Strange Horizons

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dean Leetal and William Shaw join Dan Hartland to talk about reading queerly: How do, should, and can reviewers and critics interested in LGBTQ+ people and their representation approach texts both avowedly queer and apparently heteronormative? Dean's review of  Charmed and Dangerous  by Shelly Page Will's rev...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Kate Macdonald and Duncan Lawie join Dan Hartland to tackle the question of the back catalog. How should reviewers and readers approach writers with a number of books already to their name? How should we think about and access authors who have enjoyed a career of some duration? Kate's review of  The Curve of the...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "Cold Comfort" by Louis Inglis Hall, read by Emmie Christie You can read the full text of the story, and more about Louis Inglish Hall ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠ Content Warnings: Animal cruelty/death Disregard for personal autonomy Body transformation Death/dying Mental healt...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Hana Carolina and Alex Kingsley join Dan Hartland to think about reviewing debut books and writers. Is there an extra responsibility reviewers owe to new writers? And if so, what might it be? Hana's review of Krackle's Last Movie by Chelsea Sutton Alex's review of  Isaac  by Allee Mead

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "Four Steps to Hunt a God" by Athar Fikry, read by Emmie Christie You can read the full text of the story, and more about Lio Abendan ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠ Content Warnings: Disregard for personal autonomy Death/dying Murder Spiders/insects Violence/combat

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Jenny Hamilton and Anushree Nande join Dan Hartland to discuss romance and romantasy. A huge proportion of science fiction and fantasy works and sales are now accounted for by this form. But what is its appeal? What is it doing? And where is it going? Jenny's review of Into The Midnight Wood by Alexandra McCollum...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "I Wish You Died Laughing" by Lio Abendan, read by Jenna Hanchey You can read the full text of the story, and more about Lio Abendan ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Content Warnings: Animal cruelty/death Disregard for personal autonomy Death/dying Homophobia Shaming Trans misgendering o...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Paul Kincaid and Dawn Macdonald join Dan Hartland to discuss style: What is it, what does it do, how can we think about it? And why does SFF seem to have such a fraught relationship with it? Get ready for Ursula K. Le Guin, Kurt Vonnegut, verse and poetry ... and police raids. Paul's review of Syncopation by Whit...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents "The Aquarium of Lost Souls" by Natasha King, read by Jenna Hanchey You can read the full text of the story, and more about Natasha King ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Content Warnings: Abuse Animal cruelty/death Disregard for personal autonomy Blood Body transformation Death/dying Dys...

In this episode, as part of our 2026 criticism special issue Tristan Beiter introduces us to the Ursula K. Le Guin book club he's been taking part in. The group discusses the book club as a forum for, and a practice of, criticism. How does it differ from the academy, from more formal venues, from fan spaces—and what kinds of critical activity and insight do those differences, equip it uniquely...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland is joined by Shannon Fay and Marisa Mercurio to discuss horror, and especially its cozy variety. From the gothic to the slasher movie, how might texts within an increasingly broad tradition be judged as a success? And what should reviewers do when a given example falls short? Shannon's review of The...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland reads 'Orchard Village Catalog' by Parker Peevyhouse. You can read the full text of the story, and more about Parker Peevyhouse ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland is joined by Cameron Miguel and Nick Hubble to discuss fantasy and its relationship to history and history-writing. Is some sense of the recordable past baked into the genre? And, if so, with what effects? Cameron's review of Making History . Nick's review of The Everlasting .

In the first part of episode 5 of Writing While Disabled , Kristy Anne Cox and Kate Johnston discuss some adjustments they'd like to see at science fiction conventions that would help create a more inclusive experience for all science fiction writers and fans, including moderator training, fire safety, a technology mentor-buddy system, and more. If you prefer, you can watch the full episode wi...

In this episode of  Strange Horizons at 25 , Podcast Editor Kat Kourbeti sits down with long-time Strange Horizons contributor RB Lemberg for a conversation about their extensive work with the magazine, using poetry as a tool to refine short and long-form fiction, writing about the diaspora experience, and the comfort one can find in stories from perspectives outside one's own. Oh, and Ursula...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents B. Pladek's 'The Spindle of Necessity' read by Arden Fitzroy. You can read the full text of the story, and more about B. Pladek ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Content Warning: Disregard for personal autonomy Dysphoria Sexism/gender discrimination Shaming Trans misgendering or other trans...

Celebrating 25 Years with The Strange Horizons Editorial Collective In this special episode of  Strange Horizons at 25,  Senior Podcast Editor Kat Kourbeti and Editor Michael Ireland welcome current members of the Strange Horizons Editorial Collective for a series of interviews to give you a glimpse behind the curtain of each department and to celebrate 25 years of this pioneering speculative fict...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland is joined by the outgoing editor of Foundation , Paul March-Russell, and the founding editor of the Harare Review of Books , Jacqueline Nyathi. They discuss speculative fiction’s approach to hope and optimism. Where has it gone? How do writers express it? And what are its pitfalls? ⁠Paul's review of W he...

In this special episode of  Writing While Disabled 's second season, hosts Kristy Anne Cox and Kate Johnston speculate about the impact of a space army made up of various species of dinosaurs, and make connections to disability and accommodations as they relate to the real life of disabled people. If you prefer, you can watch the full episode with close-caption subtitles here , or read the tra...

In this episode of  Strange Horizons at 25 , Tim Melody Pratt walks Podcast Editor Kat Kourbeti through their extensive oeuvre in the SH archives, recounts meeting their life partner through the magazine, and explains how it all intertwined together into a life and career bursting with magic. Links and things: Want to leave us a happy birthday message? Click  ⁠here to record an audio message⁠ , an...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, editor Michael Ireland presents Diana Dima's 'City Grown From Seed' read by Emmie Christie. You can read the full text of the story, and more about Diana Dima ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Content Warning: Domestic violence / domestic abuse

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland is joined by the novelist and critic Redfern Jon Barrett and the reader and reviewer Nileena Sunil. They discuss those novels that feel too short or not long enough: what's behind that feeling we have that a text is lacking something, or that it's overstretched? And how can we meet works of fiction on th...

In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Malda Marlys' 'Of Flowing Stone, of Liquid Gold, of Justice, Ash, and Battle' read by Emmie Christie. You can read the full text of the story, and more about Malda Marlys ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ Content Warning: Disregard for p...

In this episode of Critical Friends , the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland is joined by the literary reviewer Sneha Pathak and the host of the Going Rogue podcast , Tansy Gardam. They discuss the kinds of text which many don’t find worthy of criticism at all: books or movies or TikTok reels that might be termed popular, populist, or popcorn. What are we doing when we spend time...

In this episode of  Critical Friends , the  Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Dan Hartland speaks with writers and critics Octavia Cade and M. L. Clark about writing in hard times. How and why is speculative friction written in contexts of defeat, despair, or decay? They discuss climate change and artificial intelligence, systems political, biological, and economic—and how SF might be, and y...