The Animorphs Cookbook

Book 4 - The Message

It's time to get aquatic and rescue some Andalites! Our hosts dream-SOS a summary of the first Cassie book and discuss the addition of the sixth Animorph: Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill For < Thoughtspeak >, Max takes us through the Utopian Scholastic aesthetic that so dominated the world of the characters and their young audience. Max (he/him) [https://bsky.app/profile/maximoverdrive.bsky.social] Thaddeus (she/her) [https://bsky.app/profile/thaddeus.zone] Caleb (he/him) [http://hebanongames.bsky.social/]

Book 3 - The Encounter

It's the first Tobias book! Our underground podcasting cell talks about hawk-4-hawk, light ecoterrorism, and nepo Yeerks, delighting as KA Applegate follows Chandler's immortal writing advice: "When in doubt, have a hawk fly through the window with a dracon beam." In , Thaddeus introduces us to New Criticism with some big feelings about Tobias as a metaphor for trans experience. HOSTS Max (he/him) [https://bsky.app/profile/maximoverdrive.bsky.social] Thaddeus (she/her) [https://bsky.app/profile/thaddeus.zone] Caleb (he/him) [http://hebanongames.bsky.social/]

Book 2 - The Visitor

We delve into Book 2 - The Visitor this week, our first foray into the mind of the most militant of Animorphs. Rachel takes control as Fluffer the feline spy, and we get our first look into the interior workings of the Yeerk conspiracy (and also learn Visser Three is a cat guy). In , Max introduces us to Francis Fukiyama and "The End of History": the cultural "logic" saturating both the setting of the Animorphs and its late 90's readers.

Interview with Gretchen Felker-Martin

The Cookbook has the privilege of interviewing Gretchen Felker-Martin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_Felker-Martin] (she/her), award-winning and bestselling author of Manhunt [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250794659/manhunt/], Cuckoo [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250794666/cuckoo/], and Black Flame [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250348012/blackflame/].  We talk about the influence of Animorphs on her upcoming novel CHIMERA [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250347978/chimera/], as well as the shifting landscape of children's literature, the perils of adaptation, the best morph for a night on the town, and much, much more. HOSTS Thad (she/her) [https://bsky.app/profile/thaddeus.zone] Caleb (he/him) [http://hebanongames.bsky.social/] Check out The Animorph's Cookbook Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/AnimorphsCookbook] for early access for future episodes.

Book 1 - The Invasion

The book that started it all! Like everything in the 90s, it all starts at the mall. Less than a chapter later, five teens are conscripted child soldiers in an alien war....  After a recap of the plot, the gang indulges in some on the material conditions that created the Animorphs phenomenon: namely, the Scholastic corporation. The market conditions of the late 90's forged what Animorphs could be, who it could reach, and how fast it had to get there, but it also enabled the radical politics of the authors to shine.   HOSTS Max (he/him) [https://bsky.app/profile/maximoverdrive.bsky.social] Thad (she/her) [https://bsky.app/profile/thaddeus.zone] Caleb (he/him) [http://hebanongames.bsky.social/] Check out The Animorph's Cookbook Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/AnimorphsCookbook] for early access for future episodes.