Best Superstructure Podcasts (2025)

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#161 Cognitive shock: five concepts to enhance your science fiction reading 15:45

15d ago15:45

15:45

Rather than looking at a specific work of classic SF, this episode takes a wider view. It's my personal introduction to five concepts which I think can help enhance your science fiction reading, to boost your understanding and appreciation. Most of these concepts are highly specific to SF, and represent aspects of what makes it a unique genre with …

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#160 Illusion, USA: Time Out of Joint (1959) by Philip K. Dick 7:49

21d ago7:49

7:49

Science fiction icon Philip K. Dick is such a well known figure now - over 40 years after his death - that it is possible to lose sight of the struggles he faced in his career. Back in the 1950s, he longed to break into the mainstream fiction market but was frustrated at every turn. His lifeline was Ace Books, for whom he produced a string of short…

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#159 Built-in obedience: Nekropolis (2001) by Maureen F. McHugh 6:55

29d ago6:55

6:55

Science fiction has seen many audacious heroes who use their wit and guile to overthrow dictatorships, bring the truth to light, and save the world. While this kind of wish fulfilment has its place, so too do stories in which protagonists know only too well that they cannot change the status quo. Maureen F. McHugh made her name with a story of this…

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#158 Built different: The Rod of Light (1985) by Barrington J. Bayley 7:43

1M ago7:43

7:43

A soulful sequel to The Soul of the Robot (1974) In episode 119, I took a look at The Soul of the Robot from 1974, the best-known novel by the little-known British SF author Barrington J. Bayley. As I continue to explore Bayley's strange, anarchic works, it is time to address his only sequel. Published in 1985, just before Bayley went on a long hia…

1
#157 Spirit and science: The Shadow Hunter (1982) by Pat Murphy 7:55

1M ago7:55

7:55

A clash of the deep past and the near future Featured in episode 107, Pat Murphy's 1986 novel The Falling Woman was one of my favourite reads of 2024. This episode covers her debut novel, The Shadow Hunter, originally published in 1982. While fairly obscure, it is every bit as good as The Falling Woman, and arguably deserves to be seen as a classic…

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#156 Superstructure: The World Inside (1971) by Robert Silverberg 8:17

2M ago8:17

8:17

Confinement and culture shock in a hyper-urban world Recent projections suggest that the human population will peak somewhere around 2085; it could even occur, according to some models, as early as 2060. But what would society look like if it was governed by an obsessive push to increase population - to strain against every social and ecological ob…

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#155 Fork in the road: The Two-Timers (1968) by Bob Shaw 8:05

2M ago8:05

8:05

A personal struggle with cosmic consequences Some people are their own worst enemy - that's particularly true for John Breton. One night, he finds himself confronted with an identical, rival version of himself - who has crossed over from another timeline. Originally published in 1968, The Two-Timers is the second novel by Bob Shaw, a follow-up to h…

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#154 Trial by fire: Rite of Passage (1968) by Alexei Panshin 6:54

2M ago6:54

6:54

Coming of age on a hollowed-out asteroid The critic Algis Budrys said of this novel, "one feels a real shock as one realizes that Panshin after all has never been a girl growing up aboard a hollowed-out planetoid". He was praising Rite of Passage, Alexei Panshin's 1968 novel which went on to win the Nebula Award for Best Novel while up against toug…

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#153 Scarcity and abundance: Ring Around the Sun (1953) by Clifford D. Simak 8:57

2M ago8:57

8:57

A tall tale of impossible products, mutants, and parallel Earths Clifford D. Simak explores the parallel worlds theme to intriguing, energetic effect in his 1953 novel Ring Around the Sun. In this tall tale, originally serialised in Galaxy magazine, a young writer discovers that he has the power to visit many alternate versions of the Earth, each u…

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#152 The last city: Cinnabar (1976) by Edward Bryant 7:52

3M ago7:52

7:52

Entropic tales from the end of time It is a bit of a truism to say that people are entranced by imagining the end of the world. But what about the end of time? In this immensely distant scenario, entropy has had its way with the universe, life has withered away, and all change and incident has ceased. A true entropic scenario leaves little room for…

