Water Margin Podcast: Outlaws of the Marsh
This podcast is an English retelling of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin (水浒传, aka Outlaws of the Marsh). It aims to tell the story in a way that is more accessible to audiences who are not already familiar with the novel or Chinese culture and literature in general.
Episodes
Announcement: 10 Years of Podcasting
Marking a decade since I started doing this.
Announcement: ”Investiture of the Gods” Launched
Hi everyone. I want to let you know that I have posted the first episodes of Investiture of the Gods on the Chinese Lore Podcast. If you are not yet subscribed to that show, go to chineselore.com. You will find links to the show on various podcast platforms and on YouTube, as well as links to find me on social media and to review and support the show. If you like the podcast, a five-star rating on
Water Margin 135: Next
Wrapping up the Water Margin Podcast and revealing my next project.
Water Margin 134: Epilogue
A number of our heroes are suddenly stricken by mysterious bouts of rheumatism, while others face something even worse.
Water Margin 133: Parting
Song Jiang continues his journey back to the capital, but how many of his brothers are coming with him?
Announcement: May 24 Live Interview
I will be part of a panel of Asian podcasters on Podbean’s Storytelling Podcast Week Live show on May 24 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. See outlawsofthemarsh.com for the registration link. See you there!
Water Margin 132: Tides
Fang La makes a desperate last stand against the Song forces.
Water Margin 131: Pincer
With the end of the campaign within reach, Song Jiang’s forces converge on the rebels’ palace.
Water Margin 130: Dragon
Eager to avenge more slain comrades, Song Jiang charges headlong into trouble.
Water Margin 129: Exposed
Song Jiang suffers setbacks on land and water, but his enemy isn't doing any better.
Water Margin 128: Possessed
Song Jiang gets a heaven-sent opportunity, while the rebel emperor gets some help of his own.
Announcement: End-of-Podcast Q&A
Hey everyone. We are rapidly approaching the end of the Water Margin Podcast, with just 7 episodes to go. It’s been an incredible journey and I am grateful for all your support along the way. Once we finish the narrative, I plan to do one last episode to wrap up the podcast, talk about future plans, and answer any questions you may have about the Water Margin. So if you have questions, go ahead an
Water Margin 127: Losses
Song Jiang gets another mixed bag of heartbreaks and victories.
Water Margin 126: Lake
One of the naval chieftains undertakes a dangerous nighttime mission.
Water Margin 125: Outlaws
A few of our heroes run into some guys who remind them of how they used to be.
Water Margin 124: Grief
Song Jiang encounters more victories and more losses as his army pushes south.
Water Margin 123: Crossing
A fortuitous encounter on the river sets up a cunning plan by Song Jiang.
Water Margin 122: Rebels
To occupy his gang's minds with something other than rebellion, Song Jiang volunteers to go put down a rebellion.
Water Margin 121: Geese
Lu Zhishen revisits his old haunts, while Song Jiang waxes poetic about the most Confucian birds.
Water Margin 120: Peace
The Middle Kingdom overfloweth with Sinocentrism as Song Jiang and company bring to heel the barbarians who reside in the desolate desert outpost of [checks notes] Beijing.
Water Margin 119: Zodiac
On the brink of total victory, Song Jiang runs into a string of unexpected setbacks.
Water Margin 118: Formations
Song Jiang and the Liao commander's son engage in a battle of the nerds.
Water Margin Supplemental Episode 006: Travel
A look at the who, what, where, why, and how of Song Dynasty travel.
Water Margin 117: Canyon
Lu Junyi finds himself stuck between a rock and more rocks.
Water Margin 116: Defection
An envoy from the Liao tries to convince Song Jiang and his men to join the Great Resignation.
Water Margin 115: Conquest
Despite a few hiccups, our heroes stay on the offensive against the Liao.
Water Margin 114: Merit
After their untimely run-in with an embezzling government representative, Song Jiang and company are under pressure to deliver some quick results in their opening battle against the Liao.
Water Margin 113: Sale
The bandits begin their new life as law-abiding subjects by selling off their loot.
Water Margin 112: Amnesty
The imperial court hopes the third time is the charm when it comes to making nice with the bandits.
Water Margin 111: Audience
Yan Qing offers a little eye candy to the emperor's mistress in exchange for her help.
Water Margin 110: VIP
The bandits roll out the red carpet, and you won't believe who's coming to dinner.
Water Margin 109: Deceit
Prospects of peace ride on the all-important question: Is that a comma or a period?
Water Margin 108: Burned
YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP! (And torched my fleet and killed my generals and burned my camp and …)
Water Margin 107: Coverup
You just lost 60,000 men on your campaign? What are you going to tell the emperor? Wait ... not telling him is actually an option?
Water Margin 106: War
The hawks at court get their way, as a huge imperial force descends on Liangshan.
Water Margin Supplemental Episode 005: Monastery
A dive into the minutiae of monastic life.
Water Margin 105: Wine
We secretly replaced our heroes’ imperial wine with swamp water. Let’s see if they … oh crap they totally noticed!
Water Margin 104: Wrestling
After delivering justice on heaven's behalf in his usual manner at the fair, Li Kui dabbles in a more comical delivery of justice at a nearby county.
Water Margin 103: Heads
Li Kui and Song Jiang wagered heads, and heads they shall have.
Water Margin 102: Ghosts
On his way home after spreading holiday cheers in the capital, Li Kui decides to do some good deeds for civilians.
Water Margin 101: Capital
Song Jiang goes to the capital to partake in the holiday festivities, and a little extracurricular activity.
Water Margin 100: Prayer
Our heroes pray to heaven for a sign, and heaven answers in the most literal way possible.
Water Margin 099: Stoned
Liangshan sets its sights on another town that was just minding its own business, but a local general gives the bandits a literal bloody nose.
Water Margin 098: Spears
From attacking innocent towns to abducting women whose family you just slaughtered, it’s another honor-filled adventure for the heroes of Liangshan.
Announcement: Interview on Asian Fantasy Fiction Podcast
Check out my recent conversation with Jeremy Bai, a translator and writer focusing on Chinese fantasy genres.
Water Margin 097: Truce
The bandits and their despised foes parley for peace.
Water Margin 096: Nemesis
Our heroes get back to settling some old scores and unfinished business.
Water Margin 095: Aftermath
The imperial court prepares a retaliatory strike against Liangshan, while Li Kui goes rogue.
Water Margin 094: Festival
The bandits try one more time to spring Lu Junyi from jail, aided by some galaxy-brain holiday planning from the authorities.
Water Margin 093: Healer
To have friends come from afar, is it not a joy? If your friend is here to recruit you to Liangshan, then no.
Water Margin 092: Snow
Winter is coming again for Daming Prefecture.
Water Margin 091: Saber
The bandits find themselves in trouble when a descendant of the god of war comes knocking on their door.
Water Margin 090: Solo
A daring rescue runs into the obstacle of not having Google Maps.
Water Margin 089: Haggle
Lu Junyi’s jailer discovers that there IS such a thing as having too much money shoved in your face.
Water Margin 088: Betrayal
Lu Junyi discovers that there IS such a thing as too much feasting.
Water Margin 087: Trap
Lu Junyi decides to take a road trip, and everyone’s got a bad feeling about it, except him.
Water Margin 086: Fate
Big changes are afoot on Liangshan.
Water Margin 085: Disrespect
No sooner had our heroes put down one group of upstarts did they discover another group that’s just asking for it.
Announcement: Roundtable on Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast
Hey everyone. This is a quick programming note to let you know that I recently participated in a roundtable on the Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast hosted by Angus Stewart. Angus assembled the hosts from several podcasts about Chinese literature and stories. We each shared a short story or book chapter that we like, and then we just had a good time chatting about them. Take a listen, and if you
Water Margin 084: Loan
Song Jiang flags down a passing court official and very nicely asks for a favor.
Water Margin 083: United
Huyan Zhuo gets another crack at the Liangshan bandits, and a whole gaggle of other outlaws.
Water Margin 082: Assemble
Huyan Zhuo's simple quest for revenge turns into three side quests against leveled-up enemies.
Water Margin 081: Search
Xu Ning chases after his lost property and actually catches up with the thief.
Water Margin 080: Armor
The outlaws run up against a formidable foe and decide they need to “recruit” some more help.
Water Margin 079: Well
After a successful siege, the bandits in search of the man they had come to save.
Water Margin Supplemental Episode 004: Food
A look at food and drinks during the Northern Song.
Water Margin 078: Sorcerers
Li Kui gets put in timeout and learns a lesson about messing with Daoist priests.
Water Margin 077: Magic
Li Kui finds himself up to his neck in Daoist shenanigans.
Water Margin 076: Immunity
As it turns out, iron-pledge guarantees from long-dead emperors do not count for as much as everyone thought.
Water Margin 075: Child
The outlaws return to their tried-and-true recruitment tactics, and take it maybe just a step too far.
Water Margin 074: Punished
In a shocking twist, the ancient Chinese legal system delivers some semblance of justice and punishes constable violence, and all it took was sleeping with the magistrate.
Water Margin 073: Sack
The Xie brothers' relatives mount their jail break, and then we rejoin the Liangshan outlaws outside the Zhu Family Manor.
Water Margin 072: Family
Some relatives embarrass you at weddings, some get into political arguments at the holiday dinner table, and some threaten to fight you to the death if you don’t help them break some cousins out of jail.
Water Margin 071: Rematch
After getting a bloody nose in their initial attack, the Liangshan forces take another crack at razing the Zhu Family Manor.
Water Margin 070: Maze
Our heroes storm to the gates of the Zhu Family Manor, intent on teaching the people inside a lesson.
Water Margin 069: Chicken
An act of petty theft quickly escalates into a grave insult against the Liangshan heroes, somehow.
Water Margin 068: Offal
Yang Xiong has a little heart-to-heart with his adulterous wife.
Water Margin 067: Rendezvous
Things heat up in Yang Xiong’s house, and on the dead-end street behind it.
Water Margin 066: Swine
In between carving up pig carcasses, Shi Xiu sniffs out some shenanigans in his new household.
Announcement: 2 Podcast Interviews
I recently did two interviews on other podcasts. The first is the Mandarin Slang Guide podcast, where we talked about some common Chinese expressions that had their roots in the characters and stories of the Three Kingdoms era. The second one is Journey to the West: The Podcast, where we had a long chat about classic Chinese novels and their cultural significance, including the Romance of the Thre
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