Skiffy Fanty - Podcast Details

Shows

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 451. State of Skiffy and Fanty in 2022Worries, needs, and the future, oh my! Shaun Duke, Brandon O’Brien, and Paul Weimer get honest about the state of the show in 2022. How are we feeling about where we’re at and where we’d like to go? What do we still hope to do? What barriers are keeping us from our dreams? And what can you do to help us get there? This and more makes up the bulk of this honest, sometimes-funny episode! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions! If you have a question you’d...

2022-02-1943 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 414. Live at Capricon 41 (Hope and Science Fiction)Hopeful visions, genre nerdery, and diversity, oh my! Let the shenanigans ensue! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and GoH Brandon O’Brien join forces for a live recording of the 3x Hugo Finalist podcast, The Skiffy and Fanty Show! Together, they’ll discuss the power of science fiction to explore the present and uncover hope, from its technological imagination to its approach to social issues and beyond. They might even give you an absurdly long reading reading list… Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Send us your comments, questions, and suggestions! Brandon’s Things: Website Twitter If you h...

2021-03-0250 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 395. See You Yesterday (2019) — At the MoviesTime travel, police brutality, and timey wimey ethics, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink join forces to discuss Stefon Bristol’s teen time travel adventure film, See You Yesterday. Togethery, they consider the timeliness of the film, how Bristol approaches black lives and contemporary politics concerning police brutality, the performances by the film’s young cast, and even the relationship of See You Yesterday to the time travel classic, Back to the Future. Plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: See You Yesterday (2019)(IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answ...

2020-09-181h 05

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 394. Charles Stross (a.k.a. Lord Case Nightmare Octarine) — Dead Lies DreamingCyberpunk magic, wicked billionaires, and referencing American presidents, oh my! Paul Weimer pulls out his interview pants to talk to Charles Stross about the newest Laundry Files novel, Dead Lies Dreaming. They dig into the long-running Laundry Files series, this new novel’s political intrigue in a world of mansions and curses, and even how Trump fits into the new book. Plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Charles Stross’ things: Twitter Website Dead Lies Dreaming (buy it!) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a m...

2020-09-1130 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 393. Idaho Transfer (1973) — Torture Cinema #105Snake friends, naturalistic confusion, and human car fuel, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink take a trip to the past to explore the Peter Fonda apocalyptic slow burner, Idaho Transfer. With a little alcohol in their stomachs, they talk about the film’s odd approach to storytelling, the surprising revelations about the future, just what it means to be a snake in the apocalyptic future, and even why we should be scared of being turned into car fuel. Plus much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Idaho Transfer (IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (C) Jen (B+) Average (B...

2020-09-021h 18

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 392. Andrea Hairston (a.k.a. the Polyrhythmic Professor)Poison sands, narrative maps, and powerful conjure, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink return to their interviewing duties with an incredible discussion with Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons from Tor Books! They discuss the book’s deep roots in African folklore and history, the wondrous influence of music and polyrhythms on the narration, Hairston’s unique take on magic and kingdom politics, pirates, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Andrea Hairston’s things: Website Twitter Master of Poisons (buy it now!) If you have a question you’d like us t...

2020-08-261h 12

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 391. CoNZealand: Thoughts and ThingsVirtual dreams, virtual nightmares, and goddamn Campbell, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink join forces for a post-convention discussion of CoNZealand. They discuss what worked, what didn’t, their personal experiences of attending the first ever virtual Worldcon, that mess with the goddamn Hugo Awards, what it’s like to lose a Hugo three separate times, and much MUCH more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: CoNZealand CoNZealand Fringe If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and out...

2020-08-191h 18

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 390. The Old Guard and Comic Book Adaptations (Live at CoNZealand))Almost immortals, skyscraper tactics, and Charlize Theron, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink are joined by Alasdair Stuart, Marguerite Kenner, and Wendy Browne for a long discussion of the Netflix adaptation if The Old Guard. Together, they discuss the film’s treatment of technical immortality, our fascination with the characters and choreography, and how the film measures up to the comic books. And oh so much more! This one was recorded live at CoNZealand, so expect a less edited form of the show. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: The Old Guard (2020)(IMDb) The Old Gu...

2020-08-111h 40

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 389. Ice Sharks (2016) — Torture Cinema #104Razor fins, questionable scientists, and action scuba, oh my! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and Alex Acks giggle their way through the Syfy Channel quality shark epic, Ice Sharks. They tackle the bonkers physics of shark fins, the surprising diversity of the cast, what it means to have plot conveniences, and the endless excitement of watching grown humans scuba dive…forever… We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Ice Sharks (IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (F) Jen (C-) Alex (D) Average (D-) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our cont...

2020-07-281h 09

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 388. A Wrinkle in Time (2018) — At the MoviesSpace travel, the power of love, and eccentric alien friends, oh my! In this episode of At the Movies, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink look for hope and positive vibes in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time. Together, they look at the film’s treatment of the source material, the impact of overly focusing on visual spectacle, all the feelz™, and the surprising casting choices that work shockingly well. And, as always, there’s much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: A Wrinkle in Time (2018)(IMDb) “Black Girl Magic is Written in the Pages of ‘A...

2020-07-2159 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 387. The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste — Reading RangersOranges, wild boys, and douen, oh my! In today’s delightful literary discussion, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink take a look at Tracey Baptiste’s incredible middle grade novel, The Jumbies. Together, they discuss the novel’s treatment of Caribbean folklore, its exploration of family and loss, its treatment of colonization and nature themes, the terrifying-ness of Jumbies, and so much more! Plus, we read some of your reviews of the show! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (Scholastic) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free...

2020-07-1754 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 386. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) — At the Movies #02 — A Podcast ThrowbackTrek rehashes, Klingons, and shooty spaceships, oh my! It’s another magical day in the Skiffy and Fanty Universe! Today, we share another episode most of you have never heard before because it never released on the main feeds: our discussion of Star Trek Into Darkness! Listen to Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and special guest Jay Garmon talk about the film’s approach to Trek-i-ness, its rehashing of familiar plots, the prettiness of spaceships, and what Kirk’s deal is… And much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Star Trek Into Darkness (IMDb) If you have a question yo...

2020-07-0647 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 385. Double Dragon (1994) — Torture Cinema #103 w/ Tonia RansomFlying mailmen, questionable kicks, and Cleveland aflame, oh my! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and special guest, Tonia Ransom, bring the threat of the Triple Dragon (you heard me) to the 90s fascination with wretched video game adaptations. Together, they explore the film’s treatment of Asian culture, the supremely questionable choreography, the strange world of Double Dragon (the movie), why Cleveland is constantly on fire, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Double Dragon (IMDb) Tonia’s Things: Website Nightlight Pod Twitter Our Grades: Shaun (D+) Jen (C-) Tonia (C-) Average (C-ish) If you have a que...

