Androids and Assets

Recorded on June 8, Star Wars correspondent and newly minted PHD Justin comes on the Pod to talk about the latest D+ Series Obi-Wan. We talk about how the Monarchy of Alderan works inside the Galactic Republic/Empire and our predictions for the last two episodes of the run. The post Obi-Jaaan Ft. Dr. Justin appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The boys get down to brass tacks about Andy Weir’s 2021 book, Project Hail Mary, and how it explains our inability to address climate change. The post Project for the New Aerospace Century appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We are looking back on the 1989 classic How to Get Ahead in Advertising. For a deep dive on the intersection of psychology and commerce we are joined by Hugo nominated Blogger and long time friend of the show Olav. The post How To Get Ahead in Anti-Psychiatry Ft. Olav appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The TV show version of the Expanse ended months ago. Now get our expanded criticisms on the shows final season and our big picture takes the Expanse Franchise, and what we really think about Basic. PS The show is entering a new phase, and we will only be doing one episode a month. So you … Continue reading "Expanded Criticisms: Season 6 of the Expanse Ft. Evan from Kino Lefter" The post Expanded Criticisms: Season 6 of the Expanse Ft. Evan from Kino Lefter appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Marshall and Stephen are joined by the dynamic and entertaining John Scalzi to talk about his new book, The Kaiju Preservation Society. The post The Kaiju Preservation Mob, In Conversation with John Scalzi appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Marshall and Stephen are joined by returning guest Gautam Bhatia to talk about his recently released novel The Horizon. Works Mentioned Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko Planetary Mine by Martín Arboleda Aurora Rising originally titled The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton Echopraxia by Peter Watts Economic Science Fictions edited … Continue reading "The Horizon Coalition, In Conversation with Gautam Bhatia" The post The Horizon Coalition, In Conversation with Gautam Bhatia appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The boys talk about Boba Fett and why the media discourse can’t stop talking about lords and ladies. The post The Book of Boba Fett and the Road to Serfdom appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Taking a well worn path to the orchard of problematic Netflix content, the androids and assets team get angry as they lazily pluck the low hanging fruit that is American political discourse. Please enjoy this review of the 2021 sci-fi comedy Don’t Look Up. Happy New Year… It probably won’t get worse. The post Can’t Look Away appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Marshall and Steve sit down with the brilliant and ever didactic Cat Rambo to discus their newest book You Sexy Thing. Out now. The post Where You From: In conversation with Cat Rambo appeared first on Androids and Assets.

In order to review Netflix’s Inside Job, Stephen and Marshall must go back to the conspiracy that started it all. The post The Patriarchy Was an Inside Job appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Stephen and Marshall get aggressive talking about the Hugo shortlisted short stories in part three of our three part series. Today we cover “The Mermaid Astronaut” by Yoon Ha Lee and “Little Free Library” by Naomi Kritzer. The post Hugo Shortlisted Short Stories III appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Stephen and Marshall get excited talking about the Hugo short listed short stories in part two of our three part series. Today we cover “A Guide for Working Breeds” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad and “Metal Like Blood in the Dark” by T. Kingfisher  The post Hugo Shortlisted Short Stories II appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The Androids and Assets team goes undercover as a spy thriller podcast to review Luc Besson’s 2019 thriller, Anna. We’re pleased to be joined by Alex, President of the Edmonton chapter of the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians. The post Assassins and Assets – Anna ft. Alex appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Stephen and Marshall get serious talking about the Hugo short listed short stories in part one of our three part series. Today we cover “Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell and “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson. The post Hugo Shortlisted Short Stories I appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We’re joined by the hosts of one of our favourite shows, Adventures in Ideology, to talk about the first Cyberquest story, The Pharaoh’s Tomb, by Sigmund Brouwer. It’s Christian propaganda with a thin veneer of science fiction. Like a single coat of science applied with a poor brush by an unskilled painter. Please don’t read … Continue reading "Cybersnooze ft. Adventures in Ideology" The post Cybersnooze ft. Adventures in Ideology appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Special guests and legends of Space Opera, Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell, generously took time to talk to us about their newly released novella, Light Chaser. Recommendations Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North The post Entertainment and Control, In Conversation with Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell appeared first on Androids and Assets.