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#151 Ancient mistakes: Look to Windward (2000) by Iain M. Banks 8:09

3M ago8:09

8:09

The Culture is run by Minds - AI constructs of immense computing power, some of the greatest intelligences in the galaxy. But no amount of intelligence can prevent you from making mistakes. The sixth novel in the Culture series by Iain M. Banks, Look to Windward was first published in 2000. It deals with effects of mistakes made by the Minds. As pa…

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#150 The First Classic SF with Andy Johnson Q&A 24:04

3M ago24:04

24:04

Answering listener questions about all things classic SF. Can you believe it, it's episode 150! To mark this milestone, this episode is a special Q&A. Questions and answers take a tour of Ursula K. Le Guin, J. G. Ballard, Dune (1965), book collecting, getting started with Philip K. Dick, the "cosy catastrophes" of John Wyndham, and more. Get in tou…

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#149 Celebration of wounds: Crash (1973) by J. G. Ballard 9:15

3M ago9:15

9:15

A shocking collision of warped sexuality and twisted metal "I wanted to rub the human face in its own vomit - and force it to look in the mirror." With these words, J.G. Ballard described the aim of his 1973 novel Crash. A harrowing descent into a bizarre subculture of damaged outcasts whose sexual fetishes centre on the car crash, the novel is Bal…

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#148 Out of the darkness: Flowers for Algernon (1966) by Daniel Keyes 9:11

4M ago9:11

9:11

Flowers for Algernon is a science fiction classic which crossed over into the mainstream. Originally published in novel form in 1966, Daniel Keyes' only fully-fledged SF book not only won a Nebula, but was adapted to film, and frequently appeared on school curricula. It has even been called "arguably the most popular SF novel ever published". Welco…

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#147 Armed to the teeth: The Jagged Orbit (1969) by John Brunner 8:16

4M ago8:16

8:16

A plea for human connection in a computerised world The reputation of John Brunner rests largely on his four "tract novels" published between 1968 and 1975. Complex and imposing, they are fictional explorations of issues and crises facing society in the latter part of the 20th century. Originally published in 1969, The Jagged Orbit is the second of…

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#146 Digging up the future: Icehenge (1984) by Kim Stanley Robinson 12:35

4M ago12:35

12:35

A moving meditation on revolution, knowledge, and human longevity Kim Stanley Robinson has been a major fixture of American SF for 30 years. Best known for his Mars trilogy from the 1990s, each of his recent novels has been a major event, and he is a particularly important figure in climate fiction. This episode takes a look at an early and lesser …

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#145 Heavy weather: Mission of Gravity (1954) by Hal Clement 8:37

4M ago8:37

8:37

The classic which helped to define hard science fiction Whatever your definition of "hard science fiction", Hal Clement's 1954 novel Mission of Gravity is sure to meet it. Rich with meaty discussions of the hard sciences, and written with a stern adherence to scientific plausibility, Clement's third novel is one of the definitive works of hard SF. …

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#144 Beating the odds: The Grand Wheel (1977) by Barrington J. Bayley 7:00

4M ago7:00

7:00

In which life, the universe, and everything are just a game In his 1976 novel The Garments of Caean, Barrington J. Bayley applied his unique approach to a space opera centred on clothes with strange powers. For his next trick, as critic Rhys Hughes put it, "having swept through a stellar Savile Row", Bayley "turned his sights on Monte Carlo". The G…

1
#143 The enemy within: The Second Trip (1971) by Robert Silverberg 8:30

5M ago8:30

8:30

A controversial psychological SF novel of crime and rehabilitation The Second Trip is a 1971 novel by Robert Silverberg which incorporates aspects associated with both the US and UK conceptions of the New Wave. This episode looks at this disturbingly intense work of psychological science fiction, in which two minds battle for control of one body. G…

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#142 Tipping the scales: Dreamsnake (1978) by Vonda N. McIntyre 7:27