2020-06-291h 08

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 384. The 2020 Nommo Awards Short Story Short List! (Reading Rangers)Concentrated sin, collective intelligences, and space cannibalism, oh my! Jen and Shaun are at it again (again) with another Reading Rangers format. This time, they explore the short story short list for the 2020 Nommo Awards! This one is a meaty podcast, folks. We’ve got a lot of stories to discuss, from tales of artificial intelligence to generation ship cannibalism, beings who consume the evil among us to haunted houses and their haunted tenants, and spiritual messengers and balancing acts to unusual powers and the trauma we hide. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: The Nomm...

2020-06-241h 22

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 383. The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson (Reading Rangers)Scavengers, teenagers, and truth-stretching old dudes, oh my! Jen and Shaun are at it again with another Reading Rangers format. This time, they explore The Wild Shore, the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson’s Three Californias trilogy, recently reprinted by Tor. Together, they explore the novel’s themes of teen life, literary history, and the post-apocalypse, the political underpinnings of Robinson’s treatment of post-apocalypse California, the importance of story to survival, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: The Three Californias Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson (Tor Reprint) If you have a q...

2020-06-151h 02

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 382. Black Lives Matter: Announcements, Octavia Butler, and Tochi Onyebuchi (Reading Rangers)#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, BLACK LIVES MATTER, oh my! Jen and Shaun return (sorta) to the Reading Rangers format to discuss our latest announcement about the direction of the show for the remainder of 2020 AND to examine Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild” and Tochi Onyebuchi’s Tor.com essay, “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.” This one is jam packed with content, from our views on what is going on around us to its connections to Onyebuchi’s essay to an in-depth discussion of the themes and social commentary in Butler’s story! You won’t want to miss this one. Thanks for...

2020-06-081h 19

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 381. Turkish Star Wars (1982) — Torture Cinema #102Magic metallic fists, human brain power, and flying Turks, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink tag team on the strangest and most incoherent Torture Cinema film we’ve ever covered: Dünyayi Kurtaran Adam (a.k.a. The Man Who Saved the World or Turkish Star Wars). From the film’s incredibly dense and incoherent plot to its obsession with extra long, kung fu-inspired fights to its blatant theft from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Flash Gordon, and more, Shaun and Jen have their hands full trying to make sense of this monstrosity. You’ll have to listen to find out if they...

2020-06-011h 03

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 380. 10th Anniversary Special!Anniversaries, cringe, and laughs, oh my! Jen and Shaun celebrate the 10th anniversary of this ridiculous podcast by jumping back in time to retread the wonders of our very first episode. Together, they share thoughts on 10 years of podcasting and some of our fans’ favorite episodes, dive into the content from our first episode to see how things have progressed, and offer some grown up opinions about a fan fiction controversy from 2010! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Your Favorite Episodes: Dan Hanson’s (Twitter): Episode 288 on Barbarella for Torture Cinema Episode 294 on Mazes & Monsters for Tortu...

2020-05-251h 00

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 379. Prometheus (2012): At the Movies #01 — A Podcast ThrowbackDerelict spacecraft, alien goo, and confused science, oh my! Today’s episode is a special one. Most of you have never heard it before because it never appeared on the Skiffy and Fanty feeds! So go back in time with Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer for an early conversation about Prometheus! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Prometheus (IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from “Sphere” by Creo (CC BY 4.0), which has been slightly modified t...

2020-05-2133 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 378. House / Hausu (1977): Totally Pretentious #20. Childish Terror and the Violation of Cinematic TraditionEvil houses, commercial breaks, and bucking tradition, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale are back at it with a new Totally Pretentious show about Nobuhiko Obayashi’s infamous 1977 horror comedy, House / Hausu. Together, they discuss the film’s road to production, its unique presentation of horror elements, Obayashi’s production relationship with his daughter, and so much more. This film is weird, y’all, but it’s interesting! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: House (IMDb) Criterion Collection (just get it; it has so many great features) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel...

2020-05-1257 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 377. Dragonheart (1996) — Torture Cinema #101Dragon friends, creeper kings, Dennis Quaid, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Alex Acks join forces for another Torture Cinema foray into the obscene. Or is it? Together, they journey into the wild world of Dragonheart, discussing its anachronistic treatment of history, whether its CG holds up, the wonders of its casting choices, some of its creepy sexism, and more! Plus, there are dragons. DRAGONS! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Dragonheart (IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (A-) Paul (B+) Alex (A+) Average (A-) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to sho...

2020-04-291h 04

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 376. Willow (1988) — Into the Wardrobe #7: Struggling with Destiny in the Lands of WonderEvil witches, quirky wizards, and Warwick Davis, oh my! Shaun and Jen go back in time for an honest and super nerdy discussion of 1988’s fantasy epic, Willow. Together, they explore the film’s production, it’s positivist approach to little people, the wonders of its world, and its exciting themes and impact. This is one of those truly open and honest conversations, so if you’ve got a lot of feelz™, this podcast is for you! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Willow (1988)(IMDb) Little People of America “A Different View of 1988’s Willow” by Laura Cannata If you have a quest...

2020-04-251h 25

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 375. Talking About Coping in the Time of Coronavirus (While Not Talking About Coping)Viruses, coping mechanisms, and rants, oh my! In today’s off-the-cuff-totally-not-normal episode, Jen and Shaun turn their attention to discussing the things they’re doing to cope with this new pandemic situation we all find ourselves in. Only, that’s not exactly what this episode is about. It’s about coping. It’s about what’s going on right now. And it’s about some very honest feels regarding the nature of U.S. society from beyond the Corrupted Curtain. You might say that making this episode was part of the coping process. So if you’re interested in our rambles about CO...

2020-04-141h 04

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 374. Wild Wild West (1999) — Torture Cinema #100 (Pandemic Special)Giant mechanical spiders, male boob grabbing, and nice trains, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Alex Acks join forces for this special Pandemic Edition of Torture Cinema. Together, they tackle the infamous 1990s blunder, Wild Wild West, explore through a drunken stupor the film’s approach to characterization, history, Western tropes, race, gender, and disability. This is a jam-packed show, y’all, because there’s just so much to say about this ridiculous VERY 90s movie. You’re welcome! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Wild Wild West (IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (D-) Paul (D-) Alex (D-) Average (D...

2020-04-071h 01

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 373. Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984) — Torture Cinema #99Ubiquitous tentacles, wholesome content, and riding his rainbow in the sky! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink break all the rules we arbitrarily set for Torture Cinema to discuss a film so beautiful and so bonkers bananapants that it might have fixed the 80s all on its own if it had only been popular enough! Together, they dig into the wild world of 1984’s Voyage of the Rock Aliens, from its wild musicality to its send off of 80s culture to its utterly wonky narrative and character decisions. This is one for the ages, folks. And it is pure. We hope you...

