew England Finger DancersNaomi Novik’s ScholomanceBrandon Mull’s FablehavenKatherine Rundell’s Impossible CreaturesJames BlishJoanna Russ’s The Female ManBenjamin Rosenbaum & our episode on Fire Logic
2025-07-2852 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 29 – Readercon & LovestruckCasella heads to Readercon, a Boston-based science fiction convention that’s unusually good at keeping the focus literary. This episode includes an interview with one of the conrunners, a discussion of translated SFF and the Translated Hugo Initiative, and a visit with a new romance bookstore in Cambridge. Some quick coffee reporting, as well. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Credits: Featuring interviews with: Rae Borman @ Readercon Riley @ Lovestruck Books Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artw...
2025-07-2852 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 28 – EXCESSION with Abigail NussbaumPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Abigail NussbaumTitle: Excession by Iain M. BanksHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:VectorLos Angeles Review of BooksThe GuardianStrange HorizonsLawyers, Guns & MoneyWarren ZevonAsking the Wrong QuestionsAbigail’s Track ChangesColourfields by Paul KincaidNina Allan’s
2025-07-141h 08A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 28 – EXCESSION with Abigail NussbaumBanks’ Culture novels, about a utopian space-faring civilization, are hugely influential in both SF literature and the tech industry. Award-winning critic Abigail Nussbaum joins us to discuss Excession, a Culture novel about proxy conflicts and interventionist politics, existential threats, and…problematic exes? Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Credits: Guest: Abigail Nussbaum Title: Excession by Iain M. Banks Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough T...
2025-07-141h 08Octothorpe
Octothorpe138: A Tedious Number of Questions About What It’s Like to Run a Games ShopJohn chaired, Alison is off on holiday, and Liz has the agenda. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None Letters of comment Ang Rosin (Facebook) Andrea Bell and Derek Hockridge Bridget Bradshaw (Facebook) Chris Garcia (email) Farah Mendlesohn (email, Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) Louise Hughes (Bluesky) Neil Ottenstein (Facebook) Paul Weimer (email) Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky) ...
2025-07-031h 05A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 27 – 40,000 IN GEHENNA with Arkady Martine (and a 4th Street Fantasy Report)Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Arkady MartineTitle: 40,000 in Gehenna by C.J. CherryhHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Vote in the Ignytes!Our episode with Archita MittraA Memory Called Empire, A Desolation Called Peace, Rose/House, "Three Faces of a Beheading"Mick Herron’s Slow HorsesPip Adams' Auditi...
2025-06-301h 20A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 27 – 40,000 IN GEHENNA with Arkady Martine (and a 4th Street Fantasy Report)Cherryh’s influence on speculative fiction is vast but, some would say, under-acknowledged. Author Arkady Martine joins to help rectify that situation, with a discussion of 40,000 in Gehenna, an anthropological, generational science fiction story about realpolitik, language, cloning, giant intelligent lizards, and gender—and that’s kind of just the top notes. Casella also provides a mini-report on Minneapolis’s 4th Street Fantasy Convention. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Credits: Guest: Arkady Martine Title: 40,000 in Gehenna by C.J. Cherryh...
2025-06-301h 20Octothorpe
Octothorpe137: My Brain Automatically Goes to SandwichesJohn is well-read, Alison played a game, and Liz needs an Allen key. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None One hour of Mon Mothma dancing Letters of comment Andreas Davour (Mastodon and Mastodon) Andy Openshaw Jez Lowe Ang Rosin David Bamford (Bluesky) Ed Morland (Bluesky) Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins Nuala Fahey (Bluesky) Raj...
2025-06-181h 01A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 26 – DEATH OF THE AUTHOR with andré m. carringtonPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: andré m. carringtonTitle: Death of the Author by Nnedi OkoraforHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:andré’s Speculative Blackness, The Black Fantastic, and Audiofuturism (forthcoming)The Eaton ConferenceMalik Gaines & Alexandro Segade's cosmic opera Star Choir, based on the work of Octavia E. ButlerHa...
2025-06-161h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 26 – DEATH OF THE AUTHOR with andré m. carringtonPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: andré m. carringtonTitle: Death of the Author by Nnedi OkoraforHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:andré’s Speculative Blackness, The Black Fantastic, and Audiofuturism (forthcoming)The Eaton ConferenceMalik Gaines & Alexandro Segade's cosmic opera Star Choir, based on the work of Octavia E. ButlerHa...
