Alienating the Audience

In Stephen King's finest work, protagonist Jake Epping discovers a time portal which allows him to go back to the late 50s and then stick around long enough to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing President Kennedy. . . But should he interfere with the timeline, however good his intentions?  Josh Jennings and Tim Silfies join to discuss

Jay Mutzafi rejoins the show to discuss the many elements of "Interstellar," from gravity to parenting to gut feelings.   Jay's notes on the various forms of time travel here: https://jaymutzafi.com/time-travel-movies-tv-shows/

Dickie and Stone Lynch rejoin the show to discuss the entire panoply of androids in Star Trek, from Ruk, to Lore, to Automated Personnel Unit 3947. With special attention paid to "Requiem for Methuselah." Warning: slightly raunchy episode

The film "Moon," starring Sam Rockwell, follows the lonely exploits of a solo worker on a moon base, and the unfolding mystery and terror of what his life actually entails.  Scottish scifi twins Stone and Dickie Lynch join to discuss SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata

What ultimately brought down the Jedi Order, and was it actually worth saving? Kevin Delano and Mike TV join to discuss SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata

"The Three Body Problem", by Chinese author Liu Cixin, explores Maoism, how mankind reacts to imminent alien invasion, and asks the big question: is humanity worth saving? Andrea Jones-Rooy jones to discuss. Support the show! www.mightyheaton.com/ata Books mentioned on the show at: www.mightyheaton.com/goodscifi  

From Kirk and Spock through Deep Space Nine, the world of Star Trek has a shadowy alternate universe where mankind is alternately evil or oppressed. Andrew Young joins to discuss. SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata

Spike Jonze's "Her", starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, follows the story of a lonely man who falls in love with a sentient operating system. The film explores AI and romance in the not-too-distant-future, isolation and alienation, and the emotional resolution of relationships ending. Henrique Couto joins to discuss. SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata

In "Severance" employees of the Lumen corporation undergo a surgery which separates their mind into two distinct personalities--one who works inside the company, and one on the outside oblivious to it.  Brian Brushwood and Andrew Young join to discuss.

Dickie and Stone join to discuss the overwhelming camp and pulp of "Flash Gordon," a big costume budget and excellent soundtrack which also sorta has a plot.

When does science fiction get "too political"? What separates a film with a strong point of view from stale publum or Woke pulpitry? Josh Jennings joins to discuss how political messaging can derail or suffocate scifi. 

Andor is one of the best Star Wars properties ever devised; a television program explicitly for adults! Beyond excellent storytelling, Andor highlights the problems which bedevil any organization: pettiness, career aspirations, incompetency, and zealotry. David Bizarro and Brian Brushwood join to discuss.

James Moriarty is the best villain in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Or is he a villain at all? In "Elementary, My Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle" the holographic character gains sentience--and wants freedom.  Josh Jennings and Andrew Young rejoin the show to discuss the character. 

Patrick McGoohan's 1967 series "The Prisoner" is an avante-garde science fiction series about a secret agent abducted by nefarious forces and subject to psychological torment in an atavistic village.  Jim Swift and Ron Hayden join to discuss the deeper meaning of the series.

Josh Jennings temporarily hosts the show in order to interview Andrew Heaton about what all goes into writing science fiction, a la his new book, "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories."  Get your copy at:  https://www.amazon.com/Inappropriately-Human-21-Short-Stories/dp/B09S3WYDSJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5UO16ZY0DADV&keywords=andrew+heaton+inappropriately+human&qid=1646195709&sprefix=men%27s+modal+shir...

From "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories" by Andrew Heaton. Now available as an audio book! Get your copy at https://www.amazon.com/Inappropriately-Human-21-Short-Stories/dp/B09S3WYDSJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5UO16ZY0DADV&keywords=andrew+heaton+inappropriately+human&qid=1646195709&sprefix=men%27s+modal+shirt%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-1

In "Vivarium," starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, a young couple find themselves trapped in some kind of suburban pocket universe. Their captors leave an alien infant on with the instructions "Raise the child and you will be released."  Josh Jennings joins to discuss the various concepts the film plays with, including: autism, millennial adulting terror, fey folk, and suburban ennui. Find...

Stone and Dickie Lynch return to play Starfleet Draft Picks--which captains and officers do you recruit to build your own starship and crew?

Please enjoy "Simulucrum," one of the stories from my new book, "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories"! Get a copy at:  www.mightyheaton.com/books 

Enjoy this scifi piece from my new book "Inappropriately Human: 21 Short Stories." Like it? Trust me to provide some solid scifi content? Then check it out! Go to:  www.mightyheaton.com/books Or look for "Inappropriately Human" or "Andrew Heaton" on Amazon.  Thanks!

When does a science fiction go on too long, add too many new characters and odd plots, or just exhaust it's fans in general?  Scottish scifi enthusiasts Stone and Dickie Lynch return to discuss

Joe Haldeman's novel "The Forever War" is great science fiction in and of itself, involving aliens, time dilation, and how conflicts stretch out for centuries thanks to relativity. It's also a great exploration of the nature and hopelessness of war, a la Vietnam. Tom Merritt joins to discuss Get the book at: https://mightyheaton.com/goodscifi

Earth is a Class 12 Deathworld--we just didn't know it! To the rest of the universe it is violent and uninhabitable, and our amazing species grew up on this badass planet, and thought it was perfectly normal. Such is the premise of the Deathworld series. Michael "Macca" Cameron joins to discuss Deathworld, anthropology, and whether religion is an accident or intrinsic to the human condition. Sourc...

Cardassians include some of Star Trek's best characters and plot, from Elim Garak (the best character ever) to Dukat (single greatest villain) to Orwellian illusions and Holocaust analogies.  Scottish scifi aficionados Dickie and Stone Lynch return to discuss the Cardassian oeuvre.

"Waterworld" depicts a post-flood dystopia of psychos on jet skis and Kevin Costner with gills.  John DeVore, celebrated writer for "Humungus" joins to discuss its deeper meaning, and how it's ultimately a Western--only wetter.