2020-03-301h 09

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 372. Libia Brenda on A Larger Reality 2.0 (Signal Boost)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Shaun Duke interviews Libia Brenda about the Mexicanx Initiative and A Larger Reality 2.0, a new hybrid anthology. They discuss the importance of the initiative, the unique hybrid nature of the new anthology, the importance of unconventional forms of narrative, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Libia’s Stuff: Libia’s Twitter A Larger Reality 2.0 (Anthology) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from “Sphere” by Cr...

2020-03-2335 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 371. Star Wars Retrospective w/ Michael R. UnderwoodJedi Knights, scary futures, and Wookies, oh my! For this special episode of the show, Shaun is joined by Michael R. Underwood for a retrospective discussion of Star Wars. Together, they look back at the Star Wars / Skywalker saga and other Star Wars property to set the stage for an examination of the journey thus far and the journey yet to come. What will Star Wars look like now that the main saga is over? What concerns do these super dorks have about the future of the franchise? Do the new announcements from Disney fill us with hope, concern, or dread? Sha...

2020-03-1658 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 370. Geek Calligraphy & Tanya DePass (Signal Boost)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Shaun Duke interviews Ariela Housman & Terri Ash of Geek Calligraphy fame. They discuss the wild world of professional calligraphy, what it takes to run a calligraphy business, where their geek passions come from, and so much more. Then Shaun and Jen Zink join forces in a Dublin cafe to talk to Tanya DePass about I Need Diverse Games, gaming culture, the alluring universe of diversity in gaming, and other related topics. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Geek Calligraphy’s Things: Website Geek Calligraphy’s Twitter Terri Ash’s Twitte...

2020-03-1153 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 369. The VelociPastor (2018) — Torture Cinema #98Chinese ninjas drug dealers, questionable costumes, and premed / law prostitutes, oh my! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and Paul Weimer are back on the Torture Cinema horse with a deliciously stupid Patreon-selected mashup: The VelociPastor. We tackle the film’s questionable production history, its various odd narrative decisions, what it means to film three different countries in the same location, the power of the clawth (heh), and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: The Velocipastor (IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (C+) Jen (D) Paul (C-) Average (C-ish) The Down Under Fan Fund (VOTE FOR SHAUN!) If you have...

2020-03-0955 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 368. The Mandalorian (Season One) — Screen ScoutsHeroic stands, robot nannies, and more Yodito, oh my! Jen Zink and Shaun Duke are back for more discussion about The Mandalorian. You can’t blame them, can you? The show is awesome! Together, Shaun and Jen talk about the show’s continued subversion of narrative tropes, the mythology of the Mandalorians, the place of the show in the Star Wars oeuvre, and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: S1E1: “Chapter 1“ S1E2: “Chapter 2: The Child“ S1E3: “Chapter 3: The Sin“ S1E4: “Chapter 4: Sanctuary“ S1E5: “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger“ S1E6: “Chapter 6: The Prisoner“ S1E7: “Chapter 7: The...

2020-02-2457 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 367. Malka Older (Orphan Black) and R.J. Barker (The Bone Ships)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Shaun Duke interviews the the wondrous Malka Older about the 1st season of Serial Box’s Orphan Black, co-written with Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E.C. Myers, and Lindsay Smith! They discuss the incredible task of bringing a beloved TV show to the written form, the work it takes to write a serial story with a lot of awesome folks, and much more. Then Paul Weimer talks to the delightful R.J. Barker about The Bone Ships. They discuss Barker’s approach to worldbuilding, the wonderful world of ships, Barker’s naming c...

2020-02-1052 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 366. Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)(At the Movies)Cute droids, contortionist plots, and the Abrams, oh my! Shaun Duke and Alex Acks don their Rebel uniforms to tackle the conclusion to the Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker. Together, they talk about what the film represents within the trilogy, how Abrams attempted to tie everything together, and where the film goes right and where it goes wrong, and much more. Like traditional style roast Porg, this one is stuffed with content. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, fe...

2020-02-0359 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 365. Looking Back, Moving Forward: The 2020 EditionNew years, new decades, and new changes, oh my! In our first episode of 2020, Jen and Shaun take a trip in a time machine to discuss some of the things they loved in 2019 and some of the things they’re looking forward to in 2020. From books to movies to awkward social events, there’s a lot to love about 2019 and a lot to expect in 2020. That’s kinda the theme, right? Looking back! Moving forward! Of course, a new decade means new changes to the show. Shaun and Jen take a minute to talk about what you can expect from the sh...

2020-01-2855 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #97: Santa with Muscles (1996) — The Holiday SpecialExploding gems, racist wrestlers, and orphans, oh my! In this very special (and totally late) holiday edition of Torture Cinema, Shaun, Julia, Alex, and Jen tackle a truly horrifyingly bad Christmas movie, Santa with Muscles. From Hulk Hogan’s questionable acting skills to the nonsensical plot, the odd connections to famous actors and popular TV shows, and the utterly bananapants characters and twists, we certainly had a lot to talk about for this one. So thanks, Patreon supporters. Thanks so much. We hope you enjoy the episode! Overall Grade: F+-ish Show Notes: Santa with Muscles (1996)(IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (F) Ju...

2020-01-011h 22

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #81: Klaus (2019)Town rivalries, reindeer, and fishy circumstances, oh my! Shaun, Jen, and Becca join forces to discuss Netflix’s animated Santa origin story, Klaus. Together, they contemplate the meaning of tradition in a town wrapped up in rivalries and hate, the significance of the Sami people to the story and our world, the film’s joyous treatment of the Santa story, and much more. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)(IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and out...

2019-12-1957 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Screen Scouts #21: The Mandalorian (Season 1; Episodes 1-3)Sweet Westerns, delicious Mando’a, and Yodito, oh my! Screen Scouts takes a departure from our Babylon 5 re-watch for an impromptu discussion about The Mandalorian. Shaun and Jen join forces to talk about how the show approaches Mandalorian culture and diaspora, Favreau’s moderate obsession with Westerns, the politics of Star Wars, Wernor Herzog, and baby Yoda (species whatever). It’s a delicious episode, so get your spoons out and keep those tents closed so the sand doesn’t get in! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: S1E1: “Chapter 1“ S1E2: “Chapter 2: The Child“ S1E3: “Chapter 3: The Sin“ If you have a q...

2019-12-101h 16

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #96: Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)Questionable journalists, questionable comedy, and questionable geography, oh my! Shaun Duke, Alex Acks, Jen Zink, and Trish Matson wander into an unsuspecting Eastern European town to discuss the 1985 “comedy,” Transylvania 6-5000. With their magic judge hats on, the crew tackles the film’s approach to comedy, the absurdity of its monster-centric premise, twist endings, hairy dudes, and what it’s like to have Patreon supporters who pick movies like this for us to watch (thanks…)! We hope you enjoy the episode! Overall Grade: D-ish Show Notes: Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)(IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (D) Alex (D) Jen (D+) Trish (D) Average (D-ish) If y...

