Sham Fiction: A Writing Podcast
89 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 35 ratingsA podcast from Eric Carlson, Marcus Mann, and Andrew Neill where we write and perform fiction based on TV shows, movies, and books we've never seen before!
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Episodes
76: The Haunting of Hill House / Season Finale
December 24, 2018 06:01 - 1 hour - 136 MBIn this super-long season finale, Eric and Marcus sham-write a pair of ghostly tales based on the recent Netflix original series, The Haunting of Hill House. Prepare yourself for plenty of frights, because there be a whole lotta ghosts up in that house! Meanwhile, your hosts probably set a record for the number of times "spooky" is said on a podcast. They also prove to be pretty bad at math, while attempting to count how many episodes we've made this season. Be sure to stick around after the...
75: The Ritual
December 10, 2018 06:01 - 1 hour - 108 MBWho's been carving these mysterious runes into these trees? Why are my best mates and I being tormented by these horrible nightmares? What is it that's hunting us in this dark scandinavian forest? Will these questions be answered this week on Sham Fiction? Nah. But that won't stop Marcus and Andrew from packing their best rainslickers and hiking boots and heading out into the wilderness to make their own versions of the Netflix original film, The Ritual! Links: The Ritual on Netflix: https:...
74: The Dragon Prince
November 27, 2018 01:40 - 1 hour - 121 MBWhen is a book not a book? When it's a season of a Netflix original series of course! In this episode Andrew and Eric cut their way through Marcus' rambling pitch as he talks about The Dragon Prince: Book 1: Moon and gets so excited he doesn't even get to talk about Amaya! He's sorry! TDP for life! Links: The Dragon Prince on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80212245 Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/shamfiction Sham Fiction episode archive: http://www.twojackets.com/shamfictionepi...
73: Riverdale
November 12, 2018 06:01 - 1 hour - 102 MBRiverdale. "The town with pep!" If you're just passing through, you see what they want you to see: white picket fences, manicured lawns, the unmarked chrome of the famous dining car, Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. Go to Riverdale High, you'll see happy, healthy teens, hitting the books and their extracurriculars with enthusiasm and spunk. It all seems so perfect. ...but stay a little longer, and more will reveal to you. The mysterious death of the high school quarterback. His girlfriend, committed ...
72: Westworld
October 29, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 115 MBThe term 'Host' is a complicated one. Some hosts are your favorite voices behind a beloved podcast. Others are cold-blooded murder machines programmed to kill. This week on ShamFiction, you'll get a little of both! In this one, Marcus and Andrew (one of whom is actually a bloodthirsty robot, I'll let you guess which one!) are diving into the origins of the hit HBO series Westworld by writing their own versions of the the film that started it all! Yes, in 1973 there was a film called Westworl...
71: Disenchantment
October 17, 2018 05:17 - 1 hour - 119 MBThere's a time in every girl's life when she realizes that the boy she wants to get with won't touch her because he's afraid of being killed by her father, the King. A tale as old as time! In this episode, Andrew and Eric become the hard drinking, hard fighting, fantasy princesses they were always meant to be as they inscribe two scrolls with their takes on the Netflix Original Series, Disenchantment! Links: Disenchantment on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80095697 Support the show:...
70: A Quiet Place
October 01, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 104 MBImagine a world in which making a sound could mean certain death. A sudden cough or a sneeze (or probably a toot) could result in your being mauled by a vicious monster! Thankfully, this is just the premise of today's featured property—the recent blockbuster horror flick, A Quiet Place—and not real life. We can fart to our heart's content! However, in this episode, your favorite sham host Andrew asks Eric and Marcus to set a story in the film's terrible, silent world. Will they keep their ch...
69: Lost in Space
September 17, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 105 MBSometimes in this mixed up, dying world, you just need to hear a couple feel-good stories about a boy and his robot. Sure, Dr. Smith might not be who she says she is, and your family might be stranded on a volatile alien planet, and your robot pal might actually be an extraterrestrial murder-machine, but hey, your parents are back together and no homework! Not bad! This week, Marcus and Andrew take on the Netflix original series, Lost in Space! Links: Lost in Space official website: https:...
68: Cobra Kai
September 03, 2018 20:26 - 1 hour - 104 MBI have three rules for you: Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy. Follow those commandments and you'll be doing awesome kicks and stuff in no time. Live like it's the eighties because that's the only time you were cool. In this episode Andrew and Eric journey to a land of strip malls, car dealerships, and karate tournaments as they learn the ways of the YouTube Orignal Series: Cobra Kai. Links: Cobra Kai on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9DTWmhhxeKyYHL4mldGcA Tags: youtube, cob...
