By Alice Baker and Ann Spangler
3.8
66 ratings
The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.
In this episode, the two sisters tackle the nebula award winner from 1972 - A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg. Our man, a regular World con attendee, and prolific writer created a science fiction piece, and to us - almost a fantasy, while undertaking a personal writing challenge - to create a story without using the word “I”. So did this idea work? We definitely had our own opinions.
Here are some time markers to help guide you:
01:42 Book Jacket read (We say the names)
03:57 History Lesson
08:22 Tackling the Big Themes: Struggle bus time
11:31 The concept of writing without using “I”
12:13 Segway into Mindsharing
15:46 The New Wave style of writing
17:42 World Building, but it somehow fades to the background
20:54 Discussion of Bond Brothers/Sisters
24:30 Chosen one vs. the sidekick
25:40 We Segway again - this time into sex and character development
31:25 Earthman = Drug Dealer
33:26 Four questions
In this Episode of the Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast, the two sisters tackle Ringworld by Larry Niven. The book won the Nebula in 1970 and the Hugo in 1971. While highly praised by the SF world it was a bit of a struggle bus for us both. Listen in and find out why.
In a skipping mood? Here are some time markers to assist you:
01:15 Book jacket read but we have no book jacket
02:50 History Lesson
06:15 Tackling the Big themes
10:20 Big Science or Plot driven characters - can’t we have both?
18:24 Throwback tropes
20:24 Characters
30:00 Why Alice launches the book across the room
35:40 Other reviews of the book
38:14 The Four Questions
Welcome to the Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast where two sisters are reading their way through the Hugo and Nebula awarding novels in order. This episode is the highly anticipated Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin which won both the Hugo and the Nebula in 1970. It was a big hit with both sisters; we’re singing praises in this rather short episode
Would you like to jump around and hit the high points? Here are the time markers to do just that:
01:32 Book Jacket Read
03:13 History Lesson
08:30 Big Themes - Love and Gender
13:14 Pronouns and Gender
17:19 Genly’s perspective and Gender
22:22 Characters and storyline
34:40 Amazing world building
40:00 Four Questions
Sisters Alice and Ann have read all of the novels that won either a Hugo award, a Nebula award, or both in the 1960s. In this episode, they look back on the experience and discuss how they think their readership is progressing.
Want to skip to a specific topic? Here are some time stamps to help guide you:
01:10 Lost Episodes - Starship Troopers, Canticle for Lebowitz and Case for Conscience
04:00 We rank our favorites
10:18 Impactful vs. Enjoyable books
12:16 History Lessons
13:16 Myths and Legends
15:19 Women in the 60s
18:10 Aliens in the 60s
19:25 How are we doing with our manifesto and goals?
22:50 New Ideas, new friends
29:24 Looking forward to the 70s
Welcome to the Hugo and Nebula readership podcast where two sisters are reading their way through all - all, I say - the books in chronological order. This episode covers Rite of passage by Alexei Panshin which won the Hugo in 1969. This book is a great example of how two persons never read the same book.
Here are some time markers to guide you through the episode
01:02 Book jacket read
02:29 History Lesson
04:39 A Heinlein moment
06:44 Open discussion: another Heinlein moment
10:38 Mia: protagonist, flawed and likable
17:00 Jimmy the boyfriend
20:09 Stories within stories
22:33 The writing and we go back and do a plot summary
26:26 Predetermined endings
29:16 More characters
35:25 The trial
39:59 Four questions
43:31 Side trip: male writers of female characters and visa versa
We're not quite hip enough for hip crime vocab, are you? On this episode of the Hugo and Nebula Readership podcast, the two sisters are reading the groundbreaking dystopia Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner - it won the Hugo for 1969. Give us a listen.
Want to skip a bit or jump to your favorite part? Here are the time markers for this episode:
01:51 Book’s Blurb which has no plot synopsis...
02:48 so we attempt one ourselves
05:40 History Lesson
12:26 General discussion and big theme
17:28 Dystopias and all that
23:50 Donald and/or Norman?
28:02 Chad C. Mulligan and the HipCrime Vocab
29:32 The Shiggies
31:57 … and we circle back to Chad C. Mulligan
34:40 John Brunner and the future
37:50 The Begi stories
41:20 Five Questions
Music by Carl Miles
This is the podcast where two sisters are reading their way through the Hugo and Nebula awarding novels in order. La, Lo or Le? In this episode, we discuss The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany. The Einstein Intersection won the Nebula for 1968. This tale of aliens and tangled human mythology was a challenging read for the two sisters who ultimately found the main character, Lobey, to be the best part.
Want to skip a bit or jump to your favorite part? Here are the time markers for this episode:
01:55 Book Jacket Read
05:45 History Lesson
09:01 Big Themes: Deep thinking about otherness
12:00 La, Lo or Le: what does it all mean - a summary of sorts
19:43 Kage: fancy pronunciation rules
23:53 Chapter intros: Why, why, why
28:53 Kid Death and the battle at the end
35:33 Opulent parties (and the Dove)
37:54 Ambiguous ending
40:32 Four Questions
Music by Carl Miles
Who is Sam? This is the podcast where two sisters are reading their way through the Hugo and Nebula awarding novels in order. In this episode, they discuss The Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny which won the Hugo award for 1968. The general theme for the discussion will be us questioning everything we think we read in the book.
Want to skip a bit or jump to your favorite part? Here are the time markers for this episode:
01:44 Book’s Blurb
04:03 History Lesson
08:47 Big Questions: so many questions
12:54 The Characters: who has what name when
19:00 General confusion: which last a while
25:13 The battles: loops and reincarnations
28:52 Feminist Rant
34:52 Religion: Mix and match parables and accelerationism
42:50 Hellwell
44:00 The Ending: more confusion and potty jokes and murder mysteries
54:24 Four questions
Music by Carl Miles
Would you choose to be supersmart? This podcast episode is all about the seminal Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. If you are of a certain age you undoubtedly had it as required reading. The two sisters cast their minds back and struggle to remember when they actually read the book but are fairly certain they had previously read it in some form or other. The book tied with Babel-17 by Delany for the 1967 Nebula.
Want to skip a bit or jump to your favorite part? Here are the time markers for this episode:
01:45 History Lesson
04:15 Okay, did we or didn’t we?
06:14 General Discussion, starting off with the usual - what’s the big theme
10:06 Would you choose to be supersmart?
15:33 We continue our ongoing discussion of the presentation of women characters in
Science Fiction in the late 20th century. (We do cover other characters too, to be fair)
23:00 Algernon the foreshadowing mouse
30:07 More character discussion, just to make sure we cover everyone. We’ll get there.
40:55 Four Questions and what did you love about reading this book?
Music by Carl Miles
The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.