2025-06-161h 14A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 25 – THE HUGO NOVELS & NOVELLAS with Roseanna PendleburyPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Roseanna PendleburyTitles: The 2025 Hugo Novel & Novella ListHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Hugo Novella Finalists:The Brides of High Hill by Nghi VoThe Butcher of the Forest by Premee MohamedNavigational Entanglements by Aliette de BodardThe Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofi...
2025-06-021h 27A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 25 – THE HUGO NOVELS & NOVELLAS with Roseanna PendleburyPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Roseanna PendleburyTitles: The 2025 Hugo Novel & Novella ListHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM ThompsonReferences:Hugo Novella Finalists:The Brides of High Hill by Nghi VoThe Butcher of the Forest by Premee MohamedNavigational Entanglements by Aliette de BodardThe Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofi...
2025-06-021h 27A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 24 – THE LOST BOOK OF ADANA MOREAU with Maia Gil′AdíPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Maia Gil′AdíTitle: The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael ZapataHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Palgrave SFF: A New CanonThe Zombie ArchiveDoom Patterns: Latinx Speculations and the Aesthetics of ViolenceAugustina Bazterrica's Tender is the FleshFernanda Trias' Pink SlimeKazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me GoColson Whitehead's Zone OneToni...
2025-05-191h 00A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 24 – THE LOST BOOK OF ADANA MOREAU with Maia Gil′AdíPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Maia Gil′AdíTitle: The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael ZapataHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Palgrave SFF: A New CanonThe Zombie ArchiveDoom Patterns: Latinx Speculations and the Aesthetics of ViolenceAugustina Bazterrica's Tender is the FleshFernanda Trias' Pink SlimeKazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me GoColson Whitehead's Zone OneToni...
2025-05-191h 00A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 23 – DREAMS OF AMPUTATION with Sean McTiernanPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Sean McTiernanTitle: Dreams of Amputation by Gary J. ShipleyHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate DollarhydeReferences:The SFUltra podcastAlasdair Gray’s Lanark & Poor ThingsJames Joyce’s UlyssesFredric JamesonAbsolute DC comicsMichael Comeau’s HellbertaAlan Grant & John Wagner’s DoomlordRay Nayler’s Where the Axe is Buried
2025-05-051h 06A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 23 – DREAMS OF AMPUTATION with Sean McTiernanPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Sean McTiernanTitle: Dreams of Amputation by Gary J. ShipleyHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscribers: Kate DollarhydeReferences:The SFUltra podcastAlasdair Gray’s Lanark & Poor ThingsJames Joyce’s UlyssesFredric JamesonAbsolute DC comicsMichael Comeau’s HellbertaAlan Grant & John Wagner’s DoomlordRay Nayler’s Where the Axe is Buried
2025-05-051h 06A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 22 – THE TERRA IS A FORMER MISTRESS with Christian P. HainesPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Christian P. HainesTitles: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Host: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscriber: Kate DollarhydeReferences:Stephen King's The Shining and CarrieRafael Bernal’s His Name Was DeathMichel Nieva’s Dengue BoyDaryl Gregory’s When We Were RealAdrian...
2025-04-211h 29A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 22 – THE TERRA IS A FORMER MISTRESS with Christian P. HainesPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Christian P. HainesTitles: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Host: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughTranscriber: Kate DollarhydeReferences:Stephen King's The Shining and CarrieRafael Bernal’s His Name Was DeathMichel Nieva’s Dengue BoyDaryl Gregory’s When We Were RealAdrian...
2025-04-211h 29A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 21 – LUD-IN-THE-MIST with Marita ArvanitiPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Marita ArvanitiTitle: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope MirrleesHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:A Meal of Thorns and the Ancillary Review of Books are Hugo finalists! We are delighted and honored; a big congratulations to all the finalists.Dianna Wynne Jones, Greer Gilman, Elizabeth BearDianna Wynne Jones’ Fire and HemlockElizabeth Hand’s...
2025-04-071h 21A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 21 – LUD-IN-THE-MIST with Marita ArvanitiPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Marita ArvanitiTitle: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope MirrleesHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:A Meal of Thorns and the Ancillary Review of Books are Hugo finalists! We are delighted and honored; a big congratulations to all the finalists.Dianna Wynne Jones, Greer Gilman, Elizabeth BearDianna Wynne Jones’ Fire and HemlockElizabeth Hand’s...
