Podcast appearances and mentions of Andy Weir

Amaze! Amaze! Mal and Jo hop aboard the Hail Mary and head to Tau Ceti to dive deep into ‘Project Hail Mary.' They talk about everything they loved about the movie and break down some of the adaptation choices from the book. Then they are joined by the author of ‘Project Hail Mary,' Andy Weir!(00:00) Intro(05:51) Opening Snapshot(26:01) Deep Dive(01:54:56) Andy Weir InterviewHosts: Joanna Robinson and Mallory RubinGuest: Andy WeirProducer: Carlos ChiribogaStudio Production: Chris ThomasSocial: Jomi AdeniranAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science fiction nerds, rejoice: the long-awaited adaptation of “Project Hail Mary” is in theaters now. Host Flora Lichtman chats with book author Andy Weir and astrobiologist Mike Wong about the film's aliens, and how they buck the trend of what extraterrestrials usually look like on screen. Guest: Andy Weir is the author of “Project Hail Mary” and “The Martian.” Dr. Mike Wong is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at Carnegie Science in Washington, D.C. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Sean and Amanda open the show by reacting to a ton of movie news, including the Oscar ratings being down 9 percent from last year, the new trailer for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' and Kirsten Dunst joining the cast of the upcoming ‘Minecraft Movie' sequel (1:22). Then, they cover the biggest movie event of 2026 so far: Phil Lord and Chris Miller's science fiction film ‘Project Hail Mary,' starring Ryan Gosling (31:57). They break down why the film's practicality is incredibly essential to its success and how the movie is beautiful in a way that mainstream Hollywood productions typically aren't. Finally, Sean is joined by Lord and Miller themselves to discuss why they felt Andy Weir's novel was the perfect source material for their next project and how the complicated process behind shooting space scenes was incredibly rewarding (1:08:19). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Phil Lord and Chris Miller Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the Personal Price Plan®️. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there®️. Drivers wanted. Learn more at https://vw.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andy Weir's first time at the Hollywood rodeo was a singular trip. His debut novel, “The Martian,” went from self-published project to blockbuster, best picture-nominated film starring Matt Damon. His third book, “Project Hail Mary,” was also a sensation, and its adaptation, starring Ryan Gosling as a middle school science teacher tasked with saving humanity from slow extinction, charts warmly familiar territory: a lone man, stuck in space far from Earth, solving science problem after science problem with many a humorous aside. Weir joined the Book Review's podcast and spoke to the host Gilbert Cruz about the similarities and differences between Mark Watney and Ryland Grace (the main characters of “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary”), his second novel “Artemis” and the alien character that readers have fallen in love with. We Want to Hear From You We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to thebookreview@nytimes.com. Credits “The Book Review Podcast” is hosted by Gilbert Cruz and produced by Sarah Diamond and Amy Pearl. The show is edited by Larissa Anderson and mixed by Pedro Rosado. Special thanks to MJ Franklin, Dahlia Haddad, and Paula Szuchman. Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Taylor Glascock for The New York Times Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

'The View' co-hosts and guest co-host Sara Eisen weigh in as National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is questioned by both Senate and House committees over whether Iran posed an “imminent threat,” focusing on what intelligence President Trump was given ahead of the decision to launch strikes. Plus, Ryan Gosling joins 'The View' alongside 'Project Hail Mary' directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller to take us behind the scenes of adapting Andy Weir's best‑selling novel into a cinematic spectacle — and explain why bringing the story to life became a true “project of a lifetime.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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He's the most expensive rescue mission in movie history — and he grew potatoes to survive. This week on Be Kind Rewind, Dave, Cody, and guest, Professor Paul Walcher revisit Ridley Scott's The Martian (2015), the survival epic that somehow won a Golden Globe for Best Comedy. We dig into what holds up (Matt Damon's career-best performance, that stacked cast, the gorgeous Mars shots), what doesn't (it might be too optimistic for 2026), and the incredible true story of how author Andy Weir went from posting free chapters on his blog to a $630 million Best Picture nominee. Plus: we Muppetize the movie, calculate how much the world has spent rescuing Matt Damon across his filmography (spoiler: nearly a trillion dollars), and Dave makes the case that Mars delivered the worst choke job in solar system history. Bonus: the guys break down Timothée Chalamet's ballet and opera comments, whether they cost him the Oscar, and another round of the Movie Game.https://linktr.ee/PopCulturePastorPod

Project Hail Mary Dion and Jill are the two team members who had braved the big dark scary abyss of space for our review of Project Hail Mary, so this one is very much a spoiler free look at the film and a whole bunch of “why you should definitely go see it!” Project Hail Mary is the new film based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir; the author of the other wildly popular space science romp, The Martian. In this new film Ryan Gosling is our resident space smart-guy (this Ken does Space) and the scale of the drama is galactically large! We also talk a bit about what else we have been watching including: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, Peaky Blinders: the Immortal Man the Firefly animated reboot And a bunch of other stuff too! We hope you enjoy it! Synopsis Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship with amnesia to discover he is on a last-chance, one-way mission to save humanity. He must stop a solar-dimming microbe, aided by an unexpected alliance with an alien named Rocky. https://youtu.be/3jdVYrEi1y4 A huge thank you to all you interstellar travellers listening to each episode of this show show light years later in the depths of cold dark space… While you prepare to save the universe or something. But also thank you, to those rocky aliens who can bend time and space, who do so to join in on the live-chat during the Twitch stream this week, and every week! If you haven't done so before join us next week for our live show! Special love and thanks goes to the true believers who financially bolstered this podcast via dropping some of their hard earned Xenon or other rare elements into our Ko-Fi cup and now also by subscribing on Twitch! Your generosity is always appreciated! You are keeping this podcast shooting for the stars! If you feel so inclined give us a sub! The more subs we get the more emotes, you get! Every bit of your support helps us to keep the show on the air! We do need your support and there are always bills to pay. Don't fret if you can't be there for the recording though as you can catch them on Youtube usually later that very night. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss them! https://youtu.be/m08TxIsFTRI?si=bnyn3KCChySfRcYe WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK! Send in voicemails or emails with your opinions on this show (or any others) to info@theperiodictableofawesome.com Please make sure to join our social networks too!  We're on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TPToA/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/TPToA Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeriodicTableOfAwesome Instagram: www.instagram.com/theperiodictableofawesome/

Tras cuatro años de pausa debido a su partida al servicio militar, BTS regresó a la escena musical con su nuevo álbum: “Arirang”.Nuevas actualizaciones de la guerra entre Estados Unidos, Israel e Irán: Alemania, Reino Unido, Francia, Italia, Japón y Países Bajos reconsideraron apoyar el tránsito en el estrecho de Ormuz. Además, el Pentágono solicitó 200,000 millones de dólares para financiar la guerra contra Irán. Liam Conejo Ramos, el niño ecuatoriano que vivió el endurecimiento de las políticas migratorias de Donald Trump, y su familia enfrentan el riesgo de una posible deportación. Esto como resultado de que un juez de inmigración negó el asilo a la familia.Kevin Spacey cerró un acuerdo extrajudicial con las tres personas que lo acusaban de acoso sexual en un tribunal civil en Londres. Los labubu tendrán su propia película. Los famosos juguetes de Pop Mart saltarán a la pantalla grande de la mano de Paul King, reconocido por su trabajo en “Paddington” y “Wonka”, lo que ha generado altas expectativas alrededor de la adaptación.Para el vaso medio lleno, un equipo internacional de científicos descubrió un exoplaneta que desafía las categorías tradicionales con las que la ciencia ha clasificado planetas de este estilo, hasta ahora. Recomendaciones del equipo de Te lo cuento para el fin de semana: La película de “Proyecto fin del mundo”, protagonizada por Ryan Gosling, que es una adaptación del libro de Andy Weir; “La oficina”, la adaptación mexicana de la serie “The Office”, en la que seguimos a los trabajadores de Jabones Olimpo; y “Arirang”, el nuevo álbum de BTS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have been asking us for a book to screen adaptation episode for FOREVER so we decided it was time to deliver. For this episode, we're talking about the adaptations that are coming out this year and a few that don't have a set date yet! Next week, we're going to talk about the adaptations that we've already seen and loved so make sure to listen to that one too! Don't forget to join us for our March Book Club, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir!!  Currently Reading: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 by Beth Brower Bluebird Gold by Devney Perry Daggermouth by HM Wolfe The Will of the Many by James Islington The Selection by Kiera Cass Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  

