Podside Picnic

Can lightning strike twice? Kind of. . .Jeremy Greathouse returns to talk about Mamoru Oshii's sequel to Ghost in the Shell, with all its murky philosophical musings and CGI

For today's episode, we talk about Puerto Rican author, Rosario Ferré's short story, The Youngest Doll. This one's got it all - if "all" means river-prawns, life-like dolls, and men acting horribly.

Sometimes they come back - hosts, that is. Pete returns to talk about the 2022's From, a program by Lost's executive producers and boy does it show. Join us for some smart commentary on dumb TV

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

This is it - the Platonic Ideal of a Beer Run. So, hunker down, crack a brew, and listen to us begin to talk about one thing. . . right before a voice from the past crashes the party

Stephen Mazur and Mattie Lewis return for M. Rickert's The Chambered Fruit(first printed in 2003, in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction), a beautiful and tragic reimagining of the Demeter and Persephone myth. The Chambered Fruit has since been collected in M. Rickert's collection, You Have Never Been Here

The Culture War rages on as we discuss Iain M. Banks' Excession. Ready to find out how many more characters are introduced in this part?

Aaron and Carlee return to talk about Toys (1992), a very odd and at times oddly dark children's film. Permission to play, SIR!

Jeremy Greathouse drops by to talk about Mamoru Oshii's 1995 cult classic, Ghost in the Shell. What is consciousness? What if you had a smokin' hot cyborg body? What if ChatGPT heard what you call it when you think it's not listening? We try to answer these questions and more

We're joined once again by the raconteur of gaming and friend of the pod, Trevor Strunk, to talk about the LucasArts game Loom. Do you know how to beat the game? Don't worry, we'll hum a few bars so you can join in

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

The Culture War rages on as we discuss Iain M. Banks' Excession (Prologue and the first three parts). Ready to eavesdrop on all the Mind chatter?

Welcome back to Podside Radio! This time around, we talk about Daft Punk's visual companion to their 2001 Discovery album: Interstella 5555. Also, check out the music of Nujabes and Goblin

Speculative fiction's most dangerous woman joins us once again to talk about George Lucas' 1971 cult classic, THX 1138. Is a future where the emotional labor of jerking off is automated what the left wants?

A meeting of the Minds to gland some brews (externally, even - how barbaric!) and plan for our upcoming read-along, Excession. Eavesdrop on this M32-level chatter and await further orders!

We speak with science fiction reviewer and critic, Paul Kincaid about his biography of Iain Banks, The Culture and why Banks' books have such longevity (among other things). Be sure to also check out Paul's site, Through the Dark Labyrinth Music by Terminal Khaos Builders

Get ready to roll initiative as Pete joins the party to talk about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. So, whoever's got the graph paper please don't get Cheetos dust on the map

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

We discuss another Studio Ghibli gem with the 1994 film, Pom Poko. By turns subtle, goofy and heartbreaking, join us in following the tanuki collectives' efforts to achieve their five year plan and preserve their way of life

Aubrey Wood, author of forthcoming cybernoir novel, Bang Bang Bodhisattva, talks about influences, how to make cyberpunk feel both timeless and fresh, and more Pre-order Bang Bang Bodhisattva: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1786187019

Matilda Lewis returns to talk about the Nebulas Short Fiction ballot for 2022. Find out who we think will win vs who we think should win

We discuss David Erik Nelson's novelette, Whatever Comes After Calcutta (first printed in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2017). Witch trials in modern day Ohio? Sure, why not Read/Listen here: https://pseudopod.org/2019/05/24/pseudopod-649-whatever-comes-after-calcutta/

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

What do you get when you mix together Flowers For Algernon, VR and cyberpunk? Why, a story that's 100% legally distinct from a Stephen King short of the same name! Is that every phone in the house ringing?

For this installment of Culture War, an interlude: we discuss Iain M. Banks' novella, The State of the Art. Part travelogue, part cultural commentary (of this little place called Earth), all very funny and sad Since it's not yet available in the U.S. The State of the Art can be read here: https://library.uniteddiversity.coop/More_Books_and_Reports/The_Culture_Novels-Iain_M_Bainks-Anarchist_Science_Fiction/iain%20m%20banks%20-%201989%20-%20the%20state%20of%20the%20art/Iain%20M.%20Banks%20-%20The%20State%20of%20the%20Art%20v1.html

We talk about the back half of the Apple TV show Severance. Are all you perk-hounds ready for your own personal Waffle Party?

