The Incomparable Mothership

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787: Injured in the Jaguar Attack Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

It’s autumn, things are turning dark and gray, and that puts us in the mind of… (fictional) murder! Want a mystery novel, or series, to read? Our expert readers have many, many suggestions for you.

Mystery Reading List

Host Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Antony Johnston, David J. Loehr, Scott McNulty, Sandra Wong, and Annette Wierstra.

Show Notes & Links

Suggestions

Jean: The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves (Vera Stanhope)
Antony: Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan (Malabar House)
David: Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (Pentecost and Parker)
Scott: The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes (Richard Jury)
Sandra: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock)
Annette: Artifact by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt)
Jason: Strike Three, You’re Dead by R.D. Rosen (Harvey Blissberg)
Jean: A Test of Wills by Charles Todd (Inspector Ian Rutledge)
Antony: The Appeal by Janice Hallett
David: The Deep Blue Good-By by John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee)
Scott: A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara (S.C.Y.T.H.E.)
Sandra: Hide by Tracy Clark (Detective Harriet Foster)
Annette: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell)
Jason: The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older (Mossa and Pleiti)
Jean: The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri (Commissario Montalbano)
Antony: Ghosts of Belfast/The Twelve by Stuart Neville (Jack Lennon)
David: The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake (Dortmunder)
Scott: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Monster Hunter)
Sandra: Secret Identity by Alex Segura (Secret Identity)
Annette: The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Jason: Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (Cemeteries of Amalo)

Leftover suggestions

Jean: Sue Grafton, Sarah Peretsky, Laura Lippman, Walter Mosley
Antony: Three Dahlias by Katy Watson, Man on the Street by Trevor Wood, Dark Horizon by James Swallow, In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan, City of Vengeance by D.V. Bishop (Cesare Aldo)
David: Fletch by Gregory Mcdonald, American Mystery Classics (ed. by Otto Penzler), The Dog-Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston, Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza, Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
Scott: Jack Taylor Series by Ken Bruen, Barker & Llewelyn by Will Thomas, Roma Sub Rosa by Steven Saylor, Athenian Mysteries by Gary Corby
Sandra: Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day, Time’s Undoing by Cheryl Head, Japantown Series by Naomi Hirahara, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen by Mia P. Manansala, Garden Squad Mysteries by Julia Henry, Like a Sister and Missing White Woman by Kelly Garrett, Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe (Nena Knight), Everything by S.A. Cosby, Crime Writers of Color, Queer Crime Writers
Annette: In the Dark We Forget and Lola Starke Series by SG Wong, Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters, Magical Fortune Cookie Mysteries, Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
Jason: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway (Cal Sounder), The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters (Last Policeman), Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon, Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club)

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786: Vatgrown Ninja Assassins Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

Grab your cyberspace deck and prepare to jack in—it’s time to discuss William Gibson’s groundbreaking classic novel, “Neuromancer.” We’ve got a panel of experts—and a first-timer!—ready to discuss how 1984’s future looks from the perspective of 2025’s present.

"Neuromancer"

Host Jason Snell with Antony Johnston, Lisa Schmeiser, Glenn Fleishman, and Erika Ensign.

Referenced Works

Neuromancer

[Amazon] [Apple]

William Gibson

Show Notes & Links

Dead Channel: Music Inspired by William Gibson's Neuromancer by Silencaeon (Antony)

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785: The Tiger is Perfect Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

We always knew Daniel Dae Kim would accomplish something after “Crusade!” (Kids, ask your “Babylon 5”-loving parents.) Our panel looks back over the three-month phenomenon that has been Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” and gives you reasons to watch it if you’re dispositionally averse to KPop, youth-friendly animation, or popular things. Behind the Spoiler Horn, we dive into how well the story and songs work together, whether it’s an animation breakthrough, the future of the wait-is-this-a-franchise, and what could have been better. (John Siracusa: “NOW you’re singing MY song!”)

"KPop Demon Hunters"

Host Chip Sudderth with James Thomson, Shannon Sudderth, John Siracusa, and Lisa Schmeiser.

Referenced Works

KPop Demon Hunters

Show Notes & Links

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784: Peak Harpoonist Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

The Summer of Submarines reaches crush depth with Disney’s 1954 epic “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Captain Nemo of the Nautilus has met his match in an uncharismatic French professor, his strangely familiar associate, and their sidekick, a violent harpoonist and occasional cabaret performer. Also there’s a giant squid. Everyone remembers the giant squid—and for good reason!

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

Host Jason Snell with Monty Ashley, Erika Ensign, Shelly Brisbin, Philip Michaels, and David J. Loehr.

