Undertowerspodcast - Podcast Details

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Undertowers PodcastEpisode 35: Undertowers RecommendsIn this episode we bring to you, our intrepid listeners a series of recommendations, an eclectic series of things we are enjoying. You’ll hear about Dragon Quest, Indiana Jones, and the Oblivion remake, as well as The Night Manager (2016), and Squid Game. We run through audiobooks, especially The First Law world of books, the recent Andy Serkis Middle-earth narrations, the Astral Codex Ten Substack based blog and similarly the Astral Codex Ten Podcast, and finally the new anime Lazarus. We finish up with a round of dislikes or un-recommendations. Links: Drago...2025-07-2748 min

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 34: Lord of The Rings 'Recast'2025-07-111h 55

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 33: Hangout with Mike's Book ReviewsWe are delighted to welcome Mike Kearns of the excellent booktube channel Mike’s Book Reviews to the podcast this week. We talk through a current dissatisfaction in the current fantasy and science fiction psychosphere as well as what it’s like to be an established and successful booktuber. You can find Mike’s excellent channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@mikesbookreviews Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/undertowerspodcast/ The music you heard was Greener Pastures by Hole Dwelle...2025-04-241h 39

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 32: Tropes 2.0We are revisiting our tropes discussion, this time with a twist. We each prepared lists of tropes we are recently enjoying and some we are tired of but as we pick them to discuss, each of us will take turns steelmanning the opposite of our baseline positions. Led to a fun and hilarious episode and discussion. Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/underto...2025-04-031h 27

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 31: Bookclub Hangout: the funniest moments in fantasyWe have a wide-ranging conversation covering the totality of the books we’ve read in our book club thus far. What was the funniest moment? What counts as grimdark? We wind down with a speed round of favorite moments and look at what we are most excited to read the rest of the year. OUR COMPLETED NOVELS: 2023 - THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER by Gene Wolfe THE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR by Gene Wolfe THE SWORD OF THE LICTOR by Gene Wolfe THE CITADEL OF THE AUTARCH by Gene Wolfe THE BLACK COMP...2025-03-211h 28

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 30: The State of Sci fi Fantasy in Film & TV 2025-03-171h 17

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 29: Robert Eggers NosferatuWe are back! In this episode we dive into Robert Eggers’ 4th feature film, Nosferatu. We thoroughly enjoyed this film, both on the immediate level and ruminating on the themes and ideas the film presents. Where does the film stack up against Eggers’ previous work? Is Eggers’ our most Wolfian director? You can watch the 1922 Nosfertu in full on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OZ5Wam2_Uc&t=3s Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https...2025-03-041h 29

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 27: The Sword and the Stone by TH WhiteThe once and future king has come again to your ears as the round table boys are discussing TH White’s Arthurian masterpiece The Sword in the Stone being the first of the four books compiled as The Once and Future King. The book is so full of magic, humor, and heart that it was impossible to not have a delightful conversation about it. We dive into some speculative 80s era casting for a film that never was as well. Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: 2024-12-071h 07

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 26: Uzumaki & Attack on TitanSpirals and giants galor! We explore the wonderful and terrible worlds of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki and the excellent Attack on Titan. While very different in approach and scope, there are some very interesting parallels to explore and are otherwise but exemplary in their storytelling and overall effect. Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/undertowerspodcast/ The music you...2024-12-021h 37

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 25: Fullmetal Alchemist & Hunter x HunterPrepare to make a circle and focus all your aura into your ears as we are diving DEEP into the wonderful worlds of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (published 2001-2010) and Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi (published 1998-present). We also dip into the anime adaptations of both stories, both the 2003 FMA and Brotherhood and the 1999 and 2011 HxH. Next week we will dig into Attack on Titan and Junji Ito’s Uzumaki. And as always, we stan our boy Ikalgo and the short king Edward: https://youtu.be/GhuhI_kbhbI?t=143 G...2024-11-221h 53

