Levar Burton Reads

As humanity tiptoes toward the Singularity, what happens to those who are left behind? This story appears in Ken Liu's new collection THE HIDDEN GIRL AND OTHER STORIES. It was first published in CLARKESWORLD in 2011. Content advisory: death

A tabloid reporter sets out to investigate a fast-talking con man who may or may not be the trickster Coyote.

A man becomes obsessed with quieting the thoughts and static in his brain. You can find this story in FOUNTAIN OF AGE by Nancy Kress.

A misanthropic B&B owner is unsettled by an encounter with one of his guests. Follow Savannah Burney on Twitter @savannahburney.

A young couple tries to make sense of an influx of mythic creatures. This story was first published in THOSE WHO MAKE US: CANADIAN CREATURE, MYTH, AND MONSTER STORIES.

A smart, stubborn high school student sets her own rules in a near-future dystopia. This story appears in N.K. Jemisin's collection HOW LONG 'TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH? Content advisory: language

A sentient robot searches for her purpose in a post-war world. This story was originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine in March 2007. It is available in THE BEST OF ELIZABETH BEAR.Content advisory: Brief violence/combat, mentions of death

Get ready for Season 6! Get a peek behind the curtain as LeVar talks about story selection, vocal exercises, and finding characters' voices. This season will feature stories by NK Jemisin, Elizabeth Bear, Max Gladstone, Ken Liu and many more of your favorite (or soon-to-be favorite!) authors.

Embark on audio adventures through The Paris Review's fiction, poetry, interviews, archival recordings, and sonic imaginings with the likes of Toni Morrison, Simone de Beauvoir, Tennessee Williams, and today's leading writers. Featuring readings and writings from Charlotte Rampling, Philip Roth, Jason Alexander, Jenny Slate, Devendra Banhart, Danez Smith, Sharon Olds, Lucille Clifton, Molly Ringwald, Salman Rushdie, and more!Season 2 of The Paris Review Podcast is out NOW -- listen wherever you get your podcasts. More info at www.theparisreview.org/podcast.

A boy studies magic and escape artistry in 1930s Prague, hoping to become a member of an illustrious magicians' club. From Michael Chabon's THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY. This episode is sponsored by Aspen Institute (www.aspenideas.org/podcast).

Twin girls are left with a babysitter in a haunted house. “The Specialist’s Hat” © 1998 by Kelly Link. Originally published in Event Horizon, 1998, and reprinted in Kelly Link’s Stranger Things Happen (Small Beer Press, 2001) and Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters (Viking Books For Young Readers, 2008).This episode is sponsored by Villains (www.parcast.com/VILLAINS) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).

An ordinary couple experiences an extraordinary event during a walk in the park. "Jump" was first published in LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE. Cadwell Turnbull's debut novel is THE LESSON.

In Stories with Friends, LeVar invites one of his friends to sit down for a conversation inspired by a short story or another piece of literature, giving them an excuse to talk about art, life philosophies, politics, and so much more. In this free episode, LeVar talks with Amanda Seales (HBO's Insecure, Small Doses) about Scholastic book fairs, Dorothy West's story "Mammy", and making space for intellectual conversation. Amanda's new book of essays is out October 22nd. It's called Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use. Find it at SmallDosesBook.com.You can find "Mammy" in one of these collections:https://www.amazon.com/Harlems-Glory-Black-Writing-1900-1950/dp/0674372697https://www.amazon.com/Richer-Poorer-Dorothy-West/dp/0385471459

The owner of an unusual private museum picks up a hitchhiker sent to assassinate her. This story appears in Nisi Shawl's collection FILTER HOUSE. Content advisory: kidnapping and abduction

A castle's mysteries begin to slowly unravel. Content advisory: mentions of death, eugenicsThis episode is sponsored by Mythical Monsters podcast (www.parcast.com/mythicalmonsters)

A woman is haunted by her dreams of being a tiger. This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp (www.betterhelp.com/levar code: LEVAR) and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A woman in a troubled relationship loses her glasses at a rest stop along the highway, and the world shifts in and out of focus. Content advisory: explicit language, abuseFrom the forthcoming collection A BRIEF AND FEARFUL STAR, to be published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).

A team of peace-keepers investigate an inventor with an astonishing claim. This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp (www.betterhelp.com/levar code: LEVAR) and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A girl scrutinizes the line between humans and robots when her grandmother is replaced with a replica. Content advisory: Death or dying, self-harming behaviorsThis episode is sponsored by There Will Come a Darkness, A Life Lived podcast, and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).

A themed restaurant presents a very unique opportunity to its patrons. This story appears in N.K. Jemisin's collection HOW LONG 'TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH?This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).