Three space feminists read, dissect, and rant at Hugo Award-winning pieces of fiction.
The Hugo, Girl! podcast is a must-listen for science fiction fans who are looking for a fresh perspective on iconic books. Unlike other science fiction podcasts that simply recapitulate the stories, this podcast examines books through the lens of their treatment (or lack thereof) of women. The hosts offer insightful and thought-provoking commentary that will make you laugh and think. They are not vindictive feminists out to cancel books; rather, they recommend books despite their flaws and discuss how they can still be enjoyed by readers. Additionally, the hosts are smart, funny, and have great chemistry, making their discussions engaging and enjoyable.
One of the best aspects of The Hugo, Girl! podcast is its ability to appreciate science fiction books that may not have aged well in terms of gender representation. The hosts understand that science fiction often explores perspectives from alien or unfamiliar viewpoints, and they make it their mission to help readers understand and appreciate the female perspective as well. Their discussions shed new light on these books and challenge readers to think more critically about their gender dynamics.
Another standout aspect of this podcast is the quality of the hosts themselves. They are intelligent, witty, and bring a unique perspective to the genre. Their irreverent commentary keeps listeners entertained and engaged throughout each episode. Even when there are disagreements among the hosts or with a particular book's flaws, their conversations remain enjoyable to listen to.
However, one possible drawback of The Hugo, Girl! podcast is its occasional rawness in terms of production quality. While it adds a sense of genuineness to the podcast, some listeners may find occasional dead air or other unedited elements distracting. Nonetheless, this minor flaw does not detract significantly from the overall quality of the show.
In conclusion, The Hugo Girl! podcast is a fantastic resource for science fiction fans who want a fresh take on beloved books through a feminist lens. The hosts provide smart insights while maintaining an enjoyable and humorous atmosphere. Whether you are a longtime fan of the genre or just starting to explore science fiction, this podcast is definitely worth a listen.
The Locus Magazine 2025 fundraiser has just a few days left! Friend of the show Billy explains why it's important to support Locus. Support Locus's 2025 Indiegogo campaign or donate any time!
This month we read Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. It was long! DM: Lori Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library Little Red Reviewer TV Tropes
A new thing we're trying - occasional episodes in which we share 5 things making us happy lately. No genre content, just chatting.
We're 2025 Hugo finalists! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated us. Check out our voter packet submission. See the full list of finalists here. Hope to see you in Seattle!!
We're an opera podcast now, and you get to come with us to New York to see Moby-Dick at the Met! Bonus content: a Shamrock Shake tasting, boat facts at the South Street Seaport Museum, and documentation of every dog in Manhattan. Music by Pets of Belonging Transcript library - Many transcripts have not been edited. Anyone can edit them and make corrections, and we appreciate anyone who does!
Miles is back at it. DM: Haley Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: Jo Walton's Review
Officially now a tradition, friend of the pod Anne joined us for another quiz on past episodes!
When you get to the end, you'll wander why you even read this. Terrible! DM: Amy Music by Pets of Belonging An unedited transcript is available in our transcript library. Anyone can edit it and make corrections, and we appreciate anyone who does! LINKS James Nicoll's review TIDES
Podcast bestie Ann Michelle Harris joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about her debut novel North, and all things publishing and writing. If you've ever wondered how stray thoughts can become a novel, now is your chance to find out! Ann Michelle is a published author, lawyer, and contributor to the Hugo-winning fanzine, Nerds of a Feather. Want a signed copy of North? Join us for the book launch on January 18th from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, GA! Links: Purchase North by Ann Michelle Harris Ann Michelle's website Ann Michelle on Nerds of a Feather Halfway to Life Day Cookbook Special Follow Ann on social media: Threads | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Twitter
Y2K Hugo winner A Deepness in the Sky sure is long! And oh hey, happy new year! Skip ahead about 9 minutes from the start if you want to avoid a discussion of neighbor parking drama. DM: Lori CW/TW: SA Music by Pets of Belonging
Hey, you know what? This wasn't so bad! There's about 20 extra minutes of chitchat at the end, mostly about Endurance (the Shackleton Expedition). Feel free to ignore it! DM: Haley CW/TW: we discuss animal death in Endurance during the post-episode chitchat Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
It's a(nother) stressful week, so you can have little an early episode, as a treat. Hang in there. This month we read and discussed Naomi Kritzer's Hugo-winning short story, Better Living Through Algorithms. You can read it for free or listen to it thanks to Clarkesworld! This is a wide-ranging discussion where we used the story as more of a jumping-off point to talk about a lot of other things, from sailing to crossfit to facial recognition software. Support Clarkesworld Picture Me Coding, ft. Amy
It's showtime! Happy Halloween, listeners!
