Middle Ground Books: After Hours

Megan, Debra, and Lance celebrate crossing 100 YouTube subscribers with viewer shoutouts, comment responses, and a little appreciation for the people helping the podcast grow. Then science fiction takes over the shop, asking how much of the genre belongs to real science, how much belongs to imagination, and how much comes from the fears people are carrying at the time. H. G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, the French comic Valerian, and Olivia Waite’s Murder by Memory shape a conversation about invisibility, alien communication, poppycock science, dystopian fiction, and climate anxiety. Some science holds up. Some really doesn’t.How much bad science are you willing to forgive if the story works?Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.Physical books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Print and ebookshttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read.You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at https://www.middlegroundbooks.comFollow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community.📖 The Covered PagesThe Invisible Man by H. G. WellsThe Time Machine by H. G. WellsFlatland by Edwin A. AbbottRelativity The Special and the General Theory by Albert EinsteinThe Space Trilogy by C. S. LewisProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirValérian and Laureline by Jean Claude Mezieres and Pierre ChristinThe Fifth Element by Luc BessonOperation Bounce House by Matt DinnimanDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanAfter the Fall by Edward AshtonThe Danger of Small Things by Carol LewisMurder by Memory by Olivia WaiteNobody’s Baby by Olivia WaiteAnd Another Thing by Eoin ColferThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsDivergent by Veronica RothThe Maze Runner by James DashnerSilvercloak by L. K. StevenStrange Buildings by UketsuMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com

An episode recorded near Christmas 2025, sent forward like a bookstore time capsule. Megan, Debra, and Lance have a conversation that somehow involves a naked detective over Los Angeles, imprisoned gods, betrayal, lost Narnia doors, and food comparisons that we have now grown accustomed to.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.Physical books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Print and ebookshttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read.You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at https://www.middlegroundbooks.comFollow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community.📖 The Covered PagesThe Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. JemisinStripped for Murder by Richard S. PratherEmbers by Sandor MaraiThe Lost Story by Meg ShafferThe Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. LewisMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com

Lit RPG takes over the shop as Megan, Debra, and Lance dig into Dungeon Crawler Carl, A Parade of Horribles, and the strange pull of stories built around game mechanics, monsters, and impossible odds. The conversation branches into isekai, Aethon Books, sci-fi versus fantasy, Reddit reactions, and why Matt Dinniman’s series hits harder than its premise suggests.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.Physical books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Print and ebookshttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read.You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at https://www.middlegroundbooks.comFollow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community.📖 The Covered PagesStrange Buildings by Uketsu Silvercloak by L. K. Steven The Close Encounters Man by Mark O'Connell The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman (Book 8 of Dungeon Crawler Carl) Delvers LLC by Blaise Corvin He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon The Primal Hunter by Zogarth Hell Difficulty Tutorial by Cerim The Martian by Andy Weir Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Three Body Problem by Liu CixinMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com

Debra, Megan, and Lance settle in after a long week for a looser, after-hours recording. The conversation drifts through Emporia Kansas events, Comic Con memories, merchandise ideas, and the podcast’s unexpected international reach, with side tangents that stretch from Bob Ross to Scooby-Doo. Another chance to spend time with the hosts outside the usual book talk. Well…for the most part.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.Physical books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Print and ebookshttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read.You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at https://www.middlegroundbooks.comFollow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community.📖 The Covered PagesAmerican Fantasy by Emma StraubThe Egyptian Book of the Dead by E. A. Wallis BudgeProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirAbsent by Brendan P. BellacourtOh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. SeussWill the Pigeon Graduate by Mo WillemsYou’re On Your Way by Melanie WattMarcie and the Giraffe by Kim Gregory12 Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. BeaulieuThe Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. BeaulieuA Veil of Spears by Bradley P. BeaulieuMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com

