Mutant cats, bad paleontology, and doggies, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer join forces with the phenomenal Foz Meadows for a bonkers discussion of 2016’s Star Paws! Together, they untangle the film’s plot about a super bone, get lost in its perception of time, and ponder the romantic relationships of the onscreen dogs. Plus more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Follow us on Twitch!
• Star Paws (2016)
• Foz Meadow’s Things:
  • Website
  • Publisher’s Page
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Bluesky
• Our Grades:
  • Shaun (F)
  • Paul (D-)
  • Foz (D-)
  • Average (F+)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Crawfish villains, Trekkies, and Alan Rickman, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Marshall Ryan Maresca for a discussion of 1999’s Galaxy Quest! Together, they tackle the film’s comedic stylings, exceptional casting choices, the realms of parody and homage, and even creature work!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Follow us on Twitch!
• Galaxy Quest (1999)
• Marshall Ryan Maresca’s Things:
  • Website
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Worldbuilding for Masochists

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Totalizing worlds, imagined cultures, and genre limits, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Stephen Geigen-Miller join forces to discuss the so-called “problems” with worldbuilding, the impact of worldbuilding obsessions on story, and what SF/F could be without so much worldbuilding!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• The Things We Discussed:
  • “The Lone and Level Sands” by Vajra Chandrasekera
  • “very afraid” by M. John Harrison
  • “But, but, but — WHY does magic have to make sense?” by N.K. Jemisin
  • “Sanderson’s First Law” by Brandon Sanderson

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Generational terror, walldads, and haunted homes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Layla Martinez’s Woodworm (out now from Two Lines Press). Together, they explore the novel’s themes of generational trauma, class warfare, the horrors of growing up, and even what it’s like living in a cursed home.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Woodworm by Layla Martinez (translated by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Bad boy robots, cop mustaches, and lassos, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1987’s R.O.T.O.R! Together, they try to unravel its dystopian vision of Dallas, Texas, why it chose to use a strange dub for the main character, what the police do in this hellscape, and the terrors of very bad robots chasing people who don’t know how to run. Plus, more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Follow us on Twitch!
• R.O.T.O.R. (1987)
• Our Grades:
  • Shaun (F-)
  • Daniel (F-)
  • Average (F-)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Crunchy humans, errant organs, and family curses, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by John Wiswell to discuss his new novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Together, they explore John’s approach to narrative, tackle the beauty and terror of body horror, chat fairy tales and aromantic protagonists, and so much more.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Transcript! Thanks to Trish.
• John Wiswell’s Things:
  • Website
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Someone You Can Build a Nest In (BUY IT)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Collapsing societies, feminist interpretations, and harsh truths, oh my! Trish Matson and Paul Weimer join forces to discuss Suzy McKee Charnas’ Walk to the End of the World (1974). Together, they explore the book’s worldbuilding, its feminist themes and historical significance, Charnas’ prose, the oppressive feeling of living in a society that is collapsing, and so much more.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Walk to the End of the World by Suzy McKee Charnas

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Dolph Lundgren’s pecs, terrifying Gwildor, and strange plot devices, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss the 1987’s Masters of the Universe! Together, they tackle the film’s desperate attempt to adapt the source material, Dolph Lundgren’s history with language, Skeletor’s whole “deal,” the film’s aggressive connection to Friends, and so much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Follow us on Twitch!
• Masters of the Universe (1987)
• Transcript, automatically generated and lightly edited by TrishMatson!
• Our Grades:
  • Shaun (D)
  • Daniel (D+)
  • Average (Dish)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Inept spies, bad pilots, and Russians, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Becca Evans join forces to discuss the 1982’s Firefox! Together, they explore the film’s literary roots, why Clint Eastwood talks to chairs, what it really means to be a good pilot (bad movie), the Cold War, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Follow us on Twitch!
• Firefox (1982)
• Transcript! Auto-generated and lightly edited by Trish.
• Our Grades:
  • Shaun (D-)
  • Paul (D)
  • Becca (D-)
  • Average (D-)

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Jumping worlds, snarky teens, and human nature, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Joma West to discuss her novels Face and Twice Lived, out now where book objects can be found. Together, they tackle West’s approach to narrative, writing perspectives different from our own, the complexities of parenthood, straddling genres, and much more.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

• Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions!
• Transcript! Thanks to Trish.
• Joma West’s Things:
  • Publisher Page (w/ book links; buy the books)
  • Linktree
  • Twitter

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole.

See you later, navigator!

Phages, microbes, and scientific conundrums, oh my! Shaun Duke turns the tables on Daniel Haeusser to ask a metric ton of questions about microbiology. Why? Because Daniel is one of those legit scientists. Join us for a wide ranging and utterly wild conversation about bacteria, viruses, micro-whatsits, and speculative wonders! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later, navigator!