Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast

Thomas Pynchon books discussed here!
  • 4.8 (49)
  • BOOKS

Each episode, we take a deep-dive into the book we are focusing on—we explore the references, characters, plot, and everything in between from a non-scholarly point of view. We are just four fans who love these books and can talk about them endlessly.

  1. Best Reads of 2025

    6D AGO

    Best Reads of 2025

    It's the end of the year, so we decided to talk about some books we read in 2025 that weren't Pynchon. Of course, we decided to do this after we finished recording a 4+ hour episode for Against the Day, so we were admittedly all a bit spacey. Anyway, hopefully you'll recognize some of these books or come away with some new stuff to add to your never-ending TBR pile. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters: As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    50 min
  2. Coming in 2026...

    12/12/2025

    Coming in 2026...

    Starting 01 February 2026, Cody and Kate will be (kinda) deep-diving into another book. What's the twist? It's not a Pynchon book (cue "shocking" sound bite). If you want to know what we're going to be covering in a monthly 10-part series within our series, give this brief explainer episode a listen! If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com

    12 min
  3. Against the Day: Chapters 24-25

    11/28/2025

    Against the Day: Chapters 24-25

    If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters: Books: Warlock by Oakley Hall; The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford by Ron Hansen; Lincoln In the Bardo by George Saunders Music: Hermanos Gutierrez - Sonido Cósmico Film/TV: The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford (2007; dir. Andrew Dominic) As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    4h 1m
  4. Against the Day: Chapters 22-23

    11/14/2025

    Against the Day: Chapters 22-23

    In hindsight, it may appear unfair to have just been gallivanting about in Europe, as we return this episode to circle the Colorado Traverses. Lake gets in too deep, while Frank scopes the surface of his enemies, and our hosts struggle to keep their guts as lust intercedes. Despite their best efforts, even fleeing the Chums' company has not freed the Mappers from the occult slings of the Outsiders. Listeners are warned of degradation in transmissions thereby. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    3h 43m
  5. Shadow Ticket (for real this time)

    10/31/2025

    Shadow Ticket (for real this time)

    Quit your scratching and bleeding and put down the rosary, the cure of all your anxieties has arrived! At long last, the Mapping the Zone Review of Shadow Ticket, Spoilerful Edition, has been released, and it's packed with more hot takes and thrilling twists than any diehard fans of the storied Spoiler-free episode could have imagined. The hype is NOT TOO HIGH! If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters: Books: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Ulysses by James Joyce Music: The Third Man (OST) by Anton Karas, Green Street, Grant’s First Stand, Idle Moments, Nigeria by Grant Green TV/Film: Brazil (dir. Terry Gilliam, 1985), The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed, 1949), The Long Goodbye (dir. Robert Altman, 1973) As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    2h 9m
  6. Shadow Ticket: Spoiler Free review

    10/25/2025

    Shadow Ticket: Spoiler Free review

    It's finally here and we got to read it! Shadow Ticket, the newest (and perhaps final) novel by Thomas Pynchon is out in the wild and we are here with a spoiler-free review for those who may not have had a chance to read it as of yet. We will have a longer, more in-depth review episode out on 31 October 2025, so stay tuned for that if you wanted a more nuanced discussion of our thoughts on the novel. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters: Music: Béla Bartók As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    1h 8m
  7. Against the Day: Chapter 21

    10/17/2025

    Against the Day: Chapter 21

    Wid'ya lookit that! It's been a hundred pages since our paths last crossed the Chums' of Chance, and here they are, in Venice. That ain't the only coincidence at hand, no, far too many'a them... Something's wrong. Still, hoping to keep with the patriotic aeronauts, and the history presented, our crew resorts to conspiratorial means of tracking the plot. Those mirrors 'n lenses had better help with that map, eh? If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    2h 40m
  8. Bonus Episode - One Battle After Another

    10/03/2025

    Bonus Episode - One Battle After Another

    Once in a lifetime, a moment comes around, and one has with the latest film from auteur director Paul Thomas Anderson! We take that moment to assess the film on its own merit, but not without respect to the weight of its primary credited influence, Vineland. Is Sean Penn the next Christian Bale? Just how Pynchonian has PTA gotten lately? Will anyone even need to read the old crank again, with adaptations like these? Answers to these questions, and more, await the listeners of our definitive, and complete, review of One Battle After Another. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com

    1h 49m
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4.8
out of 5
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About

Each episode, we take a deep-dive into the book we are focusing on—we explore the references, characters, plot, and everything in between from a non-scholarly point of view. We are just four fans who love these books and can talk about them endlessly.

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