The conversation continues! In this thrilling second half of our cross-podcast collaboration, The Growlery joins forces once again with The Gays and Bookworm Babes to unravel the magic, politics, queerness, and dragons of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree.

We pick up where we left off—diving deeper into the themes of power, prophecy, and sapphic love that pulse through this epic fantasy. Expect hot takes, character debates, and plenty of passionate (and maybe a little chaotic) book nerd energy.

📚✨ Grab your tea (or mead) and let’s finish this dragon ride together.

Episode starts at: 03:48
Outro starts at: 39:00

How to find the Theys, Gays, and Bookworm Babes podcast:
email: [email protected]
Insta: @TheysGaysBabes
Twitter (I will never call it X):  @TheysGaysBabes
TikTok:  @TheysGaysBabes

Book is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Hello! This episode is from the Theys, Gays, and Bookworm Babes podcast where I had the honor of having a conversation with Marz and Hanna on The Priory of the Orange Tree. Thank you to Marz and Hanna for allowing me to share this! This is Part one and Next up is Part 2...so stay tuned.

Episode starts at: 2:39
Outro starts at: 1:04:33

How to find the Theys, Gays, and Bookworm Babes podcast:
email: [email protected]
Insta: @TheysGaysBabes
Twitter (I will never call it X):  @TheysGaysBabes
TikTok:  @TheysGaysBabes

Book is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Oh the dreaded feelings of shame ....Well, Today's episode is all about shame and how Murderbot in Artificial Condition, in my opinion demonstrates shame and the journey to build shame resilience as explained by Dr. Brene Brown. Hope you enjoy today's episode and thank you so much for being patient with me in finally getting this episode out.

Next episodes --> Priory of the Orange Tree discussion with Theys, Gays and Bookworm Babes Podcast part 1 and 2

Time Stamps
2:54  - Episode outline
3:49 - Recap on Martha Wells and the story so far
9:41 -Brene Brown and the topic of Shame
23:42 -Murderbot and Shame
39:58 -Final Thoughts
42:02 -Creative Prompt
43:25 -Outro

Brene Brown

• https://brenebrown.com/
• https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/298649/i-thought-it-was-just-me-but-it-isnt-by-brene-brown/

Youtube of Brene Brown

• https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=ly5fbgZxhGx7RcFH
• https://youtu.be/_UoMXF73j0c?si=AG6-Zsn4xWW_vc8t

Martha Wells

• https://www.marthawells.com/about.htm

A few Resources for Mental Health help (Feel free to let me know of any others to share)

• https://www.nami.org/
• ttps://www.thetrevorproject.org
• https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/tools-resources/index.htm

Articles on Shame

• https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/guilt-shame
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143989/
• https://psychcentral.com/health/guilt-vs-shame#shame-vs-guilt

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

This episode may have no value but that's just the value of nihilism. (Gotta work on my jokes) Today's episode talks about a piece of obscure minor 2015 Steam history with the indie game Gasp by Dark Day Interactive and how the philosophy of nihilism  might apply. Hope you enjoy!

Next up -->The Murder Bot Diaries: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Time Stamps:
5:47 - Episode Outline
6:39 - Background on Game and Developer
27:53 - Nihilism
34:26 - GASP Example
39:26 - Creative Prompt
40:38 - Outro

Friedrich Nietzsche  wiki

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche

Nihilism - Honestly way read than better than what I was trying to explain

• https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/

The Cliqist Articles

• https://cliqist.com/2016/04/20/darkest-day-drama-of-dark-day-interactive/
• https://cliqist.com/2015/08/31/one-final-breath-developers-return-secluded-kickstarter/

Steam Page:

• https://steamcommunity.com/app/412400

GASP Playthroughs:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56kJ2JDPk2s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB78vNt7SfM

Kickstarter pages: (Just a couple for One Final Breath)

• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkdayinteractive/one-final-breath-0
• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkday/final-breath-pc-ps4-and-xbox

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

HELLO! Gosh so sorry for my absence but thank you for your patience. Today's episode covers the worldbuilding within the scifi masterpiece The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and some of the history surrounding when the book was published. Hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to try some worldbuilding for yourself!

Up next -->Indie video game Gasp

Also check out the TheysGaysandBookwormBabes podcast!

Time Stamps
3:20 - Episode Outline
4:03 - Background Information on Book and Author with Overview of the 1960's civil rights era
24:31 - Discussion on worldbuilding
1:02:50 - Final Thoughts
1:07:30 - Creative Prompt
Outro - 1:08:55

Civil Rights links

• https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/civil_rights/background.htm
• https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-the-american-civil-rights-movement
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html
• https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots
• https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/stonewall-era
• https://www.nycpride.org/about-pride/our-history
• https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/the-black-cat-harbinger-of-lgbtq-civil-rights
• https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement#fair-housing-act-of-1968

Ursula K. Le Guin links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness#Background
• https://www.ursulakleguin.com/

Worldbuilding

• https://www.novlr.org/the-reading-room/5-worldbuilding-exercises-for-science-fiction-and-fantasy
• https://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/04/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/
• https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/176308111791/20-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-world-building

Trevor Project
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Point of Pride
https://www.pointofpride.org/

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

WELLL....this episode is late on June 1st but let me tell you this episode gave me a big rabbit hole of research that I didn't expect and still has me questioning a lot but thank you for you patience. However, today's episode will be covering just the basics on Lovecraftian horror and how it is shown through the indie video game Dredge. Hope you enjoy!