5M ago7:27

7:27

A unique and moving feminist post-apocalyptic tale To win the Hugo Award for Best Novel is one thing, but to secure the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Locus Awards is another thing entirely. Vonda N. McIntyre's 1978 novel Dreamsnake did exactly that, becoming one of the most acclaimed science fiction books of the late 1970s. This episode explores what m…

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#141 A horrorshow cure: A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess 9:00

5M ago9:00

9:00

"When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man." Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange was as controversial as it was profitable. Its depiction of a dystopian near future terrorised by ultraviolent teenage gangs made a startling impact on release in 1971. The film was an adaptation of a book that was nearly a decade old. This episode explores…

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#140 Plucked from the past: Picnic on Paradise (1968) by Joanna Russ 6:26

5M ago6:26

6:26

A feminist subversion of SF adventure on a snowbound world. Joanna Russ was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy best known for her strident feminist perspective. Her most acclaimed book is The Female Man from 1975, in which several women - each from their own parallel universes - confront misogyny and patriarchy. In Picnic on Paradise…

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#139 In the days of their strength: Pavane (1968) by Keith Roberts 8:55

6M ago8:55

8:55

Exploring a unique alternate history and a classic of British SF. It is the late 20th century - but not as we know it. There is no electricity, let alone nuclear energy. Steam-powered road trains are the fastest means of transport. And England is run not from London, but from Rome. This is the world of Pavane, a unique alternate history by Keith Ro…

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#138 Death is no obstacle: The Ophiuchi Hotline (1977) by John Varley 8:45

6M ago8:45

8:45

Hundreds of years from now, there is not a single human being on Earth. The species has been exiled to the moon, Mars, and other worlds of the solar system. A powerful alien race has reserved the planet we think of as "ours", and given it over to the real intelligent life: dolphins and whales. Fortunately, humankind has mysterious friends in high p…

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#137 The Ten Best SF(F) Books I Read in 2024 17:12

6M ago17:12

17:12

With another year drawing to a close, it's time to assess the ten best novels I read in 2024: all of them featured on the show at some point. Which books will make the cut? Also: my biggest reading disappointment of the year, some honourable mentions, and looking ahead to plans for 2025. Get in touch with a text message! For more classic SF reviews…

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Emily Mkrtichian on New Artsakh Documentary, "There Was, There Was Not 40:06

6M ago40:06

40:06

Documentary filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian discusses her new Artsakh documentary, "There Was, There Was Not," which tells the story of four Armenian women in the Nagorno-Karabakh in the midst of another Genocide against Armenians, how they exude resilience and strength, and try to make sense of the fairytale that once was Artsakh.…

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#136 Hell freezes over: Ice (1967) by Anna Kavan 7:23

7M ago7:23

7:23

Dramatic climate breakdown is causing extremes of weather never seen before, and contributing to a succession of convulsive wars, with no end in sight. This isn't the 21st century - it's a unique entry in the tradition of the British catastrophe novel. Ice was written by Anna Kavan and published in 1967. It was the last novel by a uniquely talented…

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#135 Take these broken wings: Windhaven (1981) by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle 6:11

7M ago6:11

6:11

On the constantly stormy planet of Windhaven, elite messengers take to the skies using flying rigs made from the remnants of an ancient starship. But who deserves to wear the wings? George R. R. Martin is one of the world's best-selling novelists, and Lisa Tuttle is a multi-award winning author and a regular critic of new SF and fantasy work. Back …

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#134 Out of body experience: The Palace of Eternity (1969) by Bob Shaw 5:55

7M ago5:55

5:55

This is a neccesarily brief episode - because there is much in this book that must not be spoiled. The Palace of Eternity is an excellent 1969 novel by the Northern Irish writer Bob Shaw. It is a fast-paced, dynamic piece of work, full of surprising developments and wild ideas. Welcome to a fast-moving tale that explores interstellar war, environme…

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#133 A century of screams: Breakfast in the Ruins (1972) by Michael Moorcock 7:38

7M ago7:38

7:38

Breakfast in the Ruins is a sometimes harrowing experimental novel by Michael Moorcock. Originally published in 1972, the novel is a loose sequel of sorts to Moorcock's earlier novel Behold the Man - covered in episode 96. This time, protagonist Karl Glogauer is split into many different lives, in which he becomes entangled, and increasingly guilty…

