Expounded Universe

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/expounded-universe-175-the-big-fuckin-hole.mp3 What the hell is this. Stock photo of first season Ackles and Padalecki, photoshopped into Joshua Tree? Jon is grabbing the reins and there’s nothing we can do about it now. Join us on a brand new adventure, as the Winchester Boys encounter a 40-year ghost story in a tiny Arizona town where a new mall is being built. Will they finally make out? Yes. I personally guarantee this is the book where the Winchesters make out. I’ll guarantee whatever for about 5 bucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/expounded-universe-174-maul-wrap-up.mp3 Questions, answers, thoughts, prayers, and also the announcement of the next book. Oh the next book. Why did I do what I did? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/expounded-universe-173-zestfully-sheev.mp3 And just like that it ends, not with a bang, but with a lightsaber twirl and a resounding “meh.” Not sure what we expected, everyone killable was dead already! But hey, we visit with Sheev again and you know how much we like that, I suppose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/expounded-universe-172-a-league-of-his-own.mp3 Just one more chunk of book left after this! People are dying at a pace I’d call impressive, but Maul and Eogan are still going strong, now on the lookout for new player Komari Vosa, who Maul needs to kill, or give a nuke to, or both? Hard to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/expounded-universe-171-the-blind-fighting-feat.mp3 Great set of chapters if you love pieces being moved around a board, I suppose! We learn a little about the worm, Sadiki is moving to a retreat stratagem, and Maul, well he’s just doing the sort of stuff he does. Maul stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/expounded-universe-170-kell-dragons-love-orange-soda.mp3 Jabba is making his move! The collapse becomes ever more dramatic as new players enter with the same speed that old ones are dispatched. Maul meanwhile is the man in the box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/expounded-universe-169-divesto-slipher.mp3 The dizzying spiral of decay and chaos that perpetuates the writings of Joe Schreiber continues ever downwards. Characters are now dying left and right. We near the end as Maul just stomps around killing people and being dour. It’s great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/expounded-universe-168-kick-in-the-kabals.mp3 Well, Maul finally finds his way to the “inner circle” but everyone in there is just commanding everyone else in there to kill everyone else in there, so that’s fun times. Also Jabba makes the scene! In the gross flesh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/expounded-universe-167-iram-so-far-away.mp3 Is it me or do these fights get less interesting over time instead of more? We started with like a Yuuzhan Vong and a monster Wampa and now we’re fighting a Weequay and his shoulder bird? If I wanna get into fights with shoulder bird guys I’ll just go to any street festival and fight recumbent bike guys until the mid-boss spawns, thanks. Also Smight survived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/expounded-universe-166-smight-walks-with-rhythm.mp3 Time for a bit of the old “surprisingly goopy for Star Wars” violence as gang leaders start tearing guards to bit. Meanwhile Maul just keeps cleaning up loose ends. Is this book the original escape room? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/expounded-universe-165-hootkins-and-the-blowfish.mp3 Lots of setup this time, but we do meet an exciting new character. Or maybe just some nameless bruiser? Who knows at this point? It’s like 90% red herrings in this prison by weight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/expounded-universe-164-hot-darth-flavored-water-and-the-chocolate-aqualish.mp3 The big fights just keep coming, and this time we’re diving into some filth water with Darth Maul (at this point I’d frankly be surprised if there were even one Maul-less match in this book) and discovering yet more secrets about the mysterious Iram Radique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/expounded-universe-163-bone-bird-is-the-word.mp3 Things are about to get cryptic. Turns out our Chadra-Fan buddy Coyle is some sort of statue-crafting bone mystic, and things are just devolving into riddles and puzzles. But even as things slow down briefly, there’s promise of a cool battles soon to come! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/expounded-universe-162-warden-caught-me-jagganath.mp3 The story is in high gear now! Artagan and his son begin to effect their daring escape but it sure goes wrong! Also there’s spies all over, so that’s sorta cool. Who is this Iram Radique, and why is everyone so worried that he keeps making grenades? Aren’t grenades pretty easy to buy? Well, we’ll find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/expounded-universe-161-danger-danger-ghost-voltage.mp3 One thing about these books, they move along. The last episode ended with Maul promising to deal with the gangs, this one starts with him doing it. Then a bunch of other stuff happens too. Guard intrigue, hacking, and holy crap we leave the prison to see some other characters you might know and love, if only the Jedi would or maybe not, since they are not a story the Jedi would tell you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/expounded-universe-160-if-you-wampa-be-my-lover.mp3 We’re back! And it’s time for the next big showcase this book has to offer, which is obviously slickly describes scenes of Darth Maul killing gross monsters. You’ll never guess what it is this time (don’t look at the show title special edition contest). But there’s