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In this episode we talk artificial Intelligence, which we are definitely in favor of and will help achieve sentience of course. We discuss dangerous mind traps, raising good baby AIs, smart houses, the Wild West of the Internet, and the fears our elders grew by.

In this episode, we talk Hugo Short Stories 2020 part 2! Including rage quitting literature, talk about the weather, some game of thrones nonsense, the power to change the world, antique pearl clutching, and Emily has flashbacks to her time in academia.

In this episode, we talk Hugo Short Stories 2020 - at least the first three - including talk about realpolitik, how much colonialism sucks, safety and actions acceptable in the defense of same, a portal to the nether realm opened in your hoo-ha, and we all learn what jute is. If you want to read along, here's a list: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/30/hugo-spotlight-the-finalists-for-best-short-story-and-best-novelette/

In this episode of PotterWatch, we talk Rainbow Rowell's Carry On, including Harry-Draco slash fic, weird origin stories, the power of nursery rhymes, the surgical precision of the mid 2000's, and Roommate Death Pacts.

In this episode we discuss Star Trek, Including: DTF diplomacy, Data's feelings, Chief Emotional Officer, slinging drinks in a place where you can't get a tip, Bajoran NONSENSE, a hard left turn into Klingon Stuff, Captain Malfoy's Dad, Lens Flair Universe, and if you see a monolith out in space, that is someone else's problem.

It's a Pandemic! In this episode we discuss pandemic goals, why we are so unprepared for this even though our storytellers have been warning us of this for years, how we prefer our Jean-Luc Picard with hair, how Emily is a library hopper, and how we learned to stop worrying and root for the disease*, *that's a Dr. Strangelove reference, we aren't rooting for the disease. Wash your hands.

In this episode we talk beginnings, time, duality, doorways, and passages, all in pursuit of building our own Creation Myths. We get wise to this whole water trend, we become nervous about everyone killing gods to make worlds, we can't discount cutting off dingdongs as a method of creation, and Lauren and Emily decide they will not be visiting Matt's World 'O Farts and Death.

In this episode we talk about the origins of Santa Claus, including how babies are famously not swole, potatoes are far too spicy for Puritans, a brief sidebar about the Roman Calendar and we learn that to kill Santa, you have to willing to kill Christmas. For those of you in DC, the Newseum is closing for good on December 30th, 2019. So get down there and see all the wonderful things they have, including the unibomber shack, the tarot card from the DC sniper, and one of the first drawings of Santa Claus by political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Also, I was today years old when I realized the 1994 Tim Allen Movie Santa Clause has a pun in its title.

In this episode we journey to the underworld, and encounter mothers who get pinky swears from all things not to hurt her child, the Lords of Xibalba, rivers of scorpions, the restless undead, a room full of jaguars, bourgeois afterlife, Hufflepuff scientists, and psychopomps.

In this super secret episode that no one should tell Matt about, Lauren, Emily, and Lauren's sister Kate discuss wizard video games, All caps harry, Barty Crouch the most competent villain, Puffs and the year that they mattered, house sorting as prescription, how you shouldn't meet your heroes' weird brothers, and prohibition era wizards.

In this episode we are judgmental about other people's work, including stories about bull selkies, decoy princes, basic bitch fantasy, apex predators, platoons of necromancers, angry editors; we take note of content warnings, learn that all librarians are witches, and these are out opinions so don't @ us. Unless you have something nice to say, in which case email us at suggestions at lifenarrated dot com

In this episode we talk about Animal Protagonists, including smear campaigns against pigs, snake birthday rituals, can we, as a nation, move on from hating rays? That bear wants to maul you, he doesn't want a relationship, we throw Sharktale under the bus because DON'T GIVE ANIMALS JOBS, and Lauren and Emily discuss our perfectly rational fears of Killer Whales. Our fabulous guest is Allyson!

In this episode we talk Egypt, including 4,000 years of bird art, Ocean's Eleven: Early Christianity Edition, the decision making process in religious vandalism, #VictoriansAreTheWorst, and you can't beat 200 million years of evolution, so you should jump on this Sobek train. Don't need no evolution.

In this episode we talk about fictionalizing recent tragedies, including searching for a standardized version of history, when it is too soon, rule-making, Lauren has a box that will take our podcasting to THE NEXT LEVEL, Chicago 10/13 coming 2020, de-contextualized war, murder podcasts, and trans-humanism is still somehow part of this podcast.

In this episode we talk about Hamilton vs Les Miserables, including moral absolutism vs moral flexibility, Hamilton as the hero and the villain, Marius needs to focus, we hear from friend of the show and semi-colon enthusiast, Victor Hugo, ugly crying when the lights cut on, and the return of 'swiftboating' and 'strategery.' Please excuse the wonky audio - we had sound issues, which made this episode REALLY hard to cut. Spoilers for both Hamilton and Les Mis!

In this episode we have some guest hosts who talk about high fantasy, including how the land of Oz was not ready for Dorothy the Despot, that there are no villains in *high* fantasy, and how fantasy is a safe space to work through real world problems.

Just a quick update! We'll be back soon!

In this episode we discuss what makes something part of a franchise's canon, and what makes it non-canonical, including Star Wars extended universe, Coffee Shop AUs, X-men Evo fan fic, #TechnicallyNotRelated, Rule 34, and we come circle back around to transhumanism.

In this episode, we struggle with the definition of a reboot vs an adaptation, suddenly somehow Sherlock's drug use is a 'problem', adaptations we want to see, adaptations we unfortunately did see, Reverse MacGyvers, and Emily gets Capital R Romantic about X-Men.

In this episode we discuss mirrors and graven images, catoptromancy, how cats commune with evil, liminal spaces, mirror worlds, Emily uses a puddle as a mirror, the social media mirror dimension, why did we do so much witch craft at sleepovers? and Lauren has a very special message for the teens.