Undertowers Podcast

Can books be too short or long? Or is pacing more important than pages? In this episode we discuss the importance and our preference for story length and focus. Is there a right answer? Listen to find out. 

Then, we draft a Lord of the Rings-style Fellowship, using a maximum of two characters from the Sword & Sorcery–Heroic Fantasy series that we are currently completing consisting of: Conan, Elric, Fafhrd & Gray Mouser, Broken Sword, Drenai Saga, Witcher, Wizard Knights, and the Faithful & the Fallen. We are selecting a party using a modified template from the Brothers Gwynne selecting a Ringbearer, Champion, Swordsman, Axeman, Mage, Counselor, Archer, Animal Companion, and Wild Card. We will post our selections on Instagram and X/Twitter where you can let us know which Fellowship was likeliest to succeed and also share your Fellowship with us. We’d love to hear from you. 

The song you heard was Greener Pastures by Hole Dweller from his album Crossroads. Check out Hole Dweller at his Bandcamp here. 

We are currently reading Shagduk by JB Jackson in anticipation of his upcoming sequel Urusula of Ulm releasing in the near future.

Fantasy and Sci-fi for the most part are a series of interlinking tropes and overtures that combine and interplay to make an unique whole. In this episode we discuss those tropes that move us and exicte us each time they present themselves. We also dive into those that have us rolling our eyes when they appear. 

Thanks again to our wonderful sponsor Damsel Distressing. 

The music you heard was Crossroads by Hole Dweller which can be found here. 

What is there to say about Robert E Howard and Gene Wolfe? Well, in fact, quite a lot. In this episode we discuss the legendary Robert E Howard focusing on Conan, his most iconic creation and one of the pinnacles of fiction. Who is Conan and what does he represent? 

Then we discuss our feelings on Gene Wolfe through the lens of Book of the New Sun and Wizard Knight especially. We talk about his uniqueness as a writer and attempt to delve spoiler-free into these two incredible works and the impressions they’ve left on us. 

Finally we ask the hard, the impossible questions, who would win in a fight, Conan or Sir Able? 

We are also pleased to announce our first sponsor! Listen for more details!

In this episode we discuss our histories with anime and our recent foray into reading manga. We talk about our impressions and general love form the form and go into a bit of detail on Berserk and Fullmetal Alchemist which we’ve read as a group and Hunter x Hunter which we are reading now. 

We also invite everyone to hop along for our book club which looks like this over the next two months:

Episode 3: Talking 'The Hunt for Gollum,' Adaptations, and the Forbes Best 30 Book Series List

In this episode, we discuss the recently announced *The Hunt for Gollum*, sorting through both trepidation and excitement at the announcement. This leads to a broader discussion of film adaptations and the state of big media in general. We finish with a rundown of Forbes' wild list of the 30 best book series of all time.

News!

JB Jackson has launched a Kickstarter for Ursula of Ulm, the sequel to his debut novel *Shagduk*. Both books center around a librarian getting wrapped up in occult activities in 1977's Fort Worth, Texas. You can find the Kickstarter for Ursula of Ulm here and purchase Shagduk here

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Talking Genre and Fantasy, Plus Our Top 10 Video Games

In this episode, we discuss the concept of genre, exploring where it's helpful and where it's just marketing. Is fantasy a setting or a genre? How should books be categorized in a bookshop? Does it even matter all that much? We delve into when genre is useful and when it becomes a crutch. 

Afterward, we share our personal top 10 video games.