Podside Picnic

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

We chat about the amazingly pulpy Enchantress of Venus, by Leigh Brackett and her life as pulp science fiction, noir and screenwriter.

Cowabunga! We chat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and a bit about some of their other iterations across media, so listen in and be sure to have a slice or two to celebrate

For this episode we bring Ashely Adams back and take out our BIG shovels for The Kaiju Preservation Society. Be sure to wear your hazmat suits with this crap - it's literally radioactive!

An old acquaintance ain't forgot as we show 2022 the door and look forward to the new year.

Karlo, Kurt and Chris share a Holiday Beer. Happy Holidays, Podsiders!

This is it - as the Year of the New Sun comes to a close, we reach the end of Severian's journey. Listen to our discussion on these last, glorious chapters of The Book of the New Sun!

The most dangerous woman in speculative fiction returns! Raquel S. Benedict joins us for Black Christmas. One of the first slasher movies, it inspired Carpenter when making Halloween. Go forth, podsiders, and watch the original, accept no substitutes

Looky, looky who's got the Hooky! That's right, we revisit the reason for the season - James A. Hook, who will kidnap your loved ones if you're bad. Hell, he'll do it if you're good, too. Join us as we fight, we fly and crow

We're joined by Podside's own World Warrior, Zangief, to take the pulse of the genre and talk about the Short Fiction and Novelette ballots for the Shirley Jackson Awards.

An ex-con, a good union man and an old droid walk into a funeral on Ferrix. . . For this super-sized episode, we're joined by return guest, Trevor Drinkwater to round out our Andor coverage (at least, until 2024)

We've unlocked our premium Andor episode for you! Join us in revisiting (and mostly enjoying) Episodes 1-6 of the Disney+ show.

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

Welcome to the Year of the New Sun! Join us in our read-along of chapters XXI - XXX of The Citadel of the Autarch. We're getting close to the end of Severian's journey - what awaits him now? Music by Loot the Body

For our last Dinovember entry, we are joined by none other than Madhabmatics to talk about The 13th Warrior. Join us for adventure, danger, and most importantly. . . listening!