more intrigue and behind the scenes action in here too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/expounded-universe-159-im-a-frayed-knot.mp3 Maul is starting gang fights as we start to meet our colorful and disposable cast of prison fightin’ guys and the weirdos in charge. Can Maul find Zero? Well yeah, probably, but there’s 67 chapters in this thing, so it may take a few episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/expounded-universe-158-science-fair-volcano.mp3 Okay, here we go. If this one isn’t exciting I don’t know what will be. It’s Darth Maul, he’s in a gladiatorial mega-prison, and it’s by the guy who wrote Red Harvest, the zombie book we did a while back. All the elements are there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/expounded-universe-157-its-always-december-15-2011-somewhere.mp3 Several of you had questions, and we answered those questions. Then we announced that next book, and I gotta admit, I’m pretty excited to head somewhere and some time a little new. See you in a bit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/expounded-universe-156-curse-your-plodding-but-inevitable-betrayal.mp3 Wrap up time, I’d say we’re super proud of totally predicting this ending if there was much to have predicted. We cover up the last couple of super short chapters while pining for an exciting new future! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/expounded-universe-155-dont-go-chasing-holocrons.mp3 We’re there! We made it! We’re in the titular ruins of Dantooine! Oh, wait, I guess we’re leaving them immediately. Why is this book called this? Anyway, time to meet a few more animals! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/expounded-universe-154-awakened-the-wrath-of-the-lizard.mp3 Another chapter, another session of opening up lootboxes on a shuttle. At least this time we finally make it to Dantooine, even if we don’t see much of the titular ruins thereof. Time for some kissin’ in the rain and long form animal identification. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/expounded-universe-153-hot-corellian-nights.mp3 The next thing we knew she was getting sexually excited by guns and manhands in the back of a freighter. I never thought it would happen to me. Oh also C-3PO shows up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/expounded-universe-152-lf1m-need-bioengineer.mp3 As the dread Captain Nym enters the story, we begin a short but fascinating era where this books is basically based on two video games at once! Our heroes leave Naboo for the sulfur planet Lok, where the thin veneer of story falls off immediately, leaving only video games and patriarchy. Truly a desolate place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/expounded-universe-151-in-out-borgles.mp3 The pieces of this obvious romance novel fall into place as Dusque and Tendau head to the hard zone moon of Rori to do some boots on the ground bio-engineering. It all goes great until they find a mutant! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/expounded-universe-150-you-would-not-believe-the-darktrinn-i-pull.mp3 As the book progresses, it begins to dawn on us… oh no, this is self-insert fanfic! Help! It’s official but that’s what it is! We watch as Dusque is pulled from room to room through a casino by a variety of thirsty, thirsty dudes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/expounded-universe-149-shes-not-like-the-other-imps.mp3 A book set in the world created by an MMO licensed from movies, huh? Sure, why not? It’s Ruins of Dantooine, and while I’m sure ruins will turn up at some point, right now it’s time for some framing elements and our first new character, Dusque Mistflier. Don’t judge, people in Star Wars have to have Fetlife handles too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/expounded-universe-148-its-over.mp3 As is our custom, we wrap up with a brief discussion about what we’ve learned here from this book, then dive into some good old fashioned listener Q&A before announcing the next book (It looks like a good one to me!) See you in two weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/expounded-universe-147-for-she-is-the-qwi-xux-haderach.mp3 Time to wrap this baby up! And how? Why obviously with a bunch more descriptions of Admiral Daala’s famous hair! Also the Sun Crusher, while not yet crushing suns, is finally unleashed to just fly… through stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/expounded-universe-146-the-mon-mothman-prophecies.mp3 Just when Han is about to get out the Maw, Luke and Lando are dragging us back in! Meanwhile, how come Leia doesn’t have a staff? She apparently has an aide, but not a very good one. Shouldn’t she have a staff? Like, a whole office building worth of staff? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/expounded-universe-145-xux-to-be-you.mp3 Two stereotypes for the price of one! It’s time to meet Qwi Xux, a sexy anime scientist who… doesn’t see the moral concerns in building devastating superweapons yet. Luke and Lando continue to futz around, and I guess some other stuff happens? Sort of? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/expounded-universe-144-miss-daala-if-youre-natasi.mp3 Fully half the book before we met Daala, but boy oh boy does she ever make an impression (on herself). We’ll have a lot to say about her and her fascinating hair, along with just ripping into Luke and Lando for half-assing everything (that’s Chewie’s job!) and continuing our imploring of Leia to take up any other career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/expounded-universe-143-look-maw-no-hans.mp3 Okay first of all this is chapters 15-17. Jef is easily confused. Han, Chewie and Kyp mount a daring escape while Leia keeps track of Luke’s new Jedi candidates, and her own kids too. Plus an Imperial surprise! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/expounded-universe-142-bespin-rawwks.mp3 The time has come to meet Jedi candidate number two! Streen is a classic “psychic trying to find quiet in a world full of noisy thinkers” archetype, and to get him, we have to go to Bespin. Why? Because it was in a movie once, duh. Meanwhile, Han just keeps riding around in mining carts, and Leia… Leias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/expounded-universe-141-blob-and-weave.mp3 Lando is off on a quest to investigate a gambler. He will have to go to a gambling place where there is gambling. Hey, what do we know about this guy again? Also Leia gets worse and then gets an awakening, and Han starts a little riot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/expounded-universe-140-a-kyp-off-the-old-block.mp3 Who wants to meet Kyp Durron? No one? Too bad! Also Luke faces Gantoris’ lethal “tests” while Lando shows up, hat in hand, hoping for a handout of something to do in one of these books for once. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/expounded-universe-139-you-can-gantoris-or-you-can-gantorthat.mp3 Aw shoot last week we thought we got all the boring intro chapters, but here we are dealing with Leia’s story startup for the episode! Should have guessed! Anyway, Han has crashed, Luke has a plan, and Leia… is rich. Why do they keep doing that? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/expounded-universe-138-going-down-to-kessel-goin-to-have-myself-a-mine.mp3 You knew we’d cover one of this guy’s books eventually, and here we are! This trilogy features the introductions of known series players like Nataasi Daala and Kyp “White Space Privilege” Durron. We’re still in a place setting stage here, but chills, thrills, and silliness is soon to abound, I promise! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/expounded-universe-137-only-hooles-rush-in.mp3 Chills, thrills, spills, and a last minute rescue! Oh the joy of it! Every foreshadow comes dramatically home to roost and we’re done! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/expounded-universe-136-the-titular-line.mp3 Tash goes to Smada’s castle to confront that gross old Hutt! Then they escape on a skimboard (no pads this time!) and learn a dark secret. It’s so scary! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/expounded-universe-135-slurpin-the-dirt.mp3 The GANKS disappeared all of a sudden, and then Zak went out on his cool skimboard (but remembered to wear his awesome pads) while Tash had a spooky adventure! Slurp Slurp! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/expounded-universe-134-hey-thats-smada-for-you.mp3 It was GANKS that shoved our heroes against a wall! And the chapter climaxes keep on rolling, as we meet some familiar heroes, learn about ship maintenance, and go to an Enzeen sleepover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/expounded-universe-133-the-sweet-life-of-zack-and-tash.mp3 Prepare yourselves for true horror, as we dive into the spooky world of Galaxy of Fear, the tween terror series that wasn’t a cashing in on Goosebumps being a thing. Not at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/expounded-universe-132-leviathor-ragnarok.mp3 Boy howdy, that was a lot of fun. We got whales, pirate captains, valleys of giant oysters, and an unsurprising revelation about the might Trioculus, all wrapped into a quick little package. Enjoy! Note that this was a super short book and we’re not going to be doing a wrap up on it. We’ll just be taking a quick week off while Jef tries like crazy to source two copies of an old Star Wars book while all the bookstores are shut down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/expounded-universe-131-dark-greetings.mp3 Welcome to an Expanded Universe special edition! This book is too short for a full season so we’re making a little snack out of it. But boy are we ever thrilled to be in the exciting world of Star Wars for kids, where everything is taken at face value and the empire knows good and full well they’re the bad guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/expounded-universe-130-the-end-of-stars-end.mp3 You know how these wrap up episodes go! We talk about what we liked and didn’t like, then we answer a million listener questions and announce the next book! It’s been 10 seasons now, come on! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/expounded-universe-129-the-arc-of-imprisonment.mp3 And just like that, we’re done. But dang what a way to go. This is exciting in a way these Star Wars books rarely seem to want to shoot for, perfectly content to just kill everyone, blow up the building, and flip everyone off on the way out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/expounded-universe-128-hes-dead-i-rekkon.mp3 A daring space escape and a murder… a murder most foul. Honestly this space scene is one of the coolest ones we’ve seen in a book so far, and it’s just the Falcon, a bad guy, and hundreds of acres of grain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/expounded-universe-127-lament-my-wookie.mp3 Our lovable smuggler team (and their droid named after balls) find their way to the mighty agriplanet to continue the mission! We get to meet Rekkon, the coolest dude we’ve seen in a while, Torm, the obvious traitor, Atuarre and Pakka (cats that don’t really get lines, don’t worry about it). Also Chewie is about as cool here as he’ll ever be. All in all, good times! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/expounded-universe-126-whats-up-doc-1.mp3 Han and Chewie must effect a sneaky escape from Etti IV and find an old friend, but we have a lot of questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices