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Christmas 2022: Christmas on Ganymede, by Isaac Asimov

By Patrick Baird December 26, 2022Episodes1 Comment

For this holiday special we discuss Christmas on Ganymede by Isaac Asimov. Then we'll we compare our favorite science fiction Christmas toys, and share some memories of childhood Christmasses. Links:…

0019: Crashing Suns, by Edmond Hamilton

By Patrick Baird December 21, 2022Episodes

In 1928, six months before the discovery of Pluto, Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton appeared in Weird Tales magazine in a two-part serial. We discuss what the elements of space…

0018: Things to Come

By Patrick Baird December 14, 2022Episodes

In H. G. Wells' Things to Come, twenty-six years of war featuring biplanes and plagues come to an end when science and technology show the way. We also discuss Wells'…

0017: Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

By Patrick Baird December 8, 2022Episodes

When the world is blind, seven-foot-tall killer plants are king. We discuss John Wyndham's classic novel Day of the Triffids, the various adaptations, and the best English science fiction films…

0016: Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith

By Patrick Baird December 1, 2022Episodes

We discuss unusual co-workers in Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith and the value of well-developed characters interacting with each other. Links: Wikipedia: Cordwainer Smith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordwainer_Smith Game of…

0015: Mother of Invention by Tom Godwin

By Patrick Baird November 24, 2022Episodes

A planet full of diamonds? What could go wrong? We discuss Mother of Invention by Tom Godwin - famously the author of The Cold Equations - and the problem-solving story.…

0014: The Sci-Fi Origins of the Modern Zombie Myth

By Patrick Baird November 16, 2022Episodes

The concept of the walking undead goes back over a hundred years. But what are the origina of the modern zombie myth, and what role did science fiction play? Links:…

0013: Gernsback’s Legacy: The Science Fiction Ghetto

By Patrick Baird November 9, 2022Episodes

What was Hugo Gernsback's legacy? Did his brand of science fiction save the genre, or was Brian W. Aldiss right that he ruined it? Links: texts Trillion Year Spree: The…

0012: When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie

By Patrick Baird November 2, 2022Episodes

This week we explore When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie, the best-selling novel from 1933. We go on to discuss its influence on other science fiction and…

Halloween 22: A Walk in the Dark, by Arthur C. Clarke

By Patrick Baird October 30, 2022Episodes

In this special Halloween episode, we read an excerpt from A Walk in the Dark by Arthur C. Clarke. Followed by each of us sharing favorite scary campfire stories we…