Best Tor Books Podcasts (2025)

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Week 49, 2025: Car parks, parks, and free parking 33:12

Play Pause

16d ago33:12

33:12

This week 49 episode brought to you by Indigo fighting off a flu, our controversial takes on The Nutcracker, and a weird amount of news about cars in Oslo. Music: Whiddershins

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Week 48, 2025: Snow crabs, deportations, and being late to work 1:01:46

25d ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Another week of eclectic news has come and gone, and as week 48 closes out we bring you the answers to questions like: Are Norwegians eating healthier or unhealthier? Why is a Norwegian in ICE custody? Do we need more Nynorsk in movies? How late can you be to work? Who sets the wine trends in Oslo? And finally, did you ever want to hear 20 minutes …

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Week 47 in 2025: Elk in your trash, sports(?!), and an investigation 48:38

1M ago48:38

48:38

We aren't just covering the news now, we're creating it: Séamus has found a sign of week 47 that requires further investigation. Meanwhile, Indigo tries to cover the big news in sports out of Norway, reports on a runaway otter, and Séamus admits to attempting a crime. Theme song by Whiddershins

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Week 46 in 2025 35:20

1M ago35:20

35:20

Too much ribbe in Røst, breaking IBS treatment, toll and import drama, and northern lights in a "cannibal storm", we've got all your news for week 45*. *46, because we didn't know what week it was actually. Intro music by Whiddershins

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Year in review/Året som gikk Part 2 48:09

2M ago48:09

48:09

So much has happened since we last spoke that we needed a whole other hour to cover it all. In part 2 we bring you killer party buses, post-apocalyptic party plans, and grenades in the streets of Oslo. A lot happened this year.

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Year in review/Året som gikk Part 1 42:15

2M ago42:15

42:15

We bought a new mic, dusted off the podcast equipment, and we are BACK. What even happened the last year? Month by month we'll give you all the news you should care about including scamming children (they are the scammers), the many ways Norway is probably trying to kill you, and how to survive doomsday (hint: liters of vodka). Theme music by Whidd…

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Caskey Russell, "The Door on the Sea" (Solaris, 2025) 35:55

2M ago35:55

35:55

Caskey Russell’s novel The Door on the Sea (Solaris, 2025) follows Elan, the youngest member of once revered Flicker Clan, on a journey to find a weapon that can defend his people from the shapeshifting Koosh invaders threatening their existence. To reach his goal, Elan must captain a canoe crewed by an unlikely team and force the cooperation of a …

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Gabriel Ertsgaard, "A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Peace: Crafting Nonviolent Heroism" (Bloomsbury, 2025) 47:31

5M ago47:31

47:31

Superhero violence and graphic action sequences are prevalent on the screen and on the page, but this book takes an alternative route with practical guidance, frameworks, and tools for incorporating the principles of peacebuilding and nonviolence into compelling fiction. By mapping a path less travelled but just as vital in divisive times, in n A F…

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Tochi Onyebuchi, "Harmattan Season: A Novel" (Tor Books, 2025) 30:49

6M ago30:49

30:49

Tochi Onyebuchi’s novel Harmattan Season: A Novel (Tor Books, 2025) follows Boubacar, a veteran and private eye living in French occupied West Africa, as he begins a reluctant journey to discover what happened to the bleeding woman who stumbled onto his doorway and vanished soon after. That mystery quickly drags Bouba into exactly the kind of viole…

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Katherine Addison, "The Tomb of Dragons" (Tor Books, 2025) 53:07

8M ago53:07

53:07

Katherine Addison’s novel The Tomb of Dragons (Tor, 2025) is the concluding novel in her Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy. The novels follow Thara Celehar, a once-obscure prelate in an industrializing empire who once garnered unwanted attention by uncovering the people behind the assassination of the old emperor. Now he lives in the city of Amalo, on th…

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Caitlin Starling, "The Oblivion Bride" (Neon Hemlock Press, 2025) 22:32