2019-12-0357 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #80: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)Linda Hamilton, Linda Hamilton, and Linda Hamilton, oh my! Alex and Trish join forces to discuss the newest installment in the Terminator franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate. Together, they discuss the return of Linda Hamilton and what it means for the franchise and women, the new terminator model, the timey wimey plot, and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)(IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from “Rock Thing” by Creo (C...

2019-11-2147 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #17: Science Fiction and Fairy TalesThis month, Rachel and Daniel talk about the SFiT that came out in September and what they’re reading now. As Daniel points out, several of the short stories they discuss have some kind of fairy-tale element to them, leading the co-hosts to think about the interesting connections between that genre and science fiction. And while September’s short SFiT was dominated by stories from Korea and China, the novels, collections, and anthologies came from Japan, Israel, and Germany. Rachel talks about how Japanese SF media is taking over her house (books, Pokemon cards, manga, etc.), and Daniel shares his love...

2019-11-151h 00

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #95: Children of the Corn (1984)(Belated Halloween)Creepy cult children, confusingly animated monsters, and Korn, oh my! Shaun Duke, Alex Acks, and David Annandale meet in the corn fields to discuss 1984 adaptation of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn. They discuss the film’s bizarre plot structure, what it’s like to be murdered by creepy cult children, the wonders of corn demons, terrible 80s relationships, and more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Overall Grade: D Show Notes: Children of the Corn (1984)(IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (D) Alex (D) David (D) What Would Paul Do (D) Average (D) If you have a question you’d like us t...

2019-11-081h 10

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #56 — C.S.E. Cooney (Desdemona and the Deep) and Carlos Hernadez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Shaun Duke interviews the fantabulawesome C.S.E. Cooney about Desdemona and the Deep and the wonderrifical Carlos Hernandez about Sal and Gabi Break the Universe! Unlike other Signal Boost episodes, this one features both guests on the same mic! And that means in addition to talking about Cuban food, the politics of wealthy society (and goblins), their unique journeys to publication, and the powerful themes of loss and change in each of their works, among other things, you get some delicious banter between these incredible writers! We hope you enjoy the episode! Sho...

2019-10-2641 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Screen Scouts #20: Babylon 5 (Season 3; Episodes 13-17)Shadow dominoes, buddy psycops, and genocidal love, oh my! The Babylon 5 re-watch of Season 3 continues! Shaun, Mike, and Paul tackle episodes 13 through 17. They explore the progression of the war with the Shadows, Centauri courtship culture and the complex “racial” politics of the show, our beautiful dreams for a buddy cop show featuring Garibaldi and Bester, and so much more. So climb aboard the the White Star and join us on our adventures in the B5 universe! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: S3E13: “Sic Transit Vir“ S3E14: “Ship of Tears“ S3E15: “Interludes and Examinations“ S3E16: “War Without E...

2019-10-2253 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 364. Valerie Valdes (a.k.a The Cuban Shepard) — Chilling EffectShenanigans, pastelitos, and tele novelas, oh my! Jen Zink and Paul Weimer are joined by Valerie Valdes, author of the banging new space adventure, Chilling Effect. Together, they discuss Valerie’s approach to precursor aliens, building multicultural space systems, and the found family vs. bio family trope. They also take a dive into the influence of video games on Valerie’s work! We hope you enjoy the episode! Don’t forget, if you sign up for our Patreon, where you can get access to other nifty podcast features! Show Notes: Chilling Effect (GO BUY IT!) Valerie’s Twitter Valerie’s Website If...

2019-10-0741 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #94: Stan Helsing (2009)Dirty mice, invisible plots, and Leslie Nielsen, oh my! Shaun Duke, Alex Acks, and Paul Weimer throw themselves on Freddy’s clawed hand to discuss Stan Helsing, a movie made by drunk people to torture the dead. Together, they discuss the film’s approach to humor, its nonsensical plot, why Leslie Nielsen is in this movie, and all the ways that this film is both offensive and hopelessly lazy. You picked it, so we watched it. Thanks a lot, y’all. We hope you enjoy the episode! Overall Grade: F- ish Show Notes: Stan Helsing (2009)(IMDb) Our Grades: Shaun (F-) Alex (F...

2019-10-041h 00

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Righteous Kicks #5: Kamen Rider Fourze, Episodes 1-16Welcome to Righteous Kicks — the podcast where two science fiction writers geek out about men in spandex bodysuits who kick evildoers to death in abandoned quarries until they explode! This month, because you all voted for it, Iori and Brandon begin Kamen Rider Fourze! Deep space and high school drama collide! We note that this is essentially every American teen movie if they were all partially set on the moon, we have intense feelings about all of these silly teenagers, and we realize that the monster metaphors here are actually pretty dark for a show about a boy who just wa...

2019-10-011h 17

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Reading Rangers #11: A Civil CampaignHello, Rangers! In today’s exploration of Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, Trish Matson, Kate Sherrod, Alex Acks, Stina Leicht, and Paul Weimer take a stab at A Civil Campaign. Together, they talk about the novel’s exploration of gender roles, the wild world of regency romances, how the book feels like an endpoint for certain narrative threads, and butterbugs! Next time in our journey through the Vorkosigan Adventures, we’ll discuss Winterfair Gift! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: A Civil Campaign Chronological Reading Order of The Vorkosigan Saga (though we’re not totally using this) Winterfair Gifts If you have...

2019-09-2753 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #16: Looking Back on the Summer’s SFTRachel and Daniel return this month with a wide-ranging conversation about the SFT they’ve been reading/hearing about/wanting to read from the summer. While Rachel was reading Liu Cixin’s Supernova Era (tr. by Joel Martinsen), The Aayakudi Murders by Indra Soundar Rajan (tr. Nirmal Rajagopalan), and The Dreamed Part by Rodrigo Fresan (tr. Will Vanderhyden), Daniel was finishing Laurence Suhner’s Vestiges in the original French, starting Jean Ray’s Whiskey Tales (tr. Scott Nicolay), and reading Francesco Verso’s Nexhuman (tr. Sally McCorry). Then they talk about some of their favorite short fiction from the summer, what they’...

2019-09-2344 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Totally Pretentious #19. Fitzcarraldo (1982): The Colonial German Man and His Opera of WickednessIn today’s episode, David and Shaun take a good look at Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo (1982). Before digging into the film, they discuss the controversy surrounding lead actor, Klaus Kinski, including relatively recent revelations about his abuse of his daughters and his relationship with other actors and Werner Herzog. From there, they look into the film’s themes of colonialism and indigenous betrayal, the role of opera in the narrative, the film’s portrayal of relationships and masculinity, and much more. Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and other abuse committed by Kinski. Prepare yourselves for another foray into cinema...

