The Sci-fi and Fantasy podcast from the best of futures!
In this future, humanity has solved its problems and is now sending spaceships from Earth, not in a desperate attempt to escape the apocalypse but because we can do so in a spirit of hope and exploration.
As a part of the Starship Alexandria Project, the far-future analogues of 21st century authors Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky have been tasked to make recommendations from the ship's vast library of creative works based on the preferences of our 21st century counterparts.
Each of us will take it in turns to nominate a book, film or similar work, and the other will play judge and give the thumbs up or thumbs down to be recommended across the fleet.
For our October 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the graphic novel Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Matthew Lopes and Clayton Cowles for Emma's consideration.
Other talking points:
The craft of framing devices
Nested narrators
Tellings, retellings; narrative and meta-narrative
Killing people is not cricket
Badass butlers
Just 100% appreciation for the art
Equal Opportunities objectification
The apparent taboo of just making things up
Civilization vs Barbarity
Unspoken histories
The "Ninth Art" (French term for comics, not the "Tenth Muse" as I said in the podcast)
Media Mentions:
The Conan stories by Robert E Howard
Wuthering Heights novel by Emily Bronte
The Barsoom stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The fantasy art of Boris Vallejo
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
Star Wars movie dir. George Lucas
Fargo TV series
Next month we look at the film Sinners directed by Ryan Coogler.
This month's patron episode is our live discussion of Event Horizon from Octocon in Cork.
Adrian's music recommendation: Musik ist keine Lösung by Alligatoah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNdcr7Uu7Jc&list=RDwNdcr7Uu7Jc&index=1
Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award
Adrian's most recent book is Engines of Reason https://bookshop.org/p/books/engines-of-reason-elder-race-book-ii-adrian-tchaikovsky/b69799af416d2980
If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home
You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/
Follow us at:
Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk
Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com
9 Sept 2026
Episode 17 - Lolly Willowes
For our September 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner for Adrian's consideration.
Other talking points:
Unspoiler warnings
Deniable wizbiz
Period writing styles
The straitjacket of expectations
Burning Bedfordshire
Lit and genre
Media Mentions:
Memoirs of a Survivor, novel by Doris Lessing (and our patrons-only discussion)
Writers referred to in general: Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Mervyn Peake, Jerome K Jerome, PG Wodehouse
Next month we look at the graphic novel Helen of Wyndhorn by King, Evely, Lopes and Cowles
This month's patron episode is the novel A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Emma's music recommendation: Washing Machine Heart by Mitski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vjkh-acmTE&list=RD3vjkh-acmTE&start_radio=1
Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award
Adrian's most recent book is Engines of Reason https://bookshop.org/p/books/engines-of-reason-elder-race-book-ii-adrian-tchaikovsky/b69799af416d2980
If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home
You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/
Follow us at:
Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk
Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com
9 Aug 2026
Episode 16 - Soldier of the Mist
For our August 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the book Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe for Emma's consideration.
Other talking points:
All Greek to Emma
Surprise spider nomenclature
Werewolves? There wolves
Necromancy LinkedIn
Reading and re-reading Wolfe
Unreliable narrators and narration perspective
The past as a foreign country
Memory and amnesia in fiction
Wolfe and descriptive style
The hero as werewolf
Audiobook narrator voice choices
Media Mentions:
You can find Re-reading Wolfe on your usual podcast platforms. I will also note other Wolfe-flavoured podcast resources, Alzabo Soup, The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast and a large chunk of Shelved by Genre, if you have a thirst for some deep dives into his work (none have done Soldier yet to my knowledge)
The Shadow of the Torturer, The Book of the New Sun series and the wider Solar Cycle novels of Gene Wolfe
Piranesi, novel by Susanna Clarke (and see our prior coverage of that)
A Game of Thrones novel by GRR Martin / TV series
The Green Knight movie dir. David Lowery (and see our patreon episode on that)
Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series, specifically the episode 'Darmok'
Next month we look at the novel Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
This month's patron episode is the indie film The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising
Adrian's music recommendation: The Sad God by Gorillaz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQE0FnpfqQo&list=RDfQE0FnpfqQo&start_radio=1 , also the entire album The Mountain and in particular this animated sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucRulNQsuYQ&list=RDucRulNQsuYQ&start_radio=1
Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award
Adrian's most recent book is Green City Wars https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/green-city-wars-adrian-tchaikovsky/686e574129a9b37f?ean=9781035045723
If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home
You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/
Follow us at:
Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk
Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
26 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
36
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
81
Contact Starship Alexandria
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