Podcasts by Official OLS Episodes – One Last Sketch
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Episode 52 – Terraforming Moose from 2023-11-12T17:07:41
We wrap up our 2023 book club with a recent release, The Terraformers (2023) by Annalee Newitz. This throwback to the fix-up novel explores a lot of big ideas about ecology, biology and society, bu...
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Episode 51 – Quack, Quack from 2023-08-31T16:00
A working-class memoir? In this day and age? We sit down to discuss Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (2022) by Kate Beaton. Warning: Includes mentions of sexual assault and workplace harassment. D...
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Episode 50 – Parable of the Podcasters from 2023-08-01T17:00
We talk about Parable of the Sower (1993) by Octavia Butler, which begins in the far-future year of 2024. And yet somehow, this still seems like a shockingly plausible representation of what next y...
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Episode 49 – A Labyrinth-like Conversation from 2023-04-05T16:33:41
We discuss Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, and marvel at how much literature you can pack into so few pages. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s website Source of our theme song
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Episode 48 – 2022 End of Year Spectacular from 2022-12-24T03:35:06
Just before the holidays, we’re back for a reflection on culture we experienced over the past year. Books, comics, films, TV, games – we talk about them all! Download the Podcast (archive.org...
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Episode 47 – An Episode for the Cybernetic Age from 2022-11-13T21:18:16
We triumphantly re-convene after over a year’s absence to talk about The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem, a book of fairy tales for robots, by robots, about robots. Download the Podcast (archive.org page...
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Episode 46 – Book People from 2021-10-07T03:57:42
Despite the title, we are in fact talking about movies. But also books. Because this episode is all about adaptations! Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s website Source of our theme song
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Episode 45.5 – Dealing with Disney from 2021-04-30T04:18:36
A short discussion about Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). Part of this episode references the YouTube video “Raya’s Moral ISN’T A Good Lesson to Learn” by La’Ron Readu...
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Episode 45 – Eat, Pray, Live Deliciously from 2020-11-25T14:30
After 5 years of people yelling at me to see this film, we finally watch The Witch (2015). Books mentioned: Witches and Neighbours: The Social and Cultural Context of European Witchcraft by Robin B...
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Episode 44 – Toss a Coin To Your Wied?min from 2020-08-23T20:57:37
Marie watched the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher! Michal indulges in his teenage obsessions. We end up comparing The Witcher to Dealing with Dragons. Correction: At one point, we make it sound l...
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Episode 43 – Step Aside, Dune from 2020-05-20T01:31:51
…There’s a new Kwisatz Haderach in town. We talk Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s website Source of our theme song
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Episode 42 – The Law of Equivalent Exchange from 2020-04-02T05:29:07
Recording this episode cost us an arm and a leg. We talk Fullmetal Alchemist. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s website Source of our theme song
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Episode 41 – Fullmetal Cybersix from 2020-03-24T01:45:08
We were supposed to record an episode about Fullmetal Alchemist, but we got distracted by Cybersix, an animated Canadian TV show from 1999 that should not exist. Download the Podcast (archive....
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Episode 40 – Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures from 2019-11-24T18:40:28
We finally talk about Bone. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s new website Source of our theme song
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Episode 39 – A Natural History of Two Maries from 2019-02-27T03:04:08
Marie talks about Marie Brennan’s Memoirs of Lady Trent series, which begins with A Natural History of Dragons. I am also present, largely to provide c...
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Episode 38 – Wherefore Internet? from 2018-04-15T02:55:04
We remember the internet being a lot more fun a decade ago. Why did our attitude change, and what major milestones did internet culture experience between now and the time we first logged on? Downl...
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Episode 37 – Celebrating Le Guin from 2018-01-31T01:42:59
A reflection on the life and works of Ursula K. Le Guin in light of her recent passing. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Cory’s blog Source of our theme song
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Episode 36 – Year in Review, 2017 Edition from 2017-12-30T21:40:37
So little of 2017 left, but just enough time to post our year in review! We discuss media we enjoyed this year, whether it was objectively good or not, including the University of Alberta murder-my...
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Episode 35 – Unfinished from 2017-10-06T04:35:17
In which we speak of books we never finished, or wish we had never finished. Normally, I would provide a list of the novels we talked about. But this time, I think it’s better if you go in bl...
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Episode 34 – The Rule of Names from 2017-09-07T03:29:30
We settle down to talk about another classic work of fantasy: Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series, specifically the first three novels, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthe...
