Thumbing Through Yesterday

Michael Moorcock's Elric saga is one of the most influential bodies of work in early fantasy. Elric, the titular character, is the last emporer of a waning empire, one founded on sorcery, dragons, and cruelty. This novel, ELric of Melnibone, is actually a prequel, exploring Elric's origins, and his aquisition of the legenrady runeblade, Stormbringer. A favorite of Toms back when it was new, this i...

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard is a little bit of a deviation, being a play script instead of a novel. Still, it's a fascinating read, showcasing Stoppard's wit and esoteric bent. A favorite of Tony's, this is a new experience for Tom. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls is one of his best novels, a story about the nobility of war. Or is it about the futility of war? It depends on whether you ask Tom or Tony! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry is a beloved childrens' book that should have a place of honor in your bookshelf. A favorite of both Tom & Tony, we can't believe it's taken us nearly three years to visit this delightful tale. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

H.G. Wells is often referred to as one of the fathers of science fiction. The War of the Worlds is one if his masterpieces. It has been made into three films, was the source of the famous 1938 radio broadcast, has inspired over a dozen television and direct-to-video productions, and even been reimagined as a concept music album. But how does the original hold up? Both Tom and Tony think it does pr...

The Comedy Writer is a novel by Peter Farrelly. If you know the name Peter Farrelly, it's likely from his screenplays. He's written such hits as Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal, and There's Something About Mary. How does he compare as a novelist? Let's find out! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Vampire$ is John Steakley's second novel. It's about a group of church-funded mercenaries who hunt, you guessed it, vampires. It's an interseting and aytpical portrayal of these ancient villains, the an interesting interpretation of the people who hunt them. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow is a strange tale about a new society, the first generation of immortal humans. Told from the first-person view of Julius, a centenarian whose life revolves around preserving Dinsey World's Haunted Mansion from the technological advances of the 21st century, it's a story of conflict and sacrafice, and thoroughly weird. TTYpodcast.com Thumb...

Larry Niven's RIngworld is a masterpiece of classic SciFi. WInner of teh Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, this is a favortie of both Tom and Tony. Join us as we revisit Louis Wu, Teela Brown, Speaker-to-animals, and Nessus the mad Puppetteer. How does this story hold up? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Camouflage by Joe Haldeman is Tony's pick this time around. A completely new experience for Tom, this book explores the life of an alien shapshifter who has been on Earth since before mankind evolved, long enough to forget it's an alien. Can it learn to love? And will the predatory Chameleon succed in its quest to murde the alien? Let's find out! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday...

Starship Troopers is iconic Robert Heinlein. One of his best sellers, and arguably his most recognized novel, Starship Troopers explores life under the Terran Federation through the eyes of Johnny Rico as, after high school, he joins the military. In true Heinlein fashion, he does this to impress a girl. After failing to meet the standards for anything more elevated, Rico finds himself in the Mobi...

John Scalzi's first novel, Agent to the Stars, is a fun story about Tom Stein, a moderately-successful talent agent, who finds himself with a race of aliens as clients. His job? Find a way to reveal their presence to humanity without causing a fuss. A favorite of Tony's and a first-read for Tom, this is a genuinely delightful tale.

Heavy Time by CJ Cherryh is one part her Company Wars series. Filled with political intrigue and hard sci-fi, we follow a small cast of asteroid miners who get caught up in sweeping events. A favorite of Tom's, Tony found it lacking in sympathetic characters. What do you think?

Masters of Doom by David Kishner is our first non-fiction choice, and one of Tony's favorites. This tale focuses on John Carmack and John Romero, two programmers who shaped both video games and pop culture for a generation.

Before it became an iconic film, Logans Run was a novel by William F. Nolan. Tony didn't realize that the novel existed, while Tom read this many times in grade school and high school. Does it hold up after all this time? Let's find out!

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle is a young adult scifi that both Tony and Tom read in their youth. It's a very accessible story about a conflict between dark and light, evil and good. It turns out that Tom scarcely remembered anything about it!

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is one of Tom's favorite dystopian novels, although it's arguable whether the world is a dystopia or a utopia. Tom finds this book delightfully quirky and profoundly vague. Tony questions whether Huxley was a genius or a hack. What's your take? TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald is the first of a series of childrens books that Tony fell in love with during his youth. The stories center around Tom, the middle of three boys, and the shenanigans that ensue as he applies his great brain to the problems at hand, usually involving the acquisition of pennies. JD, the younger brother, is the naive lens through which we see Tom's machi...

This epsiode marks the first time we've had a guest on the show! Dr. Eva Rose Washburn-Repollo joins us in discussing one of her favorite books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, sometimes called "The Great American Novel." Join us as we talk about one of the best-known, and somewhat controversial, pieces of American literature. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday...

Winnie the Pooh, along with The House at Pooh Corner, document the stories that author A.A. Milne told to his son, Christopher Robin. Two delightful collections of amazing stories and delightful language, well-suited for adults to share with children. What a joy it was to revisit these gems! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Frank Herbert's Dune has been called the most important novel in science fiction. A winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and a favorite of both Tom and Tony's, join us to see if it lives up to the hype. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

H.P. Lovecraft is both the father of cosmic horror and the creator of the Cthulhu mythos. Since he didn't write novels, join us as we explore a collection of his short stories, culminating in the iconic Call of Cthulhu. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

In Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman set out to write a book that would do for adults what the books he had loved when he was younger had done for him as a kid. A favorite of Tony's, and a first-read for Tom, Neverwhere threads the line between dark fantasy and action/adventure, with a liberal sprinkling of dry wit. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic dystopian allegory, paralleling 1984 in showing Orwell's disdain for communism. Why does this book appeal so to Tom? Join us and find out! TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

You probably know Dave Barry as a Pulitzer prize winning humorour columnist. Did you know he is also a novelist? Tony's pick this time is Big Trouble, a fun-filled crime story that shows Barry at his comedic best. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com