The Incomparable Mothership

In this episode we break down the final season of Prime Video’s “The Expanse.” Was it too abrupt? What was all that Laconia stuff? Then, after a brief intermission for TV viewers to depart, we discuss “Leviathan Falls” and the end of the Expanse book series. One story, so many endings! "The Expanse" season 6 and "Leviathan Falls" Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Aleen Simms, Jen Burt and Chip Sudderth Referenced Works The Expanse (TV series) The Expanse (Book Series) [Amazon] Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

In this six-hundredth episode of The Incomparable, recorded across two separate sessions, we talk about a whole bunch of novels—namely, our picks for the best SF/F novels of the first decade of The Incomparable, the 2010s! For our purposes, we’re designating the “decade” as 2010-2019. Along the way, we may ponder the most important question a reader should ask: Are there Zeppelins? 2010s book draft Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign and David J. Loehr Show Notes & Links Round One: Scott - The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer Dan - The Rook - Daniel O’Malley Glenn - This Is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone Jason - Among Others - Jo Walton Aleen - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers Erika - A Closed and Common Orbit - Becky Chambers David - The Human Division - John Scalzi Round Two: Scott - My Real Children - Jo Walton Dan - Caliban’s War - James S.A. Corey Glenn - The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstein Jason - 11/22/63 - Stephen King Aleen - The Calculating Stars - Mary Robinette Kowal Erika - The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison David - The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - P. Djeli Clark Round Three: Scott - Luna: New Moon - Ian McDonald Dan - Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch Glenn - The Magician’s Land - Lev Grossman Jason - A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine Aleen - The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemisin Erika - Borderline - Mishell Baker David - The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi Round Four: Scott - Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City - KJ Parker Dan - Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance - Lois McMaster Bujold Glenn - The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker Jason - Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel Aleen - Strange Practice - Vivian Shaw Erika - Libriomancer - Jim C. Hines David - Day of the Doctor - Steven Moffat Round Five: Scott - New York 2140 - Kim Stanley Robinson Dan - City of Miracles - Robert Jackson Bennett Glenn - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - N.K. Jemisin Jason - Gnomon - Nick Harkaway Aleen - Hollow Kingdom - Kyra Jane Buxton Erika - Delia’s Shadow - Jamie Lee Moyer David - Noir - Christopher Moore Also Mentioned/Not Picked (Compiled by Listener AJ): Glenn: Uprooted - Naomi Novik (also Jason, Erika) Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe - Charles Yu Exhalation: Stories (including The Lifecycle of Software Objects) - Ted Chiang Scott: Ninefox Gambit - Yoon Ha Lee Barsk - Lawrence M. Schoen (also Jason) Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie Three Parts Dead - Max Gladstone Dan: Gideon the Ninth (but not so much Harrow the Ninth) - Tamsyn Muir The Martian - Andy Weir The “Penric and Desdemona” series of novellas, starting with Penric’s Demon - Lois McMaster Bujold The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman (also Aleen) The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton Foundryside - Robert Jackson Bennett Jason: The Galaxy and the Ground Within - Becky Chambers (also Dan) The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter - Theodora Goss Tiamat’s Wrath - James S A Corey A Psalm for the Wild-Built - Becky Chambers (2020s) Aleen: The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo (also the Netflix series) The Caledonian Gambit - Dan Moren Erika: The Midnight Bargain - C. L. Polk (bonus 2020s pick!) Summer in Orcus - T Kingfisher Terminal Alliance - Jim C. Hines School for Sidekicks - Kelly McCullough David: Stories of Your Life and Others - Ted Chiang (also kind of Glenn, on his blog) The Paper Menagerie - Ken Liu Blackout (but maybe not All Clear, which is the second half of the same book?) - Connie Willis Six Wakes - Mur Lafferty Trail of Lightning - Rebecca Roanhorse Alif the Unseen - G Willow Wilson The Ballad of Black Tom - Victor LaValle The Light Brigade - Kameron Hurley Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

