Welcome to Novel Context, bi-weekly podcast that unpacks influential books to understand the story the author was really telling, how the culture and politics of that time influenced it, and how that story still shapes us today.On this episode, we begin our season long exploration of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. We'll be walking through Jonathan Harker's haunted trip to Transylvania, and then unpack the origins of Castle Dracula, The Count's the often ignored power over dreams and reality, and we'll unmask the historical figure Dracula was really based on.

This week we're covering The Black Queen, Episode 10 and the season finale of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. This season we are covering the Game of Thrones prequel series every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about how much Otto Hightower stinks, Queen Rhaenyra drinking negronis... sbagliato... with prosecco at the Painted Table, poor Lucerys getting mistaken for Grandma Vhagar's cholesterol medication, Cregan Stark and coming alliances in Season 2... and of course, our full review of HOT D Season 1.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:The Best HOT D Twitter Account by @motelsonthemoon

This week we're covering The Green Council, Episode 9 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. This season we are covering the Game of Thrones prequel series every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about early morning coups, Alicent Hightower's finally finding her queenly agency, Aegon losing his title of grossest Green, coronations and the most important objects of power in Westeros, and Rhaenys killing lots of small folk.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:Fancy Russian Crown

This week we're covering The Lord of the Tides, Episode 8 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. This season we are covering the Game of Thrones prequel series every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about awkward dinners, the Paddy Consindine Emmy campaign, Marxist Aemond, what number Westeros sets its toaster to.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:Lord Beesbury Celebration Thread from u/nimzoidBaemond the Marxist from @motelsonthemoon

This week we're covering Episode 7 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about terrible ASOIAF funerals, everyone ignoring the poor twins, Aemond being metal as hell, dudes being bad directors, and the big incest-y plan to set our favorite character free.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:@maddiekayplays' Aemond + Helaena PairingEpisode 7 Dragon + Rider Thread

This week we're covering Episode 6 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about the pro's and con's of the 10 year gap, sticky window sills, the hottest man in Westeros getting *too* hot, a dive into the cursed history of Harrenhal, and our favorite dragons.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug

This week we're covering Episode 5 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about the worst weddings in Westeros, ineffective runes, High Tide looking dope, Game of Thrones always killing our favorite gay characters, the immeasurable weight of vows, and of course that green dress.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.Links from the Episode:Corlys' Treasures in his Throne RoomFor the People Who Listen to the End

This week we're covering Episode 4 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're chatting about The Bachelorette: Storm's End Edition, an absolutely unhinged night on the town, chest hair, Rhaenyra's absolutely exhausted PR team, Otto somehow screwing up his perfect plan, and the history of Masters of Whispers.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This week we're covering Episode 3 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about dropping your friends after they sleep with your dad, the incredible costs of tradition and prophecy, a new set of problematic Lannister twins, stanning Laenor and how this whole dragonriding thing works, plus Bloodraven's eternal urge to be the peskiest boar in the Seven Kingdoms.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes. If you write us a good review, we'll read it on air! If you write us a bad review... we will also read that on air.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This week we're covering Episode 2 of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we're talking about the new title sequence, marriage politicking, insecure heirs, stupid theories that the internet has, and Corlys sliding into Daemon's DMs to set up a date with the Crab Daddy.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This season we are headed back to Westeros in HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, a Game of Thrones prequel series that we'll cover every week as the episodes premiere. This week we dive into the wild journey HBO took to find the right GOT spin-off, decide who has the best claim to the Iron Throne, talk Targaryen dreams (and how they literally ruin everyone's lives), and try to figure out if Matt Smith is hot. The answer is definitely maybe.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This season we’ll be watching HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon... in real time. Each week we’ll be deep diving House of the Dragon’s latest episode, unpacking the story, exploring the lore from George R.R. Martin’s books, and telling you about the tin foil-iest fan theories and GOT twitter beefs.Be sure to find on us on Twitter at @itsnottvpod, and make us feel good about ourselves by leaving a review on iTunes.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

On today's special bonus episode the hosts are re-joined by Nancy to discuss HBO's AND JUST LIKE THAT..., the sequel series to SEX AND THE CITY. The gang spills a spoiler-rich tea on the entire Sex and the City canon, the new season, some of the cringiest new plot lines, which boyfriends should have died instead of [redacted], if the show stinks without Kim Cattrall, some of the modern ris·qué topics the show should have covered, and what happens when three old white women from the 90s suddenly wake up in a more accurately diverse New York City.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, is produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This week we take a coke fueled private jet to HBO's SILICON VALLEY, where we discuss Mike Judge's brilliance (despite what the hosts say, King of the Hill is a very good show), which tech companies are leading us closer to global catastrophe, every kid from Freaks and Geeks being dope, and our Myspace Top Eight. Links:All of the Silicon Valley intro companies, courtesy of /u/nezia on Reddit.All of the music from Silicon Valley, courtesy of Herb on Spotify.It's Not TV is hosted by David Milone and Nicole Talbot, is produced by Matt Milone, and is a production of Bruit Media.

This week we unearth the grim truths behind HBO's CHERNOBYL, and we catch up with Soviet propaganda, really talented British actors, a band of pirates comprised solely of Skarsgårds, our favorite disaster movies, and how Chernobyl is just Russian Jurassic Park.

This week we investigate HBO's THE OUTSIDER and uncover the hosts' deep love for Jason Bateman, Stephen King adaptations, what makes a spooky show work even if you don't like to be spooked, why James Patterson is a terrible writer, and somehow *merkins* — we have no idea how that segment survived the edit, so be sure to hang around for it.

On this episode we're headed back to HBO's DEADWOOD to talk about westerns, cowboys, brothels, US land disputes, old-timey movie theaters, Timothy Olyphant wearing the same outfit in all his shows, and somehow Nicole manages to bring up Wes Anderson (if Wes Anderson made a western show on HBO, it would be called "The Quaint & Magnificent Stitchwork of Elery Decuir").

We talk about HBO's BIG LITTLE LIES, how a who-dun-it works, having dinner with some of the greatest actresses of all time, and we answer the long-standing question: Laura Dern? (The answer is yes... always yes to Laura Dern.)

We’re happy to announce NOVEL CONTEXT, a new podcast where we’ll take a look at historically significant novels and break down the story within a larger cultural and historical context.This Halloween, we'll be releasing our first season covering the infamous novel DRACULA.

On our Season 2 premiere, we talk about HBO's SEX AND THE CITY with our guest Nancy King. Join us as we talk about its cultural impact, our favorite boyfriends, the show's complete lack of diversity, and more!