Episodes

  • The Books! The Books!

    The Books! The Books!
    Jan 22 2025
    Season 2, Episode 1: David and Perry discuss the books they read during 2024 and give lists of their best five in each category. Plus their most disappointing read of the year.
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    2 hrs and 28 mins
  • Episode 102: Fanzines, the State of the Art

    Episode 102: Fanzines, the State of the Art
    Jul 22 2024
    In this special episode, Perry hosts a discussion panel at Conflux, a science fiction convention held in Canberra in October 2023. The topic was "Fanzines: the State of the Art". Introduction (01:10) Panel discussion (59:21) Windup (00:20)
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 101: The best SF novels of the 1960s

    Episode 101: The best SF novels of the 1960s
    Jun 22 2024
    In this special episode, David and Perry give a talk at the Nova Mob about the SF novels of the 1960s. To decide on the best, we treat the exercise as a draft, each of us picking a title in turn in order to try to get the best "team". Who will win? Meeting starts (00:45) Introduction to the draft (01:53) Why the 1960s? (02:02) Perry's first pick (02:45) David's first pick (02:24) Perry's second pick (02:24) David's second pick (03:04) Perry's third pick (02:40) David's third pick (03:41) Perry's fourth pick (02:00) David's fourth pick (02:47) Perry's fifth pick (03:38) David's fifth pick (03:24) Perry's sixth pick (04:37) David's sixth pick (03:34) Possibles and reserves (03:24) Voting (08:56) Results of voting (00:24) Discussion (10:19) Windup (54:20)
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Episode 100: We score a century!

    Episode 100: We score a century!
    Jan 16 2024
    Perry and David celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast by discussing the best books they read during 2023. And bid you all a fond farewell. Introduction (00:12) Our 100th Episode! (04:14) Let's talk about Books (02:10) 2023: Highlights of our reading (01:11:53) Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (David) (04:24) Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (Perry) (03:41) Best Fantasy read in 2023 (David) (03:40) Best Fantasy read in 2023 (Perry) (03:34) Best Crime read in 2023 (David) (05:28) Best Crime read in 2023 (Perry) (05:59) Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (David) (02:01) Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (Perry) (02:57) Best Historical Fiction read in 2023 (David) (05:50) Best Novellas read in 2023 (Perry) (05:26) Best Literary read in 2023 (David) (02:13) Best Literary read in 2023 (Perry) (04:32) Best Children's Literature read in 2023 (David) (02:27) Best Collection/Anthology read in 2023 (Perry) (02:19) Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (David) (03:16) Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (Perry) (02:36) Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (David) (01:22) Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (Perry) (01:11) Best Overall re-read in 2023 (David) (01:10) Best Overall re-read in 2023 (Perry) (02:39) Windup and Farewell (06:02 Image generated by Wombo AI.
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Episode 99: Good thinking, Ninety-Nine!

    Episode 99: Good thinking, Ninety-Nine!
    Dec 12 2023
    Perry and David discuss their recent reading, including several crime or crime-adjacent books, a middle-school fantasy, and an excellent piece of historical fiction. Intro (03:20) General News (03:33) Goodreads Readers Choice Awards (03:32) What we've been reading (58:11) Winds of Evil by Arthur Upfield (10:43) Dorothy L. Sayers Novels (07:00) A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (09:31) The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann (06:24) Black Sheep by Susan Hill (06:56) Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (04:25) Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (06:51) Loot by Tania James (06:14) Windup (03:33) END (00:10) Title and image from TV Show Get Smart.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 98: Sorrow and silence are strong

    Episode 98: Sorrow and silence are strong
    Nov 21 2023
    Perry and David discuss recent book awards and go on to discuss their recent reading, some of which evoke strong emotions and others which have kept us on the edge of our seats. Intro (04:07) General News (14:02) Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2023 (03:21) The Hugo Awards 2023 (03:41) World Fantasy Awards 2023 (00:35) Le Guin Prize for Imaginative Fiction 2023 (01:17) Death of Michael Bishop (01:36) Death of A. S. Byatt (03:22) What we've been reading lately (45:49) All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien (04:49) Beast in View by Margaret Millar (03:04) Blindness by José Saramago (07:11) The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (05:32) The Conversion by Amanda Lohrey (04:16) The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (06:18) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (05:55) The True Story of Spit McPhee by James Aldridge (08:13) Windup (00:24) Sorrow and silence are strong, and patient endurance is godlike. —Evangeline, Part 2. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Image generated by Wombo art
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Episode 97: Murder, magic and mutiny

    Episode 97: Murder, magic and mutiny
    Oct 10 2023
    David and Perry talk about their recent reading, ranging from a confronting story of racism and murder in America, through a pleasant coming-of-age novel, a comedy TV series and an engaging piece of historical non-fiction. Introduction (02:35) Conflux: National Science Fiction Convention (05:40) General News (16:13) U.S. National Book Awards (03:05) Ditmar Awards (02:15) Nobel Prize for Literature 2023 (01:58) A.I. Translation of books (08:42) What we've been reading and watching (55:01) All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby (07:42) The Will of the Many by James Islington (08:51) The Odd Angry Shot by William Nagle (09:36) Among Others by Jo Walton (10:50) Only Murders in the Building Season 3 (08:26) The Wager by David Grann (08:52) Travelling with books (01:19) Windup (00:35) Image generated by Wombo.ai.
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Episode 96: The manner of your vile outrageous crimes

    Episode 96: The manner of your vile outrageous crimes
    Sep 19 2023
    Perry and David talk about their latest reading, listening and watching in the crime genre, from a classic PI novel to the latest best-seller. Introduction (05:56) General News (11:06) Ned Kelly Awards 2023 (02:13) Dragon Awards 2023 (07:00) Queensland Literary Awards 2023 (01:43) What we've been reading and watching (55:24) In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty (11:43) No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child (11:46) The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan (05:01) D Is For Deadbeat by Sue Grafton (08:54) Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron (07:58) The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 2) (06:01) Deadloch (03:54) Windup (01:10) Image generated by Ideogram.ai "Arrogant priest, this place demands I keep calm,Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonor’d me.or you would be punished for your insult.Think not, although in writing I preferr’dDo not think that just because I wrote downThe manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,the details of your revolting terrible crimesThat therefore I have forg’d, or am not ablethat I have made anything up or cannotverbatim to rehearse the method of my pen." Henry VI Part I, Act 3 Scene 1
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    1 hr and 14 mins