Paper Cuts
106 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago -A genre of show I like to call a Live Audiobook, essentially, I pick a book, and read it live, over on http://www.twitch.tv/Glacier_Nester/ after which, the episodes come up here! Originally, this started out over on St. Ambrose University's online student-run radio, The Stinger. While we mostly focus on works of science fiction, anything family friendly's game around here, as long as reading it won't get me in trouble!
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Episodes
The Time Machine
March 31, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 164 MBOnce again, I return to a personal favorite of mine, this time in The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. As I note in the episode, I absolutely fell in LOVE with h.g.'s writing as a kid, there's just so much to enjoy, even divorced of context as I originally read it. The Time Machine in particular, though, really shines if you learn more of the context this book was written in. It's actually quite a biting commentary on the aggressive stratification of that era's society, and what an extrapolation...
And So the Wizard Baked a Cake...
March 31, 2024 17:00 - 2 hours - 313 MBFirst off, major points to the wizard of oz movie, not only is it the delightful classic we all love to see, they really didn't miss much in the way of adapation, in my humble opinion. Sure, sure, they cut the porcelain people, but they're not really of much consequence to the story at large. My only real complaint proper was cutting the expansion on the backstory of the flying monkeys, which, to be fair, was mostly just nice to know. I'm not really quite sure where they could have managed t...
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
February 29, 2024 22:00 - 2 hours - 279 MBWe're off on a journey into what the author, L. Frank Baum, calls a modern fairytale, to see another one of the real hits of the public domain, this time digging into the antics of not just Dorothy, but all her delightful friends, besides! Well, really, we meet her major enemy as well, and what most people would call (and I'm putting this charitably here) a charlatan! A con man, even! Well, I mean, how else would you ask me to interpret those required green sunglasses, huh? Confused as to wh...
Forgetha? Is that what the planet is called?
February 29, 2024 18:00 - 3 hours - 406 MBWith a name like The Forgotten Planet, you immediately wonder what's going to cause someone to forget a WHOLE PLANET, but this particular tale really takes us on some twists and turns before we find out just what's going on, there. As I say, a lot of these old short story collections from the public domain have a surprising quantity of solid concepts, writing, and even execution! Aren't you glad I go trawling through the massive libraries of text available to find only the best for the show?...
An Astounding Volume of Aliens
February 01, 2024 01:00 - 2 hours - 316 MBFrom high in the air, there is a terror descending upon us. No, no, not like that, it's some kind of menace in the air lanes! Well, if we're getting out of the way of that, we should head to space proper! Need something really special? Why not head for someplace uncharted! Well, I've heard tell of a forgotten planet that'd have all sorts of neat stuff within. Ah, I see, I see, you don't have the stomach for space travel, well, there's quite the series of events going on down south, if you'...
Astounding Stories, July 1930
January 31, 2024 23:19 - 2 hours - 244 MBCelebrating a huge milestone for the twitch audience, we dive into another issue of Astounding Stories! This time, in the July 1930 issue, we'll dive into many stories, not the least of which being one in which we learn of a world blocked from its final frontier. What lies beyond the heaviside layer? What noble heroes may operate the flyer managing to plumb the depths of this, our darkest sea? And most importantly, will the reporter make it back in time to get that front page byline? Of cour...
Stony Reception from This Crowd!
December 16, 2023 04:30 - 2 hours - 226 MBOur time in the Crystal Age, brief as though it has been, made for quite the tale! Loads of twists and turns have lead us throughout this stunning little pastoral view of a future that did not come to pass. How they went for our main character? Well, you've heard two thirds of it already, so I'm sure you'll enjoy the remaining piece! I know, I know, I say I enjoy every story we wind up reading on the show, but this one's really got some potential to an adaptation! Maybe it's just the huge...
Literacy is a Gift!
December 16, 2023 04:00 - 2 hours - 271 MBAs we continue the tale of our intrepid isekai protagonist, we find that he is, unlike the standard isekai lad, having trouble with the local language. That darn semantic shift, it really does come for us all! Luckily, we're not quite so impacted by this trouble, unless you're also digging up old and middle english texts (like I've been doing offscreen, considering giving a few a read for the show!). However, like the isekai protagonists who do struggle with literacy, he's got a teacher,...
