Rephonic
Artwork for A Meal of Thorns
Speculative Fiction
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Identity
Literary Criticism
Memory
Philosophy
Leena Krohn
Tainaron, Mail From Another City
The Fifth Season
Hugo Awards
Piranesi
Susanna Clarke
Perelandra
Queerness In Literature
Fire Logic
Donald Barthelme
Climate Change
Loneliness
Cyberpunk

A critical book club from the Ancillary Review of Books. Host Jake Casella Brookins invites writers, scholars, and critics to discuss thorny works of science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative genres.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes52Founded2 years ago
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FictionScience FictionArtsBooks

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Artwork for A Meal of Thorns

Latest Episodes

Brunner’s prescient classic about overpopulation: is it about overpopulation? Was it prescient? And, for that matter: what does it mean to be a classic? Reviewer and editor Dan Hartland joins to discuss these questions and more.

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Science fiction readers love a mechanism, they love a bit of world-building and mystery-solving. Premee Mohamed joins us to discuss Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus, a book that asks: what if a science fiction book intentionally avoided all of... more

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A rain of corpses is falling from the sky, insectoid femme fatales are setting their compound eyes on our tender thoraxes, and our cattle drive across an expanse of nanotech goo is starting to go off the rails. So we ask ourselves: do we still have t... more

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Stop explaining and start exploring: critic & reviewer Molly Templeton walks us through this gem of 1980s mass market fantasy, with many asides and theories on shifting patterns of publishing and reading patterns. Plus, we spill the beans on the most... more

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Recent Guests

Premee Mohamed
Science fiction writer and guest of the episode
Independent author; formerly Escape Pod contributor
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 51- THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS with Premee Mohamed
Gareth Watkins
Critic and commentator, writer and host of Death Sentence Podcast
Independent critic; contributor to New Socialist, Los Angeles Review of Books, New Statesman, Vulture
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 50- SISYPHEAN with Gareth Watkins
Molly Templeton
Reviewer and editor with Reactor Magazine; administrator for the Le Guin Prize
Reactor Magazine; Ursula K. Le Guin Foundation
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 49- MOONGATHER with Molly Templeton
Dr. Matthew Leggat
Senior lecturer in English and American Literature at the University of Winchester; co-host of Utopian and Dystopian Fictions podcast
University of Winchester
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 48- READY PLAYER ONE with Matthew Leggatt
Abigail Nussbaum
Writer and critic; frequent contributor to Locust Vector, Los Angeles Review of Books, Strange Horizons
Locust Vector; Los Angeles Review of Books; Strange Horizons
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 47- CLOUD ATLAS with Abigail Nussbaum
Max Gladstone
Hugo Nebula and Locust winning author and Craft sequence writer
Independent author, Craft series
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 46- THE BIG SLEEP with Max Gladstone
Alexander Dickow
Poet, literary scholar, translator; professor of French literature and culture at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 45- THE DEEP SEA DIVER’S SYNDROME with Alexander Dickow
Liz Bourke
Critic and reviewer in the SFF world
Locus, Strange Horizons, etc.
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 44- PALADIN OF SOULS with Liz Bourke
Eden Kupermintz
Writes and podcasts about science fiction, politics, theory, and metal.
Episode: A Meal of Thorns 43- DIASPORA with Eden Kupermintz

Host

Jake Casella Brookins
Host of A Meal of Thorns; affiliated with Ancillary Review of Books; central figure in discussions of speculative fiction

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • A pleasure to listen to

    This is a great way to expand your understanding of the fiction landscape and lineages and get book recommendations, I’ve especially enjoyed learning about titles that are before my time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    l0bst3rc0p
    United States4 months ago
  • Great, thoughtful podcast about science fiction and fantasy

    The only thing keeping me from listening to all of these in a binge is the fact that I need to catch up and read many of the novels under discussion. Broad ranging, informative, and host and guests always care about the books, even the bad ones.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ouranosaurus
    Canada7 months ago
  • Exceptional

    There aren’t many speculative fiction review podcasts so I was so excited to find this one. I like how guests have expertise in relation to episode’s title selection and I especially enjoy the titles chosen to discuss. There is a nice mix of newer and less recent titles.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kayemme
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great for readers who want deeper context beyond plot summaries.
A rare blend of scholarly insight and accessible discussion in speculative fiction.
Thoughtful, broad-ranging conversations with care for books and guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#249
Israel/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A Meal of Thorns 51- THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS with Premee Mohamed
Q: Tell us why you chose this book for the discussion and what parts resonated most with you?
Premee explains that Wolfe's willingness to challenge readers and to delay definitive answers, plus the book's gendered and colonial critique, made it a rich candidate for a critical, collaborative discussion.
A Meal of Thorns 47- CLOUD ATLAS with Abigail Nussbaum
Q: Yeah, this was a fun pick. But before we dive into this, I wanted to ask, what else you have been reading? Anything interesting?
Abigail discusses recent and forthcoming works, including Aliya Whiteley's The Misheard World and other contemporary releases, highlighting how genre boundaries are being tested and how authors move between speculative and literary terrains.
A Meal of Thorns 46- THE BIG SLEEP with Max Gladstone
Q: What aspects of Chandler's style or the detective genre do you find most influential for science fiction and fantasy writers?
Chandler's knack for compressing mood into exact, tactile details and his focus on the code of behavior over explicit moral exposition are incredibly influential. The way he renders a world where order is fragile and personal integrity guides the protagonist rather than institutional power offers a template for creating ethically shaded, richly textured speculative fiction.
A Meal of Thorns 46- THE BIG SLEEP with Max Gladstone
Q: Tell me a little bit about your relationship with The Big Sleep or Chandler more generally.
I came to Chandler through a broad love of noir, finding his line-level sharpness and the way he constructs a world that feels both vivid and morally unsettled. The book's lack of a clean, overt interiority in Marlowe invites readers to participate in the deduction and interpretive process, which I find deeply compelling for craft and storytelling.
A Meal of Thorns 45- THE DEEP SEA DIVER’S SYNDROME with Alexander Dickow
Q: How did you get into French science fiction and what attracted you to Brussolo?
Dickow discusses his background in translation and his interest in surrealist-influenced French SF, explaining what drew him to Brussolo's dream-driven storytelling.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About A Meal of Thorns

What is A Meal of Thorns about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, club-style exploration of speculative fiction and literary crossovers, featuring critical dives into science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. Episodes emphasize world-building, narrative structure, intertextuality, and the social and political dimensions of books, often through scholarly analysis, author perspectives, and editor/critic insights. Noteworthy are the mix of academics, editors, and novelists as guests, the willingness to tackle controversial topics (gender, race, sexuality, empire), and the focus on how form and context shape reception. Listeners can expect rigorous yet accessible conversations that illuminate less-charted works alongside canonical titles, with a strong emphasis on critical discussion, pedago... more

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2. Shelved By Genre
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A Meal of Thorns launched 2 years ago and published 52 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on A Meal of Thorns?

Recent guests on A Meal of Thorns include:

1. Premee Mohamed
2. Gareth Watkins
3. Molly Templeton
4. Dr. Matthew Leggat
5. Abigail Nussbaum
6. Max Gladstone
7. Alexander Dickow
8. Liz Bourke

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