Author: Lulu

Episode eight is out!

This week, Pie and Lulu take a dive into two very different takes on vampires: the 2014 comedy-mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows and S.T. Gibson’s gothic novella A Dowry of Blood. We discuss comedic versus traditional interpretations of vampires, immortal roommate drama, and how human the heart of vampire stories can really be.

As always, you can listen to this episode on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, and more!

Other media mentioned:

• The Deep by Rivers Solomon
• How Long ‘til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
• The Dig (2021)
• What We Do in the Shadows (TV show)

Content warnings: discussions of an abusive relationship and all the death/blood-drinking/murder that vampires entail.

This week, Pie and Lulu dive into two fantasy novels featuring dead gods: Deeplight by Frances Hardinge and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. We discuss world-building, portrayals of fantasy religions, and how these books use the concept of dead divinities to explore the power of belief and storytelling.

As always, you can listen to Never the Twins Shall Meet on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, iTunes, Stitcher, or Google podcasts!

Other Media Mentioned:

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner
• The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
• The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Daredevil (Marvel comics)

Content warnings:

Discussions of murder, body horror, ableism, emotionally manipulative relationships, drowning, PTSD, slavery, genocide, infanticide, and rape.

In a somewhat chaotic sixth episode, Pie and Lulu revisit their superhero comic nerd roots by rereading Young Avengers. A teenage superhero team originally created in 2005 by Allan Heinburg and Jim Cheung, members of the Young Avengers have gone on to become popular throughout the Marvel universe, starring in team books, solo stories, and epic comic crossovers. Starting back at the first run and reading all the way up to recent months, we discuss one of the most bonkers family trees at Marvel, LGBTQ+ representation in superhero comics, and the difficulties of life as a superpowered teen crimefighter, as well critiquing what has or hasn’t held up in the years since we first discovered these comics.

You can listen on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and more!

Content warnings: discussions of drug addiction, sexual assault, antiblack racism, human experimentation, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Comics discussed in-depth:

• Young Avengers (2005) by Allan Heinburg and Jim Cheung
• Young Avengers: Children’s Crusade by Allan Heinburg and Jim Cheung
• Young Avengers (2013) by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
• Empyre by Al Ewing & various others
• Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling by Chip Zdarsky and Anthony Oliveira
• King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling by Tini Howard (correction: with art by Luciano Vecchio)

Other comics & media mentioned

• I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
• All-New Wolverine by by Tom Taylor
• House of M by Brian Michael Bendis
• Runaways by Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona
• X-Factor Investigations by Peter David
• Hawkeye by Matt Fraction
• Vengeance by Joe Casey
• Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison
• New X-Men: Academy X by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
• The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen
• America by Gabby Rivera
• America Chavez: Made in the USA by Kalinda Vázquez
• Guardians of the Galaxy by Al Ewing
• X-Factor by Leah Williams
• Marvel Voices: Pride anthology (upcoming)
• Hawkeye by Kelly Thompson
• West Coast Avengers by Kelly Thompson

In this week’s episode, Pie and Lulu exclaim their love for the fantasy novel The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood. Topics include how the novel melds science fiction and fantasy, its laugh-out-loud humor, our love of stories about the multiverse, the casual inclusion of gay and lesbian characters, and an over usage of the phrase “dubious wizard father figure.”

You can listen to this episode on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google podcasts.

Content warnings: mentions of murder, violence, cults, and human sacrifice.

Other media mentioned:

• Crier’s War by Nina Varela
• Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
• Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
• The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

In this week’s episode, Lulu and Pie take a dive into two mythology-infused superhero comics: Angela: Queen of Hel by Marguerite Bennett and Midnighter and Apollo by Steve Orlando. Topics include the way these two comics retell the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, LGBTQ+ representation, demons made of ramen, and monopoly-playing supervillains.

You can listen to our fourth episode on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes, and more!

Content warnings: discussions of death, slavery, homophobia, and human experimentation

The third episode of Never the Twins Shall Meet is up! You can list on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts.

In this week’s episode, Pie and Lulu dive into three adaptations of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s classic comedy: the National Theatre’s 2017 production, the Public Works musical, and the web series Twelfth Grade (Or Whatever). Topics include how these adaptations explore the play’s themes of gender and sexual fluidity, gay pirates, and why it’s probably a bad idea to marry someone just because he looks like your crush.

Content warnings: discussions of homophobia and transphobia

The second episode of Never the Twins Shall Meet is now available and you can listen here! 

While awaiting the arrival of the Netflix Shadow and Bone adaptation, Pie & Lulu reread the first book in the series. If you want to hear two book nerds revisiting a favorite book from middle school and discussing how how it’s held up and how it hasn’t, as well as our hopes for the TV show (and worries), look no further!

Content warnings: discussion of an emotionally manipulative relationship, mentions of ableism.

Other media mentioned in this episode:

• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo
• Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Dorian Gray (2009)
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• Jade City by Fonda Lee
• Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
• A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh
• The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

Another show note: the Russian drink Pie references in the world-building analysis is kvas.

Our first episode is up!

In the first episode of Never the Twins Shall Meet, Pie and Lulu introduce themselves and discuss the depictions of selkies–seal shapeshifters from Celtic folklore–in Franny Billingsley’s novel The Folk Keeper and the film Song of the Sea.

Content warnings for this episode include discussions of forced marriage and loss of a parent.

This episode is available to listen on Podbean or Apple Podcasts (which includes iTunes and Overcast). Feel free to drop a review/rating on iTunes if you enjoyed!

Transcripts will hopefully be forthcoming, but will take a little longer.