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#132 Retirement plans: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick 9:59

8M ago9:59

9:59

Since he died in 1982, Philip K. Dick has become, and has remained, one of the best-known science fiction writers of all time. He has recognition not only from established fans of SF, but also from more general audiences - very unusual for a writer who started out publishing in Ace Doubles in the 1950s. To a significant extent, that wide acceptance…

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#131 El Dorado of the mind: The Embedding (1973) by Ian Watson 8:59

8M ago8:59

8:59

Oddly, the British author Ian Watson may be best known today for his various novels in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. Long before he flirted with "the grim darkness of the far future", Watson carved a space for himself as one of the most intellectually challenging and formidable British SF writers of the 1970s. This episode covers Watson's bracing d…

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#130 Thousand island blessing: The Howling Stones (1997) by Alan Dean Foster 7:12

8M ago7:12

7:12

It's been over a year since we last covered a novel in Alan Dean Foster's expansive Humanx Commonwealth setting. In these far-future novels, humanity has allied with the insectoid thranx species, which resemble huge, intelligent ants. Together, the two species create a benevolent, star-faring civilisation. The thranx are disappointingly absent from…

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#129 Blind man's bluff: Night Walk (1967) by Bob Shaw 7:14

9M ago7:14

7:14

In recent years, the reputation of the Northern Irish writer Bob Shaw has grown. He died in 1996, but left behind a large body of cleverly entertaining science fiction series, novels, and stories. Today, more readers are discovering Shaw's work, which is eminently readable and packed with intriguing ideas taken in surprising directions. Recently, I…

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#128 Space and the mind: The Black Corridor (1969) by Michael Moorcock and Hilary Bailey 6:52

9M ago6:52

6:52

The hugely prolific Michael Moorcock is credited with making a major contribution to New Wave science fiction, mainly due to his editorship of the pivotal British magazine New Worlds. Moorcock wrote relatively few science fiction novels, certainly compared to his huge output of fantasy work, which he used to help support New Worlds financially. How…

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#127 Science fiction in disguise: Inversions (1998) by Iain M. Banks 8:13

10M ago8:13

8:13

The time has come to continue exploring Iain M. Banks' Culture series. Inversions is the fifth of nine novels, and also the last to be published in the 1990s. This time, Banks stretched himself further than ever before, experimenting with a radically different view of his post-scarcity setting. What does the Culture look like, viewed from a medieva…

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#126 A very British disaster: The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John Wyndham 8:14

10M ago8:14

8:14

No discussion of classic British science fiction could be complete without mentioning John Wyndham, and perhaps especially his 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids. A pioneer in the noble tradition of the British disaster novel, this influential classic piles not one, or two, but three catastrophes onto the world. The protagonist, Bill Masen, must na…

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#125 Future faith: Let the Fire Fall (1969) by Kate Wilhelm and Strength of Stones (1981) by Greg Bear 7:50

10M ago7:50

7:50

This episode covers two quite different science fiction novels by two quite different writers, published more than a decade apart. What links them is their emphasis on religious themes. Let the Fire Fall by Kate Wilhelm was published in 1969, and is largely forgotten. Set in a near-contemporary world, it deals with alien visitation and a manipulati…

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David Dastmalchian Discusses Career, "Late Night with the Devil," Dream Collaborations, and More 22:54

10M ago22:54

22:54

David Dastmalchian dishes on his impressive acting career, "Late Night with the Devil" and the preparation that went into his first leading role, his dream director and actor collaborations, and more!By Alex Arabian

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#124 Moral hazard: Preferred Risk (1955) by Frederik Pohl and Lester del Rey 8:15

11M ago8:15

8:15

Back in episode 111, I took a trip back to the 1950s, and looked at three books written collaboratively by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth. The first two of these, The Space Merchants and Gladiator-at-Law, are major landmarks in the development of social science fiction. In 1955, while that collaboration was ongoing, Frederik Pohl published an…

