The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Mythical dark ages, historical rhythms, and papyrus, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson join forces to talk to author and historian Ada Palmer about the Renaissance and other historical oddities! Together, they explore the myth of the Dark Ages, how ideology and perspective influence historical narratives, the Renaissance, and so much more. Come learn with us! Thanks for listening. We hope you enj...

Vengeful trees, casual colonialism, and confusing scientific romances, oh my! Shaun Duke , Trish Matson , and David Annandale join forces to discuss 1957’s From Hell It Came ! Together, they tackle the film’s 1950s vibes, lessons for how best to kill a tree monster, and questionable colonial ethics. Plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send u...

Weird homes, terrible accidents, and mysterious hair, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by Eden Royce to talk about her new novel, The Creepening of Dogwood House . Together, they explore the roots of hoodoo presented in the story, Royce’s approach to writing for young children while still reaching adults, the weird world of creepy houses, and so much more! Thanks for listening....

Sandals, toxic alphas, and questionable power, oh my! Shaun Duke , Trish Matson , and Paul Weimer join forces to discuss Jo Clayton’s Diadem from the Stars (1977). Together, they explore the book’s approach to gender and societal structures, its response to sword and sandal sexual politics, what it means to have psionic powers, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the...

Stallone’s butt, fast food wars, and the three seashells, oh my! Shaun Duke , Trish Matson , and returning champion Julia Rios join forces to tackle 1993’s Demolition Man ! Together, they try to make sense of the film’s timeline, discuss the innovation of Taco Bell, and unpack the extremes of radical freedom and radical control. Plus more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy...

Special programming, societal collapse, and funny robots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Adrian Tchaikovsky for an interview about his latest novel, Service Model. Together, they explore the complex question of robot sentience, life as a robot that isn’t sentient, the challenges of narratives with unusual protagonists, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you...

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!...

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,...

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, an...

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! Sho...

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...

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 Note...

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. Th...

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 Fri...

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,...

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 e...

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: Send u...

Beautiful rage, twisted lines, and terrors of the mind, oh my! Shaun Duke , Brandon O’Brien , and Trish Matson are joined by Stephanie M. Wytovich to talk about her latest poetry collection, On the Subject of Blackberries . Together, they discuss Wytovich’s approach to poetic form, to representing post-partum depression and motherhood in speculative poetry, and so much more. Plus, Shau...

Tree magic, complicated wars, and bard-acity, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Kevin Hearne to talk about his latest novel, A Curse of Krakens , the thrilling conclusion to The Seven Kennings series. Together, they discuss Hearne’s approach to storytelling in an epic fantasy setting, weaving complicated kingdom politics and unique magic systems into the world, the wonders of w...

Military inaccuracies, confusing tactics, and burrito problems, oh my! Shaun Duke , Becca Evans , and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss the 2012’s Battleship ! Together, they explore the film’s bizarre treatment of the military, whether the lead character should be court-martialed, disability representation, and so much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Sh...

Optimistic futures, climate disasters, and punk attitudes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by writers and editors Phoebe Wagner and Sarena Ulibarri for a wide ranging discussion about Solarpunk. Together, they explore the roots of the genre, where the “punk” fits into the form, the politics of climate change and extinction, and so much more. Thanks for listening. We ho...

Funktastic morning routines, cereal messages, and whatevers, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1999’s Muppets From Space ! This is the second show we’ve done on a Muppet movie, and it’s a fun one. Together, Shaun and Daniel tackle the film’s financial history, its central themes of identity and found family, what a Gonzo is…really, talking b...

Weirdly respectful men, suggestive rockets, and sewage sludge, oh my! Shaun Duke , Becca Evans , and Trish Matson join forces to discuss the 1979’s Meteor ! Together, they explore the film’s surprisingly feminist themes, its approach to building tension (zzz), hating the Dodgers, and so much more. Plus, there are delicious tangents to make you giggle! Thanks for listening. We hope you...

Empathic fungi, revolutionary politics, and dirigibles, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by Nisi Shawl to talk about their new novel, Kinning , the sequel to the much-loved Everfair . Together, they discuss Shawl’s approach to writing alternate history, anarchism across the sea, the moral complexities of hiveminds, and more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the e...

Roving hypocrisy, legacy admissions, and magical hierarchies, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by Kacen Callender to discuss their newest novel, Infinity Alchemist . Together, they explore the novel’s treatment of magical schools, its themes of wealth and power, the weirdness of alchemy, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes:...