Are we getting toxic messages from speculative fiction about what it means to be alone? We're tackling troubling tropes and... more

The holidays are here once again, and that means one thing: time to stock up on books to help you... more

Lately, it feels as though a lot of fantasy books come in two kinds: cozy, or extremely dark. During a... more

We're taking a cozy, autumnal trip back in time to "peak television," when animation was truly feral and we had... more

Science fiction and fantasy are full of wondrous libraries containing everything from powerful artifacts to some dang good reads. How... more

It's time for some writing advice! We talk about how to raise the stakes in a story without wrecking it.... more

Science fiction is great at helping people get used to strange concepts — or people — and making us see... more

When someone disrespects you in a subtle way, with plausible deniability, it can do just as much damage as overt... more

In one of our favorite episodes from 2021, we talked to TV news commentator and author (and scifi fan!) Wajahat... more

Dearest Listeners, you asked us for advice, and now we've got the definitive answers! From writing and relationship questions, to... more

We're learning so much about dinosaurs lately — there are incredible new species, discoveries about how they had sex, and... more

What is the point of absurdist storytelling in a world that feels absurd? We talk about science fiction that gets... more

The Planet of the Apes franchise spans decades and formats: it started as a French novel in 1963, and then... more

We’re obsessed with dragons, and for good reason. These gigantic creatures soar through many cultures and genres — and they... more

The summer entertainment season is upon us! Many of our favorite TV shows are back, and there are a few... more

You are being watched. Pop culture used to be full of vivid warnings about Big Brother watching you. What does... more

Psyops are used by the military against foreign enemies, but now these dangerous weapons of demoralization and chaos are being... more

Science fiction has been warning us about fascism for decades — so why haven't we listened? How did Nazis become... more

We're talking about the Turing Test, the grandmother of all tests for AI sentience. Joining us are AI researchers Alex... more

It's a scary time for LGBTQIA+ folks — and many of us are turning to horror stories that take our... more

At last, videogame movies have defeated comic book movies. We learn about why from Evan Narcisse, who writes for comic... more

The long-awaited Dune sequel is in theaters now — and it's a huge hit. To celebrate, we're resurfacing one... more

Science fiction and fantasy fans love to argue about canon — both meanings of the word. Which stories in a... more

Inspired by The Super Mario Bros Movie, we're talking about a humble class of heroes whose lives are devoted to... more

Anne Rice is best-known for her Vampire Chronicles, which began in the 1970s with her novel Interview with the Vampire.... more

Science fiction and fantasy are full of portrayals of disabled bodies, some of which are nuanced and positive, and many... more

All of us live embedded in webs of life known as ecosystems, and that can get pretty creepy... more

How does Doctor Who remain cool after sixty years? By constantly updating and reinventing itself. We've been loving David Tennant's... more

There's no company as soothing as a good read when the days get shorter and the air gets colder. So... more

Zines are DiY publications that grew to prominence in the early twentieth century scifi fan community, then morphed into a... more

Silicon Valley markets itself as the place where futures are born, and yet tech corporations have no real understanding of... more

Battles and smackdowns are a key part of many science fiction and fantasy stories — but how do you do... more

One of the greatest science fiction shows on TV debuted twenty years ago: the rebooted version of Battlestar Galactica. This... more

What does it mean to be a creator at a time when creativity is completely commodified? We’ll talk about the... more

We've learned so much about the planets outside our solar system in the past ten years, and we're poised to... more

Tech companies love to trumpet about how their products are free speech machines. But how can we have free speech... more

People have been paid for labor for at least 5,000 years, but the modern 'workplace' is a pretty recent invention.... more

We've all been feeling like something is wrong with the timeline. In this episode, we ask what alternate history, fake... more

It's time for our state of the galaxy address. We’ll be talking about how humans figured out that we are... more

One science fiction author has influenced the leaders of the tech industry more than any other: Ayn Rand, who preached... more

Sometimes, a story is set in a place that isn't just a location. It's a character. How do places come... more

Star Trek is back in a big way: we've had three live-action TV shows and two animated shows recently, with... more

Summer is almost here, and there's no shortage of amazing books, movies and TV shows to read by the pool.... more

Ten years ago, Silicon Valley promised us smart houses that would light rooms as we walked into them, turn on... more

Games are packed with astounding worldbuilding, and Dungeons & Dragons is perhaps the worldbuildiest of all. We take a deep... more

When tech whizkids are caught behaving badly, they're just being "brilliant jerks." And the figure of the charismatic-but-bratty genius inventor... more

If you haven't read any short stories in a while, it's a great time to get back into them. A... more

This is the first in a series of monthly episodes we’ll be doing about how Silicon Valley appropriates... more

Everybody obsesses about A.I., nanotech, space travel and robots. But the technologies nobody pays much attention to could have an... more

Gender essentialism is the idea that there is something eternal and innate about people's gender identities, and nothing... more