A Crystal Age
August 31, 2023 22:46 - 1 hour - 204 MBI must admit, when I got around to editing this episode, I genuinely didn't remember much about the opening of this book. It definitely leans into that old problem that these public domain books have, where at the time, the opening would have been quite thrilling, but something's changed in the intervening years, and it takes its sweet time getting your attention. Maybe I'm just jaded by the absolute glut of isekai lately, where the protagonist dies (or nearly does so), only to find themselv...
The Five Jars
August 31, 2023 22:26 - 2 hours - 283 MBFall is a great time to dive into tales of the supernatural, and what's more supernatural than your local fair folk, hm? Well, don't get me wrong here, fall's just the best time, I can enjoy a wild tale of a man who's on a journey to see and hear things far beyond what he ought to be experiencing any time! That makes this particular story a great fit for the moment both you, me, and past-me who recorded it, at least, if you ask me. I gotta admit, I'm curious about M.R. James' other work afte...
Martian Rays of Rebellion
July 20, 2023 18:30 - 2 hours - 297 MBWe travel farther into the wild world of the red planet, led on and on and on by our dear protagonist, John Carter, who definitely is NOT a Mary Sue and you SHOULDN'T flame Borroughs on AO3 about it, no way. I goof, but seriously, this is a fantastic example of how a wildly overpowered main character simply needs to be written carefully to make for engaging storytelling. I mean, the guy teaches himself TELEPATHY and I'm still interested in just how things will shake out despite how buckwild ...
A Princess of Mars
July 20, 2023 18:00 - 2 hours - 292 MBOk, Ok, enough short stories for now. Let's dive into a book that was SUPER popular for its time, and one that honestly, I'm shocked had its popularity killed by the botched disney adaptation. I mean, for context, Edgar Rice Borroughs' other major work, Tarzan, is EASILY recognizable and often parodied (I mean, look at how often the stereotypical "Yell while swinging on a vine" trope is used!), and yet, I was genuinely surprised by most of the twists and turns in this one! Sure, there's some...
The Micro Water Eater
June 11, 2023 19:47 - 1 hour - 128 MBDefinitely didn't forget to click publish, nuh uh, no way! This batch of stories gets kinda wild in its concepts, very much a creeping horror in its science fiction! Not only do we discover the almost religious terror that can be inspired by the unknown, but we also discover that you REALLY should handle your household products with care, it's not only mustard gas you could be making by accident! Also, we get WHAMMIED by a punch I thought Vonnegut was going to pull. In retrospect, I'm ...
Fall of the Lost Kazoofalum into the Pit
June 11, 2023 19:34 - 3 hours - 389 MBGuess who forgot to click publish on this? it's me! I did that! This week, we dive into another couple of short stories, this time hitting up two huge Halloween favorites you may have read in English class, Fall of the House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum! I'm a known enjoyer of Poe's general creeping horror, and also a HUGE sucker for weird old science fiction premises, so The Lost Kazoofalum also really appeals to my interests. Can you tell me focusing on the short stories is equa...
Ring for the Cask of Sleepy Hollow
May 30, 2023 23:27 - 2 hours - 239 MBAnother batch of short stories in this episode, gang! Some personal favorites of mine this time (I know, I know, I say a lot of the books on here are my favorites, but I genuinely DO love the creeping horror of Amontillado, and Ring Once for Death inverts a trope that I think sorely needs inverting, anyway!) alongside one that, I must admit, I really didn't care for on my first english class reading, and was really begging to be removed from that stuffy, academic context. Well, that, or I ju...
Alice Through the Looking Glass
April 01, 2023 00:50 - 3 hours - 340 MBWierdly enough, I remember as a kid reading Through the Looking Glass much more often than the original tale. There was always something about the way it went, I just preferred it. Or maybe it was just easier to find in the collection of children's stories my grandma left on my bedside table when I slept up there? Who knows, either way this one is one of my favorites, even if I don't bother with any of its adaptations. I will say, I'm very glad I finished this one in one episode, it's always...