Author Andrew F. Sullivan joins us to talk about his upcoming novel, The Marigold, and the festering rot that crawls under Toronto

The Culture War is underway. Join Jernau Gurgeh - professional gamer and amateur asshole - on his journey to play a game with an Empire at stake. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Music is "A Guilty System Recognizes No Innocents" by Terminal Khaos Builders terminalkhaosbuilders.bandcamp.com/track/a…nocents

It's another Beer Run, where the conversation flows just as smoothly as our beverages, so belly up to the Pod and enjoy!

Aaron returns to talk about the Apple TV show Severance, so be sure to bring every bit of your Innie energy to this episode. Praise Kier!

For this episode, we return to one of Albert Pyun's films, the 1992 cyberpunk actioner, Nemesis. Explosions, gun battles and the LAPD getting blown to hell - what's not to like?

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

The Culture War is underway. Join Jernau Gurgeh - professional gamer and amateur asshole - on his journey to play a game with an Empire at stake. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Music is "A Guilty System Recognizes No Innocents" by Terminal Khaos Builders terminalkhaosbuilders.bandcamp.com/track/a…nocents

Ashely Adams returns to talk about Kij Johnson's "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change". What would YOU do if your dog asked you to eat what you eat, sleep where you sleep? This story first appeared in the World Fantasy Award nominated The Coyote Road (edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling), but you can read or listen to the story, reprinted in Drabblecast (https://www.drabblecast.org/2019/06/04/drabblecast-evolution-of-trickster-stories-pt-1/)or Podcastle (https://podcastle.org/2009/07/09/pc060-the-evolution-of-trickster-stories-among-the-dogs-of-north-park-after-the-change/).

We talk Upgrade (2018), which asks the pressing question: what EXACTLY did you agree to in the TOS?

Aaron Thorpe of The Trillbillies and Everybody Loves Communism joins us to chat about William Gibson's first published story, Fragments of a Hologram Rose. Find out with us if a simulation would smell as sweet

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

The Culture War is underway. Join Jernau Gurgeh - professional gamer and amateur asshole - on his journey to play a game with an Empire at stake. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Music is "A Guilty System Recognizes No Innocents" by Terminal Khaos Builders https://terminalkhaosbuilders.bandcamp.com/track/a-guilty-system-recognizes-no-innocents

Tai returns to talk about the original My Bloody Valentine (1981) and the flawed remake (2009). One thing's certain in this mining town - they <3 unions (and you should, too).

Some books aspire to greatness with merely one or two world-shaking twists. Margaret St. Clair's The Shadow People scoffs at such limitations and squeezes FIVE such twists into her slim novel

We're joined by the creators of indie RPG games Fail Marines, Hell, Inc. and the forthcoming BURGERPunk to talk about Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988) - a touching story about government-mandated horniness. Get reminded to support BURGERPunk: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jeffmartin/burgerpunk-the-rpg

We discuss Octavia Butler's Speech Sounds, a harrowing pandemic scenario so plausible it speaks to Butler's writing skills.

We discuss Johnny Mnemonic (1995), a man who got a brain modification so he can smuggle the hottest takes to the highest bidder

You ready for a revolution? Well, listen up as we talk about our next read-alongs, Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, Player of Games and Excession

We discuss The Venus Effect by Violet Allen, where the Black protagonist's adventures get cut short due to "an officer-involved shooting" Read it at Lightspeed Magazine: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-venus-effect/

We discuss Looker (1981), a flawed Crichton film with intriguing stuff to say about the role of computers in automation. Oh, and snazzy eyewear.

Trevor Strunk returns as we delve into the secrets of Hallownest and admire a hero of few words who also happens to be a little bug

It's that time again - time to unlock the next step in our journey through the Year of the New Sun. Just as you can't read a Gene Wolfe story, only re-read it, so we hope it goes with podcasts. Music by Loot the Body

Stephen Mazur joins us for one last Year of the New Sun episode. Trust, good folk, that we've gone from gate to gate, from night to light, there's no shame if you do not wish to join us. It is a hard path, after all