The Incomparable Mothership

Grab a TemPad and step through a Time Door, because we’re discussing “Loki”, Marvel’s Disney+ series about how the god of Mischief met his match and learned to love himself. Along the way we talk about the “Doctor Who” references, the deep-cut comics references, the mighty Richard E. Grant, and the spectacular look and sounds of this outstanding series. "Loki" Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Moisés Chiullán, Kathy Campbell and Nathan Alderman Sponsors Audible: Stories that speak to you. Start listening with a 30-day trial. Referenced Works Loki Marvel Cinematic Universe 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.

Put on your catsuit and your tactical vest, because we’re about to talk about Marvel’s “Black Widow,” which some of us saw in theaters. (And some of us didn’t.) This is a movie delayed from pre-COVID times, it’s the first Marvel movie in the Disney+ era, and it’s set during 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”—conveniently before the main character dies. With all that, it’s also a film that puts its title heroine at the center of a “Mission: Impossible” style story that’s also, strangely, about a couple of particularly messed-up families. "Black Widow" Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth, Dan Moren, Kelly Guimont and James Thomson Sponsors Gabi: Get a better insurance. It’s totally free to check and there’s no obligation. Click this link to get started. Referenced Works Black Widow Marvel Cinematic Universe 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.

Get out your ice skates, baseball bats, kitchen knives, and samurai swords—pretty much any weapon at hand, because we’re watching 2011’s “Attack the Block”! While not officially part of the Cornetto Trilogy, this British alien-invasion film shares a lot of DNA with those movies, and it’s about as close an analog to “Shaun of the Dead” as you’ll find—but with the comedy dial turned down a bit. It features career-making performances by John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker, who went on to become the faces of famous sci-fi franchises. And after the last 10 years, some of the social commentary in this film hits home more than ever. Allow it! "Attack the Block" Jason Snell with Antony Johnston, Lisa Schmeiser and James Thomson Referenced Works Attack the Block 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.

Some people read with their eyeballs, and still others talk to their books—we do both! In part two of our three-part survey of novels shortlisted for 2021’s top SF and Fantasy awards, we’re discussing the magic and romance of “The Midnight Bargain” by C.L. Polk, the spooky “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the murderbotiness of “Network Effect” by Martha Wells. Plus, what else are we reading? The Midnight Bargain, Mexican Gothic, and Network Effect Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and Aleen Simms Referenced Works Mexican Gothic [Amazon] [Apple] The Midnight Bargain [Amazon] [Apple] Network Effect [Amazon] [Apple] Show Notes & Links What we’re reading: Scott: The Galaxy and the Ground Within, Oona Out of Order. Aleen: The Hidden Palace, Kitchen Confidential Erika: Recently Read 59-63, Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries Book 6), Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather, Power and Majesty. Jason: Flowers for Algernon, Binti. 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.

Look, we love the Muppets. But the franchise has been very quiet lately. It’s time to get Muppet movies back on the big screen! And so in this episode, all our panelists pitch new Muppet movies we’d like to see. And along the way they do a bunch of Muppet voices, too, because of course they do. Muppet movie pitch draft Jason Snell with Philip Michaels, Stephen Hackett, Quinn Rose, Moisés Chiullán, Nathan Alderman, David J. Loehr, Monty Ashley and Kelly Guimont Referenced Works The Muppets (Franchise) Show Notes & Links Pitches: Nathan - “The Muppets Take the MCU” Kelly - “Felted Goldmine” Quinn - “Mamma! Mia! Muppet! Movie!” Phil - “Muppet GoodFellas” Moises - “Muppets Into the Muppetverse” Stephen - “Muppets Back to the Future” David - “Kermit’s 11” Monty - “The Muppet Club” Jason - “Disney’s the Muppets’ Marvel’s The Muppet Avengers” What was left: Nathan - “Jim Henson’s Jane Austin’s Muppets and Misadventures” Kelly - “Uncle Deadly and Lou Zealand Are Dead”, “Muppet Goonies” Quinn - “Muppet Clue!” “Muppet Phantom of the Opera” “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Muppet Movie” Phil - “Muppets Dark Crystal”, “Felt Diggers of 2021”, “Muppet Magnum, P.I.” Moises - “Muppet Ragtime”, “Muppet Trek”, “Muppet Follies of 2021”, “Muppets Save a High School”, “Jim Henson’s Dracula” Stephen - “Into the Woods”, “Harry Potter”, “Star Wars”, “The Lego Muppet Movie” David - All “the President’s Muppets,” “The Swedish Job,” “Dr. Strangepork”, “Muppet Impossible”, “2001: A Muppets from Space Odyssey”, “Muppet Becket”, “The Bear In Winter”, “Kiss Me Frog”, “Kermit Prince of Denmark” Monty - “The Lighthouse” with Ernie and Bert, “Midnight Cowboy” with Rizzo as Ratzo Rizzo, “Muppet The Lion King”, “Joker” starring Fozzie, “Saw” with Pepe, “The Ring” with Janis, “Grey Gardens” starring Statler & Waldorf, “Cool Cat Saves the Muppets”, “The Warriors” with muppet TV gangs, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Jason - “The Muppets Wedding Hangover” Nathan really wrote it, folks. 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.

