LeVar Burton Reads

Stitcher Podcasts

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

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Location:

United States

Description:

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

Language:

English

Episodes

"The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library" by Tobi Ogundiran

1/31/2023
A hapless salesman flees the librarian hell-bent on retrieving her lost library book. This story appears in Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, published by Tordotcom in hardcover and e-book, and by Recorded Books in audiobook format. For more from the author, visit tobiogundiran.com. Content advisory: Explicit language, gore

Duration:00:50:25

"Wok Hei St" by Guan Un

1/24/2023
A story of a stolen wok, magic, and manipulation. This story was originally published in Strange Horizons. You can find more of the author's work at guanun.com.

Duration:00:42:45

Immersive Remix: "The Foster Portfolio" by Kurt Vonnegut

1/17/2023
A financial advisor meets his new client: a hardworking, unassuming man with a curious and potentially life-changing secret.

Duration:00:46:43

Immersive Remix: "Silver Door Diner" by Bishop Garrison

1/10/2023
A waitress is jolted from her morning routine when she's visited by a mysterious child.

Duration:00:49:07

Immersive Remix: "The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden

1/3/2023
A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who's come to study from another planet. Find more of the author's work at www.nickydrayden.com.

Duration:00:35:22

Immersive Remix: "The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar

12/27/2022
A young girl explores her own power, and finds kinship with a bird of prey.

Duration:00:49:19

Immersive Remix: "The Last Cheng Beng Gift" by Jaymee Goh

12/20/2022
A family matriarch takes up residence in the Underworld.

Duration:00:37:27

Immersive Remix: "The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron

12/13/2022
A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst. "The Usual Santas" appears in Mick Herron's collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.

Duration:00:40:30

"River's Giving" by Heather Shaw, Tim Pratt, and River Shaw

12/6/2022
A mystical phenomenon brightens the dreary days of winter — until one year, when it suddenly stops.

Duration:00:41:01

"The King of Bread" by Luis Alberto Urrea

11/29/2022
A boy discovers his father's hidden kingdom. This story appears in the anthology Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, published by Algonquin Books. Find more from Luis Alberto Urrea at luisurrea.com.

Duration:00:50:22

"Family Cooking" by Ana Maria Curtis

11/22/2022
A tale of complicated family relationships and magical cooking. This story was first published in Uncanny Magazine.

Duration:00:46:54

"Down in the Dim Kingdoms" by Tobias Buckell

11/15/2022
An adventurer carried back spoils from a journey to the center of the earth. Now, his family joins him on a return trip, hoping to ensure their access to his fortune. This story appears in the anthology LOST WORLDS AND MYTHOLOGICAL KINGDOMS, available now in hardback, e-book and audio. Tobias Buckell's collection SHOGGOTHS IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER STORIES is available in paperback, e-book and audio. Content advisory: Violence, death

Duration:00:42:59

"#ClimbingNation" by Kim Fu

11/8/2022
When an Instagram-famous rock climber comes to an untimely death, his friends and admirers gather to memorialize him. This story appears in Kim Fu's collection LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, published by Tin House. Content advisory: Description of death

Duration:00:49:54

"I Was a Teenage Space Jockey" by Stephen Graham Jones

11/1/2022
While on a quest to beat the high score at his local arcade, a sixth grader has an unusual, life-altering experience. For more from Stephen Graham Jones, visit www.demontheory.net. Content advisory: Descriptions of violence, death

Duration:00:43:35

We're Back for Season 11!

10/25/2022
LeVar Burton Reads is back November 1st with stories from Stephen Graham Jones, Kim Fu, Tobias Buckell and more, in our new immersive format!

Duration:00:03:15

Immersive Remix: "Multo" by Samuel Marzioli

10/25/2022
A man remembers a supernatural force from his childhood.

Duration:00:39:30

Immersive Remix: "Fantaisie Impromptu No. 4 in C#min, Op. 66” by Carlos Hernandez

10/18/2022
A reporter travels to Miami to investigate the fringes of science and faith. This story appears in THE ASSIMILATED CUBAN'S GUIDE TO QUANTUM SANTERIA.

Duration:00:49:22

Immersive Remix: "Your Rover is Here" by LP Kindred

10/11/2022
A rideshare driver must spring into action when his passenger casts a dangerous and deadly spell. Content advisory: explicit language, violence, terrorism

Duration:00:39:16

An Update! Plus Immersive Remix: "The Story We Used to Tell" by Shirley Jackson

10/4/2022
LeVar Burton Reads is coming back! Plus, an immersive remix of Shirley Jackson's story about a recently widowed woman who vanishes overnight. Content advisory: violence, death “The Story We Used to Tell” is from DARK TALES by Shirley Jackson, published by Penguin Classics, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Duration:00:34:16

Immersive Remix: "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu

4/12/2022
A new immersive remix of a season one classic. An immigrant mother tries to bond with her American-born son by creating a magical paper menagerie. This story appears in Ken Liu's collection THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES, available now from Saga Press. Content advisory: Hospitals, death of a parent

Duration:00:55:15

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