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Unseen Academicals: A Discworld and Terry Pratchett Podcast

Unseen Academicals: A Discworld and Terry Pratchett Podcast

By Joshua Bulleid

An intermittent examination of Terry Pratchett's Discworld book series from an academic perspective, hosted by Joshua Bulleid.
Contact: unseenacademicalspod@gmail.com
Support: patreon.com/unseenacademicals
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Currently playing episode

A Life With Footnotes, by Rob Wilkins

Unseen Academicals: A Discworld and Terry Pratchett PodcastOct 18, 2022

00:00
22:46
14B – Pyramids, Part 2a: Mummy Madness

14B – Pyramids, Part 2a: Mummy Madness

Tangential mini(ish) episode, inspired by Pyramids (1989), examining mummy fiction and Western representations of Egypt from their nineteenth-century literary origins through twentieth-century film renditions and ultimate assimilation by stupid sexy vampires.

Mar 07, 202401:02:52
14A – Pyramids, Part 1: Progress and Prejudice

14A – Pyramids, Part 1: Progress and Prejudice

We push the pop-filter to the limit this week, ptalking about Pterry Pratchett's seventh, unaffiliated, Discworld novel, Pyramids (1989), discussing the novel's critical reception along with its portrayals of plumbing, progress, pupils, personal identity, pyramids and polders, among other pthings.

Feb 17, 202401:25:43
Worst Books in 2023

Worst Books in 2023

Josh counts down the worst books he read for the first time in 2023.

Jan 11, 202446:13
Best Books in 2023

Best Books in 2023

Josh counts down the best books he read for the first time in 2023.

Jan 11, 202401:03:49
Best Albums of 2023

Best Albums of 2023

Josh, Eden and Karlo from Heavy Blog is Heavy count down their favourite albums of 2023.

Jan 11, 202402:23:25
13C – Good Omens, Part 3: Faithful Adaptations

13C – Good Omens, Part 3: Faithful Adaptations

A somewhat off-the-cuff conclusion to our Good Omens coverage, loosely discussing canonicity, adaptation theory and adaptations themselves, including the 2014 BBC radio adaptation and 2019 adaptation of Good Omens, along with its recent second season continuation.

Jan 02, 202401:45:35
13B – Good Omens, Part 2: Apocalyptic Revelations

13B – Good Omens, Part 2: Apocalyptic Revelations

Apologies for the delay, I would have recorded a shorter podcast, but I didn't have time...


The second episode about Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's 1990 novel Good Omens, wherein Josh spends a lot of time talking about academic definitions of things like the apocalypse, apocalyptic literature, post-apocalyptic literature, anti-apocalyptic literature, catastrophe, eucatastrophe, fantasy, science fiction, utopia, eutopia, dystopia, anti-utopia and what things like comedy and free will have to do with it all.


Contact: unseenacademicalspod@gmail.com

Read my book/order it into your library: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-38347-2

Dec 13, 202303:09:18
Arthur C. Clarke and Vegetarian Space Exploration

Arthur C. Clarke and Vegetarian Space Exploration

Josh reads a section about Arthur C. Clarke from his book Vegetarianism and Science Fiction: A History of Utopian Animal Ethics, which is finally out as part of Palgrave Macmillan's Animals and Literature Series.


Topics covered include: alternative/synthetic meats, space exploration, environmentalism, Buddhism, the Space Odyssey Series, evolutionary theories and the Hunting Hypothesis.

Nov 02, 202301:03:42
13A – Good Omens, Part 1: Antichrist Phenomenon

13A – Good Omens, Part 1: Antichrist Phenomenon

The first episode on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's 1990 novel Good Omens, looking at its creation and reception, along with its portrayal of previously examined Pratchett staples, including Death, time and naming, as well the William Brown stories that inspired it and where it fits in among literary and cultural depictions of the antichrist.

Sep 17, 202302:23:31
VV4 – Interview with the Vampre, Series 1
Jul 26, 202301:48:47
VV3 – Vegetarian Vampires After Discworld
Jul 26, 202301:54:16
VV2 – Vegetarian Vampires in Discworld
Jul 26, 202302:02:23
VV1 – Vegetarian Vampires Before Discworld
Jul 26, 202302:15:26
I Still Ate'nt Dead!

I Still Ate'nt Dead!

TL;DL: I'm officially shutting down the Patron page at the end of the month. All bonus content and future episodes will be moved over/put out on the public feed, beginning with the bonus vegetarian vampires episodes and then moving onto Good Omens in about a month or so, or whenever it's ready.

Jul 23, 202313:11
12C – Thief of Time, Part 3: About Time

12C – Thief of Time, Part 3: About Time

The long-awaited final episode on Thief of Time (2001), discussing Aristotle's conception(s) of humanity, religious and scientific conceptions of time, identity theory, the history of time-keeping, notions of historical and technological progress, their implications for science fiction and utopian literature, human sense-making, the "End of History", 9/11, The Book of Revelation, Susan’s character development and existential despair.

Jul 02, 202301:30:37
12B - Thief of Time, Part 2: Literary Links

12B - Thief of Time, Part 2: Literary Links

An impromptu, stop-gap episode discussing some literary connection to Thief of Time, including works by Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, C. S. Lewis, Michael Moorcock and Ursula K. Le Guin.


Contat: unseenacademcialspod@gmail.com

Jun 24, 202344:40
⁠12A – Thief of Time, Part 1: What's in a Name?⁠

⁠12A – Thief of Time, Part 1: What's in a Name?⁠

The first of two episodes on Thief of Time (2001), exploring Susan's character development and statistical showings, as well as the role of naming in determining the characters of Lady LeJean, Lu-Tze, Ronnie Soak and Jeremy Clockson and Lobsang Ludd, and far too much about Pratchett's awards history.*

*No bonus points for pointing out which sections were recorded in a COVID haze or the one I recorded without my microphone actually being plugged in. I am well aware!

