Two Chairs Talking

Episode 92: A goldfinch in a graveyard

Perry and David discuss the volunteer work they've been doing recently, then go on to talk about their recent reading and watching.
Intro (02:13)
What we've been doing recently (08:05)
Standard Ebooks productions (02:05)
Wikipedia editing (05:54)
General News (08:45)
Australian Book Design Awards (02:25)
Arthur C. Clarke Award shortlist (01:39)
Aurealis Awards 2023 (00:51)
Hugo Ballot 2023 still coming (03:45)
What we've been reading (43:33)
Real Tigers by Mick Herron (11:52)
David's Reading (00:45)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (05:29)
Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (05:30)
All's Well by Mona Awad (04:23)
Death in Brunswick by Boyd Oxlade (06:20)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (09:05)
What we've been watching (12:05)
The Batman (2022) (04:41)
Drive My Car (2021) (07:16)
Windup (00:15)
Next episode (01:13)
Image generated by Wombo Art.

Episode 91: Looking at things from a different angle

David and Perry discuss Perry's recent overseas trip, and then talk about their recent reading, including several books which take existing stories and look at them from a different viewpoint.
Introduction (06:51)
Perry's trip to Morrocco (04:06)
David's news (02:28)
General News (16:29)
Death of Martin Amis (06:08)
Nebula Award Winners (04:12)
Miles Franklin Award Longlist. (03:06)
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards (03:00)
What we've been reading lately. (50:13)
David's reading slow-down (01:27)
Five Decembers by James Kestrel (08:59)
Unknown Shore by Robert Ruby (05:02)
A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (04:38)
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. (04:28)
Spear by Nicola Griffith (06:43)
Fire With Fire by Candice Fox (04:15)
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk (04:07)
Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow (04:57)
Top Gun Maverick (05:32)
Windup (00:59)
Illustration generated by Wombo Art

Episode 90: De profundis clamavi

Perry and David talk about their recent reading and watching, in particular discussing a novel they have both nominated for this year's Hugo Awards, The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler.
Introduction (01:04)
General News (12:44)
Crime Writers Association Dagger Awards (02:13)
Australian Book Industry Awards (02:07)
Australian Book Design Awards (00:58)
Death of Lee Harding (00:45)
Other News? (06:24)
What we've been reading and watching (01:01:09)
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler (14:46)
Treacle Walker by Alan Garner (05:06)
Ebooks vs physical books (02:00)
Cold Water by Dave Hutchinson (06:16)
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (05:15)
Dead Lions by Mick Herron (07:04)
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain (04:20)
Alien Oceans by Kevin Hand (06:39)
John Wick: Chapter 4 (05:02)
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (04:29)
Windup (00:36)
Illustration generated by Wombo Art
Dropping our Twitter account. You can now find us here on Mastodon.
About the episode title: De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine (Latin): "From out of the depths we call thee, Lord".

Episode 89: Again and again and again

David and Perry discuss a number of books dealing with alternate or parallel streams of time, and analyse in depth the novel Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, and the BBC television series based on it.
Introduction (01:50)
General News (06:03)
Phillip K. Dick Award Winner 2023 (01:18)-- City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
BSFA Awards 2023 (03:13)-- The Extractionist by Kimberly Unger
Chengdou Worldcon (01:21)
What we've been reading lately (12:36)
Pavane by Keith Roberts (06:38)
Civilisations by Laurent Binet (05:55)
Discussion of Life After Life, TV series and novel (39:16)
Windup (00:39)
Illustration generated by Wombo.ai

Episode 88: But was it a crime?

Perry and David discuss their recent reading of crime novels, or were they merely crime-adjacent novels? You can choose!
Introduction (02:09)
Loss of three good friends (01:49)
Charles Taylor
Valma Brown
Eve Harvey
ChatGPT - new developments (07:10)
General News (08:37)
Nebula Awards (02:18)
Hugo Awards (01:00)
BSFA Awards (01:06)
Aurealis Awards (01:56)
Nominating for the Hugo Awards (01:44)
Crime Fiction (53:49)
Unforgiven by Sarah Barrie (04:22)
Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas (09:10)
In Her Blood by Nicky Crutchley (04:20)
The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout (07:21)
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson (04:43)
In the Woods by Tana French (08:26)
Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down (08:09)
Exiles by Jane Harper (06:42)
Windup and Next Episode (01:45)
Illustration by Wombo.art
Dropping our Twitter account. You can now find us here on Mastodon.

Episode 87: Automated mansplaining

David and Perry spend a while discussing the problems with "generative A.I." and then go on to talk about their recent reading. Perry interviews W.H.Chong about his best reading and watching of 2022.
Introduction (03:50)
General News (02:23)
Chengdu World SF Convention (02:19)
Discussion on Generative AI (21:32)
Ezra Klein podcast on AI
What we've been reading lately (54:38)
Monash's Masterpiece by Peter Fitzsimons (11:35)
Joan by Katherine J. Chen (08:15)
Hex by Jenni Fagan (03:21)
Rizzio by Denise Mina (02:38)
Her by Garry Disher (04:20)
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (05:29)
Embassytown by China Miéville (05:57)
The Employees by Olga Ravn (04:22)
Babel by R. F. Kuang (08:21)
Discussion with W. H. Chong about his 2022 reading and watching (29:13)
The Mountain Under the Sea by Ray Naylor (04:01)
Babel by R. F. Kuang (01:37)
The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox (01:33)
The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox (01:15)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (01:46)
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (02:42)
Drive My Car (00:43)
Pinnoccio (03:17)
Three Plus One (02:57)
Ted Lasso (01:12)
My Brilliant Friend and The Lying Life of Adults (00:50)
Prey (03:09)
The Last of Us (03:30)
Windup (01:41)
Image generated by Stable Diffusion

Episode 86: Your own private screening theatre

Perry talks about the best movies and television he watched during 2022. David discusses his work for Standard Ebooks. Perry interviews Lucy Sussex about the best books she read last year.
Introduction (03:40)
General News (13:50)
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards (03:45)
Locus Recommended Reading List (06:19)
Worldcon 2023 (03:37)
Perry's Best Movies and TV of 2023 (32:09)
Subtitles (01:33)
Overview (01:42)
Movies (14:14)
Honourable Mentions (03:36)
Television (14:13)
Documentaries (01:24)
Comedies (02:41)
Drama (08:05)
Best overall (01:49)
Standard Ebooks and Copyright (09:50)
Interview with Lucy Sussex (32:11)
Skimming Stones by Maria Papas (01:58)
The Islands by Emily Brugman (02:02)
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au (00:53)
Treacle Walker by Alan Garner (01:24)
An Uncommon Hangman by Rachel Franks (01:35)
Nabbing Ned Kelly by David F Dufty (04:48)
Polly Plum by Jenny Coleman (02:11)
The Baby on the Fire Escape by Julie Phillips (01:59)
Laidlaw by William McIlvanney (04:49)
Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette (02:20)
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz (04:36)
Windup (01:01)
Illustration generated by Stable Diffusion

Episode 85: The Books! The Books!

David and Perry discuss their reading during 2022 and list their selections of the best books in a range of categories, and end up agreeing on the best book of the year.
Introduction (03:03)
General News (05:52)
2022 Prime Minister's Literary Awards (01:49)
2022 Phillip K. Dick Award (01:23)
Susie McKee Charnas (02:32)
Best Books of 2022 (58:36)
Science Fiction (06:14)
Perry (03:00)
David (03:10)
Fantasy (03:53)
Perry (00:44)
David (03:07)
Crime (08:16)
Perry (05:58)
David (02:17)
Spy/Thriller (04:45)
Perry (02:07)
David (02:28)
Literary/Non Genre (07:03)
Perry (04:45)
David (02:02)
Novellas (06:08)
Perry (06:05)
Children's Literature (01:23)
David (01:12)
Collections and Anthologies (04:32)
Perry (04:07)
David (00:16)
Historical Fiction (00:50)
David (00:44)
Nonfiction (06:39)
Perry (03:16)
David (03:18)
Overall Best for 2022 (03:34)
Perry (01:25)
David (01:57)
Windup (01:14)
Next episode (01:39)
Illustration by Wombo Art.

Episode 84: Heading towards the end of year

Perry and David wind up the year by talking about the books they've read recently, including some neglected works and one being celebrated thirty years after it was first published.
Introduction (02:36)
General News (09:44)
2022 Best of the Year articles (04:59)
2022 Patrick White Award (01:20)
Prime Minister's Literary Award (03:12)
What we've been reading (53:17)
How do you choose what to read next? (05:32)
Ithaca by Claire North (07:56)
The Visitor by Maeve Brennan (08:25)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (07:49)
Night Blue by Angela O'Keeffe (09:13)
The High House by Jessie Greengrass (07:17)
A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi (06:50)
Brief mentions (04:01)
Psalms for the End of the World by Cole Haddon (00:28)
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner by Grace Tame(00:34)
The Unbelieved by Vicki Petraitis (00:28)
Mountains of the Mind by Robert McFarlane (01:15)
Hull Three Zero by Greg Bear (00:59)
Windup
Image created by Wombo.art.

Episode 83: And what does this one look like?

David and Perry discuss Day's End and Limberlost, two new titles from Text Publishing, and then go on to talk with W. H. Chong, who designed the covers of both books. (Apologies for the occasional poor audio quality in this episode).
Introduction (00:42)
General News (03:06)
Death of Greg Bear (02:08)
What we've been reading (22:50)
Day's End by Garry Disher (09:17)
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott (13:12)
Discussion with W. H. Chong about cover design (20:24)
Windup (01:05)
End (00:12)
Many thanks to Text Publishing for review copies of the books discussed today, and to W. H. Chong for joining us to discuss cover design.
Illustration: covers designed by W. H. Chong for Text Publishing