9M ago22:32

22:32

Caitlin Starling’s novella The Oblivion Bride (Neon Hemlock, 2025) follows Lorelei, an obscure member of the wealthy Steddart family, who suddenly finds herself sole heir after her family begins to fall, relentlessly, to a mysterious curse. In a last-ditch effort to save her family, Lorelei’s uncle marries her off to Nephele Corisande, the city sta…

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Peter Darbyshire, "The Mona Lisa Sacrifice" (Poplar Press, 2024) This 44:51

1y ago44:51

44:51

With this dry observance Peter Darbyshire introduces us to Cross, a man who has lived thousands of years, though he’d prefer not to have, and who is now hunting angels in a Barcelona filled with tourists, phone cameras and deep mystery. The Mona Lisa Sacrifice (Poplar Press, 2024) is a layered supernatural thriller, filled with history, magic and b…

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Robert G. Penner, "The Dark King Swallows the World" (Radiant Press, 2024) 41:19

1y ago41:19

41:19

Robert Penner’s best-selling novel, The Dark King Swallows the World (Radiant Press, October 2024) is a phenomenal genre-bending read. A coming-of-age, historical fiction, and fantasy novel that simultaneously engages with and dismantles the cliches of its many genres, The Dark King Swallows the World is a totally unique and totally fresh story tha…

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Recall This Story: Ivan Kreilkamp on Sylvia Townsend Warner's "Foxcastle" (JP) 1:02:15

1y ago1:02:15

1:02:15

Ivan Kreilkamp, Indiana University English professor and no stranger to Recall This Book, is the author of two books on Victorian literature and one about Jennifer Egan. For this episode of Recall This Story, Ivan reads Sylvia Townsend Warner's "Foxcastle.” It was first published in The New Yorker in 1975 and became the final story in her final boo…

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Kemi Ashing-Giwa and CJ Leede 42:44

1y ago42:44

42:44

For the final episode of this season, it's a Tor Nightfire spooky-season double-header! Kemi Ashing-Giwa (This World is Not Yours) and CJ Leede (American Rapture) drop in to talk about being scared, scaring others, and the power of horror to—just maybe—change the world. ** Tor Presents: Voyage into Genre is a co-production with Lit Hub Radio Hosted…

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P. Djèlí Clark on Why He Writes 28:55

1y ago28:55

28:55

P. Djèlí Clark is the author of acclaimed and award-winning speculative fiction, including the much-loved Dead Djinn universe books, Ring Shout, and his most recent, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. We speak with him about why he writes, how he sees speculative fiction as a genre, whether we can expect to see more Dead Djinn books, the origins of his a…

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Cami D. Agan, "Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth: Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien's Legendarium" (Mythopoeic Press, 2024) 38:10

1y ago38:10

38:10

The 13 essays collected in Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth: Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien's Legendarium (Mythopoeic Press, 2024) foreground processes of making and constructing Arda -- either within the Secondary world or for readers/viewers -- and thus continually assert that the habitations form a vital part of the tales within that…

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Terry J. Benton-Walker & Sarah Henning 46:10

1y ago46:10

46:10

Just in time for spooky season, it's a Tor Teen episode of Voyage into Genre with two thrilling authors: Terry J. Benton-Walker and Sarah Henning! They chat with host Drew Broussard about writing scary stories for young people, modeling grief for their readers, and the joys of loving world-building. Terry J. Benton-Walker: The White Guy Dies First …

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Zen Cho & Freya Marske 45:29

1y ago45:29

45:29

This week: Zen Cho (The Friend Zone Experiment) and Freya Marske (Swordcrossed) talk with host Drew Broussard about the romance/romantasy boom, what 'low stakes' really means, and writing well-communicated stories about miscommunication. ** Tor Presents: Voyage into Genre is a co-production with Lit Hub Radio Hosted by Drew Broussard Audio engineer…

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O.O. Sangoyomi & Rita Woods 43:31

1+ y ago43:31

43:31

This week: O.O. Sangoyomi (Masquerade) and Rita Woods (The Last Dreamwalker) talk with host Drew Broussard about unearthing histories and making them reverberate, blurring genre distinctions, and the relationships between mothers and children in both life and fiction. ** Tor Presents: Voyage into Genre is a co-production with Lit Hub Radio Hosted b…

