Theme: Justice, fast-food style

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Alexander Malac, Extrapolosis. Harry Harrison, The Stainless Steel Rat series. Daniel H. Wilson, Where’s My Jetpack? Alice Glaser, “The Tunnel Ahead.”
Films. Star Wars. Running Man. Judge Dread. RoboCop. Blade Runner.
TV episodes, series. Firefly. Judge Judy. The People’s Court , Judge Mathis. The Hot Bench.
Ideas. Vehicular homicide. Smart vehicles in surveillance cities. Instant, data-driven justice justice. Science fiction as a collection of (among other things) cautionary tales.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says it falls between Hmmm and Whoa. Bill says no WTF, but plenty of the other two.

Previous episode: Thomas F. Monteleone, “Chicago”
Next episode: Ann Warren Griffith, “Captive Audience”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: If I had a million robots ...

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Dean Koontz. Monteleone, The Time Swept City. Fritz Lieber, “A Pail of Air.” Roger Zelazny, “For a Breath I Tarry.” Tom Godwin, “The Cold Equations.” Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Cyril Kornbluth, “Marching Morons.” Harlan Ellison, “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.” Jack Williamson, “With Folded Hands.”
Films. Colossus. The Planet of the Apes film series. Finch. I, Robot. Wall-E. Star Wars.
TV episodes, series. Car Talk. Star Trek (the original series).
Ideas. Automated, smart cities. Robots. Post-apocalyptic Earth. Human devolution. What does it mean to be human?
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says … hmmm at best. Maybe we need to add Meh to the scale? Bill says yep. 

Previous episode: Roger Zelazny, “For a Breath I Tarry”
Next episode: Alexander Malec, “10:01 AM”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: What does it mean to be human?

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Roger Zelanzny, Chronicles of Amber. Neil Gaiman, Sandman. The Bible. Isaac Asimov, Bicentennial Man. Jack Williamson, “With Folded Hands.”
Films. Bicentennial Man. AI. Blade Runner. I, Robot. Finch.
TV episodes, series. Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Ideas. Literary sci fi. Mythological connections. Logic is once again the defining characteristic of humankind, even in a post-human world. In that context, the story asks … what does it mean to be human? What role does emotion play in defining humanity?
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Bill says it is designed to be a Hmmm tale. Dan agrees.

Previous episode: Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains”
Next episode: Thomas F. Monteleone, “Chicago”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: Our house … is a very, very, very smart house

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Sara Teasdale, “There Will Come Soft Rains.”  Dean Koontz, The Demon Seed. Alan Weisman, The World Without Us. James Tiptree Jr., “The Last Flight of Dr. Ain.” McSweeney’s.com. Fritz Lieber, “A Pale of Air.” Larry Niven, “Inconstant Moon.”
Films. The Demon Seed. I, Robot. Back to the Future. Mad Max. Planet of the Apes. Winnie the Pooh.
TV episodes, series. Ray Bradbury Theater. The Jetsons. The Jeffersons. Life After People. Little House on the Prairie.
Ideas. Nuclear holocaust. Automated houses. "Life" after the apocalypse.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says it is definitely a Hmmm story to begin with, but maybe a little bit a Hmmm - wtf. As in WTF did you humans do? Bill says it is a bit of Whoa because there are no humans.

Previous episode: James Tiptree Jr., “The Last Flight of Dr. Ain”
Next episode: Roger Zelazny, “For a Breath I Tarry”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: A plague of humans.

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Lynn Margulis, the Gaia Hypothesis. Stephen King, The Stand. Richard Matheson, I Am Legend. Richard Preston, The Hot Zone. Albert Robina, The War in the Twentieth Century. Aldo’s Huxley, Brave New World. H.G. Wells, “The Stolen Bacillus.” Nicholas Christakis, Apollo’s Arrow. 
Films. The Matrix. Resident Evil films. The Omega Man. The Last Man On Earth. I Am Legend. 12 Monkeys. The Andromeda Strain. Outbreak.
Games. Plague Incorporated. The Goliath Virus.
Ideas. Post-apocalyptic sci fi. Environmental degradation. The Gaia Hypothesis. Biological warfare.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says Hmmm. A very plausible hmmm. Bill wishes that it could be a WTF story, but it is just too real.

Previous episode: Larry Niven, “Inconstant Moon”
Next episode: Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel … angst.

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Larry Niven, Ringworld series. Fritz Lieber, “A Pail of Air.” Arthur C. Clarke, “Rescue Party,” and “The Star.” Jerry Pournelle. Ursula K. LeGuin.
Films. Finch. Castaway. Solar Flare. Sunshine. Sharknado. The World’s End. Knowing. Apollo 19.
TV episodes, series. The Land of the Lost. Star Trek: The Animated Series. The Outer Limits. The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Music. Nickel Creek, “The 21st of May.”
Ideas. Apocalyptic, hard sci fi. Solar decay/disaster. Disaster stories. The last night on Earth.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says it falls between Hmmm & Whoa. Bills suggests it is a rising and falling Whoa, like a roller coaster.

