Podcasts about james s

Turbulent times, spreading love, and finding hope, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Jennifer Brozek join forces to share the things they loved in 2025 and the things they’re looking forward to in 2026! We discuss books, movies, geeky things, experiences, and much more! Plus, we share some VERY important announcements about the show! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: 2025 Things: Shaun: Susana Morris’ Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler  All of the independent films Daniel and I got to watch and write or talk about (thanks Strike Media and Deaf Crocodile!) The two podcasts I got to be on to talk about movies I genuinely love: Reserved Recommendations with Hugh Dingwall (on Nightbreed) and Fine Beats and Cheeses (on Mac & Me)!  Trish: Death of the Author: A Novel by Nnedi Okorafor Andor S2: aired April 22, 2025 through May 13, 2025, 12 episodes. Mad props to producer Tony Gilroy. Revolutions Podcast Season 11 (Mars), by Mike Duncan: aired October 2024 to June 2025, 30 eps Jennifer: Overgrowth by Mira Grant (best book I read all year) Sinners. Such an amazingly good/original movie Hades 2. Great storytelling and replayability. It's a thing I do with the Husband. Daniel: Uncertain Sons and Other Stories by Thomas Ha and Lost in the Dark and Other Excursions by John Langan Hundreds of Beavers (2022) Directed by Mike Cheslik AGFA Secret Society Sandra: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (the perfect romance at the perfect time when I read it) The Great Flood (dir. Kim Byung-woo); not without its problems but I give it kudos for being the disaster flick I hadn't expected to be a scifi flick Draw Steel (an interesting change from D&D 5e) Paul: Duology: The Witch Roads and the Nameless Land, a duology of fantasy novels from Kate Elliott. Set in a new and rich fantasy worlds, Elliott hitting all the power chords.  Plur1bus: Aired in Fall/Winter 2025 on Apple TV. Constantly surprisingly, interesting, thought provoking, with some great acting BallxPit, a rogue like game inspired by Balatro, Vampire Survivors and Arkanoid (for those who remember it). 2026 Things: Shaun: The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed OR The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu All of the independent films Daniel and I are going to get to watch and write and talk about this year, some from the very same places I’ve already mentioned. Seeing how Capricon will go, as I was head of programming this year (with Cassandra Moritz as my honorable and most excellent 2nd). Trish: The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey, 2nd in The Captive's War series, coming in April, because I loved the first book, The Mercy of Gods. Murderbot S2  Other: 13th Icon RPG, starting in February on Arvan Eleron's Twitch channel. PrinceJvstin will GM, and I'm playing a dragonborn druid in it, along with Darcie Little Badger as a human rogue, Kathleen de Vere as a human paladin, and Mur Lafferty as a goliath barbarian. Jennifer: Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos by Seanan McGuire Old Gods of Appachalia: Long Shadows, Season Six podcast Finishing Eberron Oracle of War, Can*Con in Ottawa, Oberon's Post Club Daniel: Partially Devoured by Daniel Kraus Evil Dead Burn (2026; dir. Sébastien Vaniček) Blood Feast and the Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis (AGFA Restorations) Sandra: Platform Decay by Martha Wells Murderbot S2, but also Slow Horses S6 (which is totally fantasy lol) Bouchercon (Calgary) Paul: Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The latest in his Children series, I want to see where his rich world of human and post-human sapients, from spiders to crows, will go next.  The Odyssey movie. I just want to see what Nolan will do with one of the ur-texts of the Western Tradition. And it can't be worse than the early 2000's Troy (which tackled The Iliad)  It just CAN'T. Death Valley photography trip in December 2026. Am I a good photographer? No, but I enjoy doing photography and this is a chance to do it in a place every photographer wants to go. Video versions of our episodes also appear on our handy YouTube channel! Sub and watch! Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later, navigator!

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.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: Kaytee's San Francisco bookstore adventure and Meredith's Wolf Hall slow read Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: Boss My TBR - helping two listeners prioritize their reading stacks Before We Go: our new segment featuring bookish friend posts and TBR triage Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). .  .  .  :10 Bite Size Intro 1:04 - Currently Reading on Youtube 2:39 - Bookish Moments of the Week 3:13 - City Lights Bookstore 5:00 - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel  5:35 - Footnotes and Tangents 07:53 - Current Reads 8:01 - History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook (Kaytee) 11:18 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 11:52 - Sphere by Michael Crichton (Meredith) 14:21 - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 15:58 - The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 16:02 - Timeline by Michael Crichton 16:15 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 16:34 - Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb (Kaytee) 22:12 - The Sleeper Lies by Andrea Mara (Meredith, Blackwell's link) 24:01 - All Her Fault by Andrea Mara 26:11 - Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara 26:12 - The Other Side of the Wall by Andrea Mara (Blackwell's link) 26:54 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Kaytee) 28:25 - CR Season 2: Episode 22 when Kayytee first brought The Dutch House 29:20 - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 31:48 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 33:30 - Snap by Belinda Bauer (Meredith) 37:30 - Boss My TBR 38:11 - Gretchen's Stack For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain Bride by Ali Hazelwood A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers Gilded by Marissa Meyer 39:29 - Field Day Books and Bottles 39:35 - Cannon Beach Book Company 43:09 - Lauren's Stack I, Medusa by Ayana Gray Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven Fear and Fury by Heather Ann Thompson Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 44:26 - Fabled Bookshop 44:49 - Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson 48:32 - Before We Go Meredith highlights bookish friend posts from the Facebook group 50:08 - Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson 50:13 - On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 51:39 - Nothing Much Happens podcast 52:57 - Currently Reading Patreon 53:14 - Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots 53:39 - Timeline by Michael Crichton Kaytee's TBR Triage: Kaytee brings a book that has been on her TBR for a long time and decides whether to keep and read, or remove from her TBR. 54:28 - The Sinister Booksellers of Bath (Foyles link) 54:31 - Foyle's 54:56 - The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Foyles link) 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 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!

The Jokermen are joined by producers Howie Edelson, James Sáez, and Alan Boyd to discuss the spectacular new Love You-era box set release We Gotta Groove. SUBSCRIBE TO JOKERMEN ON PATREON "WE GOTTA GROOVE" AVAILABLE THIS FRIDAY

Episode Summary: The Age of Victoria continues its 2026 “Famine & Revolution” series by stepping away from the political scandals of Lola Montez and into the microscopic world of a biological invader. In this episode, we begin our deep dive into the “Hungry Forties” by looking at the environmental and material foundations of the era. Using the “Longue Durée” framework of the Annales School, we explore the forces that dictate the fate of civilizations. We examine the “Malthusian Trap”—the point where surging urban populations outstripped the land's ability to feed them—and why the humble potato was both the savior and the Achilles’ heel of the 19th-century economy. Support the Show: This podcast is fiercely independent and relies on listener support to maintain access to academic archives and primary sources. To help us reach our goal of 25 paying patrons this month and keep the history deep, please join the crew at: Patreon.com/ageofvictoria Key Topics Covered: The Annales School & Fernand Braudel: Why history is more than just economics or the work of great people—it is the slow, grinding reality of the “Longue Durée”: climate, biology, and the material systems that constrain human action. The “Biological Invader”: The science of Phytophthora infestans. How a fungus from the Americas managed to cross the Atlantic and “dissolve” the food supply of a continent. The Malthusian Trap: A demographic analysis of the early 19th century. We look at the “tipping point” where population growth finally collided with limited agricultural resources. Urbanisation & The Hinterland: How industrial mega-cities like London and Paris broke the traditional link between people and their food sources, creating a precarious global supply chain. The Chemistry of the Potato: Why the potato was the “perfect” industrial crop—producing more calories per acre than any grain—and why its monoculture became a death trap. The Global “Hungry Forties”: Debunking the myth that the famine was a localized event; tracing the “Pandemic of Rot” as it moved from the USA to Belgium, Prussia, Scotland, and Ireland. Works Cited & Sources: Donnelly, James S., Jr. The Great Irish Potato Famine. (A principal source for the socio-political impact and the progression of the blight). Braudel, Fernand. The Structures of Everyday Life: The Limits of the Possible. * Allen, Robert C. The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective. Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel. Bairoch, Paul. Cities and Economic Development: From the Dawn of History to the Present. Wrigley, E.A. Poverty, Progress and Population. De Vries, Jan. European Urbanization, 1500–1800. Grigg, David. The Agricultural Systems of the World: An Evolutionary Approach. Flinn, M.W. Scottish Population History from the 17th Century to the 1930s. Vaughan, W.E. and Fitzpatrick, A.J. Irish Historical Statistics: Population 1821–1971. Bhardwaj, Raju Lal et al. “An Alarming Decline in the Nutritional Quality of Foods.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,6 877. Clark, Stuart. The Annales School: Critical Assessments. Trinder, “Britain's industrial revolution.” pp575-602 https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/royal-agricultural-society-of-england/ https://victoryseeds.com/pages/potato-famine  Allen, Robert C., The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective. Gráda, Cormac Ó. “The Lumper Potato and the Famine.” History Ireland, vol. 1, no. 1, 1993, pp. 22–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27724042. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026. Solar, Peter M. “Why Ireland Starved and the Big Issues in Pre-Famine Irish Economic History.” Irish Economic and Social History, vol. 42, 2015, pp. 62–75. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26375915. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026. The post EP066 THE PANDEMIC OF ROT appeared first on AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST.

There comes a time in the life of every author when they have to do that truly terrifying thing: Talk about their book. In this special crossover episode with SFF Addicts, we talk about talking about writing! A lot of that involves the beast we all face these days: social media. Branding, marketing, algorithms, trends, parasocial relationships -- It's a lot. How much do you really need to do, and how can you set boundaries around your public and private selves? But there are also times and places an author may need to talk about their book beyond social media and marketing. Sometimes, you have to do it in (gasp!) real life! What techniques can we use to get more comfortable with public speaking? What's good etiquette for being on a panel at a convention or conference? How can you engage with readers one-on-one in a way that makes them see you as an interesting person, not just a book-shilling Gollum incapable of taking about anything except your precious? We share our experiences and offer our perspectives on navigating those situations! Our Guests: SFF Addicts is a weekly sci-fi, fantasy and writing craft podcast co-hosted by Adrian M. Gibson and fellow authors M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly, bringing you interviews and writing masterclasses with your favorite SFF authors. Past guests include: George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Robin Hobb, James S.A. Corey, Scott Lynch, Christopher Paolini, Martha Wells, Joe Abercrombie, John Scalzi, Chuck Wendig, Fonda Lee, Mark Lawrence, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Nicholas Eames, Michael J. Sullivan, Andrea Stewart, Travis Baldree, Mary Robinette Kowal, Gareth L. Powell, Hugh Howey, Robert Jackson Bennett, Rebecca Roanhorse, Chelsea Abdullah, RJ Barker and many more. The full episode archive can be found here. You can also subscribe to the FanFiAddict YouTube channel, where all episodes are available in full video. Adrian M. Gibson is an award-winning Canadian SFF author, podcaster and illustrator (as well as occasional tattoo artist). He was born in Ontario, Canada, but grew up in British Columbia. He studied English Literature and has worked in music journalism, restaurants, tattoo studios, clothing stores and a bevy of odd jobs. In 2021, he created the SFF Addicts podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow authors M. J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly. The three host in-depth interviews with an array of science fiction and fantasy authors, as well as writing masterclasses. Adrian has a not-so-casual obsession with mushrooms, relishes in the vastness of nature and is a self-proclaimed “child of the mountains.” He enjoys cooking, music, video games, politics and science, as well as reading fiction and comic books. He lives in Quito, Ecuador with his wife and sons. His debut novel is MUSHROOM BLUES, which is available to purchase here. M.J. Kuhn is a fantasy writer by night and a mild-mannered marketer and business owner by day. She is the internationally bestselling author of Among Thieves  and Thick as Thieves, cohost of SFF Addicts podcast, and lives in the metro Detroit area with her very spoiled cats, Evie and Thorin Oakenshield. Greta Kelly is the author of the critically acclaimed adult fantasy novels THE FROZEN CROWN, THE SEVENTH QUEEN and THE QUEEN OF DAYS (Voyager) and the co-host of SFF ADDICTS Podcast. Her writing has also appeared in Nerdist, i09 and Writer's Digest.  She currently lives in the U.S. with her husband EJ, and daughters Lorelei and Nadia who are doing their level-best to take over the world.  You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @gretakkelly.

Science fiction isn't one-size-fits-all.Some readers love big ideas and long-term strategy.Others want emotional depth, character-driven stories, or fast, cinematic action.And here's the thing: your personality plays a huge role in the kind of sci-fi you love.In this episode of Fantasy for the Ages, I'm matching science fiction reading recommendations to common Myers-Briggs personality types. Using the same framework as our fantasy episode, I take 10 of the most common personality types and pair each one with two sci-fi series that align with how those readers tend to think, feel, and engage with speculative ideas.Whether you're a systems thinker, a people-first reader, a big-picture strategist, or someone who just wants sci-fi that moves, there's something here that fits you.

This week the Buddies discuss the hot new meme trend for 2026, semi-hard near-future science fiction, a Facebook Reel that itched a spot in the brain, hard fantasy, when to talk about money in your relationship, and a movie that made you stop and think afterwards. Share with a friend! Contact us: Facebook Instagram Email Youtube Recommendations: Leviathan Wakes (Book 2, 2011, James S.A. Corey), Micro rec: A Facebook Reel, Asanebo Restaurant (Gummy Time), The Witcher: Baptism of Fire (Andrzej Sapkowski)

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss new GDP numbers that show the economy grew at 4.3 percent in the third quarter of 2025, exceeding expectations. Also, President Donald Trump announced plans yesterday to build a new class of battleship as part of what he calls “The Golden Fleet.” And Hunter Biden reemerged yesterday, criticizing his father's administration in a five-and-a-half hour long podcast where he revealed he is $15M in debt and claims there is “no generational wealth” in the Biden family. Then, James S.Robbins, Dean of Academics at the Institute of World Politics in Washington DC, joins the guys to discuss U.S. policy toward Venezuela, the naming of a new special envoy to Greenland, and the State Department's decision to reassign 30 ambassadors in order to align foreign policy with the President's directions. And they discuss CBS Editor in Chief Bari Weiss and her decision to pull a 60 Minutes report on the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants to a prison in El Salvador, saying it lacked context. Despite her last minute action, the story aired in Canada and is now available online. Also, today is Festivus, and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has released his annual list of grievances concerning government waste in 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today Jonathan and Gary spend some time talking to Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who write together as "James S.A. Corey", about what they've been reading, what they'd recommend, their seasonal reading and viewing, and their upcoming new novel, The Faith of Beasts. We also touch upon progress on Daniel's third Kithamar novel and their ongoing project to write an entirely new novel right before your very eyes: James SA Corey writes a novel. As always, our thanks to Daniel and Ty for making the time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Leaving Medina Station, a high alert message comes through. Something is amiss in the Slow Zone. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

Whether you like ripping page turners, incredible characters, books that make you laugh out loud, exploring unforgettable new worlds, or literary books that will make you see the world in a new way, there's a great intro to scifi out there for everyone!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to tell us about your favorite time travel booksOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 00:00 Intro 00:38 Incredible Characters - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold 3:07 A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 4:04 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4:52 Unforgettable Worlds - The Expanse by James S.A. Corey 6:58 Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8:24 House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds 9:20 Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 10:56 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 12:22 Funny SF - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 13:36 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 14:50 Old Man's War by John Scalzi 16:01 Page turners - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 17:43 Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch 18:52 All Systems Red by Martha Wells 20:01 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 21:35 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 22:34 Literary SciFi - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin 24:55 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 26:26 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 27:49 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 28:40 Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

With new students in tow for education on Mundos, the crew stops by on Medina Station for a little field trip. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

Airplane down! Not a crash—just 65 days and counting of repair purgatory. Special guest 1DullGeek (Mark) joins to talk about what happens when your plane is out of service for months, Keith C's emotional feedback about avoiding aviation altogether, and the reality of airplane ownership. Plus: Brian's IFR long cross-country with C-130s and blown approaches, Ben's icing adventure to Cincinnati, and the Cherokee 235 that "totally spoiled" Mark's wife. The Thaden Invasion details keep rolling in!Mentioned on the Show:VBT - Thaden Field - March 2026 fly-in locationGaston's White River Resort - Arkansas fly-in fishing destinationLUK - Lunken Airport - CincinnatiFort Campbell - Brian's airport hopping areaPAH - Barkley Regional Airport - Paducah, KYIPJ - Lincoln County Airport - North Carolina (Mark's home base)VUJ - Stanly County Airport - Where Mark's plane was in annualJosh's Sling TSI Build Playlist - Aviation 101Midwest Panel Builders YouTube - Avionics videosSupport the Show:Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - 1DullGeek & Son checkride debrief NOW AVAILABLE!MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, feedback, RSVP for Thaden InvasionLeave us a 5-star review and get a sticker!youtube.com/@midlifepilotpodcast - Live Mondays 8PM ET10% of Patreon proceeds support Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking effortsNew Patreon Members: Rich H and James S at the Hershey Bar level - Welcome!Closing wisdom: "Sometimes it's best to remain silent and look stupid, rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt." - DrewSpecial thanks to Keith C for the honest feedback about stepping away and coming back. We're not taking attendance—this community is here when you need it.

A meeting with the Governor of Mundos' Edge has the crew making decisions that will affect their future as well as that of an entire peoples. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

Back in the Aethra System, Zyne needs to pick something up from his home on the Void City in orbit around the methane rich planet Eos. Accompanied by Frankie, they take to the night life to see how the Belters enjoy themselves. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

The trouble with recording a podcast is that sometimes you just need more friends to chime in on the conversation. Which is exactly why this week, Magda and Lindsay built their own Team Trouble to discuss Harriet Ashford's wonderful rom-com “The Trouble with Love and Coaches.”   Listen to this LIVE book club at Books by the Bay as they chat all about the book with Harriet herself and the AMAZING voice narrators for the upcoming audiobook, Marie Mitchell and Gabriel Michael.    See what our guests are up to below! Harriet Ashford Marie Mitchell Gabriel Michael Books by the Bay     Email us!  Literally Books Website Literally Books Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok     Books mentioned in the episode: “The Trouble with Love and Coaches“ by Harriet Ashford “The Butcher“ by Jennifer Hillier “A Flair for Trouble“ by Kristen Bahls “Lord of the Rings“ by  J.R.R. Tolkien “The Compound“ by Aisling Rawle “Project Hail Mary“ by Andy Weir “The Expanse“ by James S.A. Corey “Fourth Wing“ by Rebecca Yarros “Great Expectations“ by Charles Dickens “Hamlet“ by William Shakespeare     Intro & Outro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

The Hildred Ranch is one of the many family mega ranches on New Birmingham. Secretary Myrtle Cooper has been invited for a shindig to show off the ample cattle operation on this alien world while the rest of her crew seek to find the truth beneath the surface of New Birmingham... Special guest Jacob Mundell: https://linqapp.com/jacobmundell Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode covers content around violence, murder, death, sexual abuse, non consensual sex, war, war crimes, and body gore. Please be advised.   Welcome back to another episode of Did You Read The Book? ! Join me and my guest, Dan Rector, (now a famous author!) as we come back for yet another hot mess in the adaptation world to rant about character flaws, the nonsense that was the early 2000's cinema style, and lament over the lack of cinematic plot in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol 1 written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill.   Follow my Guest! The Exile by D.G.P. Rector The Last Scion written by D.G.P. Rector   Our Recommendations Leviathan Wakes: Book 1 of The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey The Expanse created by Daniel Abraham, Mark Fergus, & Ty Franck Lost Gods by Brom   Find Me Online If you like Did You Read The Book?, don't be shy and share with your family, friends, neighbors, and anyone else you see fit! You can also follow me on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iTunes, Tune In/Alexa, Spotify, and Pandora!   About The Show Music composed and produced by Abek Cover art created by Jared Stokes Banner art and background design by IndigoLink Podcast production by Erin Palmer

With Secretary Myrtle Cooper in meetings, the crew explore the sites of New Birmingham's capital. There they try to under what is hidden under the glaze of football and promises of steaks. Special guest Jacob Mundell: https://linqapp.com/jacobmundell Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

It has been nearly 30 years since the Free Navy Conflict. A celebration between two historical allies, Mundo's Edge and New Birmingham, is coming up. Myrtle Cooper, DISO (Department of Inter System Operations) Secretary is heading to New Birmingham with a crew as a representative for the festivities. But with New Birmingham, the story they tell and the story as it happens are not always the same thing. Special guest Jacob Mundell: https://linqapp.com/jacobmundell Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Gorman the Squid instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Zyne Barleaux instagram.com/smitchell22 Cal Garrett (they/them) as Frankie Walker linktr.ee/calgarrett

A City on Mars by Hugo Award-winning duo Kelly and Zach Weinersmith is a gripping take on one of humanity's biggest questions. The Weinersmiths join us for an out-of-this-world conversation about space settlements, planet colonization, science fiction vs reality, Space Law and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith The Expanse by James S.A. Corey The Martian by Andy Weir Packing for Mars by Mary Roach Featured Books (TBR Top Off): A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith Packing for Mars by Mary Roach Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean

NEWS - New PREDATOR: BADLANDS trailer - MURDERBOT renewed for s02 - AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH trailer - First STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY trailer - George Lucas at Comicon and "The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art" OGTW - Becker: THE SANDMAN - Diaz: finished LIVESUIT by James S.A. Corey, started/finished THE FOURTH CONSORT by Edward Ashton, ONI comics from my friend MAIN TOPIC: It's summertime, so Joe and Michael have been traveling the last couple of weeks, but they are back now to give their takes on SUPERMAN. They have said for months that Gunn had to stick the landing in order for the DCU to have a chance. So, did he? Listen and find out their thoughts. But what did you think? Let the team know! Welcome to the Kybercast! #Superman #DCU #TheSandman #Murderbot #AvatarFireandAsh #StarTrekStarfleetAcademy #TheLucasMuseumOfNarrativeArt #TheMercyOfGods #Livesuit #TheFourthConsort

NEWS - SUPERMAN opens to very good reviews! There are two post-credit scenes - TRON: ARES trailer on IMAX OGTW - Becker: F1 on IMAX, Black Sabbath farewell show - Diaz: THE MERCY OF GODS by James S.A. Corey finished; started LIVESUIT by same, THE BALLERINA, Prime Day MAIN TOPIC: This week the team takes on two MCU properties, IRON HEART and THUNDERBOLTS*, which both deal with grief and loss, albeit in different ways. Which did it best? Listen and find out! Did you watch IRON HEART or THUNDERBOLTS*? What were your thoughts? Let the team know! Welcome to the Kybercast! #Thunderbolts #IronHeart #MCU #Superman #TronAres #F1 #BlackSabbathFarewell #TheMercyOfGods #Livesuit #Ballerina #PrimeDay

