Just In Case We Die

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The book for November provides a great opportunity for listeners to engage with the cast. They are urging someone out there to read this book and then email them to explain why they believe that this book should be on a list of books that are essential novels to read before we die. 

Remembering Babylon, the Booker Prize-winning novel by Australian "master" David Malouf, is, ultimately, nothing more than a book that the cast of Just In Case We Die read because they had to. Be warned if you are a fan of this novel because it gets skewered herein.

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The bonus material this month has its genesis in the book discussion from last month. You may recall that Rodney and Rebecca were less than pleased with the ending of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, citing it as abrupt and implausible. Does the ending ruin an otherwise great book?

This month, the discussion centers around the art of the ending. Are there really great books ruined by a terrible final chapter? Are some endings too abrupt? What writers, for the cast of Just In Case We Die, too often resort to laziness when it comes to the denouement? What is the greatest ending of all time and why is it The Usual Suspects?

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This novel-- Mark Haddon's emotional depiction of a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome-- meant a lot to Aaron when he first read it back in 2007. He selected it for his choice off of the list because he thought that Rebecca would have a personal attachment to it and he wanted Rodney to appreciate a post-modern novel that wasn't as complicated as The Recognitions. The end result of this experiment to cater to everyone's tastes? One of the best books they've read so far sullied by a flat and lifeless ending.

Can a bad ending ruin a great novel? 

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It’s October!

All three cast members of Just In Case We Die are in agreement that autumn is the best time of the year. It’s not just because of the cool temperatures or the pumpkin spice. It’s not just because of the beautiful changes in scenery as the leaves and foliage change color before winter. Fall is also their favorite season of the year because that’s the best time to break out the dusty books of scary stories!

This month, the bonus discussion centers around horror, some personal favorite creators in the genre, and an exploration into ways you can get your scary story fix without subjecting yourself to blood and guts. From old school classics to contemporary masters, the podcast offers more than enough suggestions to get through the Halloween season!

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The temptation to accurately depict the general consensus on this (apparently) "essential" "novel" by leaving this space wordless and blank is almost overwhelming. That would be poor form, though. This is a website and it must have content. 

Novels should have content, too, though.

We're talking to you, Colette!

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For the bonus material this month, the crew at Just In Case We Die takes a deep dive into the life and works of beloved children's author Roald Dahl. Listeners may know him as the mastermind behind such classic works as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. Would they also realize that he also penned a good amount of racy work for adults? Do listeners know that he was also a decorated fighter pilot, one of the forefathers of the pro-vaccination movement, and the inventor of medical equipment that everyone should be thankful they never needed? Are they aware that his work was embroiled in a recent censorship controversy that centers around something called "a sensitivity reader"? 

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In 1898, William Heinemann published H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds in novel form for the very first time. In the 126 years that have passed since, this novel has never been out of print. It has been adapted into movies, television shows, radio productions, comic books, and musicals. It has also been the base inspiration for multitudes of other well-known science-fiction projects. Is The War of the Worlds the most famous science-fiction novel of all time? Does this novel actually fit into the genre? Why is H. G. Wells a wizard?

This month, Aaron, Rodney, and Rebecca– once again– discuss one of the hallmark novels of early science-fiction. 

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The final day of August has been declared as We Love Memoirs Day. The gang here at Just In Case We Die has no idea how that holiday should be celebrated, but it did give them a good topic for this month’s bonus episode.

This month, the discussion centers around memoirs. What is a memoir? What makes for a good one? Are there specific memoirs that might be recommended? What happens when Oprah Winfrey discovers that your memoir is actually a bunch of crap that you made up for fame? Salman Rushdie, Augusten Burroughs, Michael J. Fox, the offspring of Kurt Vonnegut, and more!

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Rodney: Meh.
Rebecca: Blech.
Aaron: OHMIGERD! OHMIGERD!

Yeah. That pretty well sums up the direction this week’s discussion goes.

In 1997, Peter Carey, perhaps Australia’s most important contemporary novelist, presented a pastiche of Charles Dickens with this enigmatic examination of inspiration. The cast of Just In Case We Die has never been more divided.

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This month, the crew here at Just In Case We Die took an opportunity to discuss a genre that doesn’t normally come up on a podcast that discusses fine works of literature: “trashy” summer beach reads. You know, the books that only take you a couple of days to read and are utterly forgettable? The books you might not admit to loving in conversation with your college literature professor friends?

This month’s discussion is a lively one, with time devoted to childhood favorites, the differences between two of the bestselling names in horror, and the best adventure series that poorly cast Tom Cruise in the movie adaptation. There’s also some time devoted to those guilty pleasure writers that we don’t like . . . some of those will surprise you!