Shows
Arcade BookshopContributors from the 3Rivers ComiconGuests at 3Rivers Comicon stop by the Arcade Bookshop booth to talk about what they love about stories and character development in video games and books, and what makes stories so important to them.
Thanks to Rohan, Joseph, Alexavier, and Joe for stopping by and offering your perspectives!
Send your comments and pleas for our return to arcadebookshop@gmail.com
or
Instagram @arcade_bookshop
2024-07-2615 minArcade Bookshop#25 - The Last of UsIn Episode 25, friend of the show, author Nicolas Obregon, returns to talk about the video game, The Last of Us. For Nic, this is the game that turned video game storytelling on its head and showed us that games can do character and story not only as good as (and arguably better than) movies and television, but also as good as books.
Send game and book pairing suggestions or comments to arcadebookshop@gmail.com
or
@arcade_bookshop on Instagram.
2024-07-221h 06Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #18 - The Stories We Tell Ourselves About OurselvesYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today it's just Bryce again. He plays back a conversation with another guest at Three Rivers Comicon and talks about another aspect of why stories are so important, no matter where they come from.
Get in on the advance sale period of Bryce's book! It's a tad bit cheaper and Bryce hardly makes anything from these sales, but it would just be cool to know p...2024-07-0410 minArcade Bookshop#24 - Return of the Obra DinnIn Episode 24, Bryce and Caleb talk about the video game, Return of the Obra Dinn. The guys talk about what a unique modern gaming experience this game is and how it deftly pulls from the old to make something new. They make conjecture on the process of making a game like this, and how creater Lucas Pope does it all on his own.
This episode (and its sister on On Writing by Stephen King) was suggested by Jay from the YouTube channel, SquarePegs! Check out Jay's channel @SquarePegs, which covers game reviews, special video game l...2024-07-011h 17Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #17 - Nintendo Direct, Being Tired, & Season 2Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about all the new and exciting announcements from the past week's Nintendo Direct! Then we discuss the pains of being tired and unproductive working-class creatives, and roll out some Arcade Bookshop future update announcements.
Get in on the advance sale period of Bryce's book! It's a tad bit cheaper and Bryce hardly makes anything from these sales, but it would just be c...2024-06-2133 minArcade Bookshop#23 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen KingIn Episode 23, Bryce and Caleb talk about the book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. The guys run through King's book which deconstructs what writing is, and they compare and contrast it to their own writing processes.
This episode (and its sister on Return of the Obra Dinn coming 7/1) was suggested by Jay from the YouTube channel, SquarePegs! Check out Jay's channel @SquarePegs, which covers game reviews, special video game lists, unboxings, and so much more.
Play and read along with the guys! See the show schedule for t...2024-06-171h 37Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #16 - Edibles & Video Game ShowcasesYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today Bryce clarifies something from Arcade Cafe 15's introduction last week and tells a wild story about some THC edibles. We also get into what we thought were the most notable games from the past week's various video game showcases. We talk about Alien Rogue Incursion and more opinions on VR, XBox and Indiana Jones, and then we get excited about a game called Slitterhead!
...2024-06-1440 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #15 - 3Rivers Comicon, GTA 6, & Self-PublishingYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about Bryce's takeaways from the 3Rivers Comicon, whether he'd do it again, and what he loved most! We touch on some GTA memories upon the announcement of GTA 6s release timeframe, then we go into a discussion of whether self-publishing is the way to go with your writing nowadays.
Get in on the advance sale period of Bryce's book! It's a tad...2024-06-0737 minArcade Bookshop#22 - Vagabond by Takehiko InoueIn Episode 22, Bryce opens by complaining about Caleb not accompanying him at 3 Rivers Comicon, which occurred over the weekend.
In the core of the show, Bryce and Caleb talk about the manga, Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue! They discuss storytelling themes in Japanese literature, compare it with modern day JRPG storytelling, and the insanely admirable amount of work Inoue puts into the writing and illustrating for the series.
If you haven't listened to sister episode #21 yet, check out our coverage of Sea of Stars, which reminded us to read Vagabond.
