Podcasts about Spock

Fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise

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Latest podcast episodes about Spock

The Joy of Trek
By Any Other Name (TOS S2 E22)

The Joy of Trek

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 93:03


By Any Other Name (Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), S2 E22) was recommended by Toledo (toe-LEE-dough), he/him, who said: I first encountered this episode, as I did many TOS episodes, in elementary school while I read collections of James Blish's novelizations from the 70s. Even in text, there were elements I found to be genuinely horrifying: super-powerful aliens that apparently are normally giant, tentacled Lovecraftian creatures; they're coming to conquer the galaxy; machines give them the power to immobilize people and to transform them into helpless, easily- and callously-destroyed polyhedra.It give us a rare example of intergalactic travel in Star Trek: the Kelvans are from Andromeda, arrived in a generation ship, and wish to return.It offers a very clever narrative use of aliens looking exactly human: it's a necessary shapeshifting adaptation for the Kelvans to use the Enterprise, but it's also the key to their demise.I think this episode offers some early vocal callbacks to previous episodes, demonstrating how TOS sometimes handled continuity -- and foreshadowing later Trek. Examples include callouts to "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (galactic barrier) and "A Taste of Armageddon" _Vulcan mind tricks).Tons of genuine silliness: the Kelvans' reactions to humans, Scotty's iconic "it is green."By Any Other Name first aired on February 9, 1968, written by story by Jerome Bixby, teleplay by D. C. Fontana and Jerome Bixby, and directed by Marc DanielsTelepathic aliens take control of Kirk and Spock's bodies with the intention to build new, mechanized bodies for themselves. After receiving a distress signal from a planet deep in the galaxy and far from the last charted area, the Enterprise is contacted by a life form of pure energy that wishes Kirk, Spock, Dr. Mulhall and Bones to beam down. They meet Sargon, a conscious mind trapped in a machine. Sargon explains that their civilization travelled space just like Kirk centuries ago and left people in various star systems to colonize. But this planet suffered a war where all but a few people destroyed themselves. Sargon, his wife and another remain alive like this and wish to take control of Kirk, Spock and Dr. Mulhall's bodies to make android bodies for themselves. The Enterprise accepts their offer after deliberation and Sargon begins work. To allow the body to sustain this transformation, Henock, the third alien, makes a potion to help but has other plans. Sargon devizes a plan to destroy him, apologizes to the Enterprise and accepts their fate thereby ceasing to exist.[2]The Joy of Trek is hosted by Khaki & Kay, with editing & production by Chief Engineer Greg and music by Fox Amoore (Bandcamp | Bluesky)Send us your recommendations, or support us on Patreon.Find us at joyoftrek.com · Twitter · Facebook

Casual Trek - A Star Trek Recap and Ranking Podcast

Put on your best private detective hat and prepare to get into character as we talk step into the Holodeck and prepare ourselves for inevitable disappointment. In ‘The Practical Joker,' the Enterprise computer gets wacky while Bones, Sulu and Uhura fail to enjoy a primitive Holodeck. In ‘My Way,' Odo uses AI to make girls like him and we get a lot of song and dance numbers (and the best IDW comics pitch) as we meet Vic Fontaine while in Strange New Worlds' Space Adventure Hour, La'an gets to beta-test the Holodeck and nearly kills everyone on the Enterprise doing so. Typical. Bloody Typical.Miles is a Jerk!

SHOW NOTES: The Practical Joker (07:50) My Way (28:49) Space Adventure Hour (55:03)

TALKING POINTS: The Knives, Doctor Who, the Southern Reach series (and the only film where Miles nearly wet himself in the cinema) Brighton Wok the Legend of Ganja Boxing, TAS actually pulling off some Shacting, Unfortunate stains, a noncanonical reason for Chekov's absence from TAS, Romulan pranks are usually pretty deadly, Hamboning, Odo secretly being a gossipy bitch, Miles and Charlie talk relationship advice, Tom Jones in Star Trek, we come up with the PERFECT IDW Comic pitch, Miles hates when 50s SF TV and Cinema is immediatly shown to be crap, The Last Frontier feels too mean spirited to be affectionate, the cast getting to play, Uhura and Scotty is a great contrast to Uhura at the start of Strange New Worlds, the L'an and Spock pairing seems weird and the show is obsessed with making us know Spock ***ks, Vulcan Walk of Shame, Charlie has tried to Riker a chair (Update: Charlie can still Riker a chair)

PEDANT'S CORNER: Top of the Pops and Old Grey Whistle Test are BBC Music shows, there was some BS about flags in the British News hence the strange tangent about flags. Neighbors and Home and Away are two long running Australian soap operas that were incredibly popular in the UK back in the day.

Star Trek Podcast: Trekcast
Trekcast 442: New Life and New Civilizations

Star Trek Podcast: Trekcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2025 72:10 Transcription Available


Pike and Batel Call It Quits! The Strange New Worlds season finale delivers shocking revelations and sets the stage for Season 4—did it stick the landing? We'll share our full review and reactions. Meanwhile, Paramount is shaking things up with major corporate changes, including the launch of a brand-new sports division. Plus, get ready for Star Trek: Year One—we'll break down everything we know about this exciting new project. And Spock himself is pushing hard for Star Trek 4—we'll explain what Ethan Peck had to say. All this and more, right here on Trekcast: The Galaxy's Most Listened To Star Trek Podcast.News:Paramount creates new Sports divisionhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-sports-entertainment-division-jesse-sisgold-1236368113/Star Trek Year Onehttps://trekmovie.com/2025/08/06/star-trek-year-one-would-fill-the-gap-of-untold-stories-of-kirks-enterprise/Zachary Quinto is pushing for Star Trek 4https://screenrant.com/star-trek-4-status-update-zachary-quinto/"New Life and New Civilizations"Directed by Maja VrviloWritten by Dana Horgan & Davy PerezAs Batel prepares to leave the Enterprise to take up her new role, the crew discover that the Vezda has escaped from the transporter pattern buffer in a reconstruction of Gamble's body. Korby finds Gamble at a doorway to the Vezda prison and the Enterprise goes to rescue him. This is a trap to lure out M'Benga, as he and Gamble need to be together to open the doorway. The crew learn that the unique combination of DNA inside Batel matches the biology of the Beholder statue that guards the prison. To open the doorway without M'Benga and Gamble, the crew devise a plan to simultaneously fire on it from the Enterprise and the Farragut; Spock performs a mind meld with James Kirk so the two can perfectly sync their actions. Pike and Batel enter the prison and confront Gamble, who destroys the Beholder and frees the other Vezda. Using her emerging power, Batel creates an illusion in which she and Pike live a full and happy life together. She then traps all the Vezda in the prison and becomes the Beholder. Pike struggles to move on without Batel as the Enterprise sets out to explore uncharted planets.Trekcast: The Galaxy's Most Unpredictable Star Trek Podcast!Welcome to Trekcast, the galaxy's most unpredictable Star Trek podcast! We're a fan-made show that dives into everything Star Trek, plus all things sci-fi, nerdy, and geeky—covering Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Stargate, and more.But Trekcast isn't just about warp drives and superheroes. If you love dad jokes, rescuing dogs, and even saving bears, you'll fit right in! Expect fun, laughs, and passionate discussions as we explore the ever-expanding universe of fandom.Join us for a wild ride through the stars—subscribe to Trekcast today! Connect with us: trekcasttng@gmail.comLeave us a voicemail - (570) 661-0001‬Check out our merch store at Trekcast.comHelp support the show - ko-fi.com/trekcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/star-trek-podcast-trekcast--5651491/support.

Subspace Transmissions: A Star Trek Podcast
Strange New Worlds: "New Life and New Civilizations" (#560)

Subspace Transmissions: A Star Trek Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2025 45:15


Hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton transform into statues while wrapping up Strange New Worlds S3 with the season finale New Life and New Civilizations. From Captain Batel's unlikely destiny, to Kirk and Spock's mind meld and Gamble's return, the duo weigh in on all the big talking points.  Join our Facebook page for exclusive content such as videos and bonus episodes.  And you can also visit our blog, or follow us on Twitter and YouTube! Send any other questions, topic ideas or feedback to subspacetransmissionspod@gmail.com! Related Podcast Episodes: The Fine Art of the Season Finale DSC: "Life, Itself" Starfleet Vs. Super-Powered Beings   Join us next time as we debate Trek's biggest long shots!

Trek In Time
201: Star Trek SNW, "Terrarium”

Trek In Time

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 49:15


https://youtu.be/p8ZNlbawOW0Matt and Sean talk about befriending a Gorn, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds', “Terrarium”. (00:00) - Intro (05:58) - Viewer feedback (09:15) - Today's episode (13:06) - This time in history (17:00) - Episode discussion YouTube version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/trekintimeAudio version of the podcast: https://www.trekintime.showGet in touch: https://trekintime.show/contactFollow us on X: @byseanferrell @mattferrell or @undecidedmf ★ Support this podcast ★

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon
Strange New Worlds Ep 310- New Life and New Civilizations

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 55:22


Watching Now: Strange New Worlds is a Watching Now podcast from Couch Soup. Join us for reactions, reviews, and excitement about all things Trek. There's plenty of Star Wars here, let's pick up the Trek and go boldly on together! Join us for some laughs and ultra-nerdy discussion!

SyFy Sistas
Phil Morris: A Star Trek Legacy

SyFy Sistas

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 62:26


His Father's Son As we celebrate the 59th anniversary of Star Trek, we sit down with legend Phil Morris. From his childhood debut on The Original Series to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, DS9, and Voyager, Phil shares stories from a lifetime in the Trek universe. We also dive into his storied career as DC superheroes, his turn as an infamous TV lawyer (Seinfeld), and his inspiring podcast with sister, Iona. Follow Phil Morris https://www.instagram.com/thephilmorris? https://www.facebook.com/philmorrisfanpage

 Check out “The Vison is Possible” with Iona and Phil Morris
https://www.youtube.com/@TheVisionIsPossible Associate Producers: Sailor Marj, Karen Dramera, and Stephanie Baker Thank you to Dena Massenburg for our dope logo: @blackbeanz70 Music: “Poppin off the Rip”
 Artist: RAGE
Source: YouTube Audio Library SUPPORT US ON PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/syfysistas SUBSCRIBE > LIKE > SHARE:
https://linktr.ee/syfysistas You can find the SyFy Sistas and our family of podcasts on The Trek Geeks Podcasts Network: https://trekgeeks.com 

 FANSETS - Our pins... have character. Thank you to our friends at FanSets for being the presenting sponsor of the Trek Geeks Podcasts. Tune in to this episode to get an exclusive code and score 10% off your entire purchase! https://fansets.com STRANGER COMICS - THE BEST IN FANTASY COMICS! Tune in to this episode to get an exclusive code and score 10% off your entire purchase! http://www.strangercomics.com/

Trek Geeks Podcast Network
SyFy Sistas Phil Morris: A Star Trek Legacy

Trek Geeks Podcast Network

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 62:26


His Father's Son As we celebrate the 59th anniversary of Star Trek, we sit down with legend Phil Morris. From his childhood debut on The Original Series to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, DS9, and Voyager, Phil shares stories from a lifetime in the Trek universe. We also dive into his storied career as DC superheroes, his turn as an infamous TV lawyer (Seinfeld), and his inspiring podcast with sister, Iona. Follow Phil Morris https://www.instagram.com/thephilmorris? https://www.facebook.com/philmorrisfanpage

