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Published by Lore Party Media LLC
Science Fiction Book Club is a podcast for bookworms and stargazers. In every episode, hosts Abu and Obssa dive into the pages of their favorite science fiction novels to break down the big ideas and ask the nerdy questions. This isn't just a generic book review podcast – it's a show made for and with a community of passionate sci-fi fans. New episodes every other Thursday. Learn more at https://sfbc.netlify.app Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule
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Abu and Obssa begin their read-through of The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. They dig into the odd-couple partnership between the poetic, dog-loving Hig and his cold-blooded neighbor Bangley, Heller's stripped-down, punctuation-free prose style, and the quiet question sitting under the whole book: what's actually worth surviving for. IN THIS EPISODE How chapter five's chewing-out from Bangley reveals a surprisingly protective, tactical mind underneath the gruffness Peter Heller's own life as an adventure writer, from a doomed Tibet expedition to owning the same model Cessna Hig flies The upcoming Ridley Scott adaptation, its cast (Jacob Elordi as Hig, Josh Brolin as Bangley), and its August 28 release date JOIN THE CLUB Bookmark the reading schedule: sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content: patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Watch video episodes and clips: youtube.com/@loreparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa complete their read-through of Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. Zelu's story and the Rusted Robots storyline finally meet in a twist that reframes everything that came before it, and the hosts land in very different places on whether the ending earns it. Obssa found the book's recursive structure deeply satisfying start to finish, while Abu closes out a rocky read with real reservations about how the final act ties its themes together. IN THIS EPISODE Zelu survives an armed ambush in Nigeria by running 35 miles while livestreaming the whole ordeal on Facebook, and the fallout with her family gets ugly fast. Obssa's takeaway breaks down the novel's recursive "creation flows both ways" structure and ties it back to Roland Barthes' original essay on the death of the author. Abu and Obssa hand out their final ratings for the book and close out Season 3 with a first look at Season 4's opening read, The Dog Stars. JOIN THE CLUB Bookmark the reading schedule: sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content: patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Watch video episodes and clips: youtube.com/@loreparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. This middle third is where the two of them split hardest: one is all in on Zelu, the other can barely stand her. Between them they get into grief, exoskeletons, and who gets to decide what makes someone human. IN THIS EPISODE Zelu's custom exoskeleton, the line "I'm no one's robot," and whether augmentation frees her or just hands people the right to define her body. Two deaths, one in each timeline, and Abu's case that grief reprograms the people left behind for better and worse. In the Rusted Robots strand, an unlikely friendship between a Hume and a Ghost, a loyalty pact at a graveside, and a warning Cross River City doesn't want to hear. JOIN THE CLUB Bookmark the reading schedule: sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content: patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Watch video episodes and clips: youtube.com/@loreparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa begin their read-through of Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. They examine the three layers of the story: the present-day story of Zelu, the far-future robot novel she is secretly writing, and a string of interviews with the people who know her. They also break down Okorafor's career and where the book gets its title. IN THIS EPISODE Meet Zelu: a paraplegic adjunct professor and black sheep of a big Nigerian American family who gets fired and writes her way to a seven-figure book deal Inside Rusted Robots, the novel within the novel, where a war between Humes and Ghosts take over a human-less Earth Why Okorafor insists her work is Africanfuturism, not Afrofuturism, and the difference she draws The Roland Barthes essay this book is arguing against, and how autobiographical the family really is Where Abu and Obssa land after a third of the book, including who's Team Zelu and who's Team Chinyere JOIN THE CLUB Bookmark the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Watch video episodes and clips: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa are joined by Cody from the Hugonauts podcast to break down the thought-provoking short story by Ursula K. Le Guin. They explore the moral philosophy at the center of this tale, and debate whether the ones who leave Omelas are worthy or praise or disdain. Check out the Hugonauts podcast: https://hugonauts.simplecast.com/ Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa complete their read-through of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. They discuss the lessons from this book about cultural exchange, and what it means to treat others through the lens of "I and Thou". Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Join the conversation in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. They discuss the misunderstanding between Genly and Estraven, and break down the pitfalls of Orgoreyn's bureaucracy. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa begin their read-through of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. They discuss incredible impact and legacy of this book on the sci-fi genre, and it's profound explorations of gender and politics. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this bonus episode, Abu and Obssa share their thoughts on the movie adaptation of Project Hail Mary. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa complete their read-through of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. They discuss the satisfying conclusion and break down Ryland Grace's character arc. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule (00:00) Intro (03:05) Chapter Summaries (10:24) Our Impressions (23:33) Ryland Grace's Character Arc (26:55) The Philosophical Question of Grace's Amnesia (33:13) Are We All Capable of Bravery? (39:30) Our Final Ratings (41:40) Yes, We're Covering the Movie (42:10) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa begin their read-through of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. They discuss the tropes and science the book leans in to, and why it's not working for them. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule (00:00) Intro (03:52) Chapter Summaries (20:38) Our Impressions (25:02) The Audiobook is Incredible (27:52) Why Abu Dislikes This Book (37:25) Andy Weir's Career (42:43) Writing Project Hail Mary (46:20) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa complete their read-through of This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. They explore the ways love fundamentally changes Red and Blue, and redefines what it means to win the war. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule (00:00) Intro (02:59) Chapter Summaries (16:46) Our Impressions (23:25) Can This Story Be Adapted? (28:06) How Red and Blue Redefine Winning (29:36) Love is Creating Rather Than Destroying (32:45) Love is Ignoring War (35:00) Love is Choosing Risk and Freedom (37:59) This is How Love Wins (41:47) Our Ratings (44:28) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa begin their read-through of This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. They explore the depths of true connection, and the paradox of being lonely in an always-connected society. Learn more at https://www.loreparty.com/science-fiction-book-club Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep up with the reading schedule: https://sfbc.netlify.app/schedule (00:00) Intro (02:57) Chapter Summaries (08:59) Our Impressions (18:04) The Meta (20:03) Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood (23:20) The Paradox of Connection and Loneliness (32:47) Making a True Connection With Someone (38:13) What To Read Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa complete their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the ninth short story in the collection, Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom, and explore the horrifying and empowering cost of true free will. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 (00:00) Intro (02:38) Summary (07:17) Our Impressions (17:03) Free Will is Dizzying (21:22) Are Your Decisions Meaningless? (24:01) The Horrible Price of Free Will (27:08) Grappling with Infinite Possibilities (32:52) You Have the Power to Change (36:36) Final Ratings (39:24) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the eighth short story in the collection, Ompahlos, and explore the philosophy of existentialism. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 (00:00) Intro (02:56) Summary (08:49) Our Impressions (15:43) A Small Nitpick (17:59) What is Existentialism? (19:46) Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir (21:17) Core Tenets of Existentialism (23:05) Critiques of Existentialism (25:40) Are We Existentialists? (29:34) The Absurd Part of Existentialism (33:31) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the seventh short story in the collection, The Great Silence, and explore how close we are to communicating with animals. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the sixth short story in the collection, The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling, and explore the ways technology has always helped us remember our lives. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the fifth short story in the collection, Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny, and explore the challenges of raising children in a technological world. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the fourth short story in the collection, The Lifecycle of Software Objects, and explore the realities of forming relationships with artificial intelligence. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 (00:00) Intro (03:01) Summary (10:52) Our Impressions (16:40) Abu's Favorite Moment (18:25) Weakest Story in the Collection (20:38) The Icky Truth About Marco (23:15) Can We Have Relationships with AI? (28:22) The Case for AI Relationships (35:13) The Case Against AI Relationships (42:41) There Are No Shortcuts to Relationships (46:47) Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abu and Obssa continue their read-through of Exhalation by Ted Chiang. They dive into the third short story in the collection, What's Expected of Us, and explore the existential dread of not having free will. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4 Watch the video version of this episode: www.youtube.com/@loreparty Keep up with this season’s reading schedule: https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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