Is This Just Fantasy?: Recent Episodes
Is This Just Fantasy?
The book club where we review all things fantasy! Join Duncan and Geordie as they embark on a quest to track the breadth and history of the fantasy genre, one epic at the time. Whether you're a fan of book-stopper tomes like Duncan, or lighter YA fantasy like Geordie, we want you to read-along with us. Episodes are released every two weeks, giving you enough to read the book (or skim the synopsis if you're just here for the banter.)
For this year's annual Troy book (only slightly too late for the release of Christopher Nolan's adaptation) the fellas get together to read The Odyssey, as translated by Emily Wilson, a woman who hates Nolan's film more than Duncan hates 'The Sheepfarmer's Daughter,' or more than Geordie hates admitting that he actually likes Brandon Sanderson now.
Tune in to find out if Wilson's plain, accessible and socially conscious version is right for you, to to hear Duncan explain why you should listen to Doctor Who as a radio-play, Geordie teaches the best method for blinding Cyclopes, and Duncan delivers a dramatic reading of his favourite.... naked fight scene?
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Featuring:
Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s End
Music provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan Young
Listen on YouTube
Listen on other platforms
Finally Duncan gets to tell the story of King Arthur and his knights in the way he remembers it, in a classic, mostly faithful retelling by beloved children's author and horse terrorizer Michael Morpurgo. This time there's less bigotry and more lengthy explanations by Geordie about his favourite niche Arthurian myths.
Tune in to learn the strange connection between Morgan le Fay, Charles the Great, Microsoft and the Master Chief, Duncan's confusion about the inclusion of a magic dog, a heated debated about whether Lancelot is based or not, and the potential of a real historical King Arthur (its not who you think.)
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Featuring:
Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s End
Music provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan Young
Listen on YouTube
Listen on other platforms
Pop the champagne, its time for the long awaited Top 100 Is This Just Fantasy Top 100 ranking spectacular, where Geordie and Duncan revisit and review all 100 novels they've read over the past four years, and finally determine the definitive greatest fantasy novel of all time.
Some times the conversation is fraught. There are expected divisions - one day Geordie hopes he can forgive Duncan for his placement of the Muse of Nightmares, just as Duncan hopes he will eventually forget just where he placed Duncan's #1 book of the podcast.
Tune in to hear the Is This Just Fantasy's definitive, scientific ranking, and how they finally do what they weren't brave enough to complete during their Top 50: actually choose the podcast's #1 book ever.
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Featuring:
Intro and Outro Music: Fantasy Exploration Music | Chapter’s End
Music provided by Dungeon Playlist - Emma Young and Jonathan Young
Listen on YouTube
Listen on other platforms
To celebrate their 100th(ish) book covered on the podcast, Geordie has selected one of the all time greats. A story which defines fantasy in many ways: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.
Listen as Duncan and Geordie make a bet, Duncan explains his radical Moorcockian theories of the Hook-Pan cycle, Geordie explains how a book-on-tape changed his relationship with music, and they both try to figure out whether Mr. Darling is a genuine weirdo.
Not one to be missed! And a ideal capstone to 100 books. Tune in next time for the much awaited Top 100 Rankings.
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Featuring:
Song: Tunetank - Clair De Lune (No Copyright Music)
Music provided by Tunetank.
Free Download: https://bit.ly/3PUMAnU
Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/46nxy15
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Clips taken from:
Hook (1991)
Peter Pan (2003)
Peter Pan Goes Wrong (TV Movie 2016)
This time the fellas embark on a contraversial journey as they reckon with one of the most acclaimed modern Sci-Fi and Fantasy novelists, N.K. Jemison, but not about how seminal work: The Broken Earth trilogy. Instead they take a look at her debut and examine where she first showed promise, and in fact first dabbled in themes she would go on to examine again in the Fifth Season.
Does she start her career strong? Did they make a mistake in choosing to look at this book instead of her later works? And just how sexy is this book supposed to be?
Tune in to hear Geordie cover Jemison's unapologetic love of allegory, Duncan point out an incredibly obvious one he somehow missed, Duncan discussing the book's bizzare political system, and to not hear Geordie's 15-minute lecture on the origins of the Bible, which Duncan thankfully made him edit down to about 3.
If you want to thank Duncan for his editorial oversight, follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or try our email: isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
As their 100-book special looms ever closer, Geordie takes them back to a book which he meant to bring on the podcast about five years ago, a book which some weirdly personal connections. Its like if the Shadowhunter books were really good! And about King Arthur! And set at Geordie's Alma Mater! Precision engineered to appeal to him. And it turns out that Duncan really doesn't like it...
Join in on a challenging discussion as both hosts reckon with the good, the bad, argue over where it butts heads with Arthurian canon, and try to weigh when personal experience completely trumps a book's best qualities.
If nothing else, Geordie gets very excited to explain Arthur lore, the etymology behind Excalibur, and how much he hates the town of Clayton, Georgia. This one is for the nerds.
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
After enduring some completely preventable recording issues, Duncan and Geordie are back, counting down the last couple of books before their 100th! This time they are joined by Bookstagrammer Kellie Greene (@theportsmouth_pageturner) to return to the world of sexy fae with Sarah J. Maas' debut, Throne of Glass.
As Duncan discovers just how badass and beautiful and well-read and good at piano our hero, Celeana Sardoffian is, Geordie recounts his own experience of the series, and Kellie expounds on why she loves the series so much. And, because no authentic discussion of Throne of Glass can be had without discussing the massive twist, in a first for the podcast, Duncan is kicked out to protect him from spoilers.
Is Duncan #TeamChaol? Why does Geordie hate Rowan so much? And will Kellie and Duncan finally force him to read the Chaol's spin-off book? Find out now!
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
This episode Duncan and Geordie take a look a darling of the type of nerds who, if you say your favourite books are Harry Potter, Fourth Wing, and Ice Breaker, will tell you to read The Balde Itself - The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
Duncan takes Geordie through the Gentlemen Bastards series' surprising publication history, and Geordie slightly overestimates how many The Usual Suspects style twists he expected from the book - it has 'LIES' right there in the title!
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if Edward Cullen wasn't Mormon, or Xaden Riarson didn't have #believewomen in his Tinder profile? Then this is the episode for you, as Duncan and Geordie cover From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
They discuss a parade of bizarre and lazy worldbuilding, dangling plot threads, unusually basic wording errors, and possibly the shadiest love-story they've covered on the podcast so far (and that's saying something). Duncan found it so dry that he forgot the book existed until shortly before recording, and Geordie struggles with the fact he used to like it!
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
A divisive episode. Duncan declares victory as Geordie is forced to hand in his membership to the 'pretencious nerd who doesn't like Brandon Sanderson books' club, because this one is a corker.
They cover Mistborn: The Final Empire, covering its excellent twists and implemenation of magic, its surprising themematic coherence and nuance, and Geordie has no choice to admit that this time, maybe worldbuilding is important to making a fantasy novel work. Its not all glaze though, they cover their complaints about the book's depiction of women, and the weird age gap between the love interests.
