Science Fiction 101

Colin and Phil recently found themselves reviewing Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama (1973) on another podcast - and were intrigued by a quote from author Mike Resnick, who said that James White 's All Judgement Fled (1968) was " Rama done right". What is this other book, and why would one repsected author (Resnick) suggest that another respected author (White) had bested yet another respected author (Clarke)? We decided to investigate - and in this episode of Science Fiction 101 we tell you everything we learned. All Judgment Fled was first published in serialised form in the science fiction magazine Worlds of IF , edited by Fred Pohl, in 1967/8. IF was a sister magazine to Galaxy Science Fiction . The magazine appearance has some nifty line drawings by Morrow to illustrate the story:    Also in this episode:  Clarkesworld publisher Neil Clarke responds to our review of his magazine! a science fiction character quiz Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking ...

Time for a new episode of Science Fiction 101! Following our trip to the past to review a 70-year-old issue of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, this time we come bang up to date (well, near enough) by reviewing the December 2021 issue of Clarkesworld . If you're not familiar with it, Clarkesworld is one of the most successful current science fiction magazines, and has produced many award-winning stories in recent times. And: it is free. Entirely free. You can view and read the issue we're reviewing right here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/prior/issue_183/ Also in this episode, Colin springs a fiendish 1950s sci-fi movie quiz on Phil. Join us to test your own knowledge of those shaky, flickery SF movies of yore! We took the quiz from here: https://play.howstuffworks.com/quiz/1950s-scifi-movie-quiz -  but we only used the first 15 questions, and there are plenty more where that came from. Finally, Colin's report of a Sleestak attack is validated on Facebook . This even...

We had some serious technical issues with this episode, so what you're about to hear is a bit of a patchwork, with variable technical quality and some parts we had to re-record. However, we think the information content makes it a good listen...   In this latest episode of Science Fiction 101 , we travel back in time to review the Christmas 1951 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.   Galaxy was the magazine which led the science fiction field in the 1950s, bringing to the genre a greater concern for humanist themes, sociology, psychology and social satire. Among its successes were the first publication of Ray Bradbury's "The Fireman" (soon expanded into Fahrenheit 451 ) and the first appearance of Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man . We review the December 1951 issue from cover to cover - we even review the book reviews and the ads!   If you want to read along with us, you can find the whole issue online at the Internet Archive , here .  The stories we revie...

An eclectic episode this time, as we consider Steven Paul Leiva's new book Extraordinary Voyages which pairs Cyrano de Bergerac with Baron Munchausen for a trip to Mars; offer up a film adaptation quiz; discuss science fiction museums such as the UK's new Museum of Film and Sci-Fi ; reflect on short-lived sci-fi TV shows ; and revisit the short stories of Robert Silverberg . And we announce our plan for our next episode: we're going to do a cover-to-cover review of a seventy-year-old science fiction magazine! For Christmas 2021, we're going to read the December 1951 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction , and we invite you to join us. You can view or download the entire issue here: https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine-1951-12 Here's the podcast episode. Enjoy!     Other podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Anchor - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Podcasts - Listen N...

In the latest episode of the Science Fiction 101 podcast, we review a new book. The Apollo Murders is a novel about space - written by an honest-to-goodness real-life astronaut! The author, Chris Hadfield, has flown on the Space Shuttle and on Soyuz, worked on the Russian Mir space station, and commanded the International Space Station. You can't get more astronaut experience than that. Hadfield has also written books before, but until now has focused on non-fiction. His best-selling book prior to this one was the autobiographical An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth . But now he turns to fiction, with a thriller set during the Apollo era. In the podcast, regulars Colin and Phil are joined by Peter Kuskie to review the book. In an earlier episode Peter had sent in a fiendish quiz which he hoped would stump Colin. Peter's guest appearance this time is a chance for Colin to turn the tables, with a Jeopardy -inspired quiz. If you've been tempted by The Apollo Murde...