This month we read The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. We were joined by special guest and delightful person and ambitopia expert, author Redfern Jon Barrett! We had so much fun chatting with Redfern that this is a bit of a maxisode. Digressions abound. DM: Haley CW/TW: brief discussion of SA Redfern's website Purchase Proud Pink Sky Ambitopia: Futures Beyond the Binary Amy's guest appearance on Picture Me Coding Music by Pets of Belonging
It was fun! It was windy! Lori and Kevin tell all. Boring warning: at about 17:45, you're gonna hear like 5 minutes of voice notes about dogs. Feel free to turn off the podcast. Eating noise warning: if you make it this far, at 22:05-22:25, Lori will loudly eat a tea cake, so skip that if you can't stand mouth noises. Want a mug? A sticker? How about a shirt? Check out our Redbubble shop.
Well, what else were we supposed to call it? This month we read Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep, suggested by listener Raj. Thanks, Raj! Amy is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Jo Walton's review
Being gay and doing crime, all across space and time! Our long-awaited, most cursed episode is finally here. Requested by Haley and Raj. Lori is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Strange Horizons Review - Adri Joy Interview with the authors The Joy of Reading Books You Don't Entirely Understand The 12 Days of Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood
Over five years ago, we test drove this thing. It's rough, but we hope you'll enjoy it! For various reasons, we had to push back our planned schedule. This is How You Lose the Time War will drop in August, followed by A Fire Upon the Deep in September.
Another attack of the clones. We liked it! DM: Haley CW/TW: rape, sexual abuse, transphobia, intersexphobia, fatphobia Music by Pets of Belonging Links: The Extractivism of Setting and the Traitor's Text - Vajra Chandrasekera Jo Walton's Review
This month we read Arthur C. Clarke's perfectly fine novel, The Fountains of Paradise. It is fine! And it has an admittedly banger ending, if you can stand the first 200 pages. Recommended, maybe? Amy is DM. Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Wikipedia - Sigiriya Sculpture and Poetry of Sigiriya
We discuss the hottest film romance in genre fiction: Twilight! We love it. DM: Lori CW/TW: It's Twilight. Music by Pets of Belonging
This month we read Philip José Farmer's extended fart joke The Wind Whales of Ishmael. This episode is kinda ridiculous, which is fitting for a book which is also kinda ridiculous. We chatted for 15 minutes before we got into the book, as follows: 0:00-7:00ish - general chat and update on Haley's fava beans, as requested by listener Amber 7:00ish-14:30 - tasting and discussion of Coca-Cola Spiced, which is not very good 14:30-15:30 - an anecdote from Haley's college radio days 15:30-end - an actual episode of Hugo, Girl! the podcast Support Locus Magazine Music by Pets of Belonging
This month we read Mary Doria Russell's divisive novel The Sparrow. It's got a bit of everything - Jesuits, space travel, food, friendship, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and child murder. Amy is DM. Did we mention trigger warning? Yikes! CW/TW: see description above, and it's really serious so skip this one if you need to! We like you! By the way, we did a LOT of chatting at the top of this one, so skip to about the 12 minute mark if you want to get straight into the book discussion.
Friend of the pod Anne joined us and quizzed us on past episodes! We also discussed our favorite reads of 2023 and what we're looking forward to reading in 2024. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening!