2025-04-071h 21A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 20 – AMONG OTHERS with Archita MittraPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Archita MittraTitle: Among Others by Jo WaltonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Eliza Chan’s Fathomfolk & Archita’s reviewSue Lynn Tan's ImmortalLavanya Lakshminarayan's Interstellar Megachef & The Ten Percent ThiefMichael Nieva's Dengue BoyIsaac Fellman's Notes from a RegicideUrsula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of HeavenErnest Cline's
2025-03-2457 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 20 – AMONG OTHERS with Archita MittraPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Archita MittraTitle: Among Others by Jo WaltonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Eliza Chan’s Fathomfolk & Archita’s reviewSue Lynn Tan's ImmortalLavanya Lakshminarayan's Interstellar Megachef & The Ten Percent ThiefMichael Nieva's Dengue BoyIsaac Fellman's Notes from a RegicideUrsula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of HeavenErnest Cline's
2025-03-2457 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 19 – HEIR TO THE EMPIRE with Dan HartlandPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Dan HartlandTitle: Heir to the Empire by Timothy ZahnHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Gautam Bhatia's The SentenceAlex Pheby's WaterblackCristina Rivera Garza's The Taiga SyndromeKatherine Addison's The Tomb of DragonsElizabeth Sandifer's Hugboxing vs ScabpickingDavid BrinThe Wilhelm ScreamJack London's The Call of the WildBrandon Taylor’s “against cast
2025-03-101h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 19 – HEIR TO THE EMPIRE with Dan HartlandPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Dan HartlandTitle: Heir to the Empire by Timothy ZahnHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Gautam Bhatia's The SentenceAlex Pheby's WaterblackCristina Rivera Garza's The Taiga SyndromeKatherine Addison's The Tomb of DragonsElizabeth Sandifer's Hugboxing vs ScabpickingDavid BrinThe Wilhelm ScreamJack London's The Call of the WildBrandon Taylor’s “against cast
2025-03-101h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 18 – THE SILMARILLION with Eden KupermintzPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Eden KupermintzTitle: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. TolkienHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:anarchySF, heavy blog is heavy, Eden’s work at ARB, the Death // Sentence podcastAlex Pheby’s WaterblackAdrian Tchaikovsky’s House of Open WoundsDarkly Lem’s Transmentation TransienceDeath // Sentence episode on Unknown Language
2025-02-241h 19A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 18 – THE SILMARILLION with Eden KupermintzPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Eden KupermintzTitle: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. TolkienHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:anarchySF, heavy blog is heavy, Eden’s work at ARB, the Death // Sentence podcastAlex Pheby’s WaterblackAdrian Tchaikovsky’s House of Open WoundsDarkly Lem’s Transmentation TransienceDeath // Sentence episode on Unknown Language
2025-02-241h 19A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 17 – FIRE LOGIC with Benjamin RosenbaumPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Benjamin RosenbaumTitle: Fire Logic by Laurie J. MarksHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Ben’s novel, The Unraveling, and latest game, The Ghost & The GolemThe Mohanraj & Rosenbaum Are Humans podcastGennaRose Nethercott’s ThistlefootKelly Link’s The Book of LoveAnn Leckie’s Ancillary Justice & sequelsEvan Dahm's
2025-02-101h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 17 – FIRE LOGIC with Benjamin RosenbaumPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Benjamin RosenbaumTitle: Fire Logic by Laurie J. MarksHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Ben’s novel, The Unraveling, and latest game, The Ghost & The GolemThe Mohanraj & Rosenbaum Are Humans podcastGennaRose Nethercott’s ThistlefootKelly Link’s The Book of LoveAnn Leckie’s Ancillary Justice & sequelsEvan Dahm's
2025-02-101h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 16 – AURORA with Hilary StrangPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Hilary StrangTitle: Aurora by Kim Stanley RobinsonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Marooned on Mars, a podcast about the works of KSRUrsula Le Guin’s The DispossessedMargaret Killjoy’s A Country of GhostsKSR’s Mars trilogyFredric Jameson’s Archaeologies of the FutureJohn Dos Passos’s U.S.A. trilogyWiscon“...
