# Marlon and Jake Read Dead People

A podcast by Penguin Random House. Marlon and Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books. In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think— uncensored and with no holds barred. (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So, listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.

Feed: https://feeds.simplecast.com/edQh_7xR

## Latest episodes

- [The Literary Hall of Shame](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/b25ecbf56943) (2026-09-08, 37 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/e9c9b35a-5e4c-4c9b-877b-d32f2d64ab23/group-item/0527efd0-96b8-453d-8675-9969805cd21c/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [English Teachers, Look Away](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/6fa8ef6eb17a) (2026-09-01, 45 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/da965dfa-4b42-4f69-9b46-e609c55ba8c7/group-item/5f2bfe56-c3d7-4a51-ae2c-a5abd44c10f0/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [In Defense of Gratuitous Violence](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/c965e7d2e0bc) (2026-08-25, 40 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/d60ca069-073e-47c4-be87-2d78a7151a8c/group-item/7b9e30c4-d16c-4cb1-8219-f2294fe689d6/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [The Most Important Character Isn’t a Character](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/3c17837a42ae) (2026-08-18, 49 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/3b5cc7e8-3f29-4565-a053-2a5b6eec6248/group-item/7873dc11-6cba-44e2-8b6e-cce6a7463316/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [This Got More Personal Than We Expected](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/27b8b355068e) (2026-08-11, 38 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/5b8879cf-aa47-4b4d-82cd-01dd92510ffc/group-item/caad44bc-7683-470a-a35c-47e5615630fd/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Why Does Great Literature Have Such Bad Sex?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/5def74a6cd20) (2026-08-04, 36 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/f40a3bbb-8b9b-4e36-8ca6-eb20d5db5d46/group-item/eb46f5b7-a65e-4a38-961d-6fa0dc010297/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Writers We'll Never Read Again (Sorry, Faulkner)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/ea32b7e24b20) (2026-07-28, 40 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/8116f360-7cb2-4b72-a1cd-95d0523d9fd7/group-item/faf63395-169a-4b1e-9f20-5ce2bbe9f38b/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Is Jane Eyre Okay?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/3b9ef639dbbe) (2026-07-21, 37 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/01205cf0-b9d0-479d-8fd7-40d4d58c7091/group-item/36783a5e-ace6-4455-a4fe-cf7d43da6fed/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Calling Bullshit on Dystopias](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/d9a0ffa07615) (2026-07-14, 43 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/14458338-73cc-4616-a2a9-121b4f2c0f36/group-item/aea76277-bf16-4846-89b3-408f3e42091c/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Clearing the Cobwebs](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/279a62faecef) (2026-07-07, 38 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/24295ed7-4fe8-41da-9188-851edae64a9c/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/audio/group/0c03f9d7-85d6-4b8b-865e-f32239dfc2e7/group-item/80bfbffd-8f21-43d2-8f63-856eef31cbaa/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [The Beach Read](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/01d0bf0949b9) (2023-05-02, 41 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/8d2b2a63-51c8-41ba-8fcd-84c941c4530e/audio/092cda32-5cac-47ab-b353-d66b4d2f2fa5/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [The Campus Novel](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/89b48733a913) (2023-04-25, 39 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/a8e39b0a-2a47-4417-b4d8-8ab7a4363a89/audio/03ab6ae1-b5a1-49bf-99ff-be739014024e/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [City Settings](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/2dec6286af0f) (2023-04-18, 46 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/ffc421b8-ee92-4878-adbb-306b80efeaec/audio/e08d1a3c-6dae-4539-a386-9d4e7acd871d/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Characters Behaving Badly](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/1936da7274c8) (2023-04-11, 55 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/04bda8d8-2760-45ce-8344-9c832ddd3ae7/audio/f8cbaf01-25c1-4ad1-8660-cbe1183db40f/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Poetry FOMO](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/f5b0bd89ee3a) (2023-04-04, 41 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/1bb4bc55-c027-45df-bb38-945cb3bff697/audio/5d34f7a9-83fc-41ac-abc8-b49af754051b/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Books Assigned in School](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/a0a505d84f38) (2023-03-28, 44 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/1f0cee82-d6b0-4f12-b54a-25cb240d0495/audio/f7779929-4b39-4be3-9f2e-92ed5c69c380/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Judging a Book](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/59693a53c089) (2023-03-21, 45 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/e6eb1d9b-0e70-411d-beeb-c2f1ce4367d0/audio/cf39df1f-bc62-4479-8f76-0b56fdf3efa8/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [From TBR to Recently Read](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/1c1899e856be) (2023-03-14, 44 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/0ece4814-93a6-4f62-8d28-156dd7a1a00b/audio/e219e5c1-2c71-4629-a690-85fcb14b51c0/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Season Three Announcement](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/d0441ceda8c9) (2023-03-07, 1 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/15642d79-8c9e-4e28-8d12-09ed3ab0f89b/audio/96832ef4-ff63-4f6c-8a1a-520632b3e2d4/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Appetizer 2: Powerful Female Characters](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/898b4976f601) (2022-02-25, 42 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/1a1fd974-cd5b-40e8-aa5b-ee82fa543e06/audio/eef8ccb2-23d8-4f9c-9703-7e80f3e5e072/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Appetizer 1: Unreliable Narrators](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/66468d47fab4) (2022-02-18, 46 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/bb949dcd-7dc1-4337-a4c6-665e556b23cb/audio/4762ff2d-636d-4148-8091-037f3fefd421/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Appetizers for everyone!](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/ef9ccb48991d) (2022-02-18, 4 