 Check out “The Vison is Possible” with Iona and Phil Morris
https://www.youtube.com/@TheVisionIsPossible Associate Producers: Sailor Marj, Karen Dramera, and Stephanie Baker Thank you to Dena Massenburg for our dope logo: @blackbeanz70 Music: “Poppin off the Rip”
 Artist: RAGE
Source: YouTube Audio Library SUPPORT US ON PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/syfysistas SUBSCRIBE > LIKE > SHARE:
https://linktr.ee/syfysistas You can find the SyFy Sistas and our family of podcasts on The Trek Geeks Podcasts Network: https://trekgeeks.com 

 FANSETS - Our pins... have character. Thank you to our friends at FanSets for being the presenting sponsor of the Trek Geeks Podcasts. Tune in to this episode to get an exclusive code and score 10% off your entire purchase! https://fansets.com STRANGER COMICS - THE BEST IN FANTASY COMICS! Tune in to this episode to get an exclusive code and score 10% off your entire purchase! http://www.strangercomics.com/

We’re Watching Star Trek
S03 E17 - That Which Survives

We’re Watching Star Trek

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 56:42


Kirk, Sulu, McCoy, and....D'Amato...get stranded on a planet while Spock reverts into trying to be a living computer. A woman destroys the crews cells until her cube is broken by the most competent security member we've ever seen.   X @WWST_Podcast

Antimatter Pod
212. Gamer Gorn Girlfriend (SNW 3.09)

Antimatter Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 63:07


Anika and Liz get sucked into a wormhole and trapped on a moon orbiting a gas giant, which is actually pretty standard when you're adults with jobs trying to organise a board game night. We're discussing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 3, episode 9, "Terrarium", an episode which comes so close to being good before it snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.  "We're going to give you the stories you've been asking for since season 1, and then we're gonna end it with a twist that makes it all totally meaningless! Hurray!" Good news, Akiva Goldsman finally watched "Arena"! Next question, did he, um, understand it?  Anika has notes on Metron experiment design The AUDACITY of SNW criticising the Gorn for ableism This was an opportunity to let Uhura become a more complex and flawed character, but unfortunately Pike is bad at his job (and so are the writers) Is La'an actually psychologically fit for starship duty?  Why are we making fun of Spock's weight? Why is this whole season so dedicated to bullying Spock?  Endangering 4,000 people including children: that's the Christopher Pike way But seriously, why does Uhura have sole responsibility for this problem? Why is Pike setting her up to fail? 

TV Tan Podcast
TV Tan 0547: Temu Homelander

TV Tan Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 63:26


Bill Frost (CityWeekly.net, X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk Only Murders in the Building, Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television, The Girlfriend, aka Charlie Sheen, The Wrong Paris, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, The 77th Emmys, Doc, Ride With Norman Reedus, Peacemaker, R.I.P. (?) The Great North, Bill's Movie Korner: Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Tommy's Movie Korner: Thunderbolts, The Paper, Rasslin' News, Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (aka Spock's Got Game), and more.Drinking: Vienna Amber and Czech Pils from OFFICIAL TV Tam sponsor Bohemian Brewery.Yell at us (or order a TV Tan T-shirt) @TVTanPodcast on Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Gmail.Rate us and comment: Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, Amazon Podcasts, Audible, TuneIn Radio, etc. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tvtanpodcast.substack.com

The Nextlander Watchcast
150: Star Trek: Bread and Circuses and Assignment: Earth

The Nextlander Watchcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 122:22


The finale of Star Trek Summer is upon us, and before we send the crew of the Enterprise on their merry way, we've got a final pair of adventures to get through! First up, yet another old-human-society-on-an-alien-planet-thing in Bread and Circuses, then we meet Assignment: Earth's Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln, two crazy kids in the 1960s who have to stop World War III while Kirk and Spock stand around watching. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 150: Star Trek: Bread and Circuses and Assignment: Earth (00:00:33) - Intro. (00:01:01) - Wasting no time at all launching straight into Bread and Circuses (and all the other Earth-like planet episodes). (00:06:59) - Some of the fraught background of this episode's production. (00:12:50) - Our penultimate guest cast. (00:19:13) - Planet Rome. (00:23:34) - Sun worshipers? They're more common than you think! (00:30:36) - At least we get a properly slimy villain in this episode. (00:37:50) - Sending Spock and Bones into the arena. (00:41:13) - The tank is on E and we've still got almost 15 minutes left in the episode. (00:49:08) - Are we really tacking a Jesus thing on here? Yes we are. (00:51:55) - What happens to this planet after this? And final thoughts. (00:55:00) - Break! (00:55:28) - We're back, and it's time to head back home in Assignment: Earth! (00:58:08) - The Star Trek Spin-Off Showcase! (01:01:59) - Cast chat, wherein we learn of Teri Garr's distaste for Star Trek and its fans. (01:05:23) - Brushing up against history. (01:09:12) - Here comes Gary. (01:16:34) - Gary has a mission (and a sick office). (01:20:45) - Oh no, a normal human woman! (01:24:46) - Here come Spock and Kirk to...stand around mostly? (01:26:01) - Wacky antics ensue. (01:29:00) - Gary climbs a rocket, Roberta messes with stuff. (01:35:46) - Kirk and Spock crash into the final scene for just long enough to do something lightly important. (01:40:25) - World War III is averted, but Gary Seven was never brought to series, so it all comes out in the wash. (01:44:15) - Final thoughts. (01:45:40) - Time for our favorites (and least favorites) of the season. (01:57:56) - What we have coming up in September. (02:01:30) - Outro.

Captains Quadrant
Star Trek Strange New Worlds | Four-and-a-Half Vulcans

Captains Quadrant

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2025 76:18


Spock's logic. T'Paal's chill. Amanda's surprise. Which Vulcans stole the spotlight this week? We're breaking down four—and yes, half—Vulcan moments from SNW S3E5, unearthing Easter eggs, debating fan theories, and forecasting what's next on the U.S.S. Enterprise.Join our Patreon https://patreon.com/CaptainsQuadrant?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink#StrangeNewWorlds #StarTrek #fourandahalfVulcans #CaptainsQuadrant #SNW #vulcans #TOS

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon
Strange New Worlds Ep 309

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2025 50:59


Watching Now: Strange New Worlds is a Watching Now podcast from Couch Soup. Join us for reactions, reviews, and excitement about all things Trek. There's plenty of Star Wars here, let's pick up the Trek and go boldly on together! Join us for some laughs and ultra-nerdy discussion!

All-New Culture Cast
Star Trek: Mudd's Women

All-New Culture Cast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2025 61:23


This week, Nick and the Gorehound talk about the classic Star Trek episode "Mudd's Women" from 1966. Or at least, they talk about it occasionally. Wild tangents is what this episode is all about.  Cover originated from Image from (John Adams/PhoenixPhotography) and from Warp Factor Trek: https://warpfactortrek.com/the-original-series-mudds-women-in-review/ 

Trek In Time
200: Star Trek SNW, "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”

Trek In Time

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 29:34


https://youtu.be/cA2WX1_TP10Matt and Sean talk about too much of an emotionless thing, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds', Season 3, Episode 7, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans.” (00:00) - - Intro (02:51) - - Viewer Feedback (07:30) - - Today's Episode (08:58) - - This Time in History (10:51) - - Episode Discussion YouTube version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/trekintimeAudio version of the podcast: https://www.trekintime.showGet in touch: https://trekintime.show/contactFollow us on X: @byseanferrell @mattferrell or @undecidedmf ★ Support this podcast ★

Tread Perilously
Tread Perilously -- Star Trek TOS: Catspaw

Tread Perilously

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 121:11


Tread Perilously begins its annual Star Trek month with an episode of the original series called "Catspaw." When a landing party including Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu is overdue, Captain Kirk meets the one person to come back in the transporter bay only for the red shirt to die moments later. Soon, Kirk, Spock, and Bones beam down to determine what's going on as the sensors claim there is no life on the surface. Soon, the trio encounter their missing crewmates, who have been hypnotized by aliens with amazing god-like powers. Will Kirk be able to use his wits and raw animal magnetism to confuse and defeat his opponents? Erik and Justin zero in on William Shatner's seeming oversight of the episode. Guest characters Korob and Sylvia are examined for their potential as Q Continuum characters. Sci-fi nomenclature gets a moment to shine. James Doohan gets his props for making Scotty's admiration of Kirk so convincing. Shatner's mother also makes another appearance thanks to the actor choosing a curious way to say a certain word. McCoy's anti-Vulcan rhetoric gets examined. Wahl's Herring Candy reappears. Checkov's hair provokes comments. Justin tries to figure out why Robert Bloch turned in such a weak script. Lot of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds talk occurs and Spock somehow joins the commentary.

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast
ID 208: Strange New Worlds, “Four and a half Vulcans”

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 104:29


Chrissie and Thad talk with Robb Pearlman about the Strange New Worlds episode, “Four and a half Vulcans.”Join us in BQN Podcast Collective on Facebook. Find us on the socials:The Network: @BQNPodcastsThe Show: @IDICPodcast.  Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia.  Thad: @Tyranicus. And our guest: Robb Pearlman, @RobbPearlmanThe BQN Podcast Collective is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network! Jerry AntimanoRyan DamonDavidChristina De Clerck-SzilagyiSusan L. De ClerckLars Di ScenzaDaniel EvansMatt HarkerThad HaitPeter HongWilliam J. JacksonJaxJenediahSamuel JohnsonMei MJim McMahonJoe MignonePatreon UserJonathan SnowStevenTom Van ScotterDavid WillettCarl WondersJoin the Hive Mind Collective at https://www.Patreon.com/BQN and become an integral part of our podcast. Your unique perspective and support will help us continue to produce high-quality content that you love!Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc. “BQN” is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.

The Random Redshirt
Season 7 Episode 27: Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 8 "Four and a Half Vulcans"

The Random Redshirt

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 74:52


Episode 8 of Strange New Worlds brings us back to another light hearted episode with four of the crew (Pike, Uhura, Chapel and La'an) turning into full fledged Vulcans. Oh ya and the half Vulcan....Spock! There's just one problem...Pike, Uhura, Chapel and La'an don't want to turn back to themselves. What ensues is oddity, hilarity, and any many eyebrow raising moments that will make you go...."Fascinating".

