The Prancing Pony Podcast
Books & Literature
About
The Prancing Pony Podcast is a weekly show about the Middle-earth legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, hosted - for six seasons - by Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese. Now in its ninth season, Alan is joined by an all-star cast of co-hosts as he explores more of Middle-earth!Alan and all his co-hosts are passionate Tolkien enthusiasts, inviting listeners to enjoy their detailed exploration of Tolkien’s work, with smart but straightforward discussion and a healthy dose of self-effacing humor, pop-culture references, and bad puns. These are the folks you'd want to hang out with at a pub an...
Episodes
- 412 – Far Fallen
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast, titled "Far Fallen," concludes a four-episode study of The Hunt for the Ring from Unfinished Tales, focusing on Saruman's jealousy of Gandalf. It also covers Saruman's life in Isengard, Gandalf's…
- 411 – Saruman Won’t Back Down
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast explores Saruman's predicament and the Nazgûl's journey in "The Hunt for the Ring" from Unfinished Tales. It also touches on Gollum's survival in Moria and observations about Tolkien and sports fan…
- 410 – You Got Lucky, Gollum
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues a four-part discussion on "The Hunt for the Ring." Topics include the Nazgûl's unexpected weakness, Sauron's prioritization of speed over secrecy, and Gollum's successful hiding in Moria…
- 409 – Runnin’ Down a Ring
The Prancing Pony Podcast begins a four-part series on "The Hunt for the Ring" from Unfinished Tales. This episode explores Sauron's lack of concern for halflings, the Witch-king's mysterious quest, and Saruman's misguided confidence.
- 408 – Questions After Nightfall 34
The Prancing Pony Podcast presents "Questions After Nightfall 34," featuring The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings. They engage in a live Q&A session, addressing listener questions about the Tolkien legendarium and other varied sub…
- 407 – River of Dreams
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast concludes a six-episode series on The History of Galadriel and Celeborn in Unfinished Tales. Topics include Treebeard, the river Gwathló, and the changing meaning of Celeborn's name.
- 406 – The Longest Time
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast explores the Silvan Elves and the History of Galadriel and Celeborn. It also touches on characters such as Enerdhil, Gandalf, and Celebrimbor.
- 405 – Tolkien Reading Day 2026
The Prancing Pony Podcast presents its 11th annual Tolkien Reading Day special. The episode explores the theme of Unlikely Heroes, featuring readings from the co-hosts Matt, Don, Sara, Shawn, James, and Alan.
- 404 – Uptown Girl
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues a deep dive into the story of Amroth and Nimrodel found in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn. The hosts discuss the Silvan Elves, Amroth, and various other Middle-earth topics.
- 403 – Only the Good Die Young
On this episode, The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses Sauron's wrath in Eregion and the revolt of Celebrimbor. The hosts delve into the history of Galadriel and Celeborn, examining events such as the late arrival of the Númenóreans and Amro…
- 402 – All About Soul
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast delves into "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," focusing on inconsistencies and character storylines as described by Christopher Tolkien. The hosts discuss various plot points and character in…
- 401 – She’s Got a Way
This episode embarks on a six-part journey through the history of Galadriel and Celeborn from Unfinished Tales. It discusses the inconsistencies in their story and explores different accounts of how they met.
- 400 – Starmen
The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses the story of Tal-Elmar, including Mogru's plots against him and the Númenóreans' involvement. The hosts also reflect on a decade of podcasting.
- 399 – Under Pressure
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast, titled "Under Pressure," explores the story of Tal-Elmar from The Peoples of Middle-earth. The hosts discuss characters such as Tal-Elmar, Mogru, and Hazad, as well as encountering lizard and snak…
- 398 – Changes
This episode continues a four-part look into Tolkien's unusual story of Tal-Elmar, discussing the legend of the Swans of Gorbelgod and Mogru the Hutt. The hosts also examine Tolkien's use of inner dialog.
