The Boiled Leather Audio Hour

Usually, you’d expect to see a paywall blocking access to this podcast if you’re not pledging 10$ or more to the Patreon, because the Boiled Leather Audio Conversation, in which I talk to a wide berth of co-hosts about different interesting topics, is only availablet this elite subset. However, in a shameless act of promotion suggested by the Boiled Leather Audio Hour Marketing Department and sanctioned by our board of directors, this episode will be available to public audiences. If you like what you hear, there’s one of these episodes available each month, and if you pledge, you get of course access to the back catalogue currently encompassing six other episodes: - The inaugural episode, also with Elio Garcia, in which we talked about Stannis - The second episode, with Steven Attewell, in which I talk with him about meritocracy and monarchy - The third episode, which I did on my own and in which I talk at length about the successor shows HBO plans - The fourth episode, in which I talk to Jim McGeehin (SomethingLikeALawyer) about morality in games - The fifth episode, in which I talk about Game of Thrones the TV show with Jay Sherer - The sixth episode, in which I talk to Tim Westmyer about dragons as a metaphor on weapons of mass destruction But enough with the plugs, what awaits you in this episode? Elio and I decided to tackle Sansa Stark, who is a totally uncontroversial character in the fandom, and to take the deep dive with her. Why is she producing such strong reactions in the community? What is her story arc? Did she really doom Eddard Stark? Where is she headed? Will she get together with Sandor? What do our reactions say about our own conceptions of teenage girls? This, and much more, gets adressed in the podcast. I hope you enjoy the show and consider pledging - or consider to keep pledging, if you’re one of the exalted people already doing so whom I do not thank enough. As you will hear at the end of the podcast, this is not the end of Elio and me looking at certain characters controversial in the fandom. Next up will be Renly. You’re in for a treat in the near future, people! Download the episode Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. Torrent Our iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. westeros.org Stefan’s blog.

You know this feeling when you find a new blog of tumblr and you just know you have something special on your hands? That was it for me when I found “A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry” by Bret Devereaux. The blog collects articles detailling how realistic certain gear and events in fantasy are, mainly focussing on Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and while a lot of people are engaging in this kind of stuff, Bret manages to actually provide a lot of useful context without losing sight of what makes a good story. Naturally, I checked out the author, who teaches at the University of North Carolina, and Bret kindly agreed to come on the show and talk to me about all kinds of issues related to the middle ages and how they relate to “A Song of Ice and Fire”. I feel we’ve only scratched the surface, and already this is one of the longest “Boiled Leather Audio Hour” episodes ever released, with a runtime of close to two hours. I hope you guys will enjoy the podcast! Many questions I asked in the show were put forward in advance by our Patreons on http://www.patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour, so if you’re not pledging yet you can rectify this now, get access to the show early and influence the topics of future shows, as well as access all kinds of bonus material. Download the episode! Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. Torrent Our iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Bret’s blog. Stefan’s blog.

You requested it, you got it! I’m talking to the one and only TurtlePaced, and our topic was decided in a poll by our Patreons: Locations as storytelling devices. From the Wall to Sunspear, from Pyke to Dragonstone, from Braavos to Astapor, the locations that George R. R. Martin built to let the story take place in are characters of their own, giving a strong sense of place that goes way beyond “a castle in the north”. We talk about why Winterfell and the Wall are so damn big, how the Ironborn are shaped by the Iron Islands and vice versa, what Harrenhal symbolizes, whether Oldtown is really old (spoiler: yes), how Dragonstone is the most Stannis-y of all Stannis places, why Braavos will win the Game of Thrones and so much more! Please make sure to check out the TurtlePaced tumblr, where you can find all her original content. I once again want to ask TurtlePaced for doing this podcast with me. It’s the first time we had someone from Down Under on the show, and if you think locations don’t matter, wait until you try to schedule with those time zones! We also have a nice segment about how living in Europe can help you understand Oldtown, while Australia gives you unique insight into Dorne. I hope you enjoy the show! Download the Episode! Torrent The BLAH Patreon. BLAH iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. TurtlePaced tumblr