Back in 2014, we read Helene Wecker’s novel “The Golem and the Jinni,” and we liked it! Little did we know that she was listening to us… and that she would end up as an Incomparable panelist! Now a sequel, “The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni” has arrived! In this special episode, Jason and Helene discuss the first novel, how real life can intrude on a publishing schedule, the value and temptation of research, and how “The Hidden Palace” ultimately came together. Helene Wecker and "The Hidden Palace" Jason Snell with Helene Wecker Referenced Works The Golem and the Jinni [Amazon] The Hidden Palace [Amazon] [Apple] Author Interviews 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.

Put on your capes because we’re flying into superhero action with season one of Prime Video’s “Invincible,” based on Robert Kirkman’s long-running comic. Before the Spoiler Horn, we’ll tell you why this show is worth watching—and warn you about how it mixes its love of brightly colored superhero imagery and storylines with logical but unrestrained violence and gore. Then we break down some of this adaptation’s interesting story choices and ponder where it might be headed in season two and three. "Invincible" season one Jason Snell with Glenn Fleishman, Moisés Chiullán and James Thomson Referenced Works Invincible 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 know there are a lot of superhero movies out there. Sometimes it seems like there are so many, it’s as if a random-number generator just assigned pieces of intellectual property to film directors. But where some might despair at this situation, we looked at it as an opportunity to harness the terrible power of the random-number generator and use our own creativity to assign the right directors to the right comic-book film projects. Now listen to our choices and try to tell us that any currently in-production films are any less ridiculous. Jason Snell with Nathan Alderman, Monty Ashley, Lisa Schmeiser, Philip Michaels, Moisés Chiullán and David J. Loehr Show Notes & Links Final Results Nathan: Steven Spielberg’s “Krypto the Superdog” Monty: Christopher Guest’s “Detective Chimp” Lisa: John Waters’s “Booster Gold” Phil: Sam Raimi’s “Gambit” Moises: David Fincher’s “Lois Lane” David: Elaine May’s “DC’s New Frontier” Jason: Miyazaki’s “Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers” Nathan: Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “OMAC: One Man Army Corps” Monty: David Cronenberg’s “Ghost Rider” Lisa: Werner Herzog’s “Plastic Man” Phil: Richard Kelly’s “Power Pack” Moises: Hideaki Anno’s “Micronauts” David: Richard Linklater’s “Before Shazamhood” and “Shazammed and Confused” Jason: Rob Reiner’s “Another Suicide Squad” Nathan: Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Man-Thing” Monty: Nora Ephron’s “The Legion of Monsters” Lisa: Jean Renoir’s “Namor” Phil: Jim Henson’s “Muppets Marvel 1602” Moises: Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Trouble With Howard, or The Wrong Duck” David: Federico Fellini’s “Watchmen” Jason: Orson Welles’ “The Dazzler” 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.

Olo! It’s time to discuss an underappreciated superhero movie that’s only become more relevant after a decade full of superhero movies. It’s 2010’s “Megamind,” which transcends being an extrusion from the Dreamworks animation factory (well, except for its pop-music soundtrack) to become something greater. With an all-star cast led by Will Ferrell and Tina Fey, this is a great riff on the Superman mythos and the true meaning of destiny and heroism. Code: It’s great. "Megamind" Jason Snell with Chip Sudderth, Annette Wierstra, David J. Loehr and Moisés Chiullán Referenced Works Megamind [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.

Our Book Club returns with a new way to approach this year’s SF novel shortlist: we’re reading all the Hugo and Nebula novels in three batches. First up: “Black Sun,” “The City We Became,” and “Piranesi.” Plus: What are we reading? Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Scott McNulty and Aleen Simms Referenced Works The City We Became [Amazon] [Apple] Piranesi [Amazon] [Apple] Black Sun [Amazon] [Apple] Show Notes & Links What we’re reading: Scott: The Liar’s Dictionary (Apple, Amazon) Erika: “Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.” by Fran Wilde Aleen: Stephens & Mefisto and Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths; Dragon Blood Series by Lindsay Buroker Jason: A Desolation Called Peace (Apple, Amazon) by Arkady Martine, Empress of Forever (Apple, Amazon) by Max Gladstone 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.