67: Firewatch (Indie Game Edition)
August 20, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 110 MBIf we've learned anything over the last few episodes, it's that video games aren't all Calls of Duty and Super Marios anymore. Case in point: this week's game, Firewatch, in which you play as a guy who takes a summer job in the National Parks Service, watching for forest fires. Okay, okay, so it's a lot more interesting than it sounds. In addition to the abundance of natural beauty, you'll explore hidden caves, encounter shadowy figures, and investigate a streak of missing persons. Yeah, tur...
66: What Remains of Edith Finch (Indie Game Edition)
August 06, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 108 MBSham Fiction's Indie Video Game series is back with its second edition! In this episode, Marcus and Andrew will explore the eerie and surprisingly macabre roots of America's most unfortunate family, and introduce us to some dearly departed members of the Finch clan. It's a sweet, charming, and grisly interpretation of Giant Sparrow's hit game, What Remains of Edith Finch! Links: What Remains of Edith Finch official website: http://edithfinch.com/ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/shamfic...
65: Celeste (Indie Game Edition)
July 23, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 109 MBJoin us as we celebrate digital storytelling with the first adventure in our Indie Games Series! Marcus has climbed the mountain and shares his tales of traveling with Madeline and accidentally killing her literally thousands of times. Can Andrew and Eric do better, or will this be our cutest pixelated killfest yet? Find out as we play with Matt Makes Games' beatiful indie platformer, Celeste! Links: Buy Celeste: http://www.celestegame.com/ Support Sham Fiction: https://ko-fi.com/shamfic...
64: Brigsby Bear
July 09, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 87.3 MBHi friends! It's your friend and host for this week, Andrew! Isn't it great that I get to do a show with my friends, Eric and Marcus, and you all (also my friends) listen to it? The world is a big place and full of strange and unknown things, so it's important to have friends to go through it with. I learned that from Brigsby, but you know that. ... Wait... You don't know Brigbsy? From TV? He's a bear that travels through space and time, teaching lessons to aliens and children. It's my favor...
63: Mr. Mercedes
June 25, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 93.6 MBIt's another Stephen King edition of Sham Fiction, and this time, we're taking on our favorite atuhor's recent gumshoe detective novel, Mr. Mercedes! We hope you're wearing your adult-sized diapers for this one, folks, because Andrew and Marcus are writing some bowel-looseningly disturbing stories! Do tales of serial killers bother you? Do yarns that delve deep into the minds of psychopaths make you feel...uneasy? Do you get a sick...pleasure from these feelings? Great! Then this episode is ...
62: You're the Worst
June 11, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 92.9 MBJimmy Shive-Overly, the subject of today's featured property, would definitely have a heckle or two (or seven) for us for even attempting to sham his elevated lifestyle and prodigious literary talent. However, like his oppositionally-defiant counterpart, Gretchen, we're willing to risk it. Sham Fiction can go anywhere! The delightful cruelty of FXX's You're the Worst is simply too great to pass up. But do Andrew and Eric have the literary talent to capture Jimmy and Gretchen's hyper-articula...
61: The Shape of Water
May 28, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 101 MBThe darkly beautiful fantasy worlds of director Guillermo del Toro have captured movie-goers' imaginations for over twenty years. Now, with The Shape of Water, his work has captured the film industry's top honor, the Academy Award for Best Picture, and del Toro himself received the award for Best Director! Holla at ya boi! About damn time, says Andrew. It's also about damn time we hold a duel of the shams with del Toro's work, which itself is an honor of some sort. But do Eric and Marcus hav...
60: Future Man
May 14, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBAlright, shut your rat-holes and listen up, humans! Tiger and Wolf have stolen the TTD from the evil Biotics, but it's up to you to save the future...man! It's Future Man! Hulu's original series! In this episode, Marcus and Andrew go toe to herpes-ridden-toe (IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!) to try to save humanity once and for all. SPOILER: It's hilarious. Links: Watch Future Man on Hulu: www.hulu.com/future-man Support the show at ko-fi.com/shamfiction Sham Fiction full episode archive: www.twoj...
59: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
April 30, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBHow many times do we have to warn you not to play mysterious board games that you find on the beach that metamorphize into slightly more appetizing video games? It's just not worth it! Sure, you may learn some lessons and get to be The Rock for a while, but you might die! We hope these shams will save your life, as Andrew and Eric take on the cautionary true story of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle!