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 24: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s CourtTravel back in time with us to both the 19th and 6th centuries as we discuss Hank Morgan’s exploits in the dark ages of ye olde England in Mark Twain’s masterful science fiction satire A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. One of our most fun conversations yet. Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/undertowerspodcast/ The music you...2024-11-111h 19

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 23: Ursula of Ulm, an interview with JB JacksonWe welcome back author and friend of the pod, JB Jackson to discuss his recently released novel, Ursula of Ulm, the second installment in the De Re Doridica series of which five are planned. It’s hard to adequately express how much we’ve enjoyed getting to know JB through these interviews and dive even deeper into the weird world of 1977’s Fort Worth, TX. We absolutely adored Ursula, the sequel to Shagduk. The novel is a clear step up but also a satisfying and natural continuation of everything that was enjoyable about Shagduk. Give us a lik...2024-11-011h 43

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 22: Between Two FiresIn this episode we dive into the horror filled 14th century French landscape that is Between Two Fires. We conduct a thorough plot overview and then work through themes of the book. This episode was dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Alyssa Lokits, who we toast at the beginning of the episode. Please support The Mary Parrish Center in her honor: https://maryparrish.kindful.com/ Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod htt...2024-10-251h 50

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 21: Le Morte D'ArthurSir! It is time to have passing good cheer ‘round the (small) round table as we dive head first into the vast plentitude that is Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. This conversation twists and turns into many a blind alley as we reckon with the mighty weight of Malory’s telling of the birth, life, and death of the Once and Future King. Morte is the first known telling of the entire story of King Arthur and we had a blast digging into it. We also discussed the trailer release for Robert Eggers’ No...2024-10-131h 34

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 20: The MabinogionWe wanted to take a moment to highlight Samaritan’s Purse and the work they are doing to help the recovery in Eastern Tennessee and North Carolina after the devastating flooding that took place. Donate here: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/pray-for-those-in-helenes-path/ Also, all proceeds from the sale of these shirts available from the Bitter Southerner will go to disaster relief: https://bsgeneralstore.com/products/south-disaster-relief-t-shirt Between me and God, we will discuss these tales! Into the bowels of Welsh history and myth we plummet to revel in the lush wonders that is the...2024-10-051h 35

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 19: Tower of the ElephantFrom the confines of Smoker’s Abbey in East Nashville, Steven and Daniel (Sam is unfortunately away for this one) discuss Robert E Howard’s Sword & Sorcery masterpiece The Tower of the Elephant and then Gene Wolfe’s Six from Atlantis which is an homage to Howard and collected in the Sword & Sorcery anthology. Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/undertowerspodcast/ Th...2024-09-281h 10

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 18: The Authorial GodhandIn this episode we each reveal our authorial Godhand, giving the thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinky (basically a Berserk themed “top 5”). As we share a universal love of Tolkien and Gene Wolfe, those authors were highlighted by left out of the exercise (our Guts and Skull-Knight you could say). Give us a like and subscribe! You can follow us on x / tiktok / instagram: https://x.com/undertowerspod https://www.tiktok.com/@undertowerspodcast https://www.instagram.com/undertowerspodcast/ The music you he...2024-09-201h 19

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 17: the Wizard with James Wynn of Rereading WolfeOur second episode with James Wynn of the Rereading Wolfe to discuss Gene Wolfe’s fantasy masterpiece The Wizard which completes the duology that is The Wizard Knight. We get into wild speculation while also highlighting the sheer pleasure that this epic provides. In this episode we utilize the great work done by Marc Aramini (https://www.youtube.com/@marcaramini9794) and The Duchy of Cumberbatch blog (https://duchyofcumberbatch.wordpress.com/about/). Make sure to subscribe and check out the Rereading Wolfe podcast (podbean: https://rereadingwolfe.podbean.com/ / x-twitter: https://x.com/ReReadingWolfe). Give us a like...2024-09-132h 35