Has this turned Geordie around on Sanderson? And how long will Duncan be smug about it?
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
At long last, the fellas cover one of the big daddies of epic fantasy. For Duncan its a return to an old-favourite, whilst Geordie experiences it for the first time. They discuss the start of Robert Jordan's saga: 'The Eye of the World.'
Geordie wrestles with explaining how a book can be boring 'but in a good way,' whilst Duncan keeps forgetting how much of what he thinks happens in this book, won't happen till books 2-4, and how many of his favourite characters still kinda suck. Geordie challenges the book's attempts at depiciting a matriarchal system, whilst Duncan struggles with how to keep telling Geordie that most of his complaints will be solved if he Just. Keeps. Reading. The. Books!
Apologies to fans of Nynaeve for butchering her name all episode. (How is it pronounced Nah-Neeve?!)
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Consumer warning: this episode contains no Condors. But it does contain an in-depth review of one of the most influencial yet unknown books the fellas have covered on the podcast, the first part of Jin Yong's Legend of the Condor Heroes - "the Chinese Lord of the Rings."
They cover the unbelievable Kung Fu action, the surprising blend of fantasy and real history, and the best plot twist they've encounter on the podcast yet. Duncan tries very hard to pronounce names correctly this time, whilst Geordie spends too much time on dubious "translate your name into Chinese" websites instead of actually releasing the episode on time.
Like the show? Follow us on Insta: @IsThisJustFantasyPodcast, or ask us a question via isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
Ah, 2025. An impossibly long and packed year which just flew by. In their annual tradition, Duncan and Geordie take a look back at a year full of ambitious pulls, many surprises, and a couple of truly dire low-points (in terms of books, the podcast is obviously better than ever)!
They take a look at everything they've reviewed to select their Most Surprising, Most Disapointing, Favourite, Worst, and of course their Best book of the year. Will they be in agreement, or is their time for one last heated debate before the ball drops?
Merry Christmas and Good Yule! You must've been good this year because Santa Claus is delivering you the annual Is This Just Fantasy Christmas episode (and if you haven't, lock your doors. Krampus is coming.) This year the fellas cover Krampus: The Yule Lord by writer/artist Brom.
This episode: Geordie admits he's running out of Christmas episode ideas and has a little rant about depictions of valkyries, Duncan is horrified by Germanic Christmas traditions, and they both struggle not to call Santa "Father Christmas." Find out what they make of the high-highs and the boring low-lows of this dark retelling of Santa Claus-meets-American Gods-meets-Justified-meets-Jingle All the Way, the classic formula!
Look forward to next episode where they review all the books they've covered in 2025 and announce the beginning to 2026.
Don't ask: 'who's the biggest badass in fantasy?' Only fools ask that question. The real question is: 'how do you measure badassitude?' For years, nobody could answer this enigma. But finally, after months of tireless study and experimentation, Geordie has found it: an empiral, scientific system where we throw a list of the best fantasy heroes we've encountered on the podcast into a gauntlet of horror movies with the sole mission of protecting us.
This episode we ask the important questions like: which horror movie monsters can be defeated by a rabbit? Which fantasy heores would beat Shaggy from the live-action Scooby-Doo films or escape a Saw trap? Which heroes would chop their foot? Could the Overlook Hotel defeat Goku? And would Obi-Wan Kenobi be able to save Christmas? Find out now!
Its over at last. One of the most anticipated conclusions in history of the podcast. The fellas read and review Empire of the Dawn, the conclusion of Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire trilogy. There's so much to discuss as they cover: the controversial change in illustrators, the exciting action, and a potentially devisive ending. Does the series stick the landing?
Duncan marvels that any book could beat out Fourth Wing for horniness, Geordie wonders just how many Elric of Melnibone references can be latched onto one character, Duncan becomes convinced that one of the main character's nickname is "Lackey" in an extremely mean-spirited joke, and Geordie fights for his life to stop this from being the longest episode by far - which means that Duncan and Geordie's debate over whether Wicked sucks or not will have to wait for another time.
At long last. The fellas set out to explore the hottest title in the world of fantasy right now. Their most anticipated read since their Top 50 Books review, their most Dragon Riders of Perny book since Dragonriders of Pern, and their horniest by far since The Eye of Argon.
They cover: the steamy romance, the exciting pace, and just how unbelievably super special the heroine is, in one their nitpickiest episodes yet. They do not cover that this book is a real knock-off of Jennifer Armentrout's From Blood and Ash, so Geordie is making sure it gets included here.
Nothing could say it plainer: its a garbage book for garbage people. And Geordie and Duncan are total garbage.
The fellas wrap up their spooky month with the last halloween special, washing the taste of the Woman in Black out of their brains with an amazing collection of ghost stories, written by the creator of The Magnus Archives: Jonathan Sims. They reflect on the impressive change in mediums, as well as its somewhat heavy handed (yet nonetheless true) themes on capitalism, the environment and killing billionaires with steak knives.
Hear about their favourite stories in the anthology. For Geordie, its a tech-bro being menaced by a haunted Hal-9000, and for Duncan, a shame filled executive trying to purge the rot from within himself and his home. You might think that this is some Freudian insight into Duncan's psyche, but I think its just because he had a radiator leak recently.
Some traditions never get old. Once again Duncan and Geordie return to the dark world of Berserk to wrap up its incredibly named Millenium Falcon Arc with Falconia. Its one of Geordie's favourite and least favourite parts of the series, containing some of the best action ever depicted in fiction, some astonishing world-building, a drastic change to the series' status quo... but it also spent three years of publication just following Griffith, which is basically a crime. The fellas discuss the many surprises in this arc. From Farnese's character arc the introduction of the surprisingly cool Roderick, and Gut's incredible journey to letting go of hatred. Duncan loved this section so much, he even said it beat out the Golden Age. Please put the gun down.
Don't forget to check out all our previous episodes on Berserk and let us know what you think about this arc in the comments or on our social media.
In the first part of their (somewhat delayed) Halloween Booooook Club, the fellas dive in to what is supposed to be one of the most iconic and scariest books in British horror: The Woman in Black.... and find it to be a massive disapointment. A dry, laughably unscary drag completely upstaged by both of its famous adaptations. Tune in to hear Geordie unleash the frustrations of a difficult day on a deserving punching bag, and hear Duncan realise he'd really rather talk about the Magnus Archives. They also cover Duncan accidentally reading a censored children's version of the Force Awakens, and end the episode with undoubtably the most unexpected book choice in the entire podcast.
But before we get to the next book, its time to return to the world of Berserk.
Slather yourself in gingerbread and fail to solve a mystery, its time for Duncan and Geordie to cover 'Paladin's Grace' by T. Kingfisher. They discuss an excellent love story, and a real pallete cleanser from the hormonal teenage romantasies they've experienced up till now. Even if the political intrigue and mysteries promised by the blurb fails to materialise. This episode Geordie learns a surprising amount of Ancient Greek, Duncan tries to weird out Geordie by describing a video game, only to discover that its pretty de rigeour by anime standards, whilst Geordie forces Duncan to exactingly describe the book's steamiest scenes.
