The Merry Band of Pirates (An Unofficial Official Expeditionary Force Podcast)

Welcome back to another episode of The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! With Joey out sick, Andy, Steve, and Mariane step up to cover the show—joined by special guest SP, on loan from the U.S. Space Force! In this episode, we break down (Barney-style) Chapters 4 and 5 of Craig Alanson's SpecOps, book two of the Expeditionary Force book series: Space Sui...

Welcome back to another episode of The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! In Episode 18, Pirates Andy, Joey, Steve, and Mariane get right into the opening three chapters of SpecOps, the second book in Craig Alanson's bestselling series. After spending eight months covering Columbus Day, the crew accelerates the pace to tackle three full chapters in a sing...

Welcome back to a very special episode of The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! Hosted by Pirates Andy, Joey, Steve, and Mariane, we have officially reached the end of Book 1, Columbus Day by Craig Alanson (performed by RC Bray).   In this episode, we dive into Chapter 19: Outbound. Although it is a shorter chapter at around 17 minutes, Craig Alanson pac...

In this very special episode of the Merry Band of Pirates, Andy, Joey, Steve, and Mariane sit down with Terry Clements, a legendary long-time beta reader for Craig Alanson's "Expeditionary Force" series. Terry shares the incredible story of how he met Craig and Irene, the heartwarming inspiration behind the character Brigadier General Lynn Bezanson, and the intense, high-pressure process of ensuri...

Welcome back to the Merry Band of Pirates! In Episode 15, we leave the Kristang asteroid behind and head straight for home. The crew is back in Earth's orbit, but things get complicated fast when the Flying Dutchman (and our favorite snarky beer can, Skippy) intervene with the Kristang's plan for Earth's domination.   In this episode, we discuss Columbus Day Chapters 16 ("Home") and 17 ("Idle Hand...

Welcome back to the  Merry Band of Pirates , the unofficially official  Expeditionary Force  podcast! In Episode 14, hosts Andy, Joey, Marianne, and Steve dive into the pivotal events of Chapter 14 ("Space Suits") and Chapter 15 ("Raid"). We break down the critical mission planning as the crew of the Flying Dutchman  prepares to infiltrate a Thuranin battlegroup. Skippy's unique "magical processin...

Some people complained about the video file size, so here is the audio-only edition: Welcome back to The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! In this episode, the crew jumps into Chapters 12 and 13 of Craig Alanson's Columbus Day. Things are heating up as Joe Bishop and the team secure the "Flying Dutchman"—a Thuranin star carrier that is far more than they...

Welcome back to The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! In this episode, the crew jumps into Chapters 12 and 13 of Craig Alanson's Columbus Day. Things are heating up as Joe Bishop and the team secure the "Flying Dutchman"—a Thuranin star carrier that is far more than they bargained for. From the tactical brilliance of the gas giant explosion to the moral...

In this episode of the Merry Band of Pirates, we pick up the second half of Chapter 10 ("Skippy") and continue our discussion into Chapter 11 ("Away Boarders"). We are joined by special guest Pirate Gaylon Williams as we recap the chaotic, hilarious, and pivotal moments just after Joe Bishop teams up with the "A super smart, nay, impossibly, inconceivably smart, talking beer can!" can for the firs...

It's finally here, the chapter we've all been waiting for—the one that changes everything! In this episode, the MBoP crew (Andy, Joey, Steve, Maryanne, and Charlie) finally discuss Chapter 10 of Columbus Day: "Skippy." This is the legendary meeting between Colonel Joe Bishop and the series' true co-star: Skippy, an arrogant, millions-of-years-old Elder AI beer can. We break down the insult-laden b...

Welcome back, fellow monkeys, for Episode 10 of Merry Band of Pirates, an unofficially official ExForce podcast, where we cover Chapters 8 ("Planting Potatoes") and 9 ("Jail") from Columbus Day, book one of the amazing Expeditionary Force series. In this episode, we witness newly promoted Colonel Joe Bishop make a definitive moral stand by refusing an illegal order to execute Ruhar civilians, endi...

Welcome back to the Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficially official Expeditionary Force podcast! Join Pirates Andy, Joey, Steve, Mariane, and Charlie as they discuss this two-chapter block of Columbus Day: Chapter 6: Fort Arrow and Chapter 7: Colonel.   Episode Breakdown: The chaos, consequences, and career-changing events in Joe Bishop's life. Fort Arrow and the Ruhar Whales: We follow Joe as he...

Welcome back to The Mary Bandit Pirates and "Unofficially Official" Expeditionary Force podcast. In this episode, Andy, Joey, Mariane, Steve, and Jake, plus guest pirate Adam, discuss Chapters Four and Five of the first ExForce book, Columbus Day: "Paradise" and "Intel." This is the episode where Sergeant Joe Bishop's worldview gets shattered on the planet Paradise as he learns the true nature of...

EXCLUSIVE! The Merry Band of Pirates is honored to host the man, the myth, the legend, author Craig Alanson (Expeditionary Force, Ascendant, Convergence)! We discuss his writing process, where he confirms that Joe Bishop's mundane breakthroughs are based on his own experience, often finding solutions while walking the dogs or even vacuuming the carpet. Craig shares the history of his extraordinary...

Welcome to The Merry Band of Pirates, an unofficial Expeditionary Force podcast. In Episode 6, we continue examining Chapter 3 of Columbus Day with UNEF at Camp Alpha, breaking down major plot points from military doctrine to Joe Bishop's personal life. The main discussion focuses on "THE RULES," the five key military rules of combat engagement that serve as the space equivalent of the Geneva Conv...

Welcome back, Pirates! We're breaking down the first half of Columbus Day Chapter 3, "Camp Alpha," which is so packed with exposition and world-building that we had to split it into two parts. In this episode, we cover the rough landing on Camp Alpha and the immediate, harsh realities of 107% gravity, plus the hilarious 'There Goes McDougall' joke. Joe Bishop and the others struggle with "Hoo-ah b...

It's official! We're all knuckleheads!    Welcome to the Merry Band of Pirates, an unofficial Expeditionary Force podcast.    This special episode includes our real-time, "Mystery Science Theater 3000-style" commentary of the Columbus Day 10th Anniversary Expeditionary Force Live Stream hosted by Podium Publishing and featuring the one and only creator of the series, author Craig Alanson.   Link t...

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Merry Band of Pirates and Unofficial Expeditionary Force podcast! Join us for a discussion of Chapter 2 of Columbus Day, "Deployment," focusing on Joe Bishop's journey from Earth via the Thuranin space elevator and a Kristang troop transport (via a Thuranin Star Carrier) to Camp Alpha, and a deep exploration into the food, science fiction technology, and characters intr...

...Or Why Columbus Day Chapter 1 Matters 18 Books Later   Welcome back to the Merry Band of Pirates and Unofficial Expeditionary Force podcast! In Episode 2, we're talking about the chapter that started it all: Chapter 1 of Columbus Day, the foundational novel of the beloved Expeditionary Force (Exfor/Exforce) series by Craig Alanson.   🚨 SPOILER WARNING: We will be discussing aspects and happeni...

Welcome to The Merry Band of Pirates, the unofficial Expeditionary Force fan podcast! Six complete strangers, brought together by our shared love of Joe Bishop, Skippy, and the whole crew. In this inaugural episode, we introduce the motley crew of co-hosts, answer what got us hooked on the series (shout-out to RC Bray!), and debate the most spoiler-free way to sum up the first book, Columbus Day....