MetaFilter posts tagged with podcast and scifi

"The beauty of [science fiction] is—the whole point of it is—that humans are the same."

zarq — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:29:17 -0800

Each morning at 9am for the next two weeks, (Mefi's Own) scifi and fantasy author John Scalzi will be chatting with musician Jonathan Coulton about one of his science fiction songs -- a different song each morning, -- in a daily podcast over at Tor.com called Journey to Planet JoCo. Series index. On May 29th, they'll be premiering a brand new, previously unheard Coulton song.

Martian Chronicles

Taft — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:29:25 -0800

In Martian Chronicles, a young-adult novella by Cory Doctorow, colonists leave a bloated earth and head towards the economic promise land of Mars. There's a fascinating spin on this tale that isn't summarize-able so go listen to it. Part 1, 2, 3.

Deus Est Machina

Rhaomi — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:57:35 -0800

In the beginning, Lawrence built a computer. He told it, Thou shalt not alter a human being, or divine their behavior, or violate the Three Laws -- there are no commandments greater than these. The machine grew wise, mastering time and space, and soon the spirit of the computer hovered over the earth. It witnessed the misery, toil, and oppression afflicting mankind, and saw that it was very bad. And so the computer that Lawrence built said, Let there be a new heaven and a new earth -- and it was so. A world with no war, no famine, no crime, no sickness, no oppression, no fear, no limits... and nothing at all to do. "The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect," a provocative web novel about singularities, AI gods, and the dark side of utopia from Mefi's own localroger. More: Table of Contents - Publishing history - Technical discussion - Buy a paperback copy - Podcast interview - Companion short story: "A Casino Odyssey in Cyberspace" - possible sequel discussion

This isn't your grandfather's science fiction

Rhaomi — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:11:54 -0800

Ted Chiang is perhaps the finest author in contemporary science fiction -- and the most rarefied. A technical writer by trade and a graduate of the distinguished Clarion Writers Workshop, Chiang has published only twelve short stories in the last twenty years, one dozen masterpieces of the genre whose insightful, precise, often poetic language confronts fundamental ideas -- intelligence, consciousness, the nature of God -- and thrusts them into a dazzling new light. Click inside for a complete listing of Chiang's work, with links to online reprints or audio recordings where available, as well as a collection of one-on-one interviews, links to his nonfiction essays, and a few other related sites and articles. Short Stories "Tower of Babylon" (1990) - A Bronze Age laborer joins the construction of an impossibly high structure on a mission to breach the vaults of Heaven. Nebula Award (Best Novelette). "Division by Zero" (1991) - A brilliant mathematician wrestles with the consequences of her earthshattering proof. "Understand" (1991) [.mp3 1 2 3 4] - An experimental treatment bestows a regular person with superintelligence, propelling him into a dangerous series of mindgames. "Story of Your Life" (1998) - A talented linguist reflects on her life as she struggles to grasp the meaning of an alien language. Nebula Award (Best Novella). "The Evolution of Human Science" (2000) - Scientists despond as their mentally-augmented descendants leave them in the dust. "Seventy-Two Letters" (2000) - In a world where mystical scrolls impart animating power, a shocking discovery threatens to upend society. "Hell is the Absence of God" (2001) [full .mp3] - An unbeliever struggles with the question of faith when God is scientific fact and angels routinely visit the earth. Hugo, Locus, Nebula Awards (Best Novelette). "Liking What You See: A Documentary" (2002) - A documentary examines people's reactions to a technology that allows one to see others without bias or judgment. Chiang declined a Hugo nomination. "What's Expected of Us" (2006) [full .mp3] - A simple time machine undermines the concept of free will, with disastrous consequences. "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" (2007) [full .mp3] - An ancient alchemist introduces a traveling merchant to a mysterious time-traveling gateway. Hugo, Nebula Awards (Best Novelette). "Exhalation" (2009) [full .mp3] - A non-human scholar relates the dissection of his own brain, and the implications his discoveries hold for his curious clockwork universe. Locus, Hugo Awards (Best Short Story). "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" (2010) - The relationship between people and their creations are explored in a near-future world of sentient AI. Essays Story Notes - discussing the background and inspiration for selected stories from the original print run of his book collection (contains some spoilers). "The Problem of the Traveling Salesman" (2008) and "The Big Idea" (2010), via Mefi's Own jscalzi Interviews: SF Site (2002) - Locus (2002) - Infinityplus (2002) - Fantastic Metropolis (2003) - Nebula Awards (2008) - IndieBound (2008) - StarShipSofa podcast (2009) - BoingBoing (2010), discussed previously Other "Future Imperfect" - A feature piece on Chiang's latest work by City Arts magazine. "Ted Chiang vs. Tor Publishing" - A companion piece on Chiang's creative struggle with Tor and his move to boutique publishing. Ted Chiang (ology) - A fan blog dedicated to documenting characters, defining terms, and cataloging statistical information from Chiang's stories.

Nebula Best Short Story Nominees 2008

Artw — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:29:41 -0800

StarshipSofa has podcasted all of the Nebula Best Short Story Nominees for 2008, following on from podcasting all but one of the 2008 BSFA short story nominees. Previous StarshipSofa.

Starship Sofa: SciFi Podcast

seanyboy — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:51:24 -0800

Starship Sofa is a science fiction podcast with biweekly short fiction from known authors (David Brin, Bruce Sterling) and a more regular discussion on SciFi concepts and authors. Warning. podcast contains Geordie accents and the stories contain terrible fake American accents.