The Shrieking Shack

The Shrieking Shack
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Two lapsed Harry Potter fans on a journey back through the books they (used to) love so much. Updates every Friday!

  1. SHHG! Finale: Writing About War(?)

    03/31/2025

    SHHG! Finale: Writing About War(?)

    Mockingjay finale We finally did it! We've finished the original Hunger Games trilogy, and boy do we have a lot to say about how little this series had to say. You would think there would be some big ideas in a story that ends with a horrific false flag atrocity, a member of the core love triangle making cluster munitions, and multiple megalomaniacs being betrayed, but... nope! Mostly it's about how sometimes you've just gotta do you. Or something. We turn to the tantalizingly-titled 'Writing About War' interview that's intrigued us for the whole show for insights instead. We also chat about LitRPG fiction, "cozy" mysteries, pulp, and a little bit more about our upcoming project!

    1h 16m
  2. SHHG! Episode 27: The Nut

    11/26/2024

    SHHG! Episode 27: The Nut

    Mockingjay Act II It's half sludge, half hunger this week! We check in with The Franchise's upcoming media and merchandising blitz, and then discuss the second act of Mockingjay, which... wow! That's a bit much! There's a lot of heavy stuff in this book that is not presented particularly well or interestingly, so make sure to check the content warnings below. Finally, we return to the world of 2010s fanfiction with a shocking third segment reveal. (Content warning: Mockingjay introduces sex trafficking into the mix this act, and we don't love the way it's handled--it's typical corny thriller "I was actually a secret information broker" stuff, but it's a big chunk of the story so if you don't want to hear us dunking on that, skip 00: 40:48 to 1:02:25)

    1h 24m
  3. SHHG! Episode 26: Snape Accuracy

    11/04/2024

    SHHG! Episode 26: Snape Accuracy

    Mockingjay Act 1 We're back to it! We discuss act one of Mockingjay, a book that dares to ask: is filming wrestling promos just as bad as running a dystopian fiefdom? The people cry out for a teenage superhero to jump out in front of a smoke machine and say character select screen phrases, and only Katniss can answer the call. We discuss the loaded imagery and its relationship to the more heightened plot movements, whether or not we care about the love triangle anymore, and ponder whether this is about anything specific or if the series has just gotten too far into the reality TV weeds. We also check in on a brand new Harry Potter fan subreddit dedicated to complaining about the TV show that doesn't exist yet.

    1h 23m
  4. The Shriek at Bakura, pt. 3: Airport Bar Brawl

    07/23/2024

    The Shriek at Bakura, pt. 3: Airport Bar Brawl

    The Truce at Bakura, chapters 15-21 We conclude our detour into the Star Wars expanded universe this week! We discuss the finale of Luke's adventures on Bakura, which involve cutting a bunch of dinosaurs' heads off, using his mind to kill a bunch of bugs eating his guts, and a lot of hanging around at an airport bar. We also chat about meeting celebrities, local Harry Potter conventions, and goof off in a little third segment game! (We talk about Acolyte spoilers up through ep. 7--not the finale!--so if you've wanting to watch that, skip ahead 5 minutes when we bring it up)

    1h 8m
  5. The Shriek at Bakura Pt. 2: They Put Bugs in Luke

    06/17/2024

    The Shriek at Bakura Pt. 2: They Put Bugs in Luke

    The Truce at Bakura, chapters 8-14 After a few weeks of unprecedented circumstances, we're back to continue examining The Truce at Bakura. This novel is asking some fascinating questions, like: how did they put bugs in Luke Skywalker? Will Luke Skywalker get some with this Imperial senator? Will the bugs inside of him make that awkward?

    1 hr
  6. The Shriek at Bakura Pt. 1

    04/29/2024

    The Shriek at Bakura Pt. 1

    The Truce at Bakura chapters 1-7 We're back! Work has been kicking both of our asses lately, but we've finally convened to discuss the first third of the fascinating Star Wars Legends novel 'The Truth at Bakura'--as a little break between Hunger Games novels. Have you ever wondered what happened after Return of the Jedi? Like, maybe fifteen minutes after the movie ends? Well, it turns out some dinosaurs are putting guys' brains in droids and only Luke Skywalker and his friends can save them. How will he do that? Well, so far it seems like mostly by taking meetings. We discuss the bizarre plot, the interesting author, and the broader spectrum of mass media franchises being strung along forever by mass market paperbacks.

    1h 35m
  7. SHHG! Episode 25: Finnick-Beete-Nutz

    03/25/2024

    SHHG! Episode 25: Finnick-Beete-Nutz

    This week we convene to enjoy a big, warm bowl of classic Shriekcast third segment style content as we check in with Quora questions about Catching Fire! Epic length essays about whether or not an INTJ could win a Hunger Game, extremely dodgy political opinions, and excellence in the field of run-on-sentence construction abound. And that's not all; we've also got exciting strings updates, opinions on What's Going On With Planes, kitchen gadget nightmare scenarios, and more!

    1h 2m
  8. SHHG! Episode 24: You Should've Seen What Gollum Did

    03/06/2024

    SHHG! Episode 24: You Should've Seen What Gollum Did

    Catching Fire chapters 24-27 It's been a busy couple of weeks for both of us (working; moving) but that didn't stop us from finishing the last four chapters of Catching Fire! And boy, if we thought we were in a rush, nothing compares to this book's bizarre finale. People often offer the criticism that certain stories "just stop," but the last few moments of this novel are on their own level. We discuss the breakneck final action sequence and practically bullet-pointed list of reveals as well as checking in with strings drama, Ikea, and those three famous detectives we all know and love!

    1h 32m
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4.9
out of 5
260 Ratings

About

Two lapsed Harry Potter fans on a journey back through the books they (used to) love so much. Updates every Friday!

Information

  • Creator
    The Shrieking Shack
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    235
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Shrieking Shack

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