Moonset Mindset
April 01, 2023 00:37 - 3 hours - 373 MBThis time, we finish up The First Men in the Moon! Just what happens to our intrepid hero when he lands upon our earthly shores once more, and more importantly, will he save his more scientifically minded comrade? No spoilers, but I think the ending we got was a great way to set end things off! Honestly, the big surprise is how great that short story we read in the second half is, if you ask me. Really great stuff, plays off of the trope I was expecting in a fascinating fashion, as the pedig...
A Gilded Chain Still Binds
February 10, 2023 19:00 - 2 hours - 293 MBThe Cavorite is working its lovely gravity defying magic, and so Idina Menzel isn't the only one soaring to new heights around here! The moon is a most peculiar place, with odd blue lights, odder little mushroom lads that would do NUMBERS on tumblr today, and outright strange folk tending weird little cattle. If only we could bottle the solid air they're finding on the moon, I'd love to have a little novelty bottle of "fresh lunar air" to open up when I'm needing a little pick-me-up! Actuall...
The First Men in the Moon
February 10, 2023 17:00 - 3 hours - 329 MBA new book is always a lovely sight around here, and that goes double for starting a new book from a favorite author of mine. H.G. Wells is solidly a member of the english canon for a reason, sure, but he's also just plain and simple a nostalgic author for me to read. Sure, I really only zoned in on a few books of his, but that just leaves us plenty of room to find new tales of his here! Also, please tell me I'm not the only one who's getting wires crossed about H.G. the actual author, and...
Return of the Cowboy
December 10, 2022 18:58 - 2 hours - 250 MBIn this, our pentultimate dive into Dracula, we find that there's no shortage of good old fashioned american gusto. Yep, our good friend Quincy Morris has returned to the story, and in stereotypical fashion, rather than listening to the expert on the matter of vampiric weaknesses, he just straight up SHOOTS AT DRACULA! Fun fact, in an early draft of the book, Quincy was supposed to show up with a WHOLE MACHINE GUN in the final act! Not kidding, you can look it up! What a wild twist that woul...
Dracula Falls
December 10, 2022 18:00 - 5 hours - 645 MBListen, I'm not normally one for the whole style of epilogue that comes up at the end of this book, but I really think it shines here! Not every book earns just how that end changes the context of the original final scene, but given the absolute MESS the gang went through, I think they deserve a little comfortable time. And no, I wouldn't call that a spoiler, you don't know how they got to that epilogue! This is a really REALLY long episode, but I couldn't help myself, felt silly to break th...
Distractions DELETED
November 10, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 199 MBIf you can believe it, this episode was originally at least an hour longer! I put in a lot of leg work on this one, splicing sentences, cutting distractions and side-tangents, and most of all, refining the crackle for the Seward sections of the book. I really like how this one came together, even if I had to ditch the 20-plus minute long diversion into the history of hypnotism, and how it arose from studies on mesmerism, animal magnetism, and generalized occultist whatnot. To be fair, it's...
A Vampire? NO, TWO VAMPIRES!
November 10, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 150 MBWe were all waiting on bated breath for this one, I think. When is the mask on this terror going to come off, how are things going to resolve with Lucy, when's Van Helsing going to show up, the tension was ratcheting rapidly! Just because we've reached a small resolution on those, dear listener, don't think the thrills and chills are quite over with, no no! This book's still got a whole 'nother act behind it, and there's a few details from the section early on with the paprika and shaving m...
The Count's Counting Coatman
November 10, 2022 17:00 - 2 hours - 271 MBAs we work our way further into this much-beloved vampire tale, we find that there's a reason an overly-devoted minion of a monster is occasionally called a Renfield! That's right, we're spending more time with everyone's favorite counting-obsessed cuckoo, and boy will you hate what he's up to with those flies! Outside of our time with Doctor Seward, there's plenty else happening, for that matter. Where's all Lucy's blood going? What's up with her mom? will that american guy show up again? I...