Strange New Worlds Fancast
"Four-And-A-Half Vulcans" S3E8 Review SNWF040

Strange New Worlds Fancast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 58:39


Episode Notes Redshirt number 626 (Carolyn from Artie's Attic) joins the crew once again with fellow Redshirts Jake (Redshirt number 35) and SP (Redshirt number 17 aka "Scotty") to discuss and review the eighth episode of the 3rd season titled "Four-And-A-Half Vulcans." The crew discuss catastrophic oopsies, Jim Kirk gaslighting Scotty, extreme Vulcans, sexy Chapel in the kitchen, Patton Oswalt FINALLY becoming part of the Star Trek universe as "Doug," Pike's very nerdy Vulcan impression, Batel's unrealistic storyline, enough of Spoc'An, Uhura as a controlling girlfriend, Spock's lying, that epic post credit scene, and all the camp. Thank you so much for listening to our coverage of Strange New Worlds. Email: strangenewworldscast@gmail.com Twitter: https://x.com/trek_worlds Best place to find SP: http://www.GonnaGeek.com/discord Best place to find Jake: https://x.com/cynicaloldman48 Best place to find Carolyn: https://x.com/ocean363

La Órbita De Endor - podcast-
LODE 2x35 STAR TREK vol.2 La Nueva Generación - Episodio exclusivo para mecenas

La Órbita De Endor - podcast-

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 216:22


Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! El espacio, la última frontera, éste es el podcast La órbita de Endor en una misión que durará 3 monográficos dedicados a la exploración de mundos desconocidos, al descubrimiento de nuevas vidas, de nuevas civilizaciones, hasta alcanzar lugares donde nadie ha podido llegar. Es decir, que hoy hablamos de nuevo de STAR TREK. Se trata del segundo volumen de tres dedicado a esta increíble y mítica saga espacial, una de las más importantes del universo friki. En esta ocasión, junto a nuestro entendido en la materia, Francisco Javier Prados, nos centraremos únicamente en la serie titulada LA NUEVA GENERACIÓN, así como las cuatro películas que conforman el grueso de las aventuras que tenían como protagonistas a la tripulación del Capitán Picard. Por supuesto, Jean Luc Picard, William Ryker, la doctora Crusher, el ingeniero Geordi LaForge, la consejera Troi y, por supuesto, el genial androide Data, nos acompañarán en un monográfico muy especial, en el que aportaremos un torrente gravitatorio de información y datos sobre una ambientación única. Además, os ofreceremos una parodia de esta serie muy particular, made in Lode. Y para culminar un programa de más de 3,5 horas, os ofrecemos una entrevista con José Fernández Mediavilla, director del doblaje de toda la serie original de Star Trek, así como de 5 de 7 temporadas de La Nueva Generación, y que prestó su voz al mismísimo Spock, así como al teniente Worf, que nos contará no pocas anécdotas sobre todos esos años en que ha estado implicado con esta saga. Nuestro motor de curvatura está listo para máxima potencia. Es la hora viajar por el cosmos con la mítica Enterprise. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

La Órbita De Endor - podcast-
LODE 2x32 STAR TREK vol 1 - Episodio exclusivo para mecenas

La Órbita De Endor - podcast-

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 144:46


Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! El espacio, la última frontera, este es el podcast La órbita de Endor en una misión que durará 3 monográficos dedicados a la exploración de mundos desconocidos, al descubrimiento de nuevas vidas, de nuevas civilizaciones, hasta alcanzar lugares donde nadie ha podido llegar. Es decir, que hoy hablamos de STAR TREK. Se trata del primer volumen de tres dedicado a esta increíble y mítica saga espacial, una de las más importantes del universo friki. En esta ocasión, junto a nuestro entendido en la materia, Francisco Javier Prados, nos centraremos únicamente en la serie original, así como las seis primeras películas, que conforman el grueso de las aventuras que tenían como protagonistas a la tripulación del Capitán Kirk. Por supuesto, el señor Spock, el doctor McCoy, la señorita Uhura, el oficial Sulu y, por supuesto, el bueno de Scotty desde las salas de ingeniería, también nos acompañarán en un monográfico tan especial como espacial, en el que aportaremos un torrente gravitatorio de información y datos sobre una ambientación única. Nuestro motor de curvatura está listo para máxima potencia. Es la hora viajar por el cosmos con la mítica Enterprise. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

The Duras Sisters Podcast
TNG Part 2: Geordi's First Kill

The Duras Sisters Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 129:52


Episode 4: Romulans What happened between Spock and Pardek? Are Picard and Data trying to get caught? Did Spock read Troi's file? Where did Shinzon get Picard's DNA? Why weren't there more consequences for the Romulans in these episodes? Join Ashlyn and Rhianna as we discuss the Romulan episodes in seasons 5-7 of The Next Generation. This is the fourth episode of the Romulan series, where Ashlyn and Rhianna talk about the Romulan episodes in every Star Trek show, discussing every Star Trek series. SPOILER WARNING: The Next Generation and Nemesis Next time, we'll travel 70,000 lightyears to discuss Romulans in the Delta Quadrant and on Voyager! Don't worry, we'll be back for DS9 after! DISCLAIMER: We do not own any of the rights to Star Trek or its affiliations. This content is for review only. Our intro and outro is by Jerry Goldsmith. Rule of Acquisition #59: Free advice is seldom cheap. Please check out our Patreon and donate any $1, $6, $10, or $20 per month to access exclusive episodes of trivia, documentary review, and reviews of every episode of The Animated Series, Lower Decks and the Short Treks. Head to https://www.patreon.com/thedurassisterspodcast for all this and more!

The Nextlander Watchcast
149: Star Trek: The Omega Glory and The Ultimate Computer

The Nextlander Watchcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 123:42


We've had a lot of splits on the Watchcast recently where we end up with a great Star Trek episode and a not-so-great Star Trek episode on the same podcast, but the gulf between great and not-so-great has never been greater than it is this week as we tackle The Omega Glory and The Ultimate Computer! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 149: Star Trek: The Omega Glory and The Ultimate Computer (00:00:31) - Intro (and by intro, we mean trying to understand what the hell The Omega Glory is). (00:11:46) - Alright, let's start tearing into this thing for real and figure out who's responsible. (00:19:42) - What poor guest actors were subjected to this? (00:24:07) - They had us in the first 15 minutes. (00:29:21) - Talkin' Yang about the fountain of youth. (00:37:55) - How long can we stretch this jail cell fight. (00:43:00) - The snowball of stupid has officially started rolling down the hill. (00:47:45) - Welcome to chunk four, the worst chunk of all. (00:56:02) - A big dumb fist fight, Spock hypnotizes women now, and Kirk gives his history report. (01:04:49) - Final thoughts, such as they are. (01:08:25) - Break! (01:08:55) - We're back, and we should talk about an episode that doesn't suck, The Ultimate Computer! (01:10:11) - Production talk. (01:12:59) - We've got a heck of a guest star for this one. (01:17:36) - Launching into the unusually prescient plot. (01:28:36) - The M5 is perfect. Tooooo perfect. (01:34:04) - You put a brain in a computer? (01:43:39) - Has a war games scenario on Star Trek ever not resulted in unexpected consequences? (01:46:43) - Daystrom has gone bye-bye. (01:50:01) - The last time Kirk talks a computer to death (this season). (01:58:40) - Final thoughts. (02:00:06) - Housekeeping for next week. (02:03:09) - Outro.

Discovery Panel
Episodenbesprechung: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” (S03E08)

Discovery Panel

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 134:56


Shore Leave gestrichen, Logik aktiviert: „Four-And-A-Half Vulcans“ serviert euch Lirpas, Laserblicke und Frisuren, die eigene Orbits brauchen. Wir sprechen über Pikes 42-Minuten-Schichtplan (Produktivität oder Performance-Kunst?), Uhuras Mind-Meld-Feintuning beim Date, La'Ans Versuch, den Alpha-Quadranten als 4D-Schachbrett neu zu bespielen, Pasalks Salz-Detox und natürlich DOUG (Patton Oswalt), der Spock in High-Fives und Kontraktionen coacht: „High five. Down low. It's.“ Bonus: Musikmontage mit „Reckless Youth“, Katra-Space mit Belugas (Cetacean Ops lässt grüßen), Plomeek-Suppe mit brutal ehrlicher Rezension und eine Tanztherapie, die aus einem Kampf wächst. Wir nehmen auch die große Frage mit: Was macht uns aus – Essenz oder Aufführung? Aristoteles nickt, Judith Butler tanzt. Holt euch den Spaß-Boost, schnallt euch an für Kanon-Schmankerl und feiert mit uns eine Folge, die so sehr eskaliert, dass selbst die Logik kurz kichert. #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds #SNW #FourAndAHalfVulcans #DiscoveryPanel #StarTrekPodcast #Spock #Pike #Uhura #LaAn #Chapel #PattonOswalt #CetaceanOps #Katra #Lirpa #PrimeDirective #PlomeekSoup #RecklessYouth #PodcastTime

Star Trek Podcast: Trekcast
Trekcast 440: Four-and-a-Half Vulcans

Star Trek Podcast: Trekcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2025 51:02 Transcription Available


Strange New Worlds Review: “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”Strange New Worlds delivers another comedy-driven episode with “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans.” But does the humor land, or fall flat? We break it all down. Michelle Yeoh on Section 31 Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh opens up about the challenges behind bringing Star Trek: Section 31 to life. Starfleet Academy UpdateWe've got the latest news on Starfleet Academy—what fans can expect and where the series stands now. Paramount's Big MovesParamount is making some surprising decisions. Could they reshape the future of Star Trek? All this and more on the galaxy's favorite Star Trek podcast—Trekcast.News:https://sffgazette.com/sci_fi/star-trek/paramount-eyes-expanding-star-trek-original-content-hires-apple-tv-exec-chris-parnell-a9166https://www.ign.com/articles/michelle-yeoh-addresses-star-trek-movie-flop-section-31-its-very-hard-to-please-all-of-your-audience-all-of-the-timehttps://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-writer-gives-exciting-season-2-updateTrekcast: The Galaxy's Most Unpredictable Star Trek Podcast!Welcome to Trekcast, the galaxy's most unpredictable Star Trek podcast! We're a fan-made show that dives into everything Star Trek, plus all things sci-fi, nerdy, and geeky—covering Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Stargate, and more. But Trekcast isn't just about warp drives and superheroes. If you love dad jokes, rescuing dogs, and even saving bears, you'll fit right in! Expect fun, laughs, and passionate discussions as we explore the ever-expanding universe of fandom. Join us for a wild ride through the stars—subscribe to Trekcast today! Connect with us: trekcasttng@gmail.comLeave us a voicemail - (570) 661-0001‬Check out our merch store at Trekcast.comHelp support the show - ko-fi.com/trekcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/star-trek-podcast-trekcast--5651491/support.

TrekRanks - Member of The Tricorder Transmissions : a Star Trek Podcast Network

We are doing it again. It's another crazy TrekRanks live show from Las Vegas, and this one is a sequel to the show we did on Episode 166 featuring “The. Best. Deaths.” On this week's TrekRanks live recording it's Episode 216 and the topic is even more rowdy with a breakdown of “The. Best. (Fake.) Deaths.” This is a fun one for our host Jim Moorhouse and our massive panel of eight guests, including Star Trek experts Alex Perry, Claire Little, Ken Reilly, Matt Hansen, Jamie McGregor, Thad Hait, Carl Wonders and John Krikorian, as they power through 45 rapid fire selections for “The. Best. (Fake.) Deaths.” This one will keep you on the edge of your seat! Episode Rundown: Diagnostic Cycle: If this topic was Top 5 Fake Deaths, you'd have Spock from “The Wrath of Khan” and that kind of thing. It's not. It's “The. Best. (Fake.) Deaths,” which is a whole other thing. (Yeah, we don't know what that means either, but just go with it.) Prime Directive: Each guest on this week's massive panel reveals exactly how they narrowed down list and made their final choices. The Order of Things: All the picks are revealed with the TrekRanks' original “Five words and a hashtag” summary, along with one episode that helps frame their choice. Secondary Systems: For a few extra picks that just missed our final list. Regeneration Cycle: The panel does not recap their picks (because there are so many of them), but we do dissect some of the interesting statistical anomalies that arose from the discussion. Temporal Inversion: We flashback to a previous episode of TrekRanks and relay some of the feedback received from listeners.  If you have your own picks you would like to relay to us, please hail us at 757-828-RANK (7265) and record your own personal TrekRanks log to let us know your picks for The. Best. (Fake.) Deaths. (Or you can record it yourself and just DM us @TrekRanks.com on Bluesky.) Your comments could be used as part of a Temporal Causality Loop on an upcoming episode (and might get you a chance to be a guest on a future episode, too). And don't forget to check out TrekRanks.com for our entire back catalog of episodes and a detailed rundown on every episode of Star Trek ever.   

