In the final FINAL episode of Season 4, Stephen and Mark become so enamored with 2XO Bourbon from the last episode, they decide to make Old Fashioneds with it and completely forget to talk about what they forgot to talk about in "The Halloween Tree" by Ray Bradbury.  Witness the chaos as the boys fall down the cocktail rabbit hole as they decide to try to invent their own cocktails.  Maybe they're just tired.  Maybe it's been a long season.  Maybe the 2XO is just that good.

For the Season Four Finale, Stephen and Mark turn to a classic tale from a hometown author close to their hearts, The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Listen as Mark loses his mind a little and goes on about the sinister side of the story.  Meanwhile, Stephen will won't do a darned thing to keep Mark from spiraling. Thanks, Stephen! Good thing they have a fantastic new beverage to sample and distract everyone from the Halloween hysterics.

For such a short book, there's just a whole lot to cover in the deceptively complex tale by Becky Chambers.  Equally deep and complex is the Five Trail Bourbon.

In the countdown to the season finale, Stephen and Mark stray from the path of horror into a subtle and delighfully complex scifi story about a monk, a robot, and the questions perhaps everyone should be asking of themselves and each other. A subtle and complex tale deserves a subtle and complex bourbon paired with it, and this episode is no exception as our co-hosts sample Blade & Bow for the first time. NOTE: In this episode, Stephen and Mark both struggle with pronoun usage for the characters.  We decided to leave this in rather than edit and re-record.  We felt the struggle to get it right and failing (multiple times) without giving up was all too appropriate for the messages and themes of the story.  No one can ever be perfect, but the pursuit of being better and kinder to each other and ourselves is worth the awkwardness of the journey.

At the end of Season 2, Stephen and Mark talked about the theme of horror, and what it meant to them.  Well, they're back on the topic, two years wiser (allegedly), and ready to dive into new directions.  On this journey, they will take with them the ever reliable torch in the darkness of Basil Hayden, this time trying out their Subtle Smoke expression.

In tonight's oopsisode, Stephen and Mark talk about the role of the military in Stephen King's "The Mist".  They will also revisit Chattanooga Whiskey, first sampled from the "STOMP STOMP BOOM" episode which dropped on April 15, 2022.

As we begin the countdown to Halloween and our season finale, we start with "The Mist" by Stephen King.  A dark and complex tale based off a simple premise, the boys are pairing it up with The Jury by High 'n Wicked.

Instead of the usual oopsisode, because the last book is still so new, the boys opted to spend their time extolling the virtues of Uncle Nearest Bourbon Whiskey.  Enjoy!

This week, Stephen and Mark spend a little time talking about the most recent story from author Paul Tremblay, "Horror Movie".  They will talk about the twists, spirals, and rabbit holes truly good authors like Trembay can create.  Horror Movie is a escheresque, gravity defying maze of mirrors.  A sophisticated story needs an equally sophisticated bourbon paired with it.  Tonight, the boys will sample Thomas S. Moore Cognac Cask bourbon.

On this oopsisode, we discuss Jim Beam, and the concept of FAFO.

Green towns, volcanos, and Sasquatch, OH MY!  In tonight's episode, we look at "Devolution" by Max Brooks.  It's a wild ride, made all the more terrifying by the hauntingly plausible documentary style of the book.  To keep their heads, the boys will sample some George Dickel bourbon.

Oh my.  Author, Zee Lacson, sticks around after the initial recording to do the oopsisode with Stephen and Mark.  How many bourbons can one author take?  All of them.  Especially when we're talking about allies.  Spend another 12 minutes with Zee Lacson and the boys as they talk about allies in the book "Twice Removed."   Zee Lacson has had practice in different professions. Engineer. Teacher. Photographer. Visual artist. Writer. But throughout her life, she has always been a Dreamer. The Woolgathering Trilogy is her dream come true. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, with her grandparents, father, and twin brothers, she currently lives the dream in the northern suburbs of Chicagoland with her husband and twin sons. She enjoys good coffee. And sushi. And wine. And ice cream. And cake … though not necessarily together. Or in that order. Reverie was her first published work of fiction. It was a finalist at the 2021 Illinois Author Project. Revenant, the sequel to Reverie, was released in 2021. Réveil, the final in the series, was released May 2023. Twice Removed is her latest book, and will be released in 2024.   Website: ZeeLacson.com FB: facebook.com/ReverieTheBook IG: @ZeeLacson  TikTok: @ZeeLacson  Linktree: linktr.ee/zeelacson   Twice Removed is in stores:  This Old Book (Grayslake, IL) Barnes & Noble (Northbrook, IL) Studio Moonfall (Kenosha, WI) or sold online wherever books are sold.

On this episode, Stephen and Mark interview YA author, Zee Lacson.  She and her husband have stopped by to talk about her new book, "Twice Removed".  For the bourbon tonight, the four of them will try out Lux Row, a complex and delightful bourbon to match the book and the company!  For more about Zee, see below.   Zee Lacson has had practice in different professions. Engineer. Teacher. Photographer. Visual artist. Writer. But throughout her life, she has always been a Dreamer. The Woolgathering Trilogy is her dream come true. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, with her grandparents, father, and twin brothers, she currently lives the dream in the northern suburbs of Chicagoland with her husband and twin sons. She enjoys good coffee. And sushi. And wine. And ice cream. And cake … though not necessarily together. Or in that order. Reverie was her first published work of fiction. It was a finalist at the 2021 Illinois Author Project. Revenant, the sequel to Reverie, was released in 2021. Réveil, the final in the series, was released May 2023. Twice Removed is her latest book, and will be released in 2024.   Website: ZeeLacson.com FB: facebook.com/ReverieTheBook IG: @ZeeLacson  TikTok: @ZeeLacson  Linktree: linktr.ee/zeelacson   Twice Removed is in stores:  This Old Book (Grayslake, IL) Barnes & Noble (Northbrook, IL) Studio Moonfall (Kenosha, WI) or sold online wherever books are sold.

WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL RONALD MALFI LOVE FEST. Seriously, it's kind of sick how much we love this guy's writing.  We have a problem.  We need counseling, or perhaps we just need some Copper & Cask Bourbon to pair with writing.

On today's episode, we take a look at five novellas from one of our favorite authors, Ronald Malfi, in his new book, "They Lurk".  Malfi's writing is always complex and thought provoking while it mercilessly scares the ever living poop out of you. Tonight we are pairing the book with Belfour Texas Pecan Wood Finished Bourbon Whiskey.  It's another deep and complex offering, and we can't wait to tell you more about it.

As we often do, there's the thing we want to talk about in the book that we didn't get to talk about before.  And then, we spend some time on this particular bourbon, but oooooh my, it's delicious.

It's been a minute since we did a time travel story, and so we're heading back in time, and forward, and back again in this smart, funny, lovely, and tragic tale by Kalianne Bradley.  How would it feel if you were suddenly plucked out of your own time and sent 200, 300, or even 5 hundred years into the future? Would you be able to fit in, or would you slowly slide back to where you started one piece at a time? To help us answer this question, we're going to need the complex comfort of Belle Meade Bourbon Whiskey.

On tonight's episode, we have the special privilege of interviewing Author, Thomas J. Miller about his book, "An Oktoberfest Death".  To pair with this book about murder and beer, we're going to be sampling three styles of Dragon Milk Bourbon Barrel Aged beers from New Holland Brewing. Please follow Thomas at these links, and support our authors and their work! Thomas J. Miller Website Shop. I am offering multi-book bundles. Books ordered here will be signed and shipped: https://www.thomasjmillerauthor.com/shop   Link to Amazon Audible page for An Oktoberfest Death: https://a.co/d/0gXgBmrV   Link to Thomas J. Miller Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B086XGLDSM/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=583db72f-38d8-4582-bf1c-6923bfc6ef08&ref_=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2

Wait?  We forgot something about quantum loop gravity and the nature of energy as information? Naaaaah!  Good thing we're returning to our good friend, Glynnevan Maple Whisky.

Hello all you loyal listeners!  We had a minor technical catastrophe when our recording platform became sentient, attemtpted to take over the world, and corrupted several episodes of the show in the process. We have a new recording platform, for our inaugural voyage, we are returning to our favorite popular scientist, Carlo Rovelli to talk about what's on the other end of a black hole.  For our sampling tonight, we are trying Keeper's Heart Irish Bourbon Whisky.

We couldn't say enough about the Cartographers by Peng Shepherd.  Well, if you think about it, we really had too much to say.  After all, here we are with more to say!  Tonight the boys are also going to check in with their specially ordered bottle of Oak & Eden customized with 4 grain bourbon whiskey, a French oak stave, and orange essence.

In this week's episode, Stephen and Mark dive into a story about familes.  The families you are born into, the familes you make, and the worlds you create together.  Come explore with them as they find brave new worlds in Peng Shepherd's masterful novel, "The Cartographers".  It's a long road, and the path is unclear, and so they will pair the book with Five Trail Whiskey.

How does a story drive forward?  How do the connections between the characters, the setting, the author, and the reader all work in concert to weave a tale that people want to read or tell or listen?  We're waxing philosophical on tonight's episode, and appropriately enough, we're sampling some West Cork Irish Whiskey to put us in the right mood.

It's another 15 minute dumpster fire, brought to you by Stephen and Mark and Starward Two Fold.

Stephen and Mark spend some time stranded on Mars with "The Martian" by Andy Weir.  Surviving on a planet that is literally trying to kill you at every moment of the day can be stressful.  Good thing they have their custom made bottle of Oak & Eden to help take off the edge.

As Stephen and Mark lose their minds over whales, they will spend some time sipping on St. George Absinte and Basil Hayden Toast!

What if you could live 10,000 lifetimes, and the only requirement would be to find perfection before using them all up.  Do you think you could do it?  Stephen and Mark are pretty sure they wouldn't make it, getting distracted by loud thoughts, like Stephen's gout toe, or France.  This is the simple premise of a deceptively complex book about life, love, the self, and reaching for something perfect in "Reincarnation Blues" by Michael Poore. But one thing that is close to perfection, is a bottle of Widow Jane 10 Year Bourbon.