Dracula
October 10, 2022 22:29 - 3 hours - 345 MBAlright, onto a seasonally appropriate classic, Dracula! This book just kept surprising me, I'll be honest, you really think you know a book from a few modern adaptations but there's so much more to unpack here! This episode really dives deep into the little details of the internet's favorite blorbo, Johnathan Harker, and the great time he had getting that delicious recipe for paprika hendl. I won't lie, I do very much want to make myself some paprika hendl after that description. Also a ...
Time Has Resumed it's Flow!
October 10, 2022 18:40 - 2 hours - 259 MBFinally, that mysterious extra day draws to a close, just as inexplicably as it had started. As for us, however, we're not leaving the extra day unaffected. Perhaps you're like me, and find that you have a greater appreciation for the whimsy in your day to day life, or perhaps the glories of the nature around you have been opened to your eyes, or maybe something else about this book has touched you! No matter the case, I loved this book, and judging by the comparison I made to one of my chil...
The Birds Know, Do We?
September 11, 2022 01:24 - 2 hours - 271 MBLuckily, since this book is set before 1986, the birds are actual birds and not an elaborate series of surveillance cameras, so they can impart their secrets! And you know what they say? I hear it was something about "Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana", but that's just a rumor, so don't quote me! Join us live, friday nights, on twitch! https://www.twitch.tv/glacier_nester Want to read along with me? (it helps when my character voices are hard to hear, promise!...
Time Stand Still
September 11, 2022 01:08 - 2 hours - 272 MBTime and space have begun to act oddly on the dear children who lead our story, but just what form does that take? You've got to listen to find out! Perhaps the flowers beneath your feet have more answers than they let on, or the trees have something hiding in their hedgerows? Come join us on twitch, friday nights! https://www.twitch.tv/glacier_nester Wanna read along? Come snag the book over on gutenberg! https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5894 Have things to say about the book? ...
Adventures Most Peculiar
August 10, 2022 18:54 - 2 hours - 72.9 MBLocal man enjoys the heck out of a children's book, but hey, what's new? This time around, we find that the kiddo's dear uncle (who, really, despite writing for an entirely different genre of novel, feels a bit like a self-insert from Blackwood, imho) was not idly promising various adventures for each of the kids. We spend some time among the daisies, and spend further time traipsing about through a forest, looking for something that's quite aggressively elusive. Sound like a fun time? The a...
The Extra Day
August 10, 2022 18:00 - 2 hours - 290 MBNew month, new episode, new book! A real thrilling tale this time around folks, we're diving into The Extra Day, by Algernon Blackwood, and I gotta tell ya, this has to have been one of my favorites that I've read on the show so far. There's a real, palpable sense of naturalistic wonder that suffuses every line here, and that calls my mind back to a childhood favorite, The Secret Garden. I do hope you find just as much whimsy in this little tale as I do! I'll have to dig further on Blackwood...
A New Radio King
July 10, 2022 19:37 - 1 hour - 180 MBThis is what I get for not setting up these episodes in advance, now I've got limes to juggle outside the podcast, I promise I'm not on fire and the cats are fine, but I don't have a lot of bandwidth for good show notes. I'll come back and update this probably? There's fun pulpy radio stuff going on in this one, I think it's the bit with the parasites? No more details to spoil in case I'm wrong. It's a real good one though! You can find the texts (to read along with) here: https://www.gut...
New Radio, New Places
July 10, 2022 19:31 - 3 hours - 88.3 MBI will not lie to y'all, the transmission may have broken in my RV, and I need to focus on handling that since I live in there full time. I promise this is a fun episode where we do fun radio things on Venus. There's like,, giant ants, smelting, platinum, me talking about vaccum pressure, it's real neat. Trust me on this one! You can find the text (to read along with) here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52326 We go live each week with a new, live episode of the show on Fridays, ov...
Darkness on the Radio Planet
June 10, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 167 MBNight falls on our fair Venusian hero, while he continues to emotionally (and, occasionally physically) manipulate the poor natives of this planet, scarcely out of the age of wooden tools, into helping him produce technology that will change the course of history on this very continent, and quite aggressively so. However, despite his many various "magics" available to him, he's not invulnerable, and finds himself captured by another, night-dwelling set of natives, while he's on the hunt for ...