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon
Strange New Worlds Episode 308

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2025 43:43


Watching Now: Strange New Worlds is a Watching Now podcast from Couch Soup. Join us for reactions, reviews, and excitement about all things Trek. There's plenty of Star Wars here, let's pick up the Trek and go boldly on together! Join us for some laughs and ultra-nerdy discussion!

The Greatest Discovery: New Star Trek Reviewed
Science Can Get This, Everything Else Cannot (SNW S3E8)

The Greatest Discovery: New Star Trek Reviewed

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 67:30


When the Entrepreneur is the only ship in range to fix a pre-warp Chernobyl, the away team has to become peak Vulcan and unfortunately they decide not to change back. But after destroying both personal and professional lives, Una gets Doug involved and Spock has to dance La'An's katra back to reality. What would look great on The Sphere in Vegas? Where does Pike go when he gets kicked out of his quarters? Who has a very short refractory period? It's the episode that's brokering peace.Support the production of Greatest TrekGet a thing at podshop.biz!Sign up for our mailing list!Greatest Trek is produced by Wynde PriddySocial media is managed by Rob Adler and Bill TilleyMusic by Adam RaguseaFriends of DeSoto for: Labor | Democracy | JusticeDiscuss the show using the hashtag #GreatestTrek and find us on social media:YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | Mastodon | Bluesky | ThreadsAnd check out these online communities run by FODs: Reddit | USS Hood Discord | Facebook group | Wikia | FriendsOfDeSoto.social

Trek In Time
199: Star Trek SNW, "What is Starfleet?”

Trek In Time

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 30:15


https://youtu.be/5KRNg6WGJM4Matt and Sean talk about propaganda, how to spot it, and whether it's a good storytelling technique, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3, Episode 7, “What is Starfleet?” YouTube version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/trekintimeAudio version of the podcast: https://www.trekintime.showGet in touch: https://trekintime.show/contactFollow us on X: @byseanferrell @mattferrell or @undecidedmf ★ Support this podcast ★

Captains Quadrant
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds "Wha Is Starfleet"

Captains Quadrant

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 68:31


Captains Quadrant Debrief: “What is Starfleet?” | Strange New Worlds Deep DiveIn this thought‑provoking Strange New Worlds episode, the question isn't just asked — it's challenged: What is Starfleet? Join the Captains Quadrant crew as we unpack the faux‑documentary format, the moral dilemmas, and the emotional gut‑punches that make this one of the most talked‑about episodes of the season 3.In this debrief, we explore:The fine line between exploration and empireHow Starfleet's image shifts under scrutinyUhura's heartfelt performance and Spock's surprising vulnerability as half human?The tension between truth, duty, and propagandaWhat this episode says about the core values of the FederationWhether you're a lifelong Trek fan or just discovering the Final Frontier, this conversation will make you rethink what it truly means to serve.

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast
ID 205: Strange New Worlds, "What Is Starfleet?"

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 66:26


Thad and Chrissie talk about "What is Starfleet?" with Sue Kisenwether.  Join us in BQN Podcast Collective on Facebook.Or on Discord: https://discord.gg/hNrrY68d59Find us on the socials:The Network: @BQNPodcastsThe Show: @IDICPodcastChrissie: @TheGoddessLiviaThad: @TyranicusAnd our guest, Sue: @supspacesueThe BQN Podcast Collective is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network! Mei MJaxDaniel EvansLars Di ScenzaSamuel JohnsonJenediahRyan DamonWilliam J. JacksonJonathan SnowJerry AntimanoBe Tellarite, Not TellaWrongShalimar LuisStevenSusan L. DeClerckDavidJason AndersonMatt HarkerDavid WillettCarl WondersVera BTim CooperPatreon UserPeter HongTom Van ScotterJim McMahonJustin OserThad HaitChristina De Clerck-SzilagyiJoe MignoneJoin the Hive Mind Collective at https://www.Patreon.com/BQN and become an integral part of our podcast. Your unique perspective and support will help us continue to produce high-quality content that you love!Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc. “BQN” is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.

Antimatter Pod
210. Selling Starfleet (SNW 3.07)

Antimatter Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 49:09


It's documentary time! Anika and Liz look straight into the camera and share their feelings about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "What Is Starfleet?", including... We have complicated feelings about this episode! It interrogates the documentary as a form of propaganda, but also interrogates the Federation in bad faith?  SNW is not equipped to deal with Israel/Palestine or Ukraine/Russia through allegory Liz would like to apologise to the Spanish speaking population of Earth for her pronunciation of "Beto" This is an episode about journalism that doesn't want the audience to ask too many questions Anika appreciates the messiness of this story Did we not? Have a whole Prime Directive? About not getting involved in foreign wars?  SNW has a lot of the same problems as Voyager We did not need a self-harm story from Spock, anymore than we needed an animal harm story from Pike It's not enough that now everyone joins Starfleet because of trauma, but now everyone is alone and friendless until they are assigned to the hero ship It's so unfair? How people keep bringing up that murder M'Benga did? It's actually really triggering for him?  Anika explains how Starfleet is like the spirit of Norway

Psychology In Seattle Podcast
Cheating, Birthing Songs, Alien Movies, and Spock Psychology

Psychology In Seattle Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 98:44 Transcription Available


Dr Kirk and Humberto respond to patron emails.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month.00:00 PETA acknowledgement05:15 What bass does Berto own? 07:13 What is the feline situation at PIS? 10:34 What is the line between good friends and emotional cheating? 21:37 Should I hold onto guilt as the other woman? 28:24 What music should be on your birthing playlist? 37:36 Gripes with the Alien movies & power scaling in movies1:19:29 Does Spock's emotions become more nuanced throughout Star Trek?Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUZWV1DRtHtpP2H48S7iiw/joinBecome a patron: https://www.patreon.com/PsychologyInSeattleEmail: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/contactWebsite: https://www.psychologyinseattle.comMerch: https://psychologyinseattle-shop.fourthwall.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychologyinseattle/Facebook Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/PsychologyInSeattle/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kirk.hondaAugust 25, 2025The Psychology In Seattle Podcast ®Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being.Disclaimer: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, therapy, diagnosis, or creates a counselor-client relationship. Topics discussed may generate differing points of view. If you participate (by being a guest, submitting a question, or commenting) you must do so with the knowledge that we cannot control reactions or responses from others, which may not agree with you or feel unfair. Your participation on this site is at your own risk, accepting full responsibility for any liability or harm that may result. Anything you write here may be used for discussion or endorsement of the podcast. Opinions and views expressed by the host and guest hosts are personal views. Although, we take precautions and fact check, they should not be considered facts and the opinions may change. Opinions posted by participants (such as comments) are not those of the hosts. Readers should not rely on any information found here and should perform due diligence before taking any action. For a more extensive description of factors for you to consider, please see www.psychologyinseattle.com

The Nextlander Watchcast
148: Star Trek: Patterns of Force and By Any Other Name

The Nextlander Watchcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 128:12


This week on the Watchcast the Star Trek crew pays a visit to a Nazi planet in Patterns of Force, and teaches some Andromedan aliens how to hold their liquor in By Any Other Name! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 148: Star Trek: Patterns of Force and By Any Other Name (00:00:17) - Intro. (00:01:00) - Launching right into our first episode, Patterns of Force! (00:04:33) - Some historical context for this episode and its, uh, history. (00:13:45) - Who is responsible for all of this? (00:19:13) - Cast chat. (00:23:36) - How did we wind up on Nazi planet? (00:32:27) - Here's that shirtless Spock you ordered. (00:37:19) - Clonking our way out of Nazi HQ, then hooking up with the rebellion. (00:44:22) - Crashing the Nazi party. (00:49:23) - The Fuhrer has gone bye-bye. (00:53:02) - Slapping that Fuhrer back to consciousness. (00:57:05) - Recall the nukes! We're undoing all of this! (01:03:48) - Final thoughts. (01:05:58) - Break! (01:06:25) - We're back, and it's time for By Any Other Name! (01:10:56) - Production history and cast talk. (01:22:05) - Whoops, we walked into a trap by some conquerin' aliens. (01:31:36) - Please do not crush Yeoman Cube. (01:37:51) - What is flower? (01:41:49) - Breaching the galactic barrier. (01:46:08) - Traversing the galactic void, and exploring all these human sensations. (01:57:01) - Solving this the only way humans know how: with a fistfight. (02:02:34) - Final thoughts. (02:06:15) - Next week's episodes.

PodCast Them Down: Heavy Metal Nerdery
373: Star Trek "The Apple" [S2E05] | Star Trek TOS Metal Rewatch

PodCast Them Down: Heavy Metal Nerdery

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 65:29


In a perfect paradise with no death, aging, or conflict, the crew of the Enterprise discovers a god-like machine named Vaal. The locals, in a state of childlike innocence, are forced to "feed" their mechanical deity while their lives are stripped of all individuality and passion. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy must grapple with the Prime Directive and their own moral compasses as they decide whether to save the machine, the people, or themselves. Join us as we shred this episode to pieces to see how metal it is.#StarTrek #TOS #TheApple #MetalPodcast #SciFi #ClassicTV #Vaal #Kirk #Spock #Bones #Metal #PodcastPODCAST THEM DOWNhttps://linktr.ee/pctdhttps://patreon.com/podcastthemdown

Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt Podcast (.xml Format)
Aug. 24, 2025 "Cutting Through the Matrix" with Alan Watt --- Redux (Educational Talk From the Past): "Reality versus Magical Mystery Tour"

Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt Podcast (.xml Format)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2025 76:22


--{ "Reality versus Magical Mystery Tour"}-- Nick Heys of Heys Reviews - Why do we observe trends in what people 'expose' and warn against? - Hyperreality - Talkers warning about Gnosticism, the occult, et cetera - Zbigniew Brzezinski, people won't be able to distinguish fact from fiction. - Information overload - Alan Watt Redux, Oct. 15, 2008 "Reality versus Magical Mystery Tour - Praise and Condemnation - Truth - Delusion, Entertainment - Media Management, Propaganda, U.K., Subversion - New Age Movement - Discernment - "Chicago" movie - Downloaded Opinions - Passive Co-operation - Making Decisions Yourself - Battle for the Mind - Scrambled Brains - Unstable People - Britain, Youth Cadets, Citizen Service, Schools - Dr. Spock, "Nation of Young Psychopaths" - "Troops to Teachers" Program - Military Recruitment - Violence, Hollywood, RIIA Meeting, Culture of Future - Australia Airport Body Scanners - Sadomasochism - U.S. Spy Satellite Surveillance Program, Homeland Security - Knowledge is Power - Alternate Reality, "Hobbies" - Gambling Casino called "Stock Market", Taxpayer Bailout - Willing Fools, Mystery and Fascination.