- 397 – Rebel, Rebel
In this episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast, the hosts delve into the story of Tal-Elmar from The Peoples of Middle-earth. They discuss Tal-Elmar's origins, the cultures of Agar and the Fell Folk of the East, and explore potential connect…
- 396 – Questions After Nightfall 33
In this episode, James and Alan of The Prancing Pony Podcast answer listener questions in their "Questions After Nightfall 33" segment. They discuss a variety of topics, including characters from The Lord of the Rings, career opportunities…
- 395 – Yesterday
The Prancing Pony Podcast examines Tar-Aldarion's changes to the law of succession in Númenor and finishes the story of Aldarion and Erendis. The hosts also discuss other related elements of the narrative.
- 394 – Back in the Emerië
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast begins a two-episode conclusion on Aldarion and Erendis, examining "The Further Course of the Narrative." The hosts discuss Aldarion's actions, Erendis's opinions on the men of Númenor, and Hallata…
- 393 – From Me to You (the Sceptre)
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast, titled "From Me to You (the Sceptre)", discusses Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. It covers Aldarion's departure preparations, Meneldur sending the Sceptre, and a letter from Erendis.
- 392 – Help!
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast delves into the story of Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. The hosts analyze character decisions and plot points within the narrative.
- 391 – By Grabthar’s Hammer, What a Book!
The Prancing Pony Podcast features a discussion with Dr. Michael D.C. Drout, author of "The Tower and the Ruin." The conversation covers Tolkien's legendarium and insights from the new book.
- 390 – Hello, Goodbye
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues the close reading of Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. The hosts discuss Aldarion's shortcomings, Erendis's perspective, and Meneldur's advice, among other related topics.
- 389 – Nowhere Man
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses the story of Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales, focusing on Aldarion's decisions and their impact on characters like Ancalimë. It explores character interactions and motivations…
- 388 – All You Need is Love (Maybe)
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast explores the relationship between Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. It delves into their character developments and interactions, including gift-giving from the Elves.
- 387 – We Can Work it Out
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues the series on Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. Topics include relationship advice, the betrothal of Aldarion and Erendis, and discussions on Tolkien's writing and the importanc…
- 386 – Got to Get You into My Life
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses the marital strife between Aldarion and Erendis, covering themes of duty, desire, and family conflict. The hosts recap the latest installment of their series on the characters from Unfini…
- 385 – I Saw Her Standing There (in Rómenna)
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues a dive into the story of Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales. The hosts discuss Erendis's arrival at a party, her reaction to Aldarion, their age gap, and Erendis's connections to…
- 384 – Ticket to Ride
The Prancing Pony Podcast starts a ten-part series on Aldarion and Erendis from Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. This episode covers Meneldur, Vëantur, and Aldarion's early life, and touches on Tolkien's writing process.
- 383 – Questions After Nightfall 32
The Prancing Pony Podcast presents its 32nd "Questions After Nightfall" episode. The hosts answer listener questions about loss and life lessons in Tolkien's works, alongside discussions on lighter subjects.
- 382 – We Are Those Fans: a Chat with Wētā Workshop
The Prancing Pony Podcast features a discussion with Dan Falconer and Leonard Ellis from Wētā Workshop. They talk about their work on Middle-earth, including their involvement in early Peter Jackson films and sculpting projects like Cirith…
- 381 – The Bywater Village Committee: an interview with Wētā Workshop’s Darren Ormandy
Alan and James interview Darren Ormandy, lead writer for Wētā Workshop's new game, Tales of the Shire. They discuss Tolkien's world-building, reflecting it in the game, and the appearance of familiar names and places. Darren also shares an…
- 380 – So Mind-Bogglingly Useful
The Prancing Pony Podcast explores J.R.R. Tolkien's translation methods as presented in Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings. The hosts discuss various linguistic aspects and analogies from Tolkien's work. They also discuss specific example…
- 379 – A Big Wide Sounding Name
The Prancing Pony Podcast delves into Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings, examining the languages of Middle-earth. The discussion covers Elvish speech, linguistic genocide, and Tolkien's perspective on translations.