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Suyi Davies Okungbowa & Brenda Peynado 48:49

1+ y ago48:49

48:49

This week: Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Lost Ark Dreaming) and Brenda Peynado (Time's Agent) talk with host Drew Broussard about bleak futures, grounding stories in the present, and what it means to have hope in strange times. ** Tor Presents: Voyage into Genre is a co-production with Lit Hub Radio Hosted by Drew Broussard Audio engineering + production …

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Premee Mohamed, "The Siege of Burning Grass" (Solaris, 2024) 39:39

1+ y ago39:39

39:39

Premee Mohamed’s novel The Siege of Burning Grass (Solaris, 2024) is set during an ongoing war between two empires: Varkal and Med’ariz and follows Alefret, a founder of Varkal’s pacifist resistance who has been arrested and imprisoned by his own country. When the opportunity for freedom presents itself, Alefret must decide how willing he is to col…

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Ananda Lima & L. M. Sagas 46:42

1+ y ago46:42

46:42

The voyage continues! Another season of Voyage into Genre kicks off with a refreshed format—so make a little more room on the ship, as we welcome two authors at once! Ananda Lima (Craft: Stories I Wrote For the Devil) and L.M. Sagas (Cascade Failure + Gravity Lost) talk with host Drew Broussard about embracing genre, the political importance of gen…

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Eric Reinders, "Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy and Translation" (Bloomsbury, 2024) 55:21

1+ y ago55:21

55:21

Approaching translations of Tolkien's works as stories in their own right, Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy and Translation (Bloomsbury, 2024) reads multiple Chinese translations of Tolkien's writing to uncover the new and unique perspectives that enrich the meaning of the original texts. Exploring translations of The Lord of the Rings…

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Dana Elmendorf, "In the Hour of Crows" (Mira Books, 2024) 35:32

1+ y ago35:32

35:32

Dana Elmendorf’s novel In The Hour of Crows (Mira Books, 2024) takes place in small town Appalachia and follows Weatherly Opal Wilder, a young woman with the ability to talk death out of the dying. Our story begins shortly after the death of her cousin, Adaire, as Weatherly struggles to find justice for her cousin and to navigate small town politic…

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C. J. Spataro, "More Strange Than True" (Sagging Meniscus Press, 2024) 42:00

1+ y ago42:00

42:00

Award winning author and short fiction writer, C. J. Spataro's debut novel, More Strange Than True (Sagging Meniscus Press, 2024) takes us in to a world of faeries and what happens when wishes do come true. After an epically shitty day, Jewell Jamieson unknowingly eats a magic-spiked meal and happens also to make a certain wish-and that's why she a…

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Voyage into Genre LIVE feat. Andrea Hairston, Veronica Roth, Rebecca Thorne, & Nghi Vo! 43:17

1+ y ago43:17

43:17

The first-ever Voyage into Genre live tour is in the books—and what a tour it was! Intrepid authors Andrea Hairston, Veronica Roth, Rebecca Thorne, and Nghi Vo spent a whirlwind week traveling from Seattle to New York with stops every night along the way. We're pleased to share excerpts from their tour kick-off at Third Place Books (with TJ Klune m…

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22- Norsk/Norwegian language Part 2 featuring Norwegian With Tor! 59:01

1+ y ago59:01

59:01

After all these years, it's finally time to bring in an actual expert. When we heard that Torleif Villmones AKA Norwegian With Tor wanted to share some Norwegian language wisdom, we were delighted to have someone who knows what they're talking about join us. Tor shares some tips and tricks, experience in teaching, and of course teaches us about dir…

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21- Norsk/Norwegian language Part 1 45:25

1+ y ago45:25

45:25

A deep dive (or shallow, if you're a linguist listening) into one of the building blocks of Norwegian society: the language itself. How did it develop, do you write beiken or bacon, and what is actually the difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk? Theme music: Fuji Fakes New jingle: Christopher Helberg…

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Eliza Chan, "Fathomfolk" (Orbit, 2024) 37:55