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon
Strange New Worlds Episode 7: What is Starfleet?

Watching Now: Decoding House of the Dragon

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2025 57:38


Watching Now: Strange New Worlds is a Watching Now podcast from Couch Soup. Join us for reactions, reviews, and excitement about all things Trek. There's plenty of Star Wars here, let's pick up the Trek and go boldly on together! Join us for some laughs and ultra-nerdy discussion!

#AmWriting
Writing Thrilling People & Places: Jess and Sarina talk with Tess Gerritsen

#AmWriting

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 44:31


Jess here! A while back, Sarina and KJ talked about how much they enjoyed Tess Gerritsen's novel, The Spy Coast, and Sarina reassured KJ she'd enjoy book two of the series even more. I had never read a Tess Gerritsen novel, and while I'd heard her name before and vaguely understood she wrote thrillers, I was starting from square one when I downloaded the audio version of The Spy Coast. Now, I'm not an international spy thriller kind of gal. In the abstract, I understand the allure of books like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Six Days of the Condor. Spies! Intrigue! International [almost exclusively men] of mystery! But they have never really floated my proverbial boat. That said, I loved Tess Gerritsen's spies and the world they inhabit. There's a sense of place - nay, a downright LOVE of place - and a retiring, rural New England domesticity that spoke to this retiring, rural New England reader. Book two, The Summer Guests, is even more rooted in Maine, on its history and the social dynamics of its natives and its summer people. Once I tore through those first two books, I went back to Gerritsen's first book, The Surgeon, one of Time Magazine's top 100 thriller/mystery books of all time and the first in the Rizzoli & Isles series, consequently made into a long-running television series. Gerritsen has a fascinating career trajectory, lots to talk about regarding pantsing and plotting, where the ideas come from, and lots of other geeky details about the writing life. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Find Tess at Tessgerritsen.com, or on Bluesky, @TessGerritsen Transcript below!EPISODE 462 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash, founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, the company I started more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. In October, we'll be enrolling a new cohort of certification students who will be going through programs in either fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, and learning the editorial, emotional, and entrepreneurial skills that you need to be a successful book coach. If you've been curious about book coaching and thinking that it might be something you want to do for your next career move, I'd love to teach you more about it, you can go to bookcoaches.com/waitlist to check out the free training I have—that's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. The training is all about how to make money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers. Fall is always a great time to start something new. So if you're feeling called to do this, go check out our training and see if this might be right for you. We'd love to have you join us.Multiple SpeakersIs it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now—one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, this is Jess Lahey, and this is the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast. This is the podcast about writing all the things—short things, long things, poetry, prose, narrative nonfiction, fiction, creative nonfiction, queries, proposals. This is the podcast about writing all the things. More than anything else, this is the podcast about the writing life and about getting the work done. I am Jess Lahey. I'm the author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. And you can find my journalism at The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and my bi-weekly (formerly bi-weekly) column at The New York Times, The Parent-Teacher Conference, ran for about three years I am joined today by Sarina Bowen, who has written 50-odd books. She has written lots and lots of romance, and her most recent addition to the world of publishing has been her thrillers, Dying to Meet You and The Five Year Lie. And she has a book coming out this fall called Thrown for a Loop. The reason I am recording this intro on my own—which, as you may know if you've been listening, is highly unusual for us—is because I know myself. And I know when I'm really excited to talk to someone on the podcast; I'm going to flub the intro. I'm going to forget something. I'm going to forget to introduce them altogether. So today, I'm doing that first, so I don't mess it up. A while ago on the podcast, you may have heard Sarina and KJ read some books by an author named Tess Gerritsen. I had heard of Tess Gerritsen, but I had never read any of her books. I just hadn't yet. I haven't read Nora Roberts yet. I haven't read—there are lots of authors I haven't read yet. And sometimes you don't even know where to start. So when Sarina and KJ recommended Tess Gerritsen's new series set in Maine—the first one being The Spy Coast and the second one being The Summer Guests—I figured I had a good place to start. And you know, as a New Englander, I love a good book about New England, and that was the start of my interest in Tess Gerritsen's work. I have gone back to the beginning and started with her book The Surgeon, which was her first book in the series that became the Rizzoli and Isles Series, as well as a television show. Tess Gerritsen has a—she's written through 33 books at this point. And as I now know, she has also directed a documentary called Magnificent Beast about pigs, which I listened to this morning while I was vacuuming the house. I loved it. She also—she has a lot to say about genre, about publishing, about second careers, about a writing place, and about process. So let's just jump right into it. I am so excited to introduce to you today, Tess Gerritsen. So from the perspective of what our listeners love—this podcast, the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast —is super geek. People who love the nuts and bolts and the dorky details of the writing life. Sarina has a past life in finance, and so she tends to be, like, our “no, but let's talk about the numbers” kind of person. I'm just the research super dork, which is why I spent my morning watching your documentary about pigs.Tess GerritsenOh my god! (Laughing)Jess LaheyMagnificent Beast. I—I've joked in the past that if I could, I would probably just research things in—in, you know, maybe there'll be a book out there, maybe there won't, but I would research things and—and just learn as much as I could. And so I loved—loved—your Magnificent Beast documentary. I thought it was fantastic. But one of the reasons that we wanted to talk to you, just from the very beginning, is that we feel like you do some pretty incredible world-building and relationship-building with your places and your characters. And so I just—I would love to start there, mainly with the idea of starting with the real nuts and bolts stuff, which is, like, what does an average writing day look like for you? And how do you, sort of—how do you set that up? What does it look like, if you have an average writing day? Maybe you don't.Tess GerritsenWell, it's hard to describe an average writing day, because every day is—there are days when you sit at your desk and you just, you know, pull your hair. And there are days when you get distracted by the news. And there are many days when I just do not want to write. But when I'm writing, the good days are when my characters are alive and talking to me. And it's—it's—you talked about world-building and character-building. That is really key to me. What are they saying to me? Can I hear their voices? And it sounds a little—a little crazy, because I am hearing voices. But it's those voices that really make characters come alive.Jess LaheyI—You have said in other interviews that you are very much—sorry to those of you who hate the terms—that you are very much a pantser. And you are sitting on this interview with a consummate plotter. Sarina is our consummate plotter. So could you talk a little bit about how those character—how those voices—influence, you know, the pantsing of the—of the book, and—and how that works for you?Tess GerritsenWell, I mean, it is weird that I am a pantser. And it's funny—I think that people who are plotters tend to be people who are in finance or in law, because they're used to having their ducks lined up, you know. They—they want everything set up ahead of time, and it makes them feel comfortable. And I think a large part of becoming a pantser is learning to be comfortable with unpredictability. Learning to just let things happen, and know you're going to take wrong turns, know you're going to end up in blind alleys—and yet just keep on forging ahead and change direction. So I suppose that what helps me become a pantser, as I said, is hearing a character's voice. If, for instance, when I wrote The Spy Coast, the first thing I heard about that book was Maggie Bird's voice. And she just said, “I'm not the woman I used to be.” And that's an opening there, right? Because you want to find out, Maggie, who did you used to be? And why do you sound so sad? So a lot of it was just—just getting into her head and letting her talk about what a day-to-day life is, which is, you know, raising chickens and collecting eggs and becoming—and being—a farmer. And then she does something surprising in that very first chapter. There's a fox that's killing her chickens, so she grabs her rifle and kills it with one shot. And that opens up another thing, like—how are you, a 62-year-old woman, able to take out a rifle and kill a fox with one shot? So it's—it's those things. It's those revelations of character. When they come out and they tell you something, or they show you they—they have a skill that you weren't aware of, you want to dig deeper and find out, you know, where did they get that skill?Sarina BowenAnd that is a really fun way to show it. I mean, you're talking today with two people who have also kept chickens.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Jess LaheyAnd had foxes take their chickens, actually.Sarina BowenOh yes, because the two go together.Tess GerritsenYes.Sarina BowenBut yes, I admit I have never shot a fox, and maybe wouldn't.Jess LaheyI have yelled very loudly at a fox, and he actually—I have to say—really mad respect for the fox, because he took one look at me—he did drop the chicken that I was yelling at him for grabbing—and then he went across the street, around the neighbor's house, around the back of the other neighbor's house, and came at the exact same chicken from the other side of the house, where I couldn't see him out the window.Tess GerritsenOh, they are so smart. They are so smart.Jess LaheySo smart. Sarina, it sounded like you had something— you had something you wanted to add, and I interrupted you when we were talking about pantsing and we were talking about world-building and characters speaking to you.Sarina BowenWell, I just had thought that it was a lovely moment to explain why I was so excited to read this book after I heard Tess speak at Thriller Fest 2024, in a packed room where there was nowhere to sit except on the floor. You told the audience a little bit of a story from your real life that—that made you want to write that book. And I wonder if you could tell us what that was, because for me—I mean, we were only five minutes into your talk, and I'm like, oh, I'm—I'm going to download that tonight.Tess GerritsenWell, yes, it was. A lot of my books come from ideas that I've been stewing over for years. I have a folder called the ideas folder. It's an actual physical manila folder. And if I see something in an article or a newspaper or a magazine, I'll just rip it out and stick it in there, and it sometimes takes a long time before I know how to turn this into a book. So the idea for The Spy Coast is a little bit of obscure knowledge that I learned 35 years ago, when I first moved to Maine. My husband is a medical doctor. He opened up a practice, and when he would bring in new patients, he would always get an occupational history. And he used to get this answer—this very strange answer—from his new patients. They would say, “I used to work for the government, but I can't talk about it.” And after he heard that three times, he thought, what town did we land in? And who are these people? And we later found out that on our very short street, on one side of us was a retired OSS person, and on the other side was retired CIA. A realtor told us that our town was full of CIA retirees. So, I mean, of course you want to ask, why did they get here? What are they doing here? What are their lives like? I knew there was a book in there, but I didn't know what that book was. I needed 35 years to come up with the idea. And what I really needed to do was become old and—and realize that as you get older, especially women, we become invisible. People don't pay attention to us. We are over the hill. You know, everybody looks at the young, pretty chicks, but once you start getting gray hair, you fade into the background. And with that experience myself; I began to think more and more about what it's like to be retired. What is it like to be retired from a job that was maybe dangerous, or exciting, or something that you really risked your life to—to achieve? So that was—that was the beginning of The Spy Coast. What happens to CIA retirees—especially women—who are now invisible? But that makes them the best spies of all.Jess LaheyYeah, and we have—we did this really cool thing, this really fun thing for us on the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast. It's like a supporter-only thing, where we call First Pages, where very brave authors—very brave writers—submit their first page to us, and we talk about it and decide whether or not we'd want to turn the page. And you have an incredible skill on your first pages. You're very, very good at first pages. And I was thinking about The Summer Guests, that you had this wonderful line that I'm going to read now:Purity, Maine, 1972. On the last day of his life, Purity police officer Randy Pelletier ordered a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee at the Marigold Café,Which immediately reminded me of my very, very favorite line from all of literature—my very favorite first line—which is Irving's first line from A Prayer for Owen Meany, in which he ruins the story for you right there in the first line:I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice—not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God.There is this incredible power to first lines. And I'm sort of wondering where—how first lines happen for you. Do