I'll Read What She's Reading: PIERCE BROWN on Red God, BookTok, and the World of Red Rising

Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Reggie, Kennedy, Mikayla
Guest: Pierce Brown

Episode Overview

The hosts welcome Pierce Brown, bestselling author of the Red Rising series, as their first-ever male guest. The episode dives deep into Brown's writing process, his feelings on BookTok, rapid-fire bookish preferences, fandom and adaptation discussions, and advice for both readers and writers. Brown shares insight into the creation and continuation of Red Rising, details his unconventional writing habits, addresses fandom anxieties about the upcoming Red God, and leaves listeners with plenty of memorable quotes and laughs.

BookTok & Social Media: Navigating Modern Book Culture

Timestamps: [00:44]-[06:42]

• Joining BookTok:
  Brown, with good humor, describes being "summoned" to BookTok by prominent creator Brandon. Despite calling himself a Luddite, he realizes the importance of connecting with readers on current platforms:

  • "We live in the 21st century, so it seemed right to be on BookTok, lest I be a relic of the past." [00:55]
  • He limits engagement to Thursdays to maintain discipline and avoid getting hooked on dopamine from constant notifications.

• Impact of BookTok:
  The hosts note Brown's books have gone viral on BookTok. Brown attributes this grassroots success to word-of-mouth:

  • "Books are still really grassroots, right? They find a way." [05:26]
  • He reflects on the chain reaction of readers recommending books, crediting platforms like BookTok for expanding his audience.

• “Boy books” vs. “Girl books": Discussion critiques the practice of gendering books, with Brown pushing back:

  • "I like Twilight...I guess I'll always just read whatever comes across my desk. I think there are so many gatekeepers and trying to say, this is a book for you, or this is not a book for you... I think people are reading. It’s a great thing." [04:47]

Rapid-Fire Questions: Brown’s Bookish Preferences

Timestamps: [06:45]-[17:41]

• Star Wars or Dune?
  "Dune. Star Wars was written very much taking Dune in mind... I'm gonna go with OG Dune." [07:06]

• Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings?
  "Lord of the Rings is myth, you know." [10:17] Brown shares memories of listening to Hobbit audiobooks with his dad.

• Favorite Red Rising Characters:

  • Mustang or Victra? "Victor. I actually have a crush on Victor, which is kind of weird because I made her up." [11:12]
  • Ragnar or Sephi? "Ragnar." [11:56]
  • Sevro or Cassius? "Sevro. Cassius is a very special character...but Sevro is that unruly child within who rejects the world before it can reject him." [12:04]

• Physical books or audiobooks?
  "Physical." [14:04]

• Sci-fi or fantasy?
  "Sci-fi fantasy. That's what Red Rising is. It's what Dune is, you know?" [14:10-14:17]

  • Offers nuanced thoughts on blending genres and why fantasy myth resonates most with him.

• Animated or live-action adaptation?
  Prefers live-action, explaining strategic and emotional reasons, but notes both forms could coexist if the franchise succeeds:

  • "If Denis Villeneuve can't satisfy everyone, no one can..." [16:08]

Writing Process, Outlining & Dealing with Pressure

Timestamps: [18:06]-[29:36]

• Favorite Book in His Series:
  Currently, Dark Age is his favorite for craft and experimentation:

  • "It was a book engineered to piss people off." [18:38]
  • Ranks: Dark Age, Golden Sun, Lightbringer, Red Rising, Iron Gold (but says this order changes with his mood).

• Hardest Book to Write:
  "The one I'm currently writing." [21:59]
  Notes the difficulty grows as the world and expectations expand.

• Outlining Approach:
  Often outlines, but usually discards outlines and lets story and character instincts take over:

  • "When I feel that insincerity in a story, it's difficult to cling onto that outline..." [25:26]
  • Prefers writing by emotion and revisiting/rewriting based on feeling, not strict plotting.

• Handling Writer’s Block:
  Uses a mix of time away, hard work, and creative exercises like word webs (e.g., write a word, build associations) to generate inspiration:

  • "It's about relaxing and not taking it too seriously. If you take it too seriously, you'll never get words out." [28:48]

• Pressure from Fans:
  Brown appreciates loyal, eager readers but insists on taking the time needed:

  • "There's this expression that words are like bullets out of a gun. Once shot, you can't take them back." [30:27]
  • "There's no one that wants Red God out more than me. Right?" [31:32]

Red God: The Hat, Death, and Emotional Resonance

Timestamps: [32:47]-[36:36]

• The "Death Hat":
  Explains his tradition of randomly selecting characters to die from a literal hat (named 'Deus Ex Machina'). He confirms use of the hat for Red God:

  • "What the hat dictates, the hat gets... it’s my sorting hat, if you will." [34:33]
  • "Yes, I have pulled out of Deus Ex Machina for Red God." [35:18]

• Describe Red God With a Song:
  "Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt. Or Johnny Cash's Hurt, whichever." [36:50]
  —instantly raising host anxieties.

• On Making Readers Cry:
  While not his intention to manipulate, Brown feels validated when his writing emotionally connects as intended:

  • "It affected me...it’s a lot of validation realizing that it affected people the same way." [37:24]
  • He recounts the pain of writing particularly harrowing scenes, like Hangar 17B, and notes the importance of respecting a character's arc, even if it hurts readers (and himself).

Character Safety, Death, and Consequence

Timestamps: [39:28]-[47:43]

• No Character is Safe:
  Brown admits certain deaths are harder (“the worthy guy was a hard one” [40:00]), likening the emotional ripples of character death to real-life loss:

  • "You miss writing them...they’ll never inhabit scenes again, create that unbalance." [40:06]

• Consequences in Storytelling:
  Critiques stories (like Marvel) for lacking real consequence:

  • "It’s stories that lack consequence in violence or consequence in decisions that are some of the hard for me to invest in..." [44:02]
  • Praises Harry Potter for its mature exploration of loss.