Short Stories on the Radio Planet
June 10, 2022 16:00 - 3 hours - 380 MBFinally having finished off 20,000 leagues, we're up next with a small pile of short stories! Admittedly, had I known these stories were this short, I would have just picked up The Radio Planet directly to read instead of reading these short stories, and saved them for times when we run out of book, but have more episode in store for us. That being said, I had a lot of fun with these stories! Loved Insidekick in particular, super super fun premise that reads really well today, even. I'm fair...
Every Last League an Adventure
May 10, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 178 MBOur wonderful adventure (punctuated by Verne's lovely little nautical infodumps) draws to a close in this somewhat shortened episode, but the way things conclude will have you white-knuckling your podcatcher even despite that. Just what becomes of our captain, and, more importantly, our dear narrator, hm? Even this little time under the sea could begin to wear on the unprepared mind, after all! You can find the text (to read along with) here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164 We go li...
A Return to my Familiar Grounds
May 10, 2022 16:00 - 3 hours - 361 MBThe captain has piloted us into the seeming dead end of the Red Sea, but worry not, our dear Nemo has a clever plan to get his wonderful submarining machine out of this particular scrape. The how and why may be obvious to you if you've indulged in any of the adaptations of this tale, but it'll still be a thrilling tale nonetheless! Come along with us as we narrate the exciting journey back to somewhere a bit more familiar. You can find the text (to read along with) here: https://www.guten...
A Bit of Shore Leave
April 12, 2022 03:00 - 3 hours - 350 MBDespite Captain Nemo's predilictions about not wanting to see the land, our intrepid adventurers are already craving the freedom that living somewhere other than a submersible can provide, no matter how grand a submersible like the Nautilus can be. There's no shortage of intrigue and derring-do this week, so let's tune in and find out just how things are going to go, shall we? You can find the text (to read along with) here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164 We go live each week with a ...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
April 12, 2022 02:45 - 3 hours - 334 MBFor our first new book post-The Last Man, I decided to go with a childhood favorite of mine, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! Listen, I'll freely admit that Jules Verne was pointed out to me by Back to the Future, but I really do love his works, especially if the translation is solid. Other than the obvious of Journey to the Center of the Earth, anyone have any particular favorites from Verne? You can point 'em out in the discord, linked below! You can find the text (to read along with) here: h...
The Last (episode of the last) Man
March 10, 2022 18:00 - 3 hours - 362 MBFleeing England really is the desperate idea that it sounds like here, although considering the way the plague has been treating the characters, it's not exactly a shock! We spend some time in France, experiencing the effects of the world being in panic, before taking to the sea. What sort of results will that bring to our intrepid main characters? Well, just like usual, the easiest answer there is, you can find out by listening to the episode! You can find the text (to read along with) h...
The Last (episode of the last) Man
March 10, 2022 18:00 - 3 hours - 362 MBFleeing England really is the desperate idea that it sounds like here, although considering the way the plague has been treating the characters, it's not exactly a shock! We spend some time in France, experiencing the effects of the world being in panic, before taking to the sea. What sort of results will that bring to our intrepid main characters? Well, just like usual, the easiest answer there is, you can find out by listening to the episode! You can find the text (to read along with) h...
The Plague Rages On
March 10, 2022 17:00 - 3 hours - 371 MBWe open this episode with almost half of England devastated by this plague, and this lovely October scene marks one step closer to the end of this trailblazing dystopian novel. It really hits the gas as we get closer to the close, as Shelley is well known to do. If I'm honest, even though I really enjoyed this story (especially once it got going), I was a little unnerved by the plague coming in for the second half of the book given the way the world around us has continued to progress. It's ...
Time in the Mountains
February 10, 2022 19:00 - 3 hours - 395 MBJust two episodes this month, folks, I really decided to lean in on making these episodes longer, and that put me over the size limit just barely on the third one. Like the title says, our intrepid protags have fled mama Britain's happy embrace, and are now flexing Shelley's ability to write about serene mountaintop nature finding their way down south to at least ride out the last dregs of the plague in comfort and style, or, well, that's the ideal plan anyway. Stirring descriptions as usu...
