Podcasts Other Spectology: The Science Fiction Book Club Podcast
Spectology: The Science Fiction Book Club Podcast

Spectology: The Science Fiction Book Club Podcast

99 episodes

Each month we select a speculative fiction book, read it, and talk about it. Early in the month we'll post a pre-read episode with context about the book, the author, its place in SF fandom, and anything else you might want to know before you read. Towards the end of the month, we'll post an episode discussing the book in-depth: the character, plot, themes, politics, and philosophy of the novel. In between, we might post some shorter episodes about other topics in the SF publishing world. We hope you enjoy!

Podcasts

Interview w/ the Hugo Administrator, Will Frank, on how & why to get involved with the Hugos

Published: Dec. 8, 2020, 4:17 a.m.
Duration: 29 minutes 2 seconds

Listed in: Other

Announcement: Spectology "series finale" and the future of the podcast

Published: Oct. 23, 2020, 2:43 a.m.
Duration: 13 minutes 11 seconds

Listed in: Other

28.2: Do You Dream of Terra-Two? post-read: Belief, Depression, and Courage in Sociological Hard SF

Published: Oct. 16, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes 49 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Kathleen Jennings on Flyaway: Small Towns, Fairytales, and Linguistics

Published: Sept. 29, 2020, 3:15 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 26 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Somaiya Daud on Mirage & Court of Lions: Body doubles, court politics, and historical science fantasy.

Published: Sept. 15, 2020, 12:34 p.m.
Duration: 38 minutes 53 seconds

Listed in: Other

28.1: Do You Dream of Terra-Two pre-read w/ Bee & Estelle: Alternate History, Destiny, and Space Travel

Published: Sept. 9, 2020, 12:02 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 6 minutes 25 seconds

Listed in: Other

27.2: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull post-read w/ Lydia: Colonial Power in SF and Rural & Island Culture.

Published: Aug. 27, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 14 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: WM Akers on Westside Saints, detective novels, RPGs, and sequels

Published: Aug. 18, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 50 minutes 8 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Nick Mamatas on Move Under Ground, a novel of Beat literary figures fighting Lovecraftian monsters

Published: Aug. 13, 2020, 11:57 a.m.
Duration: 45 minutes 16 seconds

Listed in: Other

27.1: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull pre-read w/ Lydia: Alien invasion and a history of capitalism & colonialism.

Published: Aug. 4, 2020, 4:15 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes 53 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Nino Cipri on Finna, a story of parallel universes as found in low-wage furniture stores

Published: June 30, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 52 minutes 36 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: SA Jones on The Fortress, a book about restorative justice inside an all-women society

Published: June 23, 2020, 6:21 p.m.
Duration: 41 minutes 17 seconds

Listed in: Other

26.2: The True Queen post-read w/ Reading the End: Inclusion in Historical Fantasy, Comfort Reads, Sisterhood, and more

Published: June 9, 2020, 4:29 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes 45 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Melissa Caruso on The Obsidian Tower, a story of a young woman on the run from her own magical power

Published: May 26, 2020, 12:12 p.m.
Duration: 51 minutes 34 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Veronica Roth on Chosen Ones, a story of what happens after the "chosen ones" have saved the world

Published: May 19, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 36 minutes 22 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Our Favorite Underrated SF Movies, with Seth Heasley of the Hugo's There podcast

Published: May 12, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 4 minutes 1 second

Listed in: Other

26.1: The True Queen pre-read w/ Reading the End: Historical Fantasy, Trash Birds, and Chaotic Quarantine Brain

Published: May 5, 2020, 4:12 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 32 minutes 4 seconds

Listed in: Other

Digital Book Tour: Laura Lam on Goldilocks, a scifi thriller where a group of women steal a spaceship to save humanity

Published: April 28, 2020, 3:01 a.m.
Duration: 33 minutes 42 seconds

Listed in: Other

Announcing the Digital Book Tour, hosted by Bee

Published: April 27, 2020, 10:44 p.m.
Duration: 9 minutes 43 seconds

Listed in: Other

25.2: The Tea Master & The Detective post-read w/ Julia Rios: Cozy Murder Mysteries in Space!

