The Incomparable

00:00:00 ◼   ► this episode is sponsored by audible the [TS]

00:00:01 ◼   ► best place to find audio books online go [TS]

00:00:04 ◼   ► to audible podcast.com slash and [TS]

00:00:06 ◼   ► comfortable to learn more [TS]

00:00:11 ◼   ► the interoperable number 147 jun 2013 [TS]

00:00:19 ◼   ► welcome back to be uncomfortable i am [TS]

00:00:24 ◼   ► your host Jason snow and we are back [TS]

00:00:26 ◼   ► with another edition of our book club [TS]

00:00:28 ◼   ► with what I have to say our are perhaps [TS]

00:00:30 ◼   ► the core members of the book club [TS]

00:00:33 ◼   ► although we have many who come and go [TS]

00:00:35 ◼   ► and serenity Caldwell's a lot of them [TS]

00:00:36 ◼   ► there's a voice in this episode that we [TS]

00:00:38 ◼   ► haven't had with us for some time [TS]

00:00:40 ◼   ► because he's been a very busy fellow but [TS]

00:00:42 ◼   ► he read the assigned reading and so we [TS]

00:00:44 ◼   ► allowed him back on the podcast why so [TS]

00:00:46 ◼   ► is tia is not Dan more dan did you do [TS]

00:00:49 ◼   ► the assigned reading like most of it [TS]

00:00:52 ◼   ► alright i'll allow you back on the [TS]

00:00:53 ◼   ► podcast because you haven't been on at [TS]

00:00:55 ◼   ► least 24 hours [TS]

00:00:57 ◼   ► Scott McNulty also quite often he's on [TS]

00:01:00 ◼   ► every book club because he's read every [TS]

00:01:01 ◼   ► book hi Scott [TS]

00:01:02 ◼   ► hello I wasn't on every book club i did [TS]

00:01:04 ◼   ► not appear in the harry potter episode [TS]

00:01:06 ◼   ► i'm not sure that he encounters a book [TS]

00:01:09 ◼   ► club that was more of a phenomenon club [TS]

00:01:12 ◼   ► as it were and I despise it [TS]

00:01:14 ◼   ► and of course i was speaking earlier of [TS]

00:01:16 ◼   ► Glen fleischmann who is a friend of the [TS]

00:01:18 ◼   ► podcast and is frequently on but haven't [TS]

00:01:20 ◼   ► been on for a little while michael and [TS]

00:01:21 ◼   ► welcome back [TS]

00:01:22 ◼   ► hello oh wait that's not me hi hi there [TS]

00:01:26 ◼   ► alloy that has mr. McNulty lawyer I have [TS]

00:01:29 ◼   ► to ask you to cease and desist on any [TS]

00:01:30 ◼   ► hello [TS]

00:01:32 ◼   ► that's that's it the this podcast is [TS]

00:01:34 ◼   ► over [TS]

00:01:35 ◼   ► alright so we're going to do a with two [TS]

00:01:38 ◼   ► topics on the podcast this time [TS]

00:01:41 ◼   ► first we're going to do a book club [TS]

00:01:43 ◼   ► about john scalzi is recently published [TS]

00:01:46 ◼   ► novel the human division which is [TS]

00:01:49 ◼   ► interesting in that it was published [TS]

00:01:51 ◼   ► first as a weekly series of ebook [TS]

00:01:53 ◼   ► installments and then later wrapped up [TS]

00:01:55 ◼   ► into a regular old-fashioned book that [TS]

00:01:59 ◼   ► was published not too long ago and then [TS]

00:02:01 ◼   ► we're going to shift gears and talk a [TS]

00:02:03 ◼   ► little bit about the hugo nominees for [TS]

00:02:06 ◼   ► for short stories so for not not the not [TS]

00:02:09 ◼   ► the novel's we're going to do that on a [TS]

00:02:11 ◼   ► later show and we've been dutifully [TS]

00:02:12 ◼   ► plowing through those nominees and and [TS]

00:02:16 ◼   ► we'll get that in a few weeks but we're [TS]

00:02:18 ◼   ► going to talk about short stories [TS]

00:02:19 ◼   ► tonight instead so a little littlie will [TS]

00:02:22 ◼   ► to Part A two act play if you will of [TS]

00:02:26 ◼   ► the book club so we should get started [TS]

00:02:29 ◼   ► with john scalzi we covered him before [TS]

00:02:32 ◼   ► we talked about [TS]

00:02:33 ◼   ► we talked about his books numerous times [TS]

00:02:35 ◼   ► we talked about his novel redshirts last [TS]

00:02:37 ◼   ► year and he's back with this interesting [TS]

00:02:40 ◼   ► experiment of a serialize novel the [TS]

00:02:44 ◼   ► human division set in the same world as [TS]

00:02:48 ◼   ► his most i would say that we the thing [TS]

00:02:51 ◼   ► that made him well known the old man's [TS]

00:02:53 ◼   ► war University wrote he wrote four [TS]

00:02:56 ◼   ► novels in that universe and and he's [TS]

00:02:59 ◼   ► back with these tales of humans in a in [TS]

00:03:03 ◼   ► a big wide world or galaxy full of [TS]

00:03:06 ◼   ► different aliens many of whom are quite [TS]

00:03:08 ◼   ► threatening to the humans so for my [TS]

00:03:10 ◼   ► first question for you guys is how did [TS]

00:03:12 ◼   ► you read this did you read it in an [TS]

00:03:14 ◼   ► installment basis every week [TS]

00:03:17 ◼   ► did you save them up and read them in a [TS]

00:03:19 ◼   ► couple of bursts or did you wait for the [TS]

00:03:21 ◼   ► for it to be a novel and read it as a [TS]

00:03:23 ◼   ► whole I i kinda win some of the middle I [TS]

00:03:27 ◼   ► i would read a couple of them like when [TS]

00:03:29 ◼   ► they came out i think i read the first [TS]

00:03:31 ◼   ► since I i pre-ordered it so you got a [TS]

00:03:33 ◼   ► initial installment which was released [TS]

00:03:35 ◼   ► later for everybody else who bought the [TS]

00:03:37 ◼   ► whole thing that after the coup which is [TS]

00:03:39 ◼   ► sort of like a prologue and so I read [TS]

00:03:41 ◼   ► that and then like months later when the [TS]

00:03:43 ◼   ► human division start to come out i would [TS]

00:03:45 ◼   ► read like 10 maybe one or two and then [TS]

00:03:47 ◼   ► I'll probably forget for a couple weeks [TS]

00:03:49 ◼   ► and then sometimes every two or three to [TS]

00:03:51 ◼   ► stretch depending on I mean they're not [TS]

00:03:52 ◼   ► very long right so you can get away with [TS]

00:03:54 ◼   ► that right after the coup was was kind [TS]

00:03:57 ◼   ► of like the prequel it was just a short [TS]

00:03:59 ◼   ► story set in this world of old man's war [TS]

00:04:02 ◼   ► right it's a little bit longer than the [TS]

00:04:04 ◼   ► average but it turns out it it turns out [TS]

00:04:07 ◼   ► that those are characters that he picks [TS]

00:04:08 ◼   ► up and uses to in in most of the human [TS]

00:04:11 ◼   ► division right and at least one Harry is [TS]

00:04:14 ◼   ► is from earlier novels in this series [TS]

00:04:17 ◼   ► he's really a supporting character in [TS]

00:04:19 ◼   ► them [TS]

00:04:20 ◼   ► yes I I kinda was somewhere in the [TS]

00:04:21 ◼   ► middle there which means that every [TS]

00:04:23 ◼   ► couple weeks when I would pick up the [TS]

00:04:24 ◼   ► next installment i would think what [TS]

00:04:26 ◼   ► happened in the last installment they [TS]

00:04:28 ◼   ► need a previously on the human division [TS]

00:04:30 ◼   ► right Scott what about you [TS]

00:04:33 ◼   ► I was interested in reading it as it [TS]

00:04:38 ◼   ► came out but i found it annoying it [TS]

00:04:41 ◼   ► didn't happen i found it annoying that i [TS]

00:04:42 ◼   ► had to buy them separately [TS]

00:04:44 ◼   ► so I didn't do that and I waited until [TS]

00:04:46 ◼   ► they were all together so I could read [TS]

00:04:48 ◼   ► it in one fell swoop [TS]

00:04:50 ◼   ► I know I wanted to subscribe to it and [TS]

00:04:52 ◼   ► Amazon seem to just be incapable of that [TS]

00:04:54 ◼   ► as a concept [TS]

00:04:55 ◼   ► well no so amazon has something called [TS]

00:04:57 ◼   ► kindle cereals which is exactly this [TS]

00:05:00 ◼   ► idea that you subscribe to this like [TS]

00:05:02 ◼   ► book and you get chapters automatically [TS]

00:05:04 ◼   ► delivered the only problem with that of [TS]

00:05:06 ◼   ► course is that Amazon then says if [TS]

00:05:08 ◼   ► you're going to participate in the [TS]

00:05:09 ◼   ► serials you can't sell it anywhere else [TS]

00:05:12 ◼   ► yeah i think i think they also can't [TS]

00:05:13 ◼   ► they can't set the price anything other [TS]

00:05:15 ◼   ► than like 199 or some ridiculously low [TS]

00:05:18 ◼   ► price too so they they were never going [TS]

00:05:20 ◼   ► to do that and so instead you had to [TS]

00:05:22 ◼   ► order pre-order every order when it came [TS]

00:05:25 ◼   ► out every one of the thirteen chapters [TS]

00:05:28 ◼   ► which I did what I thought was really [TS]

00:05:30 ◼   ► stupid be great if we're living in an [TS]

00:05:32 ◼   ► age when computers manage these things [TS]

00:05:34 ◼   ► for its strange Glenn so how did you [TS]

00:05:36 ◼   ► read this [TS]

00:05:37 ◼   ► well I got confused because Oh Glenn [TS]

00:05:40 ◼   ► it's a good to have you back you can see [TS]

00:05:42 ◼   ► you can stop there Glenn it's cool i we [TS]

00:05:45 ◼   ► gave it away so long this this world of [TS]

00:05:47 ◼   ► yours so confusing after visiting other [TS]

00:05:50 ◼   ► blends the red two of the old man's word [TS]

00:05:54 ◼   ► for books in that University first two [TS]

