Explore the meaning of science fiction, and how it's relevant to real-life science and society. Your hosts are Annalee Newitz, a science journalist who writes science fiction, and Charlie Jane Anders, a science fiction writer who is obsessed with science. Every two weeks, we take deep dives into science fiction books, movies, television, and comics that will expand your mind -- and maybe change your life
…
continue reading
1
Every Town Deserves a Library (with Ken Liu)
47:23
47:23
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
47:23
Science fiction and fantasy are full of wondrous libraries containing everything from powerful artifacts to some dang good reads. How does the idealized view of libraries in speculative fiction compare with the real-life libraries, which are under attack by would-be censors and culture warriors? Also, we talk to award-winning author Ken Liu about h…
…
continue reading
1
How to Raise the Stakes without Ruining Your Story
50:15
50:15
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
50:15
It's time for some writing advice! We talk about how to raise the stakes in a story without wrecking it. What exactly do we mean by "stakes," anyway, and does raising them always involve some kind of plot twist? Later in the episode we talk to the creators and musicians behind the blog Women of Noise to learn more about the women who rule electroni…
…
continue reading
1
Science Fiction is a normalization machine (with Rob Cameron)
48:49
48:49
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
48:49
Science fiction is great at helping people get used to strange concepts — or people — and making us see them as more "normal." But what does "normal" mean, and is it always a good thing? Later in the episode, we talk to Rob Cameron, author of the new novel Daydreamer, about writing neurodivergent characters.…
…
continue reading
1
When Fiction Becomes a Microaggression (with Evelyn Douek)
47:27
47:27
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
47:27
When someone disrespects you in a subtle way, with plausible deniability, it can do just as much damage as overt bigotry. So we're talking about microaggressions — what they are, and how science fiction explores them but also perpetuates them. And later in the episode, we talk to Stanford professor Evelyn Douek about what's next for content moderat…
…
continue reading
1
Encore Episode: Nationalism is science fiction, with Wajahat Ali
42:09
42:09
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
42:09
In one of our favorite episodes from 2021, we talked to TV news commentator and author (and scifi fan!) Wajahat Ali about nationalism in science fiction. It's feeling relevant again. We'll be back in your feeds with brand-new episodes starting in two weeks!Door Our Opinions Are Correct
…
continue reading
Dearest Listeners, you asked us for advice, and now we've got the definitive answers! From writing and relationship questions, to concerns about the best way to alter the timeline, we tackle it all.Door Our Opinions Are Correct
…
continue reading
1
Dinosaurs and Furries, with Riley Black
57:31
57:31
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
57:31
We're learning so much about dinosaurs lately — there are incredible new species, discoveries about how they had sex, and more detailed evidence about what happened during their final days on Earth. To find out more, we talk to Riley Black, author of the award-winning book The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. Riley also tells us about being a furry, and…
…
continue reading
1
Immigration law in space, with Victor Manibo
44:32
44:32
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
44:32
What is the point of absurdist storytelling in a world that feels absurd? We talk about science fiction that gets silly, satirical, and weird -- and why we need it desperately. From The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to The Onion, we analyze absurdism as readers and writers. Then we're joined by Victor Manibo, author of the brilliant new novel Es…
…
continue reading
1
Secrets of the Planet of the Apes with Josh Friedman
54:54
54:54
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
54:54
The Planet of the Apes franchise spans decades and formats: it started as a French novel in 1963, and then jumped the Atlantic to become a long-running series of movies, TV shows, a cartoon, and even videogames. We talk about the politics of the story, and why some versions succeed while others fail. Then we're joined by Josh Friedman, who wrote Ki…
…
continue reading
1
Romancing the Dragon, with Moniquill Blackgoose
47:18
47:18
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
47:18
We’re obsessed with dragons, and for good reason. These gigantic creatures soar through many cultures and genres — and they feel more relevant than ever today. We talk to author Moniquill Blackgoose about why, and discuss her Nebula-award winning novel To Shape A Dragon’s Breath. Then we have a completely non-awkward conversation about dragons and …
…
continue reading
1
Summer Entertainment Guide: What to Watch and Read this Summer!
55:18
55:18
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
55:18
The summer entertainment season is upon us! Many of our favorite TV shows are back, and there are a few movies we're excited about as well. Not to mention a flood of truly incredible books by many of our favorite authors. Here's our select guide to the stuff we're most pumped about this summer, and all the latest trends in entertainment.…
…
continue reading
1
How Surveillance Dystopias Came True (with Wole Talabi)
1:05:15
1:05:15
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
1:05:15
You are being watched. Pop culture used to be full of vivid warnings about Big Brother watching you. What does it mean that we're now under constant surveillance for real? Plus we talk to Wole Talabi about his new story collection Convergence Problems.
…
continue reading
1
How to turn a story into a deadly weapon
53:34
53:34
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
53:34
Psyops are used by the military against foreign enemies, but now these dangerous weapons of demoralization and chaos are being used in culture wars between Americans. In this episode, Annalee tells us about their new book Stories Are Weapons, a history of psychological warfare in the U.S. (yes, it includes scifi!) -- and an exploration of the ways …
…
continue reading
1
Fascism and Book Bans (with Maggie Tokuda-Hall)
56:59
56:59
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
56:59
Science fiction has been warning us about fascism for decades — so why haven't we listened? How did Nazis become just another monster in our stories, like werewolves or cyborgs? Plus we talk about the new wave of book censorship with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, co-founder of the new organization Authors Against Book Bans. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorr…
…
continue reading
1
The Turing Test is bullsh*t (w/Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender)
48:21
48:21
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
48:21
We're talking about the Turing Test, the grandmother of all tests for AI sentience. Joining us are AI researchers Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender, hosts of the Mystery AI Hype 3000 podcast. We discuss why the Turing Test is so influential in both fiction and reality – and why it is completely wrong. Later in the episode, we’ll talk about another thi…
…
continue reading
1
Queer Horror! (with Dr. Chuck Tingle)
50:48
50:48
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
50:48
It's a scary time for LGBTQIA+ folks — and many of us are turning to horror stories that take our real-life terrors and make them even more monstrous. To find out why, we talk to Dr. Chuck Tingle, the author of Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays, and we geek out about why queers love to be scared. Also, we talk about horror movie soundtracks — and th…
…
continue reading
1
Videogame movies are officially better than comic book movies
52:36
52:36
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
52:36
At last, videogame movies have defeated comic book movies. We learn about why from Evan Narcisse, who writes for comic books and videogames, as well as being a journalist and critic. Then we rant about why so many people are obsessed with psychoanalyzing villains, and are flocking to stories that reveal the innermost traumas of bad guys. Why do we …
…
continue reading