they happen first? Do they happen last? Do they happen along the way?Tess GerritsenFirst lines usually happen last. I—it's—I will write the whole book, and I'll think, something's missing in that first chapter. How do I open this up? And, you know, there are things that make lines immediately hypnotic, and one of those things is an inherent contradiction—something that makes you think, wait, okay, you start off this way, but then all of a sudden, the meaning of that line switches. So, yeah, it starts off with, you know, this guy's going to die. But on that last day of his life, he does something very ordinary. He just orders coffee at the local café. So I think it's that contradiction that makes us want to read more. It's also a way to end chapters. I think that—that if you leave your reader with a sense of unease—something is about to go wrong, but they don't know what it is yet—or leave them with an unanswered question, or leave them with, as I said, a contradiction—that is what's page-turning. I think that a lot of thriller writers in particular mistake action for—for being—for being interesting. A car chase on the page is really very boring. But what's interesting is something that—you could feel that tension building, but you don't know why.Sarina BowenI have joked sometimes that when I get stuck on a plot, sometimes I will talk at my husband and—and say, “you know, I'm stuck here.” And he always says, “And then a giant squid attacked.” And it—of course I don't write books that take place where this is possible, so—but it never fails to remind me that, like, external action can sometimes be just, you know, totally pointless. And that if you're stuck, it's because one of your dominoes isn't leaning, you know, in the right spot. So...Tess GerritsenYeah, it's—it's not as much fun seeing that domino fall as seeing it go slowly tilting over. You know, I really learned this when I was watching a James Bond movie. And it starts off—you know, the usual James Bonds have their cold open to those action and chasing and death-defying acts. I found that—I find that really, in that movie anyway—I was like, Ho hum. Can we get to the story? And I found the time when I was leaning forward in my theater seat, watching every moment, was really a very quiet conversation aboard a train between him and this woman who was going to become his lover. That was fascinating to me. So I think that that transfers to book writing as well. Action is boring.Jess LaheyYou and Sarina do something that I feel, as a writer; I would probably not be very good at, which is creating that unease. I—Sarina in particular does this thing... I've read every one of Sarina's books, as a good friend is supposed to do. And I text her, and I say, Why don't they just talk about it and just deal? Get it out in the open! And she's like, you know, we just got to make these people uncomfortable. And you both have this incredible talent for helping—keeping the reader, uh, along with you, simply because there is this sense of unease. We're slightly off-kilter the whole time. And yet in me, as a people pleaser, that makes me very uncomfortable. I want people to be happy with each other. So how do you—if you get to a place where you feel like maybe things aren't off-kilter enough, or things aren't off-balance enough—how do you introduce a little bit of unease into your—into your story?Tess GerritsenWell, I think it comes down to very small points of conflict—little bits of tension. Like, we call it micro-tension. And I think those occur in everyday life all the time. For instance, you know, things that happen that really don't have any big consequence, but are still irritating. We will stew about those for—for a while. And, you know, I used to write romance as well, so I understand entirely what Sarina is doing, because romance is really about courtship and conflict. And it's the conflict that makes us keep reading. We just—we know this is the courtship. So there's always that sense of it's not quite there, because once the characters are happy, the story is over, right?Sarina BowenYeah.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Sarina BowenAlso, writing the ends of romance novels is the least interesting part. Like, what...? Once the conflict is resolved, like, I cannot wait to get out of there.Tess GerritsenRight, exactly. You know, I—I pay attention to my feelings when I'm reading a book, and I've noticed that the books that I remember are not the books with happy endings, because happiness is so fleeting. You know, you can be happy one second, and then something terrible will happen. You'll be unhappy. What lasts for us is sadness, or the sense of bittersweet. So when I read a book that ends with a bittersweet ending—such as, you know, Larry McMurtry Lonesome Dove—I ended up crying at the end of that book, and I have never forgotten that ending. Now, if everybody had been happy and there had been nobody to drag all those miles at the end, I would have forgotten that book very quickly. So I think—I try—I always try to leave the end of the book either bittersweet—I mean, you want to resolve all the major plot points—but also leave that sense of unease, because people remember that. And it also helps you, if you have a sequel.Sarina BowenThat's so interesting you've just brought up a couple of really interesting points, because there is a thriller—I actually write suspense now—and one of the books that so captured my attention about five years ago was killing it on the charts. And I thought it was actually a terrible book, but it nailed the bittersweet ending. Like, the premise was solid, and then the bittersweet ending was perfect, and the everything between the first chapter and the last chapter was a hot mess, but—but—um, that ending really stuck with me. And I remember carrying it around with me, like, Wow, they really nailed that ending. You know, and—and maybe that has, like, legs in terms of, like, talking about it. And, you know, if it—if—if it's irritating enough, like, the tension is still there—enough to, like, make people talk about it—it could actually affect the performance of that book. But also, um, one thing that I really love about this series—you have—what is the series title for the...?Tess GerritsenMartini—The Martini Club.Sarina BowenThe Martini Club, right? So The Martini Club is two books now. I inhaled the first one last summer, and I inhaled the second one this summer. And The Martini Club refers to this group of friends—these retired spies. And of course, there are two completely different mysteries in book one and book two. And I noticed a couple of things about the difference between those mysteries that was really fun. So in the first case—or in one of the two cases, let's see—in one of them, the thing that happens in their town is actually, like, related to them. And in the other one, it's kind of not. So to me, that felt like a boundary expansion of your world and your system. But also, I just love the way you leaned into the relationship of these people and their town in such a way. And how did you know to do that? Like, how—what does your toolbox say about how to get that expansiveness in your character set? Like, you know, to—to find all the limits of it?Tess GerritsenThat—you know, so much is like—it's like asking a pole-vaulter how they do it. They just—they have just—I guess its muscle memory. You don't really know how you're doing it, but what I did know was—with age, and because I love these characters so much—it really became about them and about what is going to deepen their friendship? What kind of a challenge is going to make them lean into each other—lean on each other? That's really what I was writing about, I think, was this circle of friends, and—and what you will do, how much you will sacrifice, to make sure your friends are safe. No, you're right—the second book is much more of a classic mystery. Yeah—a girl disappears. I mean, there was—there were—there were CIA undertones in that, because that becomes an important part of the book. But I think that what people are—when people say they love this book—they really talk about the characters and that friendship. And we all want friends like this, where we can go and—and—and have martinis together, and then if we—one of us needs to—we'll go help them bury a body.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Tess GerritsenThat's—they all have shovels, and they're willing to do it. That's the kind of friendship—friends—we want.Jess LaheyWell, and that's funny you mention that—I had an entire question—it wasn't even a question, it was a statement—in here about friendships and being grateful to you for the reminder about the importance of relationships. And this entire podcast was born out of the fact that we were talking writing all the time, and we just wanted an official way to sit down once a week and actually talk about the work. And your work is suffused with just these incredible relationships—whether that's the Rizzoli and Isles—you know, in your first—in the one of your other series—and I'm just—I'm very grateful for that, because we—especially—I think I re—I really crave books about female relationships, especially about older female relationships. And I have been loving your books, and I've—like, as I may have mentioned to you in my initial email—I had—I'm so sorry—never read your books before. And I admitted in the introduction that there are lots of very, very famous authors whose books I have never read. And it's always so exciting to me to dive into someone's series and realize, oh, this person really touches on themes that mean a lot to me, and I can already tell that I'm going to be enjoying a lot of their books to come forward. So thank you for all of the great descriptions of relationships and how we do rely on each other for various aspects of just how we get through all of this stuff.Tess GerritsenYeah—get through life. But you know what's funny about it is that it didn't start that way. For instance, let's go back to Rizzoli and Isles. The very first time they both appear in a book is in The Apprentice. And they don't start off being friends. They start off being—they're so different. As the TV producer once said, “you've really written about Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.” That's okay—they are—in the books. They are not natural friends. But like real-life friendships, sometimes—just kind of develop slowly, and—and they have their ups and downs. So there are times when—when Jane and Maura are barely speaking to each other because of conflicts they have. But by the time book twelve comes around—or maybe book seven comes around—you know that they would risk their lives for each other. So I think that if you're writing a series like Rizzoli and Isles, or like The Martini Club, it really helps to develop the friendship on the fly and see how they react to certain stresses. The next book, which I just turned in, called The Shadow Friends—it even put—pushes them even further, and it really—it really strains a marriage, because it's—it's more about Ingrid, and an old lover comes back into her life. She used to—they were both spies—and he is, like, hot, hot, hot—Antonio Banderas kind of guy. And here's Ingrid, married to Lloyd, you know, who's just a sweet analyst who cooks dinner for her every night. And I—when I was coming up with that story, I thought, I want to write a book about their marriage. So it wasn't—the plot wasn't about, oh, you know, international assassinations, even though that does occur in the book. It's really about the story of a marriage.Jess LaheyAnd it gives you, it gives you added unease. You know, if you have your two characters not speaking to each other, and you know your readers love those characters and crave those characters to be getting along at some point, then that's just another reason that we're following along. I was just thinking about, uh, Michael Connelly, uh, book the other day, because I really, really like the series he did with Renée Ballard and her relationship with the Bosch character, and how that series is totally about crime, but yet it's also very much about the relationship. And I think I follow—I continue to read those because of the relationship between those two human beings, and less so because of the murder mystery sort of stuff.Tess GerritsenI think it really becomes important if you're dealing also with Hollywood television series. I still remember what the producer first said when he called me up about Rizzoli and Isles. He said, "I love your girls, and I think they belong on TV.” He didn't say, I love your plots. He didn't say, I love your mysteries, you know, all your intricate ups and downs. It was really about the girls. So if you hope to sell to a television series, really, it's about characters again.Jess LaheyAbsolutely.Sarina BowenI was going to ask about longevity, because you have so many books, and you're so obviously still invigorated by the process, or there wouldn't be a book three that you just turned in. So how have you been able to avoid just being sick to death of—of writing suspense novel after suspense novel?Tess GerritsenI refused. That's what it is. You know, I—I don't—I guess I could say that I have a little bit of ADHD when it comes to—to the books I write. I cannot—after 13 books of Rizzoli and Isles, I just had a different idea. And it takes—it takes a certain amount of backbone to say no to your publisher, to your editor, to people who are going, well, when's the next one in this series coming out? And to be able to say, I need a break. I need to do something completely different. So over—how many years I've been a writer—almost 40 now—I've written science fiction and historicals and a ghost story and romantic suspense and spy novels and medical thrillers and crime novels. I've been all over the place, but each one of those books that took me out of what I was expected to do was so invigorating. It was a book that I needed to write. As an example, I wrote a book called Playing with Fire. Nobody wanted that book. Nobody expected that book. It was a historical about World War II, and about music—about the power of music—and having to do with the death camps. I remember my publisher going, "What are you doing?" And, you know, it's—it's true—they're—they—they are marketers, and they understood that that book would not sell as well, and it didn't. But it still remains one of my favorite books. And when you want to write a book, you need to write that book. That's all—even—even if nobody wants it.Jess LaheyI actually was—I'm so pleased that this came up, because that was actually going to be my question, because both you and Sarina have done this—done, you know, 90 degrees—whether it's out of, you know, one genre into another—and that, to me, requires an enormous amount of courage. Because you know you have people expecting things from you. And you in particular, Tess, have people saying, "No, I want the next one. I love this relationship. I want the next one." And—and dealing—you're