Our Opinions Are Correct
Explore the meaning of science fiction, and how it's relevant to real-life science and society. Your hosts are Annalee Newitz, a science journalist who writes science fiction, and Charlie Jane Anders, a science fiction writer who is obsessed with science. Every two weeks, we take deep dives into science fiction books, movies, television, and comics that will expand your mind -- and maybe change your life
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 45 minutes
- Episodes
- 204
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
These Books Will Help You Get Through the Cold, Cold Winter
The holidays are here once again, and that means one thing: time to stock up on books to help you get cozy and distract yourself from the cold weather (and the state of the world.) Here's our annual …
Why Fantasy Is Going To Extremes (With Nghi Vo)
Lately, it feels as though a lot of fantasy books come in two kinds: cozy, or extremely dark. During a scary time in the world, we seek either comforting sweetness, or violent catharsis. To find out …
10 Years After "Over the Garden Wall"
We're taking a cozy, autumnal trip back in time to "peak television," when animation was truly feral and we had shows like "Over the Garden Wall." We'll talk about this otherworldly tale of singing f…
Every Town Deserves a Library (with Ken Liu)
Science fiction and fantasy are full of wondrous libraries containing everything from powerful artifacts to some dang good reads. How does the idealized view of libraries in speculative fiction compa…
How to Raise the Stakes without Ruining Your Story
It's time for some writing advice! We talk about how to raise the stakes in a story without wrecking it. What exactly do we mean by "stakes," anyway, and does raising them always involve some kind of…
Science Fiction is a normalization machine (with Rob Cameron)
Science fiction is great at helping people get used to strange concepts — or people — and making us see them as more "normal." But what does "normal" mean, and is it always a good thing? Later in the…
When Fiction Becomes a Microaggression (with Evelyn Douek)
When someone disrespects you in a subtle way, with plausible deniability, it can do just as much damage as overt bigotry. So we're talking about microaggressions — what they are, and how science fict…
Encore Episode: Nationalism is science fiction, with Wajahat Ali
In one of our favorite episodes from 2021, we talked to TV news commentator and author (and scifi fan!) Wajahat Ali about nationalism in science fiction. It's feeling relevant again. We'll be back in…
Our Advice Is Correct
Dearest Listeners, you asked us for advice, and now we've got the definitive answers! From writing and relationship questions, to concerns about the best way to alter the timeline, we tackle it all.
Dinosaurs and Furries, with Riley Black
We're learning so much about dinosaurs lately — there are incredible new species, discoveries about how they had sex, and more detailed evidence about what happened during their final days on Earth. …
Immigration law in space, with Victor Manibo
What is the point of absurdist storytelling in a world that feels absurd? We talk about science fiction that gets silly, satirical, and weird -- and why we need it desperately. From The Hitchhiker's …
Secrets of the Planet of the Apes with Josh Friedman
The Planet of the Apes franchise spans decades and formats: it started as a French novel in 1963, and then jumped the Atlantic to become a long-running series of movies, TV shows, a cartoon, and even…
Romancing the Dragon, with Moniquill Blackgoose
We’re obsessed with dragons, and for good reason. These gigantic creatures soar through many cultures and genres — and they feel more relevant than ever today. We talk to author Moniquill Blackgoose …
Summer Entertainment Guide: What to Watch and Read this Summer!
The summer entertainment season is upon us! Many of our favorite TV shows are back, and there are a few movies we're excited about as well. Not to mention a flood of truly incredible books by many of…
How Surveillance Dystopias Came True (with Wole Talabi)
You are being watched. Pop culture used to be full of vivid warnings about Big Brother watching you. What does it mean that we're now under constant surveillance for real? Plus we talk to Wole Talabi…
How to turn a story into a deadly weapon
Psyops are used by the military against foreign enemies, but now these dangerous weapons of demoralization and chaos are being used in culture wars between Americans. In this episode, Annalee tells u…
Fascism and Book Bans (with Maggie Tokuda-Hall)
Science fiction has been warning us about fascism for decades — so why haven't we listened? How did Nazis become just another monster in our stories, like werewolves or cyborgs? Plus we talk about th…
The Turing Test is bullsh*t (w/Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender)
We're talking about the Turing Test, the grandmother of all tests for AI sentience. Joining us are AI researchers Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender, hosts of the Mystery AI Hype 3000 podcast. We discuss…
Queer Horror! (with Dr. Chuck Tingle)
It's a scary time for LGBTQIA+ folks — and many of us are turning to horror stories that take our real-life terrors and make them even more monstrous. To find out why, we talk to Dr. Chuck Tingle, th…
Videogame movies are officially better than comic book movies
At last, videogame movies have defeated comic book movies. We learn about why from Evan Narcisse, who writes for comic books and videogames, as well as being a journalist and critic. Then we rant abo…