Show overview
Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 129 episodes. That works out to roughly 280 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run over ninety minutes — most land between 1h 21m and 2h 46m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. Roughly 67% of episodes carry an explicit flag from the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Arts show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 4 days ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Thomas Pynchon books discussed here!.
From the publisher
Each episode, we take a deep-dive into the book we are focusing on—we explore the references, characters, plot, and everything in between from a non-scholarly point of view. We are just four fans who love these books and can talk about them endlessly.
Latest Episodes
View all 129 episodesBonus Episode - Heather Parry
Infinite Jest: "The Powdered Milk Fiasco"
Against the Day: Ch. 40-41
Bonus Episode: Adaptations (and The Odyssey... a bit)
Against the Day: Ch. 38-39
Infinite Jest: "I always end up finding more than I thought I would"
Against the Day: Ch. 36-37
Against the Day: Ch. 34-35
Against the Day: Ch. 32-33
Infinite Jest: Il ne faut plus qu'on pursuive le bonheur
Infinite Jest: "Like Last Time, Only Moreso"
Bonus Episode - Billy Woods "Hiding Places"
Bonus Episode - The Franchiser by Stanley Elkin
Bonus Episode - R.A. Lafferty
Bonus Episode: Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution (w/ Sara Marcus)
Infinite Jest: "I just need to put the book down and go for a walk"
Slow Learner: Low-lands
Against the Day: Part 2 Wrap Up (w/ Brett Biebel)
Infinite Jest: "Mmmyellow?"
Against the Day: Ch. 30-31
EIf you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneYou can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts to get early access to our Infinite Jest series as well as any other bonus episodes/series we do down the road (or just to support us!)If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Books: William Vollmann’s Seven Dreams seriesVideo Games: Disco Elysium, Final Fantasy VIAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: [email protected]Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.comShow art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit)bradspersecond.com