Southern Fried Asian returns with a brand new episode! Keith is joined by Soman Chainani, the New York Times-bestselling author of the hit children's fantasy series, the School For Good and Evil. The fifth book in the series, A Crystal of Time, is available now wherever books are sold.

Soman kicks off the show by recounting what it was like growing up as one of the only Indian kids on an essentially "deserted and boring" island off the coast of Miami (1:00) and how tennis and Disney movies shaped his childhood (5:00). Looking at those same Disney movies from a different perspective is what ultimately led to Soman's first novel's redefinition of what is good and what is evil (8:30). Speaking of School For Good and Evil, Soman gives some updates on the live action adaptation of the first novel (11:15) and what it takes to adapt a book into film (12:30). Having gone to film school, Soman also describes the transition from being a filmmaker to a children's book author (16:00) and YouTuber (19:00). Soman and Keith also dive in to some of the criticisms of the final season of Game of Thrones [SPOILER] (23:30). They also spend some time talking about how a fantasy world can reflect the real one (27:00) and the difference between film and television's place in the monoculture (33:00). Finally, Soman shares food memories of his late grandmother's cooking, as well as a very specific pasta dish at a Key Biscayne Italian spot in Key Biscayne that can't be replicated in New York (40:30).

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Our official theme music is the song "Top Down" by Chops, Timothy Flu, and Mic Barz. 

Southern Fried Asian is produced by Keith Chow and Jes Vu.