Review The Future

Armed with a completed second outline, we return for our 50th episode! This episode begins with a summary of the key changes planned for our second draft. In the next script, we'll be fully integrating voiceover from page 1 and streamlining the way we present lobbies and the exec. We'll also be revising Zoya's plotline […]

Script Content:-Zoya and Csaba attend the Katallian service. They discover the portal door is locked and one way (but Ocean Songbird has a key). As early attendees they are drafted into a confession ritual.-Meanwhile the priests discover an unauthorized conjuring, which leads them to find Cranium tied up.-A struggle ensues in the church as Zoya […]

Script Content:-Zoya gets caught by Alltaf and assigned the task of killing Tim-The leadup to Tim's death from Zoya's perspective-The aftermath of Tim's death: burying the body and lying to Cranium-Caught by Cranium, Csaba knocks out Cranium and takes his conjuring stone-Armed with the stone, Tim and Zoya head for the portal inside the church […]

Another double episode with pages from both Ted and Jon. Script Content:– Richard and Alexis urge Zoya to take Tim's deal at the Gaia awards-Zoya is initiated into Alltaf-Zoya witnesses Tim trying to force his way through the Alltaf lobby-Richard and Alexis coach Zoya to have Tim complete the first task for her-Zoya shows Applonia […]

In this double episode, we get pages from both Ted and Jon. Script Content:-Tim, Zoya, and Csaba build shelters on Katall-Tim hunts for a suitable murder target-Zoya offers Tim an out (he doesn't take it)-Tim discovers Cranium's secret TV lair and decides to make Cranium the target-Tim goes to murder Cranium, while Zoya and Csaba […]

Tim, Zoya and Csaba enter Katall, learn about the naturalist entrance contract, witness a service that includes funeral rites and penitence for conjuring, join the Katallian religion, receive the assignment of building a shelter. Discussion: nailing down Ocean's gender, considering whether this sequence could be shorter, proposing the addition of Tim's voiceover, flagging the moment […]

Tim meets Csaba for dinner at a fancy Magnurbia restaurant, Csaba tells the story of Alltaf's founding, Tim receives instructions for the third trial, Zoya offers Tim the chance to back out. Discussion: whether Tim should know who he's meeting for dinner, whether Csaba should be a well-known figure, whether the voiceover should be past/present, […]

Visiting Pompeii, finding the clue “Come in, have a drink, stay a while”, getting attacked by a leopard, turning pain on to find the right door, turning mind altering substances on to cross the lava river, turning ejection off to unlock the final answer: “You must trust to be trusted.” Discussion: whether Tim should struggle […]

Taking the job in Applonia, posing as an elephant-headed god, building a temple for Applewhite, planting a backdoor, failing to help the Applonian people, onward to Wang's world. Discussion: being an elephant versus just being invisible, defining the pain settings in Applonia, the meaning of “portal rights”, the nature of Tim's moral choice, whether this […]

Receiving the first trial, finding the trial difficult, posting an ad, finding Applewhite. Discussion: introduction of voiceover, making Applewhite weirder, drawing on the Incal for exec inspiration.

Obtaining Alltaf's address, fighting through Alltaf's lobby, signaling to Zoya, blackmailing Zoya. Discussion: rules of Alltaf's lobby, usefulness of the Bukhari reference, communication of blackmail stakes, how secret is Alltaf?

Magnurbia, Tim's defaultist son, breaking up with Arturo. Discussion: How to handle the exec visually.

Tim and Zoya sign on the line, Gaia Awards nominees. Discussion: making the nominees interesting, scale of the Gaias, story perspective.

Gaia awards pre-party, Tim and Arturo panic about losing, and Tim proposes a deal to Zoya. Discussion: how to reveal Tim and Arturo's panic, should concierge be an AI, comic book visual language.

Tim and Arturo finish their world art project

This episode outlines the additional interstitial stories that will occur throughout the book.

This episode summarizes the second half of the story.

Welcome back! This episode summarizes the first half of the story.

what happens to Zoya, only priests have the power, coda on cult world

Zoya’s rebellion, sympathy with the cultists, the dark side of novelty

deep dive into our secondary character’s pov

the club’s take, showing up together, Zoya’s perspective

the ultimate trial, club rep calls the shots, naturalist culture

solving a puzzle, giving up your rights, Terrell rooms

finding a tip, making a backdoor, Zoya’s POV

Tim shows up, Zoya gets involved, everyone has leverage

questions of motivation, fleshing out the contract, Tim shows up

family reunion, partnership dissolution, antagonist entrapment

Tim and Zoya, bad contracts, parental pressure

From the scan to the present

Art Worlds, Movements, Genres

Mailboxworld, Moneyworld, Wikiworld, etc.

Remote Work, What Stays Scarce, Work in the Constellation

Stances toward the Simulators, Orthodox Defaultism

Art Worlds, Genres and Novelty, Colonies and Awards

Media Club: Inception, Congress

Mating Under the Hood, Novelty Club, Mercy and Regeneration

Osmosis, Addressing the Exec, Clubs

Builds Worlds for Status, Wants into a Club, Three Trials

New? Start here! Summary of c01-c10, Fundamental Assumptions

Lobbies, Strobing, Consolidation and Empire

2030, The Ancestral Plain, Babies and Pets

Final Devs, Eating and Sleeping, Regeneration, Default Homeworld

Devs, Ted Chiang, No Interworld Communication

Newborn Rights, Money World, Interworld Communication

Upload, Having Kids and Copying Minds, AI Limits

Deleting Worlds, Personal Avatars, The Transition, Mental Aging

Ejection, Entrance Contracts, Religions Inside the Constellation.

Corona virus, It Follows, keys and tips.

Introducing the broad science fiction concepts and writing principles behind our next graphic novel.

After nearly 100 episodes, we’ve decided to dramatically change the format of the podcast: this episode will be the last traditional Review the Future episode! We are taking this opportunity to reflect back on six years of podcasting and review ourselves. Which predictions seem more or less correct given the passage of time? When were […]