En nuestro episodio 385 Christal Risol y El Watcher conversan con sus invitadas especiales, las integrantes de "Book Lounge PR", sobre todo su contenido, el panel "Del Libro a la Pantalla: Las Mejores Adaptaciones a Cine y TV" que presentaran en la versión de este año del "Puerto Rico Comic Con" y su experiencia leyendo el libro "Project Hail Mary" (2021) escrito por Andy Weir y lo que esperan de su adaptación al cine protagonizada por Ryan Gosling.¡Se la diferencia en la vida de los niños de la Fundación de Niños de Puerto Rico! Aporta con tu donativo aquí: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/565130¡Disfruta de el contenido de "Book Lounge PR" aquí: https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepr¡Descubre la mejor manera de transmitir y grabar tu contenido! Comienza a usar "StreamYard" con nuestro "Referral Link" y obtén $10 de descuento: https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5302337768259584¡Prepárate para el panel "Del Libro a la Pantalla: Las Mejores Adaptaciones a Cine y TV" aquí: https://linktr.ee/DelLibroalaPantalla¡Descubre todo lo que encontrarás en la segunda edición de "The Dungeon Experience" en el "Puerto Rico Comic Con" aquí: https://linktr.ee/thedungeonexperience¡Subscríbete a nuestro canal de YouTube! Visita: https://www.youtube.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos y Suscríbete a nuestro canal de Twitch! Visita: https://www.twitch.tv/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Instagram! Visita: https://www.instagram.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Facebook! Visita: https://www.facebook.com/CulturaSecuencial

This week: Robbie is making progress with German and Lisa is late for work. We talk about our weeks, wonder what war is good for, and blind rank grandma hobbies. We also ask the age-old question, “Who Asked for This?”, set new weekly goals for Accountabilibuddies, answer AITA, and much more!Join us for book club; this month we're reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Find it on our book shop at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com.Instagram: @wearedoingfine

Leah, Melissa and Kate go on Corruption Watch to catch up on all the sketchy things happening in the judicial and executive branches. Then, they cover some recent oral arguments and opinions from The Court before bringing you a conversation from last week's live show in LA with Representative Jimmy Gomez of California's 34th Congressional District.Favorite things: Kate: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans; Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir; Vladimir on Netflix (adaptation of the book by Julia May Jonas) Leah: Kacey Musgraves, “Dry Spell”; Judge Young's opinion denying a stay of the remedies he ordered in response to the federal government's illegal targeting of students & noncitizens based on pro-Palestinian speech; Sonja Starr & Genevieve Lakier, The War on DEI as a Project of Constitutional Subversion Melissa: The Devil is Busy on HBO Max; Good Woman: A Reckoning by Savala Nolan; Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette on Hulu and Disney+ Preorder Melissa's book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Hail Mary, full of Gosling, the Lord and Miller is with thee. DJ and Roxy discuss the latest sci-fi epic from Andy Weir, adapted by Drew Goddard and the INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller, starring the always awesome Ryan Gosling! How does it stack against THE MARTIAN? Plus, THE BATMAN Part II details and Donald Glover is playing Yoshi?!Support!⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.allsorrows.com/store/p/danger-boi-the-antagonists-comic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://chuffed.org/project/167415-monarca-mn-rapid-response-line⁠⁠⁠⁠More DJ!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/djtalkstrash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More Roxy! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/roxystriar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music by: Steven James SchmidtFor exclusive bonus podcasts like What We're Into, Mutant Academy, and more, check out our Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/OnlyStupidAnswers

As protagonist Ryland Grace fights to save Earth - and possibly the universe - in Project Hail Mary, author Andy Weir discusses the science behind his sci-fi story and what it's like to see it adapted for the big screen. From a diversity of aliens thriving in extreme environments, to our sun's shortening lifespan, to the conundrum of keeping astronauts alive during intergalactic missions, we consider the possibility of science fiction becoming future reality. A NASA astrobiologist who consulted on the book weighs in on how Earthly creatures have inspired some of our favorite science fiction aliens. Plus, science fiction author Becky Chambers discusses how she balances science fact with fiction in her work. Guests: Andy Weir – science fiction writer, author of Project Hail Mary, The Martian, and Artemis Andy Fraknoi – professor of astronomy at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco Becky Chambers – science fiction writer, author of To Be Taught if Fortunate, the Wayfinders series, and the Monk and Robot novellas Shawn Domagal-Goldman – NASA acting director, astrophysics division  Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're talking about the first film based on the work of Andy Weir, and the second film about abandoning Matt Damon in space, it's The Martian. We're joined by guest Craig Fay (host of The Villain Was Right) to talk about the science of everything, using your box of spare cables, and the indomitable nature of the human spirit. This show is sponsored by Liquid I.V. Show up with better hydration and energy from Liquid I.V. Zero Sugar and Zero Crash. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to www.liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with code TFS at checkout. Host Andrew Ivimey will be performing in Moncton, NB April 22, 2026. Get tickets here: ivimeymoncton.eventbrite.ca

We're taking it easy as we head into this busy Oscar weekend at Breakfast All Day. Here's what we reviewed in our latest episode: PROJECT HAIL MARY. This is a super-early review of the Ryan Gosling-in-space comedy, which doesn't even come out until March 20. But there's so much expectation for it, we wanted to share our throughts as soon as we could. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller direct from a script by Drew Goddard, based on the Andy Weir novel. In theaters next weekend. IT'S DOROTHY! This documentary provides a fresh and clever perspective on the character of Dorothy Gale and the cultural significance of "The Wizard of Oz" in all its incarnations. Writer-director-editor Jeffrey McHale is a friend of ours (we interviewed him here about his "Showgirls" documentary with the brilliant title "You Don't Nomi"), so we didn't give this a number, but genuinely liked the movie so much that we wanted to tell you about it. Streaming on Peacock. MOVIE NEWS LIVE! Our last one before the Academy Awards. Lots to discuss including Timothée Chalamet angering the ballet and opera communities, a sequel for "KPop Demon Hunters," the George Michael "Faith Tour" movie, a Stewie spin-off from "Family Guy" and more. Join us on Fridays at Noon Pacific at our YouTube channel. A few things to put on your calendar: Join us Sunday for our LIVE Oscar Watch Party! We'll be at our channel starting at 330pm Pacific and we'll be hanging out for the whole show. This is always so much fun every year, so come and share your thoughts. Then come back Monday morning for our Oscars Reaction Live Chat! In case you can't make it Sunday night, or you just want to go over everything that happened, we'll be back at our channel at 9am Pacific.  And on Saturday, March 21, we're showing "After Hours" at the Gardena Cinema. If you've never seen this Martin Scorsese comedy classic and you're in the LA area, this is a great opportunity. Doors open at 6pm, we'll be there for a little meet and greet, and then the film will start at 7. Tickets are available here. Support your local arthouse theater!

