
Octothorpe
A podcast about science fiction and SF fandom from John Coxon, Alison Scott, and Liz Batty.
Latest episodes

Dec 21, 2023 • 56min
99: Keep Sending Ops Until They Fix It
John doesn’t study herpetology, Alison knows lots of words, and Liz goes first.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Games, SMOFs
If I Ran the Zoo… Con
PDF version
Hard copy from NESFA
Bidding Phase:
3401 Pre-Supporting Memberships by Leslie Turek
5501 Kill the Wabbit by Priscilla Olson, John Pomeranz, Leslie Turek, Mark Olson
Planning Phase:
2201 The “Relationship” by Priscilla Olson, Mark Olson
5901 We’re in the Money by Glenn Glazer, Leslie Turek
Modest food
Privy’s props
Privy’s cast
At-Con Phase:
701 The Lady and the Snake by Mark Olson, Leslie Turek
1101 The Dungeon Master by Joe Rico
2901 The BNF by Priscilla Olson, Fred Isaacs, Leslie Turek
Credits
Cover art: “Game of Privies” by Alison Scott
Alt text: John, Alison and Liz are on a large privy holding drinks with a snake wrapped around the privy. Speech bubbles surround them: “Have you seen my emotional support python?” “The perfect spot for the old pharts photo”, “It’s another ‘what if…’ episode”, and “Oi! There’s a queue here mate”. A banner with “Punctuation Worldcon 2030” appears at the top and the words “Octothorpe 99” appear at the bottom.
Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
Points at the end of each phase:
Phase
People
Financial
Goodwill
Bidding
2
0
1
Planning
5
4
1
At-Con
6
5
7

Dec 7, 2023 • 59min
98: Finally, Manitoba
John thinks it’s grandfathered in, Alison doesn’t think it’s SF, and Sandra is Liz.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
Letters of comment
Chris Garcia
Curt Phillips
Where to buy Moon (USA, UK)
If you know of websites that do this in other countries, let John know!
Mark Plummer
The full text of Mark Plummer’s and Leigh Edmonds’ previous locs
Glasgow 2024’s disease mitigation policy
Fan funds
TAFF
Free ebooks
Taffluorescence! #1
With news of the upcoming TAFF race
Geri Sullivan’s Idea
#13 is forthcoming
Sandra’s books
The Psychopath Club
The Devil’s Finger
Picks
John: A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith (hardback, epub, Amazon)
Alison: For All Mankind
Sandra: Beyond Fandom: Fans, Culture & Politics in the 20th Century by Rob Hansen (ed.)
Credits
Cover art: “Stunt Lizard” by Alison Scott
Alt text: The heads of John and Alison regard a lizard version of Sandra Bond who is doing stunts (on fire, skateboarding) while wearing her signature hat. The words “Octothorpe 98” appear at the top.
Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Nov 23, 2023 • 57min
97: The Future of Language
John has played some games, Alison will play some games, and Liz is playing games RIGHT NOW
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: China, being burned alive, classism
Letters of comment
Chris Garcia
España Sheriff
Leigh Edmonds
Lori Anderson
Chengdu
Chinese v foreign attendees
An example
We expect stats at the 90 day mark
WSFS remote participation
Current WSFS constitution and standing rules
Preliminary meeting video
Don Eastlake on Facebook
Glasgow 2024
Online convention news
Glasgow presents Catherynne M Valente and Peter S Beagle
Novacon
Novacon 53
Picks
John: The Wicker Man
Alison: Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi (physical, epub, audiobook, Amazon)
Liz: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway (physical, epub, audiobook, Amazon)
Gaming corner
Tabletop games
Hadrian’s Wall
Moon
Turing Machine
Villagers
Cracking the Cryptic play Return of the Obra Dinn
The Roottrees are Dead
Credits
Cover art: “To the LizBatmobile” by Alison Scott
Alt text: John, Alison and Liz are depicted as Robin, Harley Quinn and Batman, but the Batman logo is replaced by “WSFS”. The Batmobile is in the centre of the three of them. The words “Octothorpe 97” appear at the top and the words “…to the LizBatmobile” at the bottom.
Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Nov 9, 2023 • 47min
96: A Less QR-Code-Using Society
John didn’t, Alison would’ve done, and Liz tried.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: China
Was Chengdu a shower?
Nicholas Whyte signs autographs
Chengdu Worldcon on YouTube
WorldconEvents on YouTube
Site selection meeting videos are going up here
WSFS Business Meeting” group on Facebook
File 770’s reporting on this year’s WSFS
Picks
John: Hallowe’en
Alison: New Zealand
Liz: Poker Face
Credits
Cover art: “Chengdu Worldcon Report” by Alison Scott
Alt text: A giant panda stands in a metal tub wearing a rainbow show cap with helicopter blades beneath a shower made of bamboo. A purple towel with “42” on it is over the side of the metal tub. The words “Octothorpe 96” are above “Chengdu Worldcon Report” with a footnote reading “might not have been a shower after all”.
Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Oct 26, 2023 • 57min
95: Hugo, Girl!
John is playing a game, Alison is in New Zealand, and Liz’s head is on fire.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Privilege (letters of comment), carbon emissions (GUFF), grant applications (picks)
Letters of comment
Dave Mansfield
Esther MacCallum-Stewart
Chris Garcia
Abigail Nussbaum
SJ Johnson
Hugos
Congratulations to Hugo, Girl!
Thanks to Nicholas Whyte for
Being our designated Hugo acceptor
Liveblogging the Hugo Award ceremony
GUFF
It goes from Australasia to Europe (and vice versa)
Australasia
Stonehenge Aoteroa
Woomera
Te Tauaarangi Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Kākāpō family tree
Picks
John: Don’t Play This Game (play the demo)
Alison: Australia
Liz: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (epub, paperback, audiobook, Amazon)
Credits
Cover art: “Birds” by España Sheriff
Alt text: A kakapo, a kiwi and a SIAMESE FIREBACK just chilling out. They look a bit like John, Alison and Liz. The words “Octothorpe 95” adorn the top of the cover.
Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Oct 12, 2023 • 1h 13min
94: Satisfying Meat
John is eating cinnamon rolls, Alison doesn’t think it’s funny, and Liz has two lists.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X, on Mastodon, or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: colonialism (chapter 2), COVID (chapter 3), organised crime (chapter 5), privilege and capitalism (chapter 7).
No letters of comment this week, normal service resumes next week!
Books in the order they were discussed
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi
Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree
Coffee Shop AU
Nona the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir
The Spare Man, by Mary Robinette Kowal
Nettle & Bone, by T Kingfisher
John’s ranking:
Nettle & Bone
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Nona the Ninth
The Spare Man
Legends & Lattes
The Kaiju Preservation Society
Alison’s ranking:
Nettle & Bone
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
The Kaiju Preservation Society
Nona the Ninth
Legends & Lattes
The Spare Man
Liz’s ranking:
Nettle & Bone
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Nona the Ninth
The Kaiju Preservation Society
Legends & Lattes
The Spare Man
Consensus ranking:
Nettle & Bone
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Nona the Ninth
The Kaiju Preservation Society
Legends & Lattes
The Spare Man
Credits
Cover art: “Favourite Reading Positions” by Sue Mason
Alt text: John is in the bottom-left, sitting in a chair, wearing a blue shirt and purple trousers, holding a can, and reading an ebook. Alison is in the upper-middle, lying down upside down, wearing a purple shirt and stripy trousers, and reading an ebook. Liz is in the bottom-right, wearing a pink shirt with green trousers, holding a mug of a hot beverage, and reading a physical book. They are surrounded by floating beer bottles, books, the Moon, a mug with a moose on it, and two cats. The word “Octothorpe” appears in scattered letters around the artwork, against a pinky-purple background.
Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Sep 28, 2023 • 42min
93: The Good Thing About the Hugos
John is husky, Alison is a dingo, and Liz is a ridgeback.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
Letters of comment
Abigail Nussbaum
Chris Garcia
Ersatz Culture
Chengdu is a shower
Relevant Pixel Scrolls:
Fanzine and Fan Writer added; videos of the construction
Panoramic views of the convention site
Arthur Liu’s post on Weibo
Glasgow 2024
Glasgow 2024 Presents: The Media of Storytelling: Print v Screen
Hugo discussion
GUFF
LEGO postcards from Australia
You can donate £5 or £10 to guffeurope@gmail.com to get a personalised postcard from Alison
Postcard from Australia for £5
Photo postcard from the Internet for £5
Special surprise exclusive GUFF 2023 Art postcard for £10
Postcard with an “unreasonable special request” for £10 [don’t ask me what this means, I just wrote down the words Alison said—John]
Picks
We did a lot of talking about our opinions of SF this episode, so picks return in future!
