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In this episode, Virgil and Bob discuss The House the Blakeneys Built with their friends:

Jake from Pulp Mortem: https://www.youtube.com/ @PulpMortem

Tim from Secret Fire Books: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@secretfirebooks7894⁩

Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (January 1965).

If you'd like a refresher before listening, check out our story reading and discussion with Emma Speer. https://youtu.be/JuPb6NzR9TM

What begins as a tale of lost travelers arriving at a strange settlement soon becomes one of Avram Davidson's most unsettling explorations of tradition, conformity, isolation, and the fear of change. The conversation examines the remarkable language of the Blakeneys, the decaying grandeur of The House, the clash between progress and custom, and the story's haunting conclusion.

Is the story a warning about inbreeding and isolation? A critique of resistance to change? Or a meditation on how communities preserve themselves at all costs? Join us as we explore one of Davidson's most memorable and thought-provoking science fiction tales.

Keywords: Avram Davidson, The House The Blakeneys Built, Science Fiction, Classic Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Science Fiction, F&SF, Speculative Fiction, Vintage Sci-Fi, Weird Fiction, Literary Science Fiction, Golden Age Science Fiction, Science Fiction Podcast, Book Discussion, BookTube, Short Story Discussion, Gene Wolfe, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny, Theodore Sturgeon, Cordwainer Smith, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Secret Fire Books, Pulp Mortem

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In this episode, Virgil and Bob discuss Sacheverell, originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1964.

If you want a refresher, you can listen to the story and our conversation with Ryan Sprinkle.

https://youtu.be/NzyRt4Z3Zbo?si=5s39FQGpHyx2h5gv

Episode Summary:
Virgil and Bob dive into one of Avram Davidson’s wonderfully strange and darkly funny tales, where appearances, assumptions, and human nature all get turned upside down. Sacheverell mixes absurdity, social commentary, and Davidson's trademark oddness into a story that starts with a mysterious figure in a room and unfolds into something far stranger than expected. Along the way, expect discussion about fear, prejudice, manipulation, who the real "beast" might be, and how Davidson somehow manages to make readers laugh while making them slightly uncomfortable at the same time. Also likely: detours into Davidson himself and appreciation for stories that become weirder the longer you think about them.

Hashtags:
#Sacheverell #AvramDavidson #FantasyAndScienceFiction #FandSF #WeirdFiction #ClassicFantasy #SpeculativeFiction #BookPodcast #FantasyPodcast #ScienceFiction #LiteraryPodcast #ShortStories #CultFiction #FantasyReaders #BobAndVirgil #RyanSprinkle #VintageFantasy #BookDiscussion #SurrealFiction #LiteraryFantasy

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In this episode, Virgil and Bob discuss The Hills Behind Hollywood High, originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (April 1983), written by Grania Davis and Avram Davidson.

If you want a refresher, you can listen to the story and our conversation with Scott Bradfield: thttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUY9iRDtaIk

Episode Summary: What happens when old Hollywood dreams, strange transformations, satire, and pure absurdity collide? Virgil and Bob wander into the bizarre hills behind Hollywood High, where ordinary teenagers, beauty standards, movie culture, and Davidson-style weirdness crash together in ways only Grania Davis and Avram Davidson could imagine. Expect discussion about Hollywood illusions, identity, transformation, the strange price of fitting in, and why some of the funniest stories can also be deeply unsettling. Along the way, they’ll probably take a few side roads through old Los Angeles, forgotten movie culture, and the delightfully odd corners where fantasy and satire overlap.

#FantasyLiterature #AvramDavidson #GraniaDavis #hollywoodhighlights #FantasyAndScienceFiction #bookpodcast #classicfantasy #sciencefiction #weirdfiction #literarypodcast #OldHollywood #speculativefiction #fantasyreaders #podcastepisode