Next episode --> The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Timestamps:
3:01 - Episode Outline
3:47 - Background on Dredge
10:54 - Lovecraftian Horror Elements
19:35 - Dredge + Lovecraftian Horror
26:40 - Final Thoughts on the Game
28:22 - Creative Prompt
30:02 - Outro

Dredge Video game links

• https://www.ign.com/articles/dredge-review
• https://www.dredge.game/
• https://gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/dredge-review/

Dredge game play videos

• https://youtu.be/59xny6g6rvE?si=wDBol3m89XU06AAC -Little Gamer's Playground
• https://youtu.be/jTxWdaFfSHY?si=Rtyy8koeOGB8TUKc -Gab Smolders

Scott Wood's Article from levelman.com

• https://www.levelman.com/a-black-folks-guide-to-cthulhu-and-h-p-lovecraft-cc9d57f9531a/

Lovecraftian/ Eldritch Horror elements 
HP Lovecraft 

• https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-P-Lovecraft
• https://www.hplhs.org/

Articles about Lovecraft's racism and other controversies within his works

• https://library.brown.edu/create/lovecraftracialimaginaries/
• https://lithub.com/we-cant-ignore-h-p-lovecrafts-white-supremacy/

Cthulhu and Other Research links

• https://youtu.be/N0bE6wYeqlo?si=0kg7hRINnHWLOeRx
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cthulhu
• https://www.thegamer.com/2019-lovecraftian-games-hit-and-miss/

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

We are going back to 1992 for a retrospective look at the The Buffy Vampire Slayer film (not the TV series) I am  talking about the things I felt make this film unique and the some of the things that make this film leaving me wanting more. Hope you enjoy the episode.

Next up --> Dredge (2023,Indie Video Game) 

Time Stamps
Episode Outline - 3:41
1992/Background on the Film - 4:52
Whedon Controversy - 18:44
The Good about the Film - 24:27
The Opportunities in the Film - 36:02
Creative Prompt - 46:39
Outro - 48:29

1992 Headlines
https://www.historic-newspapers.co.uk/blog/1992-timeline/
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Trailer
https://youtu.be/V-daIHTY4NQ?si=fVVSTi_J6Y1orubq
Clip of the Buffy Series
https://youtu.be/BIZl5E6XOQI?si=BPSOb5BCDACEE0Gw
Original Script
https://buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_(film)/Original_script
Other resources about the Film

• https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_(film)
• https://www.joblo.com/buffy-revisited/
• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-31-ca-4213-story.html
• https://collider.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-movie-camp-classic/

Whedon Controversy 

• https://www.vulture.com/2021/05/complete-timeline-joss-whedon-allegations.html
• https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/news/article/7797/Joss-Whedon-Fuck-you/#:~:text=The%20first%20formal%20allegations%20came,as%20its%20spinoff%20show%20Angel

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Hello and thank you for your patience on this episode! Today we are talking about precarity, how insecurity is a method of social control and most of all in a precarious world how do we find value and community? Using Citizen Sleeper as a guide we will think through these concepts and  I do hope that you enjoy!

Next up --> 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie

Time stamps:
2:34 - Outline
3:23 - Background on Citizen Sleeper
12:04 - Precarity and Citizen Sleeper
41:12 - Final thoughts on the Game
43:49 - Creative Prompt
45:19 - Outro

Citizen Sleeper
https://www.fellowtraveller.games/citizen-sleeper

---Playthrough----from Ghiira 
https://youtu.be/h9T4-xTPhk4?si=0e2RXM2g2D1JczwK

Jump over the Age
https://jumpovertheage.com/

Gareth's Lecture
https://youtu.be/r2b_M4a8SoQ?si=zN7j66rDWkHr5UiR

Bureau of Labor Statistics Apr. 2024
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
Overview of Neoliberalism
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/neoliberalism/
Reading on Precarity
https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/precarity
-Springvled, Niles. "Neoliberalism: Precarity and Precariousness" https://www.frameliteraryjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/frame30-2NielsSpringveld.pdf
Pierre Bourdieu
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Bourdieu
Judith Butler
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Judith-Butler
Anna Tsing
https://anthro.ucsc.edu/faculty/index.php?uid=atsing
https://magazine.tank.tv/tank/2019/04/anna-tsing

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Indie game Citizen Sleeper episode is coming out next week! I promise, in the meantime I put in a more causal type episode that I am calling a check point that covers my favorite book I've read in the past four months and one that didn't quite resonate with me. Let me know your thoughts and thank you for your understanding!

Next up --> Citizen Sleeper

Timestamps
(4:06) Outline
(5:36) Meddling Kids
(10:43) Guilty Pleasures
(17:29) 3 books I'm looking forward to
(26:10) Outro/May Announcements 

Books Mentioned in todays episode
*****Check out your local libraries, local bookshops or buy secondhand*****

• Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
• Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
• Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth
• CosmoKnights by Hannah Templer
• The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
• European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss 

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery

Sorry about all the noise and the delay! But today's episode is talking about the 2002 light novel Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto and translated by Akemi Wegmuller. This discussion talks about attachment theory and how it relates to the friendship between the main characters, Momoko and Ichigo. Hope you enjoy!

Next up --> Citizen Sleeper (indie Game)

Time Stamps
Episode outline: 4:36
Background information: 5:41
Attachment theory discussion: 26:29
Final thoughts: 59:01
Writing Prompt: 1:04:24
Outro: 1:06:10

Author and Translator
https://hardcover.app/authors/akemi-wegmuller
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novala_Takemoto
Attachment Theory
https://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.htm
The Strange Situation Experiment
https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html
Stream of Consiousness
https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-stream-consciousness

Further Reading
Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto
Be Not Afraid of Love by Mimi Zhu
Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
So Pretty /Very Rotten by Jane Mai and An Nguyen

Support the show

Instagram: @growlery_pod
TikTok: @lizfromthegrowlery
email: [email protected]
All links for the Growlery