Two Chairs Talking

Like a worm in the bud

Season 2, Episode 5
Perry and David discuss the novel Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway and the film Parasite directed by Bong Joon Ho.
Introduction (05:40)
Discussion (45:39)
Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway (27:12)
Parasite, directed by Bong Joon Ho (18:26)
What else we've been reading/watching (07:43)
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Illustration by Wombo Dream AI.
...She never told her love,but let concealment, like a worm i’ the budfeed on her damask cheek...
—Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

The Eye of the Storm

Season 2, Episode 4
Perry and David discuss the novellas Typhoon by Joseph Conrad and The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler, as well as the film Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Introduction (07:52)
Discussion (45:51)
Typhoon by Joseph Conrad (16:30)
Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (16:56)
The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (11:47)
What Else We've Been Reading/Watching (09:57)
Windup (01:28)
Interview with Alejandro González Iñárritu in Variety Magazine
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Photo of hurricane from NASA

Don't Ever Leave

Season 2, Episode 3
David and Perry discuss the film "Never Let Me Go" and the novel "This Kingdom of Dust" in depth as well as mentioning a few other books and films.
Introduction (03:07)
Never Let Me Go (film and novel) (25:24)
This Kingdom of Dust (novel) (24:17)
What else we've been reading and watching (14:22)
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (01:46)
Dusk by Robbie Arnott (03:35)
Conclave (05:00)
The Conversation (03:22)
Windup (02:04)
END (50:24)
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The Vision Splendid

Season 2, Episode 2
David and Perry discuss the films and television shows they watched during 2024 and give lists of their best in each category.
Intro (03:26)
Favourite Film and TV of 2024 (01:30:51)
Favourite Films of 2024 (45:18)
Perry's Favourite Drama Films (06:30)
David's Favourite Drama Films (02:05)
Perry's Favourite SF/Fantasy/Horror Films (05:01)
David's Favourite SF/Fantasy Films (02:10)
Perry's Favourite Action/Thriller Films (05:22)
David's Favourite Action/Thriller Films (01:23)
Perry's Favourite Comedy Films (05:03)
David's Favourite Comedy Films (02:22)
Perry's Favourite Crime Films (06:03)
David's Favourite Crime Films (00:19)
Perry's Favourite Other Films (04:18)
David's Favourite Other Films (01:00)
Perry's Best Films Overall (01:58)
David's Favourite Overall (00:37)
Favourite TV Shows of 2024 (44:53)
Perry's Favourite Drama TV (06:35)
David's Favourite Drama TV (03:03)
Perry's Favourite SF/Fantasy TV (02:17)
David's Favourite SF/Fantasy TV (06:18)
Perry's Favourite Action/Thriller TV (07:08)
David's Favourite Action/Thriller TV (00:47)
Perry's Favourite Comedy TV (03:57)
David's Favourite Comedy TV (00:47)
Perry's Favourite Crime TV (06:55)
David's Favourite Crime TV (00:47)
Perry's Favourite Documentary TV (03:46)
David's Favourite Documentary TV (01:00)
Perry's Best Overall Tv (00:43)
David's Favourite Overall TV (00:33)
Windup (04:09)
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The Books! The Books!

Season 2 Episode 1
David and Perry discuss the books they read during 2024 and give lists of their best five in each category. Plus their most disappointing read of the year.
Intro (01:44)
Our 2024 Reading (45:12)
David's Best SF for 2024 (10:27)
Perry's Best SF for 2024 (12:05)
Perry's Best Fantasy for 2024 (06:32)
David's Best Crime for 2024 (10:31)
Perry's Best Crime for 2024 (15:45)
David's Best Thrillers of 2024 (10:45)
Perry's Best Thrillers of 2024 (06:22)
David's Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (08:49)
Perry's Best Children's Literature for 2024 (04:45)
David's Best Childrens Literature of 2024 (05:48)
Perry's Best Literary Fiction of 2024 (14:27)
David's Best Literary Fiction of 2024 (11:15)
Perry's Best Non-Fiction of 2024 (06:28)
David's Best Nonfiction of 2024 (08:05)
David's Best Overall for 2024 (00:24)
Perry's Best Overall for 2024 (01:14)
Perry's Biggest Disappointment of 2024 (03:19)
David's Biggest Disappointment of 2024 (03:20)
Windup (00:56)
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Episode 102: Fanzines, the State of the Art

In this special episode, Perry hosts a discussion panel at Conflux, a science fiction convention held in Canberra in October 2023. The topic was "Fanzines: the State of the Art".

