The Speculative Collective

 Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 - Out of Canon, Into the Fire!  The panel discusses self-published books and stories and fanworks in the spec fic landscape.  Hear about All the Songs by Caitlin Sweet, Death and the Taxman by David Hankins, Kingshold by D.P. Woolliscroft, and The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi. 

Welcome to the Season 2, Episode 2 - AI Told You So (Pt 2). The panel (with special guest Susan!) continues to discuss the spec-fic works they were assigned on the topic of AI.  Hear about the movies M3GAN and AFRAID, the radio play of R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), the video game The Talos Principle, as well as Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie, and the comic Not All Robots by Mark Russell (writer), and Mike Deodato Jr (illustrator). 

Welcome to the Season 2, Episode 2 - AI Told You So (Pt 1). The panel (with special guest Susan!) discusses the spec-fic works they were assigned on the topic of AI.  Hear about the movies M3GAN and AFRAID, the radio play of R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), the video game The Talos Principle, as well as Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie, and the comic Not All Robots by Mark Russell (writer), and Mike Deodato Jr (illustrator). 

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 - Magic the Systeming!  The panel discusses the spec-fic books with the most unique magic systems we've ever read about.  Hear about The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce, Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, and Myst: The Book of Atrus by David Wingrove, Rand Miller, and Robyn Miller. 

Next up is Episode 13 - The Creeps.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that creep them out and make their skin crawl.  Hear about Sandkings by George RR Martin, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Next up is Episode 12 - The Game.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that put us in the competitive spirit - for the win!  Hear about Dream Park by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin, The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks, and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Next up is Episode 11 - The End.  The panel discusses post-apocalyptic fiction at its finesst.  Hear about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

This month is Episode 10 - The Pride.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that address or represent the queer community through characters, themes, or by their authors.  Hear about Rainbow Rowell's Carry On, Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth,  Arthur C Clarke's The Fountains of Paradise, and H. E. Edgmon's The Witch King.

This month is Episode 9 - The Humour.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that best tickle their funny bones and how humour can help or hinder the narrative.  Hear about Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon, Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,  Neil Gaiman* & Terry Pratchett's Good Omens, and Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair.

*Panel's Note - this recording was made prior to the allegations against Neil Gaiman becoming widely public.

This month is Episode 8 - The Science.  The panel discusses their favourite hard sci-fi novels and how science can become an integral part of the narrative.  Hear about Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon, Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama,  Robert L. Forward's Dragon's Egg, and Frank Herbert's Dune.