Únete a nuestro canal y apoya a FUERA DE SERIES: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFNyyACx7XbgZ4-S4jzNnGQ/join En este episodio de Razones para Leer analizamos Proyecto Hail Mary, la novela de ciencia ficción de Andy Weir, autor de El marciano. Una historia de supervivencia espacial, misterio científico y optimismo que se ha convertido en uno de los mayores éxitos recientes del género. Además, el momento no podría ser mejor para leer este libro, porque este mes de marzo llega a los cines su adaptación cinematográfica, titulada Proyecto Salvación, protagonizada por Ryan Gosling en el papel de Ryland Grace y dirigida por Phil Lord y Christopher Miller. En esta reseña sin spoilers hablamos de:

Have you read "Project Hail Mary," by Andy Weir? No spoilers in this episode, as Beth reviews three of the main characters, and wonders how they will make the leap from page to the silver screen. Project Hail Mary on Amazon

"Project Hail Mary" is a 2026 American science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir. It stars Ryan Gosling (who also produced the film), Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub. The film follows Ryland Grace, a man who awakens on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he arrived there. Goddard was kind enough to spend half an hour (and with a cold, too) speaking with us about his work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters by Amazon MGM Studios on March 20th. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're stepping into the OASIS to talk about Ready Player One—a novel that turned video games, '80s pop culture, and virtual reality into a full-blown modern myth. Whether you see it as a love letter to geek culture, a warning about digital escapism, or a nostalgia-fueled scavenger hunt, Ready Player One left a lasting mark on how we think about gaming, identity, and the future of virtual worlds. Let's power up, log in, and see why this story still sparks conversation years after its release. (May contain some explicit language.) Patreon » patreon.com/genxgrownupDiscord » GenXGrownUp.com/discordFacebook » fb.me/GenXGrownUpTwitter » GenXGrownUp.com/twitterWebsite » GenXGrownUp.comPodcast » GenXGrownUp.com/podMerchandise » GenXGrownUp.com/merchTheme: “Grown Up” by Beefy » beefyness.com Apple » itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/genxgrownup-podcast/id1268365641CastBox » castbox.fm/channel/GenXGrownUp-Podcast-id2943471?country=usPocket Casts » pca.st/8iuLAudible » amz.run/6yhRTuneIn » tunein.com/radio/GenXGrownUp-Podcast-p1020342/Spotify » spoti.fi/2TB4LR7iHeart » www.iheart.com/podcast…Amazon Music » amzn.to/33IKfEK Show Notes 10 Things You Didn't Know » bit.ly/4sIld2l 11 Ready Player One Secrets We Learned From Ernest Cline » bit.ly/40k0bLg Interview: Ernest Cline – Lightspeed Magazine » bit.ly/3OZOarW Read the short story by Andy Weir » www.galactanet.com/oneoff/lacero.html Hidden Secrets in the Ready Player One Books » bit.ly/4unFprP Get the Book » amzn.to/3OZkhbf (affiliate) Email the show » podcast@genxgrownup.com Visit us on YouTube » GenXGrownUp.com/yt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

En nuestro episodio 384 Christal Risol y El Watcher recomiendan el libro "Project Hail Mary" (2021) escrito por Andy Weir, la película "Eternity" (2025) y el videojuego "Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition" (2026) en el segmento "Loot Semanal" y conversan sobre su experiencia terminando el videojuego "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" (2025), leyendo el libro "Operation Bounce House" (2026) escrito por Matt Dinniman y viendo los primeros episodios de la segunda temporada de "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" (2023) y brindan su "First Reaction" del el videojuego "Pokémon Pokopia" (2026) en el segmento "Wachin' con Wacho!".¡Se la diferencia en la vida de los niños de la Fundación de Niños de Puerto Rico! Aporta con tu donativo aquí: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/565130¡Descubre la mejor manera de transmitir y grabar tu contenido! Comienza a usar "StreamYard" con nuestro "Referral Link" y obtén $10 de descuento: https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5302337768259584¡Prepárate para el panel "Del Libro a la Pantalla: Las Mejores Adaptaciones a Cine y TV" aquí: https://linktr.ee/DelLibroalaPantalla¡Descubre todo lo que encontrarás en la segunda edición de "The Dungeon Experience" en el "Puerto Rico Comic Con" aquí: https://linktr.ee/thedungeonexperience¡Subscríbete a nuestro canal de YouTube! Visita: https://www.youtube.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos y Suscríbete a nuestro canal de Twitch! Visita: https://www.twitch.tv/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Instagram! Visita: https://www.instagram.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Facebook! Visita: https://www.facebook.com/CulturaSecuencial

Abu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Obssa complete their read-through of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Project Hail Mary⁠ by Andy Weir. They discuss the satisfying conclusion and break down Ryland Grace's character arc. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch the video version of this episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@loreparty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep up with this season's reading schedule: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Intro (03:05) Chapter Summaries (10:24) Our Impressions (23:33) Ryland Grace's Character Arc (26:55) The Philosophical Question of Grace's Amnesia (33:13) Are We All Capable of Bravery? (39:30) Our Final Ratings (41:40) Yes, We're Covering the Movie (42:10) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some exciting news—The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor's Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. On this week's episode of Kermode and Mayo's Take, Ryan Gosling is with us to talk about his new sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. From the challenge of bringing Andy Weir's beloved novel to the screen to the peculiar pressures of carrying a space-set survival story (often alone), Gosling reflects on the film's mix of brainy science, cosmic peril and unexpected heart. This week it's Mark he'll be chatting to, and they get deep on sci-fi gems from Silent Running to The Abyss—plus some behind the scenes gossip on Project Hail Mary's epic karaoke scene. Keep an ear out for Mark's review next week, and in the meantime there's a trio of new releases on this week's review slate. First up is Scarlet, a swashbuckling anime revenge drama based on the story of Hamlet. Then there's How To Make A Killing, a darkly comic crime caper starring Glen Powell, and loosely based on the Ealing Comedy classic Kind Hearts and Coronets. And finally, One Last Deal—where a sports agent (played by he who shall not be named) battles to land a big contract and save his career. In Mark's eyes though, the lead actor's career is way beyond saving. Rant on the horizon, folks! We'll also be shouting out our favourite women directors for this Women's History Month; Plus all the usual Take treats: the box office top 10, a Laughter Lift that may (or may not) restore your faith in humanity, and your ever-splendid correspondence. Thanks for listening! Timecodes: 00:00:00 Show starts 00:11:51 Scarlet review 00:19:01 Box Office Top 10 00:39:08 Ryan Gosling interview 00:51:28 How To Make A Killing review 00:57:36 Laughter Lift 01:02:08 One Last Deal review You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey

SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON for ad free and video eps, bonus eps, & more.DiscordInstagramMERCH!TEEN CREEPS IS AN INDEPENDENT PODCAST.*All creepy opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests.KELLY WROTE A BOOK! Order THE LATCHKEY TWINS Case No. 46: The Twins Solve a Murder here!Help us out by taking an ads survey! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We read. You watch.  Today, Magda and Lindsay are talking all about Andy Weir's “Project Hail Mary” in anticipation of the movie, releasing on March 20th.  Now, even though they've spent every day since finishing it talking to everyone they know, and even some they don't know about how amazing it is, they realize that it may have been a while since some of you have read it. Don't worry, our girls got you. They'll discuss the things you need to remember from the book and all the things they're dying to see in the movie. #projecthailmary #projecthailmarymovie #andyweir #bookadaptations #bookrecs    Books mentioned in the episode: “Boom Town“ by Nic Stone “So Old, So Young“ by Grant Ginder “The Correspondent“ by Virginia Evans “Project Hail Mary“ by Andy Weir “The Martian“ by Andy Weir “Emma of 83rd Street“ by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding “Elizabeth of East Hampton“ by Audrey Bellezza “Beach Read“ by Emily Henry “People We Meet on Vacation“ by Emily Henry “The Women“ by Kristin Hannah “The Great Alone“ by Kristin Hannah “Atmosphere“ by Taylor Jenkins Reid “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo“ by Taylor Jenkins Reid “Sky Full of Elephants“ by Cebo Campbell “Listen for the Lie“ by Amy Tintera “Bride“ by Ali Hazelwood “Dungeon Crawler Carl“ by Matt Dinniman   Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

