A classic piece of short SF, and a landmark story in all sorts of ways. Join Rob and Clive as they look at this dark parody of masculinity, which comes to some pretty brutal conclusions about the role and future of women on this planet.
We recommend you read the story before listening to the podcast. Check it out here.
Let’s talk about some proper SF, with a nose around Ted Chiang’s Nebula-Award winning short story Story Of Your Life. If you want discussion on the challenges of living in a deterministic universe or Fermat’s Theorem of Least Time, then do we have a treat for you!
If not, don’t worry, we’ll be back to the zap guns and little green men soon enough.
Hey, if you want to read the story in question, lucky you! Check it out here (If you like it, we do urge you to buy the collection of stories in which it’s housed for yet more head-mangling goodness).
Yesterday was pretty momentous for me. It saw the long-awaited release of my second novel, Pirates Of The Moon. Finally, oh my lovely Readership, you get a chance to read my first foray into long-form science fiction. Continue reading Blast-off! Launching Pirates Of The Moon
The Grandmaster of Science Fiction. Not just prolific but absurdly talented, Brian Aldiss is a Great British Author in every sense of the word. Rob and Clive celebrate the man and his work: not just as writer, but editor, artist and advocate for SF in all its forms.
If his work is good enough for Kubrick and Spielberg, it’s good enough for us!
Here’s a look at the film version of his deeply odd conjoined-twin punk opera, Brothers Of The Head. A strange and very English piece of work.
More short story action from Rob, Clive and that thrice-damn’d CycloMedia. This episode, they look at Samuel R. Delaney’s “Aye, And Gomorrah…”, a bracing antidote to the macho American view of what space explorers should be like.
Are we not men? Interesting question…
Dangerous Visions, the anthology in which “Aye, and Gomorrah…” appears, is back in print for the first time in decades. It’s one of the most important collections in SF, and and any selfrespecting fan-being should own a copy.
This time, Rob and Clive look at a classic bit of SF from one of the masters, Robert A. Heinlein. If you’re expecting macho space battles and right-wing posturing, think again. ‘–All You Zombies–’ is a time travel tale with one hell of a familial twist…
How complicated is it? Well, why don’t we let Ray Stevens try to explain…
As anticipated, Cyclomedia wouldn’t let it lie. We’re back with more on the legendary Isaac Asimov, including a spin round the epic Foundation Saga, and a general muse about what it is that has made the author just such an enduring favourite.
I mean, even here in the 27th Century the guy’s a big deal.
A rare treat for the good citizens of Reading (or at least those, like TLC and I, lucky enough to get a ticket) as the Town Hall played host to the brilliant Stephen Fry. Continue reading Wilde About Reading with Stephen Fry
Just the two of us this month, as Clive and Rob talk about writing. We cast an eye over the fast-changing world of self-publishing, look at some short fiction mags and answer that all important question: just what does Nanowrimo stand for?
(as I mention at the top of the ‘cast, Script Frenzy has now become open-remit challenge Camp Nanowrimo. It’s well worth a look, especially if you like the idea of a more collaborative environment. Check out www.campnanowrimo.org for more info, and to sign up for some writing fun in April!)
There are an awful lot of books out there that claim to have the formula for screenwriting success. I've read more than a couple. And I've found that there's a gaping hole in the middle of that formula.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 