Stephen Talks

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My purpose is to offer my perspective on sci-fi and fantasy topics in such a way as to promote positive interactions, entertainment, and criticism.

Stephen Monteith


    • Feb 16, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 20m AVG DURATION
    • 235 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Stephen Talks

    ...About Donald Trump on Meta

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2023 8:24


    Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has lifted their ban on Donald Trump's accounts. We'll see how they handle his inevitable lies and incitements in the future.

    ...About Writing Mysteries

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 42:44


    Are you writing the kind of mystery you like to solve? Can you solve it the way it's written? If you can't, then I guarantee your readers won't be able to. In this episode, I talk about how to write good mysteries.

    ...About James Cameron's Avatar Franchise

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 27:14


    James Cameron has taken us to a new world, with new life and new civilizations. A lot of people around the world love the Avatar movies, but a lot of people have concerns about them. In this podcast, I talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly about Avatar.

    ...About the Role of Thanksgiving

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 14:22


    The more we learn about the true history of our nation and how it was formed, the more injustices we'll notice in the world today, and the more motivated we'll be to correct them. That's what I think the purpose of Thanksgiving should be.

    ...About Leaving Twitter

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2022 16:42


    Elon Musk's ostensible purpose in buying Twitter was to make it a "platform for free speech around the globe". It already was that. Now, it's just another free-for-all hellscape, and I want no part in it. You can find my other social media accounts at this link: https://stephens.website/stephen-lives/

    ...About Voter Turnout

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 10:50


    You may not think your vote makes much of a difference; but you're not alone. Voter turnout *always* makes a difference, and the 2020 and 2022 elections prove it.

    ...About Elaine Luria versus Jen Kiggans

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 14:40


    Whatever your politics or whatever issue is most important to you, Elaine Luria is objectively a better choice than Jen Kiggans for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, and I explain why in this podcast.

    ...About the Attack on Paul Pelosi

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2022 13:22


    This episode is not so much about the attack on Paul Pelosi, but rather the responses to the attack and what they tell us about the people responding.

    ...About the January 6th Committee's Final Hearing (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 28:18


    The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol held its tenth and potentially final hearing last week. Here is my recap and my thoughts on their findings and conclusions, and on its bearing on the upcoming midterm elections.

    ...About the January 6th Committee's Final Hearing (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 38:30


    The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol held its tenth and potentially final hearing last week. Here is my recap and my thoughts on their findings and conclusions.

    ...About the 2022 Midterm Elections

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2022 30:48


    Even when there isn't a president or a governor or a member of Congress on the ballot, every election matters, as does every vote.

    ...About House of the Dragon Episode 1x04

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 44:38


    This episode of the "Game of Thrones" spin-off "House of the Dragon" has made a lot of people uncomfortable (even though, as GOT fans, they *really* should be used to this kind of stuff by now). Content warning: I will be discussing sex, incest, and matters of consent in this episode.

    ...About Star Trek The Motion Picture

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 16:49


    The first Star Trek movie, released in 1979, has garnered a lot of criticism for its slow pacing and lack of action, especially compared to the next movie in the franchise, The Wrath of Khan. But does it deserve a reputation for being one of the "worst" movies in the franchise? I talk about why I think it's an underrated film in this episode.

    ...About the January 6th Committee Hearings, Part Two

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2022 39:01


    The Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol held two more public hearings in July. This is my summary of their findings.

    ...About the January 6th Committee Hearings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2022 37:59


    The House Committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 has begun to release its findings to the American people and to the world. Here is a brief recap of what we've learned so far. I don't care what political party you are. I don't care who you voted for. You have to know that this is important. You have to know what happened. And you have to know what needs to be done about it. Here is a link to the Committee's YouTube channel where you can watch the full hearings, both the ones that have already aired and the ones scheduled for the future: https://www.youtube.com/c/January6thCmte/videos

    ...About the 2nd Amendment

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 10:43


    If the Founders could see all the people, especially the children, who have died by gun violence, would they still have written the 2nd Amendment? My thoughts on the school shooting in Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on why we need gun control, and why the 2nd Amendment is not an absolute right.

    ...About Worldbuilding

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2022 21:53


    Worldbuilding is one of a writer's most important tasks. Whatever you write, whether it's regular fiction or science fiction, whether it's for books, movies, comics, television, or even video games, you need to build a strong foundation for it. You need to build a world for it.

    ...About Abortion

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022 23:07


    The United States Supreme Court is about to rule (again) on whether or not women have the right to an abortion. I talk here about who should have a say in that decision.

    ...About Maps, Prologues, and Epilogues

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2022 33:29


    Many writers debate the use and necessity of maps, prologues, and epilogues in fiction. These are just some of my thoughts on the subjects.

    ...About Autism Acceptance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 23:14


    April is Autism Acceptance Month. What's the difference between "acceptance" and "awareness", and why is it so important to people who are actually autistic?