Independent Bookstore Day is almost here, so the shop is in prep mode. There are plans for a costume event for kids, raffle prizes, local authors coming through, and a couple golden tickets hidden somewhere in the store. In between all the planning, the trio still finds time to give the rundown.When a bookstore turns an event into something interactive, does it bring people in or just add to the noise around it?Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.Physical books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Print and ebookshttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read.You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at https://www.middlegroundbooks.comFollow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community.This chapter centers on Independent Bookstore Day at Middle Ground Books, with plans for a costume event, raffle prizes, local authors, and a couple golden tickets hidden somewhere in the store. Megan, Lance, and Debra talk through what’s coming together, what’s already in motion, and what they’ve been reading in the middle of it all, from mystery and horror to a few unexpected standouts.📖 The Covered PagesThe Wishing Game by Meg ShafferThe Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. HarrowA Song to Drown Rivers by Ann LiangMy Husband’s Wife by Alice FeeneyKingdom of Ash by Sarah J. MaasVicious by V. E. SchwabProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirDante’s Inferno by Dante AlighieriDelvers LLC by Blaise CorvinDungeon Crawler Carl: The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt DinnimanThe Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey HartmanShroud by Adrian TchaikovskyWhat Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

Megan, Debra, and Lance open with a Comic-Con recap before moving into a National Poetry Month reading. They explore haiku from Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki, selections from Shel Silverstein, slam pieces by Taylor Mali and Mike McGee, and Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est.” The conversation also includes original Midwestern poetry from Kerry Moyer and a reading of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Bed in Summer.” This special episode releases after the Comic-Con video production timeline, with the full convention footage now available on YouTube.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.📖 Physical books and ebooks through the shop’s Bookshop pagehttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read. You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at the shop at https://www.middlegroundbooks.com. Follow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community. 📖 The Covered Pages Haiku (Amber Books illustrated collection) by Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, Masaoka ShikiWhere the Sidewalk Ends by Shel SilversteinHaiku Kaiju Achu by George McClements“Labeling Keys” by Taylor Mali“Open Letter to Neil Armstrong” by Mike McGee“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen“Bed in Summer” by Robert Louis StevensonPoems by Kerry MoyerMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com.

Middle Ground Books After Hours steps onto the Comiccon floor. Along the way, you’ll meet Jeffrey Winkler, who founded Cate’s Concepts and works across both design and hands-on building, Stephanie Hasen, a literary agent working with authors and publishers in children’s and young adult literature, Basi, owner of Senciil Studios, a Midwest-based Black comic book company, Kyle Strahm, known for his work on comics like"Twig", and Chris Grine, an American cartoonist, writer, and illustrator adapting Animorphs into a graphic novel series.This chapter looks at the people who helped make Comic Con what it is, and shows how those same paths are still open to the ones working toward them.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.📖 Physical books and ebooks through the shop’s Bookshop pagehttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read. You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at the shop at https://www.middlegroundbooks.com. Follow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community. Middle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com.

The bookstore trio scrambles to finish Comicon costumes while celebrating their surprising connection to Wishbone, the beloved literary dog. Lance reads gruesome passages from Dante's Inferno, sparking debate about whether it's profound literature or medieval fanfic. Inspired by a book about magical libraries that relocate people into classic novels, they debate which public domain book they'd escape into, from Winnie the Pooh to Pride and Prejudice.If any of these books caught your ear, you can get your copy through Middle Ground Books, wherever you are. Print books and ebooks are available worldwide through the shop’s Bookshop page, and audiobooks are available through the store as well.Support Middle Ground Books wherever you are.📖 Physical books and ebooks through the shop’s Bookshop pagehttps://bookshop.org/shop/middlegroundbooksAudiobookshttps://libro.fm/middlegroundbooksIf you’re near Emporia, Kansas, visit Middle Ground Books and Gifts at 606 Commercial Street, Emporia, KS to browse in person, meet the team, and find your next great read. You can also explore upcoming events, book clubs, and everything happening at the shop at https://www.middlegroundbooks.com. Follow and subscribe to @middlegroundbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected with the shop and the reading community. 📖 The Covered Pages A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann LiangDante’s Inferno by Dante AlighieriThe Astral Library by Kate QuinnThe Daughter of Crows by Mark LawrenceMiddle Aged Man in a Trash Can by William Bryan JohnsonHell to Pay by William Bryan JohnsonPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenSherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan DoyleAnne of Green Gables by L. M. MontgomeryAdventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainWinnie the Pooh by A. A. MilneThe Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. LewisDracula by Bram StokerAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollLeft Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. JenkinsMiddle Ground Books After Hours is produced and audio engineered by Cosmic Atom Sound Studios. If you’re working on a podcast, business media, or creative project and need audio, video, or media assets, learn more at https://www.cosmicatomsounds.com.