00:05:57 ◼   ► and this came up for the book club so [TS]

00:05:59 ◼   ► like a human division and it was already [TS]

00:06:00 ◼   ► completely out because I've had this [TS]

00:06:02 ◼   ► kind of amnesia that goes with working [TS]

00:06:04 ◼   ► ridiculously hard for months at a time I [TS]

00:06:06 ◼   ► completely missed the fact this was [TS]

00:06:07 ◼   ► published as as a serial so I read it as [TS]

00:06:11 ◼   ► a straightforward thing I thought gosh [TS]

00:06:13 ◼   ► this book is episodic but i kinda liked [TS]

00:06:15 ◼   ► it and I thought oh this is great like [TS]

00:06:18 ◼   ► he's simulating the notion of releasing [TS]

00:06:19 ◼   ► stories one at a time that are [TS]

00:06:21 ◼   ► self-contained and have a kind of you [TS]

00:06:23 ◼   ► know cereal old movie narrative with [TS]

00:06:26 ◼   ► ridiculous daring do and i kind of i [TS]

00:06:28 ◼   ► read it differently like this was an [TS]

00:06:29 ◼   ► experiment as a book and then I get to [TS]

00:06:31 ◼   ► the end of like how but you know it [TS]

00:06:33 ◼   ► didn't actually it spoil my enjoyment of [TS]

00:06:35 ◼   ► the stories reading them all at once and [TS]

00:06:36 ◼   ► not actually understanding they were [TS]

00:06:38 ◼   ► intended to be released that way I [TS]

00:06:40 ◼   ► thought it was a really great [TS]

00:06:41 ◼   ► exploration of the form even without [TS]

00:06:43 ◼   ► knowing it was released in pieces over [TS]

00:06:45 ◼   ► four months that's very interesting to [TS]

00:06:47 ◼   ► me because I read his blog and follow me [TS]

00:06:49 ◼   ► on Twitter and it's like I was not it [TS]

00:06:50 ◼   ► was like human division like 24-7 [TS]

00:06:52 ◼   ► perfectly for like three months that [TS]

00:06:54 ◼   ► it's interesting because I think to [TS]

00:06:57 ◼   ► collinsport [TS]

00:06:57 ◼   ► and you know you can read Dickens and [TS]

00:06:59 ◼   ► you don't need to know the Dickens was [TS]

00:07:01 ◼   ► writing those things in a serialize with [TS]

00:07:04 ◼   ► newspaper but it does it just say [TS]

00:07:06 ◼   ► something about the form i I'm [TS]

00:07:08 ◼   ► fascinated by this experiment i think [TS]

00:07:10 ◼   ► it's i think it's a great thing that he [TS]

00:07:12 ◼   ► tried this I mean the this is similar to [TS]

00:07:17 ◼   ► the people talking about there's this [TS]

00:07:18 ◼   ► debate about whether you binge watch TV [TS]

00:07:21 ◼   ► episodes right or whether you watch them [TS]

00:07:23 ◼   ► one at a time and and whether a show is [TS]

00:07:26 ◼   ► actually better stretched out over long [TS]

00:07:28 ◼   ► periods of time or whether it's better [TS]

00:07:29 ◼   ► in the short bursts and I I don't think [TS]

00:07:32 ◼   ► there's one right answer and in the case [TS]

00:07:35 ◼   ► of hands on the story [TS]

00:07:36 ◼   ► yeah well and i was thinking i was [TS]

00:07:38 ◼   ► talking to somebody was watching lost [TS]

00:07:39 ◼   ► and I said it's one of my favorite shows [TS]

00:07:43 ◼   ► I think it's great i think you might [TS]

00:07:44 ◼   ► actually like it better because one of [TS]

00:07:45 ◼   ► the big frustrations when people [TS]

00:07:46 ◼   ► watching it [TS]

00:07:47 ◼   ► yeah people complain about like they [TS]

00:07:49 ◼   ► didn't answer my questions and all that [TS]

00:07:50 ◼   ► but i think a lot of that was caught up [TS]

00:07:52 ◼   ► in this you know that the show would be [TS]

00:07:53 ◼   ► on and then it would be gone for months [TS]

00:07:55 ◼   ► and then it would be on again for a [TS]

00:07:56 ◼   ► little bit minutes gone for another you [TS]

00:07:58 ◼   ► know eight months and and if you can [TS]

00:08:00 ◼   ► just keep on going [TS]

00:08:02 ◼   ► it's a little less frustrating at the [TS]

00:08:04 ◼   ► same time it can kind of be exhausting [TS]

00:08:06 ◼   ► so this was this was interesting in in [TS]

00:08:09 ◼   ► that he tried to pace it out and [TS]

00:08:10 ◼   ► although he sold up front because I i [TS]

00:08:12 ◼   ► read him on his blog and read him on [TS]

00:08:14 ◼   ► Twitter to he sold it is like a TV [TS]

00:08:16 ◼   ► series and I think that's false i I [TS]

00:08:19 ◼   ► don't think you can call this a TV [TS]

00:08:20 ◼   ► series because a TV series doesn't just [TS]

00:08:23 ◼   ► go away from all the main characters for [TS]

00:08:26 ◼   ► an entire episode and he did that in [TS]

00:08:28 ◼   ► this I mean it's fine but well yeah [TS]

00:08:30 ◼   ► they're kinda like yeah they're kind of [TS]

00:08:32 ◼   ► like those like one-off episode I mean [TS]

00:08:35 ◼   ► it's hard because if you look at [TS]

00:08:36 ◼   ► something like Game of Thrones or the [TS]

00:08:38 ◼   ► wire there are episodes in which major [TS]

00:08:42 ◼   ► characters do not appear but you always [TS]

00:08:44 ◼   ► do have some sort of anchor right some [TS]

00:08:46 ◼   ► of your characters are there yes right [TS]

00:08:48 ◼   ► and these we really do just walk away [TS]

00:08:50 ◼   ► from the main characters or their [TS]

00:08:51 ◼   ► mentioned or something like that which [TS]

00:08:53 ◼   ► is a little strange from the perspective [TS]

00:08:55 ◼   ► of a TV series but I mean there are [TS]

00:08:57 ◼   ► ontology series to write like you know [TS]

00:08:59 ◼   ► you think of something like I mean get [TS]

00:09:01 ◼   ► those tend to be even more decentralized [TS]

00:09:03 ◼   ► if you think about something like a [TS]

00:09:04 ◼   ► Twilight Zone er yeah there's no there's [TS]

00:09:06 ◼   ► no through-line image anthology series i [TS]

00:09:08 ◼   ► just i thought it was a little bit of a [TS]

00:09:09 ◼   ► myth [TS]

00:09:10 ◼   ► miss statement about what he was [TS]

00:09:12 ◼   ► actually doing here but what's funny is [TS]

00:09:15 ◼   ► you know people will talk about this as [TS]

00:09:16 ◼   ► it was coming out and I did read it as [TS]

00:09:18 ◼   ► it was coming week by week and people [TS]

00:09:20 ◼   ► would get frustrated when the [TS]

00:09:22 ◼   ► installment of that week didn't directly [TS]

00:09:24 ◼   ► pick up on what had happened before I [TS]

00:09:28 ◼   ► actually kinda found it kind of fun I [TS]

00:09:30 ◼   ► like i said i thought it was sort of he [TS]

00:09:32 ◼   ► shouldn't have said it was like a TV [TS]

00:09:33 ◼   ► series we're literally every episode is [TS]

00:09:35 ◼   ► going to be our little friends on the [TS]

00:09:36 ◼   ► spaceship get into trouble which is [TS]

00:09:38 ◼   ► certainly what he was setting up in the [TS]

00:09:39 ◼   ► first couple of chapters but i liked a [TS]

00:09:42 ◼   ► lot of the diversions and I like seeing [TS]

00:09:44 ◼   ► how it obviously fed into the main story [TS]

00:09:46 ◼   ► and I i kinda like the episodic nature [TS]

00:09:51 ◼   ► of it in a you know it was it was fun to [TS]

00:09:53 ◼   ► have that experience and to have those [TS]

00:09:55 ◼   ► cliffhangers where I really did [TS]

00:09:56 ◼   ► experience this novel / 12 or 13 weeks [TS]

00:10:00 ◼   ► instead of in you know a week or so of [TS]

00:10:02 ◼   ► reading it [TS]

00:10:03 ◼   ► yeah it's a I mean I love serialize [TS]

00:10:05 ◼   ► stuff i mean Jason of course you read a [TS]

00:10:07 ◼   ► lot comic books which have a similar [TS]

00:10:09 ◼   ► sort of going on right so I think I the [TS]

00:10:13 ◼   ► thing I like about something like a [TS]

00:10:14 ◼   ► serialize story when it comes to [TS]

00:10:16 ◼   ► television or comic books is that [TS]

00:10:17 ◼   ► there's often a sense and this is true [TS]

00:10:19 ◼   ► too in like longer book series [TS]

00:10:22 ◼   ► there's a sense of rewarding the reader [TS]

00:10:24 ◼   ► you know over a long period of time so [TS]

00:10:27 ◼   ► you know you watch a TV show and there's [TS]

00:10:29 ◼   ► like something mentioned in the episode [TS]

00:10:31 ◼   ► 1 and it comes back you know it in like [TS]

00:10:34 ◼   ► episode 12 and you feel like a little [TS]

00:10:36 ◼   ► bit of like oh yeah I noticed that like [TS]

00:10:38 ◼   ► oh good they got back to that right like [TS]

00:10:39 ◼   ► and then that was the thing that [TS]

00:10:40 ◼   ► frustrated so many people about lost [TS]

00:10:41 ◼   ► they feel like ants were dropped and [TS]

00:10:43 ◼   ► never picked up again so I like that [TS]

00:10:46 ◼   ► there's in some ways even though this [TS]

00:10:47 ◼   ► was released episodically there no i [TS]

00:10:51 ◼   ► didn't feel like there was a maybe [TS]

00:10:52 ◼   ► enough of that although it's hard to [TS]

00:10:53 ◼   ► tell because you know I think maybe if I [TS]

00:10:56 ◼   ► went back and read it all now straight [TS]

00:10:57 ◼   ► through [TS]

00:10:58 ◼   ► I would pick up on things that had been [TS]

00:11:00 ◼   ► you know for sure earlier and there's [TS]

00:11:01 ◼   ► definitely some stuff that like alludes [TS]

00:11:03 ◼   ► to things you know there's clearly [TS]

00:11:04 ◼   ► foreshadowing knows what he's doing but [TS]

00:11:07 ◼   ► it's it's such a different scope because [TS]

00:11:09 ◼   ► it's almost more like a miniseries right [TS]

00:11:11 ◼   ► now Glenn said that he picked up on the [TS]

00:11:13 ◼   ► episodic nature of that I was going to [TS]

00:11:14 ◼   ► ask that question of if you read this as [TS]

00:11:16 ◼   ► a novel not realizing how it originally [TS]

00:11:19 ◼   ► been published [TS]

00:11:19 ◼   ► would you would you notice [TS]

00:11:21 ◼   ► well let me speak to that hypothetically [TS]

00:11:23 ◼   ► from a practical standpoint [TS]

00:11:25 ◼   ► yeah I i think it held together for me I [TS]

00:11:29 ◼   ► mean I got somewhere through it i [TS]

00:11:30 ◼   ► honestly didn't look it up and wonder I [TS]

00:11:32 ◼   ► thought scalzi likes to play with the [TS]

00:11:34 ◼   ► form of the novel and I actually thought [TS]

00:11:36 ◼   ► at some point this was going to be a [TS]

00:11:38 ◼   ► little red shirt be because the stuff [TS]

00:11:40 ◼   ► that happens at points is so ludicrous [TS]

00:11:42 ◼   ► and it's always you know it's always [TS]

00:11:44 ◼   ► Harry is the left at the last second the [TS]

00:11:48 ◼   ► timer counts down and then the ship [TS]

00:11:50 ◼   ► blows a hatch he grabs the hatch and [TS]

00:11:52 ◼   ► manages to ride it you know that kind of [TS]

00:11:54 ◼   ► thing is like the the improbable miss of [TS]

00:11:56 ◼   ► the MacGyver ish whatever all comes [TS]

00:11:58 ◼   ► together in every episode so I thought [TS]

00:12:00 ◼   ► at some level maybe he was going to show [TS]

00:12:02 ◼   ► that there was a manipulation going on [TS]

00:12:04 ◼   ► that was causing this kind of [TS]

00:12:06 ◼   ► ridiculousness to happen I realize now [TS]

00:12:08 ◼   ► these aren't the meta books this is just [TS]

00:12:10 ◼   ► the way it's set up and stuff keeps [TS]

00:12:12 ◼   ► happening these guys and they have to [TS]

00:12:13 ◼   ► roll with the punches of sometimes [TS]

00:12:15 ◼   ► really ridiculous plot elements but [TS]

00:12:17 ◼   ► because its colors you get deeper than [TS]

00:12:20 ◼   ► just the you know oh no here's a [TS]

00:12:22 ◼   ► mechanism you have to defeat and thats [TS]

00:12:24 ◼   ► it's like now there's this big [TS]

00:12:25 ◼   ► conspiracy [TS]

00:12:26 ◼   ► there's arch there's these well-drawn [TS]

00:12:29 ◼   ► characters in some cases in some of them [TS]

00:12:31 ◼   ► are very thin but also some very well [TS]

00:12:33 ◼   ► drawn ones and I felt there was enough [TS]

00:12:35 ◼   ► of a through line for me I felt it was [TS]

00:12:37 ◼   ► more like episodes of Star Trek if [TS]

00:12:38 ◼   ► anything you know and I was thinking [TS]

00:12:40 ◼   ► that's we're talking talking earlier [TS]

00:12:42 ◼   ► there is the episode does conspiracy how [TS]

00:12:45 ◼   ► to go look this up the 25th episode of [TS]

00:12:48 ◼   ► season [TS]

00:12:49 ◼   ► whatever and looked up here where it [TS]

00:12:53 ◼   ► turns out that there's a conspiracy and [TS]

00:12:55 ◼   ► I animation it's aliens have inhabited [TS]

00:12:57 ◼   ► in Seattle right and then it's never [TS]

00:12:59 ◼   ► followed up on ever again as Star Trek [TS]

00:13:02 ◼   ► The Next Generation yeah and I felt [TS]

00:13:04 ◼   ► there was a little element of that that [TS]

00:13:06 ◼   ► there was sort of almost too much [TS]

00:13:08 ◼   ► mystery there were too many things going [TS]

00:13:09 ◼   ► on there are too many sinister forces [TS]

00:13:12 ◼   ► but i thought this is kind of the nature [TS]

00:13:14 ◼   ► of something that felt episodic and [TS]

00:13:16 ◼   ► turned out was designed that way is that [TS]

00:13:17 ◼   ► you want to have these things that are [TS]

00:13:19 ◼   ► bigger than the story because if they're [TS]

00:13:21 ◼   ► within the story than you're done that [TS]

00:13:23 ◼   ► you have to invent the next thing for [TS]

00:13:24 ◼   ► the next story instead having a [TS]

00:13:26 ◼   ► far-ranging inexplicable mysterious and [TS]

00:13:29 ◼   ► even improbable conspiracy is a great [TS]

00:13:31 ◼   ► backdrop on twitch [TS]

00:13:33 ◼   ► set all these different plot elements [TS]

00:13:35 ◼   ► emotion yeah the only difference between [TS]

00:13:37 ◼   ► this in an episode of Star Trek is like [TS]

00:13:39 ◼   ► I said you wouldn't have a whole episode [TS]

00:13:41 ◼   ► of Star Trek that just involves the [TS]

00:13:42 ◼   ► people all of whom are basically going [TS]

00:13:44 ◼   ► to die down on a planet somewhere or the [TS]

00:13:47 ◼   ► radio talk show host basically honor [TS]

00:13:50 ◼   ► those are those are cutaways but they're [TS]

00:13:53 ◼   ► here they're there were entire [TS]

00:13:54 ◼   ► installment so in a novel i would just [TS]

00:13:56 ◼   ► be like all right I can read the next [TS]

00:13:57 ◼   ► chapter or not in installments you you [TS]

00:14:00 ◼   ► have that was like that's it [TS]

00:14:01 ◼   ► I don't get to see my friends this week [TS]

00:14:03 ◼   ► it just it was a different feeling Scott [TS]

00:14:05 ◼   ► with how did you feel it held together [TS]

00:14:08 ◼   ► as a novel versus a series of episodes [TS]

00:14:11 ◼   ► uh well III think that certainly each [TS]

00:14:15 ◼   ► episode each chapter was named in [TS]

00:14:17 ◼   ► episode so that's a good tip off if you [TS]

00:14:19 ◼   ► are not aware of material nature of the [TS]

00:14:23 ◼   ► book but I think overall it helped thank [TS]

00:14:26 ◼   ► you i mean i think scalzi is at his best [TS]

00:14:30 ◼   ► in this universe [TS]

00:14:32 ◼   ► I think he becomes no I saw him speak [TS]

00:14:35 ◼   ► once and he talked about how he likes to [TS]

00:14:39 ◼   ► write dialogue and he thinks he's very [TS]

00:14:40 ◼   ► good at it [TS]

00:14:41 ◼   ► I wish I agree with him he writes very [TS]

00:14:43 ◼   ► funny snappy dialogue and he's less good [TS]

00:14:45 ◼   ► at writing descriptions of things which [TS]

00:14:48 ◼   ► i always find interesting thinking about [TS]

00:14:49 ◼   ► that as i'm reading his books because he [TS]

00:14:52 ◼   ► introduces all these aliens and he [TS]

00:14:54 ◼   ► hardly ever really describes what they [TS]

00:14:57 ◼   ► look like [TS]

00:14:58 ◼   ► which i think is effective because the [TS]

00:15:00 ◼   ► reader's imagination can just fill in [TS]

00:15:02 ◼   ► the blanks of what these outrageous [TS]

00:15:04 ◼   ► aliens are he gives you just enough to [TS]

00:15:07 ◼   ► say like it's the size of a dog and [TS]

00:15:09 ◼   ► looks like a mantis and then he just [TS]

00:15:10 ◼   ► walks away [TS]

00:15:11 ◼   ► I got asked them to because I now i'm [TS]

00:15:13 ◼   ► curious so there's a heightened I'm [TS]

00:15:15 ◼   ► gonna butcher than her name hefty so [TS]

00:15:17 ◼   ► valla I want to know how you get to me I [TS]

00:15:20 ◼   ► picture her having she's like the legs [TS]

00:15:22 ◼   ► of like big bird and then but like [TS]

00:15:24 ◼   ► turning into like the roadrunner at the [TS]

00:15:26 ◼   ► top that's just the image in my head a [TS]

00:15:28 ◼   ► picture like Aunt beast from from her [TS]

00:15:31 ◼   ► mother going time [TS]

00:15:32 ◼   ► yeah sort of because she's kind of a [TS]

00:15:33 ◼   ► monster but she doesn't necessarily you [TS]

00:15:36 ◼   ► know she's very nice but looks like a [TS]

00:15:38 ◼   ► monster [TS]

00:15:38 ◼   ► exactly that is a great that last little [TS]

00:15:41 ◼   ► extra story that was apparently not part [TS]

00:15:43 ◼   ► of the serialization have to [TS]

00:15:44 ◼   ► overall it's a churro and speaks to the [TS]

00:15:46 ◼   ► youth of today actually had me in tears [TS]

00:15:48 ◼   ► it's Abby I'm like I want to spin off [TS]

00:15:50 ◼   ► series with her because he painted her [TS]

00:15:52 ◼   ► in such a rich way that almost nobody [TS]

00:15:55 ◼   ► else in the whole series gets that much [TS]

00:15:58 ◼   ► attention [TS]

00:15:59 ◼   ► it's it's you know they're yeah i think [TS]

00:16:02 ◼   ► what you said earlier about there being [TS]

00:16:03 ◼   ► some well-drawn characters and some not [TS]

00:16:05 ◼   ► so well-drawn characters I I think [TS]

00:16:07 ◼   ► you've got your main characters who are [TS]

00:16:09 ◼   ► the the the two guys was Harry Wilson [TS]

00:16:13 ◼   ► and heart and hard right hard Schmidt it [TS]

00:16:16 ◼   ► and there and there your and we get the [TS]

00:16:20 ◼   ► episode where he goes back to richmond [TS]

00:16:22 ◼   ► goes back to his is there like your [TS]

00:16:23 ◼   ► buddy cops [TS]

00:16:25 ◼   ► yeah yeah and then and then you've got [TS]

00:16:26 ◼   ► your kind of like trope characters your [TS]

00:16:28 ◼   ► your you know growth ambassador and your [TS]

00:16:32 ◼   ► kind of honorable captain who doesn't [TS]

00:16:35 ◼   ► want don't break the ship kinda and they [TS]

00:16:37 ◼   ► break the ship that totally break the [TS]

00:16:39 ◼   ► shit like it like in every episode they [TS]

00:16:41 ◼   ► break this [TS]

00:16:41 ◼   ► yeah exactly and and so it's kind of [TS]

00:16:44 ◼   ► like you know you've got your ensemble [TS]

00:16:46 ◼   ► and you get your main characters and [TS]

00:16:47 ◼   ► then you've got your ensemble and you've [TS]

00:16:49 ◼   ► got sort of a breakout character in [TS]

00:16:50 ◼   ► something like like like a hottie sort [TS]

00:16:52 ◼   ► of all who is this [TS]

00:16:54 ◼   ► you know alien day that they deal with [TS]

00:16:56 ◼   ► and Scott I think you're exactly right [TS]

00:16:59 ◼   ► this is it was so refreshing for me to [TS]

00:17:02 ◼   ► see skulls be back playing in this [TS]

00:17:04 ◼   ► universe because he it is he does a good [TS]

00:17:07 ◼   ► job at it and it's funny we cut it kind [TS]

00:17:09 ◼   ► of criticized him a little bit in red [TS]

00:17:11 ◼   ► shirts for wondering if he was pandering [TS]

00:17:12 ◼   ► a little bit too much too kind of nerd [TS]

00:17:14 ◼   ► culture and and here you could also [TS]

00:17:16 ◼   ► argue that he's retreating into this [TS]

00:17:18 ◼   ► familiar universe that he's built but at [TS]

00:17:20 ◼   ► the same time he's built its rich it's [TS]

00:17:23 ◼   ► got a lot of depth and really that first [TS]

00:17:25 ◼   ► set of books didn't have a fermenting it [TS]

00:17:29 ◼   ► was more like the climax of that part of [TS]

00:17:32 ◼   ► the other like act 1 of this story i'll [TS]

00:17:34 ◼   ► set up [TS]

00:17:35 ◼   ► yeah whereas i mean in that the human [TS]

00:17:37 ◼   ► division is sort of a second act because [TS]

00:17:39 ◼   ► it two ends on a you know is anything [TS]

00:17:43 ◼   ► really resolved so you know how you get [TS]

00:17:45 ◼   ► toward the end of a book or like 40 [TS]

00:17:47 ◼   ► minutes into a TV show and you're like [TS]

00:17:48 ◼   ► they're this can't be wrapped itself so [TS]

00:17:51 ◼   ► instead it was week 11 and i finished [TS]

00:17:53 ◼   ► week 11 and I think he's not going he [TS]

00:17:57 ◼   ► in this he it's not how many first i [TS]

00:17:59 ◼   ► went to the website was like how many [TS]

00:18:00 ◼   ► chapters other 13 huh that's not gonna [TS]

00:18:04 ◼   ► he's not gonna end indeed although we [TS]

00:18:08 ◼   ► get sort of a climax and there's some [TS]

00:18:10 ◼   ► excitement the grand mystery that has [TS]

00:18:13 ◼   ► been put forth very slowly over the [TS]

00:18:15 ◼   ► course of this book is not even room is [TS]

00:18:17 ◼   ► not resolved at all it's still out there [TS]

00:18:19 ◼   ► so stay tuned for season two of the [TS]

00:18:22 ◼   ► human division which is coming he is [TS]

00:18:23 ◼   ► going to do another book and he i think [TS]

00:18:25 ◼   ► is going to do it as a serial but it was [TS]

00:18:28 ◼   ► a little frustrating where when i [TS]

00:18:29 ◼   ► realized i signed up because it was [TS]

00:18:31 ◼   ► scalzi and because i thought it was an [TS]

00:18:32 ◼   ► interesting interesting experiment not [TS]

00:18:34 ◼   ► knowing that it was going to be booked [TS]

00:18:36 ◼   ► one of the new series i guess [TS]

00:18:39 ◼   ► well and I mean it's like a television [TS]

00:18:41 ◼   ► show in that way right like you get to [TS]

00:18:42 ◼   ► the end of the first season and you're [TS]

00:18:43 ◼   ► like well but there's usually that's [TS]

00:18:46 ◼   ► funny there's usually a better [TS]

00:18:47 ◼   ► there's a cliffhanger is often a [TS]

00:18:49 ◼   ► resolution like usually they have to [TS]

00:18:50 ◼   ► solve one problem introduce more or like [TS]

00:18:53 ◼   ► there has to be some Ark that's [TS]

00:18:54 ◼   ► completed I don't feel like there's art [TS]

00:18:56 ◼   ► that's completed you got to this point [TS]

00:18:57 ◼   ► where it's you know it's the anti didn't [TS]

00:19:00 ◼   ► do mall or something it's like you're at [TS]

00:19:02 ◼   ► the the crux of something really big [TS]

00:19:05 ◼   ► happening we get some resolution so it's [TS]

00:19:07 ◼   ► like what will happen to our heroes [TS]

00:19:09 ◼   ► after they plunge through the atmosphere [TS]

00:19:10 ◼   ► to earth earth stations destroyed and [TS]

00:19:13 ◼   ► it's like all right well but but we [TS]

00:19:14 ◼   ► don't have any resolution at all yet why [TS]

00:19:17 ◼   ► they mean the question of Earth and [TS]

00:19:18 ◼   ► going to earth as being the big build-up [TS]

00:19:21 ◼   ► I mean I felt I felt like that was good [TS]

00:19:23 ◼   ► but you're right it wasn't it didn't [TS]

00:19:25 ◼   ► actually resolve a lot of the questions [TS]

00:19:26 ◼   ► set out it was something came out like [TS]

00:19:29 ◼   ► there was some clues like oh the [TS]

00:19:31 ◼   ► conspiracy actually involves but the [TS]

00:19:33 ◼   ► wing and then set up but that's not that [TS]

00:19:36 ◼   ► can't be the whole story [TS]

00:19:37 ◼   ► it just felt like it I'm it's sort of [TS]

00:19:39 ◼   ► catalytic it's a season-ending it's a [TS]

00:19:41 ◼   ► season-ending cliffhanger is what we [TS]

00:19:43 ◼   ► have but if you think it i don't feel [TS]

00:19:44 ◼   ► like we got enough in the whole arc [TS]

00:19:45 ◼   ► because the whole like the whole setup [TS]

00:19:48 ◼   ► was all these mysterious things [TS]

00:19:50 ◼   ► happening the connections that they make [TS]

00:19:52 ◼   ► between them as super observers he gave [TS]

00:19:53 ◼   ► us a little too much knowledge about the [TS]

00:19:55 ◼   ► connections he didn't withhold enough [TS]

00:19:56 ◼   ► from us so it was obvious early on that [TS]

00:19:59 ◼   ► was connections between all these things [TS]

00:20:00 ◼   ► we saw ships be blown up from a position [TS]

00:20:02 ◼   ► that none of the main characters could [TS]

00:20:04 ◼   ► see so I don't know I felt like this was [TS]

00:20:06 ◼   ► two-thirds of the arc and we should've [TS]

00:20:08 ◼   ► gotten more [TS]

00:20:08 ◼   ► without the resolution itself had a [TS]

00:20:10 ◼   ► cliffhanger but felt like there was some [TS]

00:20:12 ◼   ► sense of partial completion and then the [TS]

00:20:14 ◼   ► bigger our quick arias on he does a nice [TS]

00:20:17 ◼   ► job with like Scott's and he's got a [TS]

00:20:21 ◼   ► dialogue he has a good sense of humor [TS]

00:20:22 ◼   ► and I like how he has a good sense of [TS]

00:20:26 ◼   ► how to pair sense of humor with the [TS]

00:20:30 ◼   ► sci-fi action in a way that if the humor [TS]

00:20:34 ◼   ► wasn't there it would seem really kind [TS]

00:20:36 ◼   ► of cliche and like I said we've seen all [TS]

00:20:37 ◼   ► of these these tricks before but because [TS]

00:20:40 ◼   ► he's got these it kind of amusing [TS]

00:20:42 ◼   ► characters and they're funny and they [TS]

00:20:44 ◼   ► they they know that they're in these [TS]

00:20:45 ◼   ► ridiculous situations it doesn't come [TS]

00:20:47 ◼   ► across as a comedy but it becomes [TS]

00:20:48 ◼   ► enjoyable and then when there is a [TS]

00:20:50 ◼   ► moment of of action like in the climax [TS]

00:20:53 ◼   ► here where there's the space station [TS]

00:20:54 ◼   ► that's going to be destroyed in there [TS]

00:20:55 ◼   ► then you know they end up having to be [TS]

00:20:57 ◼   ► clever in order to go out into the [TS]

00:20:59 ◼   ► vacuum and end up down on planet earth [TS]

00:21:02 ◼   ► and there are cows and there are some [TS]

00:21:04 ◼   ► jokes and I mean there's lots of that [TS]

00:21:06 ◼   ► you know it works I i think that's what [TS]

00:21:08 ◼   ► what it's like his secret sauce is he's [TS]

00:21:10 ◼   ► got some he's got the jokes and then [TS]

00:21:12 ◼   ► he's got a real mastery of these space [TS]

00:21:15 ◼   ► opera kind of gambits and he puts them [TS]

00:21:18 ◼   ► together in a way that's a pleasant III [TS]

00:21:20 ◼   ► this is the kind of Island this is the [TS]

00:21:22 ◼   ► kind of book that I is like comfort food [TS]

00:21:24 ◼   ► to me because this is like I don't find [TS]

00:21:27 ◼   ► it particularly challenging but it's so [TS]

00:21:29 ◼   ► enjoyable to go on an adventure like [TS]

00:21:32 ◼   ► this with somebody who's very good at [TS]

00:21:34 ◼   ► telling these stories i always think of [TS]

00:21:36 ◼   ► this in my head is classified under the [TS]

00:21:38 ◼   ► ripping good yarn kind of tale is I [TS]