Play and rea...2024-06-031h 38Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #14 - Assassin's Creed: Shadows & Writing WomenYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we discuss the conversations around Assassin's Creed: Shadows' protagonist and whether this choice is a disrespectful one or not. In the latter half of the show, we respond to Spencer's (Drunken Pen Writing Podcast) response to Bryce from last week's solo show (AC 13) regarding whether or not Stephen King can write women. It's a good one!
Get in on the advance sale period of...2024-05-3134 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #13 - Paper Mario, Playstation Handheld, & Book RamblingsYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today Bryce is all alone due to some last-minute scheduling issues! He talks a bit about the freshly available Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door remake for the Nintendo Switch, as well as some thoughts on the rumored Playstation handheld console coming in the future. Bryce goes over his new chapbook of poetry available for preorder and reads the synopsis, then goes into...2024-05-2427 minArcade Bookshop#21 - Sea of StarsIn Episode 21, the guys open by address Caleb's extremely limited technology when it comes to his ability and willingness to play new games! What's the deal?!
In the core of the show, Bryce and Caleb talk about Sabotage Studios' near-perfect new JRPG, Sea of Stars! They talk about what makes this game's story unique by comparing and contrasting it with the classic storytelling implemented in JRPG-style video games. And what is it within Japanese culture that makes JRPG stories what they are?
The fellas start to frame this game against the book they read with...2024-05-201h 45Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #12 - The Future of Video Games, Bryce's New Book, and Other Writing News!Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we dive into what the future of video games looks like amidst an era of massive layoffs and video game studio closures. What's going to happen in the next decade or so of gaming? Specifically, we address the latest news with X-Box/Microsoft. After that we touch on Bryce's new chapbook of poetry, Airplane Graveyard, and other assorted writing updates.
G...2024-05-1732 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #11 - State of the Podcast, Helldivers 2 Bulls***, and Nintendo Switch SuccessorYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk briefly about the state of the podcast and potential future reformatting ideas. We also bring up Bryce's poetry chapbook presales starting soon, address all that Helldivers 2 nonsense, and the Nintendo Switch successor announcement about when they might announce it.
Don't forget Arcade Bookshop will be at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh the weekend of June 1st! We'll have tons o...2024-05-1032 minArcade Bookshop#20 - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsIn Episode 20, the guys open by talking about a grumpy man in a coffee shop.
In the core of the show, Bryce and Caleb talk about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a novel by Douglas Adams. They discuss writing overly convenient circumstances and making them believable, laughing through the whole book, negative similes, and more.
The fellas bring this story back to StarTropics by talking about Douglas Adams's version of science fiction, and some conversation about British culture and mentalities, as opposed to the Americana in StarTropics.
Play and read along wi...2024-05-061h 32Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #10 - Icelandic Hot Dogs, Still Wakes the Deep, Batman, and Writing for Instagram PubsYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk briefly about Bryce's adventures in Iceland, we discuss a bit about a spooky game called Still Wakes the Deep coming soon, an interesting Batman announcement, and crafting poetry specifically for a "magazine" who publishes new issues each month in the form of Instagram posts.
Don't forget Arcade Bookshop will be at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh the weekend of...2024-05-0333 minArcade Bookshop#19 - StarTropicsIn Episode 19, the guys are recording from the Drunken Pen Writing Podcast studio, which you can see for yourself if you watch on YouTube!
In the core of the show, the guys talk about StarTropics for the NES. Bryce and Caleb talk about aliens and weird takes on Americana. This game is absolutely bananas.
Play and read along with the guys! See the show schedule for the future episodes below!
Show Schedule:
5/6: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
5/20: Sea of Stars
6...2024-04-221h 13Arcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Interview with Nicolas Obregon, author of the Inspector Iwata SeriesIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb speak with Nicolas Obregon, author of the Inspector Iwata Series, which currently includes Bluelight Yokohama, Sins as Scarlet, and Unknown Male.
Obregon talks travel writing, what it's like growing up with multiple origins, and how being well-traveled influences writing. The guys also discuss how video games and books lend from each other, and whether video games should be considered culturally vital, just as much as books or film.
Check out Nicolas Obregon's books anywhere, or on obregonbooks.com.
Stay tu...2024-04-151h 42Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #9 - Eclipse, Sand Land, and the Fallout TV ShowYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk briefly about the eclipse and conspiracy theories, a more detailed conversation about the new Sand Land video game based on Akira Toriyama's manga of the same name (coming out 4/26!), and our thoughts on the new Fallout TV show.
Don't forget Arcade Bookshop will be at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh the weekend of June 1st! We'll have tons of s...2024-04-1232 minArcade Bookshop#18 - The Sound and The Fury by William FaulknerIn Episode 18, our video got jacked up and we're temporarily back to audio-only! No worries, we should be back with video for StarTropics in two weeks. Also, Bryce and Caleb talk about those stupid TikTok videos they made back in the winter.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner. Bryce talks about how he tends to analyze his literature differently depending on how it's presented; overall, Caleb turned out to be much more observant and analytical through this novel, because of its notorious difficulty which completely...2024-04-081h 17Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #8 - Physical Media, Fruit of the Loom, & Deals at Cemetery DanceYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk new games coming very soon, print gaming magazines and how superior physical media is to digital, a little bit of conspiracy theory, and more publication news with some sweet deals at Cemetery Dance Magazine!
Don't forget Arcade Bookshop will be at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh the weekend of June 1st! We'll have tons of stickers available if you...2024-04-0530 minArcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Interview with Jeffrey Voccola, author of Kings RowIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb speak with Jeffrey Voccola, author of Kings Row, as well as Bryce's old writing professor and college advisor from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
The conversation includes discussion of avenues and pains involved in submitting your writing for publication, how technology impacts writing and students, as well as a fantastic dive into the development of Voccola's novel, Kings Row.
Purchase your copy of Kings Row by Jeffrey Voccola on Amazon or barnesandnoble.com.
Stay tuned next Monday for a brand new...2024-04-011h 18Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #7 - Things That Aren't ContraYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about publication and rejection news, our thoughts on certain rejections, and where we want to see our writing. We also play "Things That Aren't Contra," where we have to save two books and games from being eliminated from existence.
Regular episodes of Arcade Bookshop air every other Monday. Listen to a brand new special feature episode coming Monday, 4/1! W...2024-03-2931 minArcade Bookshop#17 - A Memoir BlueIn Episode 17, it's the first regular episode of Arcade Bookshop with video! However, video is only available if you watch via YouTube at this time. Also, Bryce and Caleb talk about whether or not interactive stories should be considered video games.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about A Memoir Blue, the interactive story / video game playable on all platforms. The guys dissect the metaphors and visual events of this game that has no words, names, or dialogue. It's truly a beautiful game, which the hosts considered to be sort of a visual poem...2024-03-251h 32Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #6 - Stardew Valley, Balatro, & Dune: Part TwoYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20-30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about updates to Stardew Valley and what it means for us who admire the game from afar. We discuss the brand new poker-roguelike-deckbuilder game, Balatro. We touch on Dune: Part Two and staving off a pee for long movies. Then we settle in with writing thoughts and publication news, with an announcement of Bryce's impulsive travel plans.
R...2024-03-2231 minArcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Interview with Adam Blank of Remember The GameIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb meet the host of their favorite retro gaming podcast, Remember The Game!
The conversation includes a little bit of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth chat, followed by Adam's history with and development of Remember The Game alongside his comedy career. The boys talk about the joys of podcasting, the importance of showing up, and just being nice to each other. Adam even talks about his experiences dabbling in fiction-writing.
Listen to Remember The Game wherever you get your podcasts, and consider subscribing to th...2024-03-181h 23Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #5 - Rooster Teeth & Akira ToriyamaYour miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20-30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about the shutdown of Rooster Teeth and the loss of Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama. We touch on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reviews, Mario Day announcements, future episode ideas, and publication news!
Regular episodes of Arcade Bookshop air every other Monday. Listen to a brand new Special Feature this coming Monday, 3/18, where we interview Ada...2024-03-1527 minArcade Bookshop#16 - Mega Man 10In Episode 16, Bryce and Caleb talk about weird feelings about nostalgia for times that we weren't alive for.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about Mega Man 10 for a fun, yet relevant, switch up after the last dreary episode on The Plague by Albert Camus. We talk Roboenza as a means of comparison with the book, and also how even video games as simplistic as Mega Man can have stories worth our time if we take a couple minutes to examine them.
Play and read along with the guys! See the...2024-03-111h 06Arcade BookshopArcade Cafe #4Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20-30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Today we talk about our contributor copies of the very first issue of Diabolic Press! We also touch on a little bit of what we're playing, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Caleb's progress on Sea of Stars. Not much in gaming news, but a tiny bit of Nintendo info, layoffs, and updates on recent releases.
Regular epi...2024-03-0826 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #3Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20-30 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Instagram @arcade_bookshop
TikTok @arcadebookshop
arcadebookshop@gmail.com
2024-03-0128 minArcade Bookshop#15 - The Plague by Albert CamusIn Episode 15, it's the first crossover of Arcade Bookshop and Drunken Pen Writing Podcast! Caleb, Spencer, and Bryce discuss The Plague by Albert Camus.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about the unique experience of reading The Plague after experiencing a modern-day pandemic, how desensitization has affected our society, and whether or not the allegories applied to this novel are substantiated.
Play and read along with the guys! See the show schedule for the next 5 episodes below!
(Apologies, as the schedule for the next few episodes wa...2024-02-2653 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #2Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Instagram @arcade_bookshop
TikTok @arcadebookshop
arcadebookshop@gmail.com
2024-02-2320 minArcade BookshopArcade Cafe #1Your miniature answer to the full-length episodes of Arcade Bookshop! Every week we take about 20 minutes to catch up on video game progress, book progress, video game news, writing and publishing updates, and more!
Instagram @arcade_bookshop
TikTok @arcadebookshop
arcadebookshop@gmail.com
2024-02-2330 minArcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Interview with Jaime AlejandroIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb finally meet Jaime Alejandro. Jaime hosts the Arts Calling podcast, in addition to functioning as the sole editor for the Coalition for Digital Narratives, a website which houses all of his efforts to support and engage with artists of all kinds. A big component of the site is Coalitionworks, an online literary magazine. coalitionfordigitalnarratives.org
The conversation explores how and why we should be creative, the challenges of being an artist, being inspired by The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and the effects of social m...2024-02-191h 14Arcade Bookshop#14 - Dracula by Bram StokerIn Episode 14 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about literature and media with social or cultural commentary, and whether Dracula does this well, if it truly does it at all.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about Dracula in the cultural context of the 19th century. They look at representations of class, sexuality, and gender. Additionally, Bryce brings a college textbook to accompany a discussion of science and the Industrial Revolution.
Play and read along with the guys! See the UPDATED show schedule for the next 6 episodes below!
...2024-02-121h 26Arcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Interview with Jay Malone of Square PegsIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb hang out with Jay Malone of the YouTube channel, Square Pegs. Jay's channel covers all things video games, including reviews, rankings, building a collection, and more.
The conversation explores thoughts behind being a quality content creator, how Jay came to start his channel, and also some insight into video game development as he describes his experience in video game QA.
Bryce and Caleb learned a lot geeking out with Jay and hope you do, too!
Instagram @arcade_bookshop.
T...2024-02-051h 08Arcade Bookshop#13 - Castlevania & Castlevania II: Simon's QuestIn Episode 13 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about the practicality and ethics of save states, especially as adults with full-time jobs, and how Bryce feels too guilty using them because he's a video game purist.
In the core of the show, the guys talk about how short these games really are if you're good at it, and how remarkable that is since even these little cartridges were pricey back in the day. They touch on Dracula, some details on the games' developers, the bad translation in Simon's Quest, and ideas of what future Castlevania games s...2024-01-291h 13Arcade Bookshop#12 - Animal Farm by George OrwellIn Episode 12 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb hang out once more with special guest, Riley Moon, Bryce's oldest friend and artist of the Arcade Bookshop logo and various other ABS illustrations. They talk about how working our everyday jobs is a lot like being an animal on Manor Farm.
