Posted on January 24, 2021
AftR episode 12 – Magic Hover Poon
Chapters 21 and 22 are discussed.
Our first interaction with Uncle Enzo, and the mafia makes Y.T. and offer she cannot refuse…
Words:
- Ramp Turd – Someone (a Kourier?) that waits hours at an off-ramp for a ride
- YoMa – Young Mafia
- Burnous – A long, loose hooded cloak worn by Arabs
- EBGOC – Executive Branch General Operations Command
- NBCI – Nuclear-Biological-Chemical-Informational agents
- Greenhoused-up – Used to describe high temperatures
S1E12 – Magic Hover Poon
Chapters 21 and 22 are discussed. Our first interaction with Uncle Enzo, and the mafia makes Y.T. and offer she cannot refuse… Words: Ramp turd – Someone (a Kourier?)
Posted on January 16, 2021
AftR episode 11 – A Narrow Fan of Head Cheese
Snow Crash chapters 19 & 20 are discussed.
As if a concert by The Meltdowns, with a headliner by Sushi K wasn’t enough, we also meet Lagos, and Lagos meets Raven.
Words:
- Carom – again it’s used
- Smirched – rather the besmirched
Phrases:
- “Sure,” she says. She says it in the chirpy tone of voice that she uses when she’s lying and she wants to make sure you know it.” –talking about Y.T.
S1E11 – A narrow fan of head cheese
Snow Crash chapters 19 & 20 are discussed. As if a concert by The Meltdowns, with a headliner by Sushi K wasn’t enough, we also meet Lagos, and Lagos meets Raven.
Posted on October 25, 2020
AftR episode 17 – Halloween with Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann
This week we’re taking a break from Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash to bring you our takes on H. P. Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann.
So peer through the window of our minds to hear the swirling empty vacuum of our thoughts on this classic horror story.
S1E17 – Halloween with Lovecraft!
That’s not a typo… We’re releasing episodes out of order, so our Halloween episode drops just in time. This week we’re taking a break from Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash to bring you our takes on H. P. Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann.
Posted on October 18, 2020
AftR episode 10 – High Impact Collection Agency
Snow Crash chapters 17 & 18 are discussed.
We head to Compton with a new fellow, Jason and Y.T. meets the always avuncular Enzo.
Words:
- Three-ringers
- Avuncular again. Starting to think Neal just learned it…
- “Whiplash arrestor”
Phrases:
- “Road kills — enormous road kills — road kills so big that they could only be human beings, smeared out into chunky swaths a block long.”
S1E10 – High Impact Collection Agency
Snow Crash chapters 17 & 18 are discussed. We head to Compton with a new fellow, Jason and Y.T. meets the always avuncular Enzo. Words: Three-ringers Avuncular again. Starting to think Neal just learned it… “Whiplash arrestor” Phrases: “Road kills — enormous road kills — road kills so big that they could only be human beings, smeared out into chunky swaths a block long.”
Posted on October 16, 2020
A Frightful Update
If you would like to be Along for the Read for our upcoming Halloween episode we will be reading the short story “The Music of Erich Zann” by H. P. Lovecraft. You can pick up a digital copy of Lovecraft’s Complete Collection for as little as $0.99.
Prepare to be spookified.
Posted on October 4, 2020
AftR episode 9 – Poor Impulse Control
Snow Crash chapters 15 & 16 are discussed.
This week we attend a concert, we meet Lagos, we’re introduced to one spectacular hairdo, and we begin investigating a murder.
Words:
- Nam-shub
- Oldster
- Studentish
- Effluent
Phrases:
- “My fond ambition is of your pants” — Sushi K
- “Tenderest of sphincters”
- “Burned their brains to ash in the radiant heat of their own imaginings”
S1E9 – Poor Impulse Control
Snow Crash chapters 15 & 16 are discussed. This week we attend a concert, we meet Lagos, we’re introduced to one spectacular hairdo, and we begin investigating a murder.
Posted on September 19, 2020
AftR episode 8 – Get Your Crampon!
Snow Crash chapters 13 & 14 are discussed.
We have L. Bob Rife, refugees, talking libraries, snow angels made from drug paraphernalia, Google Earth, and a great time chatting about it all.