Referenced Works

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Submarines

Show Notes & Links

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782: In Russia, Truck Stops You Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

We dive beneath the sea again with “K-19: The Widowmaker,” in which Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson star as… wait a second… Soviet naval officers? It’s a film about a horrible nuclear accident assembled from pieces of other submarine movies, as well as possibly several “Star Trek” movies, and we can’t decide if the screenplay or the casting is more of a problem. But finally we’ll get to the bottom of the real question: if most of the crewmen aren’t married, can K-19 really be a widowmaker?

"K-19: The Widowmaker"

Host Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Philip Michaels, Steven Schapansky, Brian Warren, and Tony Sindelar.

Referenced Works

K-19: The Widowmaker

Submarines

Show Notes & Links

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781: Your Permission to Speak Freely is Rescinded Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

The Summer of Submarines resurfaces with James Garner going on a secret mission to an enemy island in 1959’s “Up Periscope.” The Skipper is not a skipper, but he’s got some interesting romantic ideas. Some scenes are impressively bad from multiple angles. And we realize that we’re starting to get good at this submarine-movie business, maybe?

Up Periscope (1959)

Host Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Shelly Brisbin, David J. Loehr, and Erika Ensign.

Referenced Works

Up Periscope (1959)

Submarines

Show Notes & Links

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780: The Perfect Bubble Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

We return to 1995 not to hack into the Net but to wander, Netless, around Vienna with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Palm readers! Street poets! Plays featuring cows! It’s “Before Sunrise,” a movie in which nothing happens… except maybe the most extraordinary thing in two people’s lives.

"Before Sunrise" (1995)

Host Jason Snell with Brian Hamilton, Erika Ensign, Annette Wierstra, and Steven Schapansky.

Referenced Works

Before Sunrise

Show Notes & Links

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779: Not a Hugo Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

Our Awards Book Club closes up shop for 2025 with a final set of rankings, the presentation of an award we made up, and an overview of all the Hugo-nominated short fiction.

Awards Book Club final rankings and Hugo short fiction

Host Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty, Aleen Simms, and Heather Berberet.

Show Notes & Links

What Are We Reading?

Scott: How to Solve Your Own Murder
Erika: Swordheart, Throne of Glass series specifically Heir of Fire
Heather: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Aleen: When Women Were Dragons, Lake of Souls
Jason: The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton, Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

The Incomparable Award

Service Model (4 first-place votes, 2.0 average placement)
The Tainted Cup (3.4)
Someone You Can Build a Nest In (1, 4.0)
A Sorceress Comes to Call (4.4)
Alien Clay (5.0)
The Ministry of Time (5.8)
Asunder / The Book of Love (tie) (6.4)
Rakesfall (8.6)
Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory (9)

The Short Fiction

Novella

“The Brides of High Hill” by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)
“The Butcher of the Forest” by Premee Mohamed (Tordotcom)
“Navigational Entanglements” by Aliette de Bodard (Tordotcom)
“The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain” by Sofia Samatar (Tordotcom)
“The Tusks of Extinction” by Ray Nayler (Tordotcom)
“What Feasts at Night” by T. Kingfisher (Nightfire)

Novelette

“The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld)
“By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed (Strange Horizons)
“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer (Asimov’s)
“Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie (in Lake of Souls)
“Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny)
“Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny)

Short Story

“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones (Lightspeed)
“Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Uncanny)
“Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo (Uncanny)
“Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine (Uncanny)
“We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M Yoachim (Lightspeed)
“Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J Kim (Clarkesworld)

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778: Oops! All Batman Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

We celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Summer Superhero Spectacular tournament with something slightly different: A draft of our favorite superhero movies.

Superhero Movie Draft

Host Jason Snell with Andy Ihnatko, Chip Sudderth, James Thomson, Annette Wierstra, Tony Sindelar, Moisés Chiullán, and David J. Loehr.

Show Notes & Links

Tony - Batman Begins (2005)
James - Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
David - The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Annette - Wonder Woman (2017)
Moises - Superman (2025)
Andy - The Incredibles (2004)
Chip - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Jason - Unbreakable (2000)
Tony - Iron Man (2008)
James - Dredd (2012)
David - The Shadow (1994)
Annette - Batman (1989)
Moises - Blade (1998)
Andy - Watchmen (2009)
Chip - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Jason - Megamind (2010)
Tony - Hellboy (2004)
James - Captain Marvel (2019)
David - The Rocketeer (1991)
Annette - The Marvels (2023)
Moises - Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four (1994)
Andy - Nine Superman Fleisher Shorts (1941)
Chip - Black Panther (2018)
Jason - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

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