Our Book Club reconvenes to discuss R.F. Kuang’s “Babel.” It’s a story about magic and empire and revolution, and our feelings about it are similarly complicated. Plus: A whole bunch of book suggestions!

Our next Book Club selection: “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel.

Book Club: R.F. Kuang's "Babel"

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign and Scott McNulty

Aleen:

Erika:

Glenn:

Deb:

Scott:

Dan:

Jason:

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Get in line to order a hero sandwich—not so fast, sidekick! We’re here to talk about 2005’s thoroughly delightful Disney movie “Sky High,” featuring superhero action and teen drama that are both full to the brim—but never quite over the top.

"Sky High"

Jason Snell with Glenn Fleishman, Jean MacDonald, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Dr. Drang

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This week, we’re drafting some spies, secret agents, and con artists. Con artists? Why not?

Secret Agent Draft

David J. Loehr with Tom McGrath, Chris Klimek and Nathan Alderman

Tom:

Chris:

Nathan:

David:

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Put on your headset and get ready to jump into a polt, because we’re going to discuss “The Peripheral,” Prime Video’s adaptation of William Gibson’s novel. What makes its approach to certain famous sci-fi tropes unique? How interesting are the accents? Why is there an invisible car? We’ll answer those questions as soon as we flee to another stub.

"The Peripheral" (TV series)

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Lisa Schmeiser and Antony Johnston

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Store up some mana and watch out for maleficers and maw-mouths! We’re going to discuss Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy, which takes the familiar story of a school for teenage magicians and does some very different things with it! Before the Spoiler Horn, we talk generally about the books and why you should read them. Then we dig into some of the details of how the series changes as it comes to its end.

[Our next Book Club selection is “Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution” by R.F. Kuang.]

Naomi Novik's "Scholomance" trilogy

Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, Erika Ensign and Glenn Fleishman

Aleen:

Glenn:

Erika:

Dan:

Jason:

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Our favorites from 2022, plus a few clips.

Our 2022 Favorites

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, David J. Loehr, Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Monty Ashley, Shelly Brisbin, Glenn Fleishman, Chip Sudderth, Tony Sindelar, Jean MacDonald, Cicero Holmes and Lisa Schmeiser

Moisés Chiullán

David J. Loehr

Dan Moren

Erika Ensign

Monty Ashley

Shelly Brisbin

Glenn Fleishman

Chip Sudderth

Tony Sindelar

Jean MacDonald

Cicero Holmes

Lisa Schmeiser

Jason Snell

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The Knight before Christmas this year is David Lowery’s 2021 film “The Green Knight.” This year’s final Mothership episode is a game inside a gift inside a game, much like the movie. Is every episode featuring Glenn secretly (or not-so-secretly) about Zardoz? What secrets of the exotic West Midlands does Antony have to reveal? Find out as we champion diverging from the path as the most direct route to completing a quest.

"The Green Knight"

Moisés Chiullán with Antony Johnston and Glenn Fleishman

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Our annual Kilmas tradition leads us to watch the questionable 2000 sci-fi film “Red Planet,” in which Val Kimer is at his best, and several other actors are also present. Also, the main plot points of this film are so similar to “The Martian” that we’re now convinced Andy Weir must have seen this film and vowed to do it better. But if you’ve ever wanted to watch a dumber version of “The Martian,” have we found the movie for you.

Rocket Surgery: "Red Planet"

Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign and David J. Loehr

About Kilmas

by GPT3

Kilmas is a holiday devoted to the celebration of actor Val Kilmer. It originated in the early 1990s, soon after Kilmer rose to fame for his role in the blockbuster film “Top Gun.” Fans of the actor quickly began to gather on December 24th, the day before Christmas, to pay tribute to his career and accomplishments.

Over time, Kilmas has grown into a full-fledged holiday, with fans gathering in public spaces and online to exchange gifts and messages, watch Kilmer’s films, and share their admiration for the actor. In recent years, Kilmas has gained popularity among a wider audience, with people from all walks of life joining in the celebrations.

Today, Kilmas is celebrated around the world, with fans coming together to pay tribute to Val Kilmer and his enduring legacy in the world of entertainment. Despite its somewhat humble beginnings, Kilmas has become a beloved holiday for many, and continues to be celebrated with enthusiasm and joy.

Kilmas Carol

by GPT3

Oh Val Kilmer, oh Val Kilmer

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Star Wars gets serious with “Andor,” a show that gives us exactly what we needed (but didn’t know we wanted?) from the venerable franchise. We break down the plots, characters, and storytelling choices, live from John Siracusa’s living room!

"Andor"

Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Tony Sindelar and John Siracusa

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At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the S. S. Poseidon, enroute from New York to Athens, met with disaster and was lost. A handful of podcasters follow the challenges faced by a handful of Oscar winners and other assorted stars from the 1970s to celebrate that 50th anniversary of this classic disaster flick. This is their story.

"The Poseidon Adventure"

Jean MacDonald with Steve Lutz, Shelly Brisbin and John Chidgey

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