We're still on hiatus until the new year, so here's one of our favorite episodes from the past. Romance and science fiction have always been closely connected, but lately some of the best SF writing is in the romance genre. We talk to Alyssa Cole, author of the A.I. Who Loved Me, about the love affair between SF and romance.
https://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes/2020/5/7/episode-56-why-science-fiction-needs-romance
This week we're bringing you an episode of Deep Futures, a podcast hosted by Annalee and produced by Campside Media and Mailchimp. In this episode, Annalee talks to chemistry professor Raychelle Burks about forensics -- and how we'll use chemistry to solve murders in the future. You can find more episodes of Deep Futures wherever you get your podcasts!
Sometimes the internet feels like a bubbling cauldron of scum, but it can still make us laugh. Joining us to talk about humor in the social media age is comedian Vinny Thomas, whose video bits skewering science fiction and animal biology are wildly popular on Twitter. We talk about internet humor fails, why comedy is always political, and which non-human animals are secretly mocking us.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
This week we're bringing you an episode of Deep Futures, a podcast hosted by Annalee and produced by Campside Media and Mailchimp. In this episode, Annalee talks to archaeologist Sarah Parcak about the deep history of Egyptian urbanism and the future of cities. You can find more episodes of Deep Futures wherever you get your podcasts!
Social media has become one of the biggest problems of our time, so we decided to re-up one of our favorite episodes from the past. How does science fiction deal with the rise of social networks---and how is this different from the way the real-life news media talks about it? And what does the future look like after social media dies?
https://www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes/2019/4/25/episode-30-social-media-must-die
A lot of science fiction takes place on other worlds, or deep in the future, and yet still contains recognizable nations and national stereotypes. In this episode, we talk about how science fiction stories are used to promote American nationalism -- and to push back against it. Plus, we're joined by author and pundit Wajahat Ali to explore how science fiction deals with the war on terror.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Science fiction and fantasy are full of portrayals of disabled bodies, some of which are nuanced and positive, and many of which... aren't. Join us as we talk about disability tropes and the realities of disabled life with Elsa Sjunneson, author of the brand new book Being Seen. Plus we answer reader questions from our Patreon!
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
The long-awaited movie of Frank Herbert's Dune is arriving in theaters this weekend. To celebrate, we're resurfacing one of our favorite episodes. Is Dune a white savior fantasy? A subversive eco-parable? To find out, we talk to Haris Durrani, author of an influential essay about Dune.
Why do healthcare and medical devices bring up so many fears about surveillance? We dive into the history of a scientific nightmare, and explore what early 20th century eugenics has to do with stories like Brave New World, Gattaca, and Made for Love. Plus we talk to journalist Maia Szalavitz about a secret algorithm that's preventing patients from getting pain medication when they need it most.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Lucifer just came to an end after six seasons, and to celebrate we're talking to showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson about all the ways this Satanic procedural was really all about therapy. Are you ready to self-actualize and embrace your true desires? Plus we talk about three of our all-time favorite stories about Satan, which show very different sides of the Prince of Darkness. Warning: spoilers for season six ahead!
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Science fiction and fantasy are the perfect genres for exploring what political uprisings might look like in the future, or an alternate present. We discuss Blake’s 7, a subversive 1980s TV series from the UK, and how it offers us a realistic portrait of political revolutionaries — flawed, dangerous, and full of hope. Claire Light (AKA Jadie Jang) also joins us to talk about her new novel, Monkey Around, about shapeshifters during the Occupy movement.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
One question has plagued both scientists and science fiction authors for centuries: Will humanity ever build artificial beings who are conscious the same way we are? Spoiler alert: No. But we may one day work alongside sentient robots. In this episode, we talk about the tests people have devised to see if a computer is self-aware, some of which are totally bonkers. We'll also talk to Chen Qiufan, co-author of the brand new book A.I. 2041.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Even when you're making up your own story, you still need to do tons of research. But the good news is, research is super fun. We talk about how to bring a dose of reality to your imaginary people and places. And we also discuss Charlie Jane's brand new book about how to write yourself out of the bad times!
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Have you noticed how hard it is to remember the past 18 months? You might be dealing with historical amnesia, the process by which we collectively forget traumatic events in the past. Storytelling is a major driver of historical amnesia -- in science fiction, and in political rhetoric too. We also talk to Ayanna Thompson, author of a new book called Blackface, about how people have forgotten the history of minstrelsy in the US -- and why that's a problem.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Gender essentialism is the idea that there is something eternal and innate about people's gender identities, and nothing can change that. Popularized during the 1970s, it affected how science fiction stories represented gender -- and it spawned new academic disciplines devoted to scientific misogyny. We talk about all this, and do a deep dive on the "What Women Want" franchise.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Loki has been one of the best characters in the Marvel movies for a long time — but what is his new TV show revealing about the God of Mischief? We delve into his character, and the neuroses that drive him. Plus we talk to Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game and The Biggest Bluff, about what real-life con artists are like.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Why are there so many science fiction stories about hive minds, or vast networks of interconnected brains, thinking together? In this episode, we discuss the pleasure and danger of merging consciousness with another person -- or a whole planet. Plus, we talk to Benjamin Rosenbaum (The Unraveling) and Elly Bangs (Unity) about hiveminds in their new novels!
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
True crime is a giant pop culture obsession ... but what about true science crime? In this episode, we look at the long history of scientists who were called criminals, going back to Galileo. And we discuss crimes committed in the name of science, whose bloody legacies are still with us today.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Recently there's been a rise in horror stories that deal with gentrification. We talk about real-life urban displacement, and the fictional tales that turn it into cosmic incursions and body-swapping nightmares. Plus, we talk to Sam J. Miller about his new novel The Blade Between, and how he used monsters to explore what happens when a small town in upstate New York gets taken over by urban hipsters and techies.
Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
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