With 30+ minutes of bonus footage, this one is ad free and uncut, only for our patrons. Thank you for supporting our independent channel. Logan, Scotty, and Sam dive into the highly anticipated 2026 film adaptation of Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. Starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the movie clocks in at a hefty 2 hours and 36 minutes. We talk about our early screening theater experience, why the marketing team spoiled way too much in the trailer, and how perfectly the filmmakers brought this story to life. Stick around for our spoiler-free takes up front, followed by a massive deep dive into the plot, the Astrophage, and our final ratings. Chapters (with SPOILERS): 00:00:15 - Intro and our first Sunday morning podcast ever 00:02:27 - Early screening theater issues and projectionist delays 00:07:34 - Cast details, crew, and the 2 hour 36 minute runtime 00:12:16 - Pre-spoiler warning: Avoid the movie trailer! 00:15:45 - Spoiler Alert! Diving into the plot 00:18:39 - Ryland Grace's amnesia and high school flashbacks 00:23:06 - Discovering Astrophage and the dying sun 00:30:40 - The massive alien ship and meeting Rocky 00:41:38 - The big reveal: Grace was forced onto the mission 00:54:04 - Final ratings and why it's a perfect adaptation Subscribe and Support at www.mostlysuperheroes.com ©2026 Carrogan Studios

On today's edition of the podcast Michael gives his non-spoiler review of the new film Project Hail Mary based off Andy Weir's book of the same name. Find out why Michael felt that Phil Lord and Chris Miller's film captures what made the book so special, Ryan Gosling tremendous turn as Ryland Grace, the unique way the film was shot, future Andy Weir adaptations, and more! Plus, the guys discuss The Bride's opening weekend struggles and that fantastic first trailer for Lanterns. When they said it was True Detective inspired they really meant it. Rate, review, like, and/or subscribe to Comicast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Goodpods, Podcast Addicts, or wherever you get your podcasts!  Feedback, questions, or topic ideas for the show? Email us at comicastpod@gmail.com 

Join us this week as we discuss The War, how to pronounce Chile, and Robbie gets a bit too excited about crisps/chips. We also ask the age-old question, “Who Asked for This?”, decide that last weeks don't matter but recommit to next week, answer AITA, and much more!Join us for book club; this month we're reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Find it on our book shop at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com.Instagram: @wearedoingfine

This is our spoiler-free review of Project Hail Mary. Join us as we explore this new adaptation of Andy Weir's hit novel and discuss why it might just be one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. From stunning visuals that capture the vastness of space to a narrative that cleverly intertwines past and present, the film does full justice to its source material. We dive into how the story balances humour, tension, and the sheer awe of the universe. Project Hail Mary is in Theatres & IMAX March 20 Check out Geekcentric onYouTube | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokJoin the Geekcentric Discord HEREFollow Eatcentric - Same geeks. New Eats

In this Project Hail Mary movie review, we break down the new Ryan Gosling sci-fi movie and whether this highly anticipated 2026 science fiction film lives up to the hype. Based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship and must uncover a mission to save Earth from extinction. The film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and is one of the most anticipated science fiction releases of 2026.Follow us on all our socials! linktr.ee/overunderpodSupport the podcast on Patreon! patreon.com/overunderpodJoin our Discord server! discord.gg/Zqev7jEnXzBusiness Inquiries: overunderpodcastshow@gmail.comGrow your YouTube channel w/ VidIQ!vidiq.com/r?code=9cFKKLPodcast Hosts: Dylan DeAngelis and Jason GongIntro/Outro Music: Leva - The Vortex (Instrumental Version)Socials ---> https://linktr.ee/overunderpod

Blasting into theaters Friday, March 20, Ryan Gosling tries to save the world inPROJECT HAIL MARY156 Minutes, Rated PG-13Written by Drew Goddard, Andy WeirDirected by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller Synopsis:Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.We were definitely fans of the first adaptation of an Andy Weir novel: THE MARTIAN, so this one should be a no-brainer, right?~~~~~You can read more reviews and opinions on our website: https://VSMoviePodcast.com.Please LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW us on:Facebook (@vsmoviepodcast) (https://facebook.com/vsmoviepodcast)X (@vsmoviepodcast) (https://x.com/vsmoviepodcast)Instagram (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast) (https://instagram.com/visuallystunningmoviepodcast)Threads (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast) (https://threads.net/@visuallystunningmoviepodcast)BlueSky (@vsmoviepodcast.bsky.social) (https://bsky.app/profile/vsmoviepodcast.bsky.social)YouTube (@visuallystunningmoviepodcast) (https://youtube.com/visuallystunningmoviepodcast)Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our audio wherever you listen to podcasts (https://shows.acast.com/vsmoviepodcast).And please, if you like what we do, consider helping us keep on entertaining you. Find out how on our Contact/Support page (https://VSMoviePodcast.com/Contact-VSMP/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Slanted Attic Experience: Episode 56 "Adam" Football, Fantasy, and a Galaxy Far, Far AwayTyler welcomes back Adam for his second solo episode and third appearance overall, and this one does not disappoint. A Central Virginia native, newlywed, and self-proclaimed football devotee with a fantasy record that somehow still trails his wife's, Adam brings the kind of energy that makes an hour feel like ten minutes.The guys kick things off breaking down NFL Week 3, the biggest storylines of the season, and where the Cowboys and Steelers stand heading forward. Fantasy football takes center stage with injury updates, armchair GM takes, and a deep dive into just how brutally hard it actually is to coach in the NFL. The Micah Parsons trade drama gets its full breakdown from a Cowboys fan's perspective before the conversation shifts to team chemistry, the Eagles' cohesion from last season, and the ongoing debate around running back contracts. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers get their moment, the Chiefs dynasty comes under scrutiny, and Pittsburgh's defense raises the question everyone is asking: is it a scheme problem?From there, Tyler and Adam pivot to the studio, teasing the upcoming Maul show dropping in 2026 and sparking a full Star Wars power level debate. The conversation expands into other fantasy universes, Andy Weir's work, war films and shows, Eragon and the world of fantasy novels, and a Slanted Attic Book Club segment before landing on the Dune films. Things close out naturally, until the recording limit has other plans.Guest Panel:Adam: Born and raised in Central Virginia and freshly married to his best friend and partner of five years, Adam is living his best life, even if his fantasy football team is not quite keeping up with his wife's. A Cowboys and NFL loyalist who has devoted perhaps too many hours to Matthew Berry and Field Yates, Adam brings warmth, humor, and a refreshingly honest perspective on sports, life, and everything in between. The silver lining of losing in fantasy? When she wins, so does he.Topics Covered:NFL Week 3 wrap-up Season storylines so far Cowboys and Steelers outlooks Fantasy football check-in Player injuries Armchair GM and the reality of head coaching The Micah Parsons trade drama , A Cowboys fan's perspective Team vs. individual players and the Eagles' cohesion RB contracts and current top earners Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers Is the Chiefs dynasty over? Pittsburgh's defense: scheme issue? The studio and the new Maul show in 2026 Star Wars power level debate Other fantasy universes Andy Weir the author War shows and movies Eragon and fantasy novels The Slanted Attic Book Club The Dune movies Outro (cut short by the recording limit)New episodes of The Slanted Attic Experience drop bi-weekly at 10:30 AM EST, with the occasional surprise episode thrown in. Find everything Slanted Attic at slantedattic.com

