Fuligin Snuggie

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BS1 Ep2: Oops, All Rivalry!

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Uh oh! There was an accident at the podcast factory, and now our episode contains nothing but Friendly Rivalry. It's really really hard to talk about this show for under an hour folks. Please enjoy our discussion of Episodes 3 & 4 feat. the worst dad in the world and the legendary dream sequence.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep11: The Thing Itself

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:53:12 GMT

Dear listeners, we have come to it at last: the Jolenta chapter. Join us as we take a few steps away from our usual merriment to read chapter 23 of Claw of the Conciliator and take a serious look at one of the most controversial scenes in the whole series. What, exactly, is Wolfe trying to do with Jolenta, and what does this mean for his portrayal of women, sexual violence, and power? Later, we journey to Reddit and discuss the merits of a broad range of fan theories.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep10: Jorcas

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Listen listeners, we know that last episode we talked about how Wolfe has been stumping us, but alas this time we REALLY mean it! Join us as we read chapters 21 & 22 of Claw of the Conciliator and once more fail to disentangle the literary spaghetti Wolfe has dumped on our plate. Why must the autarch's portals look like a huge book? Are we seeing biblically-accurate angels now? Could Dorcas cease her hero-worship of Severian even if she wanted to? Will Severian ever fucking stop negging Jolenta? We may never know, but we'll at least try to stumble along towards an answer with you.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep9: Time-Loop Nancy Drew Point-N-Click Mystery

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Well dear listeners, we think it's time to admit: Wolfe has finally stumped us. And by stumped us, we mean that he has gotten so incomprehensible that we have been driven into the treacherous embrace of the Gene Wolfe subreddit yet again. Join us as we read chapters 19 & 20 of Claw of the Conciliator and try to pick a few noteworthy pearls of coherence from this mess. When we fail to do that, we pick the brains of a few noteworthy Reddit theorists instead.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep8: Bye, Jonas

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 02:42:43 GMT

Well folks, did this episode come out on time? No. But do we make up for it by having some of the most exciting, thought-provoking chapters yet? Also no! Join us as we read chapters 16, 17, & 18 of Claw of the Concilliator and ask these most central of questions: will Jonas finally prove that he's interesting? (No.) Can Wolfe write a good short story based on a pun? (Also no.) Will Severian ever shut the fuck up? (Also also no!)

Also, now that we have finally flown the nest with Twitter, be sure to check out and follow our new Tumblr!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

https://www.tumblr.com/writing-for-life/773593938299912192/tales-from-the-flat-earth-by-tanith-lee

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S2 Ep7: TW Neil Gaiman

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT

We're sorry, we promise we'll try our best to stop talking about him! But thank you, listeners, for joining us briefly as we discuss plagiarism, abuse, and what it means to love and grapple with art made by cruel people. But don't worry, we're soon back on our bullshit with some truly lush prose in chapters 14 & 15 of Claw of the Conciliator! Join us as we encounter strange and incomprehensible statues, soul-sucking office waiting rooms, and some (perhaps based???) political thoughts.

To skip our Neil Gaiman conversation, go to 22:00!

Read writing-for-life's rebuttal of the plagiarism accusations against Neil Gaiman here:

Read Andrea Skinner's account of her mother and stepfather here:

https://archive.ph/97YUf

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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BS1 Ep1: Frelden Ringvalry

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT

And now for something completely different! Hello again friends and listeners! We are happy to announce/sorry to disappoint you with a brand-new bonus series! That's right folks, we have yet again had recording troubles, so we decided to launch this snappy little series to buy ourselves some time to fix things. To that end, we're going to introduce each other to some of our favorite things and explore more about what gives our brain that delicious brrrrrrrrrrrr feeling. Join us as we dive into two realms refreshingly untainted by the pen of Gene Wolfe: video games and K-dramas!

SPOILERS for Friendly Rivalry: 14:37-20:30

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep6: Attack Of The Killer Napkins

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Is Severian supposed to be a carnifex or a torturer? Join us as we find out! That's right folks! Our most pressing and important question has been answered, thanks to the top minds at Reddit! Also I guess we read chapters 12 & 13 of Claw of the Conciliator and meet the latest in our copyright-distinct Pokémon rolodex of creepy creatures, encounter yet another ghostly Thecla appearance, and experience a certified #JesusMoment.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep5: Right In Front Of My Corpse?!

Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Telekinetic necromantic erotic cannibalism, you say? Sounds like our kind of party! Join us as we read chapters 10 & 11 of Claw of the Conciliator and finally encounter the mysterious alzabo! Well, the special juices from its glands, that is. Now that we're getting into the meat (hehe) of this arc, how will Severian react when brought to the weirdest dinner party of all time? Will he be able to handle this feast for the... senses? Will we??

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep4: Fil of the Future

Fri, 09 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Warning! While we usually give a broad content warning at the beginning of each episode, we thought we'd give a particular warning for this one considering current events. After our chapter discussion, we talk quite a bit about transphobia, and in his writing Wolfe repeatedly uses a transphobic slur. If this is something that will cause you distress, you can either skip this episode or peace out during the break. Please take care of yourselves!

He's a 22222nd century man! Wiiiiiiiiith 18th century gender values. Join us as we read chapters 8 & 9 of The Claw of the Conciliator and hit our first real lull in this book. Will Severian stop being a super-cool badass long enough for the book to get interesting again? Not before we've had one of the most disappointing character intros yet! For better and more probably for worse, we make up for the boring chapters with a truly abysmal short story.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep3: If It Wasn't For That Meddling Cloak

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 02:58:16 GMT

It is the hosts' opinion that Severian should be tied up and unmasked by Scooby & The Gang-- if only they could help us untangle these chapters! Join us as we read chapters 5, 6 & 7 of The Claw of the Conciliator and encounter some of the (we keep saying this) most twisty chapters we've read to date. Is Wolfe actually doing something brave and daring here, or have we lost the plot entirely? Probably both! At least Severian's on the move, and we're certainly keen to follow and see where he leads us.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

We are re-vamping our media presence! For now, please continue to check out Phillament while we figure out our next moves.

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S2 Ep2: When The Maté Is Too Spicy

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Turns out, pond scum gives you psychic powers! Alas dear listener! We are back to tell you that we are having a good time! Join us as we read chapters 4 & 5 of Claw of the Conciliator and discuss some of our favorite passages so far. There's a cryptic green man! A murder mystery! Ominous liturgy! And, most excitingly, Hethor's back, baybee!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S2 Ep1: The 4Chan Review of Books

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Our second season begins most auspiciously with a very dated conversation about House of the Dragon (more time travel! woohoo!) and a trip to 4chan to see how Book of the New Sun ranks among literature's other luminaries. We then begin our reading of Claw of the—ahem, Cwaw of the Conciwiatow with some deliciously spooky scenes. Despite our ongoing struggles with Severian as a narrator, are we actually having a really good time? Later, we cleanse ourselves of the 4chan fumes with a Reddit detox.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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Snuggie Storytime: Strange Birds Part 2

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

We're not in Nessus anymore, Triskele! Lions and tigers and good writing, oh my! Grab your hot chocolate, favorite plushie, and legally-distinct blanket wrap, and join us as we journey once more into Strange Birds, Wolfe's delightful little short story collection inspired by the work of Lisa Snellings-Clark. While our protagonist Tom heads off to the stars, we'll dive into our opinions about how Wolfe's later short story writing compares to his earlier writing in Book of the New Sun.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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Snuggie Storytime: Strange Birds Part 1

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 23:03:19 GMT

A bonus episode? In THIS economy?? Hello dear listeners! We're BACK after our long hiatus for yet another adventure! Before we rejoin Severian and dive back into the world of Book of the New Sun, we're going to instead step foot into the most haunted place in the midwest, Gene Wolfe's imagination, and explore a story that... we really like?? Jumpscare! Join us for a part-storytime part-discussion frolic into Wolfe's rare short story collection, Strange Birds.

Don't forget to check out Lisa Snellings-Clark's (extremely old) blog at slaughterhouse studios

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep18: The Chopping Block

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:00:05 GMT

We have been saving this pun all season! Please clap for our pun game! Join us as we recap Shadow of the Torturer and discuss House of the Dragon, obviously! Oh, and our Goodreads star ratings, our impressions of how the book works (or doesn't work) as a whole, and that most central of questions: does the second reading pay off?? Later, we make up for all of our past failures and imagine how we would fix this most tricky of books.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep17: That Don't Impress-ah Me Much

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:47:00 GMT

It's over! It's done! Join us as we read chapters 34 & 35 of Shadow of the Torturer and finally finish book one of The Book of the New Sun series. What awaits us here at the end of all things? A beautiful woman (who we are not supposed to like), a boring robot (who we are supposed to like), and our favorite freak Hethor! Later, we ascend the heights of literary society and see what the luminaries of Goodreads have to say about ol' Wolfe.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep16: A Tortured Metaphor

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 03:28:12 GMT

Warning!! If you don't want to hear a colonoscopy story (lol) skip to 10:00.