He’s back! The one and only Sean T. Collins is joining me, providing his hard-earned GOT-wisdom and critic bona fides for the second look back at Game of Thrones Season 8 that the Boiled Leather Audio Hour is doing this month. And because Sean’s back - and back to form - this podcast runs not the literal boiled hour but is rather hard boiled to 90 minutes, and I’m stretching this analogy - like leather. Well, that’s that. We’re talking about character arcs, plot twists and more. But before we get into this, we need to revisit the topic I talked about with Gretchen Felker-Martin on the last episode - the criticism of Game of Thrones, and how fan culture has become a bit toxic surrounding it. We have strong opinions that we vent, and if you don’t want to hear them, don’t want to get some negative emotions or simply aren’t interested, jump to 41.27 minutes, where we start the discussion of the season proper. So, with that, I leave you to our tender pre-recorded mercies. We hope you enjoy this podcast, and that you’re as happy as I am to have Sean’s voice back on record. There’s more to come, I’m sure. Download the episode! Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. Torrent Our iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Sean’s blog. Stefan’s blog.

A good chunk of the political plot of “A Storm of Swords” is dedicated to the election of the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, while “A Feast for Crows” goes on at length about the ramifications of the hitherto insignificant elections of the High Septon. In the background, meanwhile, sinister maesters spin their own intrigues in selecting who becomes the Grand Maester in King’s Landing. In the first of what we currently plan to be a three-parter (initially, it was to be one episode, so go figure), I talk to political operative Marcus A. Roberts. We go deep into the weeds about who’s franchised in Westerosi orders, how the mechanics of selecting leaders work in theory and how this differs in practice and what the outflow for the story is. We talk about such diverse topics as what Janos Slynt’s advice would’ve been had he bought Marcus’ services, how being a Stark can be an advantage in these elections, what special power position the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch have and how elections in the history of the Watch worked out. We’re also comparing the elections for the High Septon to the breakdown of the Weimar Republic, and not only because that comparison is particularily en vogue these days. Versailles also gets its comparison treatment, because surprisingly, it serves as a useful foil for the dilemma the Citadel found itself in when Aegon the Conqueror came to Westeros. We hope you enjoy the show! Download the episode! Torrent BLAH Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. BLAH iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Stefan’s blog. Marcus on Twitter.

Joining me today is David, a.k.a. LmL, a.k.a. Lucifer means Lightbringer. LmL has become famous in the fandom for his elaborate and deeply challenging theories regarding the apocalypse, the ancient one (the Long Night) as well as the looming one (the Second Long Night, duh). I also blush to write that he’s long been a fan of the show. So this was clearly a match made in heaven. We talk at length about the apocalypse of the Long Night and what it portends for the story going forward, as usual on this show always with a clear focus on the narrative function. Also, if you ever wanted to know what George R. R. Martin could learn from Luc Besson’s “Valerian”, you’ve come to the right place. But our discussion doesn’t stop there; we’re also going into the weeds on symbolism and myth. Those of you who follow LmL already know the gist of it, but we’re once again asking the hard questions: Why does GRRM put all those references in his books, and why should we care about them? In a more lighthearted manner, I also press LmL on which of his own theories he thinks is the least likely to hold any water. That’s an exercise every writer loves, after all. (Irony) But hey, in the end, we at least take away some deep questions about sword fighting in the finale. Will the House of Black and White be matched by the swords of Black and White? Boiled Leather Audio Hour, answering questions you didn’t even knew you had. Download Episode 85! Download Torrent BLAH Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. BLAH iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Stefan’s blog. LmL Youtube LmL Blog LmL Patreon LmL Twitter

When Elio and I last teamed up for the Patreon exclusive episode about Stannis (which you can check out by pledging 10$ a month, which also unlooks other special episodes!), Elio mentioned that he’d like to talk about Cersei next. So naturally, I followed up on this, and today we’re going to dive deep into the weeds and talk all about the greatest queen of them all, at least in her imagination. The discussion boils down a lot to the question of nature vs. nurture. Is Cersei just this really evil, really bad person? Or was she made that way? Going from that foundation, we talk about her marriage with Robert and the deep question of who was more toxic, we talk about Westerosi patriarchy in general, we talk about Tywin’s parental abilities or lack thereof and of course how this all needs to be put in perspective through Westerosi-tinted glasses. However, that’s not all, of course. We also have an extended conversation about how Cersei was changed from the books to the show, how she raises her kids and what differences she makes between Joffrey and Tommen. We close this off by discussing what’s in store for Cersei come “The Winds of Winter”. By the way, not only can you find this episode on Patreon as well, but if you pledged one or more dollar a month, you get access to a lot of bonus content and, most importantly, got to listen to this episode a week earlier. Just in case you’re thinking about pledging and needed an additional reason, y’know? Download Episode 84! Download Torrent BLAH Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. BLAH iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Stefan’s blog. westeros.org

