Alienating the Audience

In "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell, life is discovered on an alien planet, and the first humans to arrive are... Jesuits. The book explores the terrifying consequences of missionaries on a new world, who are there for good reasons--with good intentions--but don't know what they've got themselves into. Richard Amiro joins to discuss.   SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/alienating   BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: www.mightyheaton.com/goodscifi

The Sith are the dark lords of Star Wars. But what do they want? Are they logically consistent antagonists, with clear rationales for their goals and methods, or just mustache-twirling villains with no depth?   Stephen Kent and Mike TV join to discuss

John Carpenter’s “They Live” is a cult classic about seeing through societal mirage to glimpse the strings of the puppet masters. It’s also a specific and intentional “primal scream” against Reagonomics. Ron Hayden joins to discuss.

In "The Boys" super heroes superficially fight crime, but are really corporate pawns and predators, ranging from ladder-climbing reality show scumbags to full-blown Nietzschean demigods. What happens when super powers are not always entrusted in the super moral? Andrew Young joins to discuss.

Brain swaps are a beloved sci-fi trope, but how feasible are they? Dr. John-Paul Kolsun is a brain doctor, and host of "The Neurosurgery Podcast"  He joins to discuss the feasibility of brain transplants.

In Stephen King's finest work, protagonist Jake Epping discovers a time portal which allows him to go back to the late 50s and then stick around long enough to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing President Kennedy. . . But should he interfere with the timeline, however good his intentions?  Josh Jennings and Tim Silfies join to discuss

Jay Mutzafi rejoins the show to discuss the many elements of "Interstellar," from gravity to parenting to gut feelings.   Jay's notes on the various forms of time travel here: https://jaymutzafi.com/time-travel-movies-tv-shows/

Dickie and Stone Lynch rejoin the show to discuss the entire panoply of androids in Star Trek, from Ruk, to Lore, to Automated Personnel Unit 3947. With special attention paid to "Requiem for Methuselah." Warning: slightly raunchy episode

The film "Moon," starring Sam Rockwell, follows the lonely exploits of a solo worker on a moon base, and the unfolding mystery and terror of what his life actually entails.  Scottish scifi twins Stone and Dickie Lynch join to discuss SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata

What ultimately brought down the Jedi Order, and was it actually worth saving? Kevin Delano and Mike TV join to discuss SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.mightyheaton.com/ata