2019-09-201h 03

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #79: I Am Mother (2019)Robots, twisted motherhood, and Swankery, oh my! Shaun, Jen, Alex, and Paul join forces to discuss the truly compelling science fiction film, I Am Mother (2019). Together, our ragtag survivalist bunch talks about the film’s approach to motherhood, the power of independent SF cinema, the meaning of the film’s ending, and so much more. It’s a spoilerrific podcast, folks, but you know you won’t be able to resist. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: I Am Mother (2019)(IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on ou...

2019-09-181h 01

The Skiffy and Fanty Show #06. Star Wars: Thrawn – Thrawn and On and On (A Star Wars Literary Podcast)Prep your survival manual and press those imperial officer uniforms! Shaun, Alex, and special guest, Tiara W., cast reddish eyes at the new canon to discuss Timothy Zahn’s return to the universe in Star Wars: Thrawn. Our intrepid crew talks about this new incarnation of the only member of the Blue Man Group that matters, with some attention to how his character differs from the Legends universe and just what it means to be in Thrawn’s good graces. Plus there’s a lot of conversation about imperial politics and the infamous Grand Moffs, Zahn’s exploration of the imperial...

2019-09-131h 00

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 363. Alix E. Harrow (a.k.a. The Door Builder) — The Ten Thousand Doors of January (An Interview)Footnotes, diaries, and doors, oh my! In today’s episode, Jen Zink and Paul Weimer interview the Hugo Short Story winning writer, Alix E. Harrow, about her debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January! Find out how this book puts Alix’s cheating methods on display, how she worked to subvert the white colonial narrative of classic portal fantasy, what books she used as a model, and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Don’t forget, if you sign up for our Patreon, you’ll be able to listen to our Patreon exclusive interview, 5 Questions with Alix E...

2019-09-0936 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #93: Next (2007) at Worldcon in Dublin (w/ Linnea)Greasy chest hair, lasting 2 minutes, and animal abuse, oh my! Recorded (sorta last minute) in a hotel room in Dublin, Ireland, this special edition features Shaun Duke, Alex Acks, Julia Rios, Jen Zink, Brandon O’Brien, and special guest / friend of the show, Linnea! Together, our intrepid crew tackles yet another Nicolas Cage debacle, Next, which could charitably be called a loose adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story. From questionable dating practices to equally questionable government tactics to additionally questionable life choices, this episode is packed with laughs, jetlag, absurd rants, and, well, lots of the stuff y’all wan...

2019-09-021h 15

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #92: Starcrash (1978/79)The Hass, chauvinist robots, and Italians, oh my! In a Torture Cinema podcast that meanders almost as much as the movie, Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and Trish Matson get together to discuss this month’s Patreon selection, Starcrash! Not only do the team discuss everything from the truly awful logic to the surprising inclusion of an… uhhh… active female protagonist, we also introduce a new segment to Torture Cinema called, “What is Paul’s Like?” Make sure you listen, because it includes some of the absolute best aspects of this truly terrible film. We hope you enjoy the episode! Overall Grade: D+ Sh...

2019-07-3159 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #55 — Strange Horizons Fund Drive with Vanessa Rose Phin!WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! This is a slightly different Signal Boost than usual. Instead of our usual two boosts, this time we want you to focus completely on the super extra important fund drive for the amazing STRANGE HORIZONS!! Today, Jen Zink is joined by by Strange Horizons newest Editor-in-Chief, Vanessa Rose Phin, to talk a little bit about the structure, history, and the voice of Strange Horizons and then, most importantly, their 2020 funding drive on Kickstarter, what the Kickstarter backers can get out of their support, and more! They might have made their base funding goal, but lets get Strange Horizons all...

2019-07-3017 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #15: An Interview with Julia Meitov HerseyThis month, Rachel has a special guest on the podcast! Julia Meitov Hersey (@JuliaMeiHersey), who translated the psychological-fantasy-thriller Vita Nostra from the Russian, comes on to talk about how she first started translating the complex, lyrical work of Marina and Sergey Dyachenko (@DyachenkoW); what makes translating speculative fiction unique; and her own future projects. Insightful and entertaining, this interview will send you straight to your local independent bookstore to buy Vita Nostra. You’re welcome! Remember: with new stories and books coming to their attention each week, make sure to check the SFT website for updates. Enjoy, and keep reading! A...

2019-07-2243 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Totally Pretentious #18. Cat People (1942) and The Seventh Victim (1943): The Terror of the Other and the Beast WithinIn today’s episode, David and Shaun turn their attention to Cat People (1942) and its loose sequel, The Seventh Victim (1943). Together, they discuss the impact these films had on the development of the horror genre, the terror of the beast within, the treatment of cults and psychiatry in each film, and much more! Prepare yourselves for another foray into cinematic greatness. Enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Today’s Movies: Cat People (1942)(IMDb) The Seventh Victim (1943)(IMDb) Resources: Cat People (Wikipedia) The Seventh Victim (Wikipedia) Our Next Movie: Fitzcarraldo (1982). You can watch the film at these locations: Tubi (free) Amazon Prime (free with...

2019-07-191h 09

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #54 — Ada Hoffmann (The Outside) and David Wellington (The Last Astronaut)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Paul Weimer and Kate Sherrod interview the wonderful Ada Hoffmann about her debut novel, The Outside. They discuss the really fun basis for the novel, the mash-up of horror and space opera, representation of neurodivergent characters, AI gods, linguistic spiders, and a bunch more fun stuff! Then Shaun Duke talks to David Wellington about The Last Astronaut, his new science fiction horror novel. They discuss what it’s like to talk to actual astronauts, what draws David to the horror genre, space-themed horror and what makes for good alien menaces, and even a bit a...

2019-07-1749 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #78: Avengers: Endgame (2019)Bad haircuts, beer, and delicious pandering, oh my! Shaun, Alex, Trang, and Stina assemble to tackle one of the biggest films in cinematic history: Avengers: Endgame. This one is a spoilerrific podcast, y’all, which means we talked about some of the biggest permanent changes to the MCU, from who dies to who gets redemption and more. We also tackle some of the controversies about the film, including that scene and that other scene. You know what we’re talking about. So get yourselves ready. This one is a doozy! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Avengers: Endgame (2019)(IMDb) If yo...

2019-07-1657 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 362. Cadwell Turnbull (a.k.a. The One and Only) — The Lesson (An Interview)Irma, Imperialism, and Islands, oh my! In today’s episode, Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien interview Cadwell Turnbull about his debut novel about aliens in the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Lesson! Cadwell discloses the myriad of themes he either explored or was thinking about while writing the novel including Colonialism, systems of violence, disaster capitalism and Hurricane Irma, power dynamics in relationships, and so much more. There was so much for our interviewers to chew on in The Lesson and this is just the top of the Island, so to speak. You do not want to miss it! We h...

