A near-future Johannesburg where the urban sprawl mixes with Southern African legend in a post-cyberpunk detective novel.

Show Notes

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Elizabeth Lovegrove and Ralph Lovegrove

00:39 Synopsis // 04:35 Fake academic papers and His Dark Materials // 06:00 Penny Miller’s Myths and Legends of Southern Africa // 11:15 Games here // 17:00 Ralph gushes about WaRP // 19:05 PbtA all the way down // 22:56 Malandros (again) // 24:10 (off topic) our book lists

Ralph and Liz’s book lists

We set each other a challenge of reading ten books the other had read. These is my list from Liz:

• Behind the Scenes at the Museum / Kate Atkinson
• The Robber Bride / Margaret Atwood
• The Sparrow / Mary Dora Russell
• Parable of the Sower / Octavia Butler
• To Kill A Mockingbird / Harper Lee
• The Color Purple / Alice Walker
• Gaudy Night / Dorothy L. Sayers
• Among Others / Jo Walton
• Zoo City / Lauren Beukes
• Tipping the Velvet / Sarah Waters

(Note: Parable of the Sower was originally Fledgeling but changed for reasons)

And this is Liz’s list from me:

• Behold the Man / Michael Moorcock
• The Pastel City / M. John Harrison
• Cocaine Nights / J. G. Ballard
• The Forever War / Joe Haldeman
• The Land of Laughs / Jonathan Carroll
• The Demolished Man / Alfred Bester
• Norstrilia / Cordwainer Smith
• Ubik / Philip K. Dick
• The Western Lands / William Burroughs
• Neuromancer / William Gibson

Scores so far are 3.5 (for me) to 1.5 (for Liz)

Music credits

“Is That You Or Are You You?” from Reappear by Chris Zabriskie

“But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton” from Direct To Video by Chris Zabriskie

(chriszabriskie.com bandcamp free music archive)