Published: April 24, 2020, 9:44 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes 28 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Our Favorite Aliens in Science Fiction

Published: April 15, 2020, 7 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes 40 seconds

Listed in: Other

25.1: The Tea Master & the Detective pre-read w/ Julia Rios: Domestic Cozy Detective Fiction, in Space!

Published: March 31, 2020, 4:03 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 2 minutes 55 seconds

Listed in: Other

24.2: Wittgenstein's Mistress post-read: In February reading this seemed like a good idea.

Published: March 24, 2020, 2:28 a.m.
Duration: 47 minutes 36 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like: Quarantine Edition! What to do, watch, and play while you're stuck inside.

Published: March 17, 2020, 2:47 a.m.
Duration: 36 minutes 9 seconds

Listed in: Other

24.1: Wittgenstein's Mistress pre-read: Philosophical Science Fiction & being lonely at the end of the world

Published: March 3, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 6 minutes 43 seconds

Listed in: Other

23.2: The Ghost Network post-read w/ Ben Roswell: Celebrity, Internet Culture, Architecture, and Secret Utopias

Published: Feb. 27, 2020, 4:01 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes 47 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: 2019 Recap, Book Stats, & Reader Questions

Published: Feb. 11, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 36 minutes 45 seconds

Listed in: Other

23.1: The Ghost Network pre-read w/ Ben Roswell: Experimental Narratives, Storytelling Games, and Postmodern Literature

Published: Feb. 4, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes 39 seconds

Listed in: Other

22.2: A Memory Called Empire post-read: Matters of Taste, Culture Shock, and Historical Worldbuilding

Published: Jan. 28, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes 46 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: How & Why to Vote for the Hugo Awards

Published: Jan. 23, 2020, 5:25 p.m.
Duration: 16 minutes 8 seconds

Listed in: Other

22.1: A Memory Called Empire pre-read: Martine's academic work, historical ambassadors, and what it means to be a member of an empire

Published: Jan. 14, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 56 minutes 43 seconds

Listed in: Other

18.3: Stanley Chan discusses Chinese Science Fiction, the process of translating his novel Waste Tide, and trends in technology.

Published: Jan. 7, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes 54 seconds

Listed in: Other

21.4: Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand w/ Bee: Radical visions of Identity, Class, and Gender

Published: Dec. 29, 2019, 3:17 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes 24 seconds

Listed in: Other

21.3: Ice by Anna Kavan post-read with Charlotte Geater: Experimental & Postmodern Fiction, and Death Meditations

Published: Dec. 24, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes 35 seconds

Listed in: Other

21.2: Childhood's End post-read w/ Seth Heasley: Religion, Psionics, and Big Ideas in Science Fiction

Published: Dec. 17, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 26 minutes 10 seconds

Listed in: Other

21.1: Classic SF pre-read: On creating cannons, and how to read problematic fiction & authors.

Published: Dec. 3, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes 29 seconds

Listed in: Other

20.2: An Unkindness of Ghosts post-read: Slave States, Trauma, and Theocracy

Published: Nov. 26, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes 48 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Fancasting Binti, Black Tom, the Culture, and Ninefox Gambit

Published: Nov. 19, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 38 minutes 39 seconds

Listed in: Other

20.1: An Unkindness of Ghosts pre-read: Reading with privilege, using genre conventions, and truth in fiction

Published: Nov. 12, 2019, 3:48 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 2 minutes 10 seconds

Listed in: Other

19.2: Zone One post-read: Depression, Surviving the Apocalypse, and New York City in fiction

Published: Oct. 29, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes 57 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like October 2019: Video Games, LARPS, and Music

Published: Oct. 22, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 28 minutes 50 seconds

Listed in: Other

19.1: Zone One pre-read: Zombies, Horror, and LitFic

Published: Oct. 9, 2019, 11:09 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes 9 seconds

Listed in: Other

18.2: Waste Tide post-read: social class in science fiction, translation, and the problems with cyberpunk

Published: Oct. 1, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes 15 seconds

Listed in: Other

Critical Conversations: Ning Ken's Ultra Unreal, how to define a genre, and genre gatekeeping

Published: Sept. 24, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 55 minutes 6 seconds

Listed in: Other

18.1: Waste Tide pre-read: Chinese Language, Literary History, and Science Fiction

Published: Sept. 10, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes 50 seconds

