Science fiction frequently plays with language in different ways to explore the concepts of philosophy, culture, and cognition; and constructed languages (or conlangs) are a big part of that. In this episode, I highlight how conlangs have contributed to the genre over its history. TV recommendation: Defiance (Kastithanu, L'Irathi, Indojisnen, and Kinuk'aaz, by David J. Peterson) My blog posts about language in Creationism. jan Misali’s Conlang Critic playlist. Other languages...

My first episode catching up both on classic works of sci-fi that I passed over before, and new works from the past 2 years. These are "short" episodes that will continue intermittently with longer ones. Book recommendation: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini Other book discussed: Cities in Flight by James Blish My review of A Case of Conscience by James Blish

I interview Farah Mendlesohn, a scholar of children's sci-fi and fantasy literature and author of The Intergalactic Playground. Farah's website. Farah's book recommendations: The Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (free online)

In the final episode of Season 1, we explore the state of the science fiction genre in the present day. Book recommendation: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin Worlds Without End's list of sci-fi classics Worlds Without End's customizable list N. K. Jemisin on the Broken Earth trilogy Edit: corrected links. Other books discussed: The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

I missed a few important books in the previous episode on alternate history. Here is an overview of those works. Recommendation: "If Lee Had Not Won the Battle of Gettysburg" by Winston Churchill (yes, really). Other works discussed: The Grasshopper Lies Heavy from The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick Fallen Axis from this Onion article. The United Colonies Triumphant from The Two Georges by Harry Turtledove. Proposed book by Abraham Lincoln from The Guns of the South by...

Dystopian fiction has been the core of young adult sci-fi for the past 15 years. In this episode, we explore how they got their start and what makes them so popular. Book recommendation: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins My analysis of Mortal Engines. Other books discussed: Unwind by Neal Shusterman The Maze Runner by James Dashner The Selection by Kiera Cass Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Maximum Ride by James Patterson The Chrysalids by John Wyndham The Giver by Lois Lowry Mortal...

Children's science fiction was pretty sparse historically, but it began to take off in the 1990s. In this episode, we explore how sci-fi for kids has changed and expanded over the most recent generation. Book recommendations: Middle grade (ages 8-12): Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke Chapter books (ages 6-10): Aliens for Breakfast by Stephanie Spinner and Jonathan Etra Picture books: How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk Farah Mendelsohn on children’s sci-fi. 1984 NYTimes article on...

Hard sci-fi stories about the exploration of our solar system became more popular beginning in the 1990s. In this episode, we explore how these ideas rose to prominence and have developed over the years. Book recommendation: The Martian by Andy Weir. The Mundane Manifesto by Geoff Ryman et al. Kim Stanley Robinson on the Mars Trilogy. Other works mentioned: The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson The Grand Tour Series by Ben Bova The Expanse by James S. A. Corey Artemis by Andy...

As Hollywood moved into the twenty-first century, it found a new formula for superhero stories that catapulted them to some of the most popular stories in sci-fi. In this episode, we explore the history of superheroes in film and how their modern mainstream popularity has transformed the genre. Movie recommendation: X-Men Other works dicussed: The Incredibles The Dark Knight Trilogy The Reckoners Series by Brandon Sanderson Worm by John C. "Wildbow" McCrae Please Don't Tell My Parents...

In the 1980s and '90s, blockbuster films became a staple of Hollywood and of science fiction, and their rise went hand in hand with the development of CGI technology. In this episode, we explore the ways CGI has contributed to sci-fi over the years. Movie recommendation: Jurassic Park Sheldon Hall on the origin of the term "blockbuster." Documentary on the making of Independence Day. Other movies discussed: Terminator 2: Judgment Day Independence Day Avatar

Michael Crichton was a huge influence on science fiction in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly through the many movie adaptations of his work. In this episode, I given an overview of his writings and his work in Hollywood. Book recommendation: Sphere Luke McKinney on "The Malcolm Fallacy" Other works discussed: The Andromeda Strain Westworld Jurassic Park Timeline

In this episode, I interview David Brin, author of the Uplift Series, The Postman, Existence, and many more. For more information, visit www.davidbrin.com.