Writer, musician, and game designer James Curcio joins us for a warm, wide-ranging chat on magic, myth, and RPGs. From Dungeons & Dragons to Mage: The Ascension and Modern Mythology, we talk play, storytelling, and the mystery of it all. Oh, yeah, and we also shoot the breeze about goblins, game systems, and why magic might just be another name for imagination.Show Notes Generation Hex - Editor Jason Louv brings together a batch of wild and thoughtful voices from the edge of things—a generation of young folks dreaming up bold new paths for spirit, soul, and what it means to grow as human beings—including an essay by James Curcio. Blades in the Dark - A tabletop role-playing game about a scrappy crew of daring scoundrels chasing fortune and stirring up trouble on ghost-filled streets. Fate Accelerated - Folks just call it FAE—is a slimmed-down, easy-to-learn version of Fate Core that still packs all the punch and flexibility of the full game. It's quick as a whip to pick up, and before you know it, you and your pals can be off adventuring in the world of your favorite book, movie, or show—or cookin' up a brand-new world of your own. Best part? Setup's a breeze. You can go from idea to dice-rollin' in just a few minutes. Alan Moore and his latest book, The Great When, a spellbinding new series full of murder, magic, and mayhem—set between two Londons: one picking up the pieces after World War II, and the other a hidden world brimming with mystery and wonder. Grant Morrison and his comic book series, The Invisibles, a scrappy little cell of The Invisible College—a secret bunch fighting the good fight against all kinds of oppression, using time travel, magic, meditation, and (when needed) a good ol' fashioned scuffle. The Expanse - a role-playing game brings the big, bold world of James S.A. Corey's hit sci-fi books right to your tabletop. Built on Green Ronin's trusty Adventure Game Engine—the same one that powers Fantasy AGE, Blue Rose, and Modern AGE—this game drops you into a future where Earth folks, Martians, and Belters are all jockeying for power and resources out in the stars. But something old and alien is waking up, and the story of humanity's future is fixing to take a wild new turn. Modern Mythologies, a podcast exploring mythmaking and mechanics in RPGs. You can find James' work at: jamescurcio.com fallencycle.com modernmythology.net Operation Watchtower - a podcast rooter in Kult: Divinity Lost, set in the wake of 9/11 and launches September 11, 2025.

Kyber257 - First thoughts on IRON HEART! NEWS - The Punisher joins the cast of the new Spider-Man film - Final FANTASTIC FOUR... trailer - F1 in theaters - JAWS 50 year anniversary - Denis Villeneuve to direct the next James Bond film OGTW - Becker: DEADWOOD - Diaz: THE MERCY OF THE GODS by James S.A. Corey, 28 YEARS LATER... MAIN TOPIC: Joe and Michael take on the latest MCU TV series, IRON HEART. Though three episodes were released, the team is discussing just the first two episodes, and boy, do they have thoughts. What are your thoughts? Let the team know! Welcome to the Kybercast! #IronHeart #MCU #ThePunisher #Spider-Man #FantasticFourFirstSteps #F1 #Jaws #Jaws50 #DenisVilleneuve #JamesBond #Deadwood #TheMercyOfTheGods #JamesSACorey #28YearsLater

Welcome to Jon, Chris, and Eric Thank you to James S, Gary L, Bert D, Mike W. Announcement Retro Preview - Redhorn Gate Deck Spotlight - Council of the Wise https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/25903/eventrecyclingcouncilofthewise-1.0 https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/46083/councilofthewiseinmusic-1.0 https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/29534/thewhitecouncildoom-silvanscotwcontract-1.0 Top and Bottom cards of Oaths AMA Soliloquy

With survivor evacuated, the crew delves into the central lab of Malenka to confront whoever or whatever is pulling the strings on this mad experiment. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Waxor DuChang instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Wyatt Thompson instagram.com/smitchell22 Claire Lewis (she/her) as Ghaz Wheatley bsky.app/profile/beautybot.bsky.social

It's iFanboy 20/25 -- 20 years of podcasting and 25 years of iFanboy! They backed up the comics truck and dumped them all on our front steps. We dug our way out, made a list, and we're here to talk about it. And no, you haven't heard too much about this book, because there's more to say. Then more reminiscing, and quite a Civil War book diversion. Note: Time codes are estimates due to dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. Running Time: 01:21:27 Pick of the Week:00:01:22 - Fantastic Four #725 (32) Comics:00:13:08 - Superman Unlimited #100:18:11 - Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3900:23:28 - Wonder Woman #821 (21)00:28:00 - Sleep #100:33:51 - Redcoat #1200:43:01 - EC Epitaphs from the Abyss #1100:44:59 - The Ultimates #12 Patron Pick:00:49:40 - The Thing #1 Patron Thanks:00:58:02 - Thomas Williams Listener Mail:01:00:03  - Ken J. from The Great White North has an ultimate desert island media question, and we run with it.01:07:02 - James S. wants to know about formative comic book experiences in our young lives. Brought To You By: Shopify – This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period and take your business to the next level. iFanboy Patrons - Become one today for as little as $3/month! Or join for a full year and get a discount! You can also make a one time donation of any amount! iFanboy T-Shirts and Merch - Show your iFanboy pride with a t-shirt or other great merchandise on Threadless! We've got TWENTY TWO designs! Music:"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"Jakob Dylan & Neal Young Watch The iFanboy After Show for Pick of the Week #978!Listen to Josh discuss Fargo on Movie of the Year: 1996.Watch Ron talk about pinball technology on the Daily Tech News Show.Listen to Conor, Josh, and Ron discuss The Crow (1994) on Cradle to the Grave.Watch Josh and Conor talk about how to start a podcast on OpenWater.Listen to Conor discuss Swingers on Movie of the Year: 1996.Listen to Conor discuss Ghostbusters on Movie of the Year: 1984. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preeti and Jenn recorded live with Patrons for a special retrospective, WoT readalikes, and Q&A!Read-Alikes:Dandelion Dynasty by Ken LiuBetween Earth and Sky series by Rebecca RoanhorseInheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin (and then everything else)The Expanse series by James S.A. CoreyDead Djinn Universe series by P. Djeli ClarkBeverly Jenkins, Vivid (for Romanda)The Kushiel series (incl the Joscelin book) by Jacqueline CareyThe Thief / Megan Whalen Turner The Emily Wilde trilogy Babel by RF Kuang Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel anything Kit Rocha (Jenn loves Mercenary Librarians)It's Not Me, It's You by Stephanie Kate Strohm THE FLOATING WORLD by Axie OhDiviners by Libba BrayCirce by Madeline MillerHild / Menewood by Nicola GriffithPayal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot is out now!Merch:tar-valon-or-bust.printify.me/products and northingtron.redbubble.com [new designs available!] Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew retreats to the residential housing of Malenka to plot a way into the fortified science lab, where something is plotting in conjunction with the infection from the stars. Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Waxor DuChang instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Wyatt Thompson instagram.com/smitchell22 Claire Lewis (she/her) as Ghaz Wheatley bsky.app/profile/beautybot.bsky.social

First contact with survivors of Malenka Colony, but will the crew be able to save them and what exactly happened to the other 1,500 people on the surface? Abraxas' Precipice is an actual play of The Expanse Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin Publishing. based on the novels by James S.A. Corey. It airs live on Wednesdays at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards Get more Abraxas' Precipice: linktr.ee/abraxasprecipic Abraxas' Precipice GameMaster: John Bultena linktr.ee/onlyplaywizards Abraxas' Precipice players are: Donna Prior (they/them) as Myrtle Cooper linktr.ee/Danicia Michael C. Hsiung (he/him) as Waxor DuChang instagram.com/michaelchsiung Scott Mitchell (he/him) as Wyatt Thompson instagram.com/smitchell22 Claire Lewis (she/her) as Ghaz Wheatley bsky.app/profile/beautybot.bsky.social

That said, there are some problems with this book too, which made this a fun one to talk about - Brent liked it a lot more than Cody did. Plus, love em or hate em, Asimov thought up some very alien aliens.As always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. NEW THRU 2025-05-15: Fill out our listener survey to tell us your favorite fantasy novels and series, and see them covered in an episode soon!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord!Or you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoSimilar books we recommend: The Foundation trilogy by Isaac AsimovThe Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry PournelleThe Expanse by James S.A. Corey

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham are BACK and with the Superbowl almost a month in the past it is time for the guys' Superbowl Special! Sit back and enjoy Wes talk about how much he LOVES North Dallas Forty... and how both the guys cries like a babies when they watch Brian's Song.

This week we talk about Luna 2, soft-landings, and Firefly Aerospace.We also discuss the private space launch industry, lunar landers, and regolith.Recommended Book: The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. CoreyTranscriptIn 1959, Luna 2, a Soviet impactor-style spacecraft, successfully reached the surface of the Moon—the first-ever human-made object to do so.Luna 2 was very of its era; a relatively simple device, similar in many ways to the better-known Sputnik satellite, but getting a craft to the moon is far more difficult than placing something in orbit around Earth, in part because of the distance involved—the Moon is about 30-Earth's from the surface of the earth, that figure varying based on where in its elliptical orbit it is at the moment, but that's a good average, around 239,000 miles which is about 384,000 km, while Sputnik's orbit only took it something like 359 miles, around 578 km from the surface. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 670-times the distance.So new considerations, like fuel to get there, but also charting paths to the moon that would allow the human-made object to actually hit it, rather than flying off into space, and even figuring out whether craft would need to be designed differently if they made it out of Earth's magnetic field, were significant hurdles that had to be leapt to make this mission a success; everything was brand new, and there were gobs of unknowns.That said, this craft didn't settle onto the moon—it plowed into it like a bullet, a so-called ‘hard landing.' Which was still an astonishing feet of research and engineering, as at this point in history most rockets were still blowing up before making it off the launch pad, including the projects that eventually led to the design and launch of Luna 2.The US managed their own hard landing on the Moon in 1962, and it wasn't until 1966 that the first soft landing—the craft slowing itself before impact, so that some kind of intact device would actually continue to exist and function on the surface of the moon—was accomplished by the Luna 9.The Luna 9 used an ejectable capsule that was protected by airbags, which helped it survive its 34 mph, which is about 54 kmh impact. This successful mission returned the first panoramic photographs from the surface of the moon, which was another notable, historic, incredibly difficult at the time feat.A series of rapid-fire firsts followed these initial visits, including the first-ever crewed flight to the Moon, made by the US Apollo 8 mission in 1968—that one didn't land, but it did circle the Moon 10 times before returning to Earth, the first successful crewed mission to the surface of the Moon made by the Apollo 11 team in 1969, and by the early 70s humans had made several more moon landings: all of them were American missions, as the US is still the only country to have performed successful crewed missions to the Moon's surface, but the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 missions all put people on the lunar surface, and then returned them safely to Earth.The Luna 24, another Soviet mission launched in 1976, was the last big space race era mission to return lunar samples—chunks of moon rock and regolith—to earth, though it was a robotic mission, no humans aboard. And by many measures, the space race actually ended the previous year, in 1975, when Apollo and Soyuz capsules, US and Soviet missions, respectively, docked in orbit, creating the first international space mission, and allowing US astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts to shake hands, symbolically burying the hatchet, at least in terms of that particular, non-earthbound rivalry.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent, successful soft landing on the lunar surface that's historic in nature, but also contemporarily significant for several other reasons.—Firefly Space Systems was founded in the US in 2014 by a team of entrepreneurs who wanted to compete with then-burgeoning private space companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic by, like these competitors, reducing the cost of getting stuff into low Earth orbit.They were planning to become profitable within four years on the back of the also-burgeoning small satellite industry, which basically means selling space on their rockets, which are capable of carrying multiple small satellites on what's often called a ‘rideshare' basis, to companies and agencies that were keen to launch their own orbital assets.These smaller satellites were becoming increasingly popular and doable because the tech required was shrinking and becoming cheaper, and that meant you no longer needed a boggling amount of money to do basic research or to lob a communications satellite into orbit; you could spent a few million dollars instead of tens or hundreds of millions, and buy space on a rocket carrying many small satellites, rather than needing to splurge on a rocket all by yourself, that rocket carrying only your giant, extremely costly and large conventional satellite.This path, it was hoped, would provide them the benefits of economies of scale, allowing them to build and launch more rockets, which in turn would bring the costs of such rockets and launches down, over time.And the general concept was sound—that's basically what SpaceX has managed to do, with mammoth success, over the past decade completely rewiring how the space launch industry works; their many, reusable rockets and rocket components, and abundant launches, many of which are used to lob their own StarLink in-orbit satellites into space, while also usually carrying smaller satellites provided by clients who pay to go along for the ride, bringing all of these costs down dramatically.So that model is basically what Firefly was aiming for, as well—but the Firefly team, which was made up of folks from Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and other industry entities was sued by Virgin Galactic, which alleged that a former employee who left them to work for Firefly provided Firefly with intellectual property and committed what amounts to espionage, destroying data and hardware before they left.These allegations were confirmed in 2016, and some of Firefly's most vital customers and investors backed out, leaving the company without enough money to move forward. A second lawsuit from Virgin Orbit against Firefly and some of its people hit that same year, and that left the company insolvent, its assets put up for auction in 2017.Those assets were bought by an investment company called Noosphere Ventures, which relaunched Firefly Space Systems as Firefly Aerospace. They then reworked the designs of their rockets a bit and relocated some of the company's research assets to Ukraine, where the head of Noosphere Ventures is from.They picked up a few customers in the following years, and they leased a private launch pad in Florida and another in California. In 2021, they were awarded more than $90 million to develop exploration tech for the Artemis Moon program, which was scheduled for 2023 and was meant to help develop the US's private space industry; NASA was trying out a model that would see them hire private companies to deliver assets for a future moon-based mission, establishing long-term human presence on the moon, over the course of several years, and doing so on a budget by basically not having to build every single aspect of the mission themselves.That same year, the head of Noosphere Ventures was asked by the US Committee on Foreign Investment to sell nearly 50% of his stake in Firefly for national security reasons; he was born in Ukraine, and the Committee was apparently concerned about so much of the company's infrastructure being located in a country that, even before Russia invaded the following year, was considered to be a precarious spot for security-vital US research and development assets.This is considered to be something of a scandal, as it was implied that this Ukrainian owner was himself under suspicion of maybe being a Russian asset—something that seems to have been all implication and no substance, as he's since moved back to Ukraine and has gone on to be something of a war hero, providing all sorts of tech and other resources to the anti-invasion effort.But back then, he complied with this request, though not at all happily—and it sounds like that unhappiness was probably justified, though there are still some classified documents on the matter that maybe say otherwise; we don't know for sure publicly right now.In any event, he and Noosphere sold most of their stake in Firefly to a US company called AE Industrial Partners, and the following year, in 2022 it successfully launched, for the first time, its Alpha rocket, intended to be its core launch option for small satellite, rideshare-style customers.The satellites placed in orbit by that first launch didn't reach their intended height, so while the rocket made it into orbit, another launch, where the satellites were placed where they were supposed to go, actually happened in 2023, is generally considered to be the first, true successful launch of the Alpha rocket.All of which is interesting because this component of the larger space industry has been heating up; SpaceX has dominated, soaking up most of the oxygen in the room and claiming the lion's share of available contracts. But there are quite a few private space companies from around the world profitably launching rockets at a rapid cadence, these days. And many of them are using the same general model of inexpensive rideshare rockets carrying smaller satellites into orbit, and the money from those launches then funds their other explorations, ranging from government mission components like rovers, to plans for futuristic space stations that might someday replace the aging International Space Station, to larger rockets and launch craft that might further reduce the cost of launching stuff into space, while also potentially serving as in-orbit or off-planet habitations—as is the case with SpaceX's massive Starship craft.This is also notable, though, because Firefly launched a lander as part of its Blue Ghost mission, to the Moon on January 15 of 2025. That craft reached the moon, and successfully soft-landed there, on March 2 the same year.This lander was partly funded by that aforementioned 2021 Artemis award by NASA—it ultimately received just over $100 million from the agency to conduct this mission—and it was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as the company's own Alpha rockets don't yet have the right specs to launch their lander, the Blue Ghost M1; which interestingly shared space in this rocket with another lander produced by a Japanese company called ispace, whose name you might recognize, as ispace managed to get a previous lunar lander, the Hakuto-R 1, to the moon in 2023, but communication was lost with the craft a few seconds before it was scheduled to land. It was confirmed later that year that the lander crashed; though again, even just getting something to the moon is a pretty impressive feat.So this SpaceX rocket, launched in mid-January of 2025, had two competing lunar landers on it, one made by Firefly and one made by ispace. That latter lander is scheduled to arrive on the surface sometime in early May of this year, though that might change, based on all sorts of variables. But the former, Firefly's Blue Ghost, successfully touched-down, soft-landing on the lunar surface on March 2.There's another lander from Intuitive Machines—the American company that can claim to be the first to successfully soft-land on the lunar surface, but whose first effort tipped over. Their new lander could arrive as soon as March 6, just days after Blue Ghost, and it'll be aiming for an area just 100 miles from the moon's south pole; an area that's of particular interest because of water ice contained in permanently shadowed areas thereabouts, which could be vital for long-term human occupation of the moon.So things are heating up on the lunar surface these days, but soft-landing something on the moon is still an accomplishment that few nations, much less private companies, have managed.In the past decade alone, India, Russia, and a nonprofit based in Israel have attempted and failed to achieve soft-landings, and those aforementioned Japanese and US companies managed to soft-land on the moon, but their landers tipped over, limiting the amount of research they could conduct once there. China is the only nation to have successfully achieved this feat on their first attempt, and they benefitted from decades of preexisting research and engineering know-how.And it's not surprising that this is such a rare feat: in addition to the incredible distances involved, the Blue Ghost lander was traveling at around 3,800 mph, which is more than 6,100 kpm just 11 minutes before it landed. It then had to slow itself down, while also adjusting its orientation in order to safely land on an uneven, crater-paved moonscape; it slowed to the pace of a slow walk just before it touched down.Science-wise, this lander is carrying tools that will help it measure the stickiness of regolith on different materials, that will allow for more precise measurements of the distance between earth and the moon, and that will help researchers study solar winds, radiation-tolerant technologies, and the moon's mantle. It has equipment that allowed it to detect GPS and Galileo signals from earth, which suggests these satellites might be used by craft and rovers on the moon, for navigation, at some point, and it has a drill that will allow it to penetrate the lunar regolith up to nine feet deep, among several other project assets.This has also served as a sort of proof of concept for this lander and mission type, as another Blue Ghost lander is scheduled to launch in 2026, that one aiming for the far side of the moon, with a third currently meant to head out in 2028, destined for a currently under-explored volcanic region.The aggregate goal of these US missions, alongside the research tools they deliver, is to eventually start building-out and supplying the necessary infrastructure for long-term human occupation of the moon, culminating with the construction of a permanently crewed base there.These sorts of ambitions aren't new, but this approach—funding companies to handle a lot of the legwork, rather than keeping those sorts of efforts in-house, within NASA—is novel, and it arguably recognizes the nature of the moment, which is increasingly defined by cheaper and cheaper, and in most ways better and better offerings by private space companies, while those deployed by NASA are still really solid and impressive, but incredibly slow and expensive to develop and deploy, in comparison.This is also happening at a moment of heightened geopolitical competition in space, and one in which private entities are equipping the nation states that would have traditionally dominates this industry.China's space agency has enjoyed a flurry of moon-related successes in recent years, and many of these missions have relied at least in part on efforts by private, or pseudo-private, as tends to be the case in China, companies.Business entities from all over the world are also regularly making the satellites and probes and components of landers that make these things work, so solar system exploration and space travel are no longer the exclusive wheelhouses of government agencies—the private sector is becoming a lot more influential in this area, and that's led to some novel security issues, alongside massive swings in influence and power for the folks running these companies: perhaps most notably SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's increasing sway over governments and even inter-governmental conflict, due in part to his company's space launch capabilities, and their capacity to beam internet down to conflict zones, earthside, via their StarLink satellite array.So this is an area that's heating up, both for earthbound and space-faring reasons, and the incentives and peculiarities of the private market are increasingly shaping the type of research and missions being conducted, while also changing the math of what's possible, how quickly, and maybe even what level of risk is acceptable within a given mission or program.Show Noteshttps://www.cnn.com/science/live-news/moon-landing-blue-ghost-03-02-25/index.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakuto-R_Mission_1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakuto-R_Mission_2https://spacenews.com/ae-industrial-partners-to-acquire-stake-in-firefly-from-noosphere/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_programhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Alphahttps://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-firefly-aerospace-for-artemis-commercial-moon-delivery-in-2023/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/22/18234604/firefly-aerospace-cape-canaveral-florida-launch-site-slc-20https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25861-next-generation-of-space-cowboys-get-ready-to-fly/https://apnews.com/article/moon-landings-failures-successes-545ea2f3ffa5a15893054b6f43bdbb98https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/science/blue-ghost-firefly-mission-1-moon-landing.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Aerospacehttps://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/were-on-the-moon-private-blue-ghost-moon-lander-aces-historic-lunar-landing-for-nasahttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9208qv1kzohttps://www.reuters.com/technology/space/us-firm-fireflys-blue-ghost-moon-lander-locks-lunar-touchdown-2025-03-02/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/science/intuitive-machines-second-moon-landing-launch-how-to-watch.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_south_polehttps://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/how-far-away-is-the-moonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landinghttps://www.space.com/12841-moon-exploration-lunar-mission-timeline.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_24 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

To start the episode, the guys dive into an exciting update regarding the creative control of the iconic James Bond franchise, which has now been fully handed over to Amazon MGM Studios. This significant shift marks a new era for the beloved series, as the streaming giant aims to infuse fresh ideas and innovative storytelling approaches into the legendary spy saga that has captivated audiences for decades. With Amazon's resources and vision, fans are left speculating about potential new directions for the franchise, including the possibility of spin-offs, mini-series, or even a reimagining of classic characters and narratives that have defined the Bond legacy over the years.Following this thrilling news, Cody enthusiastically shares with Joe the details about the newest adaptation from the acclaimed authors James S.A. Corey, known for their gripping science fiction series The Expanse. The latest work, titled Captive's War, is set to debut over at Amazon, and it promises to be a captivating addition to their growing catalog of original content. Cody elaborates on the premise, which involves intricate political maneuvering and intense conflict, and highlights how the narrative explores themes of power, survival, and the human condition in a richly developed universe that fans of the genre are sure to appreciate.As the conversation unfolds, the guys shift gears to discuss Christopher Nolan's latest cinematic endeavor, an epic film titled The Odyssey. They share their excitement over the first look at Matt Damon in the role of Odysseus, a character steeped in myth and adventure. The guys delve into the artistic choices Nolan is likely to employ, considering his reputation for visually stunning storytelling and complex narratives. They speculate on how this adaptation might differ from previous interpretations of the classic tale, exploring themes of heroism, temptation, and the trials of the human spirit as Odysseus embarks on his fateful journey home.Joe then takes the opportunity to discuss Fede Alvarez's intriguing concept for an Alien vs Predator movie, a crossover that has long been a topic of interest among fans of both franchises. The guys engage in a spirited conversation about what this film could entail, pondering the potential for thrilling action sequences, character dynamics, and the unique horror elements that both franchises are known for. They consider how Alvarez's vision might bring a fresh take to the beloved characters and settings, potentially revitalizing interest in a crossover that has had mixed reception in the past.Next on their agenda is a discussion about some exciting news regarding a new live-action Street Fighter movie. The guys reflect on the legacy of the Street Fighter franchise, both in gaming and film, and what this new adaptation might bring to the table. They explore the challenges of translating beloved characters and intricate storylines from the video game world to the big screen, as well as the expectations of fans who are eager for a faithful and engaging representation of their favorite fighters.Finally, the last topic for this episode centers around the announcement of a new animated series within the beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, titled Avatar: Seven Havens. The guys express their enthusiasm for this new addition, discussing the potential for rich storytelling and character development that fans have come to love. They speculate on the new adventures that await in this expansive universe, considering how the series might explore different cultures, elemental bending techniques, and the ongoing legacy of the Avatar. This discussion leaves listeners eager for more details and developments regarding this promising new series.Official Website: https://www.comesnaturallypodcast.comOfficial Merchandise: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/comes-naturally-podcast/iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/kqkgackFacebook: http://tinyurl.com/myovgm8Tumblr: http://tinyurl.com/m7a6mg9Twitter: @ComesNaturalPodYouTube: http://tiny.cc/5snxpy

We also each rank our top three first contact books at the end of the episode.This episode is sponsored by The Pythagorean by Alexander Morpheigh, which is available in print or kindle edition here.Join the Hugonauts book club on discord!Or you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoAll the books in the episode (with YT links to those we've got full episodes on, or search for them in your podcast app): Contact by Carl SaganEnder's Game by Orson Scott CardThe Sparrow by Mary Doria RussellThe Forever War by Joe HaldemanEmbassytown by China MiévilleRoadside Picnic by the Strugatsky BrothersThe War of the Worlds by H.G. WellsBlindsight by Peter WattsThe Expanse by James S.A. CoreyThe Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuinRendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. ClarkeThe Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry NivenSolaris by Stanislaw LemThe Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

On this episode, past guests of Books with Betsy and I share our favorite books of 2024! Listen to hear about lots of great 2024 books and the excellent backlist we got to this year.    Books mentioned in this episode:    Betsy's Top 11 Books (in no particular order):  Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe  The Reformatory by Tananarive Due  Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad  Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe  My Friends by Hisham Matar  Punk Rock Karaoke by Biana Xunise  Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle  Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner  We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer  Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  James by Percival Everett    Books Highlighted by Guests: Sam Luchsinger The Biography of X by Catherine Lacey The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig Wellness by Nathan Hill  Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice Francesca Musumeci  Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace  One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon  Nestlings by Nat Cassidy Cynthia Okechukwu Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan  Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler  Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe  Rachel Kilthorne The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib Anyone's Ghost by August Thompson The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with our Wild Neighbors by Erika Howsare The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Annette LaPlaca The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living by Alan Noble Slough House by Mick Herron  Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall Allison Yates Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell The Color Purple by Alice Walker  Jenn Moland-Kovash Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck Take What You Need by Idra Novey The Husbands by Holly Gramazio  The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer  Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara  Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez Mike Finucane A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders  The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth by Elizabeth Johnson  Couldn't Keep it to Myself: Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters ed. Wally Lamb Carolyn Latshaw The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric That Time I got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy  Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale Monika Janas Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  When Among Crows by Veronica Roth The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells Elantris by Brandon Sanderson  Tim Mueller The Thirteen Ways we Turned Darryl Datson into a Monster by Kurt Fawver Helliconia Spring by Brian Wilson Aldiss  The Room by Hubert Selby  The Terror by Dan Simmons Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 

It's the 19th annual iFanboy All Media Year End Roundup! Conor Kilpatrick, Josh Flanagan, and special guest Ron Richards discuss some of what they enjoyed in media in this, the year that was 2024. Note: Timecodes are subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. Running Time: 02:56:45 Movies: 00:02:12 - Year in Movies 00:03:52 - Anora 00:07:05 - Hit Man 00:08:51 - The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare 00:12:04 - Kneecap 00:13:48 - Challengers 00:16:32 - The Wild Robot 00:19:33 - Thelma 00:21:09 - The Bikeriders 00:23:21 - Gladiator II 00:26:31 - Juror #2 00:28:20 - Rebel Ridge 00:30:44 - Wonka 00:32:03 - Saturday Night 00:34:47 - Civil War 00:37:22 - The Fall Guy Television: 00:39:37 - Year in Television 00:40:50 - Shōgun 00:43:54 - Industry 00:49:03 - Reservation Dogs 00:50:01 - Fargo 00:52:57 - Shrinking 00:54:53 - Dark Winds 00:55:47 - True Detective: Night Country 01:00:18 - Ripley 01:02:56 - The Paris 2024 Olympics 01:04:11 - The Gentlemen 01:08:53 - Nobody Wants This 01:10:02 - Curb Your Enthusiasm 01:11:39 - Fallout 01:16:13 - English Teacher 01:19:38 - Network TV is Back! Music: 01:26:43 - Guided Tour by High Vis 01:28:55 - Green Day/Smashing Pumpkins/Rancid at Fenway Park 01:32:26 - Unt by Pinhead Gunpowder 01:34:33 - All of This Awaits You by Swami and the Bed of Nails 01:35:47 - Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee 01:37:35 - To All Trains by Shellac 01:42:00 - NOFX's Final Tour at Campanelli Stadium 01:45:31 - 69 Love Songs Live by The Magnetic Fields at The Town Hall Podcasts: 01:46:56 - The Plot Thickens: Decoding John Ford 01:47:35 - Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers 01:49:54 - Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast 01:51:18 - How Did This Get Made? 01:53:24 - Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics 01:54:13 - Pretty Sure I Can Fly 01:56:41 - Gone South 01:59:23 - Life of the Record 02:01:24 - Who Killed JFK? 02:05:24 - Revisionist History: Hitler's Olympics Books: 02:07:54 - Polostan: Vol. 1 of Bomb Light by Neal Stephenson 02:10:40 - The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey 02:12:54 - The Ministry of Time: A Novel by Kaliane Bradley 02:14:21 - The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson 02:17:04 - The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story by Sam Wasson 02:18:21 - Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman 02:20:16 - Since We Fell: A Novel by Dennis Lehane 02:22:22 - Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna 02:24:07 - We Solve Murders: A Novel by Richard Osman 02:25:07 - The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris 02:28:13 - Saint Vitus Bar: The First Ten Years, An Oral and Visual History by Nathaniel Shannon 02:30:40 - Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway by John DeVore 02:32:37 - Shōgun: A Novel of Japan by James Clavell 02:35:41 - Green Lantern: Sleepers, Book 1 by Christopher J. Priest Comics: 02:37:38 - The Amazing Spider-Man 02:39:28 - Batman & Robin: Year One 02:40:14 - Grommets 02:42:02 - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero 02:43:09 - Scarlett 02:44:34 - The Sensational She-Hulk 02:45:09 - Fantastic Four 02:47:07 - Nightwing 02:47:57 - Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees 02:49:37 - The Hunger and The Dusk Reason.fm helps you track podcast charts and stay ahead. See the top 100 Apple and Spotify rankings and track daily changes in the charts and category trends -- for free! Save time and discover what's hot now with Reason.fm. Brought To You By: • Better Help – This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ifanboy and get on your way to being your best self. • iFanboy Patrons • iFanboy T-Shirts and Merch Music: "Happy Holiday" Bing Crosby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Moira Quirk joins AudioFile's Michele Cobb to discuss a fantastical dark academia tale by M.L. Wang, BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN. Moira tells listeners about what she enjoys the most about narrating science fiction and fantasy audiobooks, and the particular challenges she encounters while narrating the genre. BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN not only explores the realm of dark academia, but also examines the ripple effects of colonization, and it makes for an engrossing listen. Read AudioFile's review of BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN. Published by Random House Audio. AudioFile's 2024 Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Audiobooks are: BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN by M.L. Wang, read by Moira Quirk THE CRONE OF MIDNIGHT EMBERS by Iris Beaglehole, read by Bethan Dixon Bate THE MERCY OF GODS by James S.A. Corey, read by Jefferson Mays THE STARS TOO FONDLY by Emily Hamilton, read by Vico Ortiz THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS by Katherine Arden, read by Michael Crouch, January LaVoy, Katherine Arden WHEN AMONG CROWS by Veronica Roth, read by Helen Laser, James Fouhey, Tim Campbell Find the full list of 2024 Best Audiobooks on our website. Today's episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at https://www.brilliancepublishing.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OPEN MIKE w/Michael Thiessen ~ November 01, 2024In this episode of Open Mike, Dr. Michael Thiessen interviews James S.M. Kitchen to discuss the ongoing legal case of Josh Alexander, who faces expulsion from school due to his Christian beliefs regarding gender. They explore the legal arguments surrounding religious discrimination, the role of school administration, and the implications of the case for future legal precedents. The discussion highlights the complexities of balancing freedom of expression with anti-bullying policies in educational settings. In this conversation, James Kitchen and Michael Thiessen discuss the ongoing legal battle involving Josh Alexander and the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board. They explore themes of unlawful actions by the school board, the implications of career advancement tied to social fads, the challenges of navigating legal consequences, and the complexities of religious discrimination in the context of current cultural issues. The discussion also touches on the impact of COVID-19 on religious rights, the cultural warfare surrounding these issues, and the importance of collective action in supporting legal battles against institutional resistance. SUPPORT OUR LEGAL ADVOCACY - Help us defend Canadians' God-given rights and liberties: https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/donate/; https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/liberty-defense-fund/our-legal-strategy/;SHOW SPONSORS:Invest with Rocklinc: info@rocklinc.com or call them at 905-631-546; Diversify Your Money with Bull Bitcoin: https://mission.bullbitcoin.com/lcc;BarterPay: https://barterpay.ca/; Barter It: https://vip.barterit.ca/launch;Get freedom from Censorious CRMs by singing up for SalesNexus: https://www.salesnexus.com/;Ready to own your own business? Join the Pro Fleet Care team today!: https://profleetcare.com/;Sick of Mainstream Media Lies? Help Support Independent Media! DONATE TO LCC TODAY!: https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/donate/ Please Support us in bringing you honest, truthful reporting and analysis from a Christian perspective.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR SHOWS/CHANNELS:LIBERTY DISPATCH PODCAST: https://libertydispatch.podbean.com; https://rumble.com/LDshow; OPEN MIKE WITH MICHAEL THIESSEN: https://openmikewithmichaelthiessen.podbean.com; https://rumble.com/openmike;CONTACT US:Questions/comments about podcasts/news/analysis: mailbag@libertycoalitioncanada.com;Questions/comments about donations: give@libertycoalitioncanada.com;Questions/comments that are church-related: churches@libertycoalitioncanada.com;General Inquiries: info@libertycoalitioncanada.com. STAY UP-TO-DATE ON ALL THINGS LCC:Gab: https://gab.com/libertycoalitioncanada Telegram: https://t.me/libertycoalitioncanadanews Instagram: https://instagram.com/libertycoalitioncanada Facebook: https://facebook.com/LibertyCoalitionCanada Twitter: @LibertyCCanada - https://twitter.com/LibertyCCanada Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LibertyCoalitionCanada YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@liberty4canada - WE GOT CANCELLED AGAIN!!! Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW and SHARE it with others!

