Explore the meaning of science fiction, and how it's relevant to real-life science and society. Your hosts are Annalee Newitz, a science journalist who writes science fiction, and Charlie Jane Anders, a science fiction writer who is obsessed with science. Every two weeks, we take deep dives into science fiction books, movies, television, and comics that will expand your mind -- and maybe change your life
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Culturalanalysis Podcasts
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Frankenstein's Monster and the Bad Science Daddy
53:52
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Frankenstein is back, baby. There are two new Frankenstein movies, plus tons of new fiction that plays with Frankenstein tropes. So it's time to talk about why this tale of a creature reanimated from dead body parts continues to haunt and inspire us. We get into Mary Shelley's life, the meaning of the bride, and what the monster has represented to …
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The Future of Science Fiction Conventions
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55:06
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We love science fiction and fantasy conventions — especially the ones that are run by fans, for fans. But they haven't changed much since the 1970s in many ways, and the world has moved on. So we asked a bunch of convention veterans to imagine how we might reimagine conventions for the 21st century, from panels to volunteering to venues.…
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We're Still Traumatized By This Writing Debate
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55:08
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Not long ago, everybody was arguing about whether characters need to be "relatable". We get to the bottom of a debate that still makes us intensely grouchy. Plus we talk to one of our favorite writers, C.L. Polk, about how to write excellent descriptions in your fiction -- and it turns out to be all about connecting to a character's POV.…
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It's time to light a fire and curl up with a cup of cocoa and a terrifying book full of creepy shit -- or escaping from creepy shit. We've got recommendations for what to read this season! Plus, contributing host Bethany Brookshire tells us about Hellbenders, creatures who sound terrifying but are actually just little guys. She takes us down the ra…
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Three Ways of Looking at Bruce Lee (with Jeff Chang)
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1:03:23
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1:03:23
Bruce Lee changed American pop culture forever, and his incredible legacy is more relevant than ever. But how did he go from child actor in Hong Kong to one of the most important action-movie stars of all time? To find out more, we talk to Jeff Chang, author of a new book called Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America. Plus con…
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Encore Episode: Silicon Valley vs. Science Fiction: ChatGPT
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For our summer vacation, we're re-upping the first in our "Silicon Valley vs. Science Fiction" series from 2023, about how Silicon Valley appropriates and misinterprets science fiction. Silicon Valley executives claim to be inspired by SF, but mostly they use it retroactively to justify their products, often missing the more complicated, nuanced id…
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Encore Episode: Obsessed with Battlestar Galactica
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Charlie Jane and Annalee are on book tour(s), so we're re-upping one of our favorite episodes from 2023. At that time, we were celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the rebooted version of Battlestar Galactica. This show broke new ground in depicting realistic politics — and a nuanced view of a society of artificial people. How does it hold up? …
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Robots! Witches! Annalee and Charlie Jane talk about their new books
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54:22
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It's a double book birthday! Annalee has just released Automatic Noodle, a wonderfully cozy book about robots who've survived a devastating war and now just want to run a noodle restaurant. And in 12 days, Charlie Jane is releasing Lessons in Magic and Disaster, about a trans witch who teaches her heartbroken mother how to do magic. In this episode…
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It's scary out there — so thank goodness we're taking comfort in some wondrous books, TV shows, comics and movies. What makes a story comforting? And why is a dark horror story sometimes better comfort than a sweet gentle comedy? Plus we talk about the first season of Murderbot, which is about using stories to feel better and also made us feel bett…
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The Invisible Chain that Holds Us Together (w/ Alexis Madrigal)
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We keep hearing about the supply chain lately... but what is it? And how do all these shipping containers moving around the world shape our lives? We talk to Alexis Madrigal, author of the brand new book The Pacific Circuit, about how trade with Asia has changed Oakland. Plus we talk about how science fiction deals with the idea of the supply chain…
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We've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we're talking to Cirocco Dunlap, the showrunner of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, easily one of our favorite shows right now. Season 2 just came out, and we talk to Dunlap about cute body horror, dealing with mental illness, and interspecies romance. Then contributing host M…
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Public Health Is a Utopian Vision (with Naseem Jamnia and Natasha O'Brown)
58:47
58:47
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58:47
Public health is a vital part of keeping all of us safe — but what does it mean, and where did the concept come from? Special guest host Naseem Jamnia breaks it down for us, and tells us about some fantasy stories that show why public health is a collective concern. Plus we talk to scientist Natsaha O'Brown at Rutgers University about all the disco…
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Simulating Earth and Politicizing Science
42:38
42:38
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It's the end of science as we know it in America. As the U.S. government dismantles science agencies and slashes budgets for health and environmental research, we talk about what it means to politicize science. How is that different from the time-honored tradition of analyzing the politics of science? Then we are joined by contributing host Maddie …
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The Power of Protest (w/ andré carrington)
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54:12
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It's time to rise up. That's why we're talking about the power of protest, in real life but also in fiction. Indeed, the act of writing science fiction can itself be a protest, and sometimes it's just as powerful as marching in the street. Later in the episode, we're joined by andré carrington, who is the editor of a new anthology of Black speculat…
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Too Bad About the Internet (with Anil Dash)
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Where did the Internet go wrong, and how do we fix it? To find out more, we talk to entrepreneur and activist Anil Dash about the alternate history of technology. But first, we talk about why Doctor Who is better than ever, and why we're loving the current season — but where is this venerable TV show headed next? We explore our hopes, dreams and an…
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Some really weird shit you didn't know about taxes
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41:56
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Why are taxes the secret weapon in so many science fiction and fantasy stories? And why the heck do archaeologists measure the complexity of ancient civilizations partly by looking at their taxation policies? We talk about all this and more, as we recover from tax season. Plus, later in the episode, contributing host Alan Henry will tell us how to …
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Severance and the New Hellscape (w/ Carl Zimmer)
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Welcome to the new dystopian era. The series Severance, which just finished its second season, is perhaps the best-known of a fresh crop of dark, absurdist stories that tackle the horrors of high-tech oligarchy. We discuss why the imaginary future is mutating before our eyes. Then we are joined by celebrated science journalist Carl Zimmer, author o…
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