Listed in: Other

17.2: The Killing Moon post-read: Lucid Dreaming, Writing Compelling Villains, and Genre Blending

Published: Aug. 27, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes 43 seconds

Listed in: Other

17.1: The Killing Moon pre-read: Worldbuilding techniques in SF & Fantasy

Published: Aug. 13, 2019, 5:11 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 36 minutes 59 seconds

Listed in: Other

Critical Conversations: "Critics: Endgame" by Soraya Roberts & the purpose of criticism in a dying world

Published: Aug. 6, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 27 minutes 23 seconds

Listed in: Other

16.2: Empress of Forever post-read: Journey to the West, Redemption, and Buddhism in Science Fiction

Published: July 30, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes 13 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like July 2019: Anime, Music, Poetry, and Cookbooks

Published: July 23, 2019, 4:01 a.m.
Duration: 29 minutes 15 seconds

Listed in: Other

16.1: Empress of Forever pre-read: Space Opera, Epics, & Journey to the West

Published: July 9, 2019, 3:41 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 9 minutes 31 seconds

Listed in: Other

15.3: Exhalation (collection) by Ted Chiang post-read: AI, Identity, & Metaphysics in Science Fiction

Published: June 25, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes 12 seconds

Listed in: Other

15.2: "Exhalation" post-read: Re-reading stories, philosophy of mind, & the heat death of the universe

Published: June 18, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 38 minutes 21 seconds

Listed in: Other

15.1: Exhalation by Ted Chiang, pre-read: Philosophical thought experiments & short stories

Published: June 4, 2019, 4:41 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes 21 seconds

Listed in: Other

14.2: The Raven Tower post-read w/ Reading the End: 2nd Person, Language Games, and Hamlet.

Published: May 29, 2019, 4:49 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes 31 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like May 2019 (feat. Reading the End): TV Shows, Art, and Fish

Published: May 21, 2019, 3:26 a.m.
Duration: 28 minutes

Listed in: Other

14.1: The Raven Tower pre-read w/ Reading the End: Fantasy, Genre, & Gender!

Published: May 7, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes 56 seconds

Listed in: Other

13.3 (fixed): Chris Beckett discusses his novel Dark Eden, writing for realism over role models, and how he thinks about genre.

Published: April 23, 2019, 11:29 a.m.
Duration: 53 minutes 20 seconds

Listed in: Other

13.2: Dark Eden post-read w/ Kevin Kelsey: From Stories to Legends to Myths to Religion.

Published: April 16, 2019, 3:47 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes 38 seconds

Listed in: Other

13.1: Dark Eden pre-read w/ Kevin Kelsey: Linguistic drift, creating myths, and rogue planets.

Published: April 2, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes 36 seconds

Listed in: Other

12.2: Semiosis post-read w/ Nate Spence: Budding Utopia or Mutualist Dystopia?

Published: March 26, 2019, 5:18 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours 9 minutes 11 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like March 2019: Podcasts, TV Shows, Music, and more

Published: March 19, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 34 minutes 47 seconds

Listed in: Other

12.1: Semiosis pre-read w/ Nate Spence: Alaska, Survivalism, and Ecology in Science Fiction

Published: March 5, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes 52 seconds

Listed in: Other

11.2: Brown Girl in the Ring post-read w/ Mendez Hodes: Rituals, Fear, and Community in the Apocalypse

Published: Feb. 26, 2019, 2:26 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes 13 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: 2018 In Review

Published: Feb. 12, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 33 minutes 3 seconds

Listed in: Other

11.1: Brown Girl in the Ring pre-read w/ Mendez Hodes: The History of African Religion in Diaspora

Published: Feb. 5, 2019, 5:16 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes 56 seconds

Listed in: Other

10.2: Ten Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights post-read: Meditations on Death and Entropy

Published: Jan. 29, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 47 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: SF Movie Adaptations w/ Seth Heasley

Published: Jan. 15, 2019, 4:51 a.m.
Duration: 59 minutes 9 seconds

Listed in: Other

10.1: Ten Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights pre-read: Disaster communities & transmission of ideas between cultures.

Published: Jan. 8, 2019, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes 40 seconds

Listed in: Other

9.2: Rupetta post-read: Academic pursuits & feminist fantasy.