It's time for episode 10 of the Science Fiction 101 podcast! This time we look at the ages-old myth - and sci-fi trope - of the Hollow Earth. True, some scientists of ages past, such as the illustrious Edmund Halley of comet fame, posited that our globe was largely full of nothing . But perhaps more interesting is the science fiction that adopted this concept, such as Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth . Following this discussion, Phil puts Colin through a musical quiz. Have a listen, and see how you do! We end, as usual, with our discussion of past, present and future science fiction. Among the items mentioned are: the newly announced Arthur C. Clarke award winner for 2021: Laura Jean McKay 's The Animals in That Country Brandon Sanderson 's magical stories a re-boot for Babylon 5 the return of showrunner Russell T. Davies to Doctor Who   We hope you enjoy the episode!       Other podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   A...

After a short break, we're back with a brand new episode of the Science Fiction 101 podcast! This time we  look at 2001: A Space Odyssey , the classic 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick , and the novel written by Arthur C. Clarke . We also mention Clarke's Lost Worlds of 2001 , in which the author reveals some of the left-over bits of story development which got dropped from the film and the novel. And various film andTV properties possibly inspired by 2001, such as: Moon (2009), Contact (1997), Space: 1999 (1975-7). Then Colin springs a quiz on an unsuspecting Phil. A perfect match for the audio medium, it's a quiz based on images and colours! And Star Trek . Perhaps you'd like to try it yourself ? And we finish with our usual round-up of recommendations of past, present and future science fiction. Colin points us to Andre Norton's Witch World series. Phil recommends the 1985 Aurum Film Encyclopedia Vol 2: Science Fiction , edited by Phil Hardy. Other ...

Science Fiction 101 is the audio podcast series where two fans of the genre discuss their favourite books, films and stories: Colin is particularly fascinated by adapted science fiction, and Phil is hooked on Bradbury and other great writers of SF past and present. Each episode sees our intrepid hosts grappling with a big theme, and then offering up suggestions of great past, present and future sci-fi. Are you up to date with the show? Here are direct links to all the episodes so far. And there are more to come. Don't forget that the best way to never miss an episode is to subscribe using a podcast app. At the bottom of this page, you'll find a list of all the podcast places that carry our show. Take your pick, and subscribe! Episode 1 - It's Alive! Episode 2 - It's About Time Episode 3 - Gimme Some Space Episode 4 - This is an Ex-Podcast Episode 5 - Full of Grace Episode 6 - Quizzer's Revenge Episode 7 - We Goes There Episode 8 - It's Not The End Of The World E...

This time on Science Fiction 101 we talk about the end of the world! We also - going off at a considerable tangent - review the short story "Little Free Library" by Naomi Kritzer (a story which you can read for free here ). Our quiz this time, sent in by a listener, is taken from Jetpunk.com - which has plenty of other interactive quizzes. Check them out! Among the items recommended in today's episode: Adam Roberts' award-winning examination of end-of-the-world ideas, It's the End of the World - But what are we really afraid of ? Michael Benson's Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece 1951 George Pal classic When Worlds Collide Phil's Bradbury 100 - LIVE event (21st August) can be found here, on Facebook .     Enjoy the show! Other podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Anchor - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Pod...

We're back - a new podcast episode, and once again a bit of quizzing. We're joined by Seth Heasley (host of podcast Hugos There and co-host of Take Me To Your Reader ), who sets some fiendish quiz questions for us! In our past/present/future section, we discuss Asimov, Wyndham Sturgeon's More Than Human , Star Trek - The Motion Picture: the Director's Edition and more. Listen below, or find us with your podcast app.   Other podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Anchor - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Podcasts - Listen Notes - Player FM - Pocket Casts - Podbean - The Podcast App - Podchaser - Podlink - Podtail - RadioPublic - Spotify - Stitcher - TuneIn - YouTube

We take to the air once again, and this time Phil wreaks his revenge on co-host Colin with a diabolical quiz! How will you fare when faced with questions from the Gollancz SF Masterworks quiz? Also in this episode we review the short story that just won the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, plus one of the leading runners-up. And we do our usual run through the past, present and future of science fiction. We hope you enjoy the show: listen below and let us know what you think. Or pick us up on your podcast app - scroll down to see links to all the podcast places that carry us.       Show Notes The Gollancz SFMasterworks quiz is online here: https://www.gollancz.co.uk/science-fiction/2012/11/20/the-gollancz-sf-masterwork-quiz/ The list of Nebula Award winners for works published in 2020: https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/2020/ File 770 's handy list of where to find all the Nebula free reads o...

