A Reader's History of Science Fiction

In this episode, I review the recent history and current status of science fiction on television during the streaming era.

TV recommendation: The Orville

In this episode, I interview the legendary Larry Niven, author of Ringworld, The Mote in God's Eye, Lucifer's Hammer, Footfall, and many more.

Niven's book recommendations from his catalog:

The Seascape Tattoo (fantasy, with Steven Barnes)

Fleet of Worlds Series (with Edward Lerner)

The Goliath Stone (with Matthew Harrington)

Rainbow Mars (fantasy anthology)

I interview Dr. Cameron Kunzelman of Georgia State University about science fiction in video games.

Dr. Kunzelman's game recommendations: Bioshock Halo Mass Effect

Recommended reference book: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Video-Games-Tringham/dp/148220388X

Link to the Jacob Geller video in which Dr. Kunzelman appears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPiL3-CYzWk

Robert Silverberg is the last major author whose career stretches all the way back to the Golden Age of Science Fiction. He is an extremely prolific writer and a long-time friend of Isaac Asimov. Hear his story in this interview.

Silverberg’s top picks from his catalog: Dying Inside Downward to the Earth The Man in the Maze First-Person Singularities (anthology) Lord of Darkness (historical) The Majipoor series (fantasy)

In the first episode of Season 3, I interview Jim Harris, the creator of the Classics of Science Fiction book recommendation aggregator, which I have referenced several times in the past.

The database and list-builder Jim's website Scan of the original list from 1989 (page 46)

Jim's book recommendations not from the list: Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany The Sea and Summer by George Turner The Hopkins Manuscript by R. C. Sherriff

In the series finale, I interview Dr. Lisa Yaszek, a sci-fi historian from Georgia Tech, about where we can expect science fiction to go in the future.

Dr. Yaszek's recommendations: Wormwood Trilogy by Tade Thompson The Matrix Sunspot Jungle, ed. Bill Campbell

Other works discussed: Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor "The Sixth World" by Nanobah Becker The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley The Universe of Xuya series by Aliette de Bodard Unstoppable series by Charlie Jane Anders

Okay, not exactly all classics and not exactly lightning either, but in this episode, I discuss four books that I wanted to talk about in Season 1, but never got around to.

Book recommendation: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Other books discussed: Helliconia Trilogy by Brian Aldiss The Road by Cormac McCarthy Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

In this episode, I discuss the precise nature of space opera, its origins, and its path through the history of sci-fi up to the current resurgence it's had in recent years.

Book recommendation: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Not quite as space-themed as I intended, but these are the latest stories about aliens and comets and such.

Movie recommendation: Dune (2021)

Other works discussed: Greenland Don't Look Up Moonfall (anti-recommended) The Tomorrow War The Firefly tie-in novels

In this episode, I interview Donna Barba Higuera, author of the Newbery winning sci-fi novel, The Last Cuentista (which I've previously recommended).

Donna's book recommendation: Reclaim the Stars, edited by Zoraida Córdova

Donna's website