Next time.... things are getting spooky with the return of the annual October boooook club.
For the final time (and this time we mean it) the fellas are embarking on another sword and sorcery adventure with the introduction to Fritz Leiber's classic dynamic duo Fafhrd and Grey Mouser in 'Ill Met in Lankhmar.' The fellas rave about the story's humour and excitement and beautifully morbid setting, and appreciate the irony of a classic 'fridging' scene appearing right after they covered Gail Simone.
We at the Is This Just Fantasy Studio™ cannot condone the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser drinking game where you drink every time we mention Conan and Elric. Not without an ambulance.
Dear audience, we are aware that for the first time in the history of the podcast, Duncan has been able to pick the book three times in a row. We are also afraid that it may have driven him mad with power. He will be put back in his place again soon.
Can you ever really escape your fate? Not if Duncan has trapped you in a never ending cycle of sword and sorcery. Once again the fellas are going back to the Red Sonja well. Its the same author. Its the same character. Its... quite a few of the same plot beats as well, actually, but dumber this time. Duncan chose Red Sonja: Consumed, Gail Simone's first ever novel, and her second take on Red Sonja.
The fellas unpack some bizarre and kinda stupid plot points, Geordie's relates his worst trip to the theatre ever, Duncan gets bent out of shape about contradictions to Hyborian Era geography, whilst Geordie demonstrates eerie powers of prophecy, and comes to the radical conclusion that Lord of the Rings is a good book. Who knew?
They promise to never discuss Red Sonja again... until Duncan sees the movie.
Also, Duncan wants to make clear that comments about beloved nerd actor Felicia Day were made by only one host of this show.
Is it Halloween already? No? Then how come the fellas are reading a comic book?! That's because this time, as preperation for the release of the new Red Sonja movie, Duncan has taken the fellas back to the Hyborian Age, with Red Sonja, written by comic book legend Gail Simone.
Duncan leads the episode through the complicated canon of Red Sonja (and her endless reboots), whilst Geordie tries to figure out why Innsmouth fishpeople (with the colour pallette of Bikini Bottom) are here. They discuss action in western comics vs manga, a pretty bizarre ending, the legally important distinction between Red Sonja and Red Sonya, why Duncan chose a comic book when Gail Simone has just written a Red Sonja novel as her prose debut, and round out the episode with a quick game of 'Snog, Marry, Avoid."
Because for no obvious reason this has become tradition, its time for the annual Troy adaptation! (Which will they run out of first? Troy books, or fantasy novels set at Christmas?) Up till now those adaptations have mostly hinged on feminst reimaginings of the Illiad, and the commodification of women's bodies. But this time the fellas are gonna mix things up. They return to David Gemmel of Legend fame, looking for his burlier, alpha male account of the Trojan war and find... a book about the commodification of women's bodies, and men trying to be kind to each other?
Truly, the more things change....
From Eragon to Book-Tok sensations about mormon super-soldiers, This is the book which started it all. Dragonflight brought readers to the Planet Pern for the first time in the 60s, and brought Geordie and Duncan to one of the earliest depictions of dragon riding in fantasy. And... it is not at all what they expected. Duncan covers some of the dragons.... unexpected powers. whilst Geordie unpacks a feminist reading of 1960s bodice rippers, before making a shocking heel-turn at the end.
And, for the first time in years, the fellas have to ask that faithful question: Is This (just) Fantasy?
I promise, the guys do like this book! They just have a lot to say about it which sounds like complaining. This week Geordie returns to familiar hunting grounds, whilst Duncan sets of on a sojourn to parts unknown as they read the first (chronological) book in the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore.
Both the guys struggle with pronounciations this week, Duncan spends an unusually small amount of time talking about Elric, and takes uncalled for pot-shots at his current Dungeon Master (sorry Tom), whilst Geordie unpacks the de-eviling of the Drow, the right order to read the series, and just what exactly is the Spellplague anyway?
Its been a dark year and a series of serious, moody novels. So Duncan has gone and turned it around with the softest, fluffiest thing he could think of: The Moomins. Since all Geordie knows about these strange white hippo people is that weirdos on Twitter got really into them during the pandemic, Duncan takes the lead this time. He directs Geordie through the pastoral loveliness, as well as some surprise queer readings of the book.
They also cover the Duke of Edinburgh awards, why did Elric show up in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, how exactly do you use the Monkey Paw, and what exactly was Moomin Papa doing at the Siege of Leningrad?
It was a gruelling forced march through this monster of a book. Geordie may have brought Elizabeth Moon's 1980s fantasy epic to the table, but can they stomach it? The fellas unpack an early depiction of a female fantasy heroine, in a faithful (perhaps too faithful) depiction of soldierly life by a Marine Corps veteran.
They unpack the strange mingling of the drudgery of soldierly life, with an unusually grittless depiction of military honour. Some of the characters are so forgettable that Geordie even forgets the author's name at one point, whilst Duncan would rather talk about Doctor Who.
The fellas are going way back for this one, all the way back to 1912. A bad year to be a cruise ship, but maybe a good year to be a fan of science fantasy adventures? They're reviewing perhaps one of the most influential books they've ever seen on the podcast. Before Howard, before Lovecraft and C.L. Moore. Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, the first appearance of John Carter.
The fellas discuss the adventure, the very early attempt at fantasy worldbuilding, and of course.... the racism. Duncan takes a crack shot at historical revisionists, whilst Geordie hones on the idea of the Noble Savage.
We're back in the Scholomance! At long last Geordie ran out of patience waiting for Duncan to choose the sequel to Naomi Novik's Deadly Education and has forced his hand with a destiny token! They pick up their school supplies and see what on earth they can remember about a book series they began two years ago.
Here's a list of things they forgot: what the main character's full name was, her age and ethnicity, and what's Chloe's deal anyway?
See whether the sequel lived up to the high expectations of the first, or whether it fell to senioritis, and hear what Duncan and Geordie make of the book's change of pace, romance, twists, and rather abrupt ending.
In their second episode ever, the fellas reviewed Geordie's favourite book: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Now, years later, they are finally returning to see her most famous work: Daughter of Smoke and Bone. They discuss the transition between paranormal romances and modern romantasy, whether to read this book before or after Strange the Dreamer, its fascinating wish-based magic, and Duncan stirs up a brand new contraversy with his choice for the next book.
Notes for the episode: Duncan had some small errors with his microphone which flare up occassionally during the episode. Also, Duncan asked Geordie when we could expect the next book from Taylor, literally the day after she announced her next book, and neither of them knew.
Hoooo boy but was this a long one. The fellas set out to read Magician's Apprentice by Raymon E. Feist, but Geordie decided to go for extra-credit and read the entire book, including the second part Magician's Master.
The fellas cover as much of the epic as they can, from its various strengths and weaknesses, its variance in power fantasies, where it lies in the chronology of works inspired by both Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons, and also whether its embarressing for a male writer of a certain age not to know much about women?
After reading some pretty dark and gothic stuff at the start of the year, Geordie decided that they should take a comforting break and just read a book about nice fluffy bunnies. What could go wrong as they discuss Richard Adams' Watership Down. The fellas cover the surprising depth of language, history and culture that rabbits share, their apparent aggressiveness, and how the film scarred Duncan as a child. Look forward to them discussing amazing characters, some of the best depictions of teamwork and leadership in any book they covered, Duncan explains why this book is DEFINITELY NOT an allergory, and Geordie promises to wow Duncan with a great annecdote about rabbits only to completely forget.
Just how many times is the word 'Bone' said in this episode? Mathematicians are still trying to calculate. Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto might be the most YA book the two have ever read. But is it good? There's a lot of heady discussion in this one. The fellas cover: predictable plot threads, whip swords, worldbuilding, curing cancer with medical quackery, a digression on Bleach for some reason, and whether a book can be content but not art. It also features probably (and hopefully) the only actual fight between Geordie and Duncan.
It's the grandfather of the Grimdark genre, where Vietnam vets meet flying carpets, the Black Company. Duncan has already enjoyed the entire series, and is understandably nervous after Geordie's round rejection of The Straight Razor Cure that Geordie will lay into this classic as well. He should have no fear. They have an excellent (mostly) spoiler-free discussion of its savage tone, the influence of Cook's military career, and the way the book mingles darkness with comradery.
For years Duncan has been biding his time. After The Gutter's Prayer threatened to tear the podcast apart from Geordie's vitriol, Duncan has once again summoned the courage to make him read a Noir Urban Fantasy Mystery novel in The Straight Razor Cure (also known as Low Town) by Daniel Polanski.
Have the years mellowed Geordie's anger? Or will this episode once again threaten to destroy them both through the power of cringe?
The fellas kick off their 3rd year of the podcast with a long awaited story. The Witcher: The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski. They cover its dark take on familiar fairy tales, how it compares to its many adaptations, misogyny, and accucastions of plagarism.
What a year, and what a closer. The fellas gather together to celebrate the year that has been and look forward to the one coming. As with every year, they're examining the highs and lows of all the books they've covered in 2024, and awarding books the following categories:
The Biggest Surprise, the Biggest Disappointment, their Favourite, the Worst, and the greatest reward of all: the Best book of 2024.
Join in on the celebration and see if you can guess who will come out on top!
In their final episode of 2024, the fellas tackle their third, and perhaps final, tangentially-related Christmas book with Miye Lee's Dallergut Dream Department store. And despite the winter weather, things are heating up. With Duncan praising the book's easy, fluffy tone, and Geordie savaging the book's prose and glacial pacing. Who will triumph in the debate?
The long awaited and long delayed episode on Priory of the Orange Tree. Duncan and Geordie come together to discuss this modern fantasy classic by Samantha Shannon. But Duncan has a secret to share. This time he has fallen short on finishing this novel and Geordie is left to take him through the ending and give his opinions and insight. As Duncan is left to makes wild and inaccurate predictions on how things ended.
And so, as the year's end approaches, Duncan and Geordie put the wrap on Joe Abercrombie's second trilogy within his First Law series with Red Country. Its the fellas' first encounter with the Fantasy0-Western subgenre, But there are no wizards with sombreros here. Its a little Fist Full of Dollars, a little Deadwood, a lot of True Grit and The Searchers, but with some brooding, evil Northmen and the triumphant return of Nicomo Cosca.
No surprise, they love it, and this episode's a good one.
Lost in a Dublin archive for 150 years, the fellas are excited to be among the first to read, rate and review it. Geordie recounts the amazing story of its discovery, as well as some of its.... slightly overenthusiastic scholarly appraisal. Duncan gives a slightly scathing takedown of both Gibbet Hill and Dracula, whilst Geordie tries to comprehend some truly archaic xenophobia.
At long last, it's time for Duncan and Geordie to visit the book series from one of their favourite episodes, the sequel to The Worm and His Kings: Even the Worm Will Turn. Things gets quantum-ey and timey-wimeyesque as the fellas follow on from a book Geordie was astounded to discover has a sequel. It's certainly the most audacious sequel to any book they've read so far. Will it stick the landing?
The fellas discuss the story's amazing dual-narrative, the what-ifs of life, take a digression to talk about which episodes of Doctor Who scared them as a kid, and wrap up the episode by trying to figure out how this book ends exactly? Find out as they wrap up October with another booooook-tacular episode.
Following tradition, its time to kick off spooky season with our annual Berserk episode. Following on from The Conviction Arc the fellas head into the first part of The Millenium Falcon Arc: Holy Evil War Chapter, (vol. 22-27).
Geordie introduces Duncan to new characters in what is probably the biggest change to the status quo of Berserk outside of the Eclipse, Schierke, high fantasy magic, the berserker armour and the introduction of new friends for both Guts and Griffith. They cover the hightlights. Duncan defends Farnese and Isidro but bemoans Chestnut Puck. Geordie triumphs by successfully pronouncing Schierke but completely fails with Slan. And most exciting of all, Duncan begins to put together the pieces behind the Skull Knight's backstory. Also they talk about Naruto for some reason.
Please rate and review the podcast wherever you find it.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie was one of the fellas' all time favourite novels for the pod. Can its sequel, The Heroes, live up to its successes?
Well to no one's surprise, it did. They discuss how much of the book can be enjoyed even with Geordie's limited knowledge of the series and characters. Geordie tries to deduce who exactly "The Bloody Nine" is from context clues, whilst Duncan gives Geordie a crash-course on the series up to this point, and they dive into the amazing characters and themes which make up this book. It's one hell of a departure from The Last Unicorn. That's for sure.
By the advice of our lawyers and other sensible people, we do not endorse the "Is This Just Fantasy Last Unicorn Drinking Game," wherein players take a shot every time Duncan and Geordie describe this novel as "beautiful." You have been warned.
Yes, in this episode the fellas visit a classic of American fantasy, Peter S. Beagle's the Last Unicorn. A spell-binding fairy tale full of heart and humour. In addition to covering the story, they also cover Beagle's role in Ralph Bakshi's animated Lord of the Rings, which other stories compare to it, and Geordie baffles Duncan by explaining that a Tom Clancy ghost rider is responsible for the assassination of an Italian Prime Minister.
Robert E. Howard was a poor writer who died in tragedy; unknown. His creations, especially Conan of Cimmeria, destined to be forgotten. Until the vultures began to circle. Duncan leads Geordie on the incredible almost 100 year long story of how Conan was either stolen or rescued from obscurity by L. Sprague de Camp, and continued to be a figurehead of fantasy until today.
Duncan chronicles the many, many writers who tried their hand at writing the barbarian, from books, to movies, to comics.
This episode was made in response to a listeners question. If you have a question you'd like to hear discussed on an episode, please reach on isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com, on our Instagram: @isthisjustfantasypodcast.
