A hardcore fan and sometime author of postmodern fiction dives deep into the world's greatest literary genre. Join me as I explore authors, books, structure, crossover with other media, influences, and more. The P is silent.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:01:28 GMTWed, 06 May 2026 03:21:47 GMT60Ptim Callan<p>A hardcore fan and sometime author of postmodern fiction dives deep into the world's greatest literary genre. Join me as I explore authors, books, structure, crossover with other media, influences, and more. The P is silent.</p>episodicPtim Callanptimcallan@gmail.comnoThis episode explores the fascinating world of tabular narrative in fiction, examining how authors create parallel, simultaneous storylines that challenge and engage readers. Join me to explore examples from John Barth, Samuel R. Delaney, Steve Katz, Arno Schmidt, Vladimir Nabokov, Johan Harstad, and Mark Danielewski as we discover how these complex narrative structures reshape storytelling.

]]>6f928b57-b1f3-4cff-acbd-1f01560dd64fMon, 15 Jun 2026 02:07:59 GMT<p>This episode explores the fascinating world of tabular narrative in fiction, examining how authors create parallel, simultaneous storylines that challenge and engage readers. Join me to explore examples from John Barth, Samuel R. Delaney, Steve Katz, Arno Schmidt, Vladimir Nabokov, Johan Harstad, and Mark Danielewski as we discover how these complex narrative structures reshape storytelling.</p>no00:18:0412What Is Tabular Narrative?fullTraditional fiction defines specific forms it can take, such as short stories, plays, poetry, and novels. Postmodernism intentionally blurs these lines, challenging the traditional definitions of types of literature. In this episode I examine a handful of books and ask, is this a novel?

]]>e3fdc02d-7611-4ef3-b679-6c1ee00c92c4Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:11:49 GMT<p>Traditional fiction defines specific forms it can take, such as short stories, plays, poetry, and novels. Postmodernism intentionally blurs these lines, challenging the traditional definitions of types of literature. In this episode I examine a handful of books and ask, is this a novel?</p>no00:10:1411Is It a Novel?fullI discuss the postmodern focus on the form our writing takes as an empowered response to the Literature of Exhaustion. Form can be structure, or types of documents, or genre and tropes and stock characters. I include plenty of real examples to show how this interest in form manifests itself to the betterment of postmodern literature.

]]>260a0d96-42f9-4384-b5d6-f725bd9b53eaSat, 06 Jun 2026 22:52:04 GMT<p>I discuss the postmodern focus on the form our writing takes as an empowered response to the Literature of Exhaustion. Form can be structure, or types of documents, or genre and tropes and stock characters. I include plenty of real examples to show how this interest in form manifests itself to the betterment of postmodern literature.</p>no00:28:2710Form in PostmodernismfullThousands of years of previous writing captured in millions of books has seemed to many postmodernists to be a massive obstacle to their own original contribution to literature. I describe this sentiment and some of the responses we see to this predicament.

]]>9bd8cc11-020d-486e-81eb-e82847b1b482Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:23:34 GMT<p>Thousands of years of previous writing captured in millions of books has seemed to many postmodernists to be a massive obstacle to their own original contribution to literature. I describe this sentiment and some of the responses we see to this predicament.</p>no00:18:369The Literature of ExhaustionfullI define irrealism, fabulism, and magic realism and discuss how delightful they can be. I explain the fundamental strategy behind irrealism and how it fits into literary postmodernism.

]]>d1120dc6-c405-43ea-ab2e-9c5070fc5b1cSat, 30 May 2026 12:46:30 GMT<p>I define irrealism, fabulism, and magic realism and discuss how delightful they can be. I explain the fundamental strategy behind irrealism and how it fits into literary postmodernism.</p>no00:12:078What Is Irrealism?fullOur books are full of fictional people, places, and events. But what if the books themselves could be fictional? Some clever postmodernists have done exactly that.