Words:
- Lithe
- Ziggurats
- Infoastronomy
- Gogglehead
…and of course, we share with you our theories about what comes next.
S1E8 – Get Your Crampon!
Snow Crash chapters 13 & 14 are discussed. We have L. Bob Rife, refugees, talking libraries, snow angels made from drug paraphernalia, Google Earth, and a great time chatting about it all. Words: Lithe Ziggurats Infoastronomy Gogglehead …and of course, we share with you our theories about what comes next.
Posted on September 19, 2020
AftR episode 7 – Robots of Unusual Size!
Snow Crash chapters 11 & 12 are discussed.
Worst. Swordfight. Ever.
Yet more racism.
Sympathetic ro-beasts.
A new-formed partnership.
Our favorite rebellious teen is an actual teen.
Words:
- Folderol
Phrases:
- “A nebula of aromatic freshness trailing behind her like the tail of a comet” — describing Y.T. when she exits the overly air-freshened taxi.
S1E7 – Robots of Unusual Size!
Snow Crash chapters 11 & 12 are discussed. Worst. Swordfight. Ever. Yet more racism. Sympathetic ro-beasts. A new-formed partnership. Our favorite rebellious teen is an actual teen. Words: Folderol Phrases: “A nebula of aromatic freshness trailing behind her like the tail of a comet” — describing Y.T.
Posted on August 2, 2020
AftR episode 6 – Dentata Pacman, Bartholomew
Snow Crash chapters 9 & 10 are discussed.
We’re there as Hiro watches Da5id try the drug Snow Crash, and Hiro helps Y.T. regain her freedom.
Words:
- Bolus – A small rounded mass of a substance, especially of chewed food at the moment of swallowing. OR – A type of large pill used in veterinary medicine.
- Desultory – Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.
- Tocsin – An alarm bell or signal.
- “Liquid Knuckles” – Mace / pepper spray, it seems…
- “Bundy stunners” – Context says it’s this universe’s Taser.
- “Franchulates” – Another Snow Crash-ism describing the self-governed “burbclaves”.
Phrases:
- “Any more of them and they’ll be able to form a government” — in reference to the number of jeeks as the border of Mr Lee’s Greater Hong Kong
AftR episode 6 – Dentata Pacman, Bartholomew
Snow Crash chapters 9 & 10 are discussed. We’re there as Hiro watches Da5id try the drug Snow Crash, and Hiro helps Y.T. regain her freedom. Words: Bolus – A small rounded mass of a substance, especially of chewed food at the moment of swallowing. OR - A type of large pill used in veterinary medicine.
Posted on July 29, 2020
AftR episode 5 – Gossip Ex Machina
Snow Crash chapters 7 & 8 are discussed.
We learn a good bit about Hiro while in hiss head as he scopes the scene at The Black Sun. He’s trying to find information to upload to the CIC. Yet he’s quickly distracted by his “one that got away”, Juanita.
Hiro attempts avoiding Juanita, which fails horribly. Meanwhile the present is far too pressing a matter to Juanita. She amplifies the intrigue about this new drug (?) Snow Crash, and posits that Da5id has expressed an interest in it.
Words:
- Retinue – This one’s real. Look it up!
- “Bitheads” – Seems it’s the hacker version of a shit-head
- “Willbes” – A more optimistic interpretation of “wannabes”
Phrases: (spoilers!)
- “gossip ex machina” (Description of how Hiro steals data “right out of the guts of the system” because “his is a hacker.”)
- “How slow can a mammal be and still have respiratory functions?” (Juanita’s though when Hiro surmised that Juanita’s grandmother was Juanita’s role model because she might’ve been a programmer.)
- “To condense fact from the vapor of nuance” (Juanita describing the phenomenon of her grandmother knowing she was pregnant with only her facial expressions as context clues.)
- “Hiro didn’t know whether he was rich or poor, educated or ignorant, talented or lucky.”
S1E5 – Gossip Ex Machina
Snow Crash chapters 7 & 8 are discussed. We learn a good bit about Hiro while in hiss head as he scopes the scene at The Black Sun. He’s trying to find information to upload to the CIC. Yet he’s quickly distracted by his “one that got away”, Juanita.