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 16: The Knight with Rereading WolfeWe are pleased to be joined by James Wynn of the Rereading Wolfe podcast to discuss Gene Wolfe’s fantasy epic The Knight, the first novel from his duology The Wizard Knight. We dive deep into the complex story (and in Wolfe fashion the story behind the story) while never steering away from the sheer pleasure of this imaginative fantasy tale. The music you heard was Greener Pastures by Hole Dweller from the Crossroads EP. 2024-09-071h 44

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 15: BerserkWe finally give Berserk its due with a full spoiler-free but content rich episode on Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy masterwork. Berserk is a classic work of seinen manga and we are just as thrilled to talk about it as we were to experience it. The music you heard was Greener Pastures by Hole Dweller from the Crossroads EP. 2024-09-0354 min

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 14: The Hero Battle BrackettHear ye! Hear ye! It is time for the Battle Bracket! We work through a violent thought-experiment asking the question, “who would be the victor in a combat tournament between sixteen selected heroes from the Sword & Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy series we’ve read over the past year?” The challengers are: Sir Able - Gene Wolfe’s Wizard Knight Conan - Robert E Howard’s titular muscle-bound barbarian Corban - John Gwynne’s The Faithful & The Fallen Druss - David Gemmell’s Legend Elric - Michael Moorcock’s albino sorcerer from The Elric Saga Fafhrd - Fritz Leiber’s barbarian from his many Lank...2024-08-231h 40

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 13: Rings of Power Season 2 Official Trailer, The First Sword & Sorcery Story: Lord Dunsany’s “The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth”Episode 13: Rings of Power Season 2 Official Trailer, The First Sword & Sorcery Story: Lord Dunsany’s “The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth” In this episode we react to the new “official” trailer for Rings of Power season 2. Then we do a full breakdown and deep dive into Lord Dunsany’s short story The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth which is believed by many to be the first Sword & Sorcery Story (the other contenders are The Shadow Kingdom which is the first King Kull story by Robert E Howard but Howard’s first published Sword & Sorcery story would be Red Sh...2024-08-161h 08

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 12: Robert Downey Jr Returns & Schuyler Hernstrom's The Gift of the Ob-menWhile Sam is unfortunately absent from this episode, Steven and Daniel met at Smoker’s Abbey in East Nashville to discuss Robert Downey Jr’s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom and then do a deep dive into Schuyler Hernstrom’s magnificent short story The Gift of the Ob-men, originally published in 2016 in Cirsova magazine and later collected in Hernstrom’s novel The Eye of Sounnu, being released in 2020. Sky’s writing is a gift to all lover’s of Sword & Sorcery and a breath of fresh air for those worried the genre was dead. His storytelling evokes fantasy gian...2024-08-091h 23

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 11: JB Jackson & ShagdukEpisode 11: JB Jackson & Shagduk In this episode we interview JB Jackson, the author of Shagduk and the upcoming Ursula of Ulm, the second installment in the ongoing five book De re Dordica saga. We discuss his writing style and inspiration for Shagduk. Shagduk is an epistolary novel being written as a journal or diary and we dive deep into what writing in this style entails. We discuss some key touchpoints in Diary of a Nobody by Weedon Grossmith and George Grossmith and Satan Wants Me by Robert Irwin. We talk through his admiration for fantasy g...2024-08-011h 43

Undertowers PodcastEpisdoe 10: Underrated/Underread Authors & Build a D&D groupIn this episode we discuss authors that we love that we feel either aren't as respected or aren't as widely read as they should be. Steven gets us kicked off with Lloyd Alexander and especially his Chronicles of Prydain series. Steven later talks about his admiration for Glen Cook and the Chronicles of the Black Company and Christopher Buehlman with his horror fantasy Between Two Fires in sharp focus as well as The Blacktongue Thief. Daniel brings the group his admiration for Jack Vance and especially his Lyonesse Trilogy as well as the late 60s novella The Dragon Masters...2024-07-261h 34

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 9: an interview with Scott Christian SavaIn this episode we interview Scott Christian Sava and delve into his history with art, design, and scifi/fantasy works, especially in comics. We talk about his affinity for Spider-man and Conan the Barbarian especially and his years spent seeking work at the early Comicons. We cover his work animating video games for the Sega Genesis and Atari arcade machines and later work in the Casper films. He would later go on to direct Animal Crackers and create the animated graphic novel series The Dreamland Chronicles. We talk about his current artwork and development and the Hobbit hole he...2024-07-201h 21

