Episode 18: What We've Been Reading in 2016
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle catch up on what they've been reading so far in 2016 – including a long-overdue discussion of Scott Hawkins' The Library of Mt Char. ...
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Episode 17: Finding the Motivation to Read (& Gift Recs!)
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss how they find the time and motivation to read, even amongst all the other distractions of modern life. ...
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Episode 16: Which Books Will Become Classics?
Portable Magic
This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss which contemporary books will become classics. Along the way, they touch on Infinite Jest, Harry Potter, and many, many more. ...
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Episode 15: Books We Read in High School
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a trip back to our awkward high-school years to discuss what we read, what we didn't, and what stuck with us. ...
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Episode Fourteen: Bill Bryson
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a closer look at the bibliography of the amiable travel, science, and memoir writer Bill Bryson. ...
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Episode Thirteen: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a hopefully-not-too-grim look at the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. Emily wonders why the genre attracts so many hyper-masculine writers and Kyle talks about one of his favorite and one of his least favorite novels. ...
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Episode Twelve: The Martian
Portable Magic
This episode, we take a close look at Andy Weir's hard sci-fi novel The Martian and discuss its unusual publication history, its narrative structure, and how effective we thought the book turned out to be. ...
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Episode Eleven: eBooks & Audiobooks
Portable Magic
This episode, we're talking about the alternative book formats: eBooks and audiobooks. We talk about our habits with each, our favorite examples of each medium, and what might be stopping these alternative formats from reaching their full potential. ...
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Episode Ten: Adaptations
Portable Magic
Welcome back to Portable Magic! In this episode, we're talking about adaptations – good and bad. In the mix are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Princess Bride, The Great Gatsby, Game of Thrones, and many more. ...
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Episode Nine: Short Stories
Portable Magic
We forgot to introduce ourselves this week! If you're new to the show, Portable Magic is hosted by Emily Hughes and Kyle Deas. ...
info_outlineWe forgot to introduce ourselves this week! If you're new to the show, Portable Magic is hosted by Emily Hughes and Kyle Deas.
This episode, we take a look at short stories – our favorites, the classics, and the magic and the art behind them. Emily makes the argument that we're living in the golden age of the short story collection and Kyle wonders what happened to all the magazines that used to publish short fiction.
Plus, we talk about Jon Krakauer's Missoula and a new, extended interview with Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson.
Episode Breakdown:
- 0:00 – 13:00: What We're Reading
- 13:00 – 1:05:00: Short Stories
What Emily's Reading:
What Kyle's Reading:
Short Stories / Collections We Discuss:
Stories:
- "The Bad Graft" by Karen Russell
- "Tenth of December" by George Saunders
- "They're Made of Meat" by Terry Bisson
- "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov
- "John, For Christmas" by Ethan Rutherford
- "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin
- "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
- "The Enormous Radio" by John Cheever
Collections:
- Tenth of December by George Saunders
- Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
- This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
- The Peripatetic Coffin by Ethan Rutherford
- Jaganath by Karin Tidbeck
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What's your favorite short story collection? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!