It’s time to channel that Tired Dad Energy, because we’re going to discuss Marvel’s “Hawkeye,” bro. Kate Bishop! Yelena! Echo! Surprise cameos, including one by an owl! It’s a TV series nobody watching “The Avengers” would have ever wanted, yet a worn and exasperated Jeremy Renner as the mentor to a young woman with strong archery skills ends up being a delightful holiday adventure. "Marvel's Hawkeye" Jason Snell with Cicero Holmes, Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Lisa Schmeiser Referenced Works Hawkeye Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We’ve rounded up a posse and are saddling up to discuss the Netflix original film “The Harder They Fall,” a revisionist western starring Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Regina King. This movie is more ornery than a pole cat with a hangnail! We ride at noon! "The Harder they Fall" Cicero Holmes with Nathan Alderman and Shareef Jackson Referenced Works The Harder They Fall Show Notes & Links Edited by Steven Schapansky. 'The Resurrection of Bass Reeves' Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Get your college applications ready and prepare to gross out about organic web shooters—it’s time for us to discuss “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the conclusion of Tom Holland’s origin trilogy as the web-slinging hero… and a surprisingly substantial follow-up to five other Spider-Man movies, too. It’s “Spider-Man: Endgame,” and with great podcasts, there must also come great responsibility… to talk about Spider-Man. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Chip Sudderth and Kelly Guimont Referenced Works Spider-Man: No Way Home Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

More than three decades since the Wheel of Time book series began, it’s arrived as a TV series on Prime Video. We discuss the first season with the help of our resident Wheel of Time book expert and three non-book-readers. How much is or isn’t it the “next Game of Thrones?” Why would it need to be be? And how does a book series that was wildly progressive for the 1990s approach a modern audience? "The Wheel of Time" season 1 Moisés Chiullán with Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa and Kathy Campbell Referenced Works The Wheel of Time Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Hot dog! It’s time for our annual look back at the year gone by. And it was certainly a year! Some of us caught up on stuff, while others who usually abandon their lists as winter turns to spring decided not to bother making lists at all! As is traditional, our panelists and listeners pick favorite Incomparable episodes and moments in this episode. Did the best moment of the year happen in last year’s clip show? Are there multiple clip loops running now? Has The Incomparable finally ground Jason down into mush? The answers are within! 2021 year in review and clip show Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, Monty Ashley and Moisés Chiullán Show Notes & Links Our picks: Steve - Ted Lasso (TV), One Cut of the Dead (Film), Persona 4 Golden (VG) Erika - Covert Affairs (TV), Local Podcasts Jean - Dune (Film), WandaVision (TV), Vera Stanhope series (audiobooks) Dan - No Time To Die (Film), Leverage: Redemption (TV), The Mask of Mirrors (book), Learned League (game) David - In The Heights (Film), Only Murders in the Building (TV), Murder Under Her Skin (Books) Monty - RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars S6E3 (TV), Malignant (Movie), Cyberpunk 2077 (VG) Moises - Metroid Dread (VG), The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (documentary), What We Do in the Shadows (TV), For All Mankind (TV), Killing Eve (TV), Search Party, The Other Two Jason - Piranesi (Book), For All Mankind/Hacks (TV), Promising Young Woman (Film) Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Merry Kilmas to all who celebrate the works of Val Kilmer! This year, our Kilmas selection is “The Saint,” a very 90s spy movie featuring surprise sweater reveals, tension-free water pipe escapes, and a wide collection of accents, wigs, and pseudonyms—all from Val Kilmer, of course. Kilmas: "The Saint" Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, Jean MacDonald and Moisés Chiullán Referenced Works The Saint Val Kilmer Show Notes & Links Edited by Steven Schapansky. Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

We watched all eight hours of the Disney+ documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” and now we’re going to talk about it. Toast, vests, London Bobbies sucking on their chin straps, Debbie the receptionist, Paul as “second boss”, Yoko’s knitting, George Harrison’s pinstripes, and most importantly, the amazing view of a bunch of musical geniuses having a very difficult time creating anything at all. "The Beatles: Get Back" Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Monty Ashley, Guy English and Amy Gruber Referenced Works The Beatles: Get Back Show Notes & Links Edited by Steven Schapansky. The Talk Show: "John Was the Problem" Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Grab your Tamagotchi Baby Monitor, because it’s time to discuss “Doctor Who: Flux,” a six-episode season that had a lot of plot, a lot of characters, and a lot of questions, many of them unanswered! We discuss what worked this season and what didn’t, anticipate the 2022 run of specials to end Jodie Whitaker’s era, and ponder what Modern Doctor Who looks like when Russell T Davies takes over the show (again) in 2023. "Doctor Who: Flux" Jason Snell with Steven Schapansky, Erika Ensign, James Thomson and Antony Johnston Referenced Works Doctor Who [Amazon] Show Notes & Links Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.