The fellas get together to discuss Brennan McClellan's cordite drenched debut, The Promise of Blood, the first book in the Powder Mage trilogy. The discuss some awesome action, fun characters and a promising beginning, as well as some... less than awesome, and even baffling parts.
This episode's release was delayed, so apologies. We won't say whose fault it was, but it wasn't Duncan's.
Song of Achilles was tied for the pod's best book in the history of the podcast, so what will the fellas make of its... prequel? Sequel? Midquel? Madeline Miller's crazy collage of Greek Mythology through the hawkish eyes of Circe. It's a beautiful tale covering millennia of isolation, sadness, love, and more sadness. They compare the it against Song of Achilles, they argue over the pronunciation of Circe (Duncan wins), and for a change it's Duncan who's teaching Geordie about Greek Mythology.
Before Geordie embarks on his trek through the wilds of Sweden, there to battle moose and attempt to order food using his very bad Swedish, the fellas settle in to wrap up their review of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. They cover Palpatine's revenge check-list, get important villain names wrong, and cloning logistics. Also how great The Last Command is.
The fellas cover the much anticipated finale to the Legacy of Orisha series by Tomi Adeyemi which began with the smash Children of Blood and Bone, They discuss how it measures up the the successes of the first book and the misses of the second. They cover conspicuous character absences and dropped themes, and an in-depth analysis on the author's differing approach to each book; Geordie brings up the Rise of Skywalker an unfortunate number of times, whilst Duncan schools him on Norse mythology in a shocking role-reversal.
The fellas carry on their Star Wars Legends marathon with Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn. They discuss Leia actually being allowed to do things in this book, get annoyed at there being too many lightsabre colours, Geordie gets bent out of shape about the name: "Katana Fleet." Speaking of shapes, I hope you like nerds discussing the different alphabet themed Star Fighters, because they spend more time talking about those than Luke Skywalker.
Much to Geordie's horror he has been compelled to read another Star Wars book. And worse yet... he likes it. The fellas review Timothy Zahn's continuation of the original Star Wars trilogy. They have their first encounter with iconic characters like Thrawn and Mara Jade, discuss wife-guy Han Solo, the significance of light sabre colours, the presence of hot chocolate in the series, and Geordie vents his feelings on Star Wars fans.
The fellas journey across the desert to hunt a man in black and discuss the beginning of Stephen King's celebrated series: The Dark Tower. They cover their histories with King, uncover the surprising backstory behind the book's origin, discover a meta-twist neither of them saw coming, Geordie teaches Duncan about the Song of Roland, and they debate whether or not there was a goat-man in the book.
This is a fantasy novel, we promise, Duncan and Geordie gather round the northern hemisphere of Arrakis to discuss Frank Herbert's Science-Ficti,,, I mean Science-Fantasy epic, Dune. They discuss its astounding world building, its fascinating connection to real history, the intricacies of its world, spend an unusual amount of time talking about Brian Herbert, and discuss its incredible ending.
Editing note: this was Geordie's first time recording with a new microphone, so there may be some teething problems in recording and editing the episodes.
In the much anticipated follow-up to Empire of the Vampire, Geordie and Duncan get stuck into everything they love about it, and its a long book with a lot to love. They talk sincerity, big anime swords, massive retcons, twists, awesome art, difficult to pronounce Scottish names, and perhaps the funniest blunder in the podcast's history as Duncan completely misreads the ending of the book.
In a parallel world this ought to have been episode 3 of this podcast. In anticipation of reading Empire of the Damned, Geordie and Duncan,,, well, just Geordie actually, return to the dark world of Empire of the Vampire. Geordie catches Duncan back up on all the dramatic fights, the vampiric lore, the cool tattoos, and the slight overabundance of references to either Elric or the last of us.
Over two years and (slightly over) 50 books under their belt, Duncan and Geordie revisit every fantasy novel fantasy novels they've read over the past two years, ranking them from the very lowest lows to the absolute bests of the genre. It gets contentious at times, tune in to hear Geordie call Duncan a heretic and find out what you should be reading this year.
Thank you to everyone who's listened to the podcast, to the arguments and the laughs and the erroneous facts spat with a little too much confidence. Years to two more years and 50 more books!
To commemorate their 50th fantasy novel the fellas read and discuss a classic in the fantasy genre, the beginning to Robin Hobb's seminal Realm of the Elderlings series: Assassin's Apprentice. The fellas cover the book's influence, the strength of its characters, as well as some of slightly,,, slower moments. They also spend a lot of time discussing Game of Thrones and Green Rider.
Just how many times can Geordie say "roaring rampage of revenge" in just one episode? That's one of many questions the fellas ask as they delve into Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold. Duncan pulls a Murtagh, pulling Geordie into the fourth book in a series, Can they keep their bearings? Can Geordie figure out who the Bloody Nine is? And will ever discover what domming is? Only time will tell.
Things get philosophical as the fellas are compelled to cover the trolley problem, vegetarianism, and ethical consumption under capitalism, all because Geordie picked the Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin. He also spends an unforgivable amount of time talking about his latest weird interest at the start, but he has since been suitably punished. The hotest debate in the whole episode though is right in the title: is this (just) fantasy.
On the heels of the first season's finale, the fellas wrap up their review of a book which had a Vader-like (Vaderesque? Vaderonean?) chokehold on Geordie's childhood. Does it hold up? Of course it does. This episode is a major hit with them both. Episode highlights are Geordie teaching Duncan the correct pronunciation of Uranus, and Duncan making a... very interesting request of Geordie.
Editing note: there were some unfortunate recording issues with this episode which may carry over to the following episode, however it should be resolved in the one after that.
For one it's a return to an old favourite. For another, it's beginning a dense fantasy series at book 5 with very little context. The fellas leap into Murtagh the follow up to Eragon and the Inheritance cycle, which Duncan has never read. Episode highlights are Duncan demanding to know what an Urgal is, an enthusiastic discussion of the book's magic system, and Geordie fulfilling his dream of becoming a game show host.
In a cracking start to the new year and their 3rd season the fellas have delivered what they agree is probably their best episode yet. And of course that had to happen when discussing a lesser known creation by an author writing in 1929. Kull of Atlantis, the original Conan. Duncan rocks Geordie's world by introducing Geordie to the world of queer readings of Kull and Conan, whilst Geordie shares the story of his most hysterical mistake in his history of playing RPGs.
Look how far we've come this year. Geordie and Duncan look back at all the novels they've covered through 2023 and spare a moment of highlight some of the best surprises, their least favourites, and the very best they came across.
For this year's holiday special the fellas review the only other Christmas fantasy book they could think of: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. They discuss the charming book's humble and adorable origins, the world's most impactful trip to the zoo, Geordie teaches Duncan Bible stories, whilst Duncan recounts the most hare-brained story of the creation of the iconic lampost. Most importantly both hosts discuss how their schools made them dress up as evacuated children and realise that their childhoods might be a little weirder than they'd first realised.
Ooooh, what a delight this one was. Duncan and Geordie put on their slippers, slip under a blanket, get their coffee mug (then Geordie puts his away because he doesn't actually like coffee) and discuss Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. They find it a wonderful and charming book with impeccable vibes. With dual fantasies of orcs, elves and running a successful business. The fellas discuss supporting local businesses, Duncan discovers what a coffee shop AU is then orders Geordie to write one, Geordie fundamentally misunderstands a major plot-point, and Duncan becomes a card-carrying communist.
It's hot off the press. This week the fellas crack open feminist leader Laura Bates' fantasy debut Sisters of Sword and Shadow. They discuss this depiction of sorority, feminism, the deconstruction of Arthurian chivalry, as well as its high and lows. They cover the differences between feminist fiction writing and non-fiction writing, Duncan gives us an engineering crash-course in swords made of tin, Geordie spends entirely too much time weaving conspiracy theories about the number of number of Elaines in Arthurian literature, and they both try to figure out if anyone has ever actually depicted King Arthur's knights as being the good guys?
Duncan and Geordie are eager to present their interview with author Hailey Piper, writer of one of their recent faves: The Worm and His Kings. They discuss her writing process, the orgins of her interest in horror, the bold end to the novel, and something about kaiju chickens?
TW: this episode contains discussions of depictions of sexual violence in the context of the Rape of Nanjing. Things get fiery in their longest episode to date, discussing R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War. The fellas have a lot to cover, discussing their mixed feelings regarding the acclaimed debut. Duncan is... exceedingly patient with Geordie this time as he goes on several rants about MMA, kung fu, the Cultural Revolution, and Operation Downfall. He just has a lot of feelings about Operation Downfall, okay?
In the grand finale of their Halloween collection, the fellas tackle a dark horse: The Worm and His Kings by Hallie Piper, and wouldn't you know it, its the best surprise of the year. They discuss its darkly profound ending, its amazing characters and relationships, and an example of positive nihilism.TW: this book contains themes of gender dysphoria and a botched sex change operation.
The fellas make their first foray into the maddening world of H. P. Lovecraft to discuss one of his most famous works. They discuss: how does Geordie's knowledge of local geography compare to a guy at a 1920s bus station? Will Duncan hide behind his partner when confronted by a serial killer? And is it easier for Geordie to pronounce miscegenation or ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn?Tune in for Geordie pitching his Shadow Over Innsmouth film adaptation, coming to cinemas as soon as Lionsgate stops dodging his calls.
Wrapping up their 2023 review of Berserk with the 'Binding Chain ' and the 'Rebirth Ceremony' chapters (but the fellas insist on calling in the Tower of Conviction arc.) The fellas are rapturous over the action and the new characters added to the Berserk canon, and go head to head debating whether Mozgus is a good villain or not. Episode highlights include: Duncan joining the Serpico fan-club, Geordie's rousing re-enactment of the titular conviction speak, the introduction of the Beast of Darkness, and in-depth discussion of the best Dark Souls builds.
Trigger warnings for discussions of sexual violence. It's back! It's back and Geordie is excited! The fellas return to the horrible world of Guts and Puck. Following on from their last episode on the Eclipse and the end of the Golden Age Arc, they're back in Guts' sad boy era with the Lost Children Chapter of the Conviction Arc. Things get heated as Duncan and Geordie debate the merits of Puck, whether Guts was going to take out Jill, and Geordie really gives the business to r/berserk. But most importantly its a chance for Duncan to be amazed by the stellar artwork of the late great Kentaro Miura, and for Geordie to emphasise the incredible themes of his favourite fantasy series.Stay tuned for the next episode on the rest of the Conviction Arc.
The fellas return to the Moorcockiverse to experience the further adventures of Elric of Melnibone in his first published appreance in: The Dreaming City, While the Gods Laugh, and The Singing Citadel. They discuss magic, misogyny, and how its all made up for by amazing speeches, evil soul-stealing swords, and an anti-hero who is as cool as he is goth,
In what's set to become an annual summer-time tradition, the boys are back in Troy. This time they're seeing the Iliad through the eyes of Briseis and into the silent suffering of slave women in Pat Barker's critique of the Iliad: The Silence of the Girls. In this episode the fellas argue over whether vikings could free-style rap, Duncan wonders whether anyone has ever seen the movie Troy (who can say for sure?), and Geordie wraps up the episode by delivering Duncan a devastating burn from which their friendship may never recover.
We didn't think it would happen, but has a book finally come along to rival both Demon in Silver and The Eye of Argon for the worst fantasy novel the fellas have ever read for this podcast? Gasp in dread and horror at the novel which Geordie couldn't even finish, and which he had to beg Duncan to be permitted to only read three of the six stories. Marvel at the lengths they'll go to avoid talking about these novels, discussing the hot chocolate and Palatine's sponge baths in Star Wars, Gandalf arriving in the last five pages of The Silmarillion, and how Geordie read 1,500 pages of Eragon in the time it took him to read 60 pages of this drivel.
Nothing good lasts forever. The fellas get together to discuss the disappointing follow-up to Tomi Adeyemi's hit Children of Blood and Bone. From messy plotting to unrecognisable character shifts, its hard to believe that these stories were written by the same author. The Legacy of Orisha is in big trouble. The fellas debate what the book's title actually is, Geordie teaches Duncan who Lyndon B Johnson is, whilst Duncan's revenge for last episode comes swift and brutal.
It's a hit! Duncan and Geordie get together to discuss Tomi Adayemi's Children of Blood and Bone, which they each had a blast reading. The topics range from an enthused discussion about allegory, heritage and social justice, to the logistics collapsible weapons and whether the X-Men should have rights.
Whilst Geordie and Duncan are both off on holiday, nothing can stop the great podcasting engine. In between the Northern Lights and the Subtle Knife, the fellas read and reviewed Neil Gaiman's award winning short story: A Study in Emerald, a Sherlock Holmes pastiche which sets the great detective in a world besieged by beings straight from the mind of H.P. Lovecraft.Duncan and Geordie discuss the amazing novella as well as the original stories and their many many adaptations. If you want to hear Geordie's poor impression of Columbo interrogating a Cthulhu monster, despite never having watched a full episode of Columbo, or his much better Poirot, tune in now!
It's a heated episode as the fellas discuss the anticipated black comedy hit The Black Tongue Thief, triggering a discussion of goblin wars, prequels, and which animals Duncan is prepared to murder,
The fellas complete their first trilogy with Phillip Pullman's The Amber Spyglass. In this episode they discuss a bit of angelology, the mulafa's strange body plans, what this book would be called if it wasn't named after a very minor and comparatively mundane object object, and did Will really walk 500 miles to be back with Lyra.Apologies for audio errors for the majority of the episode, they have been rectified.Trigger warning for the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal.
The fellas cross distant worlds in their discussion of the second in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The discuss the strange change in perspective on the hero Lyra through the introduction of Will, the surprisingly naked biblical allegories, and the confusing timeline of Lord Asriel's war to whack God.