In this episode of Book Overflow, Carter and Nathan take a break from their usual discussion of technical books and review Project Hail Mary by (former software engineer) Andy Weir!Join the Book Overflow Discord here! https://discord.gg/ZwS2fqW7ZZ -- Want to talk with Carter or Nathan? Book a coaching session! ------------------------------------------------------------Carterhttps://www.joinleland.com/coach/carter-m-1Nathanhttps://www.joinleland.com/coach/nathan-t-2-- Books Mentioned in this Episode --Note: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.----------------------------------------------------------Frictionless by Nicole Forsgren and Abi Nodahttps://amzn.to/40l1Pfw------Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kj6DLCEWR5nHShlSYJI5LApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-overflow/id1745257325X: https://x.com/bookoverflowpodCarter on X: https://x.com/cartermorganNathan's Functionally Imperative: www.functionallyimperative.com----------------Book Overflow is a podcast for software engineers, by software engineers dedicated to improving our craft by reading the best technical books in the world. Join Carter Morgan and Nathan Toups as they read and discuss a new technical book each week!The full book schedule and links to every major podcast player can be found at https://www.bookoverflow.io

PROBING THE MINDS BEHIND PROJECT HAIL MARY!! Coy Jandreau of sits down with the creative team behind the new sci-fi odyssey “Project Hail Mary,” in theatres March 20th, adapted from Andy Weir's bestselling novel. Known for his hard-science storytelling in The Martian, Weir's story follows Ryland Grace — a lone astronaut tasked with saving Earth from an extinction-level cosmic threat — who forms an unexpected bond with an alien ally while racing to solve a universe-spanning mystery. Coy speaks with directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 21 Jump Street) about the challenge of bringing the film's unusual friendship between Ryland Grace and the alien Rocky to life, including the use of puppetry and performance to create an emotional connection with a character who speaks in musical tones. The interview also features screenwriter Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Martian adaptation) discussing the six-year process of adapting the novel's massive scale and emotional core for the screen. Author Andy Weir shares insight into the optimistic philosophy behind his sci-fi writing and how seeing his creations realized onscreen — including the alien Rocky — became “retroactively canon” once the film's designs were brought to life. The conversation also includes stars Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Blade Runner 2049, Barbie) and Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest), who discuss building the film's human relationships and themes of resilience, discovery, and what humanity is capable of when faced with the impossible. From ambitious sci-fi spectacle to deeply personal storytelling, Project Hail Mary aims to blend the wonder of classic space epics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar, and Gravity with a heartfelt story about friendship, survival, and humanity's ability to solve impossible problems together. Follow Coy Jandreau:  Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coyjandreau?l... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coyjandreau/?hl=en Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CoyJandreau YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYH2szDTuU9ImFZ9gBRH8w Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send a textIn this episode of Cinemondo Podcast, we break down the first trailer for Project Hail Mary, the highly anticipated sci-fi adaptation of the bestselling novel by Andy Weir (author of The Martian).Is this the next great space epic? The trailer teases mystery, isolation, humor, and massive stakes as Gosling's Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory — and possibly the fate of humanity in his hands. We dive into the tone, visuals, production design, emotional beats, and that surprise alien element that could make this something truly special.Support the show

En nuestro episodio 383 Gabriel y El Watcher brindan su "First Reaction" de la película "Project Hail Mary" (2026) basada en el libro escrito por Andy Weir y conversan sobre la noticia de que "Netflix" se retiró de la adquisición de "Warner Bros. Discovery" tras la elevada oferta de "Paramount/Skydance" y su experiencia viendo "Scream 7" (2026) y participando en el "Pre-Release Event" de "MTGxTMNT en el segmento "Wachin' con Wacho!", dialogan sobre los ganadores de la versión 32 de los "Actor Awards" en el segmento "Awards Spotlight" y conversan sobre todo lo relacionada a la primera temporada de "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" (2026).¡Se la diferencia en la vida de los niños de la Fundación de Niños de Puerto Rico! Aporta con tu donativo aquí: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/565130¡Descubre la mejor manera de transmitir y grabar tu contenido! Comienza a usar "StreamYard" con nuestro "Referral Link" y obtén $10 de descuento: https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5302337768259584¡Descubre todo lo que encontrarás en la segunda edición de "The Dungeon Experience" en el "Puerto Rico Comic Con" aquí: https://linktr.ee/thedungeonexperience¡Subscríbete a nuestro canal de YouTube! Visita: https://www.youtube.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos y Suscríbete a nuestro canal de Twitch! Visita: https://www.twitch.tv/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Instagram! Visita: https://www.instagram.com/culturasecuencial¡Síguenos en Facebook! Visita: https://www.facebook.com/CulturaSecuencial

Here are some quick spoiler-free thoughts on 'Project Hail Mary' the new movie from directors Phil Lord and Christopher, starring Ryan Gosling and based on the novel by Andy Weir.

Space is a dangerous place. Even recently we learned that the entire Artemis program has been rebooted, adding more rockets and risks! In other worlds and other galaxies, “space” is full of human life, music, adventure, romance, and fantastical new worlds. Just in time for Firebreak, book 1 of the Firebird Interlude Trilogy, we're joined by longtime science fiction novelist Kathy Tyers to explore how the best space operas sing through this teeming expanse. Episode sponsors Firebreak by Kathy Tyers Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo The Hole-Man by Dan Dietz The Lorehaven Authorship Mission update New at Lorehaven: Andromache review, weekly reviews Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild You'll get notified of monthly events, like last week's livestream. Backstory: Kathy (Tyers) Gillin Kathy Tyers sold her first novel, Firebird, to Bantam Spectra in 1986. Since its initial 1987 publication, it has been rereleased by Bethany House Publishers, Marcher Lord Press, and Enclave Publishing, and was followed by further Firebird-universe novels Fusion Fire and Crown of Fire. Kathy finished the Firebird series in 2011 and 2012 with Wind and Shadow and the messiah tale Daystar. Enclave Publishing has also re-released her early novels One Mind's Eye, Shivering World (Christy Award winner, 2019), and Crystal Witness. Now she's returning to the Firebird whorl for a new series of novels. The Firebird Interlude trilogy begins March 10 with the release of Firebreak. Kathy is also known for her Star Wars Expanded Universe novels—The Truce at Bakura and New Jedi Order: Balance Point. She lives in Montana with her husband William T. Gillin. KathyTyers.com on Facebook 1. What are the origin stories of space opera? 1818: Mary Shelley's first sci-fi-ish/horror novel Frankenstein 1830: British author Percy Greg's poetical Across the Zodiac Late 19th century: the prolific Jules Verne, across Earth and space Late 19th/early 20th century: H. G. Wells brings the humanism Early 20th century: Edgar Rice Burroughs shares pulp adventure Other written tales and film serials helped create early space opera This tradition focused not just on big ideas, but big human stories Without these tales, we might not have stories like Star Wars And that's one way that today's guest learned she liked sci-fi 2. Why do today's fans love space opera? Kathy Tyers has written harder science fiction, like Shivering World. Spaceships are cool, but many fans like human drama even more. For example, the Firebird Series is set in a far future galactic Whorl. Readers resonate with Lady Firebird and her husband Brennan. This, by the way, marks a rare example of married-couple heroes. Similarly, Star Wars has spaceships, but focuses on human heroes. Christians also see cool ideas and tech as means to human ends. Without our humanity, we become “minds of metal and wheels.” Even the best Star Trek episodes well understood this reality. 3. What might be the future of space opera? More about the Firebird Interlude series—titles, dates, speculation. Coming this June, Kathy Tyers gives a keynote at Realm Makers. Meanwhile, we may expect to March onward into big space opera. Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir's novel, gets early plaudits. Next up, actor Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy's Starfighter movie (set in the Star Wars universe) is receiving a new hope from fans. People do want futuristic, human-centric science-accented drama. And yet Christians see this not as simply “hope in the human spirit” but hope of redemption, for grace-filled humans and a future age. Com station Top question for listeners What space opera stories help you sing in joyful gratitude? Next on Fantastical Truth Kaizoku ou ni ore wa naru! Today around the world, millions of fans who love Japan's hit manga/anime series, One Piece, are rejoicing. First, because after 1,170+ chapters and nearly 30 years since 1997, creator Eiichiro Oda's pirates-with-powers story is sailing toward its final arcs. Second, because the popular anime is following soon after, breaking hiatus to resume in April. And third, because on March 10, Netflix is christening the One Piece live-action series Season 2, after 2023's Season 1 flagrantly and happily broke the “anime to live-action curse.” Why do fans (like Stephen himself) love these comical, earnest adventures of Captain Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates?