2025-01-271h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 16 – AURORA with Hilary StrangPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Hilary StrangTitle: Aurora by Kim Stanley RobinsonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Marooned on Mars, a podcast about the works of KSRUrsula Le Guin’s The DispossessedMargaret Killjoy’s A Country of GhostsKSR’s Mars trilogyFredric Jameson’s Archaeologies of the FutureJohn Dos Passos’s U.S.A. trilogyWiscon“...
2025-01-271h 22A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 15 – MISTRESS OF MISTRESSES with Jared PechačekPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Jared PechačekTitle: Mistress of Mistresses by E.R. EddisonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Jared’s book, The West PassageBy-the-Bywater, a podcast about TolkienAnya Johanna DeNiro’s OKPsycheCaroline Hagood’s Death And Other Speculative FictionsEddison’s The Worm OuroborosThe InklingsBarbara Remington, artist and illustrator. Hard to find good scans of...
2025-01-131h 11A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 15 – MISTRESS OF MISTRESSES with Jared PechačekPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Jared PechačekTitle: Mistress of Mistresses by E.R. EddisonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Jared’s book, The West PassageBy-the-Bywater, a podcast about TolkienAnya Johanna DeNiro’s OKPsycheCaroline Hagood’s Death And Other Speculative FictionsEddison’s The Worm OuroborosThe InklingsBarbara Remington, artist and illustrator. Hard to find good scans of...
2025-01-131h 11A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 14 – 2024 Wrap-Up with Roseanna PendleburyPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Roseanna PendleburyHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughIn Memoriam:Alan Jeffrey & Cameron Estrich-WatsonReferences:Tor’s The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st CenturyJo Walton’s commentary on putting together those listsAdam Roberts, Greg EganKatherine Addison’s The Goblin EmperorJacqueline Carey’s Ku...
2024-12-301h 39A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 14 – 2024 Wrap-Up with Roseanna PendleburyPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Roseanna PendleburyHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughIn Memoriam:Alan Jeffrey & Cameron Estrich-WatsonReferences:Tor’s The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st CenturyJo Walton’s commentary on putting together those listsAdam Roberts, Greg EganKatherine Addison’s The Goblin EmperorJacqueline Carey’s Ku...
2024-12-301h 39A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 13 – THE THIS with Anna McFarlanePodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Anna McFarlaneTitle: The This by Adam RobertsHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Anna's books, including Cyberpunk Culture and Psychology, The Routledge Companion to Cyberpunk Culture, Fifty Key Figures in Cyberpunk Culture, and Adam Roberts: Critical EssaysMary Butts’ “Mappa Mundi”Jordan S. Carroll’s Speculative WhitenessAdam Roberts’ The Thing Itself,
2024-12-161h 16A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 13 – THE THIS with Anna McFarlanePodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Anna McFarlaneTitle: The This by Adam RobertsHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Anna's books, including Cyberpunk Culture and Psychology, The Routledge Companion to Cyberpunk Culture, Fifty Key Figures in Cyberpunk Culture, and Adam Roberts: Critical EssaysMary Butts’ “Mappa Mundi”Jordan S. Carroll’s Speculative WhitenessAdam Roberts’ The Thing Itself,
2024-12-161h 16A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 12 – MELMOTH with Jon GreenawayPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Jon GreenawayTitle: Melmoth by Sarah PerryHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Jon's latest books: Capitalism: A Horror Story and A Primer On Utopian PhilosophyEdgar Allen PoeFredric Jameson’s The Years of TheorySally Rooney’s IntermezzoRoberto Bolaño’s The Savage DetectivesNapoleon Dynamite, dir. Jared HessCarmen Maria Machado, George SaundersLey...
2024-12-021h 06A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 12 – MELMOTH with Jon GreenawayPodcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Jon GreenawayTitle: Melmoth by Sarah PerryHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Jon's latest books: Capitalism: A Horror Story and A Primer On Utopian PhilosophyEdgar Allen PoeFredric Jameson’s The Years of TheorySally Rooney’s IntermezzoRoberto Bolaño’s The Savage DetectivesNapoleon Dynamite, dir. Jared HessCarmen Maria Machado, George SaundersLey...
2024-12-021h 06A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 11 – THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM with Garrett Bridger GilmoreMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Garrett Bridger GilmoreTitle: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValleHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:“The Horror At Redhook” by H.P. LovecraftLovecraft Country by Matt RuffThe Night Ocean by Paul LaFargeLone Women by Victor LaValleThe Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft“The Lovecraft Boomlet” of adaptions/re...
2024-11-181h 11A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 11 – THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM with Garrett Bridger GilmoreMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Garrett Bridger GilmoreTitle: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValleHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:“The Horror At Redhook” by H.P. LovecraftLovecraft Country by Matt RuffThe Night Ocean by Paul LaFargeLone Women by Victor LaValleThe Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft“The Lovecraft Boomlet” of adaptions/re...
2024-11-181h 11Octothorpe
Octothorpe122: Topical PumpkinJohn is on the periphery, Alison is carving, and Liz went to Japan. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: con artistry, privilege, racism Letters of comment Jake Casella Brookins Sankey diagrams on the Ancillary Review of Books Ali Baker Brooks I’m a Fan of That Christopher J Garcia Emily January Kat Kourbeti SH...
2024-11-0759 minA Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 10 – TAINARON with Shinjini DeyMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Shinjini DeyTitle: Tainaron: Mail From Another City by Leena Krohn, translated by Hildi HawkinsHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:George Eliot’s Silas Marner, Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, Charles Dickens, Karl Marx The “Post-Exotic” novels by Antoine Volodine etc- Kree, Mevlido’s Dreams, Postexoticism in 12 LessonsThe New Weird, ed. Ann...
2024-11-041h 09A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 10 – TAINARON with Shinjini DeyMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Shinjini DeyTitle: Tainaron: Mail From Another City by Leena Krohn, translated by Hildi HawkinsHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:George Eliot’s Silas Marner, Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, Charles Dickens, Karl Marx The “Post-Exotic” novels by Antoine Volodine etc- Kree, Mevlido’s Dreams, Postexoticism in 12 LessonsThe New Weird, ed. Ann...
2024-11-041h 09A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 09 – PATTERN RECOGNITION with Sunny MoraineMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Sunny MoraineTitle: Pattern Recognition by William GibsonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Your Shadow Half RemainsLong Hidden: Speculative Fiction From the Margins of HistoryLooming LowSinging With All My Skin and BoneSerial horror podcast GoneThe Shadow Files of Morgan KnoxGibson's Neuromancer, Virtual Light, Mona Lisa Overdrive, “The Gernsback Contin
2024-10-211h 13A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 09 – PATTERN RECOGNITION with Sunny MoraineMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Sunny MoraineTitle: Pattern Recognition by William GibsonHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Your Shadow Half RemainsLong Hidden: Speculative Fiction From the Margins of HistoryLooming LowSinging With All My Skin and BoneSerial horror podcast GoneThe Shadow Files of Morgan KnoxGibson's Neuromancer, Virtual Light, Mona Lisa Overdrive, “The Gernsback Contin
2024-10-211h 13A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 08 – GILDED NEEDLES with Juan MartinezMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Juan MartinezTitle: Gilded Needles by Michael McDowellHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Juan’s collection Best Worst American & horror novel Extended StayJackleg PressStoryStudioTananarive Due's The ReformatoryEden Robins’ Remember You Will DieSofia Samatar's The Practice, the Horizon, and the ChainAnanda Lima's Craft: Stories I Told the DevilJesse Ball's
2024-10-071h 04A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 08 – GILDED NEEDLES with Juan MartinezMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Guest: Juan MartinezTitle: Gilded Needles by Michael McDowellHost: Jake Casella BrookinsMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:Juan’s collection Best Worst American & horror novel Extended StayJackleg PressStoryStudioTananarive Due's The ReformatoryEden Robins’ Remember You Will DieSofia Samatar's The Practice, the Horizon, and the ChainAnanda Lima's Craft: Stories I Told the DevilJesse Ball's
2024-10-071h 04A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 06 – THE PASSION with Dan HartlandMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Host: Jake Casella BrookinsGuest: Dan HartlandTitle: The Passion by Jeanette WintersonMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:This blog has a round-up of articles and commentary on the Gaiman allegations.Dan’s Snap! Criticism series at AncillaryHandheld PressVonda McInty’re The Exile Waiting & DreamsnakeThe 2024 Academic Conference on Canadian Science Fiction and FantasyAnnie Luong on...
2024-09-091h 13A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 06 – THE PASSION with Dan HartlandMore podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Credits:Host: Jake Casella BrookinsGuest: Dan HartlandTitle: The Passion by Jeanette WintersonMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughReferences:This blog has a round-up of articles and commentary on the Gaiman allegations.Dan’s Snap! Criticism series at AncillaryHandheld PressVonda McInty’re The Exile Waiting & DreamsnakeThe 2024 Academic Conference on Canadian Science Fiction and FantasyAnnie Luong on...
2024-09-091h 13A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 03 – PIRANESI with Misha Grifka WanderAncillary Review editors Jake Casella Brookins and Misha Grifka Wander discuss Susanna Clarke's PIRANESI: epistolary realism and the novel, numinous personhood, and glimpses of utopia in rejecting capitalist expectations. Notes, Links, and Transcript A Meal of Thorns is a podcast from the Ancillary Review of Books.Credits:Guest: Misha Grifka WanderTitle: Piranesi by Susanna ClarkeMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough...
2024-07-291h 17A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 03 – PIRANESI with Misha Grifka WanderAncillary Review editors Jake Casella Brookins and Misha Grifka Wander discuss Susanna Clarke's PIRANESI: epistolary realism and the novel, numinous personhood, and glimpses of utopia in rejecting capitalist expectations. Notes, Links, and Transcript A Meal of Thorns is a podcast from the Ancillary Review of Books.Credits:Guest: Misha Grifka WanderTitle: Piranesi by Susanna ClarkeMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough...
2024-07-291h 17A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 02 – DEAD COLLECTIONS with Roseanna PendleburyHost Jake Casella Brookins talks to critic Roseanna Pendlebury about Isaac Fellman's DEAD COLLECTIONS (a novel about a trans vampire archivist) and how it addresses grief, portrayals of bodies and identities over time, fanfic and low-budget television, and the place of more experimental fiction in genre publishing. Notes, Links, and Transcript ContactRSS feed | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | +lots of other platforms (let us know if it’s not on your favorite)You can follow A Meal of Thorns on Twitter and Bluesky.Email us at mealofthorns@gmail.com.Support the Show!...
2024-07-151h 03A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 02 – DEAD COLLECTIONS with Roseanna PendleburyHost Jake Casella Brookins talks to critic Roseanna Pendlebury about Isaac Fellman's DEAD COLLECTIONS (a novel about a trans vampire archivist) and how it addresses grief, portrayals of bodies and identities over time, fanfic and low-budget television, and the place of more experimental fiction in genre publishing. Notes, Links, and Transcript ContactRSS feed | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | +lots of other platforms (let us know if it’s not on your favorite)You can follow A Meal of Thorns on Twitter and Bluesky.Email us at mealofthorns@gmail.com.Support the Show!...
2024-07-151h 03A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 01 – THE SCAR with Dan HartlandFor the very first episode, host Jake Casella Brookins talks to Dan Hartland, critic and reviews editor, about China Miéville's novel THE SCAR, the genre of the New Weird, and many related works and ideas. Notes, Links, and Transcript Credits:Guest: Dan HartlandTitle: The Scar by China MiévilleMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughLinks & works referenced:Strange Horizons reviewsDan’s Snap! Criticism seriesCahokia Jazz by Francis SpuffordDan’s review of Cahokia Jazz at Strange HorizonsHim by Geoff RymanThe Practice...
2024-07-011h 20A Meal of Thorns
A Meal of ThornsA Meal of Thorns 01 – THE SCAR with Dan HartlandHost Jake Casella Brookins talks to Dan Hartland, critic and reviewer, about China Miéville's novel THE SCAR, the genre of the New Weird, and many related works and ideas. Notes, Links, and Transcript Credits:Guest: Dan HartlandTitle: The Scar by China MiévilleMusic by Giselle Gabrielle GarciaArtwork by Rob PattersonOpening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John BroughLinks & works referenced:Strange Horizons reviewsDan’s Snap! Criticism seriesCahokia Jazz by Francis SpuffordDan’s review of Cahokia Jazz at Strange HorizonsHim by Geoff RymanThe Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia...
2024-07-011h 20Strange Horizons
Strange HorizonsCritical Friends Episode 10: The Complicity of Science FictionIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Aisha and Dan discuss ⁠⁠a recent essay⁠⁠ by Jake Casella Brookins that appeared in the Ancillary Review of Books. "The vaunted prophylactic prophecy of science fiction—the ability to prevent an undesirable future by loudly predicting it—has consistently proven false," argues Brookins, and so Aisha and Dan ask themselves: what good, and bad, might SF do? And when we find a piece of good criticism such as this essay, how can it help us think better about its questions?
2024-01-2940 min