Apr 19, 202301:55:20
The Amazing Maurice (film review)

The Amazing Maurice (film review)

Josh gives his thoughts on the new animated film adaptation of The Amazing Maurice (2022/23).

Feb 05, 202330:53
Best Books in 2022

Best Books in 2022

Josh is back on dry land, counting down the best books he read in 2022.

Jan 02, 202354:30
Worst Books in 2022
Dec 31, 202254:23
11B – Hogfather, Part 2: Happy Hogswatch!

11B – Hogfather, Part 2: Happy Hogswatch!

Josh is back to talk some more about Hogfather (1996) and its connections to Christmas traditions, covering the history of the Tooth Fairy and Hogswatch, the relationship between Father Christmas and Father Time, and the relationship between Christmas and the modern fantasy tradition, paying particular attention to works by Charles Dickens, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, as well as films like The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

Dec 24, 202201:37:60
11A – Hogfather, Part 1: The Power of Belief
Dec 11, 202201:49:14
10C – Soul Music, Part 3: Simply Susan
Nov 07, 202201:30:40
A Life With Footnotes, by Rob Wilkins
Oct 18, 202222:46
Chronicles of Narnia Countdown

Chronicles of Narnia Countdown

Josh ranks C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia Books from worst to least terrible.

Sep 27, 202225:35
10A – Soul Music, Part 1: Magical Music

10A – Soul Music, Part 1: Magical Music

Heavy Blog is Heavy Editor in Chief, Eden Kupermitz joins Josh to talk about 1994's Soul Music, focusing on the book's engagement with the literary tradition of "magical music" and how it is foundational to the fantasy genre (and perhaps even the universe itself!) through its depiction in the myths of Orpheus, Genesis, H. P. Lovecraft, J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, among others, as well as music's unmediated connection with spirituality and memory.* 

*May also contain copious amounts of Whitesnake. 

Follow Eden and Josh's music writing at heavyblogisheavy.com 

Eden's other literature podcasts:

Death // Sentence

Anarchy SF  

Contact: unseenacademicalspod@gmail.com

Support: patreon.com/unseenacademicals

Aug 21, 202201:40:26
Wotcher' Been Readin? August, 2022

Wotcher' Been Readin? August, 2022

Wotcher' Been Readin? August, 2022

Aug 01, 202207:58
Heavy Blog Review Pod: May, 2022 – Review Are We
Jul 23, 202201:48:18
9B – Reaper Man - Part 2
Jul 06, 202201:31:30
9A – Reaper Man - Part 1
Jun 13, 202201:38:23
8 – Mort
May 07, 202202:10:20
Wotcher' Been Readin? May, 2022

Wotcher' Been Readin? May, 2022

Wotcher' Been Readin? May, 2022

May 01, 202218:37
Wotcher' Been Readin? April, 2022
Apr 25, 202225:24
We Ate'nt Dead!
Apr 03, 202205:21
7B – Carpe Jugulum - Part 2
Feb 20, 202202:20:40
Wotcher' Been Readin? January, 2022
Feb 12, 202206:57
7A – Carpe Jugulum - Part 1
Nov 20, 202101:08:31
Of the Devil's Party – Manfred, by Lord Byron
Oct 24, 202133:44
6 – Maskerade
Oct 09, 202102:23:58
A Midsummer Night's Dream by Neil Gaiman
Sep 11, 202102:08:37
5B – Lords and Ladies - Part 2
Aug 28, 202101:28:43
5A – Lords and Ladies - Part 1
Jul 31, 202101:26:39
4C – Witches Abroad - Part 3

4C – Witches Abroad - Part 3

We wrap up our extended coverage of witches abroad with an examination of mirrors in feminist literature and fairytale revisions, the origins of Lilith, the history of farts, Granny's cultural chauvinism, Mrs Gogol, carnival and the power of parody in combating postmodern pastiche.
Jul 03, 202101:29:36
4B – Witches Abroad - Part 2

4B – Witches Abroad - Part 2

The Oggisms continue as we explore the cultural impact and implications of fairy tales featured in the Genua section of Witches Abroad, including Cinderella, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Rumpelstiltskin and Disney itself. We also figure out what simulacras are all about and whether Nala stands a chance in a Disney Princess Deathbattle.
Jun 12, 202101:26:51
4A – Witches Abroad - Part 1
May 29, 202101:48:56
3 – Wyrd Sisters

3 – Wyrd Sisters

Episode 3 of Unseen Academicals, examining the second book in the Witches Series, Wyrd Sisters (1988), and using it to explore theories of humour, the power of words, Shakespeare, the history of Macbeth, evolving depictions of witches, broomsticks, Black Aliss, vegetarian ghosts, and more!
May 01, 202101:47:05
2 – Equal Rites

2 – Equal Rites

Episode 2 of Unseen Academicals, discussing the first book in the Witches Series, Equal Rites (1986) and using it to explore definitions and history of magic, magical gender roles, education, the power of words, Ursula K. le Guin's Earthsea series, female wizards, male witches, seventh sons of seventh sons, H. P. Lovecraft, parallel worlds and more!
Apr 04, 202101:41:30
1 – Unseen Academicals

1 – Unseen Academicals

Episode 1 of Unseen Academicals, discussing our titular Discworld novel, Unseen Academicals (2009), and using it to discuss Terry Pratchett's critical and academic reception, football/soccer, Academics, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Eddie McGuire, fashion, gender expression, RuPaul's Drag Race, the racial implications of orcs and their origins in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons, creation, corruption and definitely not psychoanalysis!
Apr 04, 202102:11:05