Episodes

  • Ep 16: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkein

    Ep 16: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkein
    Sep 4 2024
    On this very special episode of First Chapters, Engineer Mike and Nina are joined in Gray Cat Studios by a very special guest, Dr. Richard Scott Nokes (aka Professor Awesome of Pop Medieval fame)! He's here to get Nina through a classic work -- just in time for the second season of a certain elf-y show. Will Nina find dry, scholarly notes about epic high fantasy tolerable, or will she descend into the darkness and devour herself? Digressions: Doc's own eye of Sauron, Engineer Mike confusing authors for other authors (again), Warhammer 40k (again), nerd worlds colliding, the semi death of the Pop Medieval podcast, preferring extended versions of movies, the last season of GoT (again), the Silmarillion as kaballah, Nina mispronouncing words (again), improv jazz, the avot, Verner Vinge (again), putting some respect on Christopher Tolkein's name, and spoiling the second season of The Rings of Power with some canon truth bombs. Doc is reading: "The Virga Series" on Audible https://ww
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    45 mins
  • Ep 15: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

    Ep 15: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
    Jul 14 2024
    Nina celebrates a milestone birthday, so Engineer Mike offers up Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Will she read it, or will she take offense? Digressions: Cyberpunk 20-something, the ridiculously named Rhode Island, the Biblical origins of Nina and Engineer Mike, the impending world tour, Crash and other less impressive works, a mini rant on Heinlein, the cult of the Raelians, self-insert characters, and old handheld technology in SF novels. Engineer Mike is reading: "Apostles of Mercy" by Lindsay Ellis https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790939-apostles-of-mercy Nina is reading: "Justin Timberlake once admitted to getting 'completely plastered,' doing his fair share of drugs when there are 'no cameras around'" https://pagesix.com/2024/06/18/entertainment/justin-timberlake-once-admitted-to-getting-completely-plastered-doing-his-fair-share-of-drugs/ And...the Raeliens Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%ABlism
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    34 mins
  • Ep 14: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

    Ep 14: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
    Jun 10 2024
    WHO LET THEY GOONS OUT THAT HOUSE? (Engineer Mike, that's who!) WHO OUT THERE TALKIN ALL THAT MOUTH? (That's Nina.) With many apologies to Beyonce, this week they're reading Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke. Digressions: Ghost tackling, Engineer Mike's para-social relationships, academic flexing, Platonic pontificating, evoking the Satanic Verses to make a point, praising short books, and "raw, uncut, Detroit-made talent." Engineer Mike is reading Virga: Cities of the Air by Karl Schroeder https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8478257-virga Nina is reading Disney War by James B. Stewart https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/414096.Disney_War
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    28 mins
  • Ep 13: The Walking Drum by Louis L’amour

    Ep 13: The Walking Drum by Louis L’amour
    Apr 28 2024
    Engineer Mike convinces Nina to read a book by an author your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents all know. Will it swash her buckle, or walk her plank? Digressions: Weeb shit, "suck my dick, America," confusing Larry McMurtry with Louis L'amour, more weeb shit, the broad umbrella of the Western genre, Batman, everything coming back to Melville, and Engineer Mike bringing up Kushiel's Dart to Nina's annoyance. Engineer Mike is reading: Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61190770 Nina is still reading: Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu Check out our website (and Nina's books) at GrayCatBooks.com!
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    23 mins
  • Ep 12: Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

    Ep 12: Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
    Apr 14 2024
    Timely! Engineer Mike and Nina talk about the book on which the hit Netflix show is based. It's a "whammer" of book, but how far did Nina get? Digressions: throuples, teaching genital mutilation to our children, terrible Netflix movies, modern anti-intellectual parallels, Game of Thrones, are translators authors, and bad followups to great books Engineer Mike is reading: The Martian and Hail Mary by Andy Weir Nina is reading: A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown Further reading about the Chinese Cultural Revolution: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-the-cultural-revolution-195607
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    32 mins
  • Ep 11: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

    Ep 11: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
    Mar 24 2024
    In their most controversial episode yet, Engineer Mike and Nina debate the semantics of the word "chapter" with the book, Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. Who is the author here, anyway? Digressions: Grammy winning singers, early '90's SF/horror movies, Buffy, cyber paganism, SF going through its Cyberpunk Era, forgetting William Gibson, discussing the Cringe of Capitalized Nouns, pussy maps, whether the introduction counts as a chapter, a throwback to the Morgaine omnibus, and 80's deregulated cartoon commercials. Engineer Mike is reading: The Laundry Files by Charles Strauss https://www.goodreads.com/series/50764-laundry-files Nina is reading: Under the Skin by Michel Faber https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123063.Under_the_Skin
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    30 mins
  • Ep 10: Under the Skin by Michel Faber

    Ep 10: Under the Skin by Michel Faber
    Mar 9 2024
    Is this the first time Nina's LOVED a book? Digressions: Skarsgard (Mmm. Mmmhmmm), Scottish slang vs book slang, mouth breathing, the process of running a shady human farm, major body modifications, and Skarsgard (Mmm. Mmmhmm...). Engineer Mike is reading: A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune. An Oral History https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126132210-a-masterpiece-in-disarray Nina is reading: All Systems Red by Martha Wells https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red
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    23 mins
  • Ep 9: Accelerando by Charles Stross

    Ep 9: Accelerando by Charles Stross
    Feb 24 2024
    We're back with season two! Let's kick it off with a book by one of Engineer Mike's favorites. Do they have enough bandwidth to get through the first few chapters? TW: SA, animal abuse, and a spot on JP impression. Digressions: Female protagonists being gross, Engineer Mike's primary source, the free art movement, 70's rock singalongs, everything coming back to "Neuromancer," Neoliberal economics dovetailing into pronatalism, and moving on from past works. Engineer Mike is reading: The Network Effect by Martha Wells Nina is reading: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (note, it's pronounced mosh-FEG)
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    36 mins