LeVar Burton Reads

LeVar Burton and Stitcher

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting and presented in 3D immersive audio. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Nnedi Okorafor, Kurt Vonnegut, Ken Liu and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

Our immersive audio is best with headphones! If you'd prefer to listen without immersive audio, visit levarburtonpodcast.com/mono.

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191 episodes
Updated May 7, 2024
Explicit

Episodes191

Newest first

Feb 25, 2020 · 44 min
"End Game" by Nancy Kress
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.
Feb 18, 2020 · 44 min
"SPAM" by Savannah Burney
A misanthropic B&B owner is unsettled by an encounter with one of his guests. Follow Savannah Burney on Twitter @savannahburney.
Feb 11, 2020 · 47 min
"As Worlds Collide" by Stephen Michell
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.
Feb 4, 2020 · 54 min
"Valedictorian" by N.K. Jemisin
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
Jan 28, 2020 · 45 min
"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear
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
Jan 21, 2020 · 13 min
BONUS: Behind the Scenes and a Sneak Peek at Season 6!
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.
Nov 6, 2019 · 12 min
The Paris Review Podcast Returns
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
Oct 22, 2019 · 50 min
"The Specialist's Hat" by Kelly Link
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).
Oct 15, 2019 · 31 min
"Jump" by Cadwell Turnbull
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.
Oct 11, 2019 · 47 min
BONUS: Stories with Friends - Amanda Seales
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: P
Oct 8, 2019 · 49 min
"The Water Museum" by Nisi Shawl
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
Oct 1, 2019 · 50 min
"The House on the Moon" by William Alexander
A castle's mysteries begin to slowly unravel. Content advisory: mentions of death, eugenics This episode is sponsored by Mythical Monsters podcast (www.parcast.com/mythicalmonsters)
Sep 24, 2019 · 34 min
"Tiger Baby" by JY Yang
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).
Sep 17, 2019 · 41 min
“Blur" by Carmen Maria Machado
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, abuse From 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).
Sep 10, 2019 · 44 min
“Face Value” by Sean Williams
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).
Sep 3, 2019 · 46 min
"Small Medicine" by Genevieve Valentine
A girl scrutinizes the line between humans and robots when her grandmother is replaced with a replica. Content advisory: Death or dying, self-harming behaviors This episode is sponsored by There Will Come a Darkness, A Life Lived podcast, and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).
Aug 27, 2019 · 48 min
"Cuisine des Mémoires" by N.K. Jemisin
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).
Aug 20, 2019 · 39 min
"Shoggoths in Traffic" by Tobias S. Buckell
Two co-workers repossess a car to make some quick cash, and get mixed up in a surprising and much larger scheme. Content advisory tags: Blood, Road Collision This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR).
Aug 13, 2019 · 35 min
"The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden
A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who's come to study from another planet. This story was first published in Space and Time Magazine. This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/LEVAR) and Native (www.nativedeodorant.com code: LEVAR).
Jun 18, 2019 · 40 min
"L'Aquilone du Estrellas (The Kite of Stars)" by Dean Francis Alfar
A young woman sets out on a quest to find all of the impossible materials needed to build a kite that can carry her to the stars. This episode is sponsored by Penguin Random House (www.penguinrandomhouse.com/levar), Calm (www.calm.com/LEVAR), and Betterhelp (www.betterhelp.com/levar code: LEVAR).

LeVar Burton Reads

"End Game" by Nancy Kress

"SPAM" by Savannah Burney

"As Worlds Collide" by Stephen Michell

"Valedictorian" by N.K. Jemisin

"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear

BONUS: Behind the Scenes and a Sneak Peek at Season 6!

The Paris Review Podcast Returns

"The Specialist's Hat" by Kelly Link

"Jump" by Cadwell Turnbull

BONUS: Stories with Friends - Amanda Seales

"The Water Museum" by Nisi Shawl

"The House on the Moon" by William Alexander

"Tiger Baby" by JY Yang

“Blur" by Carmen Maria Machado

“Face Value” by Sean Williams

"Small Medicine" by Genevieve Valentine

"Cuisine des Mémoires" by N.K. Jemisin

"Shoggoths in Traffic" by Tobias S. Buckell

"The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden

"L'Aquilone du Estrellas (The Kite of Stars)" by Dean Francis Alfar