Our Opinions Are Correct

Summer is here—and that means a glorious new flood of movies, TV shows and books. We may actually get to go inside a movie theater again! Here's everything we're looking forward to this season, plus some thoughts about how entertainment has changed after a year in lockdown. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

We're talking about resistance in real life and science fiction. First we do a deep dive into the history of New York City's African Burial Ground, used by enslaved people during the 18th century. Michael Blakey, who headed the excavation, tells us how these people resisted their enslavement. How do stories of resistance shape our history -- and change the way we conceive of possible futures? Show...

We're sharing the first episode of Annalee's podcast miniseries, Deep Futures, which spotlights six people who are trying to change the world for the better. Here, Annalee talks to science fiction author Malka Older about the future of democracy. Listen to the whole season here: https://mailchimp.com/presents/podcast/deep-futures/

Ever since Star Wars introduced space wizards with laser swords, we've been in love with space fantasy. Most space opera contains a certain amount of magical hand-waving, but there's something truly wondrous about an epic that embraces the potential of magic among the stars. Plus Charlie Jane talks about her brand new young-adult novel, Victories Greater Than Death! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarec...

Just for our amazing subscribers, here's an exclusive sneak peek at the audiobook of Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders, read by Hynden Walch. Coming on April 13, 2021, available wherever audiobooks are sold!

What makes a good fight scene work? Is it the pacing, the characters, or where it happens in the story? We talk about our favorite fight scenes, and why they are oddly similar to dance numbers. Plus, we're joined by battle mastermind Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga, who explains why a fight scene has to change everything. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

We've been waging a desperate battle against deadly viruses, in both reality and fiction. In this episode, we talk to Sarah Zhang, a staff writer with the Atlantic, about what we've learned from the fight against COVID-19. And we talk about the scariest and weirdest viruses in science fiction. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

It's time to talk about the politics of kaiju. With the new Godzilla vs. Kong movie stomping our way soon, we're discussing the long history of giant monsters in pop culture, and the truly strange cinematic backstory of the original King Kong vs. Godzilla flick. What do kaiju represent, and why are they connected to nationalism? And when does a kaiju get to be a protagonist rather than a monster?...

We're all super-traumatized by everything we've been through lately—so what kind of storytelling can we use to cope with our shared PTSD? And how will our collective trauma be reflected in pop culture? To get some answers, we talk to Sarah Gailey, author of The Echo Wife. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

We keep telling stories about lost cities. Pop culture is full of tales about great metropolises that disappeared, only to be rediscovered by adventurers. But the reality of ancient abandoned cities is way more complicated and weird. To celebrate the release of Annalee's book Four Lost Cities, we delve into the fantasies and correct the misconceptions about urban places that were lost to time. Sho...

JK Rowling has become an anti-trans activist on social media. This news has sent Harry Potter fandom -- always full of queers and trans people -- into mourning. We talk to author/publisher (and longtime Slytherin) Cecilia Tan about how to ignore Rowling and take back Harry Potter. Shownotes here: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Science fiction and fantasy are full of bodies that just won't behave. Either they're overpowered, or they're trying to consume everything in the world. We talk about why some bodies are so problematic in science fiction. Plus we talk to Meg Elison, author of the new novel Find Layla, about fatphobia and fat-fetishism. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Suddenly, everything is cute again. Animation, pop music, and the internet are packed with adorable sparklefest feelings. What is behind the new wave of cute aesthetics? We talk about why hard times drive us to comfort content -- and whether the cuteocracy is a protest against dystopia. Plus, can things get TOO cute? Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

How will people make babies and prevent unwanted pregnancies in the future? We look at everything from artificial wombs to birth control for people with sperm. And we imagine how new technologies and changes in social attitudes could radically transform the way we think about human reproduction. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

It's been a long year, and it's going to be a rough winter. But the good news is, there are so many amazing books to lose yourself in! In this episode, we talk about our favorite books that were published in 2020, and we recommend some perennial favorites. And we talk about what makes something a great winter read. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

What happens when you bring real history into fantastical stories about monsters and magic? We talk about movies, books, and TV where the result is a more compelling, emotional -- and even truthful -- representation than literal history can provide. Plus, we talk to author and historian P. Djèlí Clark about his teaching and writing, especially his latest historical horror novella, Ring Shout. Show...

Dune, Frank Herbert's sprawling masterpiece, remains one of the most influential works of science fiction. And with a new movie on the way, we are once again debating the meaning of this story. White savior narrative? Subversive eco-parable? To help us untangle the mystery, we turn to Haris Durrani, the author of an influential new Dune essay. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Fires. Floods. Heat waves. Zoonotic disease. The climate is changing. But are we going to change with it and survive? And how can storytelling help us understand our impact on the planet? We're talking about the disaster movie that is our lives with environmental journalist Maddie Stone.  Shownotes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Arthurian legends are everywhere lately, from Netflix's Cursed to a host of new books. We talk to Tracy Deonn, author of the brand new young-adult novel Legendborn, about why we're all still obsessed with Camelot—and how Arthurian lore is really just the original fanfic. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

In a portal fantasy, your protagonist goes through a magical door, down a rabbit hole, or into a wardrobe ... and comes out in an enchanted world. We talk to Na'amen Tilahun, author of The Wrath & Athenaeum trilogy, about portal fantasy tropes and what makes these stories such powerful allegories for the queer experience. This episode was recorded live (online) at the OutWrite 2020 LBGT lit festiv...

H.P. Lovecraft and John W. Campbell were writers and editors who ruled science fiction in the mid-twentieth century. Their names graced some of the genre's biggest awards. They ran influential magazines. And they were also racist, authoritarian jerkwads who alienated generations of writers and fans. We talk about the rise and fall of these two men, and how to deal with their legacies. Joining us i...

The penis isn't what you think it is.  We talk to Emily Willingham, author of Phallacy: Life Lessons From the Animal Penis, about what the incredible diversity of reproductive organs among non-human animals can teach us about our own junk. It turns out the human penis was made for love, not war. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Stories about indigenous people in the Americas often focus on the past, as if there aren't hundreds of indigenous communities alive today. We talk to author Rebecca Roanhorse and journalist Julian Brave NoiseCat about the movement to explore the indigenous future, in science fiction and activism. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

You can't really be a starship captain without falling in deep romantic, and possibly sexual romances with your ship. From Star Trek to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, starship computers take on personalities and even humanoid bodies. Why do we fantasize so much about love affairs with our vessels? Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Virtual reality has been a mainstay of science fiction for a hundred years, but now it's finally a real technology. How does real VR change the stories we tell? Plus we talk to Fivestar, a porn director who's been working on virtual reality porn, to learn the truth about real-life VR sex. Warning : the second half of this episode contains discussions of explicit sexual content. Show notes: www.our...