The Incomparable Mothership

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797: Iceman Was Right Dec 19, 2025

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Kilmas comes but once a year! This year we’re climbing into the cockpit and revisiting 1986’s “Top Gun,” starring some airplanes, Val Kilmer, and Tom Cruise. It’s a very subtle movie. Were Tony’s parents right in protecting his young mind from it? And most importantly, why do we remember Val Kilmer’s character being the villain when he’s actually the conscience of the entire film?

"Top Gun"

Host Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Katie Mack, Erika Ensign, Tony Sindelar, and Brian Warren.

Referenced Works

Top Gun

Val Kilmer

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796: Grape Juice Plus Dec 12, 2025

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Our Ape Club reconvenes to celebrate the holidays with a viewing of 1971’s “Escape from the Planet of the Apes!” Is this an ape movie or an episode of “Mannix”? What happens when you change lanes on the Freeway of Time? Why is Zira the smartest of all creatures, ape or human? And was Dr. Cornelius framed by big government? Apes smart, humans dumb!

"Escape from the Planet of the Apes"

Host Jason Snell with John Moltz, Annette Wierstra, Brian Warren, and David J. Loehr.

Referenced Works

Planet of the Apes (franchise)

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

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795: Put the Magic Baby Down Dec 05, 2025

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Set in a bright retro-future world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” doesn’t have anything to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe… yet. We analyze the latest attempt to translate Marvel’s first family to the big screen, including the trade-offs involved in introducing characters, not retreading the origin story again, turning Galactus into Rumplestiltskin, and the inevitable downbeat ending that never comes.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"

Host Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Moisés Chiullán, Scott McNulty, and Chip Sudderth.

Referenced Works

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel Cinematic Universe

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794: Oops! All Rats Nov 27, 2025

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We celebrate Fangsgiving with a visit to darkest Transylvania (and Germany) for the plague-stricken, rat-infested tale of “Nosferatu”, a legally questionable knock-off of “Dracula” more than a century old that surprisingly reinvigorates the classic lines of the Dracula story.

"Nosferatu" (2024)

Host Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Annette Wierstra, Tiff Arment, and Tony Sindelar.

Referenced Works

Nosferatu (2024)

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793: Table 19, Your Pizza's Ready Nov 21, 2025

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Ever wonder what happened to The Oneders? We celebrate Hanksgiving by discussing Tom Hanks’s love letter to ’60s pop that’s also a clear-eyed look at the machinery of the entertainment business, “That Thing You Do!” Powered by a legitimately classic pop song, a stunning cast (turns out, Tom Hanks knows some people), and scenes of joy, warmth, and kindness, this is a film that we find ourselves revisiting often. Happy Hanksgiving to all! And make it snappy!

"That Thing You Do!"

Host Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Lex Friedman, Brian Warren, Kathy Campbell, and Dan Moren.

Referenced Works

That Thing You Do!

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792: Deep Books in a Trenchcoat Nov 14, 2025

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If you’ve been thinking of reading Science Fiction and Fantasy but had no idea where to start, we’re here to help. Our panel of longtime SF/F readers has some suggestions just for you!

New to SF/F reading list

Host Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, David J. Loehr, Erika Ensign, Heather Berberet, and Sandra Wong.

Show Notes & Links

David - The Human Division by John Scalzi
Aleen - Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Erika - A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Heather - Jack the Bodiless by Julian May
Sandra - The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
Jason - The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
David - The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
Aleen - Monk & Robot (Psalm for the Wild-Built/Prayer for the Crown-Shy) by Becky Chambers
Erika - The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk
Heather - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Sandra - Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Jason - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
David - To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis
Aleen - The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Erika - Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher
Heather - Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Sandra - The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon
Jason - 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Additional choices (may not be approved by Jason)

David - Calculating Stars by Kowal, Exhalation by Ted Chiang, Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen, All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr., Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Engines of God and Polaris by Jack McDevitt
Aleen - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Expanse by James S.A. Corey, Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Daevebad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, Streets of London by Ben Aaronovich, All Souls Lost by Dan Moren, Baking Bad by Kim M. Watt, The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo, The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin, The Seven-Year Slip by Ashley Poston, Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Erika - Galactic Cold War by Dan Moren, And Then There Was n-1 by Sarah Pinsker, Shadow Police by Paul Cornell, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell, Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin, A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie, Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee
Heather - Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, Silo by Hugh Howey, Scholomance by Naomi Novik, Hunger Games by Susan Collins, Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Sandra - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, A Heart of Blood of Ashes by Milla Vane, October Daye by Seanan Mcguire, Saints of Steel by T. Kingfisher, The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Jason - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein, Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, Borderline by Mishell Baker, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Shards of Honor/Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

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791: Elio and Glordon's Excellent Space Adventure Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

Pixar Club re-forms to discuss “Elio,” the studio’s lowest-grossing feature film of all time. Funny thing, though… it’s a pretty good movie? It’s funny, has some space adventure and gross-but-lovable aliens, and even has a nice message about making connections. Look, we didn’t go see it in the theater either, but we sure had a fun time watching it on Disney+.

"Elio"

Host Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Brian Hamilton, and Annette Wierstra.

Referenced Works

Pixar Animation Studio

Elio

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790: Serious Academic Arguments Oct 30, 2025

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It’s time for another Old Spooky Club, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stuart Gordon’s horror-comedy classic, “Re-Animator”, which bears very little resemblance to the works of H.P. Lovecraft. We’ve got notes about severed heads, chomped-on fingers, lobotomized deans, weird character motivations, creepy stalkers, a literal blood bath, and everything Barbara Crampton.

"Re-Animator"

Host Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Tiff Arment, and Monty Ashley.

Referenced Works

Show Notes & Links

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789: A Hunting Lodge for Rich Weirdos Oct 24, 2025

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We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the longest-running theatrical run of all time—“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”! It’s an unapologetic musical about being yourself (and giving yourself over to pleasure). It spawned a cultural phenomenon that’s still evolving, and making some of us feel old! If you’re a weirdo, you’re welcome here.

"Rocky Horror Picture Show"

Host Erika Ensign with Monty Ashley, Shelly Brisbin, Antony Johnston, and Brian Hamilton.

Referenced Works

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

[Amazon]

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788: He's Just Bob Oct 17, 2025

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We’re back on the Marvel movies with “Thunderbolts*”, a film that (to our surprise?) is not a nihilistic story about villains pretending to be heroes (see: Suicide Squad), but instead a story about some troubled not-quite-heroes learning that they can be better if they connect to other people and work on their own issues. But also with explosions and fights and stuff.

"Thunderbolts*"

Host Jason Snell with Lisa Schmeiser, Erika Ensign, Moisés Chiullán, and Glenn Fleishman.

Referenced Works

Thunderbolts

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Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

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The Incomparable Mothership

Referenced Works

Top Gun

Val Kilmer

Show Notes & Links

Referenced Works

Planet of the Apes (franchise)

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Show Notes & Links

Referenced Works

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Show Notes & Links

Referenced Works

Nosferatu (2024)

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Referenced Works

That Thing You Do!

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Show Notes & Links

Referenced Works

Pixar Animation Studio

Elio

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Referenced Works

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Referenced Works

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Referenced Works

Thunderbolts

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