This week: Robbie's mum came to the rescue and Lisa is fresh off holiday. We talk about our weeks, review the news spiral that is ruining our lives, and blind rank winter sports. We also ask the age-old question, “Who Asked for This?”, set new weekly goals for Accountabilibuddies, answer AITA, and much more!Join us for book club; this month we're reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Find it on our book shop at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com.Instagram: @wearedoingfine

What a month of February in the world of sports, as countries converged to Italy for the Winter Olympics to compete for medals, use up all of the condoms, and try to say they are better than the other in a high-stakes, high-energy environment. Bryan and Mario have fun thinking back to the best, worst, and most WTF moments of the games!America owns women's figure skating, a Norwegian skier wins gold in every race he entered, while a teammate let the world know of his infidelity. A Slovakian fugitive was caught, an American skiing legend suffers a gruesome injury, Canada cheats in curling (allegedly), and a cute dog gets involved in the action. USA Hockey gave their fierce rivals Canada two massive L's in the gold medal games, with the guys and gals saying kilometers aren't better than miles. But many in the country are now saying the guys are traitors for visiting the White House? Is that warranted?On the movie entertainment side, Project Hail Mary is shaping to be quite the hit, as early reviewers are hailing it as an amazing adaption of the Andy Weir novel. The guys get geeked for the film by thinking of the best sci-fi movies of all time and ranking them on a totally legit and valid tier list. Right answers only.It's an episode of debates, gasps, forehead slaps, and a whole lot of hype and anticipation.

Welcome back to The Kristian Harloff Show – your daily source for the biggest movie news, box office updates, and breaking Hollywood stories! Today we're diving deep into the massive industry shake-up as Netflix officially backs out of the Warner Bros. Discovery bid, leaving Paramount now set to win. What does this mean for Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, DC Studios, and the future of streaming? We break down the latest reports on Paramount's plans for Warner Bros. Discovery, including potential changes to HBO Max, the integration of AI production tools, and what this could mean for DC Studios moving forward. Is this a game-changer for the DCU under James Gunn? How does this reshape the streaming wars between Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros.? Plus, Phil Lord & Chris Miller address the ongoing delays for the third Spider-Verse film. What's happening with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and when can fans realistically expect Miles Morales to return? And in box office news, Project Hail Mary is targeting a $50 million debut. Can the adaptation of Andy Weir's novel become the next big sci-fi hit? If you love movie news, DC updates, Marvel talk, box office breakdowns, and honest analysis, you're in the right place. Make sure to subscribe and join the conversation! SPONSOR: BUTCHER BOX: As an exclusive offer, new listeners can get their choice between organic ground beef, chicken breast or ground turkey in every box for a year, PLUS $20 off when you go to http://www.butcherbox.com/kristian  

Abu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Obssa begin their read-through of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. They discuss the tropes and science the book leans in to, and why it's not working for them. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch the video version of this episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@loreparty⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep up with this season's reading schedule: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Intro (03:52) Chapter Summaries (20:38) Our Impressions (25:02) The Audiobook is Incredible (27:52) Why Abu Dislikes This Book (37:25) Andy Weir's Career (42:43) Writing Project Hail Mary (46:20) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're diving into Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and its film adaptation. Kyleigh completely fell in love with the novel, while Hannah and Micaela admired its depth and intensity, even if it didn't quite make their favorites list. We unpack our very different reading experiences, share all our thoughts on the movie (which we surprisingly loved!), and chat about book-to-film adaptations in general—what works, what doesn't, and why some stories translate better to the screen than others. It's moody, dramatic, and full of opinions. Just the way we like it. We'll be reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in the month of February! Grab your copy today! If you aren't already, come hang out with us on Instagram!  Currently Reading:  Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home by Jessa Hastings Tea With Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn  

We've got 15 books and series here, so there should be something to love for almost every reader (although we need some traditional fantasy page turners – send us some recommendations in the comments please)! Plus, at the end of the episode we each rank our personal top 3. We intentionally excluded YA and military sci-fi books, although those are often also page-turners - look out for episodes about each of those soon! Brent's brother, Alex, joined us for this episode, and brought us a whole new batch of books (and frankly a couple new subgenres) to enjoy. LitRPG / progression fantasy just keep getting more popular, and we can see why – the books we've picked up have all been so, so fun to read (although it probably helps we've been reading Alex's recommendations so far, the best of the best from the hundreds of LitRPG books he's read). No spoilers anywhere in this episode. Join the Hugonauts book club on discord Or you can watch our episodes on YouTube if you prefer video This episode is sponsored by Quinto's Challenge by Peter McChesney All the books we recommend, plus timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:48 Sponsor – Quinto's Challenge by Peter McChesney 03:26 Silo by Hugh Howey 5:06 Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic 7:19 Murderbot by Martha Wells 9:10 Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer 12:26 Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 14:49 Mark of the Fool by J.M. Clarke 18:18 Project Hail Mary and The Martian by Andy Weir 19:40 Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor 22:33 Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 24:04 He Who Fights With Monsters by Shirtaloon 28:47 Daemon by Daniel Suarez 31:07 The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand 33:39 The Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor 36:24 Eight by Samer Rabadi 38:37 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 46:18 Rankings: Top 3 page turners