• Reflections on Grief & Character Development:
  Death breeds depth:

  • "I think it really progresses a book or a story when there is a death, even though we hate it. We hate it, but we love it at the same time." [46:35]
  • Strong emotional moments enhance the value of early scenes when those characters were still alive.

The Art of Callbacks, POVs, and Managing Complexity

Timestamps: [47:43]-[54:12]

• Maintaining Continuity:
  Brown doesn’t keep a master document—he relies on emotion to track and tie arcs, sometimes referencing back for consistency:

  • "It's really just a feeling in my gut, and I wish I was better at taking notes...that's my ADD, like, or ADHD, technically, and unfortunately, that shows up in my process." [51:48]

• On Sevro:
  Surprised by Sevro's popularity, Brown reflects:

  • "Sevro is the middle finger...the conscientious objector...the punk that...readers feel lies within them...he says things that you wish you could say..." [52:23]

Adaptations & Fan Casting

Timestamps: [54:12]-[73:38]

• Fan Casting:

  • Names Paul Mescal (normal People) as an ideal young Darrow, Oliver Reed as Lorn if time travel allowed, and is open to lesser-known actors for authenticity.
  • "I would love to just see like, actors, actresses that have really nothing behind them...so they can really just like commit to the Red Rising." [71:08]
  • Discusses the importance of energy over physical resemblance, especially in a post-racial world.

• Potential Issues with Adaptation:
  Jokes about the possibility of disliking the actor cast as Darrow and loving the one as the Jackal:

  • "What if the actor we get to play Darrow, what if he's just an asshole? And I'm like, and I hate this guy. And I'm, like, alienated from my own creation..." [74:00]

Current Passions: Life Beyond Writing

Timestamps: [74:56]-[77:19]

• Gardening:
  Brown’s current obsession is shaping his trees with a prized Japanese nata blade.

  • "I've just been getting all sorts of...hacking at my trees. And it's really fun." [75:22]

• TV:
  Recommends Alien Earth for its thoughtful transhumanist themes.

• Reading Habits:
  Morning reads: Seneca's Letters to a Stoic—"It's really fun to get in the head of someone who's, you know, 2,000 years gone..." [77:22] Current fiction: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman (a medieval horror novel).

Recommended Reads for a Red Rising Slump

Timestamps: [79:05]-[79:53]

• Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself**
• Dan Simmons’ Hyperion**
• Classics: Lord of the Flies, The Count of Monte Cristo—the latter shaped Red Rising deeply:
  • "Monte Cristo is just the best book ever...it’s so good." [79:53]

Favorite Lines and Fan Moments

Timestamps: [62:05]-[65:15]

• Most Surprised by Fandom Love:
  "'Shit escalates.' I was surprised that readers connected to that so much." [62:23]
• Knew It Was Good:
  Victra’s Lightbringer monologue about motherhood and vengeance:
  • "When Victra said the line...must have been a man who wrote the line that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned..." [63:05]
• Chills-Worthy Dialogue:
  Hosts praise the cinematic energy and emotional punch of Brown’s dialogue:
  • "Your writing is just, it’s meant for the screens. It really is." [65:15]

Closing Reflections & Humor

Timestamps: [73:47]-end

• Fun & Self-Aware:
  Brown jokes about having a professional relationship with a future Victra actor and the possible emotional fallout of adaptation casting.

• Honest About Process:
  The conversation remains open and vulnerable, with Brown unafraid to share the messiness, worries, and passion underpinning his work.

• Invitation for a Future Reunion:
  "When I get it locked in, we'll have to do another one of these." [82:40]

Notable Quotes

• On BookTok & Reading:

  • "I can be a Luddite all I want...but we live in the 21st century, so it seemed right to be on BookTok, lest I be a relic of the past." [00:55]
  • "Books are still really grassroots, right? They find a way." [05:26]

• On Writing & Fan Pressure:

  • "There's no one that wants Red God out more than me. Right?" [31:32]
  • "Words are like bullets out of a gun. Once shot, you can't take them back." [30:27]

• On Killing Characters:

  • "What the hat dictates, the hat gets. It's my sorting hat, if you will." [34:33]

• On Consequence in Story:

  • "It’s stories that lack consequence in violence or consequence in decisions that are some of the hard for me to invest in." [44:02]

• On Writing Dialogue:

  • "I too have a problem sometimes with the way characters talk in books that they’re just so wordy, you know...in movies how they'll leave a lot up to the actor or the directing..." [65:15]

Episode Highlights

• Pierce Brown is candid, self-deprecating, and funny, demystifying the writing process and the pressures he faces.
• The hosts foster a warm, conversational book club mood—no question is too silly or personal.
• From “the Death Hat” to distinguishing Red God with “Hurt,” the episode is full of inside jokes, gentle fandom ribbing, and meta-commentary on authorship, fandom, and story stakes.
• Pierce’s advice for patient fandom and his passionate defense of genre inclusivity ("boy books/girl books" are marketing myths) stand out.
• There's a palpable excitement among the hosts and guest for adaptation potential—and the chaos and nerves that come with it.

A must-listen for Red Rising fans, aspiring fantasy/sci-fi writers, and anyone curious about the backstage reality of their favorite stories. Whether you’re new to the series or a longtime Howler, this episode’s blend of industry insight, fandom fun, and Pierce Brown’s trademark wit makes for a standout conversation.