After our interview with Bryan about his Shattered Gates universe, we reconvened to talk about his short story Gods of Dust, and also bring up some of our thoughts that were, as they say, "more of a comment than a question." Check out our Patreon for the rest of the conversation. Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs: - Amari…

Your hosts bring some cousin related chaos to their conversation about Learn to Howl by Jennifer R. Donohue. They talk about cousin main characters, werewolf origin stories, dog mannerisms, and more cousin stuff. They also bring up religious metaphors and oh, also the fact that they are cousins. Content Warning: discussion of fictional sexual assau…

Adam in Falls Church had a big crush on his neighbor. He was nervous for their first date and decided to take the edge off with a few shots… too many. Things got interesting at the restaurant. Hear this Crazy First Date and submit yours at washfm.com/crazy for a chance to win prizes!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Sara in Fairfax went on a Crazy First Date to a comedy club. She thought the date was going fine when he got up to get drinks and just never came back. Did she ever find out why, and how did she get home? Listen here to this Crazy First Date story and submit your at washfm.com/crazy for a chance to win prizes!…

Dianne in Germantown went on a first date and someone unexpected showed up with him. Who was it, and how did that go over? Listen to this Crazy First Date to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts take a quick detour to discuss ebook formats (including footnotes) before diving in to Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. They also talk about the empire of Nanny Ogg, Annagramma’s Mean Girls character arc, and ask themselves: What Makes a Discworld book a Witch book? Find us on Discord / Support us on Patreon Thanks to the following musici…

Shannon in Haymarket met a guy online. His car broke down after he got to her place, and he had no money to fix it, no money for a hotel or food. How did he even get home, and did they see each other again? Listen to this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are once again joined by Andrew Cartmel, this time to discuss his novel Ashram Assassin, the second book in his Paperback Sleuth series. They talk about crime novel tropes, yoga, and curry. More information about Dressing Gown: https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/dressing-gown/ Find more from Andrew: https://venusianfrogbroth.blogspot.com/ ht…

Lisa in Elkhorn went on a first date and no one realized her sister had met the same guy at a bar the previous night. Listen here for this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Kenisia is Bowie went on a first date and things were great until someone unexpected showed up and water was thrown. He had to audacity to ask for a second date too. Yikes! Listen to this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by Ciel Pierlot to talk about her latest novel, The Hunter's Gambit. They discuss vampire lore, equality in fantasy settings, and hot threeways. They also ask the ultimate question: do vampires count as monsterfcking? Find more from Ciel: https://x.com/CielPierlot https://www.instagram.com/cielpierlot/ https://cielpierlot.com/…

Adam met someone at a seafood restaurant and before the drinks even came out, she was wearing an Octopus costume. Did he think this was funny, or run? Listen to this Crazy First Date Story to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Frank in D.C. wasn't sure if his date would take him seriously about meeting for their first date in a Home Depot lighting isle. He showed up with wine, but did she? Listen to this Crazy First Date story to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts read Thud! a City Watch book in Discworld that is probably not the best book in Discworld, but they genuinely liked it despite their complaining. Your hosts talk about fantasy racial tension, the Bechdel test, and lolrandom chickens. They also discuss Carrot's character development, the helpfulness of strippers, and poor, poor Sybil. Thi…

Lilly in Annapolis had a first date planned in Baltimore. When she showed up at his place, he didn’t have any furniture but he DID have a ton of birds in dirty cages. Did the date turn around? Listen to this Crazy First Date story to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Kelly in Gaithersburg went hiking on a first date on Sugarloaf. It got dark, they got lost, and security had to find and escort them off the mountain. Did they ever see each other again? Listen here to this Crazy First Date!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts try not to make anyone too mad with their opinions about The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn novel. Credit where credit's due, it's got a really cool magic system. They spend some time comparing it to Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, and also talk about the YA to Grimdark pipeline, sex workers, and fun takes on the Ch…

We hear from Michelle in Glen Bernie about the brother-in-law and the accidental nudity. Was there a 2nd date? Find out with this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Samantha in Gaithersburg went on a first date and he brought along a very odd plus one on the date and didn’t tell her first. Did she immediately leave? Did she seem him again? Listen to this Crazy First Date and submit yours for a chance to win prizes!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

The people have spoken! Your hosts let their patreon subscribers choose the book for this episode, and they chose "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Your hosts discuss narrative voice, Fantasy tropes from the mid 20th century, and how an author's reputation may affect the reader's experience. They also talk about coming of age stories, wa…

Sarah in Gaithersburg went on a first date to a wing place. She had wings so hot she got a bloddy nose. How did the date end? Listen to this Crazy First Date story to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Lena from Falls Church was stopped at the border on her first date, but why? What happened and how did this international incident play out? Listen here to this Crazy First Date story and submit yours for a chance to win prizes!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by S.T. Gibson to talk about her new novel, Evocation. They discuss religious characters from all over the spectrum, occult research, and the allure of secret societies. They also talk about headlight writing, flexible series arcs, and the challenges around writing a polyamorous romance plotline. Find more from S.T. Gibson: ht…

Fatima in Alexandria went hiking on a first date. She slipped and fell in the water and they ended up in the ER. Did they ever see each other again? Listen here to this Crazy First Date and submit yours for a chance to win prizes!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Darby in Leesburg went on a first date to a bowling alley where her date "forgot" his wallet and "fibbed about his interests. How did the date end and did she see him again? Listen here to this Crazy First Date and submit yours for a chance to win prizes!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts read Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, and they ask: Is this the best place to start in Discworld? 1 out of 2 Fiction Fans hosts agree. They also talk about reformed conmen, the intricacies of golem gender, and are hesitantly cautious about the romantic interest’s future in the series. Find us on discord or support us on Patreon Thanks to…