Credits
Cover art: “Flying to Australia” by Alison Scott
Alt text: A photograph of Alison’s Apple Watch on a plane to Australia. This episode of Octothorpe is playing on that Apple Watch, which is on her wrist.
Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Sep 17, 2023 • 48min
92: Shouting From Inside the Room
John went to Reno, Alison went to San Francisco, and Liz went to Chicago.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Twitter or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Murder and sexual violence (chapter 4)
Letters of comment
Chris Garcia
Dave Mansfield
Duncan MacGregor
Ersatz Culture
Irwin Hirsch
Juan Sanmiguel
Nick Hubble
Peter Sullivan
ConFrancisco
Ansible 75 (October 1993)
File 770’s Worldcon Wayback Machine:
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Chengdu is a shower
The Hugo Voter Packet still doesn’t have Best Fanzine or Best Fan Writer
Ersatz Culture’s page on the Hugo Voter Packet now contains downloads for both
Arthur Liu/Heaven Duke has two pages in Chinese covering similar ground: one, two
Glasgow 2024
Progress Report 2 is now out
They’ve got a big organ
John is moderating “The Media of Storytelling: Print v Screen” for Glasgow Presents
21 September at 19:00 BST
Dan Hanks, A M Justice, Jim Mcleod, and R W W Greene
Tickets are free
Picks
John: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978)
Alison: The Thin Man (1934) and The Island of Doctor Moreau by H G Wells (1896)
Liz:
Credits
Cover art: “1993 Time Machine” by Alison Scott
Alt text: A drawing of España Sheriff with “gosh wow oh boy oh boy” in a thought bubble to the left of a drawing of Alison saying “displays include Hugo history and antique vibrators” behind an info desk. Computer monitors display the text “Coming soon! Websites!” and “Try Virtual Reality, it’s the next big thing”. A Dalek and the Golden Gate Bridge adorn the scene. Above, the words “Moscone North” are below the words “We travel to a land that photography forgot” which are in turn below “Octothorpe 92”.
Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Aug 31, 2023 • 55min
91: O— O— O—
John is a journalist, Alison is fundraising, and Liz is approved.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Twitter or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
Letters of comment
Abigail Nussbaum
Ali Baker Brooks
Chris Garcia
David Curry
Edward Morland
Farah Mendlesohn
Jonathan Baddeley
Lori Anderson
Not Laurie Anderson
The Clarke Award
Liz read them all! 🌟
Hugo Voter Packet
Ersatz Culture’s report on what’s in the packet
Site selection
Voting has started!
Seattle in 2025
Alison’s GUFF plans
If you are in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Christchurch, Picton/Nelson, Wellington, Auckland or Perth, email Alison
Picks
John: The (Kenner)Spiel des Jahres shortlist
Alison: LEGO
Liz: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler (hardback, epub)
Credits
Cover art: “Plenty of Bits” by Alison Scott
Alt text: A photograph of three mini figures made to look like John, Alison nad Liz with a dragon in the background. John is holding a lightsaber, Alison a fish and a cup o f coffee, and Liz an ice cream. Two cats accompany them.
Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Aug 17, 2023 • 40min
90: Resolutely Alison All the Time
John, Alison and Liz read Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty.
Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, check out our subtitles/transcripts, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Twitter or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Murder, death
Other works we discussed:
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
This didn’t make the edit due to Liz’s audio being troublesome
The 2018 Hugo Award ballot
Credits
Cover art: “Standard-Sized Cryochambers” by Alison Scott
Alt text: Three cryochambers marked “Coxon J, Scott A and Batty L” reside in a room marked “Clone Bay”. John and Liz’s heads are visible through the windows int heir chambers; Alison’s is not. Blood floats in front of them underneath the words “Octothorpe 90”.
Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)