1+ y ago37:55

37:55

Eliza Chan’s debut novel Fathomfolk (Orbit, 2024) takes place in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, where humans and fathomfolk - a collection of peoples including sirens, seawitches, kelpies, and kappas - navigate an increasingly tense political situation. The novel follows half-siren Mira, the recently promoted captain of the border guard and N…

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Rachel Greenlaw, "Compass and Blade" (Inkyard Press, 2024) 34:24

1+ y ago34:24

34:24

Rachel Greenlaw's debut young adult romantasy, Compass and Blade (Inkyard Press, 2024) is filled with sirens and mysterious magic, swoony romance and cutthroat betrayal. This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood. On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim…

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2024 Tour Announcement! 1:39

2y ago1:39

1:39

Tor Publishing Group and Lit Hub are thrilled to present an evening of fantasy at a LIVE version of our popular Voyage Into Genre podcast. Join Andrea Hairston, Nghi Vo, Rebecca Thorne, and Veronica Roth on an epic road trip across the US beginning May 13! For tour stops, ticket information, and more, click here! Learn more about your ad choices. V…

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Alix E. Harrow, "Starling House" (Tor Books, 2023) 34:10

2y ago34:10

34:10

Alix E. Harrow’s new novel Starling House (Tor Books, 2023) is named for the infamous old mansion in the otherwise unremarkable town of Eden, Kentucky. For years the house has haunted the dreams of our protagonist, Opal, a reluctant resident of Eden who is focused on building a better life for her younger brother–one that would get him both out of …

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20- Cold/Kulde 48:45

2y ago48:45

48:45

Newsflash: it's cold in Oslo right now. Really cold. And we aren't sick of talking, complaining, and speculating about it. So buckle for the whys, hows, and also what do you DOs of when it's -24 degrees.

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Bradley P. Beaulieu, "The Dragons of Deepwood Fen" (Daw Books, 2023) 37:42

2y ago37:42

37:42

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen (Daw Books, 2023) is an immersive fantasy which takes you deep into a world of duality. There are two suns, one light and one dark; and two types of dragons, one yielding a substance called umbra and one a substance called aura. There are two peoples, one subjugated by the other. The people of the woods, mostly the dark-…

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Wole Talabi, "Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon" (Daw Books, 2023) 43:11

2y ago43:11

43:11

Wole Talabi’s debut novel Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (Daw Books, 2023) follows Shigidi–a former nightmare god–and his partner, the succubus Nneoma as they attempt to carve a life independent from the control of Spirit Corporations. The story spans continents and decades but centers on a heist to steal an artifact back from the British M…

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Bonus Ep: Recommendations! 25:40

2y ago25:40

25:40

A little end-of-season treat: some recommendations from the Tor authors who appeared on the 2023 season of Voyage into Genre! Books, music, movies, and even a new podcast rec courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Tor Books

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19- Books/Bøker 31:31

2y ago31:31

31:31

To support the establishment of Indigo's bookstore in Oslo, Normal for Norway recorded a very special LIVE episode! The topic of course: books. Did Vikings have books? What did they like to carve on rocks? How much did the new Oslo library cost, and why is it always overrun by the cast of Skam? All this and more will be answered. You can still dona…

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Kristen Simmons / Johnny Compton 1:01:57

2y ago1:01:57

1:01:57

It's the last week of the season and we're getting into the big Fs: feelings, fear, friendship, family. Fun! ITINERARY: Kristen Simmons (Find Him Where You Left Him Dead) discusses the difference between Eastern and Western ghosts, why teenagers deserve real fiction, and inventing a terrifying game for her characters to play. Johnny Compton (The Sp…

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V. E. Schwab / Lina Rather / Oliver Darkshire 1:02:24

2y ago1:02:24

1:02:24

This week, we travel to the Big Smoke! It's London across time and relative dimensions in space, with magic and monsters and the mystery of antiquarian book-selling. ITINERARY: V.E. Schwab (The Fragile Threads of Power) talks about the joy of revisiting old friends on the page, the complicated ethics of power, and why it is that London calls to her…