not just dealing with the disappointment of whether it's an agent or an editor, but the disappointment of fans. And that's a pressure as well. So when I used to do journalism, I remember a question I asked of another journalist was, "How do you continue to write without fear of the comment section?" And essentially, for us, that's our—you know, those are our readers. So how do you find that thing within yourself to say, no, this really is the thing that I need to be writing now?Tess GerritsenWell, that is a really—it's a really tough decision to buck the trend or buck what everybody's expecting, because there's a thing in publishing called the death spiral. And if your book does not sell well, they will print fewer copies for the next one. And then that won't sell well. So you start—your career starts to go down the drain. And that is a danger every time you step out of your tried and true series and do something out of—you know, completely out of the ordinary. I think the reason I did it was that I really didn't give a damn. It was—it was like, Okay, maybe this will kill my career, but I've got to write this book. And it was always with the idea that if my publisher did not want that, I would just self-publish. I would just, you know, find another way to get it out there. And I—I was warned, rightly so, that your sales will not be good for this book, and that will—it will hurt the next contract. And I understood that. But it was the only way I could keep my career going. Once you get bored, and you're—you're trapped in a drawer, I think it shows up in your writing.Jess LaheyI had this very conversation with my agent. The—my first book did well. And so then, you know, the expectation is, I'll write like part two of that, or I'll write something for that exact same audience again. And when I told my agent—I said, "You know, this book on substance use prevention and kids—I—it's—I have to write it. And I'm going to write it even, you know, if I have to go out there and sell it out of the trunk of my car." And she said, "Okay, then I guess we're doing this." And yes...Tess Gerritsen(Laughing) They had their best wishes at heart.Jess LaheyAnd honestly, I love—I loved my book that did well. But The Addiction Inoculation is the book I'm most proud of. And, you know, that's—yeah, that's been very important to me.Tess GerritsenI often hear from writers that the book that sold the fewest copies was one that was—were their favorites. Those are the ones that they took a risk on, that they—I mean, they put their heart and soul into it. And maybe those hurt their careers, but those are the ones that we end up being proud of.Jess LaheyI like to remind Sarina of that, because I do remember we text each other constantly. We have a little group, the three of us, a little group text all day long. And there was—I remember when she first wrote a male-male romance, she was scared. She was really scared that this was going to be too different for her readers. And it ended up being, I think, my favorite book that she's ever written, and also a very important book for her in terms of her career development and growth, and what she loves about the work that she does. And so I like to remind her every once in a while, remember when you said that really scared you and you weren't sure how your readers were going to handle it?Sarina BowenRight? Well, I also did that in the middle of a series, and I went looking for confirmation that that is a thing that people did sometimes, and it was not findable. You know, that was...Jess LaheyWhat? Change things up in terms of—change things up in the middle of a series?Sarina BowenIn the middle of a series. And anyway, that book still sells.Tess GerritsenThat is a great act of courage, but it's also an act of confidence in yourself as a writer. There are ways to do it. I think some writers will just adopt a different pen name for something that's way out there.Jess LaheyIt's funny you should say... it's funny you should say that.Sarina BowenWell, no, and I never have done that, but, um—but anyway, yeah, that's hard. I, uh...Jess LaheyYeah.Sarina BowenIt's hard to know. Sometimes...Jess LaheyWe entertain it all the time. We do talk about that as an option all the time. Shouldn't we just pick up and do something completely different? One of the things that I also—I mentioned at the top of the podcast about, you know, you went off—not only have you done lots of different things in terms of your writing—but you went off and you did an entire documentary about pigs. I have—I have to ask you where on earth that came from and why. And it is a total delight, as I mentioned, and I have already recommended it to two people that I know also love the topic. But, you know, to go off—and especially when you usually, as some of us have experienced—our agents saying, so when am I going to see more pages? or when am I going to see the next book? And you say, I'm really sorry, but I have to go off and film this documentary about pigs.Tess GerritsenYes. Well, you know, I was an anthropology major in college, and I've always been interested in the pig taboo. You know, back then, everybody just assumed it was because, yeah, it was disease or they're dirty animals—that's why they're forbidden food. It never quite convinced me, because I'm Chinese-American. Asia—you know, Asia loves pork. Why aren't they worried about all that? So I was in Istanbul for a book tour once, and I remember I really wanted bacon, and, you know, I couldn't get bacon. And then I thought, okay, I really need to find out why pork is forbidden. This is a—this is a cultural and historical mystery that never made sense to me. The explanations just never made sense to me. It cannot be trichinosis. So I told my son that—my son is—he does—he's a filmmaker as well. And he just said, "Well, let's do it. Let's—we will pose it as a mystery," because it is a mystery. So it took us probably two years to go and—you know, we interviewed anthropologists and pet pig owners and archaeologists, actually, just to find out, what do they say? What is the answer to this? And to us, the answer really just came down to this cultural desire for every—every tribe—to define us versus them. You know, they eat pigs. They're not us, so therefore they're the enemy. And it was fascinating because we—we ended up finding out more about pigs than I was expecting, and also finding out that people who have pet pigs can sometimes be a little unusual.Jess LaheyAnd the people who purchase the clothes for the pigs are also crazy.Tess GerritsenYes. Sew outfits for their pigs and sleep with their pigs. And there was—there was one woman who had—she slept on the second floor of her house, so she had an elevator for her pig who couldn't make it up the stairs, and, you know, ramps to get up onto the bed because they've gotten so fat—they've been overfed. But it was—for me, at the heart of it was a mystery.Jess LaheyAs a nonfiction author whose whole entire reason for being is, "I don't know—let's find out," I think that's just the most delightful thing. And I loved your framing as, "I don't know, we have this question, let's go out there and just ask people about it and find the experts." And that's—oh, I could just live on that stuff. So...Tess GerritsenSo could I. You know, research is so enticing. It's enticing. It is—it can get you into trouble because you never write your book. Some of us just love to do the research.Jess LaheySarina actually has taken skating lessons, done glass blowing—what else have you done? Yoga classes and all—all kinds of things in the pursuit of knowledge for her characters. And I think that's a delight.Sarina BowenYes. If you can sign up for a class as part of your research, like, that is just the best day. Like, you know, oh, I must take these ice skating lessons twice a day for five months, because—yeah—or twice a week, but still.Tess GerritsenYou must be a good ice skater then.Sarina BowenI'm getting better.Tess GerritsenSo you never gave them up, I see.Jess LaheyWell, it's fun because she usually writes about hockey, but she has a figure skater coming up in this book that's coming out this fall. And she's like, "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to learn how to figure skate."Tess GerritsenYeah.Sarina BowenI also—one time I went to see Rebecca Skloot speak about her big nonfiction The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.Tess GerritsenOh, okay.Sarina BowenAnd she said that all her best ideas had come from moments in her life when she went, "Wait, what?!"Tess GerritsenYes. Yep.Sarina BowenIncluding for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Like, she learned about the cells in high school—she was in high school biology class—and the teacher said, like, "This woman died in the '60s, but we're still using her cells," and she said, "Wait, what?!" And that's—that's what you made me think of with the pigs. Like, I think...Jess LaheyWell, and also your folder of ideas. I mean, I immediately texted Sarina after listening to a podcast where I heard an ad, and the ad made me go, "Oh that could be creepy." And then I'm like, "Okay, this is—this is a plot. This is going in the folder somewhere." And so you have to just think about how those things could unfold over time. And I love the idea of—and even in journalism—there are articles that I've written where I said, this just isn't their time. And then, like, five years later, I'll hear something out there, and I'm like, okay, finally, it's the time for this thing. And there's a reason you put that article in your idea—in your paper—manila folder of ideas.Tess GerritsenWell, I think writers are—we have to be curious. We have to be engaged in what's going on around us, because the ideas are everywhere. And I have this—I like to say I have a formula. It's called "two plus two equals five." And what that means is, sometimes you'll have a—you'll have a piece of information that, you know, there's a book here, but you haven't figured out what to do with it. And you wait for another piece of information from some completely different source, and you put them together, and they end up being like nuclear fusion—bigger than the…Sarina BowenYes!Jess LaheyYes!Tess GerritsenSome of the parts.Sarina BowenMost every book I've ever written works like that. Like, I have one idea that I drag around for, like, five years, and then I have this other idea, and one day I'm like, oh, those two things go together.Tess GerritsenYep.Jess LaheyYeah, absolutely. I think Stephen King mentioned that about Carrie. I think it was like, telekinesis, and that usually starts about the time of menstruation, and it was like, boom, there was Carrie. You know, those two things came together. I love that so much. So you mentioned that you have just handed in your next book, and we don't—we do not, as a rule, ask about what's next for an author, because I find that to be an incredibly intimidating and horrifying question to be asked. But I would love to hear; you know, is this—is this series one that you hope to continue working on? The main series, mainly because we have quite fallen in love with your little town in Maine—in Purity, Maine. Fantastic name for your town, by the way. It's really lovely. It creates such a nice dichotomy for these people who have seen and heard things during their careers that maybe are quite dark, and then they retire to a place called Purity. Is this a place where we can hopefully spend a little bit of time?Tess GerritsenWell, I am thinking about book number four now. I have an idea. You know, it always starts with—it starts with an idea and doodling around and trying to figure out what—you know, you start with this horrible situation, and then you have to explain it. So that's where I am now. I have this horrible situation, I have to explain it. So, yeah, I'm thinking about book four. I don't know how—you never know how long a series is going to go. It's a little tough because I have my characters who are internationally based—I mean, they've been around the world—but then I can't leave behind my local cop who is also a part of this group as well. So I have to keep an eye out on Maine being the center of most of the action.Sarina BowenRight, because how many international plots can you give Purity, Maine?Tess GerritsenThat's right, exactly. Well, luckily…Jess LaheyLook, Murder, She Wrote—how many things happened to that woman in that small town?Tess GerritsenExactly, exactly. Well, luckily, because I have so many CIA retirees up here, the international world comes to us. Like the next book, The Shadow Friends, is about a global security conference where one of the speakers gets murdered. And it turns out we have a global security conference right here in our town that was started by CIA 40 years ago. So I'm just—I'm just piggybacking on reality here. And—not that the spies up here think that's very amusing.Sarina BowenThat is fantastic, because, you know, the essential problem of writing a suspense novel is that you have to ground it in a reality that everyone is super familiar with, and you have to bring in this explosive bit of action that is unlikely to happen near any of us. And those two things have to fit together correctly. So by, um, by putting your retired spies in this tiny town, you have sort of, like, gifted yourself with that, you know, precise problem solver.Tess GerritsenYeah, reminding us.Sarina BowenYeah.Tess GerritsenBut there's only so far I can take that. I'm not sure what the limits... I think book four is going to take them all overseas, because my local cop, Jo, she's never been out of the country—except for Canada—and it's time for her dad to drag her over to Italy and say, "Your dead mom wanted to come to Italy, so I'm taking you." And, of course, things go wrong in Italy for Jo.Jess LaheyOf course, of course. Well, we're going to keep just banging on about how much we love these books. I think we've already mentioned it in three podcast episodes so far in our “What have you been reading lately that you've really loved?” So we're—we're big fans. And thank you so much for sitting down to talk with us and to—you know, one of the whole points of our podcast is to flatten the learning curve for other authors, so we hope that that's done a little bit of that for our listeners. And again, thank you so much. Where can people find you and your work if they want to learn a little bit more about Tess Gerritsen—her work?Tess GerritsenYou can go to TessGerritsen.com, and I try to post as much information there as I can. But I'm also at Bluesky, @TessGerritsen, and what is now called “X”—a legacy person on X—@TessGerritsen, yes.Jess LaheyThank you so, so much again. And for everyone out there listening, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.The Hashtag AmWriting Podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music—aptly titled Unemployed Monday—was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Trek In Time
198: Star Trek SNW, "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”

Trek In Time

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 41:15


https://youtu.be/XdhRx5lEtMcMatt and Sean talk about filling in backstory, and whether it's worth it, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds', Season 3 Episode 6, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” (00:00) - - Intro (03:11) - - Viewer Feedback (10:54) - - Today's Episode (12:13) - - This Time in History (15:00) - - Episode Discussion YouTube version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/trekintimeAudio version of the podcast: https://www.trekintime.showGet in touch: https://trekintime.show/contactFollow us on X: @byseanferrell @mattferrell or @undecidedmf ★ Support this podcast ★

Better To... Podcast with D. M. Needom
She Murdered Me with Science - David Boop

Better To... Podcast with D. M. Needom

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 76:59


Send us a textThis Week on the show author David Boop stops by the show to discuss, writing, editing, Star Wars & Star Trek and much more. *******David Boop is a Denver-based speculative fiction author & editor. He's also an award-winning essayist, and screenwriter. Before turning to fiction, David worked as a DJ, film critic, journalist, and actor. David's novels run the gamut, such as the sci-fi/noir She Murdered Me with Science and the Weird Western, The Drowned Horse Chronicle. David edited the bestselling and award-nominated Weird Western anthology series beginning with Straight Outta Tombstone, followed by a trio of Space Western anthologies starting with Gunfight on Europa Station. He's edited several pulp anthologies, including Gentlemen Prefer Domino Lady, Domino Patrick: Daughter of the Domino Lady, and Green Hornet & Kato: Detroit Noir. Most recently, he edited the Jack L. Chalker's Well World tribute mosaic novel, Permutations. David is prolific in short fiction, writing across many genres including sci-fi, fantasy, horror, weird western, and superhero. Some of his shorts include media tie-ins for Predator (nominated for the 2018 Scribe Award), Kolchak the Night Stalker, The Green Hornet, and Veronica Mars. He's a Summa Cum Laude Graduate from UC-Denver in the Creative Writing program. He tutors and teaches Creative Writing, collects Funko Pops, and is a believer. You can find out more at Longshot-Productions.net.********If you would like to contact the show about being a guest, please email us at Dauna@bettertopodcast.comUpcoming guests can be found: https://dmneedom.com/upcoming-guest Follow us on Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomIntro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi©2025 Better To...Podcast with D. M. NeedomSupport the show

Discussing Trek: A Star Trek Discovery Podcast
Strange New Worlds "The Sehlat Who At Its Tail" Mini-Review: That Ship Has A Face

Discussing Trek: A Star Trek Discovery Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 4:39


Captain Kirk's first command turns chaotic when a planet-destroying scavenger ship consumes the Enterprise, leaving the crew trapped and drained of energy. While Kirk struggles with his newfound leadership, the combined ingenuity of his future crew, including Scotty, Spock, Uhura, Chapel, must find a way to defeat the beast. This episode explores the "dog who caught the car" idiom as Kirk confronts the unexpected realities of achieving his Starfleet dream, all while introducing a mysterious, post-WW3 human antagonist. #StrangeNewWorlds #TheSehlatWhoAteItsTail

Star Trek Universe Podcast
Strange New Worlds 3x06 - "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail" Review

Star Trek Universe Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 59:58 Transcription Available


Pelia talking about her age is getting stale while Kirk becomes the Sehlat who ate its tail. Gather your telephones, maman! It's time for a chat!Episode Reviewed: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3x06 - "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail" Hosts:David C. RobersonMatthew CarrollNote: This episode of Star Trek Universe continues Dave and Matt's ongoing journey discussing Star Trek as they have since the late 1980s.Join Us:Site: http://startrekucast.comApple: http://bit.ly/StuCastSpotify: http://bit.ly/StarTrekUCastSpreaker: http://bit.ly/StuCastSpreaker

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast
ID 206: Strange New Worlds, “The Selhat Who Ate its Tail”

Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 99:05


Chrissie and Thad talk with Donny Winter about the Strange New Worlds episode, “The Selhat Who Ate its Tail.” Join us in BQN Podcast Collective on Facebook. Find us on the socials:The Network: @BQNPodcastsThe Show: @IDICPodcast.  Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia.  Thad: @Tyranicus. And our guest: Donny Winter, Growing Up with Godzilla on YouTube and @DonnyWinter.bsky.socialThe BQN Podcast Collective is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network!  Samuel JohnsonJenediah SeastromRyan DamonWilliam J. JacksonJonathan SnowJerry AntimanoBe Tellarite, Not TellaWrongShalimar LuisStevenSusan L. DeClerckDavidJason AndersonMatt HarkerDavid WillettCarl WondersVera BTim CooperMahendran RadhakrishnanPeter HongTom Van ScotterJim McMahonJustin OserThad HaitChristina De Clerck-SzilagyiJoe MignoneJoin the Hive Mind Collective at https://www.Patreon.com/BQN and become an integral part of our podcast. Your unique perspective and support will help us continue to produce high-quality content that you love!Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc. “BQN” is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.

Antimatter Pod
209. The Shape of Star Trek (SNW 3.06)

Antimatter Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 58:09


Anika and Liz battle an ancient and unbeatable enemy: grimdark anti-morality in Star Trek. We're discussing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail", an episode with all the ingredients of Star Trek except its soul... This feels like a backdoor pilot for a series which has been around for nearly 60 years Why are we spending so much time developing James Kirk instead of the regulars? We have had a whole movie trilogy about Kirk learning to be a good captain! Take a drink every time Anika says this should have been an Una episode! SNW does not understand why people love watching Kirk and Spock together, and we say that as people who don't ship K/S It's weird how Kirk's characterisation in Strange New Worlds has so little to do with "Where No Man Has Gone Before". We have never asked this question before, and we hope to never ask it again, but: do we need more Gary Mitchell up in here? How much was season 3 impacted by the strikes? Pike sending La'an into danger while he hangs back is not a good look "I wasn't sad about killing 7,000 people until I found out they were human" is bad ethics and bad Star Trek How many NFTs do we think Pelia owned?

STARPODLOGPODCAST
StarPodTrek Episode 49

STARPODLOGPODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2025


If you grew up in the '60s, '70s, or '80s,you will love StarPodTrek! On this exciting episode of StarPodTrek, we consider the Star Trek contents of Starlog magazine in issues 97 and 98 from 1985, as well as discuss pertinent information of that time period!Ryan Howe and Beth Ann Broadhurst reflect on the importance of Sally Ride being the first American woman to go into space!Get your weekend badges NOW for Starbase Indy! https://share.google/NGJo2SXId5QtcV9ICBurt Bruce remembers the legacy of Theodore Sturgen!Buck and Trevor consider the details of the USS Grissom!Find out more about navel history by listening to Buck's podcast:http://navalhistorypodcast.com/Members of the STARFLEET International ship, the USS Zavala, share what they enjoyed about this year's International Conference!Join now! https://share.google/1PR9byzNHYXQIv9qvJohn Tenuto and Maria Jose Tenuto tell us about their new book, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock – The Making of the Classic Film! https://share.google/G07lgtRtHiHUnSDIxPlus, The Search for Spock soundtrack, Star Trek books, and more on this episode of StarPodTrek!The Labor Day weekend phenomenon returns to downtown Atlanta: Dragon Con! Look for us in the program as professional guests!https://www.dragoncon.org/We will return as guest speakers at Starbase Indy 2025 over Thanksgiving weekend. This convention celebrates Star Trek's vision of humanitarian and STEM education. Get your tickets now!https://www.starbaseindy.org/Theme music provided by Foot Pound Force. Find out more about the band here:https://footpoundforce.bandcamp.com/musichttps://m.facebook.com/100029411275345/"Romulan Ale" performed by Marc Gunn.https://marcgunn.com/Don't forget to join our Facebook group:https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=469912916856743&ref=content_filterLove Starlog magazine?Join the Facebook group:https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=303578380105395&ref=content_filter Subscribe to our YouTube Channel “StarPodLog and StarPodTrek”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgE_kNBWqnvTPAQODKZA1UgFind us on Instagram: @StarPodLog Reddit: u/StarPodTrek Visit us on Blogger at https://starpodlogpodcast.blogspot.com/ or iTunes or Spotify or wherever you listen to fine podcasts!Middle Tennessee Space Societyhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054515677599 If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Download (right click, save as)

Star Trek Universe Podcast
Star Trek 2x14 - "Journey to Babel" Review

Star Trek Universe Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 48:41 Transcription Available


There's a murderer on board, So Spock might pull the chord! You'll hear Sarek say “My Wife! Attend!” while a Tellarite meets his end! A killer runs amok while Spock's parents finger fuuh, oh -- uh, how about... D.C. Fontana brings more world-building to this intergalactic fable as we're settling in for a Journey to Babel! It got dicey there for a minute, maman!Episode Reviewed:Star Trek 2x14 - "Journey to Babel"Hosts:David C. RobersonEffie OpheldersNote: This episode of Star Trek Universe continues young Effie's first watch of Star Trek in production order. Guiding her on this journey: Dave, a stalwart fan of almost four decades who rewatches along with her, provides trivia, insights and the occasional excitement-stoking minor spoiler. Join Us:Site: http://startrekucast.comApple: http://bit.ly/StuCastSpotify: http://bit.ly/StarTrekUCastSpreaker: http://bit.ly/StuCastSpreaker

M-Class Podcast
DC Comics #1 (COMICS)

M-Class Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 95:10


At some point between TMP and Search for Spock the comics right for Trek fell squarely into the hands of DC Comics - but did they boldly go where the movies hadn't gone before? And if so, how wall-eyed are our beloved TOS characters in it? LISTEN AND LEARN! This is the 3rd episode of Max M.'s "First Issues" Collection focusing on the first issues of Star Trek comics, as chosen by and voted on by our patrons! You can join in and tell us what to watch by becoming a patron today! SUPPORT US ON PATREON WITH YOUR LATINUM! - www.patreon.com/mclasspodcast Need info about the show? Find it at www.mclasspodcast.com Follow us on BlueSky: @MClassPodcast.bsky.social And/or follow our personal accounts: jeffpennington.bsky.social joshhenderson.bsky.social Opening Theme by VidaZen Editing by Josh Henderson Art by Jeff Pennington

Jimmy Akin Podcast
Shuttle to Kenfori (SNW) - The Secrets of Star Trek

Jimmy Akin Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2025 46:22


From Klingon honor to Ortegas' mutiny, we debate Strange New Worlds' take on moral duty, PTSD, and withheld truths. Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin & Fr. Jason Tyler dissect zombie tropes, Spock's mind-meld, and Number One's sidelining.