After cyberpunk had its day, a more mature, less countercultural successor to it emerged, known as postcyberpunk. In this episode, we explore what makes it distinctive and how it ties in with the ideas of transhumanism. Book recommendation: Existence by David Brin. Other books discussed: Permutation City by Greg Egan The Imperial Radch/Ancillary trilogy by Ann Leckie Accelerando by Charles Stross Blindsight by Peter Watts

Cyberpunk has produced many offshoots over the years as new authors have applied the style to other historical eras and new technologies. In this episode, we tour the wide spread of these diverse subgenres. Book recommendations: The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson Other works mentioned: too many to name. Full list on my blog.

Cyberpunk was the big new subgenre of sci-fi in the 80s--the combination of "lowlife and high-tech." In this episode, we explore the highlights of this subgenre. Book recommendation: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Other works discussed: Akira Neuromancer by William Gibson The Matrix Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Alternate histories, where events in the past unfolded differently, if a fairly new genre, but it's made large strides since it first became popular in the 80s. In this episode, we look at an overview of these works. Book recommendation: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. Other books discussed: The Domination by S. M. Stirling Harry Turtledove in general. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

In this episode, I interview Annie Geever, the author of the Undead Age trilogy of zombie novels. Annie's book recommendations: Thirteen or Black Man by Richard K. Morgan Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder

Time travel has used in many different ways by many different writers across history. In this episode, we take a whirlwind tour of ten common time travel tropes to see how they have contributed to the genre. Book recommendation: The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter. TV recommendation: "Blink" from Doctor Who. Other works mentioned: too many to name. Full list at my blog.

Time travel had a long history in science fiction, but it noticeably ramped up beginning in the 80s. In this episode, we explore some of the classic and iconic time travel stories of recent decades. Book recommendation: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Other works discussed: Timescape by Gregory Benford Back to the Future The Terminator Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Sci-fi stories about wars and military service in the future are widespread throughout the genre. In this episode, we explore a few of the highlights from this wide field. Book recommendation: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Honorable mention: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Other books discussed: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

With the release of Star Wars, sci-fi became more mainstream than ever, and in its wake came many stories about a galaxy filled with many kinds of alien life. In this episode, we explore a few of these stories of galactic civilizations. Book recommendation: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge Other works discussed: OG Star Wars Uplift Universe by David Brin Culture series by Iain M. Banks Zones of Thought series by Vernor Vinge

Stories about the discovery of mysterious alien artifacts, and the similar challenges of first contact, became prominent in the 70s and 80s. Some of them we have discussed before, but many are new. In this episode, we see an overview of these stories. Book recommendation: Contact by Carl Sagan Other works discussed: Gateway by Frederick Pohl Hyperion by Dan Simmons Stargate Close Encounters of the Third Kind E.T. the Extra-terrestrial The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

Daniel Bensen is an author of science fiction, alternate history, and stories of speculative evolution. In this interview, we discuss his new book, Interchange, sequel to his debut novel, Junction, and other writings. Dan's website: thekingdomsofevil.com Dan's book recommendations: The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Greg Egan The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker

After the New Wave era drew to a close, the older authors of the Golden Age continued to produce new works, but Arthur C. Clarke made the strongest comeback, with some of his most famous books coming from his later years. In this episode, we look at an overview of these works. Book recommendation: Rendezvous with Rama Other books discussed: The Fountains of Paradise 2010: Odyssey Two 2061: Odyssey Three 3001: The Final Odyssey The Songs of Distant Earth

By 1970, the New Wave in science fiction had made peace with a surge of new hard sci-fi works and writers. At the forefront of this trend was Larry Niven, who took a unique path in hard sci-fi by proposing new physics, but still applying it rigorously. In this episode, we explore his work. Book recommendation: Ringworld by Larry Niven. Other works discussed: The Magic Goes Away With Jerry Pournelle: The Mote in God's Eye The Gripping Hand Lucifer's Hammer Footfall