Jason is a genius, Diane is a diamond, ED is a Lawton, and Carol is drunk. Our narrator - He's just Tyler. This month we read Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. We liked it! Lori is DM. Note: There is no actual discussion of eating disorders in this episode or in the book. One character is named ED, and his name is repeated one million times. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Speculition's Review of Spin
This month we read Roger Zelazny's classic Lord of Light. We did not like it, and we are sorry. DM: Haley References: The Nerantel Gem Episode Read the Nerantel Gem Jo Walton's Review Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
This month we discussed Blood of the Dragon, which won George RR Martin the Hugo Award for best novella in 1997. Blood of the Dragon consists of the Daenerys chapters from Game of Thrones. You can read it here or here. DM: Amy CW/TW: It's Game of Thrones, so you know the deal: SA, SA, and more SA. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
Hold on to your dirtypillows and don't forget to plug it up - spooky season is here! We read Carrie, Stephen King's 1974 debut novel. Lori is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Tor.com review Carrie on stephenking.com
This month we read The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge. We liked it. No further analysis! DM: Haley NOTE: Sound quality is bad. Amy was sick so we recorded remotely, and your friend Lori did a bad job adjusting the gain. For best results, use your crummiest headphones. Also, it's come to our attention that Joan's last name might be pronounced Ving-ee, or maybe Vinjee. If we said it wrong, we're sorry! Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
This month we read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, and boy howdy is it ever a Mojo Dojo Casa House up there on Luna. We'll stay here on Earth, thanks. DM: Amy CW/TW: every expression of misogyny! Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: 7 Fictional Characters that Changed the World Cronkite Interview with Heinlein and Clarke Jo Walton's Review
While we were discussing Connie Willis's 1999 Hugo winning novel To Say Nothing of the Dog, our memory card went kaput. We hope that you enjoy this somewhat disjointed discussion with an awkward break in the middle, because when we thought we'd lost the whole discussion, we almost abandoned ship! It must've been the net causing slippage. Lori is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
Turn down the volume because we're Hugo finalists again so it's about to get loud!! Hear us drink champagne and talk for 5 minutes about the special rocket-shaped cakes Lori made without ever actually describing them! Yay!! Congratulations to all the finalists! Check out the full list here.
This month we read T.H. White's retro Hugo winner for best novel, The Sword in the Stone. Digressions abound! Haley is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
In this special episode, we celebrate the midpoint between Life Day 2022 and Life Day 2023 (it's Halfway to Life Day!) with a review of the Star Wars Life Day Cookbook by Chef Strono Tuggs. We were joined by friend and writer Ann Harris for an eclectic feast from a galaxy far, far away. This is a cookbook episode, so we're eating, and it sounds like we're eating. We even talk with our mouths full (especially Lori), so if that's gonna gross you out, skip this one. LINKS: Follow author Ann Harris on Twitter! Hook, Line, and Sinker anthology, featuring Ann's short story "Changeling" Good, easy bread recipe Chewbacca speaking English
This month we discussed The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. We swam in a sea of metaphors and similes so you don't have to. But you might want to, because in spite of itself, this storm of words is good! DM: Amy Big thanks to Lori's cousin Sarah, who did a sensitivity edit for us, and wrote us such a banger of an email that we asked her to turn it into a review! Heck, maybe we do written reviews now! Who knows! Check out our new shop! Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Lots 'o Links: NY Mag Review NYT Review Tor.com: Is Alternate History SF? Keith Law's Review London Review of Books Academic Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
This month we discussed Kate Wilhelm's 1977 Hugo winner, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. This is the second book in our accidental 2023 Clone Duology (after Cyteen), and it's pretty weird! This episode covers some important topics, such as whether sex between clones is more like incest or more like masturbation. DM: Lori CW/TW: Lots of weird sex stuff. DON'T LISTEN WITH YOUR KID(S) IN THE CAR. Thanks to Cody from the Hugonauts podcast for joining us! Each episode of Hugonauts dives into a single book or series in the sci-fi canon. They also do incredible author interviews, including a recent episode with Becky Chambers. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging
BIG NEWS: We're dropping our very first ALBUM!! We've curated all your favorite Sci Fi hits in one exclusive mix: The Hugo, Girl! Sounds of Sci Fi! Supplies are limited, so order yours now!
This month we discussed CJ Cherryh's hot em dash mess, Cyteen. Weighing in at 1 lb 10.7 ounces (or 757 grams), Cyteen is a whole lotta book, and we definitely read every page of it. SPOILER WARNING: There's a pretty uninteresting spoiler for Cyteen's sequel Regenesis, around the 45-46 minute mark. If you don't want to know who killed Ari, skip that part. DM: Haley CW/TW: sexual assault Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Dragonflight and the Extinction of the Bodice Ripper Cyteen. (meadowparty.com) - Review by Keith Law nerds of a feather, flock together: The Hugo Initiative: Cyteen Designing people and societies: C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen John Mulaney's Happy Birthday Sketch
This month we read Doomsday Book, Connie Willis's 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel. We had no idea it was going to be an eerily prescient pandemic story, with parallels to today, right down to the oft-mentioned toilet paper shortage. Necrotic! Amy is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Doomsday Book, the 1992 time-travel novel that sheds light on today's pandemic. (slate.com) New York Review of Science Fiction
This month we read Fritz Leiber's 1958 Hugo winner, The Big Time, which despite the cover art is not actually about a very tall lady. It was weird! DM: Lori Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: 1958 Hugo Nominees by Jo Walton Fritz Leiber's 1982 Introduction Neil Gaiman's Review
This month we jacked into cyberpunk classic Neuromancer, by noted orange cat owner William Gibson. Neuromancer won the Philip K. Dick Award and the Nebula Award in 1984, and the Hugo for Best Novel in 1985. There's some fun stuff in there! We don't hate it! Your console cowboy for this episode is Haley. TW/CW: SA Links: Hard-Wired Traumas Scene from Johnny Mnemonic
It's the fourth and final installment of Novella-vember! That was a lot! Phew! For our last episode, we read The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson, which won the Hugo for best novella in 2013. Amy is DM.
It's week 3 of Novella-vember! This is the third installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read The Last of the Winnebagos by Connie Willis, which won the Hugo for best novella in 1989. Lori is DM.
It's week 2 of Novella-vember! This is the second installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read Houston, Houston, Do You Read? by James Tiptree Jr., which won the Hugo for best novella in 1977. Haley is DM. CW/TW: sexual violence, brief discussion of suicide Transcripts Music by Kevin
It's Novella-vember! This is the first installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read The Word for World is Forest, which won the Hugo for best novella in 1973. Amy is DM. CW/TW: sexual violence, murder, colonial violence, slavery, racism Transcripts Music by Kevin
It's time for our Halloween Spooktacular Special! We watched and discussed the 1997 sci-fi/horror film Event Horizon, which has some incredible practical effects and solid performances, and is also very nearly scary. DM: Kevin!! CW/TW: violence, body horror, discussion of gross/graphic injuries Episode transcripts available via: https://www.hugogirlpodcast.com/transcripts Spooky special music by Kevin
This month we read and discussed Samuel R. Delany's 1984 queer sci-fi masterpiece, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, chosen by our fundraiser winner and friend, Steven! It was wild and it was weird and you should probably give it a shot if you haven't read it. DM: Lori CW/TW: none really, but lots of sex talk so FYI if you're listening with your kids or your parents in the car We've picked our books for Novella-vember:The Word for World is Forest Houston, Houston, Do You Read?The Last of the WinnebagosThe Emperor's Soul Links: Sex With the Six-Legged Strangers Discussing 'Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand' with Dale Cooper Samuel Delany Answers Your Science Fiction Questions! Like Pop Rocks for the Brain by Jo Walton ________________________ Episode transcripts Music by Eon
We debrief after attending Chicon 8! Nearly 4 weeks after the fact, so the focus is largely on pizza. Tl;dr - we didn't win the Hugo, had fun anyway! 5 stars, would do again. Transcripts Music by Eon
This month we watched and discussed the beloved camp classic, Jupiter Ascending. What makes a good movie, anyway? If it has great costumes, sweeping spacescapes, and Eddie Redmayne alternately whispering and screaming, isn't that enough to be good? Plot, dialogue, and acting are overrated, honestly. DM: Haley Episode transcripts available via: https://www.hugogirlpodcast.com/transcripts Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss Links Movie Yelling from The Toast Notes on Camp by Susan Sontag Fiasco! episode of This American Life Lori was right about genetic copies.
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