Overdue

A podcast about the books you've been meaning to read. Updates Mondays.

Overdue is a podcast about the books you've been meaning to read. Join Andrew and Craig each week as they tackle a new title from their backlog. Classic literature, obscure plays, goofy murder mysteries: they'll read it all, one overdue book at a time.

 

Ep 751 - Annie Bot, by Sierra Greer

Less a story about AI, and more "what if that Star Trek episode about whether Data was a person was also exploring the concept of domestic abuse?" Greer writes a short punchy novel that is occasionally uncomfortable but thoughtfully constructed, not unlike a sentient humanoid robot might be.

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep 751 - Annie Bot
Overdue

Ep 750 - Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

In the not-so-distant future, Andy Weir will write a novel about a Competent Man getting into trouble and then getting himself out. Then it will be made into a major motion picture starring a relatively bankable movie star. Then Overdue will (probably) read the book. That's what happened with The Martian, and that is what's happening this week with Project Hail Mary — a novel about a science teacher on a mission to save Earth (and maybe some other planets) from an otherworldly threat.

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep 750 - Project Hail Mary
Overdue

Ep 749 - The Very Hungry Caterpillar (and Other Stories), by Eric Carle

To celebrate this year's Children's Book Week, we're discussing the work of children's author and illustrator Eric Carle, whose colorful art and innovative prints have delighted our children (and us!) for years. Since they're each pretty short we decided to talk about a bunch of them, including:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (with Bill Martin, Jr.)

3. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (with Bill Martin, Jr.)

4. My Very First Book of Numbers

5. My Very First Book of Colors

6. The Grouchy Ladybug

7. The Very Lonely Firefly

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep 749 - The Very Hungry Caterpillar (and Other Stories)
Overdue

Ep A03 - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson (Annotated)

Around 25 minutes into this episode, Andrew and Craig take a mysterious elixir that turns them into younger versions of themselves with worse microphones and less research under their belts. Oh no! I hope they can find the ingredients to turn themselves back!

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep A03 - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson (Annotated)
Overdue

The Sillymarillion Episode 1 - A Shortcut to Ilúvatar (J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion)

For this show-within-a-show, Craig and Andrew learned about the world of Middle-Earth by reading J.R.R. Tolkien's posthumously published legendarium THE SILMARILLION.

In the beginning, Eru Ilúvatar created the heaven and the earth, primarily by watching his child-angels have an epic sing-off. And Melkor was there singing bad stuff, but Ilúvatar was like "no matter how bad you sing I can always make it a part of the awesome world I am building."

Anyway, this episode is about perhaps the most biblical part of the Hobbit Bible, where a god-like figure creates the world and casts out one of his followers who thinks he's good enough to challenge god himself. Also: the Dwarves are created, and the Elves wake up.

This episode posted first for our Patreon supporters in June 2025. If you want to hear our current longread project TOKYO DRIFTERS (and a bunch of other stuff besides), visit Patreon.com/overduepod.

The reading list:

Ep 1 - Ainulindale, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion Ch 1-3

Ep 2 - Quenta Silmarillion Ch 4-10

Ep 3 - Quenta Silmarillion Ch 11-16

Ep 4 - Quenta Silmarillion Ch 17-20

Ep 5 - Quenta Silmarillion Ch 21-24

Ep 6 - Alkallabeth, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, Appendices

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

The Sillymarillion Ep 01 - A Shortcut to Ilúvatar (J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion)
Overdue

Ep A02 - Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (Annotated)

Our stroll down memory lane continues this week, but we come provisioned with Present-Day Overdue research and context. This week, 2026 Andrew and Craig talk about Mary Shelley and the legacy of her most famous work while 2013 Andrew and Craig deal primarily with the story, including the titular Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. (Even past us knew that Frankenstein is the doctor, okay??). Also please bear with 2013 us as we discuss artificial intelligence with no knowledge of where we'd be in 2026.

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep A02 - Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (Annotated)
Overdue

Ep A01 - Dune, by Frank Herbert (Annotated)

We're revisiting our past this month, adding Present-Day Overdue research and context to a few old episodes that didn't have them. This week, 2026 Andrew and Craig talk about Frank Herbert and the extended Dune-iverse while 2013 Andrew and Craig do their best to talk about the book. 

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep A01 - Dune, by Frank Herbert (Annotated)
Overdue

Special Collections: Twilight (2008)

This isn't a belated April Fool's joke. We really did watch the movie Twilight, and we're really here to talk about it. Why are Edward and Bella SO strange? How is it that all of the side characters come off as more human than they do in the books? Why is the vampire running like that??

Sometimes over on the Patreon (patreon.com/overduepod) we discuss movies and TV under the Special Collections banner. Join us to find out what we thought about the first appearance of the Minions, for instance.

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Special Collections: Twilight (2008)
Overdue

Ep 748 - MASH: A Novel about Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker and W.C. Heinz

MASH is the book that inspired the movie that inspired the show M*A*S*H, which is set in an active war zone but doesn't have a ton to say about war. If you wanted to read about the exploits of a bunch of meatball surgeon wiseacres, though, it is not completely without its charms.

Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.

Ep 748 - MASH: A Novel about Three Army Doctors
Overdue

Sit Me Baby One More Time Bonus - The Baby-Sitters Club: The Movie (1995)

Ho-na-na-na Hey-ey! It's time to talk about the 1995 film adaptation of the series, directed by Melanie Mayron and written by Dalene Young. We mostly enjoyed it, though we have to acknowledge how hard it is to squeeze full plots for each BSC member into one 94-minute movie. Also, what is the deal with Kristy's dad? Why is he so stinky?

Enjoying this longread series? Keep an eye out for THE SILLY-MARILLION next and join us over on Patreon to stay current with TOKYO DRIFTERS.

SMBOMT Bonus - The Baby-Sitters Club: The Movie (1995)
Overdue