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#123 In love with death: Rogue Moon (1960) by Algis Budrys 8:35

11M ago8:35

8:35

Originally published in 1960, Rogue Moon is an excellent novel by the Lithuanian-American author, critic, and editor Algis Budrys. If you read classic science fiction and encounter contemporary reviews of those books, you are sure to have heard Budrys' name. He was a major critic of SF for many years. However he was also a highly capable writer of …

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#122 Suffering for art: Meridian Days (1992) by Eric Brown 7:45

11M ago7:45

7:45

A debut novel which deals with guilt, art, and suspicious happenings on a troubled colony founded on matter transmission. The British SF author Eric Brown passed away in March 2023. He first came to prominence through his short fiction in the 1980s. Following the publication of his first collection, Brown was given the chance to put out his first n…

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#121 Seeing is believing: A Wreath of Stars (1976) by Bob Shaw 7:46

12M ago7:46

7:46

What if we share our world with a different intelligent species, but are separated from them by a failure of perception? And what if that gap could be bridged by a new technology, a new way of seeing? That is the premise of Bob Shaw's 1976 novel A Wreath of Stars. In his ninth novel, the Northern Irish writer combined his interest in optics with sp…

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#120 Cities at war: Oath of Fealty (1981) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle 8:39

12M ago8:39

8:39

In a recent episode, we looked at Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, who formed the most important science fiction writing team of the 1950s. This instalment looks at a key book by a dominant collaboration of the 1970s and 1980s - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. These right-wing hard SF authors worked together on numerous books, and even collaborat…

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#119: A case of consciousness: The Soul of the Robot (1974) by Barrington J. Bayley 8:07

12M ago8:07

8:07

Barrington J. Bayley's novel The Soul of the Robot (1974) fits within the wider context of robot stories in SF - these include Isaac Asimov's influential tales from the 1940s, and the more subversive work of John Sladek in the 1980s. The protagonist of Bayley's novel, the fully conscious robot Jasperodus, can be seen as a kind of middle ground betw…

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June Squibb and Josh Margolin Dish on "Thelma" 15:37

12M ago15:37

15:37

Director Josh Margolin and acting legend June Squibb discuss their new film, "Thelma," a unique take on the action dramedy. Josh explains the impetus behind the story, which is partially based on his life experiences, and Squibb describes doing her own stunts at the age of 94.By Alex Arabian

1
#118 Schlock and awe: The Paradox Men (1953) by Charles L. Harness 7:18

1y ago7:18

7:18

Charles L. Harness' 1953 novel The Paradox Men was originally published under the title Flight Into Yesterday. It is a classic example of elevated pulp, which features swordfights, superpowers, voyages to the sun, and a strange furry creature that can speak - if only to speak the phrase "don't go..." The Paradox Men is featured in David Pringle's 1…

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#117: Man and machine: “A Meeting with Medusa” (1971) and The Medusa Chronicles (2016) 6:59

1y ago6:59

6:59

Originally published in the December 1971 issue of Playboy, “A Meeting With Medusa” is generally thought of as Clarke’s last significant shorter work. Notably, it won the Nebula Award for Best Novella the following year. It was also an early inspiration for two of Clarke’s successors in the British SF scene. 45 years after the novella’s publication…

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#116 End of days: The Forge of God (1987) by Greg Bear 7:15

1y ago7:15

7:15

In The Forge of God (1987), the Earth’s demise is an inevitability. Greg Bear’s novel of apocalypse was published when he was establishing himself as a leader of American hard SF in the 1980s. This is a sophisticated, chillingly believable, and scientifically rigorous view of the end of the world. Crucially, Bear is as interested in human beings as…

1
#115 Faith in the stars: To Open the Sky (1967) by Robert Silverberg 7:25

1y ago7:25

7:25

Robert Silverberg's To Open the Sky (1967) combines five pre-planned stories originally published in Galaxy magazine in 1965 and 1966, it is an interestingly structured piece of work published at a time when Silverberg was just entering his own personal golden age. It also combines themes of religion, psychic powers, terraforming, immortality, and …

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