A Reader's History of Science Fiction

In the first episode of Season 3, I interview Jim Harris, the creator of the Classics of Science Fiction book recommendation aggregator, which I have referenced several times in the past. The database and list-builder Jim's website Scan of the original list from 1989 (page 46) Jim's book recommendations not from the list: Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany The Sea and Summer by George Turner The Hopkins Manuscript by R. C. Sherriff

In the series finale, I interview Dr. Lisa Yaszek, a sci-fi historian from Georgia Tech, about where we can expect science fiction to go in the future. Dr. Yaszek's recommendations: Wormwood Trilogy by Tade Thompson The Matrix Sunspot Jungle, ed. Bill Campbell Other works discussed: Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor "The Sixth World" by Nanobah Becker The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley The Universe of Xuya series by Aliette de Bodard Unstoppable series by Charlie Jane Anders

Okay, not exactly all classics and not exactly lightning either, but in this episode, I discuss four books that I wanted to talk about in Season 1, but never got around to. Book recommendation: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Other books discussed: Helliconia Trilogy by Brian Aldiss The Road by Cormac McCarthy Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

In this episode, I discuss the precise nature of space opera, its origins, and its path through the history of sci-fi up to the current resurgence it's had in recent years. Book recommendation: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Not quite as space-themed as I intended, but these are the latest stories about aliens and comets and such. Movie recommendation: Dune (2021) Other works discussed: Greenland Don't Look Up Moonfall (anti-recommended) The Tomorrow War The Firefly tie-in novels

In this episode, I interview Donna Barba Higuera, author of the Newbery winning sci-fi novel, The Last Cuentista (which I've previously recommended). Donna's book recommendation: Reclaim the Stars, edited by Zoraida Córdova Donna's website

In this episode, I take one more look at children's science fiction by surveying the winners of the prestigious Newbery Medal. Book recommendation: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera Other books discussed: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien The Giver by Lois Lowry When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

In this episode, I explore sci-fi works that focus on the idea of the multiverse. Prospective book recommendation (I'm putting it on my own list): The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter PBS Space Time on the many worlds interpretation Other works discussed: The Number of the Beast by Robert Heinlein Sliders Rick and Morty DC Comics Marvel Comics

In this episode, I give an overview of recent action movies in the sci-fi genre. Movie recommendation: Everything Everywhere All at Once Other movies discussed: Tenet Free Guy The Matrix: Resurrections

In this episode, I bring back my cohost Greg for a conversion about how science fiction has shaped video games, and vice versa. Classic game recommendation: Chrono Trigger Ahoy finds the "first" video game.

I catch up on the sci-fi movies for kids that have come out in the pandemic era. Movie recommendation: The Mitchells vs. the Machines Background on Lightyear here and here. Other films discussed: Sonic the Hedgehog Over the Moon Flora and Ulysses Space Jam: A New Legacy Strange World Lightyear

In this episode, I give an overview of the different ways that religion and religious themes are used in science fiction. Book recommendation: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny My review of A Case of Conscience. Other works discussed: Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer A Case of Conscience by James Blish Terra Ignota series by Ada Palmer

I interview Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, Curator and Chair of Space History at the National Air and Space Museum about her new book, Space Craze: America's Enduring Fascination with Real and Imagined Spaceflight. Media recommendation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In this episode, I interview Gary Bengier, former CFO of eBay and author of Unfettered Journey, a novel about philosophy and artificial intelligence. Gary's book recommendation: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Complementing my Marvel catch-up, I review the new DC superhero movies that have come out since the start of the pandemic. Movie recommendation: DC League of Super-Pets Other movies discussed: Wonder Woman 1984Black AdamZack Snyder's Justice League The Batman

I interview Nick Nocturne, host of the YouTube channel Night Mind about the emerging genre of unfiction and its relation to science fiction. Nick's recommendations: PBhere (sci-fi) Diminish (non-sci-fi)

In the podcast's first panel interview, I speak to two Stephen King scholars, Simon Brown and Regina Hansen, about King's illustrious career and influence on science fiction. Book and movie recommendation: The Dead Zone.