Previous episode: Fritz Lieber, “A Pail of Air”
Next episode: James Tiptree Jr., “The Last Flight of Dr. Ain”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: I can see my breath. I can scoop mine with a bucket. Now that’s COLD!

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Fritz Lieber, Newhon series. James M. Ward & Rob Kuntz, Deities & Demigods (TSR, AD&D). Stephen King, “The Jaunt.” Jerome Bixby, The Holes Around Mars. Hal Clement, Mission of Gravity. Tom Godwin, “The Cold Equations.”
Films. Snowpiercer. The Day After Tomorrow. The Colony. Mad Max.
TV episodes, series. None this time.
Ideas. Post-apocalyptic sci fi. Surviving the apocalypse in a blanket fort. Did they have duct tape in 1951? The Earth was pulled away from the Sun. Not all science fiction stands up to scientific scrutiny. Many early sci fi stories are built around pseudoscience. Science feels more like magic in some of those stories. Sci fi inspired fantasy authors to have laws of magic. So, Lieber gets some science wrong. “Fire and pure oxygen don’t play real well together.” Sometimes sci fi just constitutes a good yarn. The “Life is good” postulate in sci fi … there is always hope. Pousse cafe, layered digestif - recipe at <Epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/the-pousse-cafe-no-1-51167400>. This is an early post-apocalyptic sci fi story. Oddly optimistic. Extremely cold realms have come to equate with space. alien landscapes, and post-apocalyptic lit. Nuclear winter. Climate change. Rising temperatures … we need more sci fi stories about blazing heat. Assless leather chaps are never a good fashion choice. TBD is key to surviving an apocalypse.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Dan says … none of these apply well to “A Pail of Air.” It is less science fiction than fictional science. Bill says it is a head scratcher. Worth reading, but not great science.

Previous episode: R.A. Lafferty, “Encased in Ancient Rind”
Next episode: Larry Niven, “Inconstant Moon”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Theme: Does more life bring greater wisdom?

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Neil Gaiman, Sandman series. Phillip K. Dick. Samuel R. Delaney & Marilyn Hacker, Quark series. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. Stephen R. Donaldson, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Jerome Bixby, “Old Testament.” Clifford Simak, “Desertion.” J.G. Ballard, “Voices of Time.” Jason Key. R.A. Lafferty, Not to Mention Camels. Jonathan Strahan, The Best of R.A. Lafferty.
Films. The Day After Tomorrow.
TV episodes, series. None this time.
Ideas. Post-apocalyptic sci fi. Evolution & adaptation of species. Free speech, knowledge, and oppression. Social & intellectual regression.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Bill says he began in a state of WTF, but that fades to Hmmm on further reading. Lafferty hits you between the ears. “Ancient Rind” is strategically weird. Dan followed a similar path. 

Previous episode: Alice Glaser, “The Tunnel Ahead,” Kurt Vonnegut, “2BR02B”
Next episode: Fritz Lieber, “A Pail of Air”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse 5. Paul Ehrlich, Population Bomb, Population Explosion. Stephen Emmott, Ten Billion. Dr. Danny Dorling, Population 10 Billion. Harry Harrison, Make Room, Make Room. John Brunner, Stand On Zanzibar. Isaac Asimov, Caves of Steel.
Films. The Tunnel. 2BR02B. What Happened to Monday? Soylent Green. Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: End Game. Inferno. Logan’s Run.
TV episodes, series. Star Trek, “The Mark of Gideon.” Love, Death, & Robots, “The Swarm.” “The Parasite.”
Ideas. Over/population & post/apocalyptic sci fi. Social consequences of population explosion. Government strategies for population control.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. The scale is less applicable … a little hmmm, a little wtf.

Previous episode: Stephen King, “The Jaunt”
Next episode: R.A. Lafferty, “Encased in Ancient Rind”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode Connections
Authors, stories. Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination. Clive Barker, “Hellraiser.” Dan Simmons, Hyperion. Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time series. Fred T. Jane, To Venus in Five Seconds.
Films. The Langoliers. Back to the Future. Galaxy Quest. Stargate. Contact. The Fly (both versions).
TV episodes, series. Star Trek.
Ideas. Teleportation v. matter transportation. Scientists / inventors in sci fi. Physical v. psychological trauma.  Psychological effects of travel through time & space.
Whoa - Hmmm - WTF. Bill - A smidge of hmmm, and a bit of whoa, and a bit of wtf. But it does not register big on any of them. Dan says … the little flaws take a bit away

Previous episode: Dean Koontz, “Altarboy”
Next episode: Alice Glaser, “The Tunnel Ahead,” Kurt Vonnegut, “2BR02B”

Music Credit: "Ouroboros" Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Link: Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/