A more serious episode where we talk about climate change, science fictions critical role in shaping the way we think about the future, and how to call people to action. We also focus on the fact that climate change is now a completely political problem. In our view political action is the only path to … Continue reading "Policy Droid II Atomic New Deal" The post Policy Droid II Atomic New Deal appeared first on Androids and Assets.

On the brink of catastrophic climate change and America’s defeat in Afghanistan, one movie will pretend neither of these things are happening. We review Amazon’s 4th of July long weekend extravaganza, The Tomorrow War. The post The Private Sector Experience: The Tomorrow War appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We are joined by Neil Sharpson author of debut novel, When the Sparrow Falls. It's a clever and engaging science-fiction thriller looking at artificial intelligence, totalitarianism, and transhumanism available from Tor books on June 29. You can find Neil at unshavedmouse.com and on Twitter. Recommended Works Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor The post Losing Humanity, In Conversation with Neil Sharpson appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Seth from Hugos There, Take Me To Your Reader, Brief & Not So Brief joins us to discuss Palm Springs. We talk about Cartesian Dualism, capitalism, and what is a life worth living. Seth hosts Hugos There, a monthly podcast talking about Hugo Award winning novels with a guest(s). It’s great. Check it out. You … Continue reading "Life and Death and Death and Death in Palm Springs ft. Seth" The post Life and Death and Death and Death in Palm Springs ft. Seth appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We are joined by Daryl Gregory (twitter) to discuss his new novella, The Album of Dr. Moreau. We get into animal rights, the nature of consciousness, and the privilege of wealth. Also by Daryl Gregory and available in late August, Revelator, pre-order now. Other Works Mentioned Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement by Daniel Kahneman, … Continue reading "Playing with Humanity, In Conversation with Daryl Gregory" The post Playing with Humanity, In Conversation with Daryl Gregory appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We are joined by Basma Ghalayini, editor of the collection Palestine +100: Stories from a Century after the Nakba, and Ra Page, the cofounder of publisher Comma Press. Palestine +100 is a collection of stories exploring how Palestine might look 100 years after the Nakba when Palestinians were displaced and the occupation by Israel began. … Continue reading "Palestine +100, In Conversation with Basma Ghalayini and Ra Page" The post Palestine +100, In Conversation with Basma Ghalayini and Ra Page appeared first on Androids and Assets.

For May Day we read Soviet era novel, Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It’s a bleak look at utopia, the utterly alien nature of aliens, and the insignificance of humans. We disagree about the end of the novel and leave it up to you, dear listener, to decide the true meaning. The post May Day Ex-Strugatsky-ganza appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We talk about currency, empire, and colonialism in Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant. This is a novel all about economic conquest and effective resistance to empire with a seeming message that there is no effective resistance to empire. The post Currency and Colonization in The Traitor Baru Cormorant appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Lapsis is a 2020 movie from Noah Hutton that takes on the gig work economy. It is timely and dark. There are many ideas in Lapsis and we picked out labour organizing and monopolies. We cannot recommend you seeing this movie strongly enough. The post Lapsis: The Amazon Warehouse but for Walking appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Return guest and guy who has seen Star Wars, Justin, joins us to review Star Wars Clone Wars the Clovis Arc. We dissect the Galactic republic’s monetary policy and why we should nationalize the banks. The post A Fiscal Crisis in the Republic appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Return guest James D’Amato is back to resolve the question of currency on Campaign Skyjacks. So man the rigging and secure lines because we are headed into the sky. Stay till the end for a special insight into the future of 2021, as James draws a luminary to reveal what lays ahead. Errata The Traitor … Continue reading "Brokerage and Banditry in Conversation with James D’Amato" The post Brokerage and Banditry in Conversation with James D’Amato appeared first on Androids and Assets.