00:21:41 ◼   ► think that the way I always describe my [TS]

00:21:43 ◼   ► head it's it's an adventure right it's [TS]

00:21:44 ◼   ► almost it's almost pulpy like in its you [TS]

00:21:47 ◼   ► know space hero thing but you know I i [TS]

00:21:49 ◼   ► agree that that the the sort of levity [TS]

00:21:53 ◼   ► in it does a good job of keeping it [TS]

00:21:55 ◼   ► thinks you know it feels to me like it [TS]

00:21:57 ◼   ► feels to me like like castle [TS]

00:21:58 ◼   ► Wow show right like that has kind of [TS]

00:22:01 ◼   ► deals with castle in Spain a ringing [TS]

00:22:03 ◼   ► endorsement that would not be fireflies [TS]

00:22:05 ◼   ► in firefly castle in Spanish yeah well [TS]

00:22:07 ◼   ► it deals with like there's there are [TS]

00:22:09 ◼   ► like that show people get murdered but [TS]

00:22:11 ◼   ► the right like but the thing that keeps [TS]

00:22:12 ◼   ► us going back is that the protagonist is [TS]

00:22:14 ◼   ► kind of charming and there's good like [TS]

00:22:15 ◼   ► banter you know and it's and it's a more [TS]

00:22:18 ◼   ► than a crime procedural it's it's very [TS]

00:22:20 ◼   ► comic or at least light-hearted [TS]

00:22:22 ◼   ► you know it's not your you know Dexter [TS]

00:22:24 ◼   ► something like that right like right [TS]

00:22:26 ◼   ► just like it's not like bloody and gory [TS]

00:22:28 ◼   ► it's just very you know it's got that [TS]

00:22:30 ◼   ► sort of light-hearted you kind of know [TS]

00:22:31 ◼   ► people will be alright in the end you [TS]

00:22:33 ◼   ► know you're not too worried about that [TS]

00:22:34 ◼   ► although they do have the whole episode [TS]

00:22:37 ◼   ► where we're hard Schmidt goes back to [TS]

00:22:39 ◼   ► his family and we get to know them all [TS]

00:22:40 ◼   ► and and reading that episodically I kept [TS]

00:22:43 ◼   ► thinking we're spending a lot of time [TS]

00:22:45 ◼   ► with this guy [TS]

00:22:46 ◼   ► are they gonna kill him right away [TS]

00:22:48 ◼   ► because that's what it felt like [TS]

00:22:50 ◼   ► and indeed he's immediately put in grave [TS]

00:22:52 ◼   ► jeopardy and I kept waiting for him to [TS]

00:22:53 ◼   ► die and he didn't know they put too much [TS]

00:22:55 ◼   ► but too much information about him to [TS]

00:22:57 ◼   ► kill him as my friend would say he's in [TS]

00:23:00 ◼   ► the opening credits so you can't kill [TS]

00:23:02 ◼   ► him kill him [TS]

00:23:03 ◼   ► well I anything can happen in a book III [TS]

00:23:07 ◼   ► like there's a like a a geopolitical [TS]

00:23:09 ◼   ► metaphor here but there's a a bit in [TS]

00:23:12 ◼   ► more we in here episode have to look it [TS]

00:23:15 ◼   ► up now in the bit where they find the [TS]

00:23:17 ◼   ► brain in the box so we have we three [TS]

00:23:18 ◼   ► spoiler horns is everyone ready yeah I [TS]

00:23:21 ◼   ► hope everybody's read this but Zach yeah [TS]

00:23:24 ◼   ► episode 11 a problem of proportion [TS]

00:23:26 ◼   ► starts out this very light or the thing [TS]

00:23:28 ◼   ► they find this you know this ship has [TS]

00:23:29 ◼   ► been disabled they're gonna go and see [TS]

00:23:31 ◼   ► what the deal is that right it out [TS]

00:23:33 ◼   ► waited whoever is attacking them and [TS]

00:23:35 ◼   ► they've gotten this ship haha and the [TS]

00:23:37 ◼   ► ship and they find theirs and so they [TS]

00:23:38 ◼   ► get together this very funny it's [TS]

00:23:40 ◼   ► actually very amusing together a crew [TS]

00:23:42 ◼   ► drawn from different races and they're [TS]

00:23:43 ◼   ► sort of being hilarious and so forth and [TS]

00:23:45 ◼   ► then and then you find begin the ship is [TS]

00:23:49 ◼   ► like Oh Wilson finds its being run by a [TS]

00:23:52 ◼   ► brain in a box that they have [TS]

00:23:54 ◼   ► essentially is taken someone Collins [TS]

00:23:58 ◼   ► races [TS]

00:23:59 ◼   ► they've taken this captain and they've [TS]

00:24:02 ◼   ► taken his brain and stuck into a [TS]

00:24:04 ◼   ► computational unit he's running the ship [TS]

00:24:05 ◼   ► and they promised him you get your body [TS]

00:24:07 ◼   ► back if the missions over and sort of [TS]

00:24:09 ◼   ► creepy and at some point one of the [TS]

00:24:11 ◼   ► other races i forget if it's all about [TS]

00:24:12 ◼   ► the river says you know actually you [TS]

00:24:15 ◼   ► guys kind of do that you humans do that [TS]

00:24:16 ◼   ► you sort of take brains your brains you [TS]

00:24:19 ◼   ► transfer people's knowledge from one [TS]

00:24:23 ◼   ► body to another so this is actually sort [TS]

00:24:25 ◼   ► of your technology like oh it started [TS]

00:24:27 ◼   ► out something really creepy then it sort [TS]

00:24:29 ◼   ► of seemed like wait you know this is [TS]

00:24:31 ◼   ► something that humans can do are kinda [TS]

00:24:33 ◼   ► creepy [TS]

00:24:34 ◼   ► it's one of the things that i like that [TS]

00:24:36 ◼   ► is that doesn't really affect chapter [TS]

00:24:38 ◼   ► where the one of the best i think [TS]

00:24:39 ◼   ► because it has that humor and then you [TS]

00:24:41 ◼   ► go to report it [TS]

00:24:43 ◼   ► yeah I also actually like the like the [TS]

00:24:45 ◼   ► little cut away on the planet where they [TS]

00:24:47 ◼   ► they they were the rogue colony and [TS]

00:24:49 ◼   ► there they realized that something has [TS]

00:24:50 ◼   ► gone horribly wrong [TS]

00:24:52 ◼   ► the the the overall plot here one of the [TS]

00:24:55 ◼   ► things I like about it is that in a lot [TS]

00:24:57 ◼   ► of the space opera sort of stories you [TS]

00:24:59 ◼   ► end up with you know it's humans vs [TS]

00:25:02 ◼   ► aliens right that's that's what is the [TS]

00:25:04 ◼   ► only it's a big bad universe out there [TS]

00:25:05 ◼   ► and in this case the the politics is is [TS]

00:25:08 ◼   ► quite different there there's the [TS]

00:25:09 ◼   ► Conclave and then there's the earth the [TS]

00:25:12 ◼   ► one day that it's not the Earth Alliance [TS]

00:25:14 ◼   ► it's the colonial Union colonial Union [TS]

00:25:18 ◼   ► right okay so but then there's earth and [TS]

00:25:20 ◼   ► earth is not it's on the outs with the [TS]

00:25:23 ◼   ► colonial Union's you have this [TS]

00:25:24 ◼   ► interesting dynamic where the fate of [TS]

00:25:27 ◼   ► humanity may not rest in the balance the [TS]

00:25:29 ◼   ► fate of the political construct of the [TS]

00:25:32 ◼   ► of the union may hang in the balance but [TS]

00:25:36 ◼   ► the humanity may be fine and so you've [TS]

00:25:38 ◼   ► got kind of humanity is not a monolithic [TS]

00:25:40 ◼   ► entity and aliens are maneuvering about [TS]

00:25:43 ◼   ► you know should we should hook up with [TS]

00:25:45 ◼   ► these guys are these guys and then and [TS]

00:25:48 ◼   ► behind it all is this question about are [TS]

00:25:50 ◼   ► these attacks coming from humans to and [TS]

00:25:52 ◼   ► what's the political motivation and i [TS]

00:25:53 ◼   ► like that it wasn't just a you know its [TS]

00:25:55 ◼   ► people vs. aliens thing and actually the [TS]

00:25:58 ◼   ► people you know are not necessarily all [TS]

00:26:01 ◼   ► on the same side i thought that was kind [TS]

00:26:03 ◼   ► of cool and that the aliens may be on [TS]

00:26:04 ◼   ► our side there's a wonderful bit in that [TS]

00:26:06 ◼   ► story at the end about a howl off buying [TS]

00:26:08 ◼   ► a truck without buying loving churros [TS]

00:26:11 ◼   ► where the little kid says to her you [TS]

00:26:13 ◼   ► monster and she's like well I don't know [TS]

00:26:15 ◼   ► what's a monster to you and it's like I [TS]

00:26:17 ◼   ► don't think I'm a monster and it becomes [TS]

00:26:19 ◼   ► that great little she's like I'm a woman [TS]

00:26:21 ◼   ► it's like you're a woman well yeah a [TS]

00:26:22 ◼   ► woman a little rough analog in my race i [TS]

00:26:25 ◼   ► am a woman but i'm also this other [TS]

00:26:27 ◼   ► species and i thought was a nice little [TS]

00:26:29 ◼   ► brain be no manipulation there you go [TS]

00:26:31 ◼   ► back and forth between those images [TS]

00:26:33 ◼   ► Scott what did you think of a human [TS]

00:26:35 ◼   ► division overall I thought it was [TS]

00:26:39 ◼   ► enjoyable I mean it's a quick light [TS]

00:26:41 ◼   ► reading especially if it isn't stretched [TS]

00:26:43 ◼   ► over 13 weeks yeah [TS]

00:26:45 ◼   ► reading in one lump i read it and like [TS]

00:26:48 ◼   ► you know a few hours but it was very [TS]

00:26:50 ◼   ► enjoyable uh I found the the dog king [TS]

00:26:54 ◼   ► episode to be god-kings great [TS]

00:26:56 ◼   ► entertaining even though I knew what was [TS]

00:26:59 ◼   ► going to happen i still thought it was [TS]

00:27:01 ◼   ► very entertaining [TS]

