Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   WE'RE BACK!! Today, we’re joining up with a New Generation of Point-of-View Characters, poised to inherit a world on the brink of monumental change in part one of Joe Abercrombie’s Age of Madness trilogy... A Little Hatred!! - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// ALSO! Check out Eddy's latest foray into Kickstarter with this kickass campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erathke/briar-bay-a-mork-borg-zine And of course you can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine-meets-Wolf Pod Crossover Extravaganza! The FPot9 is a biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/episode-059-franz-kafka-are-literary?utm_source=podcast-email%2Csubstack&publication_id=490678&post_id=189261354&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=play_card_play_button&r=7qkb6&triedRedirect=true is a show where Kyle Muntz and Eddy Rathke analyze and discuss a short story by an author, sometimes [even] with that author! Today, we're making one last pit stop where we're "stick them with the pointy end!" again, but this time, we brought along a friend—The Professor, Kyle Muntz! Today we're going to take a longer, more in-depth look at just a single story from Joe Abercrombie’s Sharp Ends, in... "Two's Company!" - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Kyle Muntz at his TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kylemuntz1 and/or https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kyle-Muntz/author/B003L8CNJY?ccs_id=631541d8-471e-49d6-9544-1ec14c6667a7 You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// ALSO! Check out Eddy's latest foray into Kickstarter with this kickass campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erathke/briar-bay-a-mork-borg-zine And of course you can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   Today, we're traveling the whole of the Circle of the World, finding foes for whom we proceed to take heed of the age-old fantasy adage and "stick them with the pointy end!" as we cover the only short story collection of the First Law in Joe Abercrombie’s... Sharp Ends!! —Covering all stories— - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// ALSO! Check out Eddy's latest foray into Kickstarter with this kickass campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erathke/briar-bay-a-mork-borg-zine And of course you can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

A wyrd Mork Borg setting inspired by dark fairy tales and folklore compatible with OSR systems.

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 02/17/2026 · 52m

Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   We're bravely soldiering on through the world of the First Law with the third book of Joe Abercrombie’s second grimdark trilogy—still trekking through parts both unknown and untraveled, beyond the bounds of empire in... Red Country!! —Covering chapters 23 through 43— - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// ALSO! Check out Eddy's latest foray into Kickstarter with this kickass campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erathke/briar-bay-a-mork-borg-zine And of course you can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Alt: a man with long blonde hair and a beard is holding a fishing rod

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 02/03/2026 · 1h 6m

Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   We bravely soldier on through the world of the First Law with our third book of Joe Abercrombie’s second grimdark trilogy—now trekking through parts both unknown and untraveled, beyond the bounds of empire in... Red Country!! —Covering chapters 1 through 22— - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// ALSO! Check out Eddy's latest foray into Kickstarter with this kickass campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erathke/briar-bay-a-mork-borg-zine And of course you can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod... of the Nine!  A show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy s

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 01/13/2026 · 1h 12m

Welcome again, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   We are back in the world of the First Law with our second book of Joe Abercrombie’s second grimdark trilogy—heading back to The North to wrap up our visit with The Dogman, Black Dow, Caul Shivers, and all their many, many friends in... The Heroes!! - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 12/31/2025 · 1h 3m

Welcome — and Happy New Year! — one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine! A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   We are back in the world of the First Law with our second book of Joe Abercrombie’s second grimdark trilogy—heading back to The North to visit The Dogman, Black Dow, Caul Shivers, and all their many, many friends in... The Heroes!! - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 12/16/2025 · 1h 5m

Welcome, one and all, to The Fantasy Pod the Nine!   A biweekly show where we tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.   We are moving on in the world of the First Law with our second book of Joe Abercrombie’s second grimdark trilogy—heading back to The North to visit The Dogman, Black Dow, Caul Shivers, and all their many, many friends in... The Heroes!! - - - - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 12/02/2025 · 48m

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 20 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. Do you still like Revenge Stories™ as much as we do?! Because we are BACK to the World of the First Law with Joe Abercrombie’s SECOND grimdark trilogy. Join us as we trek ever onward, covering part seven of seven—the finale!—of Best Served Cold!! - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

All we wanted was to offer signed & personalized Joe Abercrombie books… we ended up making our own First Law Special Edition.