2019-07-1243 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #91: Damnation Alley (1977)Boat cars, “Killa Cockaroaches”, and cannibals, oh my! Much to Jen’s chagrin, in her absence the team, Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Alex Acks, discover a lot to criticize in the 1977 film adaption of a Roger Zelazny book, Damnation Alley! Jen likes to think they only criticize it because they just wanted it to be better than what we got which is a monotonous 90 minute post-apocalyptic road trip across the entire US. Regardless, they share their adoration of George Peppard’s mustache and grooming standards, their dislike for discount Starbuck, how the movie manages to make exciting things boring, but also...

2019-06-251h 07

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Righteous Kicks #4: Kamen Rider Drive, Episodes 33-48Welcome to Righteous Kicks — the podcast where two science fiction writers geek out about men in spandex bodysuits who kick evildoers to death in abandoned quarries until they explode! This month, Iori and Brandon wrap up the final episodes of Kamen Rider Drive! Heroes and villains resurrect from the grave, old cases are finally solved, Gou’s worst fears are finally realized, Iori delights in the reappearance of the fake-dating trope, Medic takes care of a dog, and Chase even finally gets his driver’s license. Now, it’s time for a new series — and we’re putting the choice in your hand...

2019-06-2159 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #14: Biological and ArtificialApril brought us stories and books about the merging of the biological and artificial, zombification, organic routers, and much more. Plus we talk about what we’ve been reading, our favorite stories this month, and translations that we wish we could have yesterday. Remember: with new stories and books coming to their attention each week, make sure to check the SFT website for updates. Enjoy, and keep reading! A bientôt! P.S. It’s Jen’s fault this is late! Sorry about that, folks! Show notes: SFT Out in April Books we’re reading/want to read Waste Tide by Chen Q...

2019-06-1459 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Episode 6. Into the Wardrobe with The Secret of NIMH (1982; dir. Don Bluth): Dark Animated Wonder and the Motherhood of the Muddy CinderblocksIn this episode of Into the Wardrobe, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink talk about the dark and somewhat terrifying — but also whimsical and often hilarious — first major production of Don Bluth films, The Secret of NIMH, released in 1982 and based on Robert C. O’Brien’s book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Our intrepid duo discuss the film’s garage-style production, the history of Don Bluth Productions and his love of classical animation, the film’s tone and artistic style, the role of motherhood in the narrative, and so much more. Plus, they tackle the standards: their personal relationship...

2019-06-131h 11

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #53 — Tracy Barnett (Iron Edda TTRPG) and Evan Winter (Rage of Dragons)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Jen Zink interviews Tracy Barnett, podcaster, writer, and TTRPG designer, about their work as a TTRPG designer, from their first game, School Daze, to their most recent (as of the recording of the podcast, which we must apologize for posting 2 months later than expected) big project, Iron Edda! Jen finds out all sorts of interesting things about TTRPGs, from how the independent TTRPG design community has exploded, how new TTRPGs are redefining what a game is, to the themes that Tracy likes to explore in their own games, and more. This is a tr...

2019-06-1141 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #77: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)Nuclear families (hyuck, hyuck), boat-cars, and Transformers, oh my! In today’s episode, Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, Alex Acks, and Jen Zink tackle the giant roaring beast(s) that is Godzilla: King of the Monsters! There are definitely opinions in this episode, y’all. LOTS OF OPINIONS! We basically took the Kaiju plot of King of the Monsters and turned it into a podcast. In today’s episode, Shaun is the evil Ghidorah and Jen is the good and kind Godzilla. Yep. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Listen as the team discusses their disappointments, why the movie...

2019-06-101h 10

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Screen Scouts #19: Babylon 5 (Season 3; Episodes 9-12)Dystopian shenanigans, busted councils, and Centauri rivalries, oh my! The Babylon 5 re-watch of Season 3 continues! Shaun, Mike, and Paul tackle episodes 9 through 12. This podcast is packed with big reveals, terrifying prospects, and disturbing ideas. We tackle the collapse of Earth Federation, the echos of the Nightwatch, the development of our favorite characters, and the show’s approach to imperialism and racism. And that’s just scratching the surface! So climb aboard the the White Star and join us on our adventures in the B5 universe! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: S3E9: “Point of No Return“ S3E10: “Sev...

2019-06-0759 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 361. Megan E. O’Keefe (a.k.a. Lady Soapminster) — Velocity Weapon (An Interview)Survival, corporations, and stolen tech, oh my! In today’s episode, Paul Weimer and Daniel Haeusser interview Megan O’Keefe about her new Space Opera novel, Velocity Weapon! But is it a Space Opera? Or is it a heist novel? Perhaps a thriller? No, wait! It’s a time-travel story about the unbreakable bond between siblings! Find out what compelled Megan to tackle Space Opera, how the story evolved into it’s present form, the importance of showing a functioning family unit, why she showed the dark side of a highly advanced society, and so much more! There are some spoilers...

2019-06-0636 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #76: Unicorn Store (2017)Crazy paint, unicorns, and post-graduation life, oh my! Alex, Stina, and Trang join forces to take a look at Brie Larson’s feature length directorial debut, Unicorn Store (2017)! Together, they discuss the deep metaphors of the film’s central concept, the way it elicits strong personal reactions that make us think about our own lives, the performances, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Unicorn Store (2017)(IMDb) If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes f...

2019-06-0345 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show #05. Crosscurrent – Thrawn and On and On (A Star Wars Literary Podcast)Jack up your hyperspace engines and get your Sith bath salts ready! Shaun, Alex, and Kate bounce back in time to the OLD Canon (Legends) for an in-depth discussion of Paul S. Kemp’s Crosscurrent. And “time” really is the word of the day. The crew of this absurdly comical starfreighter take a look at how Kemp’s novel deals with Force users in two drastically different time periods, the role of vengeance and doubt in the battle between the Dark and Light, and even the eccentricities of the Unknown Regions. Plus, this is the first book they’ve read that is dow...

2019-05-2958 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #90: Kull the Conqueror (1997)Ape men, nicked bits, and shirtless Sorbo, oh my! Shaun, Stephen, and Daniel join forces to fulfill their dudetastic Torture Cinema destiny by discussing 1997’s Kull the Conqueror (starring Hercules). They discuss the history behind the film, why it fails miserably at just about everything (action, romance, adventure, carefully crafted plots), and what it’s like to contemplate Kevin Sorbo’s bedroom abilities. We’re sorry about this one, folks, but our Patreon supports picked it, and we are bound by honor and blood to fulfill our sacred duties. Join us for this special dudetastic discussion of one of the most horr...

