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John Zhu
Classic Chinese novels and stories, retold in English and in a way that makes them more accessible to non-Chinese audiences. chineselore.com
Gods 038: Clash of Titans
Boosted by some new help, Wen Zhong finally faces off against Jiang Ziya.
26:4218/09/2023
Gods 037: Pins and Needles
A missing umbrella and seemingly every slain foe's refusal to stay dead are proving to be a pain for the commanders of the Shang army.
25:2204/09/2023
Gods 036: Devils of A Time
Jiang Ziya gives his foes a taste of the future hell that is climate change, but soon finds himself besieged by even more powerful enemies.
25:2628/08/2023
Gods 035: Feeling the Heat
The action and the weather get hot as the Zhou and Shang continue to clash.
25:3921/08/2023
Gods 034: Fantastic Beasts
Riding into battle on a horse is so passé.
25:5207/08/2023
Gods 033: Head to Head
Jiang Ziya goes back to his master for help, and gets tasked with an errand instead.
25:1931/07/2023
Gods 032: Changes of Heart
Grand Tutor Wen sends an army West to teach Jiang Ziya and company a lesson about offering sanctuary to rebels.
25:3924/07/2023
Gods 031: Finding A Perch
Flying Tiger and company continue the worst family road trip ever.
25:1210/07/2023
Gods 030: Daddy Issues
Flying Tiger faces his most daunting foe yet on his flight West: his father.
24:3803/07/2023
Gods 029: Revived, Reunited
Let’s focus more on who rescued whom and less on who kidnapped whose baby, said the Daoist master.
26:0426/06/2023
Gods 028: Rage and Regret
Grand Tutor Wen returns from another campaign and asks King Zhou, "Oh what the heck did you do now?!"
25:3812/06/2023
Gods 027: Family Feud
A character faces a tough choice: Tick off his ancestors, or tick off everyone else.
26:3105/06/2023
Gods 026: Law and Disorder
Grand Tutor Wen makes some progress on restoring order at court. Let's see how long that lasts.
26:0129/05/2023
Gods 025: Heart to Heart
King Zhou sinks further into depravity, until the party comes to a screeching halt.
26:5015/05/2023
Gods 024: Cloak and Dagger
King Zhou gets a new pleasure terrace, a party with gods, and a comfy new article of clothing.
26:1108/05/2023
Gods 023: Cribbing from the Classics
Ji Chang and his ministers come perilously close to plagiarism in their search for a capable adviser.
26:2301/05/2023
Gods 022: Flying Bear
Ji Chang undertakes a monumental construction project of his own and dreams about airborne mythical creatures.
25:0117/04/2023
Gods 021: Bringing the Thunder
Ji Chang gets his own X-man escort while trying to evade the king’s henchies.
25:4310/04/2023
Gods 020: Flashback
We find out how Ji Chang's freedom was won, or bought.
24:1403/04/2023
Gods 019: Monkey Business
An alleged simian assassination attempt is only a minor part of the insanity at court this week.
25:1520/03/2023
Gods 018: Hand-Eye Coordination
Another Shang official discovers the price of offering loyal advice to the king.
25:0713/03/2023
Gods 017: Serpents’ Lair
Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
25:3506/03/2023
Gods 016: Outrageous Fortunes
Jiang Ziya finally discovers something he's good at, and of course it lands him in trouble.
25:2420/02/2023
Gods 015: Going into Industry
A major character explores a career change after 40 years cultivating his Dao.
24:1413/02/2023
Gods 014: Family Feud
Nezha "returns his flesh and blood" to his parents, in the most literal way.
26:3106/02/2023
Gods 013: Slings and Arrows
Li Jing gets another visit from an angry neighbor about his troublesome son.
24:4123/01/2023
Gods 012: Sea of Trouble
A dragon king tells the neighbor's punk kid to turn it down, with unforeseen consequences.
26:1116/01/2023
Gods 011: Superstition
Ji Chang makes the trouble he predicted for himself come true by predicting trouble for others.
25:4509/01/2023
Gods 010: T.G.I.F
The ministers at the Shang court wrap up a rather intense work week, and King Zhou is still just getting started.
25:0026/12/2022
Gods 009: Fugitives
Left alone by their rescuers, the two princes set out on their quest to raise armies to avenge their mother.
25:3719/12/2022
Gods 008: Broken Nest
The death of the queen proves to be just the start of the day's drama.
24:5212/12/2022
Gods 007: A Poke in the Eye
Hell hath no fury like a fox demon scorned.
25:4828/11/2022
Gods 006: Creative Cruelty
The tension between court ministers and the king's new lover comes to a boil.
26:0021/11/2022
Gods 005: Foxy Lady
Daji makes quite the first impression on the king, much to his ministers' chagrin.
25:1414/11/2022
Gods 004: Father of the Year
With the enemy at his gates, Su Hu decides to lay the blame where it belongs -- on the teenage daughter who has not even appeared in the story yet.
25:0331/10/2022
Gods 003: Rivers of Blood
The upstart marquis Su Hu braces for the king’s wrath.
24:4124/10/2022
Gods 002: Too Hot to Trot
Our story opens with a lesson in governing 101: Do not ogle creation goddesses through poem.
26:2517/10/2022
Gods 001: Introduction
A brief overview of the next novel I’m covering, a leading work in the genre of gods and demons fiction.
03:5717/10/2022
Water Margin 135: Next
Wrapping up the Water Margin Podcast and revealing my next project.
38:2420/06/2022
Water Margin 134: Epilogue
Our heroes go their separate ways, and then gather again … sort of.
45:0523/05/2022
Water Margin 133: Parting
Song Jiang continues his journey back to the capital, but how many of his brothers are coming with him?
26:3116/05/2022
Water Margin 132: Tides
Fang La makes a desperate last stand against the Song forces.
24:5102/05/2022
Water Margin 131: Pincer
With the end of the campaign within reach, Song Jiang’s forces converge on the rebels’ palace.
25:0625/04/2022
Water Margin 130: Dragon
Eager to avenge more slain comrades, Song Jiang charges headlong into trouble.
26:1118/04/2022
Water Margin 129: Exposed
Song Jiang suffers setbacks on land and water, but his enemy isn’t doing any better.
25:0604/04/2022
Water Margin 128: Possessed
Song Jiang gets a heaven-sent opportunity, while the rebel emperor gets some help of his own.
23:3628/03/2022
Water Margin 127: Losses
Song Jiang gets another mixed bag of heartbreaks and victories.
25:0821/03/2022
Water Margin 126: Lake
One of the naval chieftains undertakes a dangerous nighttime mission.
23:3107/03/2022
Water Margin 125: Outlaws
A few of our heroes run into some guys who remind them of how they used to be.
24:4728/02/2022
Water Margin 124: Grief
Song Jiang encounters more victories and more losses as his army pushes south.
24:5621/02/2022