The Shrieking Shack

Mockingjay finale We finally did it! We've finished the original Hunger Games trilogy, and boy do we have a lot to say about how little this series had to say. You would think there would be some big ideas in a story that ends with a horrific false flag atrocity, a member of the core love triangle making cluster munitions, and multiple megalomaniacs being betrayed, but... nope! Mostly it's about how sometimes you've just gotta do you. Or something. We turn to the tantalizingly-titled 'Writing About War' interview that's intrigued us for the whole show for insights instead. We also chat about LitRPG fiction, "cozy" mysteries, pulp, and a little bit more about our upcoming project!

Mockingjay Act II It's half sludge, half hunger this week! We check in with The Franchise's upcoming media and merchandising blitz, and then discuss the second act of Mockingjay, which... wow! That's a bit much! There's a lot of heavy stuff in this book that is not presented particularly well or interestingly, so make sure to check the content warnings below. Finally, we return to the world of 2010s fanfiction with a shocking third segment reveal. (Content warning: Mockingjay introduces sex trafficking into the mix this act, and we don't love the way it's handled--it's typical corny thriller "I was actually a secret information broker" stuff, but it's a big chunk of the story so if you don't want to hear us dunking on that, skip 00: 40:48 to 1:02:25)

Mockingjay Act 1 We're back to it! We discuss act one of Mockingjay, a book that dares to ask: is filming wrestling promos just as bad as running a dystopian fiefdom? The people cry out for a teenage superhero to jump out in front of a smoke machine and say character select screen phrases, and only Katniss can answer the call. We discuss the loaded imagery and its relationship to the more heightened plot movements, whether or not we care about the love triangle anymore, and ponder whether this is about anything specific or if the series has just gotten too far into the reality TV weeds. We also check in on a brand new Harry Potter fan subreddit dedicated to complaining about the TV show that doesn't exist yet.

The Truce at Bakura, chapters 15-21 We conclude our detour into the Star Wars expanded universe this week! We discuss the finale of Luke's adventures on Bakura, which involve cutting a bunch of dinosaurs' heads off, using his mind to kill a bunch of bugs eating his guts, and a lot of hanging around at an airport bar. We also chat about meeting celebrities, local Harry Potter conventions, and goof off in a little third segment game! (We talk about Acolyte spoilers up through ep. 7--not the finale!--so if you've wanting to watch that, skip ahead 5 minutes when we bring it up)

The Truce at Bakura, chapters 8-14 After a few weeks of unprecedented circumstances, we're back to continue examining The Truce at Bakura. This novel is asking some fascinating questions, like: how did they put bugs in Luke Skywalker? Will Luke Skywalker get some with this Imperial senator? Will the bugs inside of him make that awkward?

The Truce at Bakura chapters 1-7 We're back! Work has been kicking both of our asses lately, but we've finally convened to discuss the first third of the fascinating Star Wars Legends novel 'The Truth at Bakura'--as a little break between Hunger Games novels. Have you ever wondered what happened after Return of the Jedi? Like, maybe fifteen minutes after the movie ends? Well, it turns out some dinosaurs are putting guys' brains in droids and only Luke Skywalker and his friends can save them. How will he do that? Well, so far it seems like mostly by taking meetings. We discuss the bizarre plot, the interesting author, and the broader spectrum of mass media franchises being strung along forever by mass market paperbacks.

This week we convene to enjoy a big, warm bowl of classic Shriekcast third segment style content as we check in with Quora questions about Catching Fire! Epic length essays about whether or not an INTJ could win a Hunger Game, extremely dodgy political opinions, and excellence in the field of run-on-sentence construction abound. And that's not all; we've also got exciting strings updates, opinions on What's Going On With Planes, kitchen gadget nightmare scenarios, and more!

Catching Fire chapters 24-27 It's been a busy couple of weeks for both of us (working; moving) but that didn't stop us from finishing the last four chapters of Catching Fire! And boy, if we thought we were in a rush, nothing compares to this book's bizarre finale. People often offer the criticism that certain stories "just stop," but the last few moments of this novel are on their own level. We discuss the breakneck final action sequence and practically bullet-pointed list of reveals as well as checking in with strings drama, Ikea, and those three famous detectives we all know and love!

Catching Fire chapters 22 & 23 TWO giant reveals that we avoided having spoiled! Can you believe it!? This one is particularly funny, given our hobby trajectories of late. This awesome new arena mechanic is revealed alongside an exciting action sequence, some ridiculous (complimentary) side characters joining Katniss's party, some ridiculous (derogatory) Peeta moments, and some small worldbuilding revelations that send us reeling. Plus! More Strings Drama--and a step back into the mysterious world of three detectives with curious names...

Catching Fire chapters 20-21 Remember how we had somehow remained completely unaware of the werewolves in the first Hunger Games book? Somehow, by some beautiful miracle, we remained equally, blissfully unaware of another animal threat in this series. Not much happens in these action-packed chapters outside, but boy does a lot happen. There are chapters that feel like novels, as they say... Anyway, aside from the fight scene involving a bunch of mutant monkeys, we discuss the fun character dynamics between Katniss, Finnick, and Peeta (I guess he's still alive), this book's inventive twists on the survival story trappings from the first novel, and okay I'm exaggerating we mostly talk about the monkey fight. And that's not all--we also discuss the new James Patterson novel!

Catching Fire chapters 18-19 We are so back! We kick off 2024 with a rowdy return to podcasting about work sucking, holidays sucking, and Peeta sucking. We have some exciting news on that front this week however, although neither of us is convinced it really happened. Still, even if things are feeling a bit predictable, we certainly can't accuse these chapters of being boring! Waterworld antics, bonkers lies, trident headshots--there's a lot of wild stuff packed in here as we finally get to the Hunger Games part of this Hunger Games novel.

Catching Fire chapters 16-17 We're still not at the Hunger Game. It sure seems like we're running out of book, but instead of duking it out in the arena our heroes are still meeting their foes and/or potential allies. Are Katniss and Peeta building a heist team, or are they just going to fight all these guys? We've got lots to discuss about this and more, but first we also have some Neopets updates, strings drama, and dental work to discuss! (If you're not a fan of dentist anxieties/horror stories, you can start the episode at 9:20!)

Catching Fire chapters 14-15 Life threw Liz some work-related lemons this past week, but we're here and discussing how best to turn them into bonus lemonade! We chat about future plans for discussing future plans, give an update on what's going on in strings world, and get attacked by Earl--and that's all before we get into our crazy chapters! We learn all about sugar, Hunger Games hacks, and Dr. Seuss ass map design. There's also some juicy critical stuff to discuss re: character work and the overall metaphor of the Games. Sugar cube?

Catching Fire chapters 12 & 13 We have a lot to catch up on this week! Neopets news, string performances, (not so) scary films... plus, we've got a pair of chapters that propel Catching Fire forward into exciting territory. Hopefully? There's going to be another Hunger Game in these books, it turns out. We speculate on how exactly that might shake out, what would make it more interesting than the first outing, and much more. Side note: I recommend Alan Wake in the beginning segment. I don't spoil anything direct, BUT if you are getting into the series because of the new sequel and want to go in as pure as possible, skip forward 3 minutes when I bring it up! Likewise, I bring up the FNAF movie and I don't think I truly spoil anything but I talk about the overall structure.

Catching Fire chapters 10-11 We're back! Load roadworks couldn't keep us away from talking about these chapters, that feature some absolutely massive twists--political and technical. Did you know that there are solar-powered perpetual energy generating guns in Panem? Neither did we! We discuss those strange new worldbuilding additions, and attempt to sus out this book's relationship is to America's political discourse in the 2000s. Is this about the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq? Is it about 2000s geopolitical fearmonger--and if it is, which end is it coming down on? Is it trying to say something, or is it just deploying all of this loaded imagery to make a point about American Idol? Plus: we consider taking out an ad at the DMV!

Catching Fire chapters 7-9 We start this week with another music game, with another unexpected twist! Plus, an update on all things strings and Neopets. Then we've got three exciting chapters to cover as the rebellion in District 12 starts heating up--or maybe doesn't, depending on who last spoke to Katniss. We chat about some of the great character development, the slightly silly worldbuilding, and try to figure out just where all this is going... and if that's another Hunger Games!

Catching Fire chapters 5-6 This week we're back on our string section stuff. We play a rousing game of Classical or From Something? (it'll make sense) that spins out in some unexpected directions before getting to work on this episode's pair of chapters, which are... fine? Good, even? But one thing's for sure: the road trip movie dream is dead, and we can't help but feel a little bummed about it. On the other hand we get some great Snow menace, some Effie comic relief, and some movement in the plot that's definitely interesting even if we're unsure about the direction the story is going currently. (Content warning for this week: Chapter 6 features a pretty mean and cynical portrayal of eating disorders. If you'd rather skip our incredulous reactions to excerpts from the text, skip 00:38:40 through 00:40:41.)

Catching Fire chapters 3-4 The PAX pox won't keep me away from recording! We've got lots to catch up on after taking a week off for travel, and we spend some time chatting about the PAX trip (thanks to everyone who came to say hi!) and Liz's exciting new musical venture. We've got two rich chapters to discuss this week too, with mostly high highs and a few low lows. What works? Katniss's character development! Peeta's new role! What doesn't work? Katniss's District 11 savior stuff still feels kind of disrespectful. What might work? The Quarter Quell, but how could they possibly make the Games more evil?! Plus, when we open card packs we learn what the Cornucopia looks like in the movie and ??????????

Catching Fire chapters 1-2 Onward to book two! We started the next installment of the trilogy, and we might have had more fun with these two chapters than we had with the entire last book. Who knew that what this series needed was a Bond villain? These chapters are a little short, but they introduce an irresistibly fun bad guy and get us incredibly excited for a road trip through the districts of Panem. Plus, we have some official Hunger Games trading cards from 2012 to crack open...

We've finished The Hunger Games, and we're feeling a little rowdy! We celebrate the end of the book (and Liz's birthday!) by immediately checking in on what sort of Relatable Hunger Games Content we can find. We take a quiz about how our taste in decor would affect our chances in the Games (really), read incredibly mean grandmas commenting on Williams-Sonoma cooking videos, and see what the Hunger Games subreddit has to offer--all that and a discussion about the final chapters of the novel and our thoughts on the book as a whole!