Best Tochi Onyebuchi Podcasts (2024)

1
Disability, Identity, and Allegorical Gender in SHADES AND SILVER 17:01

4h ago17:01

17:01

Welcome to another book essay from Robin! Thank you Case Aiken, who receives a monthly Patron shoutout. ----- This essay contains spoilers for SHADES AND SILVER by Dax Murray. Many attempts at gender allegories in fantasy (or sci-fi) fall apart because they try to replicate binary gender in an attempt at gender essentialism in different trappings. …

1
Episode 649: Nghi Vo and The Brides of High Hill 55:54

1d ago55:54

55:54

This week, we’re joined by the wonderful Nghi Vo, whose The Brides of High Hill is out this week. It’s the fifth of her ongoing “Singing Hills” sequence of novellas about the peripatetic Cleric Chih and their sharp-tongued companion hoopoe, Almost Brilliant. We discuss how Nghi has made use of different storytelling modes throughout the series, her…

1
Episode 648: Genre, marketing, and more 1:04:46

9d ago1:04:46

1:04:46

This week Jonathan and Gary start out with something resembling a topic: the proliferation of subgenres, movements, and marketing categories in SF and fantasy: from the evolution of space opera in SF to the rise of epic fantasy (and Ballantine’s earlier term “adult fantasy”), as well as consciously developed movements such as the New Wave, cyberpun…

1
Episode 647: Oh no, not us again... 1:00:37

15d ago1:00:37

1:00:37

Once again with no guest to give us focus, Jonathan and Gary return to rambling mode, spurred on by the observation that voting for the 2024 Hugo Awards is now open. This leads to our ongoing discussion of what the Hugo Awards do and do not represent, why voting for your favorite works is important even if you haven’t read all the nominees, what ma…

1
Episode 646: Peter S. Beagle and a Life Filled With Story 1:00:37

22d ago1:00:37

1:00:37

This week we are joined by the legendary author of The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle, who discusses his new novel I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons (published next month by Saga Press & Gollancz), as well as his storied career, his pals from childhood, influential writers such as Robert Nathan and Avram Davidson, and last year’s important retrospective…

1
Episode 645: Jack Dann and Fifty Years of Wandering Stars 54:36

29d ago54:36

54:36

On the fiftieth anniversary of his groundbreaking anthology Wandering Stars: An Anthology of Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy, we’re joined by the terrific author and editor Jack Dann. During our conversation, we mention his new collection Islands of Time—published almost exactly 50 years after his first book— as well as his The Fiction Writer’s …

1
Anatomy of Sequels - A Reviewer's Perspective 19:40

1M ago19:40

19:40

Sometime in the first year of my review blog, I developed a checklist which I use when reviewing sequels. It helps me qualitatively describe how they are composed, and how they interact with the surrounding books in their respective series. More recently, I added a much shorter checklist for describing the first book in a series. Full Episode Text …

1
Episode 644: Cozy books and a prickly writer 1:06:48

1M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

This time out, Jonathan and Gary consider the meaning of "cozy" (or "cosy") SF and fantasy, and whether cozy horror is even a thing. We trace the term back to cozy mystery novels and Brian W. Aldiss’s characterization of certain British writers of the 1950s—especially John Wyndham—as "cozy catastrophes". Not surprisingly, this doesn’t lead to any m…

1
The Tick-Tock on the TikTok Ban 47:23

2M ago47:23

47:23

Tochi returns to shore! They discuss events in Israel assault on Gaza and why the government is wasting time on a TikTok ban. For the timeline on the TikTok ban: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/12/tiktok-ban-explain-why-china-congress Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWill…

1
Tochi For President?! 1:16:46

2M ago1:16:46

1:16:46

Tochi and Zell look at a looonnggg year ahead. They discuss updates on Israel assault on Gaza and the Super Tuesday results and polls. Much of Zell's info on polling comes from https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls. **Quick heads up: No episode the week of March 15.** Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellW…

