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New Video Trailer

We have a new video trailer for Science Fiction 101 ! And later this week, we will have a new episode of the pod, with a discussion on "what makes a science fiction fan". Watch this space!     Podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Listen Notes - Player FM - Pocket Casts - Podbean - Podcast Addict - The Podcast App - Podcast Index - Podchaser - Podfriend - Podlink - Podtail - RadioPublic - Spotify - TuneIn - YouTube
Recent posts

Mind-Body Problem (episode 38 of the podcast)

In this episode, we review The Downloaded , the new novel by multi-award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer. It's an "Audible Original", meaning that it's been published first as an audiobook - and not just any old audiobook. This has Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser as one member of a full cast! We also have a quiz and our usual run-through of recommendations of past, present and future SF. Among the items discussed:   The Downloaded , which is available from Audible: US link - UK link Our quiz this episode, taken from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/games/quizzes/science-fiction-quiz Dune Part Two , coming to cinemas in a couple of months Another announcement of another Star Trek movie   To listen to our new episode, use your podcast app - or click HERE !     Podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Podcasts - Listen Notes - Player FM

Entering the Uncanny Valley (episode 37 of the podcast)

In this new episode of the pod, we come bang up to date with a review of a current science fiction magazine. Uncanny has won multiple awards, and so have some of its finest short stories. We're hoping this issue of the magazine (no. 55, Nov/Dec 2023) will live up to Uncanny 's stellar reputation. If you want to read along with us, you can find the entire issue online for free at the magazine's official website, here . You can also buy issues of the magazine for convenient reading on portable devices, and you can become one of their Patreon supporters. Here are links to some of the other things mentioned in this episode: The non-fiction book A City on Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith ( www.acityonmars.com ) The Murderbot series comes to Apple TV+ The Doctor Who sixtieth anniversary specials Margaret Cavendish may be the earliest science fiction novelist in history Agatha Christie wrote at least one book which can be considered science fiction Star Trek - Deep Space

Riding the New Wave (episode 36 of the podcast)

It being the end of the year, Colin and Phil continue their annual tradition of travelling back in time to read an old science fiction magazine. This time, they stop off in 1968 - the height of the "new wave" in science fiction - and pick up an issue of New Worlds magazine from December 1968. If you'd like to read along, you can find a PDF of that magazine issue here, courtesy of the Luminist website: ⁠ https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/luminist/SF/NW_1968_12.pdf ⁠ And if you'd like to join in our 1960s science fiction movie quiz, you'll find that on Youtube , here: ⁠ https://youtu.be/vAFs4PfLCVw?si=ZYb1o02iABx7QI3Z ⁠ Other items mentioned in this episode: Live in the science fictional past, at Galactic Journey , where it's always fifty-five years ago! The classic short space documentary " Universe ", which influenced 2001: A Space Odyssey in multiple ways The Guardian 's controversial (because inaccurate!) article on missing Doctor Who episod

Hugo ShortsList (episode 35 of the podcast)

In this episode, we review the short stories nominated for the 2023 Hugo Awards - the awards voted on by the members and attendeeds of the World Science Fiction Convention. Since the Worldcon is in China this year, the shortlist includes a number of Chinese stories. We recorded this episode shortly before the Hugo Winners were announced, so cut us some slack s we speculate on what the outcome of the voting might be! Normally, we would post links to all the stories, but not all of the stories have an online version. We hope that the Chinese stories will be properly published in English at some point, but we may have to wait for the "year's best" anthologies to pick them up. Here are links to the two English-language stories: " D.I.Y. " by John Wiswell " Rabbit Test " by Samantha Mills  You can see the full list of Hugo Award winners (in all categories) here . Other items mentioned in this episode: The Internet Speculative Fiction Database and the Chine

Desert Island Books (episode 34 of the podcast)

Like the Robinsons in Lost in Space , Colin and Phil get cast away. But through some lack of forward planning, instead of landing on a deserted planet they end up on just an island... That's the background to our Desert Island Books episode, based very loosely (unless the lawyers come after us, in which case we'll plead coincidence) on the BBC radio format Desert Island Discs : Our intrepid co-hosts have to choose the books they would want with them when they become marooned. Specifically, they each choose: one science fiction novel one science fiction short-story collection or anthology one book which is somehow science fiction-adjacent one book which has zero connection to science fiction Apart from the chosen books - for which you'll have to listen to the episode - the other items mentioned in this episode include: Pathfinders , an old UK TV series which paved the way for Doctor Who The Greg Jein auction catalogue from Heritage Auctions (click here for PDF download) Joh