Category Archives: Uncategorized

Writer’s History #2 – Kira Leigh Interview

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

In this episode, I interview Kira Leigh, author of the new, anime-inspired space epic, Constelis Voss, Volume 1. Kira’s website. Kira’s TV recommendations: Farscape Earth 2 Check out this episode!

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#26 – Vonnegut, Adams, and Modern Satire

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

While many early works of proto-sci-fi were satires like Gulliver’s Travels, satirical works also appear in modern sci-fi. In this episode, we take a look at the two most famous authors of this subgenre, Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams. Book recommendation: Slaughterhouse-Five … Continue reading →

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#25 – Strange New Worlds

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

While much of the New Wave was about exploring inner space, some authors were still writing about exploring other words. In this episode, we see how this subgenre of “strange new worlds sci-fi” developed, both through Star Trek and through the … Continue reading →

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Episode 25 Delayed

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Alex R. Howe

Hi all. Sorry there’s no new episode this week. I have the script finished and everything, but my computer’s gone on the fritz. I barely got it working again after the mess it got into yesterday, and until I have … 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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