Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas An assassin seeks her freedom by agreeing to be a contender in the king’s challenge. Of course the competition is never as simple as it appears, and the heroine has to battle magic in a world where magic is forbidden. Reid and Isaac discuss the makeup of a … Continue reading Ep 021Throne of Glass →

Micromegas by Voltaire Perhaps the first popular work of Science Fiction in Western Europe, Micromegas was published in 1752. Reid and Isaac dive into the satire and proportions brought up in Voltaire’s work. Micromegas is the story of two aliens, one from a planet orbiting Sirius and another from Jupiter, who travel from their home … Continue reading Ep020 – Micromegas →

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin Cosmic unity. The Left Hand of Darkness follows the interstellar traveler Genly Ai as he tries to persuade the inhabitants of Winter, an unusually cold planet, to join an interstellar confederation of planets. From Genly’s perspective the inhabitants of Winter are examined and their culture … Continue reading Ep019 The Left Hand of Darkness →

Semiosis by Sue Burke What will alien life look like? Sue Burke answers this question in an innovative fashion: plant life. In a collection of seven stories told across one hundred years Burke tells a first contact story of humans meeting and existing with sentient plants. Our book discussion delves into Burke’s old planet of … Continue reading Ep018 Semiosis →

A Series of Steaks and Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad The near future envisioned in two short stories by Vina Jie-Min Prasad. Join us as we discuss a future forger of meat and a robot stretching its programming to explore the world of anime. These two stories take place in a world not … Continue reading Ep017 Vina Jie-Min Prasad: A Series of Steaks and Fandom for Robots →

Modes of Storytelling Books, graphic novels, movies, television, and more. There are many mediums in which to tell a story, from strictly visual and auditory, such as the opening of Up, to verbose sentences in Russian classics. Isaac and Reid discuss a the variety of storytelling modes: ranging from the long form visuals of Game … Continue reading Ep016 Modes of Storytelling →

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin NK Jemisin has taken the science fiction and fantasy world by storm by winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row, one for each book in her Broken Earth Trilogy, of which The Fifth Season is the first. In this episode we discuss the story … Continue reading Ep015 The Fifth Season →

Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers by Alyssa Wong A great story of modern fantasy, in the sense that it takes place in the modern time. Reid and Isaac discuss this award winning short story by Alyssa Wong, a horror fantasy that shows more depth than what is on the page. Listen as we discuss short … Continue reading Ep014 Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers →

Scythe by Neal Shusterman Content Warning: A central theme of Scythe is death, murder and killing. Please be warned that we will be discussing how these acts take place as well as the broader themes of these actions in this episode. What happens when death is no longer a natural occurrence? Best selling author Neal … Continue reading Ep013 Scythe →

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury In a world where books are burned and the mind is distracted Bradbury gives a character a glimpse at something more. Despite the monumental following of Fahrenheit 451, we take issue in the importance this book takes in the distopian genre. Is the story a warning or a pontification? Join … Continue reading Ep012 – Fahrenheit 451 →