In the core of the show, the three guys discuss the political representations of each of the book's characters, the differences between communism and socialism, and whether it's appropriate or effective for this book to be assigned to middle- or high-school-aged kids, amongst many other topics.
...2024-01-151h 12Arcade Bookshop#11 - Pokemon EmeraldIn Episode 11 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb hang out with special guest, Riley Moon, Bryce's oldest friend and artist of the Arcade Bookshop logo and various other ABS illustrations.
In the core of the show, the three guys discuss what literary merit the third generation Pokemon game does have, in regards to social commentary on things like climate change, as well as some inspiration behind the world and character creation. For how great of an adventure all Pokemon games generally are, it was surprising how little narrative is available at face value.
Lo...2024-01-0143 minArcade BookshopDrunken Christmas - Die Hard (NES) & A Christmas Carol by Charles DickensIn a very special Christmas episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb get hammered and ramble about random bullcrap.
In the core of the show, which is very scattered, they discuss Die Hard for Nintendo Entertainment System, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Get drunk with them and enjoy!
Merry Christmas, y'all!
arcadebookshop@gmail.com
Instagram: arcade_bookshop
TikTok: ArcadeBookshop
2023-12-223h 04Arcade Bookshop#10 - Riverdale Vol. 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and OthersIn Episode 10 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about their writing acceptances and the submission process.
In the core of the show, the co-hosts discuss what a quality graphic novel looks like and whether or not the Riverdale comics accomplish this. They talk about the unique aspects of the otherwise typical illustrations, how the graphic novel compares and compliments the CW show, anachronistic references, and more!
Play and read along with the guys! See the UPDATED show schedule for the next 6 episodes below!
Show Schedule:
1/1: Pokemon Em...2023-12-181h 24Arcade BookshopSpecial Feature - Long Live Mortal Kombat with David L. CraddockIn a special guest interview episode of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb sit down with author David L. Craddock to talk about his book, Long Live Mortal Kombat, which explores the deep end of the arcade-era of the bloody, world-renown video game franchise.
They talk video game development, writing, publishing, copyright dilemmas, and nostalgia.
David is the perfect first special guest interview for Arcade Bookshop, emphasizing the importance of both books and games in our modern lives.
Instagram @arcade_bookshop.
TikTok @arcadebookshop
Send book and game pairing sug...2023-12-131h 38Arcade Bookshop#9 - OxenfreeIn Episode 9 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about Caleb's last minute game and book cramming, and Bryce reads Caleb's heartfelt texts about the game.
In the core of the show, the co-hosts discuss a love-hate relationship with Oxenfree. They talk about the cliche coming-of-age themes within the actually very unique horror elements and storytelling of the game. Some of the dialogue, however, is flawed in a variety of ways. Not to mention the relative lack of free will when it comes to progressing the game.
Play and read along with the guys! See t...2023-12-041h 05Arcade Bookshop#8 - At The Mountains of Madness by H.P. LovecraftIn Episode 8 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about Bionic Reading.
In the core of the show, the co-hosts discuss the social controversy around H.P. Lovecraft as a person. They talk about his strange, sometimes dense writing style, as well as how incredibly inventive he is when it comes to describing and naming creatures and environments in settings for the storytelling we now call "cosmic horror." The man certainly deserves to be read, but is not without his faults.
Play and read along with the guys! See the UPDATED show schedule for the n...2023-11-201h 16Arcade Bookshop#7 - Super MetroidIn Episode 7 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about Bryce's blood plasma donations.
Then, Bryce continuously tries to convince Caleb to buy a Nintendo Switch so they can start playing more contemporary games together!
In the core of the show, the co-hosts discuss female leads, storytelling with atmosphere, and themes of isolation in the 1980s.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Arcade Bookshop, when Bryce and Caleb do At The Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, airing Monday, 11/20!
Play and read along with the guys! See the show s...2023-11-061h 13Arcade Bookshop#6 - American Gods by Neil GaimanIn Episode 6 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb talk about each other's upcoming publications, Bryce's rejection goal for the year, as well as his squeaky chair.
