We're going back to the well of The Weird, edited by the Vandermeers. In this cast, we're talking about Shirley Jackson, Jorge Louis Borges, and a story or two we each picked. Cuddle up with the tome, and read along -- this is a perfect fall read. Something new from us: Check out our Bookshop.org Store! If you want to support the cast, and read alo…

Hey there! Do you like weird fiction? Is your bookshelf filled with Kafka and Algernon Blackwood? Well, then you know more about weird fiction than I did before we read selections from Jeff and Ann Vandermeer's collection of short fiction, The Weird. Today, we're reading "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood and "In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka. …

Hello and welcome to Nerds of the Old Republic! We're three friends who love reading nerdy fiction. We're taking a break from the reading this week to talk about Disney's The Acolyte, and it ended up also being about all of the Disney Star Wars Franchise. Star Wars not your thing? Next month, for two episodes, we're digging into an anthology of wei…

Welcome back as we return to form with a book review: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It's a multi-epoch book spanning the eras of Colonialism all the way through the glories of Neo So Copros with their fantastic clones serving you in the dinning hall, to the fall and eventual resurrection of human civilization in a Hawaiian colony. It's not our nor…

Hey there and welcome to the first episode in our fourth season! We're stretching our interests a bit with this one, but we're going to talk about The Goonies, that 1985 adventure movie with Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Ke Huy Quan, Kerri Green, Corey Feldman and directed by Richard Donner. Why The Goonies, you ask? Firstly because Mike had…

Hello, and welcome to our last episode of season four! We’re reviewing an icon, our idol, and early cast book in William Gibson’s Neuromancer. It’s got sexy robots, international heists and apartments the size of NYC closets, what more could you need in your cyberpunk? Seriously, this novel is genre defining and explanation avoiding — which …

Hey there fellow nerds! We're talking about the 2022 smash movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once while drinking a smoked, maple bourbon peach smash -- kinda an everything all-at-once cocktail. Listen in if you've already watched it, and if not, grab your favorite chapstick, head to Netflix, and give it a watch. For those mixologists out there, h…

Today we review a book that's all about our avatar's baby cousin -- the octopus. Ray Naylor's The Mountain in the Sea. What's better than octopodes with a culture and written language? How about a near future where we've created the first sentient android, and a security officer with a first name so long you'd have to scroll down to read it all? Th…

What do you get when you put three nerds in a room together with spicy margaritas? Our latest 'cast where we discuss the recently released Dune Part 2 based on Frank Herbert's novel, Dune. Come for the movie review, stay for the Christopher Walken impressions! And if space operas with intense IR camera filmed scenes of Roman Gladiatorial combat isn…

In a one-off, we read the ChatGPT generated audio drama we discussed in the previous episode; it's a first for us, and a first for podcasts (as far as we know). Listen in as we read the audio drama "Fear and Loathing in Dallas": three friends trying to escape their rustbelt blues on a road trip to see the Buffalo Bills play in the Super Bowl. Try n…

Join us as we do something a little weird, even for us. As teachers, we are fighting and intrigued by what AI, specifically ChatGPT, can do. So join us for an episode where we ask Chat to do our homework for us to write a story. Then, tune in next time as we unveil, for the first time anywhere, our radio drama written by ChatGPT, and performed by n…

Here we go with a new book: Jordan Peele’s Out There Screaming, a collection of new black horror. We at Nerds are HUGE fans of the editor’s work so we wanted to see what his taste in literature would be like. And man is there a lot to talk about!Af Nerds of the Old Republic

Well, now, this is an end of an era. The last Tarantino movie to review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Listen in as Mike, Shaun and I give the director one last send off, and add a bit of a retrospective as well. Then, get ready to return to form: we're heading back to books! First, we're going to read Jordan Peele's collection of new black horror…

We’re neck deep into our retrospective here on the man himself: Quentin Tarantino. Join us for a quickie on Hateful Eight before a look on the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. After that we have a return to form, as we’re going back to books with the collection by Nope director Jordan Peele, titled Out There Screaming. Looking forward to the Wilhelm …

Hello you poor devils! Welcome to the second last Tarantino episode from us, the Nerds of the Old Republic! We're talking Django Unchained (the D is silent). If you like what you're hearing, we've got two more - Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! What's next, after that? We'll only the AI chatbot will know. Listen in!…

We know the holidays can be a a difficult time to be around the family, so why not talk about something we can all agree on: killin' Nazis with Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds! Listen in, go back and watch if you've not yet seen this masterpiece of alternate history war fiction, and if you know the whip cream strudel scene, let me know if …

Hey there kiddo... let's finish this, shall we? Listen in as we talk about the second half of what Tarantino considers a single film; part samurai warrior, part spaghetti western. Let's talk all things The Bride. When you're done with this cast, check out our other conversations on Tarantino. Or better yet, check out his next film we will be talkin…

There's only one thing left to do, and that's...review Quintin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1. Ok, maybe more than one thing left to do, since we're also drinking some mezcal. Oh, and there's five other movies to talk about! If you like what you're hearing, please grab Kill Bill Vol 2 and circle on back in two weeks when we talk about that very same …

