Futuristic sports, interplanetary politics, and consequences, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by K.B. Wagers to discuss And the Mighty Will Fall. Together, they explore Wagers’ influences, tackle the messy world of pain and consequences, look at the worldbuilding and politics of the NeoG novels, and much more! Thanks for listening. We…

White House down, cable network hackers, and presidential speeches, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Becca Evans wander into the archives for an in-depth exploration of 1996’s Independence Day. Together, they discuss Roland Emmerich’s career, blockbusters and VFX wonders, the film’s view of character and plot, and much more! Thanks for liste…

Assimilations, immigrations, and revolutions, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by Suzan Palumbo for a riveting discussion of Countess. Together, they explore Palumbo’s approach to space opera, the political underpinnings of Countess‘ narrative, The Count of Monte Cristo, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the epi…

Bad robots, Jeep jerks, and space shuttles, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer join forces to tackle 1986’s SpaceCamp! Together, they rip into the film’s gender politics, unpack NASA’s apparently terrible security, get confused about Jeeps, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your…

Bizarre physics, chef adventurers, and talking ships, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Cat Rambo for a riveting discussion about Rumor Has It. Together, they explore Cat’s approach to point of view and spectacle, the complexities of infodumps, writing space opera, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Sh…

Career moments, horrific truths, and non-violence, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by the wonderful Karen Lord to discuss the new releases of The Unraveling and Redemption in Indigo! Together, they discuss Karen’s career, the roots of The Unraveling, how career timing affects what one writes, and so much more. Thanks for listening.…

Mother ships, bending time, and bioengineered rats, oh my! Daniel Haeusser and Trish Matson join forces to discuss Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead. Together, they explore the book’s themes of resistance and survival, the threads of utopianism throughout the stories, and m…

Crafty contestants, twisted challenges, and cameras, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam for a riveting discussion about Grim Root. Together, they talk about the connections between reality TV and horror, what makes for a good scare, the intensity of illusion, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy…

VHS tapes, wells, and terrifying children, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to tackle 1998’s Ringu! Together, they explore the film’s legacy, its approach to the ghostly and ghastly, the role of technology in terror, and so much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions,…

Mythical dark ages, historical rhythms, and papyrus, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson join forces to talk to author and historian Ada Palmer about the Renaissance and other historical oddities! Together, they explore the myth of the Dark Ages, how ideology and perspective influence historical narratives, the Renaissance, and so much more. Come le…

Vengeful trees, casual colonialism, and confusing scientific romances, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and David Annandale join forces to discuss 1957’s From Hell It Came! Together, they tackle the film’s 1950s vibes, lessons for how best to kill a tree monster, and questionable colonial ethics. Plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you en…

Weird homes, terrible accidents, and mysterious hair, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by Eden Royce to talk about her new novel, The Creepening of Dogwood House. Together, they explore the roots of hoodoo presented in the story, Royce’s approach to writing for young children while still reaching adults, the weird world of creepy house…

Sandals, toxic alphas, and questionable power, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer join forces to discuss Jo Clayton’s Diadem from the Stars (1977). Together, they explore the book’s approach to gender and societal structures, its response to sword and sandal sexual politics, what it means to have psionic powers, and much more. Thanks …

Stallone’s butt, fast food wars, and the three seashells, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and returning champion Julia Rios join forces to tackle 1993’s Demolition Man! Together, they try to make sense of the film’s timeline, discuss the innovation of Taco Bell, and unpack the extremes of radical freedom and radical control. Plus more! Thanks for …

Special programming, societal collapse, and funny robots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Adrian Tchaikovsky for an interview about his latest novel, Service Model. Together, they explore the complex question of robot sentience, life as a robot that isn’t sentient, the challenges of narratives with unusual protagonists, and so m…

Mutant cats, bad paleontology, and doggies, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer join forces with the phenomenal Foz Meadows for a bonkers discussion of 2016’s Star Paws! Together, they untangle the film’s plot about a super bone, get lost in its perception of time, and ponder the romantic relationships of the onscreen dogs. Plus more! Thanks for list…

Crawfish villains, Trekkies, and Alan Rickman, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Marshall Ryan Maresca for a discussion of 1999’s Galaxy Quest! Together, they tackle the film’s comedic stylings, exceptional casting choices, the realms of parody and homage, and even creature work! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode…