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Realms Unknown

Realms Unknown

By: The Bugle
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About this listen

Fantasy, Sci Fi and speculative fiction, observed through the comedic lens of The Bugle. Become a Bugle subscriber to enjoy this show ad free and help us thrive.


Expect reviews and supernova level hot takes on literature, gaming, films, TV, board games, and anywhere else you can experience space ships, clones and beautiful elves with massive weapons.


A podcast from The Bugle. Hosted by Alice Fraser and friends. Also available as a video podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bugle, and Alice Fraser
Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Redemption Arcs // Comics // Resident Alien
    Jul 8 2025

    Come journey into Realms Unknown with Alice Fraser and US comedian and podcaster Jackie Kashian for a whole world of sci-fi and fantasy recommendations, tropes and news!


    NEWS

    Isles of the Emberdark - Brandon Sanderson

    Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

    Elantris - Brandon Sanderson

    The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss


    WHAT ARE YOU INTO?

    GAME Clank!

    GAME Lords of Waterdeep

    Sabriel - Garth Nix

    Lirael - Garth Nix

    Abhorsen - Garth Nix

    Sinister Booksellers of Bath - Garth Nix

    Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey

    Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey

    Dragondrums - Anne McCaffrey

    The Dolphins of Pern - Anne McCaffrey

    A Forbidden Alchemy - Stacey McEwan

    COMIC The Uncanny X-Men - Gail Simone

    COMIC Ironwood - Bill Willingham

    COMIC Jack of Fables - Bill Willingham

    COMIC Oglaf - Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne

    COMIC Giant Days - John Allison


    TROPE ON A ROPE

    COMIC Thunderbolts

    COMIC Lucifer

    COMIC Secret Six

    COMIC 100 Bullets

    COMIC The Boys


    DEEP DIVE - redemption arcs

    The Chronicles of Severian the Torturer - Gene Wolfe

    The Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe

    Illusions - Richard Bach (Messiah story)

    Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A Heinlein (Messiah story)

    MOVIE Thunderbolts*

    MOVIE Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

    Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence

    COMIC - Lucifer

    TV Lucifer

    Going Postal - Terry Pratchett

    Hogfather - Terry Pratchett

    TV Resident Alien

    COMIC Irredeemable - Mark Waid

    COMIC Incorruptible - Mark Waid


    MINES OF URRGH

    FILM You’ve Got Mail

    FILM Pillow Talk

    FILM Casablanca


    📯 Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our shows https://www.youtube.com/@BuglePodcast

    💰 Support Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donate

    📚 Help your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!

    🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!

    Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Jackie Kashian.

    📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com

    🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show more Show less
    41 mins
  • Flintlock fantasy // 28 Years Later // Culturepunk
    Jul 1 2025

    Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan bring you episode 24 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for speculative fiction tropes, news and recommendations!


    Episode 24

    This week's news covers the Squid Game USA spinoff, Disney suing AI image generator Midjourney, and a mother suing Disney after a Stormtrooper scared her child, causing injury. Hear what Tom and Alice have been enjoying recently, men slaps and silly old women with health issues are the tropes on the rope this week and they venture into the 'mines of urrgh'. The sub genre deep dive is flintlock fantasy - combining gunpowder-era warfare with magic!


    And hear the EXCLUSIVE breaking news as Tom coins what may be a brand-new genre - culturepunk. You (possibly) heard it here first!


    Alice Fraser - A Passion for Passion


    News

    TV Squid Game USA


    What have you been into of late?

    FILM 28 Years Later

    Gods of Blood and Powder - Brian McClennan

    FILM M3GAN 2.0


    Sub genre deep dive - flintlock fiction

    TV Sharpe

    Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City - K. J. Parker

    The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne - Brian Staveley

    GAME Dungeons & Dragons Spelljammer

    TV Shadow and Bone

    Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

    The Cardinal’s Blades - Pierre Pevel

    The Phoenix Guards - Steven Brust

    Five Hundred Years After - Steven Brust

    GAME Assassin’s Creed


    Mines of Urrgh

    FILM 28 Years Later

    FILM Severance

    FILM Predator

    FILM Snow White


    Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our shows https://www.youtube.com/@BuglePodcast

    Support Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donate

    Help your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!

    🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!

    Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan.

    📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com

    🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show more Show less
    42 mins
  • Side characters as leads // Final Fantasy // Magician
    Jun 24 2025

    Alice Fraser and James Nokise bring you episode 23 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for speculative fiction tropes, news and recommendations!


    Episode 23

    This week's news covers The Odyssey, Masters of the Universe and the Highlander remake, and James and Alice dive into all manner of good things sci fi and fantasy. The sub genre deep dive is all about side characters as leads!


    Alice Fraser - A Passion for Passion

    James Nokise - PODCAST The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior


    News

    FILM The Odyssey

    FILM Masters of the Universe

    FILM Highlander


    Ads

    GAME Hero’s Quest

    GAME Police Quest

    GAME Space Quest


    What have you been enjoying?

    GAMES Final Fantasy

    Lirael - Garth Nix


    Sub genre deep dive - side characters as leads

    PLAY Rosencratz and Guildenstein Are Dead - Tom Stoppard

    TV Dollhouse - Joss Whedon

    The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

    GAME Final Fantasy XII

    Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold

    FILM Solo

    The Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolf

    TV Star Trek: Lower Decks

    Redshirts - John Scalzi

    Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie

    The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan

    Magician - Raymond E. Feist


    Mines of Urrgh

    The Belgariad - David Eddings

    FILM The Sword and the Sorcerer

    FILM Close Encounters of the Third Kind

    FILM Popeye

    FILM Masters of the Universe


    Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our shows https://www.youtube.com/@BuglePodcast

    Support Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donate

    Help your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!

    🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!

    Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and James Nokise.

    📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com

    🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show more Show less
    39 mins
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