In the premier of their new series, Duncan waterboards Geordie with Star Wars factoids. Hear Geordie suffer through an explanation of: the Dark Empire comic book run, an exhaustive list of Star Wars super weapons, the life and times of Boba Fett, and clone shenanigans galore.
A.K.A The Golden Compass, the fellas set out on a long trek north is search of the truth. Truths like: is one of Geordie's favourite books as a child just as excellent as he remembers? Can Duncan translate all of the weird word-choices? What are each of the boys' daemons? And is the book more anti-catholic or more anti-terf? To find out the answer to these exciting questions, check our episode on His Dark Materials.
At long last, after fighting through Duncan's bout with covid (which was just as hard on Geordie) the fellas are back in action and reading Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses. They spend a little too long talking about War & Peace and Batman, before getting onto the important topics, like alpha-male faeries, extremely easy riddles and Duncan having to borrow smut from his sister.
The One Where Duncan had covid. Geordie embarks on his solo career, giving both his review of the new D&D movie and also giving a breakdown of his pitch for what a D&D movie ought to be.
It's a week of harsh punishments for Duncan. For his crimes against humanity (Geordie) he has been forced to read what is widely regarded as the worst fantasy novel of all time: The Eye of Argon. But because he's such a nice guy, Geordie read it too. The fellas discuss Conan fanfiction, when is a book so bad it's funny, and the actually pretty sad story behind it's creation.Highlights of the episode include: arguments about the existence of "red emeralds," Geordie's inability to pronounce "thesaurus," and the fact that this is not the worst Conan pastiche Duncan has ever read. In fact it's, dare we say it? Not that unsuccessful? Can we? Really? Find out!
The fellas read Legend by David Gemmel and what do you know, Duncan found another Conan story! How does he do it? The fellas discuss siege logistics, the etymology of the word berserker, a good story weighed down by misogyny, and the story of the book's heartbreaking inception. Plus, Geordie begins his path towards revenge for Duncan's treachery.
Want a story about an extremely dangerous school for wizards, but with actual themes?! This episode the fellas check out Naomi Novik's Deadly Education. Once again Geordie has dragged Duncan back to the world of YA literature (don't worry he he loves it really.) The fellas discuss the books' themes of social isolation, class division and wizard socialism. The highlights of the episode include: getting stressed over the word sophomore, Duncan getting way too into shipping culture, and finally an act of treachery which may never be forgiven.
The fellas take a break from books (gross) to catch up on their current favourite fantasy TV show: Critical Role's Legend of Vox Machina. Geordie takes Duncan on a tour of the backstory of the D&D campaign which led up to the TV show. What discussion would be complete without an argument about Keyleth?
This episode's highlights include Duncan getting the chance to correct Geordie for the first time ever, and Geordie events a new drinking game: take a drink every time he says the words: "adaptational change."
Duncan and Geordie set off on an epic journey into imagination and adaptations in their analysis of Michael Ende's classic, The Neverending Story. Highlights include a fascinating role reversal, where Duncan can pronounce things and Geordie cannot, Geordie struggling with why he didn't enjoy the book more, and Duncan begins to suspect that all the book characters are secretly evil.
Back for a new year and season 2! The fellas return to form by talking about another dynamic duo: the titular Strange and Norrell. This slow epic is a favourite of Geordie's but will Duncan feel the same? They discuss the themes of Englishness and unheard voices in regency era England. Highlights include Geordie adding a sinister new rule to the podcast and Duncan goes a whole episode without mispronouncing a name! A new record!
So ends season 1. Starting a podcast was last year's new years resolution, so what shall it be this year? Duncan and Geordie look back at the heights of the books they covered over the year, as well as some of their favourite pieces of media from outside the fantasy genre.
To wrap up the first year of Is This Just Fantasy, Duncan and Geordie make their first journey to the late great Sir Terry Pratchett's seasonal parody: Hogfather. The fellas reflect of their love for Sir Terry's depiction of Death as a character, as well as one of the best speeches in his canon. Duncan denies that the book is a parody of the Nightmare Before Christmas, Geordie can't say the word anthropormorphisation, and the fellas perform their first reading (and Geordie enjoys playing with the voice modulator).
It's the perfect book to end the year: with a thesis statement on why fantasies are more than just fun; they're a vital part of being human.
The boys discuss the exciting follow-up to Nicholas Eames' Kings of Wyld. Immediately the debate is on, which of the two books do the lads enjoy more? They discuss characters arcs, the author's worrying increase in willingness to kill characters, evil bunny girls, Duncan's hatred of a fictional child and Geordie relating too much to falling for goth girls who just ain't good for you.
What an episode! Not only do the fellas enjoy an amazing fantasy novel, they also got a chance to land their first interview with an author. Nicholas Eames joins them to discuss his novels, his reading list, and the power of rock 'n roll, baby. Geordie and Duncan discuss this novel's comedy, pathos, fist-pumping action and unnecessarily emotionally stirring ettins.
Revisiting one of their favourite books of the pod so far, the fellas check out the sequel to Green Rider by Kristen Britain, and it is... about time travel? Yeah, this episode is a bit of a curveball. Duncan grapples with his mingled disappointment and hope for the sequels, and tasks Geordie with determining whether this is the end of the road or whether to press on with the rest of the series.
It doesn't get much more 'E' for explicit than this one. The fellas discuss the conclusion to Berserk's Golden Age Arc and the fateful eclipse, where the flow of causality turns on a gyre. It's a heavy episode, where they discuss the Berserk's lofty themes alongside it's gratuity. Geordie is given the impossible task of defending the character of Wyald, Duncan denies that he ever said Griffith did nothing wrong, Geordie gushes for minutes straight about Hieronymus Bosch, William Blake, and the Saga of the Volsungs, and Duncan discovers that Berserk is not the nihilistic story he always thought it was.
That thing, it was too long to be called a podcast... so we split it in two. The fella's wrap up their Halloween booooooook club with the first part of their discussion of Berserk: Geordie's favourite fantasy series of all time and a first time read for Duncan. Covering the the Black Swordsman Arc till Guts' departure from the Band of the Hawk, Duncan and Geordie rave about Miura's genius penmanship, how Berserk ruined all western comic books, the '97 anime, and the marvellous nuances behind its characters and themes.
It's the first of two episodes in our annual Halloween boooook club. Geordie picked the Library at Mount Char completely by accident and what a triumph! The boys adored this book and they discuss: its humour, its intense metaphysical weirdness, its stubborn refusal to be compared with anything else, and the unbelievable fact that its the author's debut.
Sooooo due to Geordie trying to be a responsible book buyer, his copy of The Library at Mount Char hasn't arrived yet. Oh calamity, oh Bailey! But Geordie has a plan. He challenges Duncan to a first sentence challenge, where the fellas test the other to see if they can guess the fantasy novel from just the opening line.
Duncan plays dirty, Geordie plays too nice, and it's a pretty embarrassing showing all round. Nobody tell Duncan that Geordie heard about this challenge from TikTok.