It’s now a whooping 14 years since the release of “A Feast for Crows”, a book that has been met with considerable disappointment back when it was released after an unprecedented five-year-wait (oh, sweet summer child, what do you know of waiting times) after the exhilariting high that was “A Storm of Swords”. Since then, however, it has steadily risen in appreciation for many readers and is widely regarded as one of the top novels of the series. I personally rank it second after “A Dance with Dragons”, but I know of others who even rank it first. Today, I’m getting Jim McGeehin (SomethingLikeALawyer from Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire) back on board to discuss the meaning of the title of the novel: “A Feast for Crows”. Why is there a feast in the first place, and who are the crows? We go through the different story arcs and visit the Ironborn, torn between three distinct political futures, have a look at how the monarchy is disintegrating in King’s Landing, look at Braavos, where Arya’s and Sam’s fates intertwine for a moment, and also don’t neglect the fate of the three kingdoms so far spared from the corpse heap the titular crows are feeding from: Dorne, the Reach and the Vale. What’s in store for them when the Winds of Winter come calling? Folllow us through a ride, analyzing the themes, the character arcs, the plot and all the while compare it to our own rich history. Is Jaime acting in the same mental headspace as the American troops in Iraq? Can you ever conquer and occupy a country like the Ironborn try with the North, or will you always suffer the fate of the invading Wehrmacht in Ukraine? May it be a mistake to introduce religious fanatism to a world ravaged by civil war (spoiler alert: yes)? All of those heady questions come together in a deep tapestry in the current episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, brought to you by Supreme Boiler of Leather Morgan! PS: If you play the “A Game of Thrones” boardgame by Fantasy Flight Games, Amin Javadi from the Podcast of Ice and Fire would very much like you to take part in this survey:https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2145938/game-thrones-board-game-tournament-survey-formThanks a lot!   Download Episode 83! Download Torrent Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. Our iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Stefan’s blog. Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire

After Sean was taking a short furlough for the last episode, I’m back with my roster of illustrous co-hosts. This month, I’m talking to Steven Attewell, and the topic is still Fire and Blood. How could it be otherwise, really? Being historians and policy nerds, we dive deep into questions of policy. The burning question that kept many readers up at night when they put their tomes aside are answered here: Why isn’t Jahaerys’ road-policy discussed more in the context of the King’s Landing sewage system? But of course, we also go into more obscure topics than this, leaving well-trodden paths behind and bravely staking out new ground, such as debating which West Wing episode resembles Jahaerys’ decision to take in former rebels of the Faith militant into the kingsguard most, and what Aaron Sorkin would have made of the material. But joking aside, we really hope you’ll enjoy this episode. We keep the real world stuff out, the geekery in, and our thumbs thoroughly down on the scales of metaphor. I’m stopping now. Enjoy listening, and as always, please give feedback on what you liked, what you didn’t like, and where you think we should take the show next. DOWNLOAD EPISODE 82  Download Torrent Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour. Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com). Our iTunes page. Previous episodes. Podcast RSS feed. Sean’s blog. Stefan’s blog. Steven’s blog.

What’s this? Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s a bonus episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour! Back when I did the episode with guest host Jim McGeehin on military matters, we reaffirmed our shared love of games - video games, roleplaying games and board games, but decided to keep it out of the podcast (and failing to do so). We couldn’t let go of the topic, however, and so we decided to come back round to it and dedicate an entire episode to it. Since our gaming interests are somewhat niche even in nerd terms, I thought it would be a bit much to sell this as a regular BLAH episode to our listeners who might not really be interested in this. Therefore, this is episode 80.5, a purely bonus episode. If you’re interested in this stuff, give it a shot, if not, well…don’t. The regular December episode will still come, and it will be a special treat. A quick comment on the audio: I give the seperation of audio tracks yet another go, so hopefully this finally works with headphones. Please give me feedback on this. And second, after finally being almost finished cutting and editing the episode, the file crashed and I had to start over. I currently don’t have the time to do this again, so this is largely a rough cut. I’m really sorry about this, and the audio will be better again next time. DOWNLOAD EPISODE 80.5 Additional Links: Torrent Download Link Stefan’s blog Sean’s blog Jim’s blog Jim’s tumblr — Jim’s recommendations: Gloomhaven - Scion - Steam sale Stefan’s recommendations: Twilight Imperium 4 - The Dark Eye - Company of Heroes 2