The Zen of Robots
Alienating the Audience
Season Finale! In which we talk about how to use sci-fi robots for helpful psychological thought experiments. Support the show! ATA Survey:
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Much Ado About Garak
Alienating the Audience
Star Trek Deep Space Nine's Elim Garak is a simple, unassuming character. But also a spymaster. Why is he so beguiling, and what's his character arc? Andrew Young joins to discuss.
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Doublethinking George Orwell's 1984
Alienating the Audience
Is 1984 prophetic, or merely a terrifying dystopia? What makes this haunting book so engaging on a literary level? Josh Jennings returns to discuss.
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Why Picard's Last Season Is So Much Better Than The Others
Alienating the Audience
Star Trek: Picard recently wrapped up its third and final season--and the first season Heaton or his guests have enjoyed of it. Scottish sci-fi twins Dickie and Stone rejoin to discuss Star Trek: Picard, and what made its ultimate season likeable.
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Super-Intelligent Spiders And A Sleeper Ship: Children of Time
Alienating the Audience
Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time" tackles multi-generational sleeper ships, uplifiting species, AI, the nature of intelligence, teleforming and more. Richard Amiro rejoins to discuss.
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The Corporate Dystopia of Jennifer Government
Alienating the Audience
In this satirical novel by Max Barry, the United States is a corporate wasteland with ruthless businesses and toothless rump state unable to restrain them. John Krikorian of Trekprofiles joins to discuss. Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/goodscifi
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There Are Infinite You's in the Multiverse
Alienating the Audience
How does the multiverse shake out in science fiction? What are the tropes, and what are the implications? Scottish scifi twins Dickie and Stone Lynch join to discuss.
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Escaping the Truman Show
Alienating the Audience
In “The Truman Show,” Jim Carey’s character is the unwitting star of a global reality television show–until he decides to escape. Director Henrique Cuoto joins to talk about the iconic film, and the evils of false reality. Henrique’s dog: Support the show! Mightyheaton.com/alienating Interstellar Vagabonding Clips, with Nick Sperdute:
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Snowcrash Created the Metaverse
Alienating the Audience
Neil Stephenson's "Snowcrash" looked at the embryonic Internet and projected a future of VR and avatar onto it. And a world in which nation states had been eclipsed by successor states of corporate "franchulates." Is "Snowcrash" a corporate dystopia, a libertarian utopia, or merely prophetic? Brian Brushwood joins to discuss.
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Shrinkage!
Alienating the Audience
In this episode we talk about all the times people get tiny in science fiction, from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" to "The Fantastic Voyage" to Jonathan Swift.
info_outlineWhy is "The Mandalorian" so popular with Star Wars fans, yet the latest films are so divisive? Where does it veer from the traditional beats and themes of Star Wars, and where does it embrace that unique George Lucas flavor? Jack Helmuth and Nick Sperdute join to unpack everyone's favorite bounty hunter.