Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Winter Burrow has everything Maggie loves in a game: beautiful art, meaningful story, gut-wrenching characters, talking animals, fun mechanics, and a dash of whimsy. Sometimes a game just hits. Topics include the unavoidable Stardew Valley comparisons, the value of a smaller scope, intentionality in game design, and the chance to furnish your very own Bag End.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

George R. R. Martin has a unique talent for ghost stories. In this episode, we continue to trace echoes and shadows across the blood-spattered halls of power in King's Landing. Maggie investigates the eerie comet hanging over every moment of the action, this time as a proxy for control. Cam sees another Targaryen mirage in the form of Joffrey Baratheon, and dives down a rabbit hole of dead kings and martyrs that totally reframes our understanding of Westerosi monarchs. We take a closer, more critical look at Cersei Lannister as a power player in the titular game of thrones, before finally tracking the ghost of Ned Stark as it doggedly haunts the steps of his similarly idealistic successor: Tyrion Lannister.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a fantastic season of television, and it's an even better adaptation. In this episode, we're exploring the relationship between AKOTSK and GRRM's The Hedge Knight to find out how this miraculous translation happened. Along the way we'll spotlight six essential changes that the show made to the source material, analyze the half-hour format, and discuss delicate tonal evolutions. After that, we break down the show's revolutionary approach to combat on-screen, consider the state of the franchise, and wrap up with a few thoughts on the future of big budget, genre adaptations. All Hail Dunk & Egg!

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights" is two movies at the same time. We begin by discussing the film on its own terms, before bringing in the larger context of Emily Brontë's immortal novel. This one is an absolute heartbreaker — it's not just a bad movie, but a terrible adaptation too. Topics include: endlessly laundering Heathcliff's cruelty, debating whether or not this is a love story at all, inconsistent production design, miscast leads, the strange shadow of Saltburn, all those missing ghosts, incomplete adaptations, and that Charli XCX score.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

And Just Like That … we're back in the world of Westeros doing chapter-by-chapter of A Song of Ice and Fire. A Clash of Kings opens with one big metaphor and a bunch of tricky new characters. Maggie's History Corner returns with a jaunt through the British Empire and a quick stop at Halley's Comet. Cam asks if Stannis is the new Ned Stark, and then worries that Davos is the new Lord Varys. We work together to uncover a treasure trove of unexpected parallels between Stannis Baratheon's pathetic host and the bygone Targaryen dynasty. Finally, we revisit our old friend "The Philosophy of Death" to see how GRRM is exploring and evolving his perennial narrative grindstone.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

Iron Lung is a staggering work of indie horror, but we would argue that it's also an unconventional and hyper ambitious Faust fable, restaging the whole drama of Marlowe's classic deal-with-the-devil play inside a claustrophobic submarine stained with blood. In this episode, we're mapping Marlowe's characters onto Markiplier's minimalistic ensemble, laying out the terms of Simon's remixed Faustian bargain, and hunting for his oft-conjured but seldom seen Mephistopheles. It's Lynchian! It's Lovecraftian! It's positively Faustian! And here's the kicker, the film's ending takes on a whole new level of meaning and symbolism when interpreted through this lens! Let's dive into it!

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

It's been called "revolutionary." It's been called "game-changing." It's been called "The Worst Game Show in Podcast History." That's right, Trivia Deathmatch is back for Volume 3! Ten rapid-fire questions of the finest fantasy and horror arcanum known to man. The questions are harder this time, but are we any smarter?

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

In this episode, we're back in Westeros to revisit the first season of Game of Thrones, fifteen years later. Was this the best Game of Thrones ever got? Is this the best fantasy adaptation of all time? Let's dive in! Topics include: a total reevaluation of Jaime Lannister, the color palette of the Seven Kingdoms, the tension between big budgets and the viewer's imagination, forgotten character crossovers, the secret to great genre casting, grounded drama vs. epic fantasy, and the strange disappearance of chest hair onscreen.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

This episode is a celebration of Heated Rivalry and its refreshing avoidance of anything cliché – in romance, queer romance, and popular fiction in general. Topics include the power and pitfalls of representation, the unique storytelling potential of sex scenes, and the euphoria of narrative wish-fulfillment.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]

Check out Cam's latest novel / audio drama here!

In this remarkably chaotic episode, we take another crack at making a Second Breakfast game show. Ten trivia questions, arguably zero winners, many more ASMR dice rolls, one contested bonus point — oh, and we completely forgot to keep score. I cannot tell you how much fun these are to record.

LINKS: Patreon, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram

Feedback & Theories: [email protected]