58: Unforgiven
April 16, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBIt's a helluva thing... writing a sham. Eric and Marcus should know that more than most. In this episode, they have to bear the heavy burden of shamming Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood's Best Picture-winning western from 1992. In preparation for writing, they'll have to reckon with all their misdeeds from when they were younger, crueler men and channel that pain and guilt into their prose. Or maybe they won't do that. Maybe they'll just have a good time tackling the western genre! Come to think o...
57: Species
April 02, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBHave you ever truly felt anything, brah? According to a character on this week's show, you probably haven't. Alas! We can't all be like Dan Smithson, the iconic empath portrayed by Forest Whitaker in this week's property: Species! It's a kinda-classic scifi/horror flick from the '90s! Eric is pitching; Marcus and Andrew are writing; and they're all getting in touch with their feelings—particularly with how they feel about actress Natasha Henstridges' nakedness in this movie, given how old her...
56: Artemis
March 19, 2018 05:01 - 1 hour - 93.1 MBSad that we haven't been back to the Moon since 1972? Good news! Andrew and Eric have got you covered! Join our two brave shamstronauts as they pull on their Moon-writing suits and get cracking on tales from the near-future lunar city of Artemis. Prepare for romance, espionage, and landers full of science in this exploration of Andy Weir's world.
55: Mindhunter
March 05, 2018 06:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBWhat evil lurks in the minds of men? That's how the saying goes, right? Or is that not even close? Regardless, it's definitely a question—the same question at the heart of this episode because Andrew is pitching the Netflix Original Series, Mindhunter! The FBI agents of that show aren't afraid to delve into the dark place that is a killer's psych, so Eric and Marcus better not be either! Hooooo boy! It's gonna get disturbing, kiddos! This one isn't for the weak of heart. Or stomach.
54: Demon Knight
February 19, 2018 06:01 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBHello kiddies! Since our special guest The Crypt Keeper had to reschedule, we decided to write our own blood-n-slime-filled takes on the most excellent 1995 odyssey in filmmaking known as Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight! In this episode, Marcus and Andrew get hot and heavy, commune with angels and demons, and even get a little pruney. So come on down to the Mission Hotel where we'll serve up two bowls of x-rated Sham Fiction! Seriously, don't let the kids listen to this one.
53: Runaways
February 05, 2018 03:41 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBSeason duel begins with a visit to Los Angeles as Andrew and Eric take on Marvel's Runaways! Before it was a Hulu show, it was a comic, and now it's a superhero sham!
Season 2 Demo 3: Fargo Season 2
January 22, 2018 06:30 - 1 hour - 111 MBOh for wow! Don't y'know? It's the third and final demo before Season Two kicks off for real! In this one, Marcus and Eric each cook up a Sham Fiction hotdish using ingredients from Fargo Season 2! Don your boots and parka, and brace yourself for some ice-cold, and yet wholesome Midwestern murder-- I mean hospitality!
Season 2 Demo 2: Leviathan Wakes
January 22, 2018 06:20 - 57 minutes - 80.1 MBIn our second demo episode for Season Duel, Andrew and Marcus go asteroid-to-asteroid as they both write space-age takes of James S.A. Corey's excellent first book in The Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes!
Season 2 Demo 1: Baby Driver
January 22, 2018 06:10 - 57 minutes - 79.6 MBWe're playing the hits in our first demo episode of Season Duel! Andrew and Eric pop on their sunglasses and get behind the wheel as they take on Edgar Wright's musically explosive Baby Driver!
Season 2: Episode Duel Zero
January 22, 2018 06:01 - 23 minutes - 32.4 MBSham Fiction is back with a brand new season, so Andrew, Eric, and Marcus chat about what's in store for codename: Season Duel!
Just the Fics Volume Four (Part 2/2)
April 03, 2017 17:01 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBIn this second part of our final Just the Fics Shamthology, we cover episodes 46-51. No pitches. No discussion. Just the cold-hard fics!
Just the Fics Volume Four (Part 1/2)
April 02, 2017 21:29 - 2 hours - 138 MBSeason 1 of ShamFiction has been over since January, and it's finally time for our final Just the Fics collection! In this special episode, we bring you nothing but the fiction from episodes 37-51. No pitches. No discussion. Just fics! Even so, we ended up having so much content this quarter that we had to split this episode into two parts! In this first half, enjoy eisodes 37-45!
52: Season One Finale Special
January 29, 2017 06:01 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBJeepers, gang, the ShamFiction guys have had a heck of a year, and now it's time to reflect, celebrate, and look to the future! What could be in store for our intrepid sham-writers? When will we hear from them again? How might one beat the Drej? These questions and more will be answered in this exciting (and lengthy!) special finale episode of ShamFiction!