00:27:02 ◼   ► he is a he has a knack for like jason [TS]

00:27:06 ◼   ► said the humor in and you know in the [TS]

00:27:08 ◼   ► humour and in science fiction is humor [TS]

00:27:11 ◼   ► in general is difficult to do but then [TS]

00:27:13 ◼   ► you add science fiction and it makes it [TS]

00:27:15 ◼   ► even more difficult i think all that [TS]

00:27:17 ◼   ► episode was that chapter was sort of an [TS]

00:27:19 ◼   ► episode of futurama's first season but [TS]

00:27:21 ◼   ► nevermind it always comes back to [TS]

00:27:24 ◼   ► involve a dog of all fried was the dog [TS]

00:27:26 ◼   ► but still sorry [TS]

00:27:27 ◼   ► overall I would say thumbs up yeah much [TS]

00:27:30 ◼   ► better than red shirts in my opinion [TS]

00:27:33 ◼   ► yeah my only my only my only quibble and [TS]

00:27:38 ◼   ► it's fairly minor was that I thought he [TS]

00:27:40 ◼   ► went back to the the smart blood well [TS]

00:27:43 ◼   ► one time too many [TS]

00:27:44 ◼   ► there's like four three or four [TS]

00:27:46 ◼   ► different episodes in which it sits like [TS]

00:27:50 ◼   ► the deus ex machina out like don't worry [TS]

00:27:51 ◼   ► my blood is sparked I i hate his names [TS]

00:27:55 ◼   ► for things like I like the names of [TS]

00:27:57 ◼   ► those people that like BrainPal and [TS]

00:27:59 ◼   ► smart lad our blood and accounting makes [TS]

00:28:00 ◼   ► a joke about BrainPal sounding stupid [TS]

00:28:02 ◼   ► and one of the chapters i think they [TS]

00:28:04 ◼   ► said at the same time that's you know [TS]

00:28:06 ◼   ► that's what they named it right like [TS]

00:28:07 ◼   ► yeah yes your ipad/iphone matter if [TS]

00:28:11 ◼   ► you're smiling and I think it's not [TS]

00:28:14 ◼   ► agree that it's kind of awkward you want [TS]

00:28:16 ◼   ► a cooler name but at the same time it [TS]

00:28:18 ◼   ► seems very realistic to me [TS]

00:28:19 ◼   ► well you're probably right there the [TS]

00:28:21 ◼   ► smart blood I think he's afraid of the [TS]

00:28:23 ◼   ► smart blood becoming a total deus ex [TS]

00:28:25 ◼   ► machina so he calls it out but it's [TS]

00:28:27 ◼   ► still totally I mean if you don't then [TS]

00:28:31 ◼   ► it's like star trek into darkness was [TS]

00:28:33 ◼   ► like well they've got this magical but [TS]

00:28:34 ◼   ► blood now right so you can't what are [TS]

00:28:36 ◼   ► you doing with that trouble you can't [TS]

00:28:37 ◼   ► win it's it's magical blood it's there [TS]

00:28:39 ◼   ► at but you know he does [TS]

00:28:41 ◼   ► they do a lot of like wait we can use [TS]

00:28:43 ◼   ► that blood again it's so versatile [TS]

00:28:47 ◼   ► well yeah I mean I think it would be how [TS]

00:28:49 ◼   ► it had been used once or you know it [TS]

00:28:51 ◼   ► might have been [TS]

00:28:52 ◼   ► yeah i think i would be cool with it but [TS]

00:28:53 ◼   ► it does seriously I think it's you both [TS]

00:28:55 ◼   ► of the dogs episode right because that's [TS]

00:28:57 ◼   ► how they save the dog [TS]

00:28:58 ◼   ► and then in the episode with the the [TS]

00:29:01 ◼   ► Marines Special Forces guys were trapped [TS]

00:29:04 ◼   ► interrogated they use it to she sets it [TS]

00:29:06 ◼   ► on fire [TS]

00:29:06 ◼   ► that was a great escape senior like [TS]

00:29:08 ◼   ► she's naked she's tied up she has [TS]

00:29:10 ◼   ► nothing and they're about to torture her [TS]

00:29:12 ◼   ► to death [TS]

00:29:13 ◼   ► what will she do it was great and she [TS]

00:29:16 ◼   ► still gets out of it [TS]

00:29:17 ◼   ► I quite like that episode I thought that [TS]

00:29:19 ◼   ► was well well done with and it was one [TS]

00:29:20 ◼   ► of the more interesting for me more the [TS]

00:29:22 ◼   ► more interesting cutaways because it [TS]

00:29:25 ◼   ► would feel very much like a like a [TS]

00:29:27 ◼   ► what's the word [TS]

00:29:29 ◼   ► it's the you know the episode the [TS]

00:29:30 ◼   ► self-contained bottle episode you know [TS]

00:29:31 ◼   ► sort of thing where it's like alright [TS]

00:29:33 ◼   ► different characters were in this room [TS]

00:29:35 ◼   ► their lineup cut though they're tied up [TS]

00:29:37 ◼   ► naked go so as a follower of this of the [TS]

00:29:39 ◼   ► series too i really enjoy you know the [TS]

00:29:42 ◼   ► way the series works is your the there [TS]

00:29:44 ◼   ► are people here on earth and they become [TS]

00:29:45 ◼   ► 80 years old or whatever and they leave [TS]

00:29:47 ◼   ► her forever to go become to get a new [TS]

00:29:50 ◼   ► body and then there are a soldier a [TS]

00:29:52 ◼   ► great premise old mentor really good [TS]

00:29:53 ◼   ► book the other books are good too even [TS]

00:29:56 ◼   ► though his tail [TS]

00:29:57 ◼   ► I really which is the first book in this [TS]

00:29:59 ◼   ► series that i read tells sort of this [TS]

00:30:01 ◼   ► plot of the third book from a different [TS]

00:30:03 ◼   ► perspective really good what we don't [TS]

00:30:06 ◼   ► ever see in that series is Earth [TS]

00:30:10 ◼   ► interacting with outer space we really [TS]

00:30:12 ◼   ► leave Earth and we never go back there [TS]

00:30:14 ◼   ► we never really see much about it and [TS]

00:30:16 ◼   ► that's what was really enjoyable about [TS]

00:30:18 ◼   ► this is that the climax of the of the [TS]

00:30:20 ◼   ► previous series was earth and [TS]

00:30:22 ◼   ► confronting or being confronted with the [TS]

00:30:24 ◼   ► truth about what was happening in space [TS]

00:30:26 ◼   ► here we actually get to see the [TS]

00:30:27 ◼   ► interactions and there are lots of jokes [TS]

00:30:28 ◼   ► about the Cubs winning the world series [TS]

00:30:30 ◼   ► which I find amusing and and we get we [TS]

00:30:33 ◼   ► get to see what's happening on earth and [TS]

00:30:35 ◼   ► there's you know they're they're like an [TS]

00:30:37 ◼   ► ambassador and their spies and there's [TS]

00:30:39 ◼   ► intrigue on earth and there's a bombing [TS]

00:30:40 ◼   ► and and and an informant who has [TS]

00:30:44 ◼   ► important information and then who of [TS]

00:30:46 ◼   ► course turns up dead immediately after [TS]

00:30:48 ◼   ► its and it's fun to have that all in [TS]

00:30:50 ◼   ► there together because before it was [TS]

00:30:53 ◼   ► like we were either out in the colonies [TS]

00:30:55 ◼   ► and you know or there was like back on [TS]

00:30:57 ◼   ► earth before but there was nothing in [TS]

00:30:59 ◼   ► between [TS]

00:30:59 ◼   ► isn't she like the I forget I like the [TS]

00:31:01 ◼   ► you know the daughter of the senator [TS]

00:31:02 ◼   ► who's on admission who is also sexy his [TS]

00:31:05 ◼   ► brother happens to be [TS]

00:31:07 ◼   ► you know it's great yeah yeah that's [TS]

00:31:09 ◼   ► fine they never the thing is I never [TS]

00:31:10 ◼   ► hook up which is sort of funny it's like [TS]

00:31:12 ◼   ► a lot of something but it's great it's a [TS]

00:31:14 ◼   ► lot of Miss connections and of course [TS]

00:31:15 ◼   ► Harry is to know ball and you know try [TS]

00:31:17 ◼   ► metabolize alcohol and so forth yeah [TS]

00:31:19 ◼   ► he's our little R little characters are [TS]

00:31:21 ◼   ► becoming a little kind of a nerd to you [TS]

00:31:22 ◼   ► is like that he said yeah yeah so it's [TS]

00:31:25 ◼   ► only I'm sorry [TS]

00:31:26 ◼   ► so generally positive thoughts about [TS]

00:31:27 ◼   ► about human division you're going to [TS]

00:31:29 ◼   ► read the next one at some point i'll [TS]

00:31:32 ◼   ► totally read the next one I Drive your [TS]

00:31:34 ◼   ► weekly or where you read it at the end i [TS]

00:31:36 ◼   ► will probably read it weekly because i [TS]

00:31:38 ◼   ► had lack willpower huh that's what he's [TS]

00:31:41 ◼   ► counting on that's what that's how [TS]

00:31:42 ◼   ► schools to get you [TS]

00:31:43 ◼   ► that's right that extra three dollars i [TS]

00:31:45 ◼   ► gave him with her just get confusion and [TS]

00:31:47 ◼   ► these are like me and then you could [TS]

00:31:49 ◼   ► read it all at once and not realize that [TS]

00:31:50 ◼   ► I am fusion you and fuchsia yeah it's [TS]

00:31:55 ◼   ► great [TS]

00:31:56 ◼   ► over the next hour the next college I [TS]

00:31:58 ◼   ► you know this is the thing he is just [TS]

00:32:00 ◼   ► even at his laziest or the times we [TS]

00:32:03 ◼   ► don't like him as much because of [TS]

00:32:04 ◼   ► whatever devices are plots using he's a [TS]

00:32:06 ◼   ► really terrific writer like I like to i [TS]

00:32:08 ◼   ► mean i think i will want to reading [TS]

00:32:09 ◼   ► everything he's written at some point I [TS]

00:32:11 ◼   ► don't think anyone's tried to wave me [TS]

00:32:13 ◼   ► off anything in particular because I've [TS]

00:32:15 ◼   ► like every area of like everything is [TS]

