Two Chairs Talking

In this special episode, Perry hosts a discussion panel at Conflux, a science fiction convention held in Canberra in October 2023. The topic was "Fanzines: the State of the Art".

Introduction (01:10)

Panel discussion (59:21)

Windup (00:20)

In this special episode, David and Perry give a talk at the Nova Mob about the SF novels of the 1960s. To decide on the best, we treat the exercise as a draft, each of us picking a title in turn in order to try to get the best "team". Who will win?

Meeting starts (00:45)

Introduction to the draft (01:53)

Why the 1960s? (02:02)

Perry's first pick (02:45)

David's first pick (02:24)

Perry's second pick (02:24)

David's second pick (03:04)

Perry's third pick (02:40)

David's third pick (03:41)

Perry's fourth pick (02:00)

David's fourth pick (02:47)

Perry's fifth pick (03:38)

David's fifth pick (03:24)

Perry's sixth pick (04:37)

David's sixth pick (03:34)

Possibles and reserves (03:24)

Voting (08:56)

Results of voting (00:24)

Discussion (10:19)

Windup (54:20)

Perry and David celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast by discussing the best books they read during 2023. And bid you all a fond farewell.

Introduction (00:12)

Our 100th Episode! (04:14)

Let's talk about Books (02:10)

2023: Highlights of our reading (01:11:53)

Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (David) (04:24)

Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (Perry) (03:41)

Best Fantasy read in 2023 (David) (03:40)

Best Fantasy read in 2023 (Perry) (03:34)

Best Crime read in 2023 (David) (05:28)

Best Crime read in 2023 (Perry) (05:59)

Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (David) (02:01)

Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (Perry) (02:57)

Best Historical Fiction read in 2023 (David) (05:50)

Best Novellas read in 2023 (Perry) (05:26)

Best Literary read in 2023 (David) (02:13)

Best Literary read in 2023 (Perry) (04:32)

Best Children's Literature read in 2023 (David) (02:27)

Best Collection/Anthology read in 2023 (Perry) (02:19)

Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (David) (03:16)

Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (Perry) (02:36)

Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (David) (01:22)

Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (Perry) (01:11)

Best Overall re-read in 2023 (David) (01:10)

Best Overall re-read in 2023 (Perry) (02:39)

Windup and Farewell (06:02

 

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Perry and David discuss their recent reading, including several crime or crime-adjacent books, a middle-school fantasy, and an excellent piece of historical fiction.

Intro (03:20)

General News (03:33)

Goodreads Readers Choice Awards (03:32)

What we've been reading (58:11)

Winds of Evil by Arthur Upfield (10:43)

Dorothy L. Sayers Novels (07:00)

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (09:31)

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann (06:24)

Black Sheep by Susan Hill (06:56)

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (04:25)

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (06:51)

Loot by Tania James (06:14)

Windup (03:33)

END (00:10)

Title and image from TV Show Get Smart.

Perry and David discuss recent book awards and go on to discuss their recent reading, some of which evoke strong emotions and others which have kept us on the edge of our seats.

Intro (04:07)

General News (14:02)

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2023 (03:21)

The Hugo Awards 2023 (03:41)

World Fantasy Awards 2023 (00:35)

Le Guin Prize for Imaginative Fiction 2023 (01:17)

Death of Michael Bishop (01:36)

Death of A. S. Byatt (03:22)

What we've been reading lately (45:49)

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien (04:49)

Beast in View by Margaret Millar (03:04)

Blindness by José Saramago (07:11)

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (05:32)

The Conversion by Amanda Lohrey (04:16)

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (06:18)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (05:55)

The True Story of Spit McPhee by James Aldridge (08:13)

Windup (00:24)

Sorrow and silence are strong, and patient endurance is godlike.

—Evangeline, Part 2. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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David and Perry talk about their recent reading, ranging from a confronting story of racism and murder in America, through a pleasant coming-of-age novel, a comedy TV series and an engaging piece of historical non-fiction.