2019-05-271h 03

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Totally Pretentious #17. M (1931): The Nature of Evil, Citizen Mobs, and the Terror WithinIn today’s episode, David and Shaun once more talk about the films they’re currently enjoying, from big blockbusters to television epics and more. Then they turn their critical brains to the film of the day: Fritz Lang’s M (1931). They cover some of the history behind the film — including 1930s Germany and the background of the Lang and the cast — how the film explores the role of trauma and terror in the theme of good vs. evil, the claustrophobia of cities, the reception of the film in the 1930s, and much more! Prepare yourselves for another foray into cinematic gre...

2019-05-141h 07

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 360. Ann Leckie (a.k.a. Singularitrix) — The Raven Tower (An Interview)Shakespeare, geology, and sacrifices, oh my! In today’s interview, Jen and Paul are joined by Ann Leckie, award winning author of the Ancillary Series, to talk about her debut fantasy novel, The Raven Tower. They start with what books inspired the plot and unique characters of the novel, move into the narrative techniques Ann used and how those allowed her to… perhaps withhold some information from the reader, why she enjoys language and the ways that it has power, transgender representation, the female characters of Hamlet and, as usual, much, much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes...

2019-05-1154 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #89: The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)Canadian Geese, foot fetishes, and vest clones, oh my! Shaun, Jen, David, and Trang, in her first ever Skiffy and Fanty Podcast appearance, discuss the 1973 Hammer Film Productions classic(?), The Satanic Rites of Dracula! The last time that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee would reprise their roles as Van Helsing and Dracula together. Thankfully, David is here to do some legitimate film criticism and teach us all about the history of these characters, horror films of the 70s, and more, because otherwise this podcast would have degenerated into a series of very bad jokes. Also, Shaun gets depressed about Canadian...

2019-05-011h 22

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Righteous Kicks #3 – Kamen Rider Drive, Episodes 17-32Welcome to Righteous Kicks — the podcast where two science fiction writers geek out about men in spandex bodysuits who kick evildoers to death in abandoned quarries until they explode! This month, Iori and Brandon discuss the latest developments of the middle batch of Kamen Rider Drive. Heroes and villains change allegiances, Shinnosuke learns something curious about his cop father, corruption slithers into the police force, the show’s only OTP reveals itself briefly, and Otta Genpachiro is finally cured of his pesky difficulty pronouncing the word ‘Roidmude’. (Although we don’t blame him.) Next time, we finally close out Drive with its fi...

2019-04-271h 14

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Reading Rangers #10: Komarr by Lois McMaster BujoldHello, Rangers! We’re back with everyone’s favorite Space Nancy Drew in Komarr! This time Stina, Paul, and Trish sit around the campfire to talk about women’s agency, budding relationships, whether or not Miles is “dad” material, how good intentions can go horribly, horribly wrong, the politics of isolationism, and more! Stina gets personal and, as is common when discussing Bujold, the team has lots of praise for her ability to write strong characters. Next time in our journey through the Vorkosigan Adventures, we’ll discuss A Civil Campaign! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Komarr Chronologica...

2019-04-2346 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #13: Spanish Sherlock HolmesMarch brings us Indonesian sci-fi about intergalactic love, Portuguese fantasy about a family’s terrible secrets, Italian sci-fi about what it means to be human, a story from the “Lost Files” of Sherlock Holmes, and much more. We also discuss the books we’re looking forward to later in 2019 and what we’d like to see in English in the future. Remember: with new stories and books coming to their attention each week, make sure to check the SFT website for updates. Enjoy, and keep reading! A bientôt! Show notes: SFT Out in March “The Starry Sky over the Southern Isle...

2019-04-1954 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #75: Captain Marvel (2019)Goose, goose, and GOOSE, oh my! Look, I’m not going to lie and tell you this is an entire podcast dedicated to the glory that is Goose, but… we really like Goose, OK?! Jen, Daniel, Alex, and Paul sit down for a rousing good chat about how much fun Captain Marvel is, but, more specifically how it’s a brilliantly feminist film, the fact that it packs in more layers than any of us were expecting, a bit of the comic book context and what that might mean for Captain Marvel 2, and how they would defeat Thanos. It’s our very...

2019-04-151h 10

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Screen Scouts #18: Babylon 5 (Season 3; Episodes 5-8)The First Ones, dusty telepaths, and G’Quan’s glory, oh my! The Babylon 5 re-watch of Season 3 continues! Shaun, Mike, and Paul tackle episodes 5 through 8. They talk about the introduction of the First Ones, the development of G’Kar and the emotional resonances of the show’s complex colonial morality, the depth of the Shadows’ plot, and so much more! So climb on board the the White Star and join us on our adventures in the B5 universe! We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: S3E5: “Voices of Authority“ S3E6: “Dust to Dust“ S3E7: “Exogenesis“ S3E8: “Messages from Earth“...

2019-04-1252 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Episode 5. Into the Wardrobe with Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971; dir. Robert Stevenson): The Age of Not Believing and the Problem of EmpireIn this episode of Into the Wardrobe, Shaun and Jen talk about the utterly delightful, but definitely problematic, 1971 Disney production, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, directed by Robert Stevenson and featuring a heavy production overlap with Mary Poppins. The duo discuss everything from why they loved this film, the amount of nuance that they didn’t pick up on as children, the heavy influence of British Empire and Nationalism, the wonderful relationships and character arcs, and honestly a lot more that you’ll just have to discover yourself by listening to the episode! Enjoy! Show Notes: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)(IMDB) The Wiki Page...

2019-04-111h 09

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 359. Charlie Jane Anders (Hostess with the Mostest) – The City in the Middle of the NightCool suits, touch telepathy, and tidally locked planets, oh my! We didn’t know it at the time of our interview, but Paul and Elizabeth sit down with one of our official Hugo Fancast nemeses, Charlie Jane Anders, to talk about her new book, The City in the Middle of the Night! Listen to why Charlie Jane picked her setting and what that meant for the story, how generation ships might actually work out unless designed in a very specific way, how concepts of time play a key role in the world-building, the effects of trauma on a species that co...

2019-04-0947 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Righteous Kicks #2 – Kamen Rider Drive, Episodes 1-16Welcome to Righteous Kicks — the podcast where two science fiction writers geek out about men in spandex bodysuits who kick evildoers to death in abandoned quarries until they explode! This month, Iori and Brandon talk about the first sixteen episodes of Kamen Rider Drive, the only hero in the franchise with the word ‘Rider’ in its name who never rides a bike once. We snicker about toy cars, constantly insist that Shijima Kiriko should have been the heroine the whole time, and muse on the fact that sometimes the literal monsters aren’t the actual monsters. Also, Iori teaches Brandon that som...

