Fiction Fans
“We read books – and other words, too.” Two cousins read and discuss a wide variety of books from self pub to indie to trad pub. Episodes are divided into a “Spoiler Free” conversation and then a clearly delineated “Spoiler-y” discussion, so listeners can enjoy every episode regardless of whether they’ve read the book or not. Most of the books covered on the podcast are Fantasy, Science Fiction, or some middle ground between the two, but they also read Literary Fiction, Poetry, and Non Fiction, and Fan Fiction.
Fiction Fans recently finished a readthrough of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett.
Episodes
202 episodes
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Your hosts discuss Murder on the Orient Express, a reread chosen for them by their Patreon supporters as part of the quarterly “Patron’s Choice” selection. They debate whether or not it’s mean to describe a fictional character as “ugly”, talk a...
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Episode 183
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36:01
Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez
Your hosts discuss how fun it is to see mundane space station jobs in Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez. They talk about the main character’s toxic work environment, and his eventual entanglement in a thrilling space adventure. They also consider...
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Episode 182
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49:42
Nostalgia Book Club: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine with OWWR Pod
Your hosts are joined by Hannah and Laura from OWWR Pod to discuss Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, part of their Nostalgia Book Club series. They talk about how much less weird it would be if the charact...
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Episode 181
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56:29
Shards of Shattered Darkness by Mark N. Drake
Your hosts discuss "Shards of Shattered Darkness," a collection of stories by Mark N. Drake. They debate where exactly they think the collection falls on the horror genre spectrum, talk about how the collection works (or doesn't) as a thematic ...
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Episode 180
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44:03
One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed
Your hosts discuss Premee Mohamed's latest collection of stories, "One Message Remains," and praise its evocative writing and strong character development. They explore the book's themes of colonization, exploitation, and war, and discuss how t...
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Episode 179
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47:24
Author Interview: Fermi's Wake by Chris Farnell
Your hosts welcome Chris Farnell back on to the podcast to talk about Fermi’s Wake, his new collection of novellas featuring the ragtag crew of the Fermi. They discuss crab-centric evolution, ego driven characters, and confronting readers with ...
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Episode 178
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38:26
Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers edited by Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell
Your hosts discuss Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers, a new anthology edited by Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell. They talk about enjoying the mix of “new to them” and familiar authors, what makes a story a bummer (complimentary), and the experie...
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Episode 177
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31:21
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Your hosts discuss Dracula by Bram Stoker, and almost start talking about various Dracula adaptations as well before they manage to rein themselves in. They cover the mysteriously incorrect publication date in Lilly’s copy of the novel, how muc...
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Episode 176
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1:15:54
Author Interview: The Ruptured Sky by Jessica A. McMinn
Your hosts speak with Jessica A. McMinn about The Ruptured Sky, the first novel in her debut fantasy quartet. They talk about worldbuilding, asshole mentors, duty, and consequences.Find more from Jessica:https://jessicaamcminn.com...
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Episode 175
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47:54
Author Interview: The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks
Your hosts are joined by Dan Hanks to discuss his scifi, thriller, adventure, every-genre-really novel, The Way Up is Death. They talk about large casts in focused scenes, unlikeable vs irredeemable characters, and the meaning of life.F...
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Episode 174
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46:48
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
This week, your hosts are covering The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, which turns out to be a delightful intersection of both of their interests. They discuss emotional journeys in adjacent fantasy, political coups, and unique grammar con...
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Episode 173
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54:49
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
Excited for Mickey 17, the upcoming movie featuring Robert Pattinson, your hosts read Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. Despite their complaints about the narrative voice and Mickey’s POV, they really did enjoy the book, they promise. They also discuss...
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Episode 172
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50:04
2024: Year in Review
Your hosts reflect upon 2024 and their podcasting experience, including some stats about the books they read in the last year. They also award some superlatives, such as "Best Supporting Character," "Best Re-read," and "World Most Likely to Kil...
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Episode 171
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1:00:04
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
Your hosts finally reach the end of their Discworld reread with The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett, and they're feeling all sorts of ways about it. They talk about Tiffany Aching's arc over her mini-series as a whole, tying up (and leaving...
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Episode 170
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50:17
The Escher Man by T. R. Napper
Your hosts discuss The Escher Man by T. R. Napper. They consider what makes a story better fit for a movie format. They also talk about characters they're emotionally invested in, family dynamics, and cybernetic enhancements....
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Episode 169
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43:03
Coup de Grace: Firefly tie-in by Una McCormack
In this episode your hosts discuss the TV show Firefly, and Lilly fundamentally misunderstands "tie-in" novels. They also talk about colonialism vs. capitalism and what Wash's shirt actually looks like.Find us on
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Episode 168
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48:06
Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
Your hosts are baffled by Raising Steam, the penultimate Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. They debate which miniseries it ought to belong in, talk about how long it takes for the plot to take off, and actually enjoy all of the wife character...
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Episode 167
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44:17
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Your hosts indulge in some serious escapism with Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. They talk about how terribly Basgaith War Academy is run, ask themselves why anyone would want to attend it, and yet defend to the death their right to enjoy this b...
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Episode 166
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45:54
Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov
Your hosts read Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov (and get a little distracted argreeing [that's arguing and agreeing at the same time] over how it's different from Kushiel's Dart). They discuss political plotlines in SFF, bot...
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Episode 165
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49:48
Snuff by Terry Pratchett
Your hosts spend 17 minutes talking about some tropes they didn't love in Snuff by Terry Pratchett, and then roughly two hours (cut down to a reasonable time) gushing about the rest of the book in the spoiler section so we can't talk about it. ...
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Episode 164
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45:59
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Your hosts discuss witchcraft and religion in their conversation about The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. They talk about familiar conflicts in fantasy settings, surprising (and not so surprising) character arcs, and whether rivers o...
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Episode 163
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58:08
The Call of Cthulhu & Other Works by H.P. Lovecraft
Your hosts were thoroughly unimpressed by the selection of works they read from Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft. They talk about trying to avoid bias going into a work, and racist mthrfckrs. They also discuss cosmic horror, Cthulhu's te...
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Episode 162
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45:39
From These Dark Abodes by Lyndsie Manusos
Your hosts talk about skeletons, mythology, and what makes a horror story in Lyndsie Mansusos’ debut novella, From These Dark Abodes. Yes, Lilly made them watch Spooky Scary Skeletons be...
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Episode 161
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44:14
Editor Interview: Sinophagia edited and translated by Xueting Ni
Your hosts are joined by Xueting Ni to talk about her experience translating and editing Sinophagia, a collection of Chinese horror short stories. They discuss both cultural and personal horror. At the end, Sara and Lilly go over their favorite...
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Episode 160
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54:47
Books of Blood vol 1 by Clive Barker
Lilly drags Sara into hell with their first Spooky Month book -- Books of Blood volume 1, by Clive Barker. They discuss the collection of short stories as a whole, and some of the appeal (and repulsion) of horror as a genre. They also talk abou...
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Episode 159
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48:19