October 09, 2025

145: James Bacon and His Enthusiasms

1 hour 4 minutes

John might, Alison won’t, and Tommy would (in a heartbeat).

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Animal torture (aftershow)

Letters of comment

Brian Nisbet (Bluesky)

Chris Garcia (email)

Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)

Paul Weimer (Bluesky)

Scott Edelman (Bluesky)

Tommy Ferguson (email)

We also heard from Caroline Mullan, DC, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, and Neil Ottenstein

Octocon 2025 in Dublin

Tommy’s fanzines:

TommyWorld

Götterdämmerung

Götterdämmerung Redux

Prolapse’s issue for Irish Fandom Day

James Bacon’s article on the fan history starts on page 5!

Corflu 2023 in Belfast: Corflu Craic

Corflu Craic’s programme book

Including the con report of the Leeds Corflu that Tommy mentions

Marcin Kłak’s con report

Eastercon 2025 in Belfast: Reconnect

Eastercon 1986 in Glasgow: Albacon III

Previous Belfast conventions:

Nicon

MeCon

TitanCon

Replay is not quiiiiite ready yet, sorry listeners, it’ll be there soon!

Pictcon 1 in Perth (8 November 2025)

Novacon 54 in Buxton (7–9 November 2025)

Norncon 2026 in Belfast (8–9 May)

GoHs: Anna Smith Spark and Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Norn Scene from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung

Eastercon 2027 in Glasgow: Unconfined

Tommy is working on Communications

Worldcon bid for 2029 in Dublin

Picks

John: Spirit Island

App Store

Steam

Alison: Strong Message Here

Tommy: Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway

The sequel to Titanium Noir

Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford

Credits

Cover art: “Norns Weaving the Rope of Fate” by Alison Scott

Alt text: John, Alison and Tommy are weaving ropes of fate as norns. The ropes lead to little spools, above their heads, reminiscent of a sculpture called Umbilical by Conrad Shawcross which Alison will explain in more detail in Octothorpe 146. The words “Octothorpe 145” appear at the top, and “Looking forward to Norncon” at the bottom.

Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

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