Well, well, well, look who we have here. It's another Tarantino film. That's who. Welcome back to the Nerds Review Tarantino series, this time looking at Jackie Brown. Grab something cold to drink, and listen on in! Your homework for next time is to watch both Kill Bill movies -- they're like chips; once you pop, your @ss ain't gonna stop, to quote…

Mmmmm Mmmmmm...that's a tasty podcast! We're back with movie two of our Tarantino study: Pulp Fiction! Listen in as we do terrible impressions of the best moments, and awkwardly use the phrase gimp mask a little too often! But seriously, we talk about what aged well, what didn't age so well. If you don't remember that magical dance scene, go back a…

Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Nerd. We're back, and we're taking a different tack with the start of this season. Since we love all things nerd-related and adjacent, we're going to be talking about Quentin Tarantino's work, chronologically. Up first is Reservoir Dogs: the film that thrust the man into our orbit. Listen in as we chat about the ma…

Hey there nerds! Ready for some over-the-top anime with Akira? Supposedly groundbreaking. Supposedly life-altering. Listen in as we discuss our hottakes and sorry about the extra loud munchies -- we were still enjoying our eats from the previous cast on Cory Doctorow's Walkaway. Lastly, we're looking at changing our scheduling of things, nerds, so …

Hi Nerds! Sorry this one's a little late -- there was some problems with the Walkaway net, then someone stole my B+B, it was a whole thing. We're here talking about Cory Doctorow's dystopian/maker/git/gnu/hacker and everything else Neal Stephenson said about this book on the back cover. Join us for our usual lively discussion about literature, nerd…

Here there fellow nerds! We're at it again, this time looking at the golden age of nerdy television: the 1990's. Join us as we reminisce about days of old. We each bring three TV series to the cast to discuss. Did we miss one you loved? Was Stargate Atlantis an abomination or a missed opportunity for a Netflix reboot? Find us on the socials to join…

Welcome back fellow nerds! If you joined us for the last conversation, you know we're talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation. In this installment, we're doing something new -- we're handing out the first ever Nerds of the Old Republic Awards for a TV Series. But of course, we've got a twist! Listen in to find out who wins our first ever Nerds…

Hello, fellow nerds! And thanks for listening in to our re-watch of a sci-fi classic, Star Trek: The Next Generation. We've picked some of the biggest episodes from this iconic series to talk about, so fire up Paramount Plus, and check out the following episodes: The Best of Both Worlds, Pt 1 and 2 (s3e26, s4e1) The Measure of a Man (s2e9) Yesterda…

Hail and well met fellow Tolkienites! Tolkeinists? Either way, we're here and ready to vivisect Amazon's huge investment in the TV series: The Rings of Power. If you haven't gone back and read the (loosely related) source material, we'll save you the time. Listen in to our previous cast where we talk about The Silmarillion. If high fantasy isn't yo…

Hi there nerds! We’re getting into the high holy of nerd-dom : JRR Tolkien’s fantasy world from the Lord of the Rings. Specifically, we’re looking at the original world building book The Silmarillion. To go with it, we’re drinking mulled wine. If you’d rather watch your nerdy goodness, we’re talking about the Amazon original The Rings of Power…

Hi there! I know it's been a while, but we're back. Back again. Nerds are back. Tell a friend. Ok, enough of that! We're watching the Netflix TV series of the fabulous Neil Gaiman's The Sandman graphic novel series. How'd they do translating this beautiful, lush work onto the screen? Which one of us will shout the f-bomb? Listen in to find out! If …

Hey fellow Nerds! This month we're reading Chinese sensation Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem, the first book in a hard sci-fi trilogy. There are aliens, Chinese Communists and nanomaterials: Oh My! Listen in here before Netflix makes a terrible rendition of it by making this a thriller, somehow. If you're new to our 'cast, we have a witty conver…

In a world where androids hunt androids...that's right, we're talking Blade Runner 2049, directed by friend of the cast, Denis Villeneuve and staring none else than Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Join us -- outside again, sorry about the lawnmower man (*gasp -- future cast, maybe?) as we drink the fantastic...beer as Shaun called it. No, seriously…

Quick Disclaimer: This episode was recorded outside, at a friend of the cast’s house, so there more background noise than usual. Is that a real sheep you have there? No? Oh well. This month we're reading Phillip K. Dick's sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? If you haven't gotten a copy and read it yet, go back to some of our other cas…

In true nerds fashion, we're looking at some Star Wars media -- Ewan McGregor's triumphant (?!) return to the old master! Since Obi-Wan is a staid, old man, we're drinking an older beverage. Nothing fancy, but it'll get ya job done: Pabst Blue Ribbon. Better known as PBR in the hipster circles. No recipe needed here. Didn't finish The Star Wars Sag…

