Clinch: A Podcast of Fiction and Not-Fictio‪n‬ Zachary Bartels

This is a rarity- explicitly Christian fiction of real quality, sound theology, and fun for any age. Highly recommend!

I have one criticism of this podcast: waiting for the next episode is excruciating! Ok, that’s a little strong. There’s not any actual pain involved, but really, it’s too good to wait for more than a week. Zach’s fiction is tight and suspenseful with plenty of humor. His characters are slightly cartoonish without being cliche, providing a lightness of tone that doesn’t lower the stakes. His non-fiction windows into the worlds of writing and publishing are just as intriguing (if less suspenseful), and his guests, all engaging in their own right, benefit from Zach’s relaxed and playful interview style. All this to say, wait till the season is done and binge it. Because the episode frequency is nothing to set your clock by.

I love this podcast. As much as I enjoy the guests and talk about the publishing world, I’m always more than a bit impatient for Zach to get to the story. His reading voice is fantastic, and his story-writing skills are brilliant. When I listened to the first chapter, I wasn’t sure that I was going to enjoy the story, but I’m so glad I gave it another chance! Now I’m addicted, and I can’t wait for more Clinch! It never fails to brighten my day when I see the notification that another episode has been posted.