In an experimental episode Marshall and Stephen break down the cost of the destruction of the MCRN Donnager in James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse and what that can tell us about the future of naval warfare and planetary governance. The post The Cost of the Martian Military Industrial Complex appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Comradery is a worker coop building for the future. It feels like science fiction but it’s fact. We’re super excited about it and invited Ty from Comradery to tell us more about it. Works Mentioned A Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M. Miller Jr. Consider Phlebas – Ian Banks Small Gods – Terry Pratchett Fallout … Continue reading "Funding the Future with Comradery" The post Funding the Future with Comradery appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm in 2020 and continues to be a cultural touchstone. One question that gets asked over and over is whether Tom Nook is a man of the people or an oppressive capitalist exploiting your labour? We are joined this week by Kateryna Barnes to discuss the world … Continue reading "Capital Crossing: New Horizons ft. Kat" The post Capital Crossing: New Horizons ft. Kat appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Androids and Assets teams up with The Hugo Girl Podcast to review the 2018 novel The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. The post Pareto Optimizing Stars with Hugo, Girl! appeared first on Androids and Assets.

A special Christmas Episode of Androids and Assets where the boys and special guest Candace talk about the reason for the season, struggling against empire. We also recommend: Divine Intervention (2002) Dir Elia Sulieman The post Children of Men AKA Christmas in Palestine with Candace appeared first on Androids and Assets.

C.S. Malerich joins us to talk about her novella, The Factory Witches of Lowell, a story about an early unionization effort that gets a magical boost. The most important part of the struggle, though, is still solidarity. You can get The Factory of Witches of Lowell through our Bookshop affiliate link, we get a small … Continue reading "Weaving Solidarity, In Conversation with C.S. Malerich" The post Weaving Solidarity, In Conversation with C.S. Malerich appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The Androids and Assets team sits down with journalist Paris Marx of Tech Won’t Save Us to talk about the ongoing struggle for the future of technology and by extension the future of humanity. Follow Paris and Tech Won’t Save Us on Twitter. Errata Paris has written articles on this topic and a few are … Continue reading "Partially Automated Comfort Communism, In Conversation with Paris Marx" The post Partially Automated Comfort Communism, In Conversation with Paris Marx appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Premee Mohamed joins us to discuss her debut novel, Beneath the Rising. We discuss how the world works differently for wealthy people and those that make dark covenants with creatures from other dimensions. We learn that science undergrads are wretched creatures and that you should not ever under any circumstances try to create a Chambers … Continue reading "The Dark Sciences in Conversation with Premee Mohamed" The post The Dark Sciences in Conversation with Premee Mohamed appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Gold, Gil, Cred Stick… I sit down with two long time observers of of videogame history to talk money in games. We explore how what started as the bothersome fife of enterprising teens has become a big business. The post Bonus Episode: The Money Game appeared first on Androids and Assets.

It’s the third anniversary of starting this podcast so we’re doing our third Luc Besson film. (You’re right, we started on a Luc Besson film and if we did one every anniversary this would be our fourth. You got us. We missed one.) Lucy is a terrible movie; starting from a flawed premise and ending … Continue reading "The Lucy Zone" The post The Lucy Zone appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Gautam Bhatia, author of The Wall, joins us to talk about his debut novel. The Wall is chock full of ideas and questions the role of law, the effects of strictly constrained resources, and how hierarchy interacts with democracy. We mentioned our Bookshop; unfortunately, The Wall is not included in that database so you will … Continue reading "You Can’t Vote Against the Wall, In Conversation with Gautam Bhatia" The post You Can’t Vote Against the Wall, In Conversation with Gautam Bhatia appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Marshall and Stephen discuss the age old question, “Autobots or Decepticons? ,” and think maybe the answer is “why not neither?” The post Transformers, or Decision 2020 appeared first on Androids and Assets.

A Universal Basic Income is relatively common in science fiction, thanks in large part to the ubiquity of Star Trek. The idea that people don’t need to compete for basic needs might feel futuristic but there are ways we can, and should, make that happen today. The post Policy Droid: Universal Basic Income appeared first on Androids and Assets.

In this weeks episode we discuss 2020 Hugo award winning novel A Memory Called Empire. In which we discuss American Empire and the politics of being a stranger in a strange land. Special thanks to the Spectology Podcast Ep 22.1 and 22.2, who also did an excellent review, and inspired our own take on this … Continue reading "A Memory Called Canada" The post A Memory Called Canada appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Netflix’s Space Force is ostensibly a political satire created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell. It attempts to poke fun at the American President and the wider political system that created Space Force. We talk about why the show isn’t funny and, worse, is morally dangerous. The post Space Farce appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We had the absolute pleasure of talking to Corey J. White about his recent novel, Repo Virtual. This is a near future, cyberpunk that tackles heavy issues of our day like wealth inequality, corporate overreach, and douchey tech-bro companies all set in a very believable world wracked by climate change and fracturing nation states. We … Continue reading "Truly Universal Income, In Conversation with Corey J. White" The post Truly Universal Income, In Conversation with Corey J. White appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We have another incredible podcast crossover event. Adrian of Spectology joins us to talk about China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh. This is a beautiful and touching novel and, despite being written nearly thirty years ago, it still feels very relevant. We’re very glad we read it. This post is much later than it should … Continue reading "China Mountain Zhang" The post China Mountain Zhang appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Op-Eds From the Future is a fantastic initiative from the New York Times. Edited by Susan Fowler, these Op-Eds are science fictional writing imagining an op-ed we might see in the near or far future. Some great writers have already contributed and we hope more do. We picked four op-eds and talk about them in … Continue reading "Op-Eds From the Future" The post Op-Eds From the Future appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Last week, we had the great pleasure of sitting down with Malka Older to discuss her Centenal Cycle series of books (Infomocracy, State Tectonics, and Null States). Enjoy, as we get do a deep dive on the functioning of the political economy of science fictional microdemocracy. Malka shares with details of the inner workings of … Continue reading "On Surveillance and Information: In Conversation with Malka Older" The post On Surveillance and Information: In Conversation with Malka Older appeared first on Androids and Assets.

We’re lucky to be joined by James D’Amato of the One Shot Podcast Network. We talk about his show Skyjacks and about role-playing more widely. Games Mentioned Flying Circus by Erika Chappell – Available on DriveThruRPG or itch Honey Heist by Grant Howitt – Available free on itch Star Crossed by Alex Roberts – Available … Continue reading "Roleplaying for everyone: In Conversation with James D’Amato" The post Roleplaying for everyone: In Conversation with James D’Amato appeared first on Androids and Assets.

A conversation with author Louis Evans, in which we discuss his recent short story Flash Crash, published by the good people at Escape Pod. We talk commerce, nuclear war, and the nature of value. If you want to read/hear Flash Crash follow this link: https://escapepod.org/2019/06/06/escape-pod-683-flash-crash/ In this interview Louis Recomends the following texts: Fondly Fahrenheit … Continue reading "Algorithms and Apocalypse, In conversation with Louis Evans" The post Algorithms and Apocalypse, In conversation with Louis Evans appeared first on Androids and Assets.

Amid a lively public discourse on the Covid 19 Virus the androids and assets team sits down to talk out depictions of disease and crisis in Science Fiction, and how different fictional depictions of illness shape our reactions. The pair find that collective action is the best defense against sickness and disease. Recommended content: Station … Continue reading "Socialism is the Cure" The post Socialism is the Cure appeared first on Androids and Assets.

A conversation with author Nino Cipri about their new novella, FINNA. We talk about labour, unions, and love. FINNA is on sale Feb 25 and we can’t recommend it highly enough. Nino on Twitter Nino’s newsletter, Cool Story, Bro Nino’s author photo, the image at the top of this post, is by Korbin Jones. Works … Continue reading "Not Lovers but Comrades, In Conversation with Nino Cipri" The post Not Lovers but Comrades, In Conversation with Nino Cipri appeared first on Androids and Assets.

The Rise of Skywalker has completed the Star Wars sequel trilogy and we are finally ready to share our thoughts with you. We discuss the most recent installment in the Star Wars franchise with our good friend, Justin (you might know him from his previous appearance). The movie, while it looks and feels traditionally Star … Continue reading "The Fandom Menace" The post The Fandom Menace appeared first on Androids and Assets.