    ...About Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 17:57


    Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. Is that really all there is to it? I talk about why I think there's a lot more.

    ...About "Wokeness" in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2022 19:39


    Star Trek as a franchise has always been "woke"; and with all the new series and episodes coming out (so to speak), it has the opportunity to boldly go where no series has gone before.

    ...About Taxes

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 17:29


    I've always been a writer, and a few years ago, I decided it was time to start acting like a professional one; and that meant paying taxes like one. You can find links to my ebooks on my website, http://stephens.website/, and you can contact me for inquiries about reviews at stephen@stephens.website.

    ...About the January 6th Attack

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2022 17:22


    So long as the people who planned and perpetrated this attack go free, and so long as there are those who seek to distort the facts about it, we'll never heal, and we'll never be united. That is why we can never forget January 6th.

    ...About Star Trek Discovery Season 4

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2021 24:28


    Star Trek Discovery just began its 4th season, and the demand for it is higher than ever. Unfortunately, the haters are louder than ever.

    ...About Gun Control

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2021 11:24


    Thousands of people are murdered with guns every year in the United States, including hundreds of mass shootings. We need meaningful gun control legislation at every level.

    ...About Getting the Vaccine

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2021 16:15


    I got the first shot of the Moderna vaccine today, and I talk here a little about that experience.

    ...About Restoring the SnyderVerse

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2021 25:50


    They've released the Snyder Cut. "Zack Snyder's Justice League" is now a bona fide worldwide phenomenon. What now?

    ...About How Zack Snyder's Justice League Is Different

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2021 16:34


    "Zack Snyder's Justice League" has finally been released, and it is a brand-new movie. I'm here to talk about what makes it different from the 2017 theatrical version.

    ...About WandaVision (Spoilers)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2021 21:38


    WandaVision is being hailed as a bold and experimental miniseries. But is it really that different from the rest of the MCU? I talk about the show itself and what I feel were its missed opportunities.

    ...About Cancel Culture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2021 11:38


    When racism and bigotry find their way into our entertainment, the least we can do is acknowledge and remove it.

    ...About Awards Shows

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2021 18:48


    Can you ever really call a movie the "best"? More importantly, *should* you?

    ...About My Podcast In 2021

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2021 7:53


    A lot of things have happened since my last podcast episode. Here, I talk about why I won't be talking about them, and what I *will* be talking about in the future.

    ...About Amy Coney Barrett

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 18:36


    I don't think Amy Coney Barrett should be on the Supreme Court, and here I talk about why.

    ...About Amy Coney Barrett

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 18:36


    I don't think Amy Coney Barrett should be on the Supreme Court, and here I talk about why.

    ...About Fear

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 16:52


    What's so great about being scared that we'll actually pay other people to scare us, that we'll build a holiday around it?

    ...About Fear

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 16:52


    What's so great about being scared that we'll actually pay other people to scare us, that we'll build a holiday around it?

    ...About Trump Having COVID-19

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2020 26:55


    Nothing about Trump having COVID-19 makes sense.

    ...About Trump Having COVID-19

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2020 26:55


    Nothing about Trump having COVID-19 makes sense.

    ...About the Future of Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 43:30


    We could have as many as five Star Trek series at the same time, not to mention the movies. Here's what I know about them and what I'd like to see.

    ...About the Future of Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 43:30


    We could have as many as five Star Trek series at the same time, not to mention the movies. Here's what I know about them and what I'd like to see.

    ...About Music and Pop Culture in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2020 22:38


    It's always important to pick the right music for your show or movie. The task is a bit harder when it's Star Trek.

    ...About Music and Pop Culture in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2020 22:38


    It's always important to pick the right music for your show or movie. The task is a bit harder when it's Star Trek.

    ...About Money in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2020 23:52


    What would it be like living in the world of Star Trek where you don't have to earn money to live? Would it really be a world without despair?

    ...About Money in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2020 23:52


    What would it be like living in the world of Star Trek where you don't have to earn money to live? Would it really be a world without despair?

    ...About Mature Content in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 40:28


    Swearing and sex and violence have always been part of Star Trek, and they always will be, whether we like it or not.

    ...About Mature Content in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 40:28


    Swearing and sex and violence have always been part of Star Trek, and they always will be, whether we like it or not.

    ...About Drugs in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2020 23:00


    You may think Star Trek has always taken a hard line against drugs of any kind, but the truth isn't that simple.

    ...About Drugs in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2020 23:00


    You may think Star Trek has always taken a hard line against drugs of any kind, but the truth isn't that simple.

    ...About Comedy in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2020 18:59


    "Lower Decks" is the first legitimate Star Trek comedy; but comedy has always been part of Star Trek.

    ...About Comedy in Star Trek

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2020 18:59


    "Lower Decks" is the first legitimate Star Trek comedy; but comedy has always been part of Star Trek.

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