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Page Chewing

Steve

Page Chewing is where books, comics, and conversations collide. From in-depth chats with authors and artists to lively discussions with fellow readers, we explore the craft of storytelling, the worlds we love, and the ideas that stay with us long after the last page.

57 episodes
Avg 41 min
English

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Episodes 57

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Yesterday · 11 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 17 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 17 may be the most revealing Judge Holden chapter of Blood Meridian so far. The Judge lays out his philosophy of war, games, morality, chance, agency, and the human desire to impose order on a universe that may have none. His argument that war exists independently of human judgment gives us one of the clearest glimpses yet into the worldview behind this mysterious character. But then McCarthy complicates things even further. Around the fire, the Judge performs an apparently impossible trick with a coin, leaving us once again wondering whether we're witnessing something supernatural or simply another carefully constructed performance designed to strengthen the Judge's mysterious authority. In this episode, I explore the Judge's philosophy, the biblical quality of McCarthy's language, the idea that morality and order may be human inventions, and one of the biggest questions of our entire read-along: Is Judge Holden revealing the truth about the world or constructing a philosophy that justifies the world he wants? Next up: Chapter 18. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Yesterday · 53 min
This Comic Feels Like a Nightmare | Panel Chewing #148
This week on Panel Chewing, we're talking Batman, dropping comics from our pull lists, discovering some unexpected favorites and reading a comic that feels like an actual nightmare. We kick things off with a list of the Top 10 standalone Batman stories, including The Long Halloween, Hush, The Court of Owls, The Killing Joke, Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns. Some placements make sense. Others? We're not so sure. We also discover a couple of Batman stories we somehow haven't read yet. Then we dig into this week's comics, including Cruel Kingdom Vol. 2 #1, Fury of the Firestorm #6, Honor and Curse: Eternal #6, The Omega Book #2, Rook: Exodus #11, The Dirt Beneath the Devil #2, The Forever Home #1, and Witness Point #2. Some books are getting better. Some are hanging on by a thread. And one finally gets cut from the pull list. For Picks of the Week, Jarrod catches up with Steve's pick from last week, Karmen Blade #1, and falls for its strange, surreal dark-fantasy world. Steve's pick is The Eye Collector #3, a bizarre horror comic that's haunting, uncomfortable, dreamlike and almost impossible to explain. Finally, our Lone Wolf and Cub readalong reaches Volume 16, where the series continues exploring the people caught beneath the systems of Edo-period Japan. We also wrestle with a difficult question: How different are Ogami and Retsudo when it comes to what they're willing to put their children through? Join us for Batman, weird comics, tough cuts, our Picks of the Week, and another journey down the assassin's road. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Tuesday · 9 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 16 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 16 returns us to Glanton's gang as they continue moving across the landscape and leaving death behind them. This isn't one of the most character-heavy chapters of Blood Meridian, but it reinforces just how completely violence has become the gang's normal way of interacting with the world. Murder barely requires justification anymore, and consequences seem almost irrelevant. In this episode, I look at the horrifying fate of the Delaware scouts, the killing of Owens and the gang's apparent lack of concern about accountability, another disturbing disappearance, and the cruelty surrounding two brothers separated by violence. Judge Holden also gives us another demonstration of one of his most dangerous abilities: he can manipulate not only violent men, but legal and social systems as well. And above all of it, McCarthy gives us storms, stars, animals... and a meteorite. The cosmic imagery surrounding this journey continues to grow. Next up: Chapter 17. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Tuesday · 51 min· Video
Beyond the Page: Samurai in Space, Character-Driven Sci-Fi & Starfire Dragons with Dawn Ross
On this episode of Beyond the Page, I’m joined by science-fiction author Dawn Ross, creator of the seven-book Starfire Dragons series. Dawn explains how the “dragons” of Starfire Dragons aren't literal creatures, but symbolic of a futuristic warrior culture. At the center of the story are characters dealing with loyalty, family, morality, and the difficult choices that arise when doing the “right” thing isn't always clear. We also talk about Dawn's lifelong love of character-driven storytelling, how being bullied as a child led her to create heroes and adventures in her imagination, and what it was like to finally complete a seven book series only to discover she wasn't quite ready to leave the world behind. Dawn also opens up about the difficult side of publishing, including losing $10,000 to someone posing as a literary agent, what that experience taught her, and the warning signs aspiring authors should watch for. We get into writing, worldbuilding, editing, marketing as an introvert, negative reviews, Comic Cons, selling books at farmers markets, Star Trek, Red Rising, anime—and even wearing the Chuck E. Cheese costume at Dawn's first job. Find Dawn: https://dawnrossauthor.com/ Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Monday · 13 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 15 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 15 shifts the focus back toward the kid as Glanton's gang is scattered, exhausted, starving, and on the run. In this episode, I look at the kid's encounter with the wounded Shelby and his refusal to kill him, raising a difficult question we've encountered before: is refusing to kill an act of mercy when it leaves someone behind to suffer? We also get one of the most striking scenes in the novel so far as the kid encounters a burning tree in the desert surrounded by animals. For a brief moment, he seems to enter a world outside Glanton's gang, a natural world that doesn't know who he is, what he's done, or how he should be judged. The birds we've been tracking also return in interesting ways: doves appear around Shelby, an owl appears near the burning tree, while buzzards remain associated with death and human remains. And when Tobin asks whether he's afraid of Judge Holden, the kid simply says no. Does he mean it? Next up: Chapter 16. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Sunday · 12 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 14 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 14 pushes Glanton's gang even further into violence that seems increasingly disconnected from profit, survival, or any practical purpose. After wondering last chapter whether these men kill for profit or pleasure, I'm beginning to lean toward an answer. The scalp trade may finance their reign of terror, but much of what they're doing now seems to exist simply because they want to inflict violence. In this episode, I look at that escalation, one particularly disturbing act involving two puppies, the return of buzzards and blood soaked landscape imagery, and Judge Holden's increasingly revealing worldview. The Judge continues documenting the natural world in his mysterious ledger, but now he gives us something approaching an explanation: whatever exists without his knowledge exists without his consent. That raises a much bigger question about everything we've been tracking: Does Judge Holden simply want to understand the world—or does he want to possess it? Next up: Chapter 15. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Sunday · 51 min
