SFF Yeah!

By Book RiotNews Arts Books Fiction News Commentary Science Fiction

SFF Yeah! episodes

February 07, 2024 Favorite Pairings of All Kinds in SF/F
Jenn and guest Erica talk about their favorite character pairings in SF/F, from romantic to platonic to #complicated, and discuss the Hugo Awards shenanigans, Dolly Parton's connection to Buffy, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Visit bookriot.com/readharder to sign up.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
Buffy Reboot news via Dolly Parton [Popverse]
Hugo 2023 Shenanigans, Recapped, Plus Resignations [Book Riot, File770]
The Audie Awards Finalists [Book Riot]

Books Discussed
Platonic Soulmates: Camilla Hect and Palimedes in The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir
Complicated Besties: Johnny and Nick in Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed
Unconditional Acceptance Romance: Yasira and Productivity in The Outside by Ada Hoffmann
Former Mentor/Mentee Turned Bros: Cas and Rio in Zero Sum Game by SL Huang
Pining Sapphics/Beefing Rappers Turned Lovers: Red and Blue in This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
Friends on a Quest: Miuko and Magpie Spirit Geiki in A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
Annoying Friends and Low-Key Co-Parents: Murderbot and ART/Perihelion in Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Human/Animal Companions: Vasilisa and Solovey (the horse!) in The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

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1 hr 2 min
January 31, 2024 Backlist To The Future, Listener Questions Part 2
Jenn gets feedback from a previous listener rec and answers two more questions!
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Visit bookriot.com/readharder to sign up.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
Tanelle recs Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent for Sarah
Murderbot comps for Val:
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal el Mohtar
Charles Yu’s short story collection, Sorry Please Thank You
P. Djèlí Clark (if you're willing to do fantasy)
Badass Space Stories for Eliška:
Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White
Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang
Kameron Hurley's The Stars Are Legion

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12 min
January 24, 2024 It's The Stats Show!
Jenn and guest Danika talk through SFF Yeah's stats for 2023, including most recommended books and authors, dig into some SFF reboot news, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Visit bookriot.com/readharder to sign up.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
Illustrated Hunger Games edition coming out [AP News]
Sci-Fi Art Show [Gizmodo]
Highlander Reboot (!!!) [The Mary Sue]
Wednesday Season 2 Updates [The Mary Sue]

Stats Discussed
Most Recommended Books
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns [read an excerpt!]
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
Most Recommended Authors
Ann Leckie
Juno Dawson
Silvia Moreno Garcia
Top 5 Most Popular Episodes
The Best Books Of The Last Quarter (July 2023)
Most Anticipated SF/F of 2023: January - June
The Most Anticipated SFF Books of 2023, Part 2
Best Books of Early 2023
The 2023 Stats Show [Jenn's note to listeners: should properly be 2022 Stats!!]
Our Favorite Episode(s) to Record
Cover Talk
Most Popular SFF of 2013
Books For Our Younger Selves / Characters Who Make Us Feel Seen

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43 min
January 17, 2024 Backlist To The Future, With Listener Questions
This week, Jenn answers two listener questions — one looking for romantasy series, and another for rompy sci-fi.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Visit bookriot.com/readharder to sign up.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
Romantasy for Sarah:
Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate)
Rompy SF for Tanelle:
Light Years From Home by Mike Chen
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Mandatory mention of Valerie Valdes (Chilling Effect)

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11 min
January 10, 2024 Our Most Anticipated SF/F of 2024, Part One
Jenn and guest Danika talk about a Tolkien lawsuit, the passing of Richard Bowes, the Zelda movie, their most anticipated books from the first half of 2024, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Visit bookriot.com/readharder to sign up.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
Like anyone is going to win a lawsuit against the Tolkien Estate [Variety]
Live action Legend of Zelda movie in the works [Wired]
RIP Richard Bowes [Tor.com]
Be a voting citizen reader! 38th Annual Asimov Awards and WSFA Small Press Award [File 770]