A Plague Here Too??
February 10, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 159 MBFirst off, I gotta say: Content warning for the rest of The Last Man, we're dealing with a plague story now! Ok, now that that's outta the way, how have y'all been? It's a new year, let's hope it's gonna go better than the last two have! Honestly, even despite the sudden turn to plague in this story, I love the way it's going, and just like Shelley's other work, Frankenstein, it REALLY picks up speed here in the next few episodes, so make sure to keep tuning in! You can find the text (to...
Greece and Grime
December 10, 2021 18:00 - 3 hours - 310 MBBit of a longer episode this time, I'm going to try to really stretch these things out as long as I can so we actually make progress through the books! Heck, we're only a third of the way through the book by the end of this episode, but the good news is, since this is Mary Shelley, that means it's about to pick up in a MAJOR way, and that's not even mentioning the steam we've been building to get here throughout the episode! Such intrigue between Raymond, Evadne, and Adrian's sister, just wh...
Real Problems Hour
December 10, 2021 17:30 - 1 hour - 189 MBThis episode, we dive a little further into The Last Man, which is getting increasingly affectionate between our main character and Adrian. Listen, I know that nothing's going to come of it, but that tension, especially for a modern reader, really builds between the two, huh? Who knows, this book doesn't get talked about, maybe I'm just out and out wrong about my guesses and it DOES do what a modern reader expects! One way to find out, and that's to Attend our Tale, Dear Reader! You can fi...
The Last Man
December 10, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 200 MBWelcome to Season 2 of Paper Cuts, everyone! We open this brand new set of episodes with a brand new book, The Last Man by Mary Shelley, of Frankenstein fame! I'm really happy to be back recording episodes, it's been a long time. We are _finally_ actually getting to be live on Fridays once more, so feel free to drop by on Twitch, it'll be 5:30 Pacific time every week! Also, I ditched actually using Reading Simulator, found a better way to have the text on screen. If only that game didn't hav...
Doubly Deducing
November 10, 2021 19:00 - 59 minutes - 137 MBFor this last episode of the first "season" of Paper Cuts, I took a bit of a different approach. For a little context, while this is streamed live on twitch, I stream under the category Reading Simulator, as well, I'm reading aloud, and the more appropriate podcasts/talk shows tag is a bit busy. Well, turns out, Reading Simulator isn't just a snarky tag inserted by someone who dislikes Visual Novels, it's a real game! I gave it a shot here to read more Sherlock Holmes. How's the result? Feel...
Mysteries of a Different Kind
November 10, 2021 18:00 - 2 hours - 305 MBThis time, we dive into a well-known classic, that character that the author WISHES the public would hate, tumblr's favorite darling, the infamous know-it-all that all others are patterned after, that's right! It's sherlock holmes, everyone! I knew I was going to get to this one as soon as the podcast started, it's practically THE well known public domain book that everyone's got some awareness of. While we read here, however, the question really becomes, how many of the adventures will I wi...
Gardening Secretly
November 10, 2021 17:00 - 54 minutes - 124 MBIn this thrilling episode of Paper Cuts, we finish up The Secret Garden, this time learning just what the response can be when you mention that hey, I've maybe discovered the secret that's got everyone all tense! If I may be a bit honest in oversharing, I think Colin in particular is part of why this book stuck to me as a kid. I had a lot of medical nonsense occur when I was younger, so having someone find a path to recovery for this kid who was in a real rough spot is kinda cathartic! You...
Garden Revealed
October 10, 2021 17:30 - 1 hour - 218 MBFor the last episode this month (And the last episode before we're properly recording live episodes again! AAA!!!) we get a little further into the Secret Garden, learning more about just what wonders the earth can hold, let alone just how much wonder and whimsy can crop up when you least expect it to get ahold of you. I was genuinely tempted to dig up my childhood copy of this for the recording of these episodes, but I didn't have any luck rummaging around for it. Ah well, the digital copy ...