Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

About Alex R. Howe

I'm a full-time astrophysicist and a part-time science fiction writer.

S2E15: Religion in Sci-Fi

In this episode, I give an overview of the different ways that religion and religious themes are used in science fiction. Book recommendation: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny My review of A Case of Conscience. Other works discussed:Riverworld series by Philip … Continue reading

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New Video: The History of Christmas Music

I had a weird question for Christmas this year. How many “standard” Christmas songs are there? You know, the ones we sing over and over every year. I went through a bunch of playlists and compiled a master list, and … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Avatar: The Way of Water

Well, it’s finally here. After 13 years, James Cameron has finally come out with the sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time (despite being briefly eclipsed by Avengers: Endgame): Avatar. Originally projected for release in 2014, Avatar 2 has … Continue reading

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S2E14: Margaret Weitekamp Interview

I interview Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, Curator and Chair of Space History at the National Air and Space Museum about her new book, Space Craze: America’s Enduring Fascination with Real and Imagined Spaceflight. Media recommendation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Check out … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Disney’s Strange World

So, this ended up being less of a review and more of a post-mortem, but this is where the post went when I decided to put my thoughts down. Disney has put out its latest theatrical release this week with … Continue reading

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S2E13: Gary Bengier Interview

In this episode, I interview Gary Bengier, former CFO of eBay and author of Unfettered Journey, a novel about philosophy and artificial intelligence. Gary’s book recommendation:Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky Check out this episode!

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Movie Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the much-anticipated sequel to Marvel’s hit 2018 film Black Panther (and also the end of the MCU’s Phase Four). We return to a Wakanda that is reeling from the sudden death of King T’Challa and … Continue reading

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S2E12: Catch-Up Episode #5: DC Movies

Complementing my Marvel catch-up, I review the new DC superhero movies that have come out since the start of the pandemic. Movie recommendation: DC League of Super-Pets Other movies discussed:Wonder Woman 1984Black AdamZack Snyder’s Justice LeagueThe Batman Check out this episode!

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S2E11: Nick Nocturne Discusses Unfiction

I interview Nick Nocturne, host of the YouTube channel Night Mind about the emerging genre of unfiction and its relation to science fiction. Nick’s recommendations:PBhere (sci-fi)Diminish (non-sci-fi) Check out this episode!

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Movie Review: Black Adam

DC superhero films are doing something interesting and kind of Marvel-esque this year. They are releasing two films in the same series back-to-back. This week saw the premier of Black Adam, and just five months from now in March will … Continue reading

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