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?