Introduction (02:35)

Conflux: National Science Fiction Convention (05:40)

General News (16:13)

U.S. National Book Awards (03:05)

Ditmar Awards (02:15)

Nobel Prize for Literature 2023 (01:58)

A.I. Translation of books (08:42)

What we've been reading and watching (55:01)

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby (07:42)

The Will of the Many by James Islington (08:51)

The Odd Angry Shot by William Nagle (09:36)

Among Others by Jo Walton (10:50)

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 (08:26)

The Wager by David Grann (08:52)

Travelling with books (01:19)

Windup (00:35)

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Perry and David talk about their latest reading, listening and watching in the crime genre, from a classic PI novel to the latest best-seller.

Introduction (05:56)

General News (11:06)

Ned Kelly Awards 2023 (02:13)

Dragon Awards 2023 (07:00)

Queensland Literary Awards 2023 (01:43)

What we've been reading and watching (55:24)

In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty (11:43)

No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child (11:46)

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan (05:01)

D Is For Deadbeat by Sue Grafton (08:54)

Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron (07:58)

The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 2) (06:01)

Deadloch (03:54)

Windup (01:10)

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"Arrogant priest, this place demands I keep calm,Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonor’d me.or you would be punished for your insult.Think not, although in writing I preferr’dDo not think that just because I wrote downThe manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,the details of your revolting terrible crimesThat therefore I have forg’d, or am not ablethat I have made anything up or cannotverbatim to rehearse the method of my pen."

Henry VI Part I, Act 3 Scene 1

David and Perry discuss a wide range of reading and movie watching, ranging from Restoration period historical fiction through a contemporary true story to the fantastic and not-so-fantastic futures of science fiction.

Introduction (04:40)

General News (08:31)

Hugo Voting Package 2023 (02:59)

Worldcon Site Selection 2023 (01:36)

Ditmar Awards Ballot 2023 (02:29)

Other Awards (01:22)

What we've been reading and watching (01:16:30)

Red Notice by Bill Browder (07:15)

Every Version of You by Grace Chan (13:18)

Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (08:52)

The Migration by Helen Marshall (09:31)

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (10:00)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (07:32)

The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs (06:30)

Oppenheimer (13:10)

Windup (00:36)

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Perry and David discuss audiobooks, cover a swag of awards and recent news, and then go on to talk about what they've read (or listened to) recently. And Perry talks about a great TV series he recommends.

Introduction (01:40)

Listening to audiobooks (11:57)

General News (13:42)

Hugo Ballot 2023 (06:20)

World Fantasy Awards 2023 (01:32)

Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award 2023 (00:37)

Miles Franklin Award Winner 2023 (00:58)

The Booker Prize long list 2023 (02:46)

Death of Milan Kundera (01:20)

What we've been reading (55:00)

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney (07:18)

Utterly Dark and the Heart of the Wild by Philip Reeve (07:33)

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (07:04)

Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber (07:28)

Here’s Luck by Lennie Lower (04:24)

The Russia House by John Le Carre (11:05)

The Bear (08:33)

Windup (01:34)

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David and Perry take the Hugo Time Machine back to 1970, the year that The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin won the Best Novel Hugo. David has a bone to pick, and Perry discusses the latest Indiana Jones movie.

Introduction (03:46)

General News (10:01)

Hugo Voting ballot (04:53)

Locus Awards 2023 (03:49)

Death of Cormac McCarthy (01:13)

Hugo Time Machine 1970 (01:13:46)

Heicon '70 Convention (04:11)

Short Stories (12:28)

Deeper Than the Darkness by Gregory Benford (00:46)

Winter’s King by Ursula K. Le Guin (00:40)

Not Long Before the End by Larry Niven (01:46)

Passengers by Robert Silverberg (01:17)

Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones by Samuel R. Delany (05:19)

Other possible nominees (02:12)

Novellas (10:18)

We All Die Naked by James Blish (00:10)

A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison (01:26)

Dramatic Mission by Anne McCaffrey (01:01)

To Jorslem by Robert Silverberg (01:22)

Ship of Shadows by Fritz Leiber (03:41)

Other possible nominees (02:11)

Novels (46:38)

Macroscope by Piers Anthony (05:07)

Up the Line by Robert Silverberg (03:23)

Bug Jack Barron by Norman Spinrad (06:11)

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (10:44)

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (18:30)

Other possible nominees (02:34)

What we've been watching (06:15)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (06:09)

Windup (00:21)

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