2019-03-311h 23

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Reading Rangers: Shorts #4 – A Larger Reality: Speculative Fiction from the Bicultural Margins / Una realidad más amplia: Historias desde la periferia biculturalRangers Trish, Brandon, and Daniel are back after their long break to tackle an anthology that is near and dear to our hearts. To be fair, our very own Julia Rios is part of it. Plus, we’re big fans of John Picacio and his MexicanX Initiative, and some of the initiative’s participants contributed stories to said anthology. That’s right! We’re talking about A Larger Reality: Speculative Fiction from the Bicultural Margins / Una realidad más amplia: Historias desde la periferia bicultural edited by Libia Brenda! The Rangers dig their heels into the stories to examine their styles and...

2019-03-281h 05

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #88: Super Inframan (1975)Superman 4, motorcycle gangs, and *eye twitch* tentacle monsters, oh my! This episode exists thanks to the hardwork and determination of our lovely patron, Joseph. Thank you, Joseph, for repeatedly insisting that we watch the 1975 film, Super Inframan!! This Shaw Brothers Studio Production sought to capitalize on the tokusatsu craze in Japan, borrowing tropes, music, and more from tokusatsu series like Kamen Rider and Ultraman. With that in mind, Brandon, one of our resident tokusatsu experts with a new podcast series in the Skiffy and Fanty family focusing on Kamen Rider, Righteous Kicks (with co-host Iori Kusano), joins Jen and Paul...

2019-03-2557 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Speculative Fiction in Translation #12: Fantasy, Collections, and Korean SFTFebruary offered us more short fiction than anything else, though we did get the absolutely wonderful anthology of Chinese SFT edited and translated by Ken Liu: Broken Stars. In terms of the short fiction, fantasy dominated, with stories from the Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean. Rachel and Daniel also talk about the fiction they’re looking forward to in the upcoming months and the books they’re currently reading/teaching. Plus they discuss the great Korean SFT news from Neil Clarke! Remember: with new stories and books coming to their attention each week, make sure to check the SFT webs...

2019-03-221h 06

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Totally Pretentious #16. Succubus (1966): Avant Garde Femme Fatale, Jesús Franco’s Ouevre, and Late 2016sIt’s the triumphant return of Totally Pretentious, David and Shaun’s silly-with-a-side-of-pretentiousness movie review project that disappeared for a brief moment in time. But now they’re back with an episode they recorded a long time ago and forgot to release! In today’s super late episode, David and Shaun talk about some of the films they saw (back in 2016), especially Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) and its relation to Roland Emmerich’s ouevre, the Conjuring and Saw films, and more. Then they dive deep into David’s pick for this episode, Jesús Franco’s 1966 horror film, Succubus. They discuss the film’s receptio...

2019-03-221h 10

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #52 — L. D. Lewis (A Ruin of Shadows) and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (The Dark Fantastic)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Jen interviews L. D. Lewis, short story writer, author of A Ruin of Shadows, and Art Director of FIYAH Literary Magazine for Black Speculative Fiction! L. explains why the theme of changing allegiances after discovering the truth is something she likes to explore, how science fantasy helps her ground her world-building, her upcoming essay in Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Existence, and what it means to be the Art Director of FIYAH and how she uses that platform to boost the work of Black artists. Then Jen talks to fangirl, Associate Pr...

2019-03-1958 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show At the Movies #74: Blade Runner (The Final Cut) (1982/2007)Origami, abused toys, and kissing daddy, oh my! Since it’s finally 2019, the year that Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner takes place, it was time for us to finally discuss one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. As such, Shaun, Jen, and Paul, sit down to have a chat about the biggest problems in the film (including the treatment of Rachel, the Orientalism, what it means that so many POC are left behind on earth in the world of Blade Runner), what the central theme of the film is and whether or not Deckard is a Repl...

2019-03-181h 07

The Skiffy and Fanty Show #04. Bloodline – Thrawn and On and On (A Star Wars Literary Podcast)Chill your coaxium and holster your blasters, the team is BACK!! That’s right, Shaun, Alex, and Kate have returned after a too long absence to tackle their first book in the NEW Canon, Bloodline by Claudia Gray. If you haven’t read the book yet, no worries, because the team will give you a giant spoiler wall just in case you think a book that whatever happens before Force Awakens and after Return of the Jedi could actually spoil anything for you. The team discusses how this is primarily a Leia book, what gave rise to the First Order, how...

2019-03-1653 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 358. Alasdair Stuart and Marguerite Kenner (a.k.a. The Dynamic Duo) – Escape ArtistsIncreasingly terrified horror academics, high school musical, and Trish’s new job, oh my! Trish and Jen sit down with the CEO and COO of Escape Artists, Alasdair Stuart and Marguerite Kenner! The duo discusses the history of Escape Artists and the changes in both audio fiction and short fiction, their decision to withdraw from the Parsec Awards this year, their goal to hire diverse narrators for diverse stories, the difficulty of getting things right and learning from mistakes when you don’t, the larger podcasting market, and so much more. If you have any interest in audio fiction or podc...

2019-03-061h 07

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Signal Boost #51 – Erin Roberts (Various) and Sarah Chorn (Seraphina’s Lament)In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Jen talks to short story and interactive game designer, Erin Roberts, about her work. They talk about what Erin really enjoys exploring thematically, one of the key features that connects her story, Sour Milk Girls, with her game, Thanks for the Memories, the differences and connections between writing short stories and designing interactive games, and more! Then Paul interviews Sarah Chorn about her debut novel, Seraphina’s Lament. They discuss how she used a large cast to better tell the story, the historical events that inspired the novel and how she found that insp...

2019-02-2738 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Torture Cinema #87: Xanadu (1980)Pink bodysuits, the bisexual 80s, and legs that go on forever, oh my! Today on Torture Cinema, Paul, Alex, and Daniel review the (not so) particularly beloved 1980s fantasy musical, Xanadu! The film also has the distinction of being Gene Kelly’s last picture, so nobody can be too mad at it. If you love camp and ELO (Paul and Alex will fight you on this), then you too might truly love this movie. If you don’t, then you just might have a few things in common with at least some of our hosts. We hope you enjoy the episo...

2019-02-2545 min

The Skiffy and Fanty Show 355. Celine Kiernan (a.k.a The Ghost of NIMH) — Begone the Raggedy Witches (An Interview)Puppies, crows, and rainbows, oh my! We’re just so happy to have back one of the oldest friends of the Skiffy and Fanty Show, Celine Kiernan. In this episode, Jen and Elizabeth have a chat with Celine about her first juvenile fiction, Begone the Raggedy Witches! They discuss everything from the themes of control and depression, how motherhood is complicated, why Celine feels like horror is appropriate for children, how she used rhyme as a tool of an evil fascist witch queen, the way she uses ghosts to explore cultural trauma, and so very much more! We hope you en...

2018-12-0443 min