Category Archives: Uncategorized

#23 – Overpopulation and Environmental Collapse

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

In the 60s and 70s, awareness of environmental issues was rising, and that was reflected in the New Wave of science fiction. Of particular note were overpopulation and pollution (leading to widespread environmental collapse). In this episode, we explore the … Continue reading →

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#19 – The New Wave

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

In the 1960s, science fiction went through a major change as the New Wave moved it away from the hard sci-fi of the 50s into a softer, but more socially conscious space. In this episode, we overview the new ideas, … Continue reading →

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#18 – Movies in the Golden Age

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

Like books, movies and television also went through a golden age in science fiction in the 1950s. In this episode we explore the trends in the visual medium at the time and how they compared to print. Movie recommendation: The … Continue reading →

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20020: the Sequel to 17776

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

Three years ago, I reviewed a web serial/visual novel called 17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future created by Jon Bois of the SB Nation blog, an absurdist tale about a far future where humans are immortal, and … Continue reading →

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Essay: The Real Problem with “The Cold Equations”

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

As part of tomorrow’s episode of A Reader’s History of Science Fiction, I felt the need to write a companion essay analyzing one of the most famous (or perhaps infamous) short stories in the history of the genre: “The Cold … Continue reading →

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The Mars Perseverance Launch Is Tomorrow

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

Space news of the day: NASA’s Perseverance rover (formerly Mars 2020) will launch at 7:50 am EDT tomorrow morning on its mission to Mars. (It was originally supposed to be July 17, but it was delayed due to equipment problems.) … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Alex R. Howe

I’ve previously reviewed An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, a science educator and YouTube host alongside his brother, John (author of The Fault in our Stars). Hank’s debut novel featured a visit by an enigmatic alien robot named Carl, … Continue reading →

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A Challenge to Flat Earthers

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

Is the Earth round? Most people say yes, obviously. But a growing (or at least growing in loudness) number on the internet say no. Flat Earthers are (or seem to be) real, and they seem to have an answer to … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

Well, here it is: the end* of the Star Wars saga. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is the completion of the nine-film series George Lucas originally promised us in 1978. It took 41 years, selling the series to Disney, … Continue reading →

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Frozen II’s Worrying Embrace of Pseudoscience

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

I wrote in my review that I thought Frozen II was a very well-made movie. However, there was one thing in the story that I strongly disliked and even found inappropriate for children in a weird way. (Not in the … Continue reading →

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