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18- Foraging/Sanking Part 2 42:35

2y ago42:35

42:35

Don't get worms in your brain! Listen to this episode to find out how NOT to be poisoned or taken over by parasites when foraging for local treats. Want to donate to Indigo's new English language bookstore to help it get off the ground? Visit this link: https://spleis.no/prismaticpages And follow Prismatic Pages on Instagram @prismatic.pages Theme …

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S. L. Huang / Julia Vee & Ken Bebelle 55:06

2+ y ago55:06

55:06

It's time to break out your best 1960s-Batman graphics -- because it's an action-packed episode about ACTION! ITINERARY: S. L. Huang (The Water Outlaws) explains the historical roots of Water Margin, muses on what being a stunt performer brings to writing, interrogates the ethical questions humanity has grappled with for centuries, and lets us all …

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Hannah Kaner, "Godkiller" (Harper Voyager, 2023) 36:29

2+ y ago36:29

36:29

Hannah Kaner’s debut novel Godkiller (Harper Voyager, 2023) takes place in Middren, a country where gods have been banned as the result of a brutal civil war. The novel follows Kissen–a woman whose family were killed by zealots of a fire god and who now makes a living killing gods herself. In this interview, Kaner describes her interest in examinin…

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A Better Way to Buy Books 32:44

2+ y ago32:44

32:44

Bookshop.org is an online book retailer that donates more than 80% of its profits to independent bookstores. Launched in 2020, Bookshop.org has already raised more than $27,000,000. In this interview, Andy Hunter, founder and CEO discusses his journey to creating one of the most revolutionary new organizations in the book world. Bookshop has found …

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Earthsea, and Other Realms: Ursula Le Guin as Social Inactivist (EF, JP, [UKL]) 50:05

2+ y ago50:05

50:05

To mark the publication of John's book Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea (My Reading), with Oxford University Press (2023), John and Elizabeth take to the airways to share their love of Le Guin's "speculative anthropology," gender politics, and goats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium memb…

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S.L. Coney / Ruthanna Emrys / Alexis Pauline Gumbs 59:41

2+ y ago59:41

59:41

This week, we're getting our hands dirty -- it's a nature ep! Sort of! Featuring eldritch coming-of-age stories, first contact tales, and how we might re-envision ourselves as a part of this planet's ecosystem instead of somehow outside of it. ITINERARY: S.L. Coney (Wild Spaces) talks about the present-tense of their novella, the power of writing a…

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Aparna Verma, "The Phoenix King" (Orbit, 2023) 32:19

2+ y ago32:19

32:19

Aparna Verma’s debut novel The Phoenix King (Orbit, 2023) takes place in the desert kingdom of Ravence as war brews on its borders and the king is set to step down. The story follows an assassin exiled but struggling to return home as well as both the king and the heir to the throne. In this interview, Verma describes the way her love of the desert…

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17- Foraging/Sanking Part 1 37:34

2+ y ago37:34

37:34

As autumn is soon upon us, it felt time to address a very cozy topic: foraging. Have you ever picked berries in the woods? What about mushrooms, or nettles? Warnings and tips abound, but first we dive into the history and significance of foraging (New Nordic cuisine anyone?). Theme music: Fuji Fakes News jingle: Christopher Helberg…

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Garth Nix, "Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer" (Harper Voyager, 2023) 29:36

2+ y ago29:36

29:36

Garth Nix’s new collection Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Pupper Sorcerer (Harper Voyager, 2023) gathers together stories written over more than fifteen years for a variety of publications and follows the artillerist knight and his sorcerous, paper mâché companion as they pursue their duties as god-slayers. In thi…

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Emily Tesh / Vajra Chandrasekera / Sophie Strand 59:12

2+ y ago59:12

59:12

Our voyage this week takes us into the waters of fundamentalism, from a space station with the last(?) vestiges of humanity to a city in a world much like ours except for the cults and the anti-gods floating around before coming back around to our world and the mystery cult around a guy called Jesus. ITINERARY: Emily Tesh (Some Desperate Glory) on …