]]>0474f475-1652-4365-95e0-e034d8f77115Fri, 22 May 2026 21:38:13 GMT<p>Our books are full of fictional people, places, and events. But what if the books themselves could be fictional? Some clever postmodernists have done exactly that.</p>no00:11:407Real Imaginary BooksfullI share the first of what will be many lists, this one of ten undeniable titans of postmodern fiction. Plus, see who didn't make the list and why.

]]>8df79161-4b01-4b7b-ad9f-8281053e52a9Mon, 18 May 2026 00:31:34 GMT<p>I share the first of what will be many lists, this one of ten undeniable titans of postmodern fiction. Plus, see who didn't make the list and why.</p>no00:40:016Ten Titans of Postmodern FictionfullBeowulf, the Wizard of Oz, Jane Eyre, and Hamlet all have one thing in common: Postmodern authors have retold them from the perspective of characters other than the protagonists we imagine. In this episode I discuss this marvelous technique and some of the shining works it has produced.

]]>3e0255d0-881a-436d-8f44-3b3ccbbbe2afWed, 13 May 2026 22:35:13 GMT<p>Beowulf, the Wizard of Oz, Jane Eyre, and Hamlet all have one thing in common: Postmodern authors have retold them from the perspective of characters other than the protagonists we imagine. In this episode I discuss this marvelous technique and some of the shining works it has produced.</p>no00:15:515Recasting Famous StoriesfullI define metafiction as fiction that takes at least some its narrative energy from its own status as fiction. I discuss different degrees and types of metafiction and its relationship to postmodernism.

]]>9fc82820-c23a-4d0e-8462-cb088deb6200Sun, 10 May 2026 22:48:54 GMT<p>I define metafiction as fiction that takes at least some its narrative energy from its own status as fiction. I discuss different degrees and types of metafiction and its relationship to postmodernism.</p>no00:18:264What Is Metafiction?fullPtim corrects an error, proves he is unscripted, and digs into recursiveness, loops, Mandelbrot sets, mirrors, and fun stuff like that.

]]>5d339875-7d37-48a2-91ba-0f7ce85175b4Sat, 09 May 2026 00:33:48 GMT<p>Ptim corrects an error, proves he is unscripted, and digs into recursiveness, loops, Mandelbrot sets, mirrors, and fun stuff like that.</p>no00:17:123Turtles All the Way DownfullPostmodernism is a broad, complex tent with many occupants. In this episode I attempt a working definition that is clear, defensible, and ultimately useful in driving exploration of this topic. I cast postmodernism as a response to modernism and its earth-shattering effects on all forms of art, with the most salient difference being heightened awareness (self-awareness but also of influences, history, and contemporaneous cultural movements) among postmodernists as opposed to modernists.

]]>5fe52604-38e4-4015-848a-37b5a6d95ba5Thu, 07 May 2026 17:25:41 GMT<p>Postmodernism is a broad, complex tent with many occupants. In this episode I attempt a working definition that is clear, defensible, and ultimately useful in driving exploration of this topic. I cast postmodernism as a response to modernism and its earth-shattering effects on all forms of art, with the most salient difference being heightened awareness (self-awareness but also of influences, history, and contemporaneous cultural movements) among postmodernists as opposed to modernists.</p>no00:22:522What Is Postmodernism?fullPostmodernism afficionado Ptim Callan introduces the purpose and style of this podcast, which is to bridge a gap in quality, deep content about postmodern fiction in a regular cadence of snackable topics in a conversational style.

]]>4f674fc5-4fed-4b19-9cc0-7427a6ac96e4Wed, 06 May 2026 17:58:07 GMT<p>Postmodernism afficionado Ptim Callan introduces the purpose and style of this podcast, which is to bridge a gap in quality, deep content about postmodern fiction in a regular cadence of snackable topics in a conversational style.</p>no00:11:111Introducing Postmodern Pfictionfull