Authors Die Twice

Bryan and Nathan revisit their series "Abandoned Old Workshop," where they highlight a colleague's (or, apparently, even their own) recent or forthcoming academic work. In this episode, Bryan discusses his guest-edited special issue of Barthes Studies on Barthes's The Pleasure of the Text. Happy birthday to that most inspirational master of style . "I write because I have read," indeed.

Barthes Studies special issue: https://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/barthes/volumes/volume-articles/?q=volume-12-the-pleasure-of-the-text

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

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In this episode, Nathan and Bryan are joined again by Luke Barnhart, this time to discuss the painting of Giorgio de Chirico.

Find Luke's work on Instagram @luke.a.barnhart

De Chirico's The Soothsayer's Recompense (1913): https://www.philamuseum.org/objects/51288

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

In this episode, Nathan and Bryan are joined once again by filmmaker Christopher Jason Bell to discuss his 2025 short film The Confection, as well as video game remakes.

Failed State: https://means.tv/programs/failed-state

Sign up to MeansTV with the code CHRISBELL for 10% off a subscription!

Substack:

https://bestmonthsfinalpdf.substack.com/

The Confection:

https://vimeo.com/816045136/42279aaa29?fl=ip&fe=ec&share=copy

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

In this episode, Bryan and Nathan expand on the occasional segment, "Bryan's Metal Corner." They talk about form, harshness, prettiness, and neutrality. Most importantly, Bryan finally got Nathan to listen to some metal, resulting in a dubious comparison between Neurosis and Katy Perry.

Isis, "Dulcinea" (In the Absence of Truth): https://isistheband.bandcamp.com/track/dulcinea

Neurosis, "We All Rage in Gold" (Honor Found in Decay): https://neurosis.bandcamp.com/track/we-all-rage-in-gold

Warning, "Stations" (Rituals of Shame): https://warningdoom.bandcamp.com/track/stations

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Nathan and guest host Justin Carpenter speak with Daniel Fedor and Corey Waite Arnold about their new space noir sim Ostranauts. They talk about the game’s mind-boggling number of systems, simulating the quotidian within fantasy, the theater of the mind, and attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.

Ostranauts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1022980/Ostranauts/

Corey's website: https://coreywaite.com/

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Bryan and Nathan talk to novelist Sean Thor Conroe about his new book The Walk Book (2026). Sean Thor Conroe is the author of Fuccboi (2022) and the forthcoming novel Savior. His work has appeared in The Paris Review, Playboy, and Vice, and he also hosts the book podcast 1storypod.

The Walk Book: https://www.littleengines.shop/shop/p/the-walk-book

Sean's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1storypod/id1238415112

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Bryan and Nathan are back once again with a Formless One. They discuss the Devil May Cry franchise, Michael Clune's White Out: A Secret Life of Heroin, and Sean Thor Conroe's recently published The Walk Book.

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

This week Bryan and Nathan return to Dark Souls 3, joined once again by friend of the pod, writer, and co-host of Reel Rap, Shane. They talk about what makes Dark Souls 3 stand out, for better and worse, including playerly progression, moments of silence, and the tropical melancholy of the final area.

Shane's writing: https://www.splittoothmedia.com/author/spfender/

Reel Rap: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reel-rap/id1792646198

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Bryan and Nathan are back with another Formless One. They discuss the Diablo franchise and a handful of books: Vacated Landscape by Jean Lahougue; Train Lord by Oliver Mol; The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson; Living on After Failure by Irving Goh; and The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson.

Bryan's appearance on Reel Rap to discuss Vacated Landscape: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vacated-landscape-by-jean-lahougue-with-bryan-counter/id1792646198?i=1000774623175

Tristram Village theme from Diablo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnMR6SOBa9k&list=RDAnMR6SOBa9k&start_radio=1

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

In this episode, Bryan and Nathan discuss FromSoftware’s 2016 game Dark Souls III. They talk about the game’s traversability, fan service, repetition, memory, and its relationship to the other games in the trilogy. 

Find us on YouTube at youtube.com/@authorsdietwice

Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]