It's been a while, but we're back and coming out swinging with Neal Stephenson's newest book Termination Shock. Will we like it as much as his other book, Snow Crash? Will Shaun continue being the cast's naysayer? Will Mike finally beat Shaun in the lightening round? All questions will be answered, if only you listen. If you haven't yet, grab yours…

Hey everyone! We hope this episode finds you hanging out near a pool, with a Genesee Light in your hand -- yes, that's right, it's the drink for the cast, you got something against Rochester, New York -- and having watched Ex Machina. After enjoying the cast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcast, GoodPods, Podbean, or wherever you listen! Thos…

Welcome back, Nerds! We are still drinking that extra thick watermelon vodka concoction that Shaun made on his back patio. The drinks were good, the story...not so much... find out which one of us shouts "F-you Joe Hill" first. If you like our podcast, please give it a rating and review. And share it with one or all of your friends -- it would go a…

Hey there Nerds! We're tackling one of the more prolific writers this month in a sort of two-for-one. This cast is all about an OG horror writer: Stephen King and his new collection If It Bleeds. But perhaps what we liked better than the workman like prose of King's collection is the jucy AF watermelon drink Shaun made! Ok, you'll see in the first …

Grab yourself something to drink and plug in your headphones, we're doing a partial live watch of Nicholas Cage's Jiujitsu. Holy cow, people, this one takes me back to my b-movie days and I LOVE IT! Hope you enjoy our break from our more serious stuff -- like Moon Witch Spider King. Join us for Joe Hill's Full Throttle and Stephen King's If it Blee…

Hello there fellow nerds! We're in for a treat today as we drink Tanduay Double Rum and talk all things Marlon James, but specifically his Moon Witch Spider King. F*&k the gods, people, grab a glass and a copy for yourself so you know what you're in for! While you're at it, check out our friends at Back in My Day, the not-so-stereotypical millennia…

Spare a coin for your witcher, and watch out for that damn Sylvan! Listen in as the Nerds --Shaun, Mike and Adam -- talk about the Netflix series! We're keeping it easy drinking, this time with New Belgium Brewing's Dragon's Milk Reserve! We definitely recommend you grab a four-pack, where ever fine craft beers are sold near you! If you like what w…

Saddle up Roach and let's get ready to fight some monsters, in The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski! If high fantasy and European fables are your thing, then The Witcher series will be too. For tonight's cocktail, we're drinking a version of Geralt's white honey potion for removal of toxins and poisons -- which, if you've been reading, will know that…

Some Mandalorians fight, some seek bounty and others make podcasts. Listen in to another Star Wars themed cast, this time spurred on my our watch -- and really deep dives -- into Disney's Book of Boba Fett and the wider surrounding (Dave) Feloni-verse. It's impossible to not talk about all of the other huge Star Wars universes that exist. We'd real…

Hello nerds! Welcome to March's book club recommendation, Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Listen in as we talk about space cavaliers, bone necromancy, and the deathless emperor. But first: we try yet another absinthe cocktail. And yet again we warn you we didn't like it. Like at all. But for reference, and if you too like pain, here's the recipe: …

Hey there fellow sophisticated nerds! Shaun, Mike and Adam get together to talk about the Matrix Resurrections, aka Matrix 4. We'll talk about all things Neo, Trinity and Agent Smith and share our hot takes on the newest entrant into the Matrix franchise. We're also enjoying a pint from East Aurora's own brewery, 42 North. If you can find them in y…

Let's chat all things dreams, nightmares and the shaper of them; by that I mean The Sandman. This epic series by Neil Gaiman is one of the most awarded graphic novels of all time. Grab a champagne flute and follow the **very** complicated recipe below to join us: Death in the Afternoon 2 parts champagne 1 part Absinth If you're like us, you'll want…

We're celebrating our one year anniversary! We've had so much fun already, and learned so much about how to do this whole podcast thing better. As a team, we looked back at our first episode and decided we could do better after a year of practice. So with that in mind, we've re-edited our first episode and will be following this drive-time friendly…

Welcome back nerds! In December's podcast we're diving back into the Archean world of HP Lovecraft! Grab yourself a copy of his collected works and follow along as we talk all things odd and that should not be. While we have you, it'd mean a lot if you rated and reviewed us where ever you listen to us, and followed us on all the socials. We're alwa…

We're on FaceTime -- hence why we sound different -- talking Dune. We're excited about much, and disappointed about a little, but do NOT tell Zendaya that!Af Nerds of the Old Republic

Hey there, Nerds! Let's skip sober October, and grab a copy of HP Lovecraft's collected writing. Join us as we discuss our reading of: "Call Of Cthulhu" and "Whisperer in the Darkness". The make things a little moodier -- as if Lovecraft needed more brooding doom -- mix up our cocktail, directions at the bottom. This is part one of our two part Lov…

Grab your shaker and copy of Frank Herbert's Dune for our first read of the fall! We've got a special episode here where we mix up and compare not one, but two cocktails! The recipe below comes from our friends over at liquor.com: Ingredients 1 lime wedge 2 jalapeno coins, seeds removed 2 ounces blanco tequila 1/2 ounce orange liqueur 1 ounce lime …