About this episode

The episode features listener complaints about various aspects of fiction, including a discussion on short stories.

This is a an example of our premium content you can find on our Shelf Respect Patreon . *originaly published in October, 2025 We asked our Hardbacks to air their grievances about fiction and they answered. LOUDLY AND WITH FEELING. They shared the details, big and small, they despise in a novel. In this episode, we feature some of their complaints, as well as share a few of our own. And there's a kerfuffle about short stories. Mentions: A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant Alchemised by Senlinyu Katabasis by R. F. Kuang The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA The Compound by Aisling Rawe Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer Annihilation movie streaming on Paramount+ Inception movie streaming on HBO Max 50 Times Male Authors Proved They Know Next To Nothing About Women The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy It by Stephen King Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James The New York Times Bestseller list wiki Publishers Weekly Bestseller List The…

More episodes of Shelf Respect

• Literary Spring Awakenings: First Reading Loves · April 24, 2026 · 47 min
• Odd Reader Out: Short Stories · April 10, 2026 · 1h 6m
• New Books Snake Draft: Spring 2026 · March 27, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Toxic Literary Romance Snake Draft · March 13, 2026 · 58 min
• Burn or Blurb: Reader Spicy Takes · February 27, 2026 · 42 min
• Words, Phrases, and Clichés That Need To Die in Fiction Books · February 13, 2026 · 45 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Shelf Respect podcast page.