Then, Bryce mispronounces Neil Gaiman's last name when he introduces their discussion of his novel, American Gods. The co-hosts give a rundown of the events of the novel, discuss how Neil Gaiman might be one of the greatest living authors, how a British author wrote about AMERICAN Gods, and touch on the themes of identity, mortality (or not), sacrifice, and loyalty, which tie the book to last week's episode on Final F...2023-10-231h 17Arcade Bookshop#5 - Final Fantasy IXIn Episode 5 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce has anxiety about copying all of Caleb's choices, but they both just have really great taste. They talk covering more contemporary games on the show, and they also spin a wheel to choose a random video game for a future episode!
Most importantly, the co-hosts discuss Final Fantasy IX, which is Bryce's favorite game of all time. Caleb dove into research on this game, but couldn't actually play it, so his overwhelm from the unbelievable storytelling of this game as Bryce provides detail is transparent throughout!
They talk intergalactic...2023-10-091h 11Arcade Bookshop#4 - Blackmailers Don’t Shoot by Raymond ChandlerIn Episode 4 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb touch on running over baby mattresses and The Book Loft at the German Village in Columbus, Ohio, and eating the "goo" which was actually a delicious Ethiopian dinner.
In the main portion of the conversation, the co-hosts discuss Raymond Chandler's first published short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot," a classic case of noir crime fiction. Within the discussion they address getting paid for writing and delve a little bit into Raymond Chandler's background and lifestyle.
These 1930s noir stories were written in such a formulaic manner to achieve a...2023-09-2559 minArcade Bookshop#3 - Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes TrueIn Episode 3 of Arcade Bookshop, Bryce and Caleb reach for story in Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes True, a point-and-click crime-noir video game made for a variety of platforms. They discuss the version made for the NES, which was apparently much less graphic than the version released for other platforms. Nevertheless, this was the one Caleb played before, so that's what we agreed to talk about.
As a point-and-click game goes, the only story you get in Deja Vu is in the brief description which trigger upon inspecting objects and entering new rooms. The co-hosts use these...2023-09-111h 05Arcade BookshopUpdate #1UPDATE!
Bryce talks about when and how often an episode of Arcade Bookshop goes live, sound quality, the Cleveland Gaming Classic, and asks to hear from the Arcade Bookshop community.
Stay tuned for the next feature episode about Deja Vu, which was made for a variety of platforms, but your hosts played the NES version.
Listen to chats about stories in video games and their literary counterparts every other Monday!
Play and read along with Bryce and Caleb. See the show schedule for the next 8 episodes below and send them a le...2023-09-0404 minArcade Bookshop#1 - EarthboundArcade Bookshop debuts with co-hosts Bryce Johle and Caleb James, who talk about why video games are special to them and how their stories are generally underrated. They discuss their backgrounds in writing and literature, and what this podcast means for themselves as they provide this as a fun, occasionally intellectual conversation for listeners to feel a part of.
In the meat of the show, they talk about the cult classic Super Nintendo video game, Earthbound, which saw an increase in popularity with the release of the SNES Classic. Earthbound has a surprising amount of depth which r...2023-08-281h 24Arcade Bookshop#2 - Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray BradburyBryce and Caleb talk about Earthbound's literary counterpart, Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The discussion addresses Bradbury's writing style, the history of this famous novel, and what he might be saying about parenting, making choices, coming of age, and how it all ties in nicely after playing Earthbound.
Listen to chats about stories in video games and their literary counterparts every other Monday!
Bryce and Caleb think it would be fun if listeners played and read along with them. See the show schedule for the next 8 episodes below and send them a l...2023-08-281h 12Arcade BookshopArcade Bookshop (Trailer)Arcade Bookshop co-host Bryce Johle introduces the podcast and talks about what to expect in each episode.
Listen to Bryce Johle and Caleb James chat about stories in video games and their literary counterparts every other Monday!
First two episodes covering the Super Nintendo game, "Earthbound," and the classic spooky novel, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury drop August 28th!
They always keep a controller in one hand and a book in the other.
Feel free to send game and book pairing suggestions to arcadebookshop@gmail.com.
...2023-08-0602 min