S2E8: Techno-Thrillers – A Reader's History of Science Fiction
Techno-thrillers are a surprisingly fuzzy category that sits at the border of sci-fi and suspense. In this episode, I give an overview of the subgenre and the different ways it can be classified. Book recommendation: Delta-v by Daniel Suarez Sam Boush on the categories of techno-thrillers. My review of Delta-v. Other books discussed: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Dystopian fiction has become a popular subgenre of sci-fi in its own right, but the earliest dystopian novels shared some unique elements in common, inverting the standard tropes of the hero’s journey. In this episode, we explore what has made these stories so enduring.
Book recommendation: Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
My essay on the inverted hero’s journey.
Link to the Heroine’s journey.
Link to O’Brien’s speech.
Other books mentioned:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Science Meets Fiction 