00:32:17 ◼   ► written we just you know he writes he [TS]

00:32:18 ◼   ► writes well and i'll come back you know [TS]

00:32:20 ◼   ► i'll come back to it and and i'll be the [TS]

00:32:23 ◼   ► next week I want to know what happens in [TS]

00:32:25 ◼   ► all kinds of crazy stuff is happening at [TS]

00:32:26 ◼   ► the end and i'm still inches not like [TS]

00:32:28 ◼   ► crazy stuff oh who cares it's crazy [TS]

00:32:30 ◼   ► stuff and tell me what happened more [TS]

00:32:33 ◼   ► crazy stuff please mark crazy stuff with [TS]

00:32:35 ◼   ► our little friends without president say [TS]

00:32:37 ◼   ► hello to our little friends [TS]

00:32:38 ◼   ► yes all right we're gonna move on then [TS]

00:32:42 ◼   ► and we're gonna leave John Scalzi behind [TS]

00:32:45 ◼   ► and we're going to talk about shorts to [TS]

00:32:46 ◼   ► Rachel but before we do that I would [TS]

00:32:48 ◼   ► like to tell you you you listeners and [TS]

00:32:51 ◼   ► also you panelists you can listen to [TS]

00:32:53 ◼   ► about our sponsor because we do have a [TS]

00:32:55 ◼   ► sponsor and it is it once again the fine [TS]

00:32:57 ◼   ► people at audible they are the leading [TS]

00:33:00 ◼   ► providers of downloadable audiobooks [TS]

00:33:02 ◼   ► more than a hundred thousand different [TS]

00:33:04 ◼   ► titles in virtually every genre [TS]

00:33:06 ◼   ► including of course science fiction [TS]

00:33:08 ◼   ► basically if you want to listen to [TS]

00:33:10 ◼   ► inaudible has it you can listen to [TS]

00:33:11 ◼   ► audiobooks anytime anywhere on your [TS]

00:33:13 ◼   ► iPhone your iPad on your computer on [TS]

00:33:16 ◼   ► your kindle if it's got one of those [TS]

00:33:18 ◼   ► headphone jacks [TS]

00:33:19 ◼   ► you can do it [TS]

00:33:20 ◼   ► and so audible is going to offer the [TS]

00:33:24 ◼   ► uncomfortable listeners a free audiobook [TS]

00:33:26 ◼   ► I know it sounds crazy but it's true you [TS]

00:33:30 ◼   ► sign up for a 30-day trial you get a [TS]

00:33:31 ◼   ► free book there i think i heard gasps [TS]

00:33:34 ◼   ► from the pants that exciting and you go [TS]

00:33:38 ◼   ► to you go to here's how it works you go [TS]

00:33:39 ◼   ► to www podcast.com slash icomparable to [TS]

00:33:44 ◼   ► take advantage of this offer sign up for [TS]

00:33:45 ◼   ► the 30-day trial and you get a free book [TS]

00:33:48 ◼   ► for example the human division by john [TS]

00:33:52 ◼   ► scalzi is available on audible and you [TS]

00:33:54 ◼   ► can get that as an audiobook it's [TS]

00:33:55 ◼   ► narrated by the same narrator who has [TS]

00:33:57 ◼   ► narrated all of the old man old man's [TS]

00:34:00 ◼   ► war series for audible so if you wanted [TS]

00:34:04 ◼   ► you could start with the very first book [TS]

00:34:06 ◼   ► old man's war or start with the human [TS]

00:34:08 ◼   ► division could I listened to a weekly [TS]

00:34:10 ◼   ► you could you could listen to one [TS]

00:34:12 ◼   ► chapter and then press pause go away [TS]

00:34:14 ◼   ► come back [TS]

00:34:15 ◼   ► listen to another chapter that's the [TS]

00:34:16 ◼   ► beauty of it do you guys have any any [TS]

00:34:18 ◼   ► suggestions for books that people should [TS]

00:34:20 ◼   ► look up if they're gonna have a free [TS]

00:34:22 ◼   ► book on audible if you're looking for a [TS]

00:34:24 ◼   ► series that you could really just sink [TS]

00:34:27 ◼   ► your teeth into I like this alternate [TS]

00:34:30 ◼   ► trucks homes series by lori king it's [TS]

00:34:32 ◼   ► surprisingly good so it got its got a [TS]

00:34:34 ◼   ► little weaker is going on but it starts [TS]

00:34:36 ◼   ► with the beekeepers apprentice which is [TS]

00:34:38 ◼   ► in fact available on audible and a [TS]

00:34:41 ◼   ► bridge form very very long very good [TS]

00:34:43 ◼   ► story and it tracks the story of this [TS]

00:34:47 ◼   ► woman Mary Russell who is apparently [TS]

00:34:48 ◼   ► kind of becomes a protégé of home [TS]

00:34:51 ◼   ► she's brilliant totally brilliant and [TS]

00:34:54 ◼   ► eventually they she grows up and things [TS]

00:34:56 ◼   ► changed between them but I think she's [TS]

00:34:57 ◼   ► in like that version like a number eight [TS]

00:35:00 ◼   ► or nine in the series our farther and [TS]

00:35:02 ◼   ► farther than that i think yeah I think [TS]

00:35:04 ◼   ► he's up to Class A 10 [TS]

00:35:05 ◼   ► I think I've right all of them they're [TS]

00:35:07 ◼   ► really terrific because she really gets [TS]

00:35:09 ◼   ► homes and the Mary Russell character [TS]

00:35:11 ◼   ► looks like as well [TS]

00:35:13 ◼   ► 12 I'm like there's a lot I know but [TS]

00:35:15 ◼   ► it's so it's just I think it's a great [TS]

00:35:16 ◼   ► series and if you love sherlock holmes [TS]

00:35:19 ◼   ► she is a true to it even with all the [TS]

00:35:21 ◼   ► changes she makes she gets I think the [TS]

00:35:23 ◼   ► character very well it's the best [TS]

00:35:25 ◼   ► telling I mean I think your game is the [TS]

00:35:26 ◼   ► only other person I've read has written [TS]

00:35:28 ◼   ► homes in [TS]

00:35:30 ◼   ► you outside of the cannon that really [TS]

00:35:32 ◼   ► gets his nature so listen to that [TS]

00:35:34 ◼   ► audible the beekeepers apprentice by [TS]

00:35:37 ◼   ► Lori rking dan do you have a any audible [TS]

00:35:41 ◼   ► recommendations [TS]

00:35:41 ◼   ► I you know I was just browsing through [TS]

00:35:43 ◼   ► when we were talking about this at the [TS]

00:35:45 ◼   ► beginning of the show i'm not a huge [TS]

00:35:46 ◼   ► audiobook person but i came across one [TS]

00:35:50 ◼   ► of my old favorites which is kind of a [TS]

00:35:51 ◼   ► guilty pleasure and that is the the [TS]

00:35:54 ◼   ► first sort of major star wars book [TS]

00:35:57 ◼   ► written after the original trilogy which [TS]

00:36:00 ◼   ► is Timothy Zahn's heir to the empire and [TS]

00:36:03 ◼   ► and i love this book it's kind of cheesy [TS]

00:36:05 ◼   ► it reminds me of skulls in some way and [TS]

00:36:06 ◼   ► then it's like a good sort of adventure [TS]

00:36:08 ◼   ► story and it's one of the good series of [TS]

00:36:10 ◼   ► Star Wars novels that was written [TS]

00:36:12 ◼   ► afterward there aren't that many [TS]

00:36:13 ◼   ► features a humanoid of a different hue [TS]

00:36:16 ◼   ► as well indeed all these works [TS]

00:36:18 ◼   ► indeed and what I i actually really like [TS]

00:36:20 ◼   ► the villain in that series you but i [TS]

00:36:22 ◼   ► will say that what as i was browsing [TS]

00:36:23 ◼   ► through what caught my eye is that the [TS]

00:36:26 ◼   ► the the audiobook is a narrated by Denis [TS]

00:36:30 ◼   ► Lawson who is not only you and my [TS]

00:36:31 ◼   ► great-uncle but also plays the part of [TS]

00:36:33 ◼   ► Wedge Antilles in the Star Wars movies [TS]

00:36:35 ◼   ► and is it has a delightful Scottish [TS]

00:36:37 ◼   ► accent which is like three wins in 10 so [TS]

00:36:41 ◼   ► he he reads the abridged version and [TS]

00:36:44 ◼   ► then there's also another bridge version [TS]

00:36:45 ◼   ► so you can take your pick is can I sort [TS]

00:36:47 ◼   ► by accident audible can i say i only [TS]

00:36:49 ◼   ► want Scott's especially a good like [TS]

00:36:52 ◼   ► three deep Scott's I'd like that would [TS]

00:36:54 ◼   ► be a good feature I i haven't narrated [TS]

00:36:56 ◼   ► any books for audible yet or just a Scot [TS]

00:36:59 ◼   ► if somebody named Scott would do Scott [TS]

00:37:01 ◼   ► do you have it an audio book [TS]

00:37:02 ◼   ► recommendation [TS]

00:37:04 ◼   ► well I just finished the third book in [TS]

00:37:06 ◼   ► the milkweed triptych which is a [TS]

00:37:09 ◼   ► alternate history basically the idea is [TS]

00:37:12 ◼   ► what if the Nazis had don't want to [TS]

00:37:15 ◼   ► bring up Nazis all the time [TS]

00:37:16 ◼   ► what if the Nazis had psychic super [TS]

00:37:19 ◼   ► soldiers this is this is the the entry [TS]

00:37:21 ◼   ► Gillis's begin with better seats we I [TS]

00:37:23 ◼   ► think we made i mentioned this this the [TS]

00:37:25 ◼   ► first book in that series in our first [TS]

00:37:26 ◼   ► episode we may have BS Glenn I thinks [TS]

00:37:29 ◼   ► cast scorn upon it i read it well it got [TS]

00:37:31 ◼   ► worse and worse Admiral December this [TS]

00:37:33 ◼   ► equal to like the sequel [TS]

00:37:35 ◼   ► well this is the third so I read all the [TS]

00:37:37 ◼   ► different i said do you remember the [TS]

00:37:39 ◼   ► sequel I do i do [TS]

00:37:41 ◼   ► they're they're good so yeah basically [TS]