Books Discussed
Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice [Most Anticipated Books of 2024]
The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated by Rayna Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain
Ocean’s Godori by Elaine U. Cho
Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston
Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekhá A. Afzal
An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson
Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary
The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha
First Test Graphic Novel by Tamora Pierce, illustrated by Becca Farrow
Infinity Kings (Infinity Cycle #3) by Adam Silvera
Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

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42 min
January 03, 2024 The Best of 2023 (And 2022)
Vanessa joins Jenn again to look at what got accolades and award nods, if not wins, over the past year, plus their own favorites of 2023!
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
It's happening, readers — we're bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you're on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
Read Jenn's full write-up here: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2022 and 2023, Crunched
Top Titles from 2023 Best Of Lists:
Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Land of Milk and Honey, C. Pam Zhang
Our Share of Night, Mariana Enriquez
Lone Women, Victor LaValle
Top Titles from 2023 Award Finalists/Winners, Published in 2022:
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Spear by Nicola Griffith
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Solaris)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
Jenn and Vanessa's Picks
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon
Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Translation State by Ann Leckie
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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46 min
December 27, 2023 Rerun: Most Anticipated SF/F of 2023
Sharifah and Jenn are off this holiday week, but we thought it would be fun to share a rerun of our most anticipated books of 2023, which originally aired on January 11, 2023.
Sharifah and Jenn discuss the Renfield trailer, a new bookstore honoring Octavia Butler, their most anticipated books for January through June of 2023, and more!
Follow the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News Discussed
A new bookstore in Pasadena: Octavia’s Bookshelf [LAist]
Trailer for Renfield [Twitter]
Most Anticipated [The Mary Sue]
Wakanda Forever Streaming 2/1 [Twitter]

Books Discussed
Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi (2/14) - William Morrow
Lone Women by Victor LaValle (3/21) - One World
A Brief History of Living Forever by Jaroslav Kalfar (3/28) - Little Brown
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee (4/11) - Tordotcom
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro (Apr 18) - PRH
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older (Mar 7) - Tordotcom
Witch King by Martha Wells (May 30) - Tordotcom

Jenn's Extended List
Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai (1/10)
Karma of the Sun by Brandon Ying Kit Boey (1/17)
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen (1/31)
Everything Good Dies Here by Djuna, translated by Adrian Thieret (3/7)
The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan (3/28)
Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway (5/16)
Translation State by Ann Leckie (6/6)

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45 min
December 20, 2023 Backlist To The Future, Re-Reading Part 1
Jenn talks about different kinds of rereading, a plan for this winter, and some experimenting to come on Backlist episodes!
Send in your reading request to [email protected].
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
It's happening, readers — we're bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you're on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we've got three different levels for gifting to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
The Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee (cw: violence, abuse, gore)
The Broken Earth Series by N.K. Jemisin (cw: violence, abuse, gore, death of children)

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12 min
December 13, 2023 Pet Peeves and Favorite Tropes
This week, Jenn and guest Vanessa dig into their reading pet peeves and favorite tropes in SFF, and talk about an amazing AMA from Stephen Graham Jones, the Sleepy Hollow Remake, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
It's happening, readers — we're bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you're on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we've got three different levels for gifting to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
PW’s Best SF/F of 2023 [Publishers Weekly]
Marvel Ultimates co-creator no longer doing "Work For Hire" [The Popverse]
Sleepy Hollow Remake [Screen Rant]
Stephen Graham Jones AMA [Reddit]

Books Discussed
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (Graveyard Goods)
Anything by Mur Lafferty
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (cw: fertility issues, death of pregnant person, death of children)
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
The Daughter of Dr. Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia

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54 min
December 06, 2023 Backlist To The Future, Eco-Style
This week, Jenn talks about two "eco-fiction" SFF novels she loves.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!
It's happening, readers — we're bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you're on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations, or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we've got three different levels for gifting to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell
Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (cw: child abuse, violent misogyny, homophobia)

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12 min