51: HamFiction #3: Marcus writes Mad Men
January 22, 2017 06:01 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThis week, we're going MAD! ...ison Avenue as Marcus writes the sixties-set, smoke-filled, booze-soaked drama, Mad Men! Meanwhile, your hosts may be legitimately going mad. Like the "crazy" kind of mad. Why? Because Eric and Marcus believe they're on a ham-themed show, and Andrew may be losing sight of what's real and what's make believe! And how does Mad Men fit into their salty scheme? Because it stars Jon Hamm, of course! That makes sense, right? Right? NO! It doesn't! That was a test! It ...
50: HamFiction #2: Andrew writes Spider-Ham
January 15, 2017 06:01 - 55 minutes - 76.5 MBHamFiction continues into its triumphant second episode! This week, Andrew spins a tale of romance and adventure as he explores a day in the life of the Amazing Spider-Ham! He's part spider, part ham, and all ham! This bit definitely isn't getting old, just ask Andrew! It's HaaaaaaamFiction!!!
49: HamFiction #1: Eric writes Hamilton
January 08, 2017 06:01 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBThis one's for all the bastard orphans out there! Especially those who are sons of Scotsmen and whores. Preferably dropped in the Carribean. Impoverished to squalor? Even better! This one's for you! We thought we'd never get there, but this week Eric sham-writes, or perhaps ham-writes, the inimitable Hamilton: An American Musical!
48: Marcus writes Lost at Sea
January 01, 2017 06:01 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBTime to gas up and hit the road with the ShamFiction boys! Our destination: self-discovery! We're coming-of-age this week as Marcus sham-writes a sensitive tale of lost souls, roadside diners, and SO MANY CATS! It's Bryan Lee O'Malley's debut graphic novel, Lost at Sea! We're all huge fans of BLOM, so this one's pretty special. If you, too, are a fan of his work, including his popular Scott Pilgrim series of comics, you're in for a treat! There be references abound here! In fact, if this epis...
From the Vault: Star Wars - Rebels: A Star Wars Story: Holiday Special
December 25, 2016 06:01 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBThis week, we dig deep into the Jedi archives and uncover a very special holocron from Life Days past! It's a secret episode of ShamFiction that the guys recorded in the fall of 2015 before the show even began, which means you're in for a treat - or at least you would be if you considered a slight reduction in production values a treat! But what's that? You've got a bad feeling about this? Fear not, my young apprentice! Andrew is at the helm and he's not such a bad writer himself! He may not ...
47: Andrew writes The Girl with All the Gifts
December 18, 2016 06:01 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBIt's Andrew's birthday! Well, the release day of this episode is. How fitting that Eric and Marcus should choose this installment to introduce your favorite ShamFiction host to The Girl with All the Gifts. Darling Andrew is in for a surprise though, as the titular "Gifts" aren't really of the kind you would expect on your birthday. They're talents, morelike, or abilities. If you'd like to know more about the titular "Girl" and these titular "Gifts," give this episode a listen; though we recom...
46: Eric writes Accounting VR
December 11, 2016 06:01 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBThe future is now! Virtual Reality lets you explore the world, fight aliens, or perform magic from the comfort of your own home. Or you can try accounting! Why not? Are you too good for accounting? It's important! There are numbers! This week Eric imagines strapping on an HTC Vive and writes a Shamfiction first, choose-your-own-adventure rendition of Accounting VR by Crows Crows Crows and Squanchtendo.
45: Marcus writes The Colour of Magic
December 04, 2016 06:01 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBJumping from one beloved author to another, this week Marcus takes on Sir Terry Pratchett's epicly hilarious discworld series! That's right, Andrew and Eric actually read a book that Marcus hadn't! So, if you've got a sapient pearwood chest full of gold and a little extra fuzz on your toes, then strap on your sword and sandals and join Marcus on a dangerous and magical quest (tinted a light shade of octarine) to discover The Colour of Magic!
44: Andrew writes The Gunslinger
November 27, 2016 06:01 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBWe couldn't leave Stephen King alone! This week, Andrew is joining the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain on his search for the Dark Tower. There will be bullets flying and beasts who have lost the thread as we wind through the great expanse in pursuit of the Man in Black. Plus, there's seriously like cow's-head-wine or something. Honestly. Leave the trail in Andrew's take on The Gunslinger!