1
Why ”Immortal Longings” Isn’t Like ”The Hunger Games” 10:11

2M ago10:11

10:11

Greetings! Welcome to Books That Burn. I'm Robin, welcome to another book essay about something that was too big of a thought to fit into a normal review, specifically: Why Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong is not like The Hunger Games. Please feel free to send us suggestions for future essays. Before I get started, I'd like to thank our Patron who g…

1
Episode 643: All Time Top 5s 1:02:22

2M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Somewhat hesitantly, Jonathan and Gary return to the mics, sans guests, and somehow get into a discussion of various SFF listicles—partly because of Gary’s recent contribution to fivebooks.com of a list of five novels about science fiction. Why are such lists so appealing and so ubiquitous these days, and who are they for? By the time we're done, J…

1
Uncommitted to the Game 1:13:39

2M ago1:13:39

1:13:39

Tochi and Zell look at Mitten State giving Biden the back hand. They discuss the Flour Massacure, Aaron Bushnell, and the 100K uncommitted votes in Michigan. Then the end of Mitch McConnell and "dynamic pricing," late-stage capitalism's high-water mark. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWill…

1
Caping for 14th (Respect Yourself 55:54

2M ago55:54

55:54

Tochi and Zell want us all to do better. They discuss updates on Israel's war on Gaza and how the life and death of Alexei Navalny will impact Russia. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWillBy Tochi Onyebuch & A. Zell Williams

1
Episode 642: Premee Mohamed and The Butcher of the Forest 1:00:16

3M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

This week Nebula and World Fantasy award winner, Premee Mohamed, joins Gary and Jonathan from somewhere in the wilds of Canada to discuss writing, reading, building a career, and her fabulous new novella, The Butcher of the Forest. We also discuss the projects Premee has planned for the rest of the year, including forthcoming new novel The Siege of…

1
The Millennial Cronkite Returns 1:10:41

3M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

Tochi and Zell take it back to The Oughts. They discuss Israel's assault on Rafah, conflict in the DR of Congo, and the return of Jon Stewart. From The Hollywood Reporter Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWillBy Tochi Onyebuchi & A. Zell Williams

1
You Can't Eat Democracy 1:16:57

3M ago1:16:57

1:16:57

Tochi and Zell look at why autocracies are popping all over. They discuss negoiations to end Israel's assault on Gaza, why the pharse, "You can't eat democracy," may explain all of global politics, and video game backlogs. Watch Leeja Miller's great video, "Are You Morally Obligated to Vote for Biden?" Check out Ken Opalo's piece, "You Can't Eat De…

1
Queerness and Monstrosity in ”Night Shine” and ”Moon Dark Smile” by Tessa Gratton 15:19

3M ago15:19

15:19

Greetings! Welcome to Books That Burn. I'm Robin, and this is the first essay I've specifically written for the podcast, to be made available first to Patrons, then to the main feed and on Reviews That Burn. Please feel free to send us suggestions for future essays. Before I get started, I'd like to thank our Patron who gets a monthly shoutout, Cas…

1
Traitor Joe's v. Labor?! 1:09:50

3M ago1:09:50

1:09:50

Tochi and Zell put back their shopping carts in this one. NOTES: Gaza Update: https://theintercept.com/2024/01/28/new-york-times-daily-podcast-camera/ Trader Joe's v. Labor https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trader-joes-attorney-nlrb-unconstitutional_n_65b41e7ae4b014b873b11cc2 Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWill…

1
Episode 641: Kelly Link and the love of books 58:51

3M ago58:51

58:51

For our second episode of 2024, we’re joined by the inimitable Kelly Link, whose forthcoming first novel The Book of Love is already receiving stellar advance reviews (including one from Gary in Locus). Kelly explains how the novel evolved, it connections to various genres from romance to supernatural horror, the importance of valuable encouragemen…

1
Eating the Fantastic: Episode 217: Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan 1:22:50

3M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

All round good guy Scott Edelman was at the recent World Fantasy Convention, and took Gary and Jonathan out for lunch and a chat. That chat became the latest episode of Eating the Fantastic, Scott's terrific podcast. If you're interested, you can hear the episode here.By Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe

1
Waiting for the ICJ, The End of News, and American Fiction 1:22:21

3M ago1:22:21

1:22:21

Tochi and Zell discuss the recent events around Israel's war on Gaza, the crises at Pitchfork, Sports Illustrated, and the LA Times, and their love of the film, American Fiction. Check out the Futurist article Zell referenced. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWill…

1
Sleep No More, The Innocent Sleep, and the Death of Personality 22:42

4M ago22:42

22:42

*This essay contains moderate spoilers for the first sixteen October Daye books, major spoilers for SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP, and minor spoilers for Babylon 5 (S3 E4 "Passing Through Gethsemane"). Link to the original essay. INTRO (00:36) When reading SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Seanan McGuire (the newest October Daye books)…

1
Episode 640: A new year begins. Shenanigans ensue? 54:16

4M ago54:16

54:16

And just liked that, our end of year hiatus is over and the Coode Street Podcast is back! Gary and Jonathan return from their annual break and kick off a brand new year with discussions of recent news events in science fiction, how our thoughts about books and ideas change over time, 50th anniversaries, the delightfully happy news that Gary got mar…

1
The Year of Absurdity 1:13:38

4M ago1:13:38

1:13:38

Tochi and Zell clearly see a theme for the rest of 2024. This week, they discuss how 2024 will be the "Year of Absurdity". Then they'll talk about the Emmy awards and why the arts should reconsider how the honor artists. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWillBy Tochi Onyebuchi & A. Zell Williams

1
The First BIG Election of 2024! 58:56

4M ago58:56

58:56

Tochi and Zell look at the first big election of 2024. They discuss this weekend's elections in Taiwan, how China feels about that (spoiler: they feel DEEPLY), and how it impacts the rest of the globe. Then Zell discuss the "Crappification of Everything" and how bad products aren't bad for the public and the environment. But help to disempower the …

1
South Africa Knows What Injustice Looks Like 54:53

4M ago54:53

54:53

Tochi and Zell return with fresh eyes on old problems. They discuss South Africa taking the Israeli government to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on genocide charges against the Palestinians. And how Israel's drone attack on Palestinians in Beirut could drag the US and Europe into a bigger war in the Middle East. If you can, consider givin…

1
PA Needs A Betterman 1:19:52

5M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

Tochi and Zell end the year on an up-note, damn it! They discuss Sen. John Fetterman "discovering" he's, "...not a progressive." Then they end with the things they look forward to in 2024. If you can, consider giving to the Entertainment Community Fund. If you like to help the people of Gaza, please consider donating to UNRWA. Here are some Palesti…

1
Additional Reflections on ”Feed Them Silence” by Lee Mandelo 13:35

5M ago13:35

13:35

To tide you over between regular episodes, Robin reads their blog post from April 2023. ----- This is a follow-up to my review of "Feed Them Silence" by Lee Mandelo, involving some thoughts that are too personal to make sense in the review as they swiftly veer away from the text specifically and instead into a broader meta-conversation of books lik…

1
Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023 1:16:59

5M ago1:16:59

1:16:59

For the 2023 instalment of the Very Coode Street Gift Guide, we invited some old friends to share their recommendations of books read in 2023: Alix E. Harrow (whose very worthy Starling House was a favorite, officially excluded from discussion because of her participation in the episode), award-winning Locus reviewer Ian Mond, and distinguished nov…

1
Zell Can't/Won't Vote For Biden. 59:00

5M ago59:00

59:00

Tochi and Zell discuss why Zell's decided he cannot vote for Joe Biden in 2024. If you can, consider giving to the Entertainment Community Fund. If you like to help the people of Gaza, please consider donating to UNRWA. Here are some Palestinian journalists to follow if you want to know more about what's happening in Gaza: @wizard_bisan1 @motaz_aza…

1
Episode 638: Books that were off our radar 54:32

5M ago54:32

54:32

The end of the year may be fast approaching, but this episode isn’t quite our usual year-in-review discussion (which will come up later), or our books-we’re-looking-forward-to episode. Instead, we spend some time musing about books we maybe should be looking forward to, if we only knew about them. This raises the question of forthcoming novels that…

1
Accepting Decline 1:13:05

5M ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Tochi and Zell look at the fall to come. This week, they discuss on conflicts happening in the Sudan and Congo, Israel's propaganda pivot, and how best to accept American decline. If you can, consider giving to the Entertainment Community Fund. If you like to help the people of Gaza, please consider donating to UNRWA. Here are some Palestinian jour…

1
Death's Big Get!! 1:09:10

5M ago1:09:10

1:09:10

Tochi and Zell give it up to the Reaper for FINALLY getting Kissinger! This week, they talk the end of the cease fire in Gaza, the dystopian absurdity of COP28, and just why the world's better off with Henry K. in the dirt. If you can, consider giving to the Entertainment Community Fund. If you like to help the people of Gaza, please consider donat…

1
Episode 637: A Quick One, While We Wait 56:44

5M ago56:44

56:44

With plans for are promised chat with Elizabeth Hand and Alix E. Harrow on temporary hold, Jonathan and Gary share some pleasant memories of the World Fantasy Convention, muse about whether the nature of conventions has changed in the wake of the pandemic, and speculate about next year’s events in Glasgow, Niagara Falls, and elsewhere. They then to…

1
2023 Gratitude Episode!! 1:01:56

6M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Tochi and Zell take a break from the news to talk 100% about things they've been grateful for in 2023! If you can, consider giving to the Entertainment Community Fund. If you like to help the people of Gaza, please consider donating to UNRWA. Here are some Palestinian journalists to follow if you want to know more about what's happening in Gaza: @w…

1
Reflections on ”Singularity” by William Sleator 5:09

6M ago5:09

5:09

To tide you over between regular episodes, Robin reads their blog post from July 2022 with thoughts on the book "Singularity". You can find the original post here. The spoiler-free book review is here.By Books That Burn

1
Episode 636: Jeffrey Ford, Kij Johnson and the Art of Narrative 49:02

6M ago49:02

49:02

The 2023 World Fantasy Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri over the weekend of October 26-29 2023. The convention was incredibly kind and generous and featured Jonathan as a guest of honour and Gary as a panelist. During the weekend we grabbed long-time friends of the podcast Kij Johnson and Jeffrey Ford and attempted to discuss 'the art o…

1
Hellscape 2024 / From the River, To The Wall... 1:16:32

6M ago1:16:32

1:16:32

Tochi and Zell accept that we are offically in a presidential election year. This week they discuss the abortion rights victories around the country, Biden's 2024 chances, and what "From the river, to the sea," actually means. NOTE: This episode was recorded before news of the SAG-AFTRA strike ending. We are so happy for our sister-union's members,…

1
The West Bank is NOT Gaza. / Home School Daze 1:15:22

6M ago1:15:22

1:15:22

Tochi and Zell look for empathy. On this episode, they discuss the violence in Gaza leaking out to the West Bank and the west's lack of compassion of Palestinians. Then they explore the Washington Post's finding that significantly more Americans are opting to keep home-schooling their kids post-pandemic. If you'd like to help those in need in Israe…

1
Mike Whoson?! / How to Speak Truth / Test Your Might! 1:28:25

6M ago1:28:25

1:28:25

Tochi and Zell talk about talking! This week, they give you a brief, scary look into the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Then they discuss people being punished for talking about Palestine. And finally, they get into the joy and torment they get from the recent generation of fighting games. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on I…

1
Good News Is Hard To Find 1:13:36

7M ago1:13:36

1:13:36

Tochi and Zell share tips on how to find quality sources in this one. They discuss the poor reporting in corporate media, how to find better sources, and what A24's announced pivot to more commercial projects might mean for lovers of great film and TV. Got a question for Tochi & Zell? Message them on Insta: @Treize64 @AZellWill…

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