A lot of science fiction takes place on other worlds, or deep in the future, and yet still contains recognizable nations and national stereotypes. In this episode, we talk about how science fiction stories are used to promote American nationalism -- and to push back against it. Plus, we're joined by author and pundit Wajahat Ali to explore how science fiction deals with the war on terror. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes...
Nov 18, 2021•41 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Science fiction and fantasy are full of portrayals of disabled bodies, some of which are nuanced and positive, and many of which... aren't. Join us as we talk about disability tropes and the realities of disabled life with Elsa Sjunneson, author of the brand new book Being Seen. Plus we answer reader questions from our Patreon! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes...
Nov 04, 2021•45 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast The long-awaited movie of Frank Herbert's Dune is arriving in theaters this weekend. To celebrate, we're resurfacing one of our favorite episodes. Is Dune a white savior fantasy? A subversive eco-parable? To find out, we talk to Haris Durrani, author of an influential essay about Dune .
Oct 21, 2021•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why do healthcare and medical devices bring up so many fears about surveillance? We dive into the history of a scientific nightmare, and explore what early 20th century eugenics has to do with stories like Brave New World, Gattaca, and Made for Love. Plus we talk to journalist Maia Szalavitz about a secret algorithm that's preventing patients from getting pain medication when they need it most. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Oct 07, 2021•42 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Lucifer just came to an end after six seasons, and to celebrate we're talking to showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson about all the ways this Satanic procedural was really all about therapy. Are you ready to self-actualize and embrace your true desires? Plus we talk about three of our all-time favorite stories about Satan, which show very different sides of the Prince of Darkness. Warning: spoilers for season six ahead! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Sep 23, 2021•51 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Science fiction and fantasy are the perfect genres for exploring what political uprisings might look like in the future, or an alternate present. We discuss Blake’s 7, a subversive 1980s TV series from the UK, and how it offers us a realistic portrait of political revolutionaries — flawed, dangerous, and full of hope. Claire Light (AKA Jadie Jang) also joins us to talk about her new novel, Monkey Around, about shapeshifters during the Occupy movement. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/sh...
Sep 09, 2021•49 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast One question has plagued both scientists and science fiction authors for centuries: Will humanity ever build artificial beings who are conscious the same way we are? Spoiler alert: No. But we may one day work alongside sentient robots. In this episode, we talk about the tests people have devised to see if a computer is self-aware, some of which are totally bonkers. We'll also talk to Chen Qiufan, co-author of the brand new book A.I. 2041. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes...
Aug 26, 2021•45 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Even when you're making up your own story, you still need to do tons of research. But the good news is, research is super fun. We talk about how to bring a dose of reality to your imaginary people and places. And we also discuss Charlie Jane's brand new book about how to write yourself out of the bad times! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Aug 12, 2021•39 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Have you noticed how hard it is to remember the past 18 months? You might be dealing with historical amnesia, the process by which we collectively forget traumatic events in the past. Storytelling is a major driver of historical amnesia -- in science fiction, and in political rhetoric too. We also talk to Ayanna Thompson, author of a new book called Blackface, about how people have forgotten the history of minstrelsy in the US -- and why that's a problem. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.co...
Jul 29, 2021•39 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast Gender essentialism is the idea that there is something eternal and innate about people's gender identities, and nothing can change that. Popularized during the 1970s, it affected how science fiction stories represented gender -- and it spawned new academic disciplines devoted to scientific misogyny. We talk about all this, and do a deep dive on the "What Women Want" franchise. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Jul 15, 2021•49 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Loki has been one of the best characters in the Marvel movies for a long time — but what is his new TV show revealing about the God of Mischief? We delve into his character, and the neuroses that drive him. Plus we talk to Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game and The Biggest Bluff, about what real-life con artists are like. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Jul 01, 2021•43 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Why are there so many science fiction stories about hive minds, or vast networks of interconnected brains, thinking together? In this episode, we discuss the pleasure and danger of merging consciousness with another person -- or a whole planet. Plus, we talk to Benjamin Rosenbaum (The Unraveling) and Elly Bangs (Unity) about hiveminds in their new novels! Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Jun 17, 2021•42 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast True crime is a giant pop culture obsession ... but what about true science crime? In this episode, we look at the long history of scientists who were called criminals, going back to Galileo. And we discuss crimes committed in the name of science, whose bloody legacies are still with us today. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Jun 03, 2021•43 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Recently there's been a rise in horror stories that deal with gentrification. We talk about real-life urban displacement, and the fictional tales that turn it into cosmic incursions and body-swapping nightmares. Plus, we talk to Sam J. Miller about his new novel The Blade Between, and how he used monsters to explore what happens when a small town in upstate New York gets taken over by urban hipsters and techies. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
May 20, 2021•40 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast 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
May 06, 2021•36 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast 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 notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes...
Apr 22, 2021•46 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 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/
Apr 15, 2021•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Apr 09, 2021•37 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 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!
Apr 01, 2021•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Mar 25, 2021•38 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Mar 11, 2021•42 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast 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? Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Feb 25, 2021•47 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Feb 04, 2021•45 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Jan 28, 2021•41 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Jan 14, 2021•40 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Jan 02, 2021•53 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Dec 17, 2020•42 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Dec 03, 2020•46 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast 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
Nov 19, 2020•44 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast 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 notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes
Nov 05, 2020•49 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast 