Introduction (01:10)
Panel discussion (59:21)
Windup (00:20)

Episode 101: The best SF novels of the 1960s

In this special episode, David and Perry give a talk at the Nova Mob about the SF novels of the 1960s. To decide on the best, we treat the exercise as a draft, each of us picking a title in turn in order to try to get the best "team". Who will win?
Meeting starts (00:45)
Introduction to the draft (01:53)
Why the 1960s? (02:02)
Perry's first pick (02:45)
David's first pick (02:24)
Perry's second pick (02:24)
David's second pick (03:04)
Perry's third pick (02:40)
David's third pick (03:41)
Perry's fourth pick (02:00)
David's fourth pick (02:47)
Perry's fifth pick (03:38)
David's fifth pick (03:24)
Perry's sixth pick (04:37)
David's sixth pick (03:34)
Possibles and reserves (03:24)
Voting (08:56)
Results of voting (00:24)
Discussion (10:19)
Windup (54:20)

Episode 100: We score a century!

Perry and David celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast by discussing the best books they read during 2023. And bid you all a fond farewell.
Introduction (00:12)
Our 100th Episode! (04:14)
Let's talk about Books (02:10)
2023: Highlights of our reading (01:11:53)
Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (David) (04:24)
Best Science Fiction read in 2023 (Perry) (03:41)
Best Fantasy read in 2023 (David) (03:40)
Best Fantasy read in 2023 (Perry) (03:34)
Best Crime read in 2023 (David) (05:28)
Best Crime read in 2023 (Perry) (05:59)
Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (David) (02:01)
Best Spy/Thriller read in 2023 (Perry) (02:57)
Best Historical Fiction read in 2023 (David) (05:50)
Best Novellas read in 2023 (Perry) (05:26)
Best Literary read in 2023 (David) (02:13)
Best Literary read in 2023 (Perry) (04:32)
Best Children's Literature read in 2023 (David) (02:27)
Best Collection/Anthology read in 2023 (Perry) (02:19)
Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (David) (03:16)
Best Nonfiction read in 2023 (Perry) (02:36)
Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (David) (01:22)
Best Overall read for the first time in 2023 (Perry) (01:11)
Best Overall re-read in 2023 (David) (01:10)
Best Overall re-read in 2023 (Perry) (02:39)
Windup and Farewell (06:02
 
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Episode 99: Good thinking, Ninety-Nine!

Perry and David discuss their recent reading, including several crime or crime-adjacent books, a middle-school fantasy, and an excellent piece of historical fiction.
Intro (03:20)
General News (03:33)
Goodreads Readers Choice Awards (03:32)
What we've been reading (58:11)
Winds of Evil by Arthur Upfield (10:43)
Dorothy L. Sayers Novels (07:00)
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (09:31)
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann (06:24)
Black Sheep by Susan Hill (06:56)
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (04:25)
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (06:51)
Loot by Tania James (06:14)
Windup (03:33)
END (00:10)
Title and image from TV Show Get Smart.

Episode 98: Sorrow and silence are strong

Perry and David discuss recent book awards and go on to discuss their recent reading, some of which evoke strong emotions and others which have kept us on the edge of our seats.
Intro (04:07)
General News (14:02)
Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2023 (03:21)
The Hugo Awards 2023 (03:41)
World Fantasy Awards 2023 (00:35)
Le Guin Prize for Imaginative Fiction 2023 (01:17)
Death of Michael Bishop (01:36)
Death of A. S. Byatt (03:22)
What we've been reading lately (45:49)
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien (04:49)
Beast in View by Margaret Millar (03:04)
Blindness by José Saramago (07:11)
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (05:32)
The Conversion by Amanda Lohrey (04:16)
The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (06:18)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (05:55)
The True Story of Spit McPhee by James Aldridge (08:13)
Windup (00:24)
Sorrow and silence are strong, and patient endurance is godlike.
—Evangeline, Part 2. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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