Terrible Book Club

For this week's Patron's Choice episode, we read RALPH 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660 by Hugo Gernsback for our Patron Patricia. A guy in 1911 had a lot of cool technological ideas but unfortunately decided to publish them within a silly, pulpy hero's journey. Content Warnings: In addition to our usual barnyard language, this episode includes discussion of kidnapping and mild violence.

TBC listener Ann reached out to us on Twitter earlier this year about this series and we thought a dark take on a common fairytale might be good for this spooky time of year. So, on a dark, chilly eve, we stumbled into a castle full of Anne Rice's kinks. It, uh, did not go well. Content Warnings: In addition to our usual barnyard language, this episode includes discussion of: BDSM, enslavement, pe...

Another Patron's Choice rears its head! We read Power Mage  by Hondo Jinx at the request of our patron Austin for this week's episode. He implored us to, "exorcise this demon ... I just need someone, anyone, to explain the scene where someone titfucks a corona bottle and then eats it."  If you like your women without consent or agency, have we got an entire genre for you! Content Warnings: In addi...

Just in time for fall in New England, our Patron Martin requested that we read Rush Revere & the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh. Martin asks that you donate what you can to an LGBTQIA+ organization near you in memory of Rush Limbaugh's lifelong campaign of hate. Alternatively, participate in mutual aid in your area! If you're not sure where to donate or what the heck mutual aid is, check out thes...

For this week's Patron's Choice episode, we read Last and First Idol by Gengen Kusano for our anonymous patron. We have not been this baffled since Episode 50's The Eclipse of Darkness: Unveiling the Unseen World,  which was also an anonymous recommendation. We now live in fear of the next anonymous recommendation we receive. Still, we thank you, unknown patron! Content Warnings: In addition to ou...

It's another episode of Terrible Antique Book Freaks! D and Ken from Antiques Freaks board  The Haunted Jarvee  with us for an, uh, invigorating read at sea. We thought that we had completed all stories in the Carnacki the Ghost Finder collection, but alas - several more stories were found. We use  Eye of Argon rules to read the entirety of The Haunted Jarvee  complete with soundscapes by Chris. H...

Come along with us to Terrible Book Beach! We took a look at the New York Times Bestsellers List earlier this summer and settled on  Beach Read as both seasonally topical and likely to be terrible. We found some improvements over most romances we've read but no amount of realistic dialogue and safe sex could make us ignore the mountain of coincidences and the happily ever after ending. Content War...

We read Hidden Sins this week because we figured that there's gotta' be a catch to Stacey Abrams. She can't be perfect, right? Her political career is intense and noteworthy, but surely her romance novels are terrible! If you aren't familiar with Ms. Abrams, she is a former Georgia state house rep and current voting rights activist largely credited with registering black voters in Georgia to swing...

Callirhoe is considered to be the earliest surviving written romance in Western history and it is said to have popularized a lot of the common tropes of the genre that now haunt us mercilessly. However, since neither of us know much about ancient Greek fiction, Dr. Jeremy Swist is here today as our Charon to guide us down this Stygian river of ancient romance! Dr. Swist is also known as the Metal...

It's 2017. Mother's Day is coming up. You need to sell more fried chicken than ever before. You are graced with sudden divine inspiration: " What if...what if I hire a ghost writer to create a novella where Colonel Sanders is the sexy love interest and sell it with the buckets of chicken!? " Unbelievably, this is indeed the world we live in - Yum! Brands really did this for KFC in 2017. Even more...

Author Alex Donahue asked us to read his children's book about two young boys living on Prince Edward Island during the tail end of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. Alex hoped we'd be surprised by his book and, well, we certainly were in some ways. Leon & Chris  has a lovely cover and a solid core story that handles serious topics with a genuinely sweet, childlike tone. Howe...

The inevitable has happened: we heeded the cries of friends and listeners and read a book from Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. Special thanks to Twitter user @laughterbynight for hooking us up with a copy! Content Warnings: In addition to our usual barnyard language, today's episode contains discussion of blood, injury, death, stalking/abusive relationships, and vampires.