In the first of three horror-themed episodes for October, I discuss one class work that I passed over before and one new work. Recommendation: The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham Other work discussed: Jordan Peele's Nope

Techno-thrillers are a surprisingly fuzzy category that sits at the border of sci-fi and suspense. In this episode, I give an overview of the subgenre and the different ways it can be classified. Book recommendation: Delta-v by Daniel Suarez Sam Boush on the categories of techno-thrillers. My review of Delta-v. Other books discussed: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

As part of my catch-up series, I review the Marvel movies that have come out since the start of the pandemic. Movie recommendation: The New Mutants. (I really think it's underrated.)

Experimenting with a new format, my friend Greg and I have a conversation about anime and its place in the science fiction genre. TV recommendation: Cowboy BebopMovie recommendation: Castle in the Sky: Laputa

I interview Dr. Paul Frommer, the creator of the Na'vi language from Avatar as well as Barsoomian from Disney's John Carter. Prospective movie recommendation: Avatar: The Way of Water Dr. Frommer's blog.

In this second catch-up episode, I talk about the most recent monster movies (and one novel) to come out and their place in science fiction as a whole. Movie recommendation: Love and Monsters My YouTube video on the physics of giant monsters. Other works discussed: The Color out of Space (2019) Underwater (2020) Godzilla vs. Kong Jurassic World Dominion Monster Hunter (2020) The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Science fiction frequently plays with language in different ways to explore the concepts of philosophy, culture, and cognition; and constructed languages (or conlangs) are a big part of that. In this episode, I highlight how conlangs have contributed to the genre over its history. TV recommendation: Defiance (Kastithanu, L'Irathi, Indojisnen, and Kinuk'aaz, by David J. Peterson) My blog posts about language in Creationism. jan Misali's Conlang Critic playlist. Other languages discussed: Newspeak (Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell) Láadan (Native Tongue, by Suzette Elgin) Klingon (Star Trek, by Marc Okrand) Na'vi (Avatar, by Paul Frommer)

My first episode catching up both on classic works of sci-fi that I passed over before, and new works from the past 2 years. These are "short" episodes that will continue intermittently with longer ones. Book recommendation: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini Other book discussed: Cities in Flight by James Blish My review of A Case of Conscience by James Blish

I interview Farah Mendlesohn, a scholar of children's sci-fi and fantasy literature and author of The Intergalactic Playground. Farah's website. Farah's book recommendations: The Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (free online)

In the final episode of Season 1, we explore the state of the science fiction genre in the present day. Book recommendation: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin Worlds Without End's list of sci-fi classics Worlds Without End's customizable list N. K. Jemisin on the Broken Earth trilogy Edit: corrected links. Other books discussed: The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

I missed a few important books in the previous episode on alternate history. Here is an overview of those works. Recommendation: "If Lee Had Not Won the Battle of Gettysburg" by Winston Churchill (yes, really). Other works discussed: The Grasshopper Lies Heavy from The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick Fallen Axis from this Onion article. The United Colonies Triumphant from The Two Georges by Harry Turtledove. Proposed book by Abraham Lincoln from The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove, along with remarks in the Southern Victory series. Insane alternate World War II from this XKCD comic.

Dystopian fiction has been the core of young adult sci-fi for the past 15 years. In this episode, we explore how they got their start and what makes them so popular. Book recommendation: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins My analysis of Mortal Engines. Other books discussed: Unwind by Neal Shusterman The Maze Runner by James Dashner The Selection by Kiera Cass Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Maximum Ride by James Patterson The Chrysalids by John Wyndham The Giver by Lois Lowry Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