Brian from Woodbridge ended up on a first date and half her family came too! How did it go and did they have a second date? Listen here to this Crazy First Date!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Blanca in Frederick went on a first date wearing a white dress and left with his blood all over her. What happened and did she see him again? Listen here to this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by Bryan S. Glosemeyer to talk about Beyond the Gates Infernal, volume 2 in his Shattered Gates series, but Sara and Lilly can’t resist asking a few questions about volume 1 anyway. They discuss SciFi slang, cute alien creatures, and the unsettling familiarity of the slavery system our main character grew up in. They also brin…

Anjali from Fairfax was on a first date that she thought she was getting ghosted on, and then got a phone call from a very strange number. Did he actually show up and who was behind the strange phone call? Listen here to this Crazy First Date!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Mary from Burke got left at the table with his parents on their first date. Did she stay or run and never see him again? Listen to this Crazy First Date storyVon 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by KRR Lockhaven to talk about The Grimoire, the Gods, and the Girl, the final novel in his Azure Archipelago series. They discuss ending a series vs starting one, re-emerging villains, and love quadrangles. They also bring up Mrs Covington's, a standalone but related novel that adds an extra layer of coziness to the series as…

Kim from Maryland's date sent some mixed messages making her first date with a guy very confusing indeed! What was the devil in the details? Listen to this Crazy First Date story and submit yours for a chance to win prizes at wasfm.com/crazyVon 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Chrissy in Chesapeake Beach didn't know he was married and he got upset with HER over it! How did she find out, and how did the date end? Listen here for this Crazy First Date story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts read A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett. They talk about young witches, metaphors for puberty, and theoretical nostalgia. They also discuss how this Tiffany Aching YA novel fits in to the larger Discworld series. Find us on discord: https://discord.gg/dpNHTWVu6b or support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fictionfanspod Thanks to…

Melissa in Gainesville went on a Crazy First Date that was going so well her parents called the restaurant to make sure she was ok. She lied to her date saying her dad was hurt but she didn't want to leave. He seemed concerned but rolled with it. Did he find out? Did they go on a second date? Listen here for this Crazy First Date story!…

Your hosts are joined by author Krystle Matar and Taylor from Maed Between the Pages for a follow up conversation about genre and everyone's weird emotions about them. They wonder how much kissing makes Fantasty Romantasy, the difference between 'feel good' and 'cozy,' and what drives us to define the things we love. You can find the rest of this e…

Wendy from Fairfax went on a first date with someone who said he wasn't from this time period. Odd. How did she react? Did she finish the date? Did she ever see him again? Listen to this Crazy First Date story to find out!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by Chris Panatier to cover his latest novel, "The Redemption of Morgan Bright." They talk about maintaining mystery in a past tense 1st person POV, suspect character motives, and incredible marketing websites. They also discuss the allure of asylum stories, weaponized "healthcare," and how distressingly close to reality this h…

Inez in Woodbridge met someone from a dating app. His mouth was closed in all of his pictures and when they met she found out why.Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

PAIGE IN HYATTSVILLE TELLS TOBY AND CHILLI ABOUT HER 'MURPHY'S LAW' FIRST DATE WHERE EVERYTHING WHICH COULD GO WRONG, INCLUDING AN ALLERGY RELATED ISSUE!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

For national poetry month, your hosts discuss the Selected Works of Audre Lorde, edited by Roxane Gay. They talk about the autobiographical nature of poetry, how the collection was organized, and Lorde's occasionally depressing ability to predict the future. This episode also features a Pet Peeve segment. Find us on discord: https://discord.gg/dpNH…

Stacy in Reston met someone on Match, they met up at the cafeteria, and then he didn't want to leave. Did they last? Find out here!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts are joined by Andrew Cartmel to talk about "Noise Floor," the most recent addition to his Vinyl Detective series. They discuss keeping an ongoing series fresh, managing overlapping storylines, and poly relationship dynamics. They also go over the inherent (or not so much) personality traits of musical genres, and the mystery surrounding …

This week your hosts discuss Sidle Creek, a very good but also extremely sad collection of short stories taking place in Appalachia. They talk about content warnings (many), privilege (theirs) and heartbreak (lots). They also debate genre for a bit, and argue about whether a sense of horror makes a story Horror. Find us on discord: https://discord.…

A REUNION WITH A FORMER FLAME... BUT WAS THERE STILL A SPARK FOR RICHELLE FROM DC AND AN OLD FLAME... OR DID THE FIRE BURN LOW ?Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts continue their journey to center of the Discworld with Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett. They discuss performative gender, unexpected allies, and supportive camraderie. They also talk about a character's near miss with fatphobia, underexplored backstories, and overexplored hair. This episode contains a hat-centric words are weird. F…

Kelly in Annapolis went on a first date that started ok. He wanted a chicken sandwich and told her to meet him at the next stop. Guess what happened next? Listen to this Crazy First Date Story!Von 97.1 WASH-FM (WASH-FM)

Your hosts had the opportunity to chat with Nevena Andrić, who works as a translator at one of the biggest Serbian publishing houses. They discuss the joys of translating beloved works like Night Watch from Discworld and The Song of Achilles. They also talk about the different challenges of translating fantasy vs scifi vs nonfiction, works with non…

Lisa in Dundalk shared her Crazy First Date with us! She went on a blind date with another couple, and they ended up at a gentelmans club. When she said she wanted to go home, they instead left her there and went on to the next club. Listen here for the story and submit yours for a chance to win prizes!…