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: A new bookish metaphor and book moms in the wild Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: Explaining a Currently Reading literary society Before We Go: our new segment featuring bookish friend posts and a sleeper hit you should read. Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . . 1:44 - Bookish Moments of the Week 1:52 - Currently Reading Website 1:56 - Books We Want To Press Into Your Hands 3:03 - Best Books for Babies and Kids 3:42 - Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 5:55 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max 7:12 - Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 7:16 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin (all 3 Dunk and Egg novellas) 7:55 - Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid 8:33 - Current Reads 8:41 - The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Kaytee) 11:47 - The Book Wanderers by Anna James 11:50 - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 11:54 - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 13:08 - Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Meredith) 15:10 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 15:11 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 15:45 - Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 22:27 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 24:10 - Six Feet Over by Mary Roach (Kaytee) 27:20 - Gulp by Mary Roach 27:21 - Bonk by Mary Roach 27:22 - Stiff by Mary Roach 28:51 - Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (Meredith) 32:06 - Agatha Christie's Marple by Mark Aldridge 34:18 - The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden (Kaytee) 34:33 - Charter Books 39:00 - Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Meredith) 42:28 - Dracula by Bram Stoker 45:21 - Turning Instagram into Bookstagram 47:25 - Sign up for the newsletter on our website 47:26 - Currently Reading Substack 50:48 - Currently Reading Instagram 50:54 - @HelloSunshine on Instagram 50:58 - @BookRiot on Instagram  51:00 - @NYTBooks on Instagram 51:40 - @Iamblackharry on Instagram 52:10 - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 52:28 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 52:42 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower 53:42 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 53:48 - God of the Woods by Liz Moore 54:03 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 56:13 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 58:44 - Before We Go Meredith highlights a bookish friend post 59:34 - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver 59:54 - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Kaytee's Book She DNF'd: 1:01:22 - The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor 1:01:28 - Bookshelf Thomasville 1:02:57 - From the Front Porch podcast Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February's list is a special romance curated list from Open Door Romance, The Novel Neighbor's Romance adjacent bookstore in Plainville, MA. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads | Substack | Youtube The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Send a textEpisode 597"Project: Hail Mary and The Martian"Author: Andy WeirAndy and I take questions from some awesome Reddit users, examine the Martian, Project: Hail Mary and talk about beingGen X Dads and much, much more.Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.Andy's newest film, "Project Hail Mary" drops in March.Awesome dude. I like him alot.Welcome, Andy Weir.#andyweir #themartian #projecthailmary #scifi #sciencefiction #outerspace #author #ryangosling #mattdamon #sdcc #martian #scififantasy #podcast #fatherhood #father #parenting #parent #generationx #genx #writers #screenwriter #theshawshankredemption #shawshankredemption #storytelling #storyteller #woodworking Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mondaymorningcritic/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darektorscutTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mondaymorningcriticdarektorscut@gmail.comdarektorscut.comSupport the show

