sci-fi Archives - Page 5 of 7 -

Who Invented the Idea of the Space Suit?

By Patrick Baird January 29, 2023Musings

Science fiction is often credited with pioneering many scientific innovations, from satellites to the atomic bomb. Stories of space-suited heroes battling bug-eyed monsters were common fodder in science fiction magazines…

0024: Business as Usual During Alterations by Ralph Williams

By Patrick Baird January 25, 2023Episodes

Business as Usual, During Alterations by Ralph Williams deals with the unexpected arrival of matter duplicators and the economy of abundance it creates. We then come up with our own…

0023: The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein

By Patrick Baird January 18, 2023Episodes

Robert Heinlein's The Roads Must Roll takes place in a world where roads have been replaced by giant conveyor belts, operated by a quasi-military force. We discuss this and…

0022: Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

By Patrick Baird January 11, 2023Episodes

If people had never seen the stars, how would they react when an eclipse throws their entire planet into darkness? This episode we discuss Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and early…

0021: Black Destroyer by A. E. van Vogt

By Patrick Baird January 4, 2023Episodes

Black Destroyer by A. E. Van Vogt appeared in what many consider to be the first magazine issue of science fiction's Golden age. We discuss its relationship to the movie…

0020: Deadline, by Cleve Cartmill

By Patrick Baird December 28, 2022Episodes

Did Cleve Cartmill really predict how an atomic bomb would work, or did he have help? We discuss John W. Campbell's influence on this story and the value of predictive…

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…