166 episodes

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

LeVar Burton Reads LeVar Burton and Stitcher

    • Arts
    • 4.7 • 17 Ratings

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

    Immersive Remix: "The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden

    Immersive Remix: "The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden

    A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who's come to study from another planet. Find more of the author's work at www.nickydrayden.com.

    • 34 min
    Immersive Remix: "The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar

    Immersive Remix: "The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar

    A young girl explores her own power, and finds kinship with a bird of prey.

    • 46 min
    Immersive Remix: "The Last Cheng Beng Gift" by Jaymee Goh

    Immersive Remix: "The Last Cheng Beng Gift" by Jaymee Goh

    A family matriarch takes up residence in the Underworld.

    • 34 min
    Immersive Remix: "The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron

    Immersive Remix: "The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron

    A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst.

    "The Usual Santas" appears in Mick Herron's collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.

    • 39 min
    "River's Giving" by Heather Shaw, Tim Pratt, and River Shaw

    "River's Giving" by Heather Shaw, Tim Pratt, and River Shaw

    A mystical phenomenon brightens the dreary days of winter — until one year, when it suddenly stops.

    • 37 min
    "The King of Bread" by Luis Alberto Urrea

    "The King of Bread" by Luis Alberto Urrea

    A boy discovers his father's hidden kingdom.

    This story appears in the anthology Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, published by Algonquin Books. Find more from Luis Alberto Urrea at luisurrea.com.

    • 48 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
17 Ratings

17 Ratings

glibglobpokemon ,

Made me appreciate my own culture

I used to read so many books when I was younger, but after I started working, I just didn’t seem to have the time. I tried audiobooks, but the joy of blasting through an epic saga in one sitting is almost impossible when listening to a much longer audio version. These short stories read by Mr. Levar Burton are exactly the right length for a quick breather from the daily toil of life, and give me the escape I used to enjoy when lost in a paperback novel.

When Levar read “A Kite of Stars” by Dean Francis Alfar, I was shocked at never having heard of the story, although Alfar is a well-known author in my country. I was in the mall where I had been listening to the podcast, and had to retreat to a public bathroom to cry for a while at the impact the ending made on me. From what I have heard so far, a common theme of the stories Levar likes is that life is hard, often unfair, and you often question the meaning of it all, but there is beauty in this world, and you can still do great things, even though your heart aches.

This podcast is very well-produced and Mr. Burton reads beautifully, even though it was amusing to hear him place the emphasis on the wrong syllable of ‘tikbalang’ and some other Filipino words, which is obviously excusable and his effort highly commendable. I was so happy he picked a story from our country to read and realized I don’t give enough credit to my own culture and history (colonial mentality is still strong here). I can not recommend this podcast enough to people who have fallen out of the habit of reading, as these short stories are manageable little episodes to get you back in the groove.

carljavier ,

Love this podcast. Perfect for literature fans

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow and it instilled in me a love of stories. This is a wonderful podcast to run into now, continuing Mr. Burton's wonderful work in making literature accessible.

I enjoy not just the well produced readings but also the author interviews. Great listening.

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