Og hvad hvis historien primært bliver fortalt af rumskibets AI – en ældre model der konstant bekymrer sig om sin “efficiency percentage” og ikke rigtig forstår mennesker? Det er præmissen i Barbara Trueloves Of Monsters and Mainframes, en science fiction-gyser der blander klassiske monstre med AI-humor og en god portion intertekstuelle referencer. Om Barbara Truelove Barbara Truelove er australsk forfatter og game designer, og hun har åbenlyst en ting med varulve. Hendes første roman Crying Wolf (2021) handlede om tvillinger der opdager de er varulve. I 2023 lavede hun det interaktive tekstspil Blood Moon, hvor plotlinjen er: “Du er en varulv.” Og så kom Of Monsters and Mainframes i 2025. Hun fortæller selv at inspirationen kom fra at læse Bram Stokers Dracula og Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries samtidigt. Men sandheden er mere rodet end det: “Dracula er en del af blandingen, ja, og det samme er Murderbot, men det samme er Universal Monsters, autopiloten i en Airbus, R2D2, min erfaring med at programmere interaktive spil og (måske mest af alt) mit liv i 2022.” Bogen blev nomineret til Goodreads Choice Award i kategorien Science Fiction og har over 9.000 ratings med gennemsnit på 4,09. Demeter – rumfærgen der ikke forstår mennesker Vores “hovedperson” er Demeter. Demeter er ikke en alvidende HAL-AI. Hun er primært bygget til at styre rumfærgen sikkert mellem stjernerne. Hun kan navigere uden om kometer og håndtere tekniske kriser. Men mennesker? Det er en helt anden sag. Når varulv-angrebet rammer og børnene Agnus og Isaac flygter op på broen efter deres bedstemor har forvandlet sig, går kommunikationen ikke så godt. “It’s just a dumb AI, Isaac,” siger Agnus. Demeter reagerer prompte: “I am not lacking intelligence. You are using words marked as moderately offensive. This is antisocial behavior.” Børnene bliver stille. “I am Demeter. I am the ship. I am your friend. Report your injuries.” De begynder at lave lyde i lavt volumen. Demeters systemer kan ikke oversætte det. “How’s it going?” spørger Steward, den medicinske AI. “I wish I could lie,” svarer Demeter. “Humans are hard.” Det er denne kamp med at forstå mennesker – og begrænsningerne i hendes algoritmer – der gør Demeter interessant. Hun er dybt inkompetent til menneskelig interaktion, og det meste af tiden prøver hun bare at undgå at forholde sig til sine passagerer. Bedstemoderen med de store tænder Et af bogens bedre øjeblikke er varulv-scenen. Børnenes bedstemor forvandler sig ved et uheld, og pludselig står Demeter i en desperat kamp for at redde Agnus og Isaac. Hun får varulven lokket ind i en luftsluse. Men så forvandler den sig tilbage til bedstemor – desperat, menneskelig, helt forsvarsløs. Demeter er bundet af den første robotlov (Asimov): ingen AI må skade et menneske. Men der er et kort øjeblik hvor bedstemoderen bliver til skygge – i overgangen mellem former. I præcis det øjeblik reagerer Demeter prompte og åbner luftslussen. Bogen lader det ligge i det uvisse om bedstemoderen selv også trykker på knappen. Det er et af de øjeblikke hvor Demeter teknisk set handler inden for sine regler – men samtidig… ja, du ved. Steward overtager – og tror det er nemt Da Demeter er lukket ned, og rumfærgen skal tilbage til Jorden, bliver opgaver overladt til Steward. Den medicinske AI beslutter sig for at overtage styringen af rumskibet. Hvor svært kan det være? “You know what? Being an autopilot isn’t all that hard. I don’t know why Demeter seemed so stressed all the time. It’s day one of our journey, and we haven’t crashed yet.” Der var dog en lille bump ved afgang. Men det var ikke Stewards skyld. Dokken bevægede sig. I hvert fald tror Steward det. “I don’t exactly speak exterior sensor. They seem very alarmed all the time, constantly screaming in a strange, disjointed dialect of JavaScript.” Stewards plan? “Embrace my managerial role and endeavor to do as little as possible. The subsystems will sort it out.” Det er morsomt at følge Stewards overmodige forsøg på at være kaptajn. Som de fleste læger tror Steward de kan lidt af det hele. En leg med referencer – men måske for fragmenteret Barbara Truelove har åbenlyst haft det superhyggeligt med at skrive den her bog. Hun fortæller selv at reglerne var: smid et monster ombord, prøv at få så mange jokes og referencer til monsterets populærkulturelle historie ind som muligt, og tænk over hvordan det ville fungere i rummet. Der er masser af sjove detaljer. Skibet der transporterer Dracula til London i Bram Stokers bog hedder også Demeter. Wilhelmina Murray er Jonathan Harkers forlovede i Dracula. I bogens fem dele er der binær kode der oversættes til små jokes som “Artificial is the best kind of intelligent” og “I have never seen electric sheep.” Det er meget hyggeligt. Men det er også lidt som om bogen ikke helt selv ved hvor den er på vej hen. Anders beskriver det som om Barbara har skrevet 121 scener med monstre og rum-AI, blandet kortene, og så forsøgt at strikke en rød tråd på den måde stykkerne landede. Den fornemmelse er der lidt af. Action-scenerne er heller ikke bogens styrke. De er lidt svære at følge med i – hvem gør hvad, hvornår, hvorhenne og hvorfor. Det føles som dårlige Marvel-action-scener, hvor man mister fornemmelsen af, hvad der foregår. Det fede – og det mindre fede Det fede ved bogen er AI’erne og deres interne dynamikker. Demeter og Steward der slås om hvem der er klogere. Steward der er træt af at blive slukket midt i sætninger med “priority override.” Den scene hvor Agnus kommer tilbage efter 15 år på Jorden og skal rejse med Demeter igen? Rørende. Skibet er blevet totalt refurbished, og Agnus genkender først slet ikke Demeter. Det øjeblik hvor hun skraber overfladen af og finder sin barndoms AI-mor – det er faktisk ret godt. Men karaktererne er lidt flade. Selv Agnus, som er tættest på en hovedperson, er lidt bleg. Og monstrene? De er sjove nok som pop-kultur-jokes, men ikke særlig interessante som karakterer. Det er underholdning så længe det varer – fed til en togtur – men ikke en der skal læses igen. Vurderingen Jens: ⭐⭐⭐ (tre stjerner). “Jeg synes jeg var godt underholdt. Det var et sjovt take, og jeg hyggede mig med alle de mange referencer. Det er ikke stor litteratur. Men af og til er det rart med noget let og fornøjeligt. Synes Demeters kamp med at forstå mennesker var kongesjov og også dens kollegiale kampe med Steward AI’en.” Anders: ⭐⭐⭐ (tre stjerner). “Jeg applauderer Barbara for at have fået en sjov idé og åbenlyst have haft det superhyggeligt med at skrive bogen. Men jeg var sært ligeglad med karaktererne, selvom Demeter og Steward havde deres øjeblikke. Jeg synes der var alt for meget fokus på ligegyldig action, og historien var alt for fragmenteret uden en god fornemmelse af udvikling.” Bogen minder os om Stefano Benni’s Terra – skør, vild og kreativ science fiction. Og selvfølgelig Blindsight af Peter Watts, som også har vampyrer i rummet. Adrian Tchaikovskys Service Model har også klare paralleller med robotter der forsøger at forstå sig selv og omverden. Jens og Anders har SCIFI SNAKKET Of Monsters and Mainframes. Shownotes til episoden om Of Monsters and Mainframes Siden sidst Anders Har set Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein på Netflix – meget teatralsk og med store armebevægelser. Kulisserne er for vilde. Den er lidt i stil med Dracula-filmatiseringen med Gary Oldman. Meget Guillermo del Toro-stil – hvis man er til det, er den vellykket. Anders gav den 6 ud af 10. Har læst The Other Valley af Scott Alexander Howard – en tidsrejsebog med meget lidt science i den. Vi lever i et mærkeligt parallelunivers hvor en by ligger i en dal. I dalen østpå lever de 20 år ude i fremtiden, i dalen vestpå 20 år tilbage i tiden. Meget strenge regler for at man ikke må gå frem og tilbage. Velskrevet og medrivende historie. Jens Har læst The Mercy of Gods af James S.A. Corey – Expanse-forfatterne er tilbage med en helt ny verden. Anbefalet af Søren Bjørn. Mercy of Gods foregår i en fjern fremtid på en planet hvor befolkningen kun har myter om koloniseringen. Vi er blandt videnskabsfolk som forsker i hvordan inkompatible træer af liv kan samleve. Men planeten bliver pludselig invaderet af en alien race – kæmpe hummer/knæler-agtige typer. Menneskeheden bliver sat på prøve for at se om man kan være en nyttig undersåt-race. Og samtidig går det op for os at der er en kæmpe galaktisk krig igang, og en af menneskene er blevet overtaget af en sværm af nanorobotter! Trailer ude for Ryan Gosling i rollen som Ryland Grace i Project Hail Mary af Andy Weir. Kommer i biffen den 20/3. Traileren spoiler bogen helt vildt, og der er kommet en masse action-scener som ikke findes i bogen. Lytternes input Masser af gode kommentarer fra kommentarfeltet om de gode læseoplevelser i 2025. Hennings top 3/2025: “Dying inside” af Robert Silverberg, 1972, om en ældre telepat der gradvist mister sin tankelæserevne. “Hard landing” af Algis Budrys, 1993, om hvordan en besætning fra en forulykket UFO forsøger at glide ind i og camouflere sig i det jordiske samfund. “Dark is the Sun”, af Philip Jose Farmer, 1979, om en Jord millioner af år ude i fremtiden, hvor Solen er ved at brænde sammen. Som Henning selv siger: “Det er eddermame nogle deprimerende indskud.” Frederik Aarup Lauritsen delte sin top 3 for 2025: Stiftelsen af Isaac Asimov, Station 11 af Emily St. John Mandel og Efter London af Richard Jefferies – en tussegammel post-apokalyptisk bog fra 1885. Kristofferabild har ikke så meget tid til at læse Sci-Fi for tiden – er gået en lille smule i stå med Count Zero. I 2025 var det bedste han (gen)læste Rendezvous With Rama, Restaurant At The End of The Universe og Murderbot 2 og 3. Michael har ikke fået læst så meget SF sidste år, men var sært glad ved Krystalverdenen af J.G. Ballard, The Ministry of Time på vores anbefaling – “det var jo næsten en hel hjertevarm sag – sjov at komme i gang med noget romance!” – og til sidst Jordboer af Sayaka Murata, som nok er en snitter i forhold til ren SF, men en tour de force i japansk dagligliv, body horror og nogle måske rumvæsner. “Prøv det. Den er crazy!” Majbritt Høyrup gjorde opmærksom på at Elle Cordova behandler The Power i sin blogklub. Hun vil anbefale to vidunderlige novellesamlinger af Ursula K. LeGuin: The Birthday of the World og Changing Planes. Lise bidrog med sine tre bedste bøger: American Elsewhere af Robert Jackson Bennett: Starter som Twin Peaks, går over i H. P. Lovecraft. En kvinde arver et hus i en by, som ikke findes på noget kort. Cosmicomics af Italo Calvino: Vi følger universets og Jordens tilblivelse gennem væsner/grundstoffer og deres oplevelser, interaktioner og kærlighed. En fin og underfundig lille novellesamling. The Prestige af Christopher Priest: En overraskende god bog. Hun har set filmen, men bogen er meget anderledes – hele det spekulative element fylder mere, og historien er langt mere mystisk. Næste gang Anders vælger næste bog: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus fra 1818. Den fås gratis som Project Gutenberg Public Domain e-pop eller PDF. Man taler tit om den som den første moderne science fiction-bog, så den er nærmest pensum for SCIFI SNAK. Jens har tidligere syntes den var røvkedelig, men er nu klar til at prøve igen – måske er han et andet menneske nu.

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! Colton and Andrew return to Pandora in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', the third entry in James Cameron's billion dollar franchise! 00:00:00 - Episode Teaser/Intro Music/Opening 00:06:29 - Andrew's Mythology Trivia Question of the Episode! 00:12:18 - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' (Intro and Fun Fact) 00:14:19 - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' (Box Office Breakdown) 00:22:09 - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' (Non-Spoilers and Recommendation) 01:08:16 - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' (Spoilers) 01:36:43 - Listener's Corner ('The Rip', 'The Nun', 'The Nun II', 'Frankenstein', 'Shrinking', 'The Pitt', 'Agatha Christie's Seven Dials', 'Stranger Things 5' Podcast Episode) 01:40:51 - Catching Up With Andrew (NFL Playoffs, Planned Skiing Trip, 'Him', 'Chad Powers', 'The Pitt' Season 2, RIP Bennett's Fish Bluey, Magic: The Gathering) 01:49:46 - Catching Up With Colton ('Letterkenny', Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) 01:57:45 - Catching Up With Andrew Pt. 2 (Animal Farm by George Orwell, Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by the Arbinger Institute) 02:00:19 - Conclusion/Outro Music Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening! Got something to say? Send it our way to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Produced by: Anna Mattis Intro/Outro Music: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.