Two Chairs Talking
Two ex-chairmen of the World SF Convention talk about books, movies, science fiction fandom, and much else.
Listen on:
Episodes

Apr 30, 2023
Apr 30, 2023
1hr 16 min
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".

Apr 12, 2023
Apr 12, 2023
1hr 51 sec
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

Mar 20, 2023
Mar 20, 2023
1hr 15 min
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.

Mar 2, 2023
Mar 2, 2023
1hr 53 min
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

Feb 7, 2023
Feb 7, 2023
1hr 33 min
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

Jan 17, 2023
Jan 17, 2023
1hr 10 min
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.

Dec 13, 2022
Dec 13, 2022
1hr 11 min
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.

Nov 22, 2022
Nov 22, 2022
48 min
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

Nov 3, 2022
Nov 3, 2022
1hr 16 min
Perry and David discuss some recent awards and general news and then take off in the Hugo Time Machine to visit the year 1969, when Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner won the Best Novel award.
Introduction (02:34)
General News (08:39)
2022 Ursula K. Le Guin prize (01:13)
2022 Booker Prize winner (01:15)
2022 Shirley Jackson awards (01:10)
2022 Arthur C Clarke Award (00:44)
Death of Frank Drake (04:07)
Hugo Time Machine 1969 (01:03:04)
Short Stories (05:39)
The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World by Harlan Ellison (01:37)
Other eligible works (03:36)
Masks by Damon Knight (01:22)
All the Myriad Ways by Larry Niven (00:28)
Novelettes (08:03)
The Sharing of Flesh by Poul Anderson (03:56)
Other nominees (01:52)
Mother to the World by Richard Wilson (01:12)
Other eligible works (01:43)
Novellas (06:48)
Nightwings by Robert Silverberg (04:03)
Other nominees (01:26)
Hawk Among the Sparrows by Dean McLaughlin (01:00)
Other eligible works (00:44)
Novels (39:50)
Nova by Samuel R. Delany (04:56)
Past Master by R. A. Lafferty (04:16)
Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin (08:23)
The Goblin Reservation by Clifford D. Simak (05:15)
Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner (10:02)
Other eligible works (02:21)
New Wave beginning to surge (03:26)
Other Awards (01:00)
Wind-up (01:51)
Illustration generated by Stable Diffusion

Oct 18, 2022
Oct 18, 2022
1hr 19 min
David and Perry talk about Perry's recent overseas trip and attendance at the World SF Convention in Chicago, and then go on to talk about their recent reading, which was almost all in the crime genre.
Introduction (01:48)
Perry's experience of Chicon (13:38)
2022 Hugo Awards (06:00)
General News (05:22)
Hilary Mantel (01:17)
Peter Straub (02:22)
Maureen Kincaid Speller (01:37)
What We've Been Reading (56:37)
Dead Lions by Mick Herron (07:46)
The Maid by Nita Prose (03:29)
C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton (05:58)
Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham (05:06)
Backlash by Brad Thor (08:34)
Banjawarn by Josh Kemp (05:23)
Mr Jelly's Business by Arthur Upfield (11:50)
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (07:52)
Windup (01:24)
Many thanks to Text Publishing for the review copy of Bliss Montage.
Illustration generated by Dawn AI
"Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son. Give me your blessing; truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man’s son may, but in the end truth will out." —Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene 2