You heard it here first folks, Severian went to the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Join us as we read chapters 32 & 33 of Shadow of the Torturer and learn about Severian's own techniques and goals as a writer, what the "Key to the Universe" might be, and why torturers don't go to the doctor. Later, we ask which attachment is greater: the attachment to the person of the monarch or the attachment to a very cute dog?!

Second Warning!! Severian uses the worst phrase ever invented to describe a woman's boobs and we are contractually obligated to say it on air.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep15: Wake Up Babe, New Organelle Just Dropped

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:11:53 GMT

Can True Crime Fans be fun, actually? Thanks to one freaky little guy, we think so! Join us this week in wading through chapters 29, 30, and 31 of Shadow of the Torturer, perhaps the bleakest and most wearying stretch of the novel so far. To keep the existential dread at bay, we take a few exciting detours into The Silmarillion, breaking evolutionary news, and recent cinema.

Also, please welcome our special guests, 5 million airplanes! We have no idea why so many planes decided to fly over Will's house, but fly they did and thus we (reluctantly) have many new guests to share with you.

And FINALLY, we're on Apple Podcasts!! As of this recording (and a few future recordings) we were not yet, but now we have ascended. Check us out here!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep14: The Dark Souls Of Books

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:36 GMT

Is Dark Souls the Gene Wolfe of video games? Is Severian the Dark Souls of people who suck? We answer these pressing questions and more in our discussion of chapters 25 & 26 of Shadow of the Torturer, in which Severian tells us why dueling is cool (eugenics), Dorcas makes a reasonable suggestion, and once more we are treated to some batshit ideas about gender. Then we discuss 9/11 (!!!) before journeying to that ever-flowing font of Gene Wolfe wisdom, Twitter

Also, FINALLY, we're on Apple Podcasts!! As of this recording (and a few future recordings) we were not yet, but now we have ascended. Check us out here!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep13: A Girl Of Singular Race

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 03:51:14 GMT

Say hello to our special little aryan princess! Can an uwu baby bwain widdle gworl be a legitimate love interest? Apparently yes! Does this have sinister implications? Of course! Join us as we read chapters 25 & 26 of Shadow of the Torturer and get into some truly baffling narrative choices as well as some even more baffling diatribes on women. Later, we turn once more to reddit to understand just who Dorcas is and what the hell she is doing here.

*Also featuring the hosts absolutely not getting a masturbation joke, please don't laugh at us ;;

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep12: Hard Men Make Good Times

Fri, 31 May 2024 16:59:20 GMT

What awaits Severian in the Garden of Endless Sleep? Join us as we read chapters 22, 23, & 24 of Shadow of the Torturer. While Severian cruises the Lake of Birds for hot GILFS, we attempt to untangle Severian's twisty family tree, the philosophical implications of the observer effect, and Terminus Est (which has become stuck in some water weeds). As we do that, we also finally meet Dorcas and wonder, is Severian at all capable of acting normally around women? (Once more, we have some surprise guest hosts! Please enjoy the delighted sounds of Will's neighborhood as his neighbors enjoy the evening.)

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep11: A Big Pile Of Bricks

Fri, 24 May 2024 10:00:43 GMT

We're going on a field trip! Join us as we read chapters 20 & 21 of Shadow of the Torturer and visit Father Inire's mysterious and fantastical Botanic Gardens. Inside, we'll encounter venomous beasts, otherworldly mirror-fish, and racism! Later, we take a deep dive into who and what, exactly, Father Inire is supposed to be. As always, we turn to the eternal wisdom of Reddit to find out. (Also, some birds outside Will's window decided to join as unexpected guest hosts! Hopefully we will be able to have them on again soon!)

Brought to you by AD & Will.

Sources:

"The Cat" by Gene Wolfe

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S1 Ep10: God Is A Rube Goldberg Machine

Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:12 GMT

What happens when you let a hot young woman draw you in to a dangerous drag race across a crowded city? You kick off a highly coincidental sequence of events which eventually lead to the end of the world as we know it! Join us as we read chapters 18 & 19 of Shadow of the Torturer and tag along with one of our favorite characters as she turns this plot upside down. Ft. an all-time classic freudian slip when AD says 'musical' instead of 'miracle' (musicals never not on the brain)

(Sorry for the occasional mic bumping in this one, we had a trapped cord wreaking havoc!)