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/42d3e25e-9d8c-4442-a7b8-f21f1502cb11/audio/14105804-dcff-4eba-be3e-5c0a9e7f483d/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Dead Authors Through History](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/320a875d8533) (2021-09-01, 59 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/936778f3-556e-4f32-a623-8c281dcae436/audio/5ed24c24-93b4-4737-9d2e-89e20d29b364/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Books to Gift](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/e683e1a63454) (2021-08-25, 48 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/945d134a-0607-4bb8-813f-c2a42a9163ee/audio/2afbecf8-ee45-4040-a7f9-cd1987d25cfe/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Our Favorite Characters](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/5acf83f55e15) (2021-08-18, 46 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/e4d36164-cbd1-4c5f-8de7-b9a79e815905/audio/0392d8bb-4b3d-491d-961a-7d44af7a3746/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Literary Grudge Match](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/7b869588b723) (2021-08-11, 45 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/d4c6ffcf-6c9a-4a0b-97f2-47a929662408/audio/22e3713e-3f4d-4fc3-a674-1581e535c646/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Books We Wish We had Written](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/a292e95d1b1c) (2021-08-04, 57 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/ed123d44-7c39-48f3-b3c8-a337e040105c/audio/8b0730dc-44b4-4fb5-af11-1b89730790ff/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Gateway Books](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/252f0b715097) (2021-07-28, 50 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/80226154-0cc3-4258-b6b9-6cdec4850758/audio/8b89412a-18eb-4284-8c44-7954e26db4e2/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Best Last Books](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/d002f60facc2) (2021-07-21, 46 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/b4bf0ec6-999e-46cb-bb49-34c5468c099e/audio/190ae8a1-86e3-4f8d-88c0-53d9e125037e/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Our Second Favorite Books by Dead Authors](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/387dc6c71108) (2021-07-14, 45 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/179821ca-dd65-49ef-9705-32bb38f0cf51/audio/11c96db2-548e-41ff-9f48-b364434c2bc8/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Good Books By Terrible People](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/5b937ec36c70) (2021-07-07, 42 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/a35679be-23a9-4e5d-9c24-cf4f1c0740f1/audio/4251f832-713d-4e05-880c-7f2d32c2051e/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Short Novels and Novellas](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/98fe8290b6e6) (2021-06-30, 48 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/0b2e555c-a3cc-49ea-98d3-52ee2857303a/audio/f25932f7-aa61-4948-8108-8a883c966751/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [We’re Baaaaack!](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/7e1d264083a9) (2021-06-23, 42 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/2afc3f80-a19d-401e-9f6c-426b009eeab9/audio/c7ddc9d1-d449-40ab-9a6b-848ca6db0626/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Season Two Trailer](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/8f3355ce854a) (2021-06-14, 1 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/67d78701-0f2d-402d-9bf6-ff87cc4281ce/audio/c0a8a589-bdfc-4ad9-ba77-65345f1844a7/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Season Two Teaser](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/7c90dd8933ec) (2021-05-27, 1 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/62af6be8-9591-41d2-865f-7a7d06cd160d/audio/144b15df-08bd-44f2-aabd-fcfbf3f2255d/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Goodbye for Now, but We'll Be Back!](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/f293b4aa3405) (2020-03-17, 10 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/59eae6e2-96df-4b5e-a77b-d78d48a27ac3/audio/4c7f4f99-f334-45cb-8db3-02b2bb8bcb9f/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Questions, Questions](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/3267705430e5) (2020-03-09, 47 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/2b06d656-21e6-45de-aeee-a39203a61c9a/audio/65b0f928-e1ac-4397-b233-8822c740561f/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Trashy Novels To Die For](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/52b7b98b9b2e) (2020-03-02, 38 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/bcfee8e4-99d9-43a7-8095-3f31194ef7a1/audio/4950ba39-c883-46f3-a702-1e38fd775bc1/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Movies Made From Books by Dead People](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/d43e577783a7) (2020-02-24, 42 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/e44abd1e-83b9-4d49-9f8d-8864b1b59b09/audio/cf1131fa-8b3f-4991-a351-bc0e207f1c79/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Memoir and Autobiography](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/383c46a20e52) (2020-02-17, 37 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/a1b7a9df-d0df-46b2-b69c-ea1dd7b9226c/audio/81810708-d97d-457c-95b9-0a303f30d24c/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Myths, Legends and Fables](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/8375cf7200b0) (2020-02-10, 45 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/4bcd4f18-69ad-42d2-8bcd-dfe9fcef4d92/audio/6884f158-b0c6-44b0-a4fd-440105bf2b2b/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Epic Fantasy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/8e4bd3257aef) (2020-02-03, 42 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/71fccc10-792a-425c-b4cf-6ddfee843747/audio/67811fde-ed8b-4c91-abea-ebbdd348aa34/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Dead Authors for a Desert Island](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/4c7571221ab7) (2020-01-27, 47 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/545c80c9-9c8c-4f73-ab51-68386a38c802/audio/87a21bb2-e42d-40ec-a87d-58aecf3cdc72/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Literary Grudge Match](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/7299262c63c0) (2020-01-27, 44 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/dfc2f29c-d2d4-4679-824d-3e575e68f625/audio/e6583ac8-ad96-4281-8042-b65344492594/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR
- [Marlon and Jake Read Dead People Trailer](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1492163935/d32cc1b72824) (2019-12-18, 1 min): audio https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/327b8f1d-54e8-4f1a-9271-0550e5e49c65/episodes/2da34d6d-075e-45c2-9462-ff1785da69e7/audio/d52475ce-820f-499c-9e78-b5b4efb43386/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=edQh_7xR

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