The Warrior Prophet Chapters 22–25: The Circumfix
Our full-series reread of R. Scott Bakker’s The Warrior Prophet reaches its conclusion with Chapters 22–25. We also look back at The Warrior Prophet as a whole and ask a question that surprised all three of us: Is this book actually better on a reread than we remembered? Both Shawn and Shobz found the battles and desert journey much less overwhelming this time, while I found myself appreciating the Esmenet and Serwë material more than I remembered. ⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse. Next time, the Slog continues with The Thousandfold Thought, Chapters 1–4. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Saturday · 14 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 13 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 13 continues one of the darkest stretches of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian as Glanton's gang moves from place to place leaving bodies behind them. At this point, one question is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: are these men still killing for money, or do they simply enjoy killing? In this episode, I explore the gang's increasingly indiscriminate violence, the kid's growing boldness, Glanton's apparent abandonment of the life he once had, and Judge Holden's remarkable ability to move between murderer, strategist, intellectual, and political operator. We also return to the contrast that has followed us throughout the novel, the desert remains extraordinarily beautiful even as the people moving through it become increasingly monstrous. And Glanton finally has a bounty on his own head. The hunters are becoming the hunted. Next up: Chapter 14. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Saturday · 1 hr 43 min
Page Burners: The Bonehunters Ch. 19–21 | When the Heavens Fall
In this episode of Page Burners, we enter the penultimate stretch of Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters with a full-spoiler discussion of Chapters 19–21—and one of the strangest convergences we've encountered in Malazan so far. As always, this is a full-spoiler discussion for everything we've read so far in Malazan Book of the Fallen and the connected Ian C. Esslemont novels. Only Chapter 22 remains. The pieces have converged. The heavens have fallen. Now it's time to see how The Bonehunters ends. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
Friday · 13 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 12 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 12 is one of the most disturbing chapters of our Blood Meridian read-along so far. Next up: Chapter 13. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 17 · 16 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 11 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 11 might be the most difficult and revealing chapter of our Blood Meridian read-along so far. I'm not pretending I have Chapter 11 figured out. This is one we're putting a big mark beside so we can return to it later. Next up: Chapter 12. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 17 · 55 min· Video
Beyond the Page: If Not Now, When? | Ray Hartjen on Cancer, Storytelling & Living with Purpose
What happens when life suddenly reminds you that time isn't guaranteed? On this episode of Beyond the Page, I’m joined by author, musician, and storyteller Ray Hartjen for a conversation about creativity, resilience, and learning to live with greater intention. It’s a conversation about making something meaningful out of difficult experiences and remembering to actually live while we have the opportunity. Find Ray: https://rayhartjen.com/ Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 16 · 13 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 10 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 10 of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian gives us our deepest look at Judge Holden yet. Next up: Chapter 11. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 16 · 1 hr 5 min
Too Many #1s, Too Many Good Comics | Panel Chewing #147
This week on Panel Chewing, we have the opposite of a bad comics problem: there were almost too many good books to choose from. Join us for a great week of comics, some unexpected favorites, and another journey down the assassin's road. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 15 · 15 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 9 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 9. This isn't a definitive guide to Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter per day, recording immediate reactions and watching our interpretations change along the way. Next up: Chapter 10. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 14 · 9 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 8 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 8. This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time and keeping a running notebook of our observations as they develop. Next up: Chapter 9. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 13 · 13 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 7 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 7. Next up: Chapter 8. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 13 · 48 min
The Warrior Prophet Chapters 18–21: There Will Be Fire
The Slog continues as our full-series reread of R. Scott Bakker’s The Warrior Prophet reaches Chapters 18–21. The Holy War enters one of the most brutal stretches of its journey. Water disappears, the desert becomes an enemy of its own, and the enormous scale of death becomes almost impossible to comprehend. Even when salvation seems to appear, it brings new horrors with it. As always, we're rereading with knowledge of the entire series, so later events are constantly informing how we interpret these early chapters. ⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse. Welcome back to the Slog. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 12 · 6 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 6 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Chapter 6 is a short but important transitional chapter in our journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. It's a brief stop in the read along, but it feels like we're crossing a threshold. Next up: Chapter 7. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe
September 11 · 12 min
Blood Meridian Chapter 5 | Chapter by Chapter Read Along
Our chapter-by-chapter journey through Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian continues with Chapter 5. This isn't intended as a definitive explanation of Blood Meridian. We're reading one chapter at a time, recording observations, asking questions, and building a notebook that we'll revisit as the novel develops. Next up: Chapter 6. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe

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