Our Patron Lucek requested that we read  You're Going to Mars! for an extra special birthday edition of a patron's choice episode. Happy birthday, Lucek! As for the book, well - it's a McDonald's chicken sandwich. Content Warnings:   In addition to our usual barnyard language, today's episode discusses death, slavery, space, and stabbing. If you, too, would like to force us to read a book (or othe...

Our Patron Miri requested that we read the legendary German post-modernist play, Die Hamletmachine  and also watch a film adaptation of it. You can watch us react in real-time to the film version on our Patreon . Due to the depths of madness that this piece took us to and the fact that neither of us are thespians, we invited local Boston theater director, actor, and all-around hilarious and glorio...

We read The 1776 Report - you know, that weird American history summary that the Trump Administration released on MLK Jr. Day. What could possibly go wrong when 24 people have two months to cram hundreds of years of American history into 20 pages? Content Warnings: Our usual barnyard language, plus: political discussion & racism. It is impossible to discuss this report without also discussing poli...

You are about to enter the Courtroom of Judge Meatball Sub and Judge Veggie Delight with Egg. The authors are real. The stories are not. The rulings are not exactly final. This is TBC Porn Court. Content Warnings: In addition to our usual barnyard language, today we're reviewing erotica and that will include discussions of centaur-and-human sex and small penis humiliation. Our patron Dari requeste...

We have finally heeded the call of numerous listeners and read one of Onision's books. This week, we discuss his third book from 2018, Reaper's Creek . Topline takeaways: (1) this work needs extensive plot re-development and technical editing not just from the author himself, but from hired professionals and (2) the author needs to deal more maturely with nuanced, serious topics like child abuse,...

In the first two-book episode of TBC, Archangel Parisael and Archangel Christophatron sing to the angels and try the breath-tap method. Amidst the angels, crystal caves, and dolphins, we discover how well-intentioned advice can be ruined by poor organization and associations with dubious claims/scams.

Chris Fenton promises a "deeply revealing memoir" with Feeding the Dragon , but is it actually just a glossy, dimensionless jerk-off session with a shoddy Chinese backdrop instead? You decide. Article we referenced during this episode: Debunking Hollywood Agent: Is Chris Fenton 'Feeding the Dragon' or Feeding His Ego? by Andrew Rossow, Esq. Content Warnings: sinophobia, extremely brief mentions of...

We review a religious text this week! Lured in by the promise of a faith focused on big-assed women and body positivity, we find ourselves deceived by a man who uses women as a prop to try to convince readers to worship him. The Book of Adonitology's summary tells us that it is, " o ne of the most influential books in the history of literature, recognized as one of the greatest literary master pie...

Like a plane soaring to cruising altitude in calm, sunny weather, Ninth House  really set itself up for success in the first 70% of the book. It had lifelike characters, believable dialogue and internal monologues, settings based on the real world, and even a mostly coherent magic system! However, our happy little plane began to lose altitude at a staggering rate in the latter 30% of the book, cul...

D & Ken from Antiques Freaks return - and combine with us, Captain Planet style - for another episode of Terrible Antique Book Freaks! We use  Eye of Argon rules to read The Thing Invisible, the final story in the Carnacki the Ghost Finder collection.   Is it an invisible horse again? Does the horse have a knife? Are these butlers also gay, but for knives? Have your Carnacki bingo cards at the rea...

Happy New Year, listeners! In our first episode of Season 6, we determine that the true villain of bad writing may in fact be capitalism. Thanks to our friend Liz for recommending this to us after she found it through the magic of bad Amazon SEO. Content warnings: Our usual barnyard language, plus: rape (aka non-con or non-consensual erotica); graphic sex, physical abuse, and porn. Note for YouTub...

It's winter holiday time, so you all get a little gift from TBC. Please enjoy this special Patron's Choice presentation of Terrible Film Club, where you can watch The Plot Against The President with us! The version we watched has already been taken down, but this link was working as of 12/27/2020. Just hit "play" when we do and it'll be like we're suffering right there alongside you. You can also...

Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book One is basically an Irish shonen anime. Does the world need more male power fantasies devoid of consequences? No. Does the world need more well-written dog characters? Yes. We read this book at the request of our Patron Lucek Jay Again as part of their Patreon  rewards. If you, too, would like to force us to read a book, head over to our  Patreon  and selec...