Well folks, did this episode come out on time? No. But do we make up for it by having some of the most exciting, thought-provoking chapters yet? Also no! Join us as we read chapters 16, 17, & 18 of Claw of the Concilliator and ask these most central of questions: will Jonas finally prove that he's interesting? (No.) Can Wolfe write a good short story based on a pun? (Also no.) Will Severian ever shut the fuck up? (Also also no!)

Also, now that we have finally flown the next with Twitter, be sure to check out and follow our new Tumblr!

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Fuligin Snuggie on Tumblr!

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We're sorry, we promise we'll try our best to stop talking about him! But thank you, listeners, for joining us briefly as we discuss plagiarism, abuse, and what it means to love and grapple with art made by cruel people. But don't worry, we're soon back on our bullshit with some truly lush prose in chapters 14 & 15 of Claw of the Conciliator! Join us as we encounter strange and incomprehensible statues, soul-sucking office waiting rooms, and some (perhaps based???) political thoughts.

To skip our Neil Gaiman conversation, go to 22:00!

Read writing-for-life's rebuttal of the plagiarism accusations against Neil Gaiman here:

https://www.tumblr.com/writing-for-life/773593938299912192/tales-from-the-flat-earth-by-tanith-lee

Read Andrea Skinner's account of her mother and stepfather here:

https://archive.ph/97YUf

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And now for something completely different! Hello again friends and listeners! We are happy to announce/sorry to disappoint you with a brand-new bonus series! That's right folks, we have yet again had recording troubles, so we decided to launch this snappy little series to buy ourselves some time to fix things. To that end, we're going to introduce each other to some of our favorite things and explore more about what gives our brain that delicious brrrrrrrrrrrr feeling. Join us as we dive into two realms refreshingly untainted by the pen of Gene Wolfe: video games and K-dramas!

SPOILERS for Friendly Rivalry: 14:37-20:30

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Is Severian supposed to be a carnifex or a torturer? Join us as we find out! That's right folks! Our most pressing and important question has been answered, thanks to the top minds at Reddit! Also I guess we read chapters 12 & 13 of Claw of the Conciliator and meet the latest in our copyright-distinct Pokémon rolodex of creepy creatures, encounter yet another ghostly Thecla appearance, and experience a certified #JesusMoment.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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Telekinetic necromantic erotic cannibalism, you say? Sounds like our kind of party! Join us as we read chapters 10 & 11 of Claw of the Conciliator and finally encounter the mysterious alzabo! Well, the special juices from its glands, that is. Now that we're getting into the meat (hehe) of this arc, how will Severian react when brought to the weirdest dinner party of all time? Will he be able to handle this feast for the... senses? Will we??

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Warning! While we usually give a broad content warning at the beginning of each episode, we thought we'd give a particular warning for this one considering current events. After our chapter discussion, we talk quite a bit about transphobia, and in his writing Wolfe repeatedly uses a transphobic slur. If this is something that will cause you distress, you can either skip this episode or peace out during the break. Please take care of yourselves!

He's a 22222nd century man! Wiiiiiiiiith 18th century gender values. Join us as we read chapters 8 & 9 of The Claw of the Conciliator and hit our first real lull in this book. Will Severian stop being a super-cool badass long enough for the book to get interesting again? Not before we've had one of the most disappointing character intros yet! For better and more probably for worse, we make up for the boring chapters with a truly abysmal short story.

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It is the hosts' opinion that Severian should be tied up and unmasked by Scooby & The Gang-- if only they could help us untangle these chapters! Join us as we read chapters 5, 6 & 7 of The Claw of the Conciliator and encounter some of the (we keep saying this) most twisty chapters we've read to date. Is Wolfe actually doing something brave and daring here, or have we lost the plot entirely? Probably both! At least Severian's on the move, and we're certainly keen to follow and see where he leads us.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

We are re-vamping our media presence! For now, please continue to check out Phillament while we figure out our next moves.

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Turns out, pond scum gives you psychic powers! Alas dear listener! We are back to tell you that we are having a good time! Join us as we read chapters 4 & 5 of Claw of the Conciliator and discuss some of our favorite passages so far. There's a cryptic green man! A murder mystery! Ominous liturgy! And, most excitingly, Hethor's back, baybee!

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Our second season begins most auspiciously with a very dated conversation about House of the Dragon (more time travel! woohoo!) and a trip to 4chan to see how Book of the New Sun ranks among literature's other luminaries. We then begin our reading of Claw of the—ahem, Cwaw of the Conciwiatow with some deliciously spooky scenes. Despite our ongoing struggles with Severian as a narrator, are we actually having a really good time? Later, we cleanse ourselves of the 4chan fumes with a Reddit detox.

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We're not in Nessus anymore, Triskele! Lions and tigers and good writing, oh my! Grab your hot chocolate, favorite plushie, and legally-distinct blanket wrap, and join us as we journey once more into Strange Birds, Wolfe's delightful little short story collection inspired by the work of Lisa Snellings-Clark. While our protagonist Tom heads off to the stars, we'll dive into our opinions about how Wolfe's later short story writing compares to his earlier writing in Book of the New Sun.

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