Time for a new episode of the podcast! And this time we review Andy Weir's smash-hit of a novel, Project Hail Mary. We also offer a sci-fi quiz, and give our usual run-through of recommendations of past/present/future science fiction. Enjoy the episode below - or scroll down for links to the various podcast platforms that carry the podcast. Also below are links to all the things we discuss in the show.     Show Notes Take the SF quiz , courtesy of File 770 ! Project Hail Mary on Amazon US and on Amazon UK . Andy Weir uses the idea of panspermia in his book. Mary Robinette Kowal reviewed the book for the Washington Post . Experience time as Eridians do ! Phil may be the only person alive who remembers Sparky's Magic Piano . 2021 is one hundred years since the birth of Stanislaw Lem , the Polish author best known for Solaris .  Keith Laumer's Bolo series.  Love Death and Robots, Volume 2 from Netflix. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuc...

Just a quick post to report a couple of things: 1. All episodes of the Science Fiction 101 podcast are now on Youtube (audio only, of course, but with a bit of video loopery on-screen to hypnotise you) 2. Our next episode will be out around the end of the month - and we will be reviewing Andy Weir's new novel Project Hail Mary. If you haven't already read it, why not pick up a copy at Amazon (or wherever you get your books) and see what you think of our opinions on the book!   Podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 include:   Amazon Music - Anchor - Apple Podcasts/iTunes - Audible - Breaker - Bullhorn - Castbox - Deezer - Google Podcasts - Listen Notes - Player FM - Pocket Casts - Podbean - The Podcast App - Podchaser - Podtail - RadioPublic - Spotify - Stitcher - TuneIn - YouTube  

We're up to episode four of the podcast, and Phil has vowed to stop counting beyond this point! Our theme this time is "ex-science fiction" - in other words things that have gone from fiction to fact. If you can identify Phil's mystery sound, post a comment down below. And if you have any questions or comments on this episode, do the same, and we'll answer you on the show.      Show Notes  The Locus Awards are listd here . The two non-fiction books Phil recommended from the shortlist are Bradbury Beyond Apollo by Jonathan R. Eller and The Visual History of Science Fiction Fandom from First Fandom. Destination Moon was the first "serious" attempt to show a Moon landing in a Hollywood movie. Colin is eagerly anticipating Andy Weir's new book . Phil is looking forward to the new adaptation of John Wyndham's The Midwich Cuckoos. Phil suggests you re-visit the works of the great L. Sprague de Camp . Colin, mea...

Time for another episode of Science Fiction 101 ... in which we reveal the source of the mystery sound (and offer a brand new one), talk about the latest SF news around Hugo and Nebula Awards, and wax lyrical on science fiction's obsession with space. We hope you enjoy the episode, and look forward to your comments - please comment below, or seek out our Facebook page and comment there.   Show Notes In this episode Phil and Colin discuss the following:   Hugo shortlist and Nebula shortlist Information sources we like: ISFDB Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Ansible File 770 i09 Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction The editor of the Dictionary of Science Fiction - Jess Sheidlower - was interviewed on the Because Language podcast. Read about the impossibility of the apparently miraculous EmDrive . Phil recommended reading Sylvain Neuvel's A History of What Comes Next ( Amazon US link; Amazon UK link), but recommended ...

Here's our new podcast episode, in which Phil and Colin consider the persistence of the concept of time travel. And we have a little guess-the-mystery-sound competition, albeit with no prizes to speak of other than (a) some small kudos and (b) a shout-out on our next episode. (Post a comment if you can identify the sound.)     Among our discussion topics this episode: " Science fiction " or " sci-fi "?  Phil's Facebook post sharing the hard-to-find James Gunn recommended-reading list. Colin's other podcast, Take Me To Your Reader reaches 100 episodes. Octavia E. Butler's Kindred ... and the planned TV adaptation of it.  Danish Netflix series The Rain . Elizabeth Bear's short story " Dolly " , and the news report that it is being filmed . J.Michael Straczynski's pledge to publish Harlan Ellison's legendary The Last Dangerous Visions .   Podcast platforms carrying Science Fiction 101 ...