Brought to you by AD & Will.

"Mapping a Masterwork: A Critical Review of Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun" by Peter Wright

Sources:

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S1 Ep9: Ridden Like Beasts

Fri, 10 May 2024 10:00:52 GMT

Uh oh, somebody's horny, and his name starts with S! :/ In which Severian promises to meet up with Dr. Talos & Co. later, but totally bails (#relatable). Don't worry, he finds a much more interesting character to follow around! Join us as we read chapters 16 & 17 of Shadow of the Torturer and examine how Severian's ~unquenchable thirst~ relates to Wolfe's depictions of race and gender in the Commonwealth.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

"Mapping a Masterwork: A Critical Review of Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun" by Peter Wright

Sources:

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S1 Ep8: Inside You There Are Two Wolfes

Fri, 03 May 2024 10:00:25 GMT

In this freewheeling discussion of chapters 15 & 16 of Shadow of the Torturer, we and Severian begin to explore the wide world outside the Torturer's Guild. On the way we encounter a big anime sword, Wolfe's disgust for innkeepers and poor people, a giant named Baldanders, and too many allusions. Come for the weird old songs, stay for the extended digression on Moby Dick.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep7: Be Humble

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:00:18 GMT

Who would you cast in your dream Book of the New Sun movie? While we answer this unimaginably difficult question, Severian and The Guild have some difficult choices of their own to make. Join us as we read chapters 12 & 13 of Shadow of the Torturer and get into some of our favorite chapters thus far!

Also, apologies for the weird inexplicable background thumping in this episode?! Thankfully it mostly clears up after the first ten minutes. We seem to have resolved the issue, so with any luck it will NOT be featured on any future episodes (fingers crossed)!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep6: Beeves

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:40 GMT

What does it mean to choose to be a torturer? In which the hosts attempt to answer this question, because Wolfe sure ain't! Join us in a meandering, loosely structured discussion of chapters 10 & 11 of Shadow of the Torturer including extended digressions about The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas and Julian of Norwich.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep5: Uh-Oh, We've Been Saying It Wrong

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:00:16 GMT

Is there anything sexier than starting a new philosophical inquiry? Join us as we read chapters 7, 8, and 9 of Shadow of the Torturer and tackle humanity's biggest questions: Is religion only cool and rad if it is inherently contradictory? Can cops be sympathetic? Does Severian f@$&? Later, we discuss The Knight and why Will takes a "guilty until proven innocent" approach to Wolfe's depictions of sexual relationships.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

Introduction to The Wizard Knight by Yves Menard (available in the excerpt preview)

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S1 Ep4: Libraries Suck, Actually

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:00:27 GMT

In which the hosts, for the first time in their lives, are disappointed by a trip to the library. Join us as we read chapters 5 & 6 of Shadow of the Torturer. Thankfully, for those listeners who endure til the end, we have other books which might intrigue and delight! Included within: Mervin Peake and a tortured sexy man.

Our Read Another Book segment is named in homage of one of our favorite podcasts, The Shrieking Shack! Go check them out!

**Note: unfortunately, we experienced some difficulties in editing this episode, so please accept our apologies for any discrepancies in volume!

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep3: Hurt People Hurt People

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:00:18 GMT

In which the hosts meet a really cool dog! Join us as we read chapters 3 & 4 of Shadow of the Torturer and you too can meet this really cool dog! Then we scour the internet's finest marketplace of ideas, Reddit, for theories about what the heck is going on with Valeria.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

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S1 Ep2: A Very Special Boy

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:00:51 GMT

In which the hosts meet our protagonist, Severian. Who is he? Why is he running around in a graveyard in the middle of the night? What even is a torturer's apprentice, exactly? Are we actually enjoying this book?! Join us as we read the first two chapters of Shadow of the Torturer, and later investigate the mysterious Castle of the Otter to learn from the world's foremost Gene Wolfe expert...the man himself.

Brought to you by AD & Will.

"Helioscope" in Castle of the Otter by Gene Wolfe

Sources:

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S1 Ep1: Gene Is Throwing The Knives

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:25 GMT

In which the hosts attempt to justify themselves and this endeavor to the universe, with the help of some eternal wisdom from Neil Gaiman.

Brought to you by AD & Will.