Children's science fiction was pretty sparse historically, but it began to take off in the 1990s. In this episode, we explore how sci-fi for kids has changed and expanded over the most recent generation. Book recommendations: Middle grade (ages 8-12): Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke Chapter books (ages 6-10): Aliens for Breakfast by Stephanie Spinner and Jonathan Etra Picture books: How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk Farah Mendelsohn on children's sci-fi. 1984 NYTimes article on book fairs. Frankie Thomas on Animorphs.K. A. Applegate on reposting her books. Other books discussed: My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville Animorphs by K. A. Applegate The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Hard sci-fi stories about the exploration of our solar system became more popular beginning in the 1990s. In this episode, we explore how these ideas rose to prominence and have developed over the years. Book recommendation: The Martian by Andy Weir. The Mundane Manifesto by Geoff Ryman et al. Kim Stanley Robinson on the Mars Trilogy. Other works mentioned: The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson The Grand Tour Series by Ben Bova The Expanse by James S. A. Corey Artemis by Andy Weir Gravity Interstellar Ad Astra

As Hollywood moved into the twenty-first century, it found a new formula for superhero stories that catapulted them to some of the most popular stories in sci-fi. In this episode, we explore the history of superheroes in film and how their modern mainstream popularity has transformed the genre. Movie recommendation: X-Men Other works dicussed: The IncrediblesThe Dark Knight Trilogy The Reckoners Series by Brandon Sanderson Worm by John C. "Wildbow" McCrae Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain by Richard Roberts

In the 1980s and '90s, blockbuster films became a staple of Hollywood and of science fiction, and their rise went hand in hand with the development of CGI technology. In this episode, we explore the ways CGI has contributed to sci-fi over the years. Movie recommendation: Jurassic Park Sheldon Hall on the origin of the term "blockbuster." Documentary on the making of Independence Day. Other movies discussed: Terminator 2: Judgment DayIndependence Day Avatar

Michael Crichton was a huge influence on science fiction in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly through the many movie adaptations of his work. In this episode, I given an overview of his writings and his work in Hollywood. Book recommendation: Sphere Luke McKinney on "The Malcolm Fallacy" Other works discussed: The Andromeda StrainWestworld Jurassic Park Timeline

In this episode, I interview David Brin, author of the Uplift Series, The Postman, Existence, and many more. David Brin's website. Advice for new writers. Sample chapters of many of Brin's books. Brin's recommended reading list. Brin on Robert Heinlein. Recommended essay: "The World, the Flesh, and the Devil" by J. D. Bernal.

After cyberpunk had its day, a more mature, less countercultural successor to it emerged, known as postcyberpunk. In this episode, we explore what makes it distinctive and how it ties in with the ideas of transhumanism. Book recommendation: Existence by David Brin. Other books discussed: Permutation City by Greg Egan The Imperial Radch/Ancillary trilogy by Ann Leckie Accelerando by Charles Stross (free download) Blindsight by Peter Watts Charles Stross's "crib sheet" on Accelerando.

Cyberpunk has produced many offshoots over the years as new authors have applied the style to other historical eras and new technologies. In this episode, we tour the wide spread of these diverse subgenres. Book recommendations: The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson Other works mentioned: too many to name. Full list here.

Cyberpunk was the big new subgenre of sci-fi in the 80s--the combination of "lowlife and high-tech." In this episode, we explore the highlights of this subgenre. Book recommendation: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Other works discussed: Akira Neuromancer by William Gibson The Matrix Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan Ready Player One by Ernest Cline My review of Ready Player Two.

Alternate histories, where events in the past unfolded differently, are a fairly new genre, but it's made large strides since it first became popular in the 80s. In this episode, we look at an overview of these works. Book recommendation: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. My companion blog post on The Calculating Stars. Other books discussed: The Domination by S. M. Stirling "The Road Not Taken", The Guns of the South and Harry Turtledove in general. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

In this episode, I interview Annie Geever, the author of the Undead Age trilogy of zombie novels. Annie's website. Annie's book recommendations: Thirteen or Black Man by Richard K. Morgan Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder

Time travel has used in many different ways by many different writers across history. In this episode, we take a whirlwind tour of ten common time travel tropes to see how they have contributed to the genre. Book recommendation: The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter. TV recommendation: "Blink" from Doctor Who. Other works mentioned: too many to name. Full list here. PBS Space Time on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Time travel had a long history in science fiction, but it noticeably ramped up beginning in the 80s. In this episode, we explore some of the classic and iconic time travel stories of recent decades. Book recommendation: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Other works discussed: Timescape by Gregory Benford Eon by Greg Bear Back to the FutureThe TerminatorBill and Ted's Excellent AdventureDoomsday Book by Connie Willis Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger See also the Jimmy Kimmel Back to the Future sketch.