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Episode 33 – We are all Barbarians Now from 2017-07-13T03:26:05
We take a break from civilized life and get our barbarian groove on with a discussion of Robert E. Howard’s character Conan, focusing on the 1936 serialized novel The Hour of the Dragon. Topi...
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Episode 32 – Heaven is (No Longer) for Real from 2017-07-08T01:50:52
What does heaven look like? We find out by reading Steven Brust’s novel To Reign in Hell (1984). Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Cory’s blog Source of our theme song
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Episode 31 – Cartoons that Happen to come from Japan from 2017-06-25T00:23:22
Japan makes lots of cartoons, so our planned cartoon episode ended up being all about anime junk: Kill la Kill, Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Vision of Escaflowne, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Tim...
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Episode 30 – Wrapping up 2016 from 2016-12-31T17:45:57
I already did my year-end blog post, but my usual podcast hosts haven’t, so here’s the podcast edition! We talk about all the movies, books, television shows, comics, anime and art gall...
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Episode 29 – Thank you for your childhood from 2016-06-26T17:00:33
The Giver by Lois Lowry is the one book on elementary/high school reading lists that Canadians our age remember fondly. Why is this, and why is the cover so darn memorable? Download the Podcast (ar...
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Episode 28 – Web series galore from 2016-05-26T01:15:12
The internet has provided ways for artists to skirt around traditional channels to get their work out to the public; web series are one of the more ambitious examples. We chat about our favourite w...
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Episode 27 – No matter how I look at it, it’s you guys’ fault this podcast isn’t popular! from 2016-04-19T04:49:32
We’re back! This time, we’re talking about adolescence, isolation and social anxiety in the anime series No Matter How I look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m not Popul...
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Episode 26 – Get Urras back to Anarres from 2015-10-25T17:05:52
We egoize about Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1974 classic, The Dispossessed. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Episode 10 – The Left Hand of Podcasts Source of our theme song ...
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Episode 25 – Historical-Feminist-Klezmer-Shtetl-Magic Realist-Musical Radio Drama from 2015-10-10T17:34:39
A short, impromptu review of The Witches of Lublin, the holiday radio play “by Ellen Kushner and a bunch of other people in the cast.” Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s bl...
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Episode 24B – Xim’s Big Day Out from 2015-08-26T01:57:10
After suffering through TSR’s gamebooks, we decide to try one that’s actually good: Ring of Thieves by S. John Ross. Dice will be rolled! Blood will spilled! Genies will be petulant! Do...
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Episode 24A – Send in the Griffons from 2015-08-26T01:41:15
The Dungeoneering Edition™ reaches its conclusion (Thank God) with Circus of Fear, and there is much rejoicing. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Theme song: Five Armies by Kevin...
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Episode 23 – Two for One from 2015-08-17T23:44:38
Our ill-advised experiment drags on as we play our way through Revolt of the Dwarves and The Dragon’s Ransom. Despite covering two books, this might well be our shortest episode yet. Only one...
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Episode 22 – It’s a Gamma World (After All) from 2015-08-12T20:05:56
The Dungeoneering Edition™ of the podcast continues with Light on Quests Mountain. (We’re sorry. We’re so, so sorry.) Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Theme song: Fi...
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Episode 21 – Dungeoneering Edition from 2015-08-05T21:26:53
I found a stack of TSR Endless Quest Books at the dump. After that, this podcast was inevitable. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) Marie’s blog Theme song: Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod (incom...
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Episode 20 – Stuff Teenagers Read (Past Tense) from 2015-07-27T03:31:01
Young Adult literature is a Thing now, but it wasn’t when Marie and I grew up! Join as as we talk about the books we read as teenagers and realize with dawning horror that we had terrible, te...
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Episode 19.5 (?) – Voluntour-de-force! from 2015-06-10T00:15:21
Cross-posted with Iatropexy. Thus the dueling theme songs. We watch Doc Zone’s last documentary, Volunteers Unleashed. Then…we rant. Download the Podcast (archive.org page) The document...
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Episode 19 – The Man in the Pod Castle from 2015-03-21T03:01:07
It’s 1962. Marijuana is legal in California, massive amounts of farmland was recently recovered from the Mediterranean, and human colonization of the Solar System has begun. Everything seems ...
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Episode 18 – The Long and Rambling Conversation of Dune from 2014-11-22T02:10:09
Frank Hebert’s Dune is one of the most influential science fiction novels of all time. Naturally, we have a lot to say about it. Download the Podcast (35 MB, right-click to save) Source of ou...
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