- 378 – Don’t Panic
The Prancing Pony Podcast episode "Don't Panic" delves into Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings, focusing on writing, spelling, and pronunciation. The hosts examine topics such as Fëanor, Rumil, Dwarvish names, and Elvish linguistics.
- 377 – This Must Be Thursday
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast delves into the calendar systems of Middle-earth, focusing on the Elves, Númenóreans, and Hobbits. It covers their unique approaches to timekeeping and calendar alterations.
- 376 – Questions After Nightfall 31
The Prancing Pony Podcast features a Q&A session, "Questions After Nightfall 31," where hosts answer listener questions covering various topics from Middle-earth lore, including Saruman and the Dagor Dagorath. The episode also includes dis…
- 375 – If You Don’t Know Me By Now
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast focuses on Pengoloð the Wise of Gondolin, exploring his impact on Middle-earth lore, including the development of Eldarin languages and an explanation of lembas. The hosts also discuss why he disap…
- 374 – Holding Back the Years
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast, titled "Holding Back the Years," delves into Tolkien's "Tale of Years" from Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings. The hosts examine the history of the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth, includi…
- 373 – Let’s Go Crazy (and Take a Hobbit)
The Prancing Pony Podcast concludes its season with an in-depth look at The Quest of Erebor. The hosts discuss various characters and story elements, including Gimli, Thorin, and Balin. This episode features The Man of the West and The Shi…
- 372 – Little Red Dragon
The episode "Little Red Dragon" from The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses Gandalf's concerns about Sauron and delves into The Quest of Erebor from Unfinished Tales. Alan and Sara cover Gandalf's encounter with Thorin and other related topic…
- 371 – When Dwarves Cry
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast a deep dive into Tolkien's oldest stories about the Dwarves. It covers their origin, awakening, culture, and language, and explores details from The History of Middle-earth.
- 370 – Take Me With U, Legolas
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast continues the discussion of Appendix A III of The Lord of the Rings, specifically Durin’s Folk. The hosts discuss Thorin, Gandalf’s worries about Smaug and Sauron, and Gimli’s perspective.
- 369 – Party Like it’s (Third Age) 1999
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast begins a five-part series on the Dwarves, focusing on Durin's Folk from Appendix A III of The Lord of the Rings. It covers their history, including the Balrog's impact on Moria and the establishmen…
- 368 – If You Leave Me Now
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast concludes the discussion of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. The hosts discuss Aragorn's reign, Arwen's attempts to convince him to stay, and the tragic circumstances of her death. They also touch on…
- 367 – Hard to Say I’m Sorry
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast discusses "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" from Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings. It covers Aragorn's return to Rivendell, Arwen's renunciation, and Elrond's role in their story. Alan and Sara al…
- 366 – You’re the Inspiration
This episode of The Prancing Pony Podcast begins a multi-part series on "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" from Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings. The hosts discuss various aspects of their story, including differing opinions on their marri…
- 365 – QAN 30
The Prancing Pony Podcast revisits its "Questions After Nightfall" series, answering listener inquiries on various elements of Tolkien's world. The hosts discuss topics ranging from in-universe physics to character analyses and the role of…
- 364 – Tolkien Reading Day 2025
The Prancing Pony Podcast observes its 10th annual Tolkien Reading Day with a focus on Fellowship and Community. The episode includes readings and contributions from co-hosts. The event commemorates the destruction of the Ring and the down…
- 363 – Til You Find Your… Ancient & Military Historian?
Dr. Bret Devereaux, author of A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry, joins The Prancing Pony Podcast. The discussion includes topics such as weregild, Helm Hammerhand, and Warhammer 40,000 references, as well as Pupienus.