Sci-fi stories about wars and military service in the future are widespread throughout the genre. In this episode, we explore a few of the highlights from this wide field. Book recommendation: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Honorable mention: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Other books discussed: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

With the release of Star Wars, sci-fi became more mainstream than ever, and in its wake came many stories about a galaxy filled with many kinds of alien life. In this episode, we explore a few of these stories of galactic civilizations. Book recommendation: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge James W. Harris on 80s sci-fi. Charlie Jane Anders on 80s sci-fi. David Brin's website. Other works discussed: OG Star Wars Uplift Universe by David Brin Culture series by Iain M. Banks Zones of Thought series by Vernor Vinge

Stories about the discovery of mysterious alien artifacts, and the similar challenges of first contact, became prominent in the 70s and 80s. Some of them we have discussed before, but many are new. In this episode, we see an overview of these stories. Book recommendation: Contact by Carl Sagan Other works discussed: Gateway by Frederick Pohl Hyperion by Dan Simmons Stargate Close Encounters of the Third Kind E.T. the Extra-terrestrial The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

Daniel Bensen is an author of science fiction, alternate history, and stories of speculative evolution. In this interview, we discuss his new book, Interchange, sequel to his debut novel, Junction, and other writings. Dan's website. Dan's book recommendations: The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Greg Egan The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker

After the New Wave era drew to a close, the older authors of the Golden Age continued to produce new works, but Arthur C. Clarke made the strongest comeback, with some of his most famous books coming from his later years. In this episode, we look at an overview of these works. Book recommendation: Rendezvous with Rama Other books discussed: The Fountains of Paradise 2010: Odyssey Two 2061: Odyssey Three 3001: The Final Odyssey The Songs of Distant Earth

By 1970, the New Wave in science fiction had made peace with a surge of new hard sci-fi works and writers. At the forefront of this trend was Larry Niven, who took a unique path in hard sci-fi by proposing new physics, but still applying it rigorously. In this episode, we explore his work. Book recommendation: Ringworld by Larry Niven. My blog post about Ringworld. Other works discussed: The Magic Goes Away With Jerry Pournelle: The Mote in God's Eye The Gripping Hand Lucifer's Hammer Footfall

Dr. Benjamin Stevens is a professor of classical studies who researches the relationship between the ancient/classical tradition and science fiction and fantasy. In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss what makes sci-fi distinctive, classicism and modernity, ancient aliens, and more. Dr. Steven's profile. Classical Traditions in Science Fiction, ed. by Brett Rogers and Benjamin Stevens. Dr. Steven's book recommendations: The Just City/Thessaly Trilogy by Jo Walton Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

Children's science fiction was still an unusual and peripheral category during the New Wave, but it did produce some important new classics. In this episode, we explore the highlights of what kids were reading during this time. Book recommendations: For upper elementary and middle school: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. For lower elementary: The Iron Giant/The Iron Man by Ted Hughes Farah Mendelsohn on children's sci-fi. My post about A Wrinkle in Time and The Chronicles of Narnia. Other books and authors mentioned: Andre Norton The Tripods trilogy by John Christopher Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Among the various social changes that accompanied the New Wave, this time period saw the rise of second-wave feminism. In this episode, we explore how that movement influenced the genre of science fiction. Book recommendation: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Tor Books poll on women in speculative fiction. Eric Leif Davin's Partners in Wonder. Sable Aradia's review of "Houston, Houston, Do You Read?" My blog posts on The Handmaid's Tale: Part 1, Part 2 Jan Misali/Conlang Critic on Láadan. Princeton article on Láadan. Mary Robinette Kowal on women in sci-fi. Other works discussed: "The Screwfly Solution" by James Tiptree Jr. "Houston, Houston, Do You Read?" by James Tiptree Jr. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler