The Follycast 15 – In conversation with Ben Aaronovitch

In this month’s episode… Margaret, Jan and Richard discuss the two remaining books in the ‘four seasons’ quartet of novellas in the Rivers Of London universe. Along the way we debate such issues as: Wodehouse and the X-Files: influence or parody? Nightingale’s de-aging and whether Augustus Berrycloth-Young actually could turn up in the main range. Richard’s experience listening to a Rivers Of London audiobook for the first time. Our impressions of the novellas overall and the results of a reader poll ranking the four novellas. Listener feedback on Masquerades of Spring …all in just 48 minutes.   Shownotes: PG Wodehouse Bertie Wooster Jazz Age Tin Pan Alley Big Finish Pinkerton Agency Tecumseh confederacy 1812 War Latest Graphic novel – Stray Cat Blues   Hosted by Margaret Holborn, Richard Marks and Jan Trott Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater)   Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates  

The Follycast Episode 15: In Conversation with Ben Aaronovitch In this month’s episode… Richard and Margaret welcome Ben Aaronovitch onto the podcast. The interview was recorded a few weeks ahead of the publication of the Masquerades of Spring and we discuss the origins of the series, cover the novels, novellas and graphic novels and look to the future. Along the way Ben reveals: What order the books originally were supposed to be released in When book ten and eleven are set How Molly was not supposed to be a regular character Ben’s writing process What the graphic novels can do that the books just can’t The latest status of ‘Schroedinger’s TV series’, and the potential challenges of casting Nightingale The timetable for the next main novels. Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) SHOW NOTES AND LINKS   The book tour for Masquerades Of Spring Ben’s interview with Radio Free Skaro Ben enjoyed reading: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.  Ben’s collaborator Andrew Cartmel has his own hit book series, The Vinyl Detective. Ben’s novel Genius Loci, sadly not currently in print. Remembrance Of The Daleks, which happily is.. Cutwater live at The Bedford on 25 September (free to attend or watch live stream)  Ben discusses Rivers of London with Kobna Holbrook-Smith Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates  

The Follycast Episode 14: Amongst Our Weapons In this month’s episode… Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch, book nine in the Rivers Of London series, is hot off the press at the time of recording and we meet up to share our views. No spoilers in this episode description, but plenty in the podcast itself, so probably best to wait if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet! Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates  

The Follycast Episode 13: Monday, Monday and Amongst Our Weapons preview In this month’s episode… We make our first foray into the world of the Rivers Of London graphic novels with the recently released ‘Sunday Sunday’. We have a wider discussion about the graphic novels released so far and we wonder what implications the revelations in Monday, Monday have for the (at time of recording) soon to be released new novel ‘Amongst Our Weapons’. Now that the back cover ‘blurb’ has been released, what are our hopes and predictions for the ninth book in the Rivers series? Along the way we discuss whether ‘Monday, Monday’ actually reveals quite as much as it seems to and the role the graphic novels play in the Rivers universe. Suffice it to say our opinions vary considerably. Along the way Jennie gets angry, Margaret does some name etymology and we generate the most extensive show notes so far. Whether you have read ‘Monday, Monday,’ or are wondering whether the graphic novels are really for you, this is the podcast for you. Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes Jennie recommends: The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin & William McIlvanney Jan recommends: The Girl Behind The Wall by Mandy Robotham Margaret Recommends: The Ashes Of London by Andrew Taylor Richard recommends: Mr Wilder & Me by Jonathan Coe Margaret & Jan also mentioned: Milkman by Anna Burns Richard & Margaret recommended The Vinyl Detective series by Andrew Cartmel Graphic novels: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace & Babbage by Sydney Padua Funhome: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel Sally Heathcote: Suffragette Origin of Taiwo & Kehinde names The London Silver vaults Amongst Our Weapons: Cover Reveal Monty Python ‘Amongst Our Weapons: full sketch

The Follycast Episode 12: False Value In this month’s episode… We reach the end of our quest (for the time being) as we review the most recent Rivers Of London novel, False Value, published in 2020, just before the pandemic turned the world upside down and gave us all the time to do this podcast. False Value is a tale that links Silicon Valley, Ada Lovelace and the New York Public Library, but does it have too many characters to keep track of? Is the order of the early chapters intriguing or confusing? How many different Hitchhiker’s Guide references are there? Could Nightingale be about to retire? Most importantly of all, when will the official Molly Cookbook be published? Having debated these questions we end with some speculation about where the series could be headed next. Hopefully our next episode will review the next Rivers Of London book as and when it is written and published! Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – By Douglas Adams The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage Body Work graphic novel The Hogsmill River ( a handy guide to the lost rivers of London)      

