Science Fiction 101

We're back - and it's the time to review this year's Hugo-nominated short stories! The Hugos are the awards given by members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention (whose numbers this year will include our very own Colin, who will be attending the worldcon in Glasgow). Also in today's episode, we have a quiz. Sort of. See if you can get it before Phil has a clue what's going on... And there's our usual round up of SF past, present and future. Here's some links on items included in this episode:  " Better Living Through Algorithms " - Hugo-nominated short story " The Sound of Children Screaming " - Hugo-nominated short story " The Mausoleum's Children " - Hugo-nominated short story " How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub "- Hugo-nominated short story Tom Scott's Lateral YouTube series John Wyndham's novel Chocky Star Trek: Discovery comes to an end Suno , the AI song generator that created Phil'

  We're back, with an episode about the great British SF writer John Wyndham . On many occasions we've found ourselves talking about his books - such as The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos - but now we attempt to do them justice with a closer look. Items mentioned in today's show: Amy Binns' biographical study of John Wyndham, Hidden Wyndham , is reviewed here More about the John Wyndham books we discuss: Stowaway to Mars (1936), The Day of the Triffids (1951) , The Kraken Wakes (1953) , The Chrysalids (1955) , The Midwich Cuckoos (1957) , Trouble with Lichen (1960) . Visit the real-life Triffid Alley , London Listen to the faithful 1980s BBC radio drama version of The Chrysalids , adapted by Barbara Clegg Read about the modern TV adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos The reader's guide to The Day of the Triffids The Locus Awards finalists have been announced, as have the Hugo Award finalists ...whereas the Nebula Award winners have already be

Time for another regular episode of the podcast, and this time we have more interview goodness from the Hugo- and Nebula - winning SF writer Robert J. Sawyer. We had so much fun talking to Rob about his new novel The Downloaded (see episode 40 ) that we decided to gather up our more general discussion into a separate segment. So here you will hear talk of Planet of the Apes , science fiction conferences, and much much more. We also have a mostly Star Trek quiz, but with a few Star Wars questions thrown in to trip Phil up. And the usual recommendations of past/present/future SF. Some of the items discussed in the episode:  Robert J. Sawyer's website, with its appropriate URL: sfwriter.com The Audible version of The Downloaded ( US - UK - Canada ) The print versions of The Downloaded ( Amazon US - Amazon UK - Amazon Canada ) Stalker (1979 film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky) based on the novel Roadside Picnic (1972) by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. BBC Radio's Crowd Science

This is a bonus episode of Science Fiction 101 , in which we abandon our quizzes and throw our past/present/future items out the window, and just give you a straightforward interview. It's all about staging a science fiction film festival! Our guest is Russ Repp, who is responsible for the mammoth, eight-week, science fiction film festival currently happening in Portland, Oregon, in the city's remarkable OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). Russ talks us through the history of the festival, and lets us in on the secrets of how a sci-fi film festival is programmed. Full information on the OMSI Sci-Fi Filmfest (which continues until late May 2024) can be found here: https://omsi.edu/exhibits/sci-fi-film-fest/ And even if - like Phil - you're nowhere near Oregon, this is still a fascinating tale of how a festival is put together. Next episode, we'll be back to our usual format, but we hope you enjoy this little bonus!     As always, the episode is available now v

Time for a new episode of the podcast. This time Colin and Phil meet the Hugo- and Nebula-winning author Robert J. Sawyer, to discuss his new novel The Downloaded . You may recall we reviewed the Audible Original full-cast audio version of The Downloaded a couple of episodes ago (you can find it here ). We were keen to find out how the book version differs from the audio version, so we invited Rob onto the show to discuss. And what a discussion it is!  Also in this episode, we have listener responses to our " to be a fan " episode, and our usual ramble through the past, present and future of SF. Here are links to items mentioned in today's show: Robert J. Sawyer's website, with its appropriate URL: sfwriter.com The Audible version of The Downloaded , available now ( US - UK - Canada ) The print versions of The Downloaded , due out May 7th ( Amazon US - Amazon UK - Amazon Canada ) The Last Man On Earth (1924), surely one of the first SF movies ever made " T

Time for a new episode of the podcast! This time Colin and Phil ponder what it means to be a science fiction fan. Would you call yourself one? Would other people call you one? How deeply are you connected to fandom? We try to get to the bottom of it all in this episode. And then we go into our usual quizzy goodness, and our regular past/present/future discussion. Join us, why don't you? We'll post the full show notes later, so please check back for those. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and listen...     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

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

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 press play below!     Podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Podcasts - Listen Note

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

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