Science Fiction 101

What on earth does science have to do with science fiction? Is science fiction about science? Is it fiction that takes a scientific approach to fiction?Without getting into the tedium of multiple possible definitions of science fiction, Colin and Phil explore what they expect of something labelled "science fiction". What you can expect is a rambling conversation that touches on philosophy, physics, logic, time travel, and much more.We also have our usual quiz, and our dash through the past, present and future of our favourite genre.For more information, check the show notes at:https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/07/science-andor-fiction-episode-56.html

Sometimes the podstreams just cross, and this episode is a prime example. When Colin suggested reviewing It Came From Outer Space, the classic 1953 science fiction movie created by Ray Bradbury, it was right up Phil's alley - and so this episode is also going out (slightly modified) as part of his Bradbury 100 pod!The discussion ranges from Bradbury's contribution to the screenplay to the quality of the 3D, and takes in your humble hosts' views on whether or not screen creatures should be revealed or concealed.For more information, check out the show notes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/05/it-came-from-outer-space-episode-54.html

Discovery of a buried skull turns a London building site into a palaeontological dig. Until, in a geological layer that's five million years old, a bomb is found. Send for Professor Quatermass!Quatermass and the Pit (1967) - aka Five Million Years to Earth in the US (1968) - is the best and most successful of the British science-fiction horror film series, based in turn on a TV series from a decade before. Colin and Phil examine it from all angles to see what makes it tick.We also have a fiendish Q-uiz, and our usual round up of past, present and future SF recommendations.For more information, check out the show notes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/03/mind-gap-professor-quatermass-episode-52.html

It's another one of our (made-up) time-honored traditions: reviewing a current science fiction magazine. We usually do this once a year, to keep on top of current SF trends - and also to compare & contrast current magazines with the SF magazines of the past. Last time, we went back 50 years to review ANALOG. This time, we're bang up-to-date (almost) with a very recent issue of the same magazine. Analog is the longest-continuously-running SF magazine, having been around under various titles since the 1930s! What will make of Analog's longstanding reputation for "hard SF" ? How does the magazine stack up against its wholly online competitors such as Clarkesworld and Uncanny? How does it stack up against its former self? No quiz this time, but we finish off with our usual round-up of recommendations of past/present/future science fiction. For full shownotes, check out our blog at: 101sf.blogspot.com

It occurred to us that although we have discussed many specific books on the show, we've never devoted an episode to the idea of the book - those papery, texty things that Stephen King has described as "uniquely portable magic". So in this episode, we address the various ways in which books can be enjoyed and consumed, and discuss ten (or eleven) questions on the subject of books. We also have a book-adjacent quiz, and our usual round up of recommendations of past, present and future SF. For links and shownotes, check out our web page: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2024/11/uniquely-portable-magic-episode-48.html

August 2024 saw the World Science Fiction Convention, held in Glasgow, Scotland. Phil stayed at home, but intrepid traveller Colin crossed a continent and an ocean to experience his first Worldcon. Find out how he got on - and how Phil and Colin somehow managed not to meet, despite both being in England at the same time... Also in today's show, a special quiz from friend of the podcast Peter Kuskie (last seen in episode 11), and our usual round up of all good things science fictional. For more details, and links to items mentioned in the pod, look for the shownotes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2024/09/conventional-wisdom-episode-46-of.html

We're back - and it's the time to review this year's Hugo-nominated short stories! The Hugos are the awards given by members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention (whose numbers this year will include our very own Colin, who will be attending the worldcon in Glasgow). Also in today's episode, we have a quiz. Sort of. See if you can get it before Phil has a clue what's going on... And there's our usual round up of SF past, present and future. For the full show notes, check out our blog: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2024/07/hugos-where-i-goes-episode-44-of-podcast.html

Time for another regular episode of the podcast, and this time we have more interview goodness from the Hugo- and Nebula-winning SF writer Robert J. Sawyer. We had so much fun talking to Rob about his new novel The Downloaded (see episode 40) that we decided to gather up the more general parts of our discussion into a separate segment. So here you will hear talk of Planet of the Apes, science fiction conferences, and much much more. We also have a mostly Star Trek quiz, but with a few Star Wars questions thrown in to trip Phil up. And the usual recommendations of past/present/future SF. For more detail, check out the show notes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2024/05/off-on-tangent-more-interview-fun-with.html