Published: Dec. 23, 2018, 5:28 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes 19 seconds

Listed in: Other

9.1: Rupetta pre-read w/ Charlotte Geater: Folk tales & feminist histories.

Published: Dec. 4, 2018, 5:57 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes 33 seconds

Listed in: Other

8.2: Children of Time post-read: Evolution, Language, Consciousness, and Empathy

Published: Nov. 27, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes

Listed in: Other

8.1: The Children of Time pre-read: What is "Hard" Science Fiction?

Published: Nov. 13, 2018, 4:57 a.m.
Duration: 56 minutes 24 seconds

Listed in: Other

Announcements: Adrian guest hosts a podcast + our November book

Published: Nov. 6, 2018, 3:42 a.m.
Duration: 3 minutes 27 seconds

Listed in: Other

7.2: The Ballad of Black Tom post-read: When is it appropriate to destroy the world?

Published: Oct. 23, 2018, 9:28 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes 11 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Books, Ebooks, & Audio Books; or, How Aesthetics Drive Reading Choices

Published: Oct. 16, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 54 minutes 25 seconds

Listed in: Other

7.1: The Ballad of Black Tom pre-read: Race & the History of Horror Fiction

Published: Oct. 2, 2018, 1:56 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 2 minutes 52 seconds

Listed in: Other

6.2: Ninefox Gambit post-read w/ Ellie Bartels: Military Games in Science Fiction

Published: Sept. 26, 2018, 2:37 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes 44 seconds

Listed in: Other

Things We Like: September 18

Published: Sept. 18, 2018, 4:02 a.m.
Duration: 37 minutes 30 seconds

Listed in: Other

6.1: Ninefox Gambit pre-read w/ Ellie Bartels: Strategy War Games in Science Fiction

Published: Aug. 30, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes 8 seconds

Listed in: Other

5.2: Gnomon post-read with Max Gladstone

Published: Aug. 21, 2018, 1:25 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes 35 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Things We Like This Month

Published: Aug. 14, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 32 minutes 52 seconds

Listed in: Other

5.1: Pre-read for Gnomon, by Nick Harkaway, with guest Max Gladstone

Published: Aug. 7, 2018, 12:09 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes 33 seconds

Listed in: Other

4.3: Matt's back for our Romie Futch wrap-up!

Published: July 31, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 27 minutes 52 seconds

Listed in: Other

4.2: The New & Improved Romie Futch post-read w/ Britt O'Duffy

Published: July 24, 2018, 4:32 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes 43 seconds

Listed in: Other

In Conversation: Matt & Adrian talk "Spoilers"

Published: July 17, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 32 minutes 52 seconds

Listed in: Other

4.1: The New & Improved Romie Futch pre-read

Published: July 10, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes 30 seconds

Listed in: Other

3.BONUS: Talking Caribbean SF with Tobias Buckell + July book announcement

Published: July 3, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes 31 seconds

Listed in: Other

3.4: Binti: The Night Masquerade post-read

Published: June 26, 2018, 4:57 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 30 seconds

Listed in: Other

3.3: Binti: Home post-read

Published: June 19, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 36 minutes 4 seconds

Listed in: Other

3.2: Binti post-read

Published: June 12, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes 57 seconds

Listed in: Other

3.1: The Binti Trilogy pre-read

Published: June 5, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes 34 seconds

Listed in: Other

2.3: The Sparrow vs. The Star (Minisode)

Published: May 29, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 14 minutes 27 seconds

Listed in: Other

2.2: The Sparrow Post-Read

Published: May 22, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes 51 seconds

Listed in: Other

2.1: The Sparrow Pre-Read

Published: May 1, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes 35 seconds

Listed in: Other

1.2: Use of Weapons Post-Read

Published: April 24, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 49 minutes 21 seconds

Listed in: Other

Minisode 2: Things We Like & Reader Mail

Published: April 17, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 27 minutes 26 seconds

Listed in: Other

1.1: Use of Weapons Pre-Read

Published: April 3, 2018, 4 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes 17 seconds

Listed in: Other

Minisode 1: Intro to Spectology

Published: April 2, 2018, 12:23 a.m.
Duration: 4 minutes 21 seconds

Listed in: Other