Join today and make listening a habit

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 19 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. Do you still like Revenge Stories™ as much as we do?! Because we are BACK to the World of the First Law kicking off Joe Abercrombie’s SECOND grimdark trilogy. Join us as we trek ever onward, covering parts five and six (of seven*) of Best Served Cold! - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 18 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. Do you still like Revenge Stories™ as much as we do?! Because we are BACK to the World of the First Law kicking off Joe Abercrombie’s SECOND grimdark trilogy. Join us as we soldier on, covering parts three and four (of seven*) of Best Served Cold! - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 17 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. Do you like Revenge Stories™ as much as we do?! Because we are BACK to the World of the First Law kicking off Joe Abercrombie’s SECOND grimdark trilogy. Join us as we cover part one of Best Served Cold! - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.] (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 16 of The Fantasy Pod… of THE DEVILS!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.  We’re taking a brief break from the world of the First Law—though not leaving grimdark behind just yet, we promise!—and wrapping up our coverage of Joe Abercrombie’s first entry his newest series, The Devils!, covering chapters 52, “End of the Road," through Chapter 72, “Saint Tabitha’s Day.” - - - - -  Send all questions/ comments/ criticisms to FantasyPodOfThe@gmail.com Or visit us over on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/fantasypod.bsky.social You can find Eddy at his Substack at https://radicaledward.substack.com// You can find Joe at most social media https://x.com/JoeMOwens [n.b. with whatever suffiix said platforms employ, e.g. ".bsky.social" for Blue Sky, etc.]

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 15 of The Fantasy Pod… of THE DEVILS!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.  We’re taking a brief break from the world of the First Law—though not leaving grimdark behind just yet, we promise!—and continuing our coverage of Joe Abercrombie’s first entry his newest series, The Devils!, covering chapters 31, “Strange Bedfellows," through Chapter 51, “A Miraculous Medicine.” Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com.

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 14 of The Fantasy Pod… of THE DEVILS!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.  We’re taking a brief break from the world of the First Law—though not leaving grimdark behind just yet!—and continuing our coverage of Joe Abercrombie’s first entry his newest series, The Devils!, covering chapters 13, “Least Worst Choices," through Chapter 30, “A Draw IN Enough.” Joe attempts to redeem himself today leading the episode with much better notes and far more caffeine to power him through! Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com.

Welcome again, one and all, to episode 13 of The Fantasy Pod… of THE DEVILS!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) tackle a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres.  We’re taking a break brief break from the world of the First Law—though not leaving grimdark behind just yet—and beginning our coverage of Joe Abercrombie’s first entry in what will of course be his newest series—but as of this recording, it’s just a standalone title—The Devils!, covering chapters 1, “Saint Aelfric’s Day," through Chapter 18, “Empress or Death.” Joe attempts to lead this episode with far more scantily-detailed notes than usual since this is his second time reading through the book, and he thought he could ostensibly coast through on his recent reading and rereadings. Alas, the hubris of man knows no lessons too great or small, for our severely attention-deficient host today. He thus vows to over-prepare for the next episode! However, as it stands— BEWARE MILD SPOILERS around the 52:37 mark; Joe accidentally starts talking about some events from Part II that we'll cover next episode!  Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com.

A day late but not a dollar short!  Welcome again, one and all, to episode 12 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. We are finally here: Finishing our first dive into grimdark wrapping up book-three of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series in our read of Last Argument of Kings, covering chapters 47, "Dark Paths," through Chapter 59, “The Beginning.” Truly an episode fit... for a King!! Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · Episode

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 07/28/2025 · 1h 26m

Welcome, one and all, to episode 11 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. We are furthering our dive into grimdark with book-three of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series, continuing our read of Last Argument of Kings, covering chapters 34, "The Circle," through Chapter 46, “Open the Box.” This one's a doozy!! Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · Episode

Podcast Episode · The Fantasy Pod of the Nine · 07/14/2025 · 1h 17m

Welcome, one and all, to episode 10 of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. We are furthering our dive into grimdark with book-three of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series, continuing our read of Last Argument of Kings, covering chapters 19, "Prepared For The Worst," through Chapter 33, “Authority.” Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)

Welcome, one and all, to episode NINE of The Fantasy Pod of the Nine!  A biweekly show where two writerly hosts (Joe Owens and Eddy Rathke) will be tackling a variety of fantasy series from a diverse selection of authors and sub-genres. We are continuing our dive into grimdark with book-three of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series, starting our read of Last Argument of Kings, covering chapters 1, "The Poison Trade," through Chapter 18, “Horrible Old Men.” Send any and all comments and questions to: FantasyPodOfThe@Gmail.com (Chapter number references via https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0722/2007028499.html#:~:text=Table%20of%20Contents%20Chapter%201,46%20The%20Tools%20We%20Have catalog and https://firstlaw.fandom.com/wiki/Before_They_Are_Hanged.)