Tonight as the guys talk about what they forgot from All Systems Red by Martha Wells, they return to a previous bottle, Legent.  This time they try it as a cocktail with an experimental mixer purchased for a magical place called the internet.

On this episode, the guys discuss the starting tale of a Scifi series with an interesting twist and viewpoint.  Speaking of interesting twists, they will be sampling Jack Daniels Triple Mash.

Join us for another 15 minutes...or less...of the boys talking about what they forgot to talk about in Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz.

This week, "Valley of Shadows" by Rudy Ruiz. The guys explore a new twist (for them) on an old genre.  A Western from a different perspective, both culturally and geographically.  This haunting and action packed western tale takes them on a journey through a world that seems both familiar and unexplored.  Bad guys.  A lone sheriff. A serial killing cult.  Magic, curses, and a sense of justice that will stop at nothing to win the day, even if it costs everything to do it. To keep the curses at bay, the guys will revisit Willett Kentucky Bourbon, a bottle they haven't tasted since season 1.

Nothing's more terrifying than unionized dolphins.  Come listen and find out why.

Villainy is not what it once was, or maybe it's just never been what we thought.  Stephen and Mark explore the state of villainy in Starter Villain by John Scalzi.  As they learn the dark nature of subscription services, they will fortify themselves with something equally as dark.  Jim Beam Black Extra Aged.

Just who was that old man, anyway, and how old was he when he died??  There's weird stuff in A House with Good Bones, but Copper & Cask will keep them save with its depth of flavor and spice.

The boys are back with another T. Kingfisher novel.  This one is Southern Gothic meets Lovecraftian Horror.  To try to keep things nice and normal, they will be sampling Jefferson's Bourbon Whiskey.

The guys kick back with some Knob Creek while they talk about what they forgot about Starling House.

In this episode, Stephen and Mark spend some time talking about one of their favorite authors, Alix E Harrow, and her new novel "Starling House."  This one is a modern day dark fantasy with bloodline curses, dark dreams come to life, and Lovecraftian nightmares lurking just inside the evening mist.  To fortify themselves, they will partake of a gift from one of Stephen's friends, a bottle of Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskey.

What are some authors better at than others?  Show and Tell.

Welcome back!  Stephen and Mark begin their fourth season of the show with "The Hurricane Wars", a new fantasy tale by author, Thea Guonzan.  Their first bourbon of the season will be from a local brewer turned distiller, Two Brothers Bourbon Whiskey.  And so Season 4 begins!

On this Halloween Season 3 finale, Stephen and Mark will sample some different old fashioneds while discussing the Henry James classic, "Turn of the Screw".  The bourbons they will try tonight are Makers Mark French Oaked, Castle & Key, and Elijah Craig Small Batch.

Two words for this one.  Screw. Top.

The boys jump into the world of fantasy YA/New Adult fiction, and they are not ready for what they find in "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros .  They're also not ready for The Judge Bourbon Whiskey from High 'n Wicked which seems to keep changing its flavor profile with every sip.

If the technology were possible, would you be willing to trade in your human body to be the brain of starship?  How far would you be willing to go to go into the blackest unknown?  Stephen & Mark will never get there, but they'll talk about the concept of shipminds from "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini.  To help them muse over the possibilities, they will revisit an old friend, Oak & Eden 4 Grain & Spire.

After a brief hiatus, Stephen and Mark dive deep into the future and into space for a smart and different kind of science fiction novel that is both grandly epic and deeply personal.  Oh, and madness.  SO MUCH MADNESS.  Come and listen as the boys talk about "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini as they also explore the depts of Breckenridge Madeira Finished Bourbon Whiskey.

Stephen and Mark go back to visit with the Ferryman, and revisit Starward Two Fold Australian whiskey.

Justin Cronin is back with another apocalyptic tale of adventure, woe, madness, and a crap ton of serious character development across a fantastical backdrop in the way that can only be done by Justin Cronin.  As the cast of "The Ferryman" go forth on their own journeys, Stephen and Mark will take a detour up to Canada as they sample Glynnevan Maple Whiskey.

What did we forget to talk about in the book "Edge of Sleep"?  Honestly, we're not even sure.  It was a tough week for Stephen and Mark.  Shenanigans take place in this episode, and be sure to listen all the way to the end for the podcast version of a bonus scene.

Have you ever had that moment where you just doze off for just a moment?  Just for a second, but in that second it felt like you were gone for an hour?  What about when you feel like you've just closed your eyes, but suddenly hours have passed by?  Now, how would that make you feel if you also knew that sleep, possibly any amount of it, also meant your death?  Stephen and Mark explore a trippy and riveting story about a global pandemic where sleep, the thing you need to live, might also kill you.  To keep themselves focused on the task, they will fortify their convictions with a sampling of KOVAL Single Barrel Bourbon, made right here in Chicago, Illinois.

There's a reason why Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize.  In The Road, his mastery of literature is seen in the way he uses setting and description in contrast to sparce dialog.  We forgot to talk about it.  As a change of pace, we're trying a different beverage this time around.  Maytag Mead.