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 8: World Building and 5 items for a Hobbit adventureWorld building is a foundational aspect of fantasy and science fiction and in truth, all fiction. We discuss our preferences in the world, especially examining Tolkien in Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, Gene Wolfe in the Book of the New Sun and Wizard Knight, Robert E Howard’s Conan series set in the Hyborian Age, Glen Cook’s The Black Company, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, John Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen, and JB Jackon’s Shagduk. We talk about how world building is key even in non-fantastical settings but is paramount in worlds real or imagined...2024-07-131h 08

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 7: Pages vs Pacing & Sword & Sorcery Draft-a-FellowshipCan books be too short or long? Or is pacing more important than pages? In this episode we discuss the importance and our preference for story length and focus. Is there a right answer? Listen to find out. Then, we draft a Lord of the Rings-style Fellowship, using a maximum of two characters from the Sword & Sorcery–Heroic Fantasy series that we are currently completing consisting of: Conan, Elric, Fafhrd & Gray Mouser, Broken Sword, Drenai Saga, Witcher, Wizard Knights, and the Faithful & the Fallen. We are selecting a party using a modified template from the Brot...2024-07-081h 52

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 6: Tropes We Love & HateFantasy and Sci-fi for the most part are a series of interlinking tropes and overtures that combine and interplay to make an unique whole. In this episode we discuss those tropes that move us and exicte us each time they present themselves. We also dive into those that have us rolling our eyes when they appear. Thanks again to our wonderful sponsor Damsel Distressing. The music you heard was Crossroads by Hole Dweller which can be found here. Connect with us at undertowerpodcast@gmail.com, @undertowerspod on X/twitt...2024-06-281h 41

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 5: Robert E Howard & Gene WolfeWhat is there to say about Robert E Howard and Gene Wolfe? Well, in fact, quite a lot. In this episode we discuss the legendary Robert E Howard focusing on Conan, his most iconic creation and one of the pinnacles of fiction. Who is Conan and what does he represent? Then we discuss our feelings on Gene Wolfe through the lens of Book of the New Sun and Wizard Knight especially. We talk about his uniqueness as a writer and attempt to delve spoiler-free into these two incredible works and the impressions they’ve left on u...2024-06-211h 36

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 4: Manga, Anime, and our Book Club ItineraryIn this episode we discuss our histories with anime and our recent foray into reading manga. We talk about our impressions and general love form the form and go into a bit of detail on Berserk and Fullmetal Alchemist which we’ve read as a group and Hunter x Hunter which we are reading now. We also invite everyone to hop along for our book club which looks like this over the next two months: 2024-06-141h 32

Undertowers PodcastEpisode 3: Talking 'The Hunt for Gollum,' Adaptations, and the Forbes Best 30 Book Series ListEpisode 3: Talking 'The Hunt for Gollum,' Adaptations, and the Forbes Best 30 Book Series List In this episode, we discuss the recently announced *The Hunt for Gollum*, sorting through both trepidation and excitement at the announcement. This leads to a broader discussion of film adaptations and the state of big media in general. We finish with a rundown of Forbes' wild list of the 30 best book series of all time. News! JB Jackson has launched a Kickstarter for Ursula of Ulm, the sequel to his debut novel *Shagduk*. Both books center around a...2024-06-071h 11

Undertowers PodcastUndertowers Podcast Episode 2Talking Genre and Fantasy, Plus Our Top 10 Video Games In this episode, we discuss the concept of genre, exploring where it's helpful and where it's just marketing. Is fantasy a setting or a genre? How should books be categorized in a bookshop? Does it even matter all that much? We delve into when genre is useful and when it becomes a crutch. Afterward, we share our personal top 10 video games. 2024-05-311h 35

Undertowers PodcastUndertowers Podcast Episode 1 2024-05-211h 40