43: Eric writes 11/22/63
November 20, 2016 06:01 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBThis week, jump into a time hole with us and journey back to the 1960s! The trip won't be all fun and games though; we've got a mission. We're going to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and create a better future for the world! And it isn't going to be easy because time itself isn't on our side! Time is all like, "Hey, dudes! You can't just go back and change me! There'll be consequences, yo!" What are said consequences? Find out in Eric's sham of Stephen King's 11/22/63!
42: Marcus writes The Iron Giant
November 13, 2016 06:01 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBTravel back to a simpler time when school desks were your best defense against nuclear weapons, and giants were made of good ol' fashioned iron - well, space iron. Yes, animation fans, this week we're shamming director Brad Bird's breakout classic, The Iron Giant! Marcus is our writer because somehow a movie about robots and teaching them to love snuck past him. It's the perfect match of sham-writer and material! This episode is bound to excite, thrill, and entertain you so much that you'll s...
41: Andrew writes Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
November 07, 2016 03:19 - 1 hour - 125 MBIt's finally happening, gang. ShamFiction is crossing the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 as Andrew tackles that holiest of holies known as Harry Potter fanfiction! Sure, he's read all the books and seen all the movies, but he hasn't read the published script for the hit West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, so it counts! Completely sham-able! So listen up as we dust off our Quick-Quotes Quills and set our Time-Turners way way back, and prepare yourself for this epic tw...
40: Eric writes Scream
October 30, 2016 05:01 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBHappy Halloween, sham-listeners! We've reached our final destination on the Spooky-tober trail! Let's kick this episode off with a question: do you like scary movies? The killer in this week's property sure does. He'll quiz you on them before he MURDERS you! Jeepers creepers, gang, that means it's time to sham horror-movie-maestro Wes Craven's nineties classic, Scream! Will this week's sham-writer, Eric, be able to sufficiently (and self-referentially) spook us? Will Marcus struggle to mask h...
39: Marcus writes Stranger Things
October 23, 2016 05:01 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBOur next Spooky-tober stop is in Hawkins, Indiana. 1983. A boy named Will Byers has vanished, and it doesn't feel like an ordinary incident. There's been a lot of movement at a nearby government facility ever since; Will's mom, Joyce, swears that her son has been communicating to her through lightbulbs; and Will's friends have met a weird girl with a shaved head near where he disappeared. Our man Marcus is on the case, but he'll soon realize these aren't normal things, nor simply strange thin...
38: Andrew writes I Am Not a Serial Killer
October 16, 2016 05:01 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBSpooky-tober continues with Andrew's dark take on Dan Wells' horror/thriller, "I Am Not A Serial Killer"! Venture deep into the mind of John Wayne Cleaver, an unassuming youth in small-town America who has a dark secret. He battles with urges to kill and a fascination with the morbid. He wants to stay strong, but will Mr. Monster get the better of him? Join us for this chilling tale.
37: Eric writes Suicide Squad
October 09, 2016 05:01 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBTo kick off our Halloween-themed Spooky-tober series, Marcus and Andrew implant an explosive into Eric's head and tell him to go save the world with a team of DC Comics villains you all know and love! We've got everyone! The Joker! Harley Quinn! Deadshot. El Diablo... Slipknot...? Captain Boomerang...?! You know and love all of them, right? We swear we didn't make any up - even if one shares a name with a popular masked heavy metal band from the mid-aughts. Do you know what happens when you o...
Just the Fics Volume Three
October 06, 2016 05:01 - 2 hours - 151 MBIn this special bonus episode of ShamFiction, we've compiled "Just the Fics" from our third quarter of the season and put them all into this one mega-episode for your listening enjoyment! It's a Shamthology of short stories from Eric, Andrew, and Marcus!
36: Marcus writes Mr. Robot
October 02, 2016 05:01 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBHello friends. Are you ready to take back control of your lives? Oh, we know what you're thinking. "You're mistaken, ShamFiction guys. I'm in control of my life." WRONG! You are not! We see that Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte in your hand and your eyes glued to that iPhone screen. You've lost control, friends. The corporations own you. Luckily, we've met the guy who's going to change everything. We'd like you to meet him, too, so you'd better listen to this week's episode. His name is Mr. Robot.
35: Andrew writes Twilight
September 25, 2016 05:01 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBThis week we're packing up the U-Haul and moving to Washington - state, that is - to a sleepy, little town called Forks. We've heard the scenery is beautiful, and so - it turns out - is this one particular guy in our class. He seemed to be sickened at the sight of us at first, but he's coming around. He's super dreamy, and - get this - he sparkles in the daylight! Because he's a vampire! But how is he going to be our boyfriend if he wants to drink our blood all the time? Listen as Andrew atte...