John doesn’t study herpetology, Alison knows lots of words, and Liz goes first.

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Content warnings this episode: Games, SMOFs

• If I Ran the Zoo… Con

• PDF version

• 3401 Pre-Supporting Memberships by Leslie Turek

• 2201 The “Relationship” by Priscilla Olson, Mark Olson

• Modest food

• 701 The Lady and the Snake by Mark Olson, Leslie Turek

• Cover art: “Game of Privies” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: John, Alison and Liz are on a large privy holding drinks with a snake wrapped around the privy. Speech bubbles surround them: “Have you seen my emotional support python?” “The perfect spot for the old pharts photo”, “It’s another ‘what if…’ episode”, and “Oi! There’s a queue here mate”. A banner with “Punctuation Worldcon 2030” appears at the top and the words “Octothorpe 99” appear at the bottom.

Points at the end of each phase:

John thinks it’s grandfathered in, Alison doesn’t think it’s SF, and Sandra is Liz.

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Content warnings this episode: None

• Letters of comment

• Chris Garcia

• Where to buy Moon (USA, UK)

• The full text of Mark Plummer’s and Leigh Edmonds’ previous locs

• TAFF

• Free ebooks

• With news of the upcoming TAFF race

• #13 is forthcoming

• The Psychopath Club

• John: A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith (hardback, epub, Amazon)

• Cover art: “Stunt Lizard” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: The heads of John and Alison regard a lizard version of Sandra Bond who is doing stunts (on fire, skateboarding) while wearing her signature hat. The words “Octothorpe 98” appear at the top.

John has played some games, Alison will play some games, and Liz is playing games RIGHT NOW

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Content warnings this episode: China, being burned alive, classism

• Letters of comment

• Chris Garcia

• Chinese v foreign attendees

• An example

• Current WSFS constitution and standing rules

• Online convention news

• Novacon 53

• John: The Wicker Man

• Tabletop games

• Hadrian’s Wall

• Cover art: “To the LizBatmobile” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: John, Alison and Liz are depicted as Robin, Harley Quinn and Batman, but the Batman logo is replaced by “WSFS”. The Batmobile is in the centre of the three of them. The words “Octothorpe 97” appear at the top and the words “…to the LizBatmobile” at the bottom.

John didn’t, Alison would’ve done, and Liz tried.

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Content warnings this episode: China

• Was Chengdu a shower?

• Nicholas Whyte signs autographs

• Site selection meeting videos are going up here

• John: Hallowe’en

• Cover art: “Chengdu Worldcon Report” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: A giant panda stands in a metal tub wearing a rainbow show cap with helicopter blades beneath a shower made of bamboo. A purple towel with “42” on it is over the side of the metal tub. The words “Octothorpe 96” are above “Chengdu Worldcon Report” with a footnote reading “might not have been a shower after all”.

John is playing a game, Alison is in New Zealand, and Liz’s head is on fire.

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Content warnings this episode: Privilege (letters of comment), carbon emissions (GUFF), grant applications (picks)

• Letters of comment

• Dave Mansfield

• Congratulations to Hugo, Girl!

• Being our designated Hugo acceptor

• It goes from Australasia to Europe (and vice versa)

• Australasia

• John: Don’t Play This Game (play the demo)

• Cover art: “Birds” by España Sheriff

• Alt text: A kakapo, a kiwi and a SIAMESE FIREBACK just chilling out. They look a bit like John, Alison and Liz. The words “Octothorpe 95” adorn the top of the cover.

John is eating cinnamon rolls, Alison doesn’t think it’s funny, and Liz has two lists.

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Content warnings this episode: colonialism (chapter 2), COVID (chapter 3), organised crime (chapter 5), privilege and capitalism (chapter 7).

• No letters of comment this week, normal service resumes next week!

• The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• Coffee Shop AU

1. Nettle & Bone

1. Nettle & Bone

1. Nettle & Bone

1. Nettle & Bone

• Cover art: “Favourite Reading Positions” by Sue Mason

• Alt text: John is in the bottom-left, sitting in a chair, wearing a blue shirt and purple trousers, holding a can, and reading an ebook. Alison is in the upper-middle, lying down upside down, wearing a purple shirt and stripy trousers, and reading an ebook. Liz is in the bottom-right, wearing a pink shirt with green trousers, holding a mug of a hot beverage, and reading a physical book. They are surrounded by floating beer bottles, books, the Moon, a mug with a moose on it, and two cats. The word “Octothorpe” appears in scattered letters around the artwork, against a pinky-purple background.

John is husky, Alison is a dingo, and Liz is a ridgeback.

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Content warnings this episode: None

• Letters of comment

• Abigail Nussbaum

• Relevant Pixel Scrolls:

• Fanzine and Fan Writer added; videos of the construction

• Glasgow 2024 Presents: The Media of Storytelling: Print v Screen

• LEGO postcards from Australia

1. Postcard from Australia for £5

• We did a lot of talking about our opinions of SF this episode, so picks return in future!

• Cover art: “Flying to Australia” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: A photograph of Alison’s Apple Watch on a plane to Australia. This episode of Octothorpe is playing on that Apple Watch, which is on her wrist.

John went to Reno, Alison went to San Francisco, and Liz went to Chicago.

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Content warnings this episode: Murder and sexual violence (chapter 4)

• Letters of comment

• Chris Garcia

• Ansible 75 (October 1993)

• Thursday

• The Hugo Voter Packet still doesn’t have Best Fanzine or Best Fan Writer

• Progress Report 2 is now out

• 21 September at 19:00 BST

• John: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978)

• Cover art: “1993 Time Machine” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: A drawing of España Sheriff with “gosh wow oh boy oh boy” in a thought bubble to the left of a drawing of Alison saying “displays include Hugo history and antique vibrators” behind an info desk. Computer monitors display the text “Coming soon! Websites!” and “Try Virtual Reality, it’s the next big thing”. A Dalek and the Golden Gate Bridge adorn the scene. Above, the words “Moscone North” are below the words “We travel to a land that photography forgot” which are in turn below “Octothorpe 92”.

John is a journalist, Alison is fundraising, and Liz is approved.

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Content warnings this episode: None

• Letters of comment

• Abigail Nussbaum

• Not Laurie Anderson

• Liz read them all! 🌟

• Ersatz Culture’s report on what’s in the packet

• Voting has started!

• If you are in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Christchurch, Picton/Nelson, Wellington, Auckland or Perth, email Alison

• John: The (Kenner)Spiel des Jahres shortlist

• Cover art: “Plenty of Bits” by Alison Scott

• Alt text: A photograph of three mini figures made to look like John, Alison nad Liz with a dragon in the background. John is holding a lightsaber, Alison a fish and a cup o f coffee, and Liz an ice cream. Two cats accompany them.

John, Alison and Liz read Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty.

Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Twitter or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Murder, death