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

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Alex R. Howe

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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