“It is important, when recording a podcast, to ensure that you choose a book of sufficient quality." Duncan and Geordie are back from their holidays, ready to recount all the books they read and discuss 'Red Sister' by Mark Lawrence. Duncan is a big fan of Lawrence's, whereas Geordie thinks 'Prince of Thorns' is the most repugnant book he ever gave up on.
In addition to discussing the highs and lows of this book, the fellas discuss their summer reading, Duncan reveals he's never heard of iCarly, Geordie rants about authors who feel terribly clever for cribbing 'A Canticle for Leibowitz," and they spend an astonishingly large part of this episode discussing Naruto.
Hoo-boy! More racist than you thought. Yup, Robert E. Howard is tragically offensive in this 1936 novella. The fellas are left gutted, and with complicated feelings about Howard using his amazing writing for evil. Duncan gives a crash-course in Conan history, and talks non-stop about pastiche novels, and Geordie doesn't have the heart to tell him that he doesn't know how to pronounce "pastiche."
The curse is ended, we've got a good book! A great book! The fellas get lost in Geordie's vast love of Greek mythology, the wonderful love story of Achilles and Patroclus, One of the best episodes yet!
T/W: This episode contains discussions around the topic of rape, which is an important theme within the book.
It's a real monster of an episode! Whilst the fellas make their way through Song of Achilles, they take a break to discuss the dark and perilous side of fantasy: the monsters that must be slain. The topics discussion stray into Geordie being confidently wrong about Chinese mythology, Hogwarts plumbing, and fist fighting H.P. Lovecraft. How is it to say Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn, anyway?
The title of this book doesn't even make sense! It's a good day for John Gwynn, but a bad one for Duncan and Geordie. The boys have found their new low-point in their quest to explore the fantasy genre. Even Duncan, try as he might, can't fully defend this book. They discuss: baffling writing choices, painfully cringey sex scenes, and all the books you should read instead of this one.
The boys blend ancient divine rites with alchemy in Gareth Hanrahan's debut, The Gutter Prayer. Duncan lauds the book's world building, whilst Geordie thinks it's not enough to support a weak story and characters. They discuss the use of tense, Duncan's new mistrust of professors since leaving academics, and Geordie keeps trying to talk about The Expanse and the Count of Monte Cristo instead
The fellas roadtrip across America, meeting a cavalcade of gods in the process. No, it's not Percy Jackson. In this episode Geordie and Duncan debate the pros and cons of Neil Gaiman's fantasy-novel-with-a-lot-of-hyphens. The episode highlights include: Geordie's horror when he realised Duncan didn't like it, Duncan not realising that Jesus appears in the novel, and a gust appearance by Geordie's beautiful dachshund, Tilly.
Whoa! A bonus episode? That's right, Duncan and Geordie can't get enough of podcasting and have released their first bonus episode. In this episode the fellas discuss their early reading years and how they got into the fantasy genre. The discussion goes everywhere, from being read bedtime stories, the time Duncan read all of A Song of Ice and Fire in 19 days, Dragon Ball, and perhaps the most obscure book series that Duncan and Geordie somehow both know.
Neither of the fellas knew this book existed until Duncan unwrapped it at Christmas, so they're surprised to find out how much they love it! In this episode the boys cover Kristen Britain's 1998 ya fantasy adventure debut, Green Rider. They discuss sword fights, the best horses in fantasy, and a shocking revelation makes Geordie laugh harder than he has in years.]
TW: this book contains scenes depicting attempted rape. This is covered in the episode.
To begin their journey into YA literature, the fellas settle in to read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. They discuss the book's popularity, the blow-back against it, and misogyny in the fantasy landscape. They've a lot to cover in this episode, from discussing the highs and lows of Edward's qualities as a boyfriend, the surprising lack of Jacob, and Geordie's hatred of the word "chuckled."
For the first time in history, the fellas have no idea what the other thought of the book. Its a journey of discovery for all of us. Duncan and Geordie discuss 'Malice' John Gwynne's debut novel - best known as the author of those books with the real big monsters on the front.
In this ep Geordie schools Duncan on Irish mythology and has a good rant about shieldwall logistics, whilst Duncan cannot stop drawing comparisons between the book and just about every part of the fantasy canon.
Duncan and Geordie voyage across the deep seas in their first forray into Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy continuum: A Wizard of Earthsea. The fellas discuss the power of names in fantasy, from Ra to Rumpelstiltskin to Rothfuss, feminism, Le Guin's revolutionary place in the canon of fantasy, as well as the novel's unique Daoist philosophy. In case that sounds too heavy, Duncan also takes Geordie as his sith apprentice and refuses to let Geordie brag about reading Chinese sci-fi.
It's the boys' most divisive episode yet. Duncan brings Matthew Stover's Star Wars novelisation to the table, triggering Geordie's existential breakdown.
Duncan shares his passion for all things Star Wars, whilst Geordie tries to grapple with the shame of being a Star Wars nerd. Can Duncan get Geordie to admit he loves this book? Will Geordie learn to make peace with the Star Wars prequels? And just how many Star Wars books has Duncan. The answer can only be found in a galaxy far far away.
The most ineffable episode yet. The team take their first look at one of their favourite fantasy novelists: Sir Terry Pratchett, and give their impression on his collaboration with Neil Gaimen. They have a laugh at the fantastic humour, and unpack Terry's breakdown of good and evil cosmology. And chalk it on the score board, it's the first mention of death of the author on the podcast, as Geordie talks about queer readings of fantasy novels, and when readers interpret in defiance of the text.
Please reach out to us with your questions, suggestions and hate mail at isthisjustfantasypodcast@gmail.com
After... uh-hum... absolutely nothing happened with the last recording... Duncan takes us into our first moray into the Moorcockiverse. Does Elric of Melnibone live up to Geordie's expectations? Will he be able to talk about anything but Dungeons and Dragons? Will Duncan be able to explain the reading order? But more importantly, can he figure out how to pronounce the name of the book?
It seems Duncan couldn't resist. Unable to cope with the wait, he chose to select the sequel to the last book: Laini Taylor's 'The Muse of Nightmares.' In the conclusion to the duology, Geordie and Duncan discuss how it compares to the first, the romance, and Geordie won't shut up about set-up and pay-off.
With his first chosen book of the podcast, Geordie brings us on a journey into mystery and romance with Laini Taylor's 'Strange the Dreamer.' Find out if, like Geordie, this is your favourite fantasy novel of all time, and see whether Duncan agrees with him.
Content warning: Strange the Dreamer is a novel about trauma, and whilst the novel handles the topic with great delicacy, listeners and readers alike should be aware that the novel centers around:
- Rape and sexual abuse
- Memory loss
- Forced captivity
- Children born through sexual violence
The premier episode! Meet Geordie and Duncan on the cusp of their first episode as their journey to 1932 and beyond to an Age Undreamed Of.
If you've never read a Conan story, or whether you're a fellow dog-brother or sword-sister, listen as we discuss Robert E. Howard's classic Conan novella: The Tower of the Elephant.