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) is joined by our favorite Hawaiian Shirt Mustache MOFO Brett Simmons! The guys do a deep dive into a patron requested flick and talk about the difficulties of game adaptations.

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham are joined by our favorite Hawaiian Shirt Mustache MoFo Brett Simmons. This is an episode we have been wanting to do for a while now and before Wes heads off to shoot his movie we decided to finally do it.

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) is joined by our favorite Hawaiian Shirt Mustache motherfucker Brett Simmons! again and they go full on into the madness that is Mandy... and Nicholas Cage! We will be spoiling the crap out of the movie Mandy so you have been warned.

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) is joined by our favorite Hawaiian Shirt Mustache motherfucker Brett Simmons! Ty decided to be COLD BLOODED to Wes while he is off having a wank and selected Furiosa are the deep dive this week. I hope everyone enjoys this episode as much as I did!

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham ('Amos Burton' on The Expanse) decided to do a classic movie from the 70s Chinatown. Disclaimer we know Roman Polanski has a troubled history, but this is a favorite movie of Wes' and also a one of the best neo-noir films ever made. Oh and there is this guy named Jack Nicholson in it too. He had an ok career I guess... shis career was so epic the guys hard a hard time with the top 5.

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham ('Amos Burton' on The Expanse) are joined by Isaiah Mustafa who you might know from his Old Spice commercials and greek god physique to discuss a movie which has come up an endless amount of times on our podcast... WEIRD SCIENCE! In addition to Weird Science the guys rank the top Bill Paxton performances.

Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham ('Amos Burton' on The Expanse) actually agreed with Producer Joe for once so we did an episode dedicated to awesome Bad Guys & their squads.

“The Jetsons” premiered in 1962. And based on the internal math of the show, George Jetson, the dad, was born in 2022. He'd be a toddler right now. And we are so far away from the world that show imagined. There were a lot of future-trippers in the 1960s, and most of them would be pretty disappointed by how that future turned out.So what happened? Why didn't we build that future?The answer, I think, lies in the 1970s. I've been spending a lot of time studying that decade in my work, trying to understand why America is so bad at building today. And James Pethokoukis has also spent a lot of time looking at the 1970s, in his work trying to understand why America is less innovative today than it was in the postwar decades. So Pethokoukis and I are asking similar questions, and circling the same time period, but from very different ideological vantages.Pethokoukis is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and author of the book “The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised.” He also writes a newsletter called Faster, Please! “The two screamingly obvious things that we stopped doing is we stopped spending on science, research and development the way we did in the 1960s,” he tells me, “and we began to regulate our economy as if regulation would have no impact on innovation.”In this conversation, we debate why the '70s were such an inflection point; whether this slowdown phenomenon is just something that happens as countries get wealthier; and what the government's role should be in supporting and regulating emerging technologies like A.I.Mentioned:“U.S. Infrastructure: 1929-2017” by Ray C. FairBook RecommendationsWhy Information Grows by Cesar HidalgoThe Expanse series by James S.A. CoreyThe American Dream Is Not Dead by Michael R. StrainThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Annie Galvin, Elias Isquith and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. And special thanks to Sonia Herrero.

Back in 2018, Dario Amodei worked at OpenAI. And looking at one of its first A.I. models, he wondered: What would happen as you fed an artificial intelligence more and more data?He and his colleagues decided to study it, and they found that the A.I. didn't just get better with more data; it got better exponentially. The curve of the A.I.'s capabilities rose slowly at first and then shot up like a hockey stick.Amodei is now the chief executive of his own A.I. company, Anthropic, which recently released Claude 3 — considered by many to be the strongest A.I. model available. And he still believes A.I. is on an exponential growth curve, following principles known as scaling laws. And he thinks we're on the steep part of the climb right now.When I've talked to people who are building A.I., scenarios that feel like far-off science fiction end up on the horizon of about the next two years. So I asked Amodei on the show to share what he sees in the near future. What breakthroughs are around the corner? What worries him the most? And how are societies that struggle to adapt to change and governments that are slow to react to them supposed to prepare for the pace of change he predicts? What does that line on his graph mean for the rest of us?Mentioned:Sam Altman on The Ezra Klein ShowDemis Hassabis on The Ezra Klein ShowOn Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt“Measuring the Persuasiveness of Language Models” by AnthropicBook Recommendations:The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard RhodesThe Expanse (series) by James S.A. CoreyThe Guns of August by Barbara W. TuchmanThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Annie Galvin, Kristin Lin and Aman Sahota. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.