The Follycast Episode 11: What Abigail Did That Summer In this month’s episode… We conclude our look at the three Rivers Of London novellas by Ben Aaronovitch that have been published so far, with the (at time of recording) recently published What Abigail Did That Summer. With Peter and Beverly away in Herefordshire investigating unicorn-related child adbuctions, Abigail has adventures on and around Hampstead Heath, assisted by her friend Simon and a band of talking foxes. Of the three novellas this generates the most debate on the pod. Do these novellas set during earlier gaps in the Rivers timeline lack a sense of jeopardy?  How successful is Ben Aaronovitch writing as a teenage girl? How many cheese puffs out of five will we give it? Next episode we come bang up to date with the most recent main novel, False Value. Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes The West Wing A recipe for Cheese Puffs Next podcast we’ll be reading False Value

The Follycast Episode 10: The October Man In this month’s episode… We continue our three part look at the Rivers Of London novellas by Ben Aaronovitch that have been published so far, with The October Man. For the first time in the podcast we leave Peter, The Folly and London behind as we investigate uncanny events in Trier, Germany with a new team. We also discuss the nature of spin-offs more generally and are actually surprised in hindsight at how many new things we learn about the rules of the Rivers universe. Some have direct implications for the unfolding story in London, particularly the nature of  River Gods and their offspring. As a result, we totally forget to ask the most obvious question: who is the October Man? Next episode: What Abigail Did That Summer. Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes Ben A’s twitter feed Next podcast we’ll be reading What Abigail Did That Summer

The Follycast Episode 9: The Furthest Station   In this month’s episode… With the recent publication of ‘What Abigail Did That Summer’, we embark on a three part look at the Rivers Of London novellas by Ben Aaronovitch that have been published so far, starting with The Furthest Station. Following a series of ghost sightings by commuters on the Metropolitan line, Peter, Jaget and Abigail investigate.  Suffice it to say, we all loved this one! Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes Richard mentions that the Expanse series has novellas. It’s also a great TV series Jenny referenced Heath Robinson Richard defended Arcade Fire Next podcast we’ll be reading The October Man We found this about the River Chess The interview with Ben at the back of the original publication of the Furthest Station A series of interviews here done for Forbidden planet You Tube channel

The Follycast Episode 8: Tales From The Folly In this month’s episode… …..after reading the first seven novels and still recovering from the climax of Lies Sleeping, we take a sidestep to look at the recently published short story collection, Tales From The Folly. Whilst we don’t usually enjoy short stories, we do enjoy these tales. A short story collection can be like a box of Quality Street chocolates – a bit hit and miss. So which are the caramel swirls and which are the green triangles? Along the way we get into a discussion about the birds and the bees of how rivers procreate and suggest some other Rivers characters that could feature in future short stories or novellas. We also reveal the results of our poll of listeners’ favourite stories from the book, which contains some surprises. Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates   Show notes Moment 4: Christmas Moment Our theme tune and the rest of Cutwater’s excellent album are on Spotify!  

The Follycast Episode 7: Lies Sleeping In this month’s episode… …..we review Lies Sleeping, book seven in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. The book brings to a conclusion the Faceless Man and Mr Punch plotlines (or does it?) in a story that somehow ties together magical bells, oubliettes, The Silmarillion, Merlin, King Arthur, goat sacrifices, foxes, cheese puffs, St Pauls, Glastonbury, Roman London and Covent Garden Tesco Metro. In our next episode we will be reviewing the recently released book of short stories ‘Tales From the Folly’ Credits Hosted by Margaret Holborn and Richard Marks, with Jan Trott and Jennie Beck Produced by Richard Marks for Uncertain Smile productions Theme tune: ‘London Is Inspired’ by Cutwater: www.cutwaterband.co.uk. Cover image: Mack Chater (@MackChater) Contact us Email [email protected] with your feedback on this and upcoming books. We particularly like short (max 2 mins) audio feedback via mp3 or the audio format of your choice! Follow us on Twitter @thefollycast We are available via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and all good pod catchers, so don’t forget to subscribe.    Subscribe to our RSS feed for further updates Shownotes During the episode we discussed the following: The Silmarillion by Tolkein Tales From The Folly Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Doctor Who: Battlefield by Ben Aaronovitch Genius Loci by Ben Aaronovitch