00:37:43 ◼   ► is the Nazis kind of second super [TS]

00:37:45 ◼   ► soldiers and the English have a warlocks [TS]

00:37:48 ◼   ► that don't make no blood prices to these [TS]

00:37:53 ◼   ► demons to do things and it gets it is [TS]

00:37:55 ◼   ► very interesting i won't ruin the third [TS]

00:37:57 ◼   ► book is basically is probably the best [TS]

00:38:00 ◼   ► of the three and it is a very [TS]

00:38:02 ◼   ► interesting perspective on it so let's [TS]

00:38:05 ◼   ► start with the first start with bitter [TS]

00:38:06 ◼   ► small three honorable and you'll have to [TS]

00:38:09 ◼   ► buy the other two but they're worth the [TS]

00:38:11 ◼   ► money or you just stay on audible and i [TS]

00:38:13 ◼   ► think you get a new book every month so [TS]

00:38:15 ◼   ► you have listened to that night to keep [TS]

00:38:16 ◼   ► one with the subscription you can buy [TS]

00:38:18 ◼   ► others that that's right the first ones [TS]

00:38:20 ◼   ► free and then you keep paying and then [TS]

00:38:21 ◼   ► you do you get them all over three [TS]

00:38:23 ◼   ► months [TS]

00:38:23 ◼   ► this is good i personally don't have to [TS]

00:38:25 ◼   ► commute but I know people who do who are [TS]

00:38:27 ◼   ► great consumers of this because [TS]

00:38:29 ◼   ► absolutely a lot of time on the road so [TS]

00:38:31 ◼   ► where we if the listen to being [TS]

00:38:32 ◼   ► comfortable is not enough for you then [TS]

00:38:34 ◼   ► you add in these books and then you just [TS]

00:38:35 ◼   ► keep on keep on jogging or walking on [TS]

00:38:38 ◼   ► the treadmill or driving in your car so [TS]

00:38:41 ◼   ► once again to support the podcast and [TS]

00:38:43 ◼   ► get a free book it's very simple audible [TS]

00:38:46 ◼   ► podcast.com slash uncomfortable [TS]

00:38:49 ◼   ► alright let's move on that was our [TS]

00:38:52 ◼   ► commercial announcement is very exciting [TS]

00:38:55 ◼   ► yes many books many books are available [TS]

00:38:57 ◼   ► on another book it's amazing it's like [TS]

00:39:00 ◼   ► reading literally with your only with [TS]

00:39:02 ◼   ► your ears [TS]

00:39:03 ◼   ► that's right many books died to bring [TS]

00:39:05 ◼   ► you this podcast so so we are every year [TS]

00:39:08 ◼   ► we do our Hugo episode where we read the [TS]

00:39:10 ◼   ► novels this year will be no different [TS]

00:39:11 ◼   ► there are five nominated novels as [TS]

00:39:13 ◼   ► always we will read all 5 i've already [TS]

00:39:14 ◼   ► read all 5 as if I dan is going to read [TS]

00:39:18 ◼   ► the sum and other half is going to omit [TS]

00:39:21 ◼   ► and in glen is gonna take a shot at i [TS]

00:39:23 ◼   ► have read 1.3 all that planning 3 i'm [TS]

00:39:26 ◼   ► going to apply as its as we tape this [TS]

00:39:28 ◼   ► podcast we're going to lie soon and I'm [TS]

00:39:30 ◼   ► bringing in the books with me okay we'll [TS]

00:39:32 ◼   ► come back with them read all right so [TS]

00:39:34 ◼   ► that we're going to have that we record [TS]

00:39:35 ◼   ► that in a few weeks [TS]

00:39:37 ◼   ► stay tuned we will be doing that but we [TS]

00:39:39 ◼   ► thought before before we do that we [TS]

00:39:42 ◼   ► would we would read the short stories [TS]

00:39:43 ◼   ► now some of these are available on on [TS]

00:39:45 ◼   ► the on the web and some of them aren't [TS]

00:39:47 ◼   ► linked to the ones that i can find on [TS]

00:39:49 ◼   ► the web in the show notes but we I [TS]

00:39:52 ◼   ► thought we talked about it because it's [TS]

00:39:53 ◼   ► so rare that we get a chance to talk [TS]

00:39:54 ◼   ► about [TS]

00:39:54 ◼   ► order fiction on the incomparable and [TS]

00:39:57 ◼   ► I'm a little disappointed last year [TS]

00:39:59 ◼   ► almost all the nominees ended up being [TS]

00:40:00 ◼   ► available for free on the web and that [TS]

00:40:02 ◼   ► hasn't happened this year which kind of [TS]

00:40:03 ◼   ► bugs me but do I look to me like there's [TS]

00:40:06 ◼   ► is there more of an effort to get those [TS]

00:40:07 ◼   ► out once the voting is done or is that [TS]

00:40:10 ◼   ► still that gets parole officer of herb [TS]

00:40:12 ◼   ► in print or what have you [TS]

00:40:14 ◼   ► last year i think they I think that [TS]

00:40:15 ◼   ► publishers made an effort to get them [TS]

00:40:18 ◼   ► freely available so people could read [TS]

00:40:19 ◼   ► them and talk about them and vote for [TS]

00:40:21 ◼   ► them and this year i think i think it [TS]

00:40:23 ◼   ► seems not so much [TS]

00:40:24 ◼   ► ok so there are three different [TS]

00:40:27 ◼   ► categories their short story novelette [TS]

00:40:28 ◼   ► and novella we were three short stories [TS]

00:40:32 ◼   ► nominated i think most of us read all [TS]

00:40:36 ◼   ► the short stories so we should probably [TS]

00:40:37 ◼   ► start there [TS]

00:40:39 ◼   ► let's see in no particular order [TS]

00:40:42 ◼   ► immersion by aliette did bowed our I [TS]

00:40:47 ◼   ► think her name is her him i don't even [TS]

00:40:49 ◼   ► know this is this this is her this is [TS]

00:40:52 ◼   ► the story of uh it's it's set on my god [TS]

00:40:56 ◼   ► is it a space station and there's a [TS]

00:40:59 ◼   ► technology called a Mercer that [TS]

00:41:01 ◼   ► basically overrides your visual [TS]

00:41:04 ◼   ► appearance and your personality with [TS]

00:41:06 ◼   ► with the with other memories and other [TS]

00:41:10 ◼   ► behaviors like a big universe that she's [TS]

00:41:12 ◼   ► just giving us a tiny slice that I don't [TS]

00:41:14 ◼   ► know she's written more in this space [TS]

00:41:16 ◼   ► and it's very interesting but if you're [TS]

00:41:18 ◼   ► getting like one one thousandth of a [TS]

00:41:20 ◼   ► percent and she keeps implying a lot of [TS]

00:41:23 ◼   ► things that you just don't know what [TS]

00:41:25 ◼   ► that the full picture is I i read these [TS]

00:41:28 ◼   ► stories you know so i read download 3 i [TS]

00:41:31 ◼   ► just read them in random order more or [TS]

00:41:33 ◼   ► less and I found that I liked coming in [TS]

00:41:36 ◼   ► increasing order as I went along and [TS]

00:41:38 ◼   ► this one was in the middle [TS]

00:41:39 ◼   ► ah interesting firmly in the middle i [TS]

00:41:41 ◼   ► would say so yeah like Glenn says I feel [TS]

00:41:45 ◼   ► like this is a part of a larger picture [TS]

00:41:47 ◼   ► I don't read a lot of short fiction i [TS]

00:41:49 ◼   ► read some what short fiction I do read I [TS]

00:41:51 ◼   ► think tends to be less often sci-fi and [TS]

00:41:53 ◼   ► more often something like a mystery [TS]

00:41:56 ◼   ► so like because I grew up reading track [TS]

00:41:57 ◼   ► home stories and Agatha Christie stories [TS]

00:41:59 ◼   ► and that kind of stuff and so you can [TS]

00:42:02 ◼   ► kind of get away with that because it's [TS]

00:42:03 ◼   ► got a very definite shape like a mystery [TS]

00:42:05 ◼   ► story in a book there's a mystery right [TS]

00:42:07 ◼   ► there's a [TS]

00:42:08 ◼   ► detective the detectives going to solve [TS]

00:42:09 ◼   ► the mystery at the end so there there's [TS]

00:42:12 ◼   ► something pleasing and you know [TS]

00:42:13 ◼   ► comforting about that whereas sci-fi [TS]

00:42:15 ◼   ► stories very often don't have you know [TS]

00:42:17 ◼   ► they they can be a little more abstract [TS]

00:42:19 ◼   ► or there's not quite such a defined [TS]

00:42:21 ◼   ► formula right and so this one it did [TS]

00:42:24 ◼   ► very much feel like a slice of a larger [TS]

00:42:27 ◼   ► work to me I mean there is sort of a [TS]

00:42:28 ◼   ► thread but you've got this the strange [TS]

00:42:30 ◼   ► dueling narrative including one that's [TS]

00:42:32 ◼   ► in the second person that's an unusual [TS]

00:42:34 ◼   ► look which took a little time to get [TS]

00:42:37 ◼   ► used to and it's sort of comes to a head [TS]

00:42:39 ◼   ► towards the end but at the same time I [TS]

00:42:44 ◼   ► felt like I you know I came out of it [TS]

00:42:46 ◼   ► and thought about it for a little bit [TS]

00:42:47 ◼   ► and it was like I'm not really sure what [TS]

00:42:48 ◼   ► you're going for here is this not story [TS]

00:42:51 ◼   ► would have been a strong candidate for [TS]

00:42:54 ◼   ► the James Tiptree jr. water that was [TS]

00:42:57 ◼   ► still being offered because it's one of [TS]

00:42:58 ◼   ► these things about it's a metaphor for [TS]

00:43:00 ◼   ► woman's identity although it's caffeine [TS]

00:43:02 ◼   ► is a broader thing to me man also use [TS]

00:43:04 ◼   ► the Mercer's but they seem to have less [TS]

00:43:06 ◼   ► trouble with them and women get subsumed [TS]

00:43:09 ◼   ► should i know there's an implicit in [TS]

00:43:11 ◼   ► that women tend to get this one going to [TS]

00:43:12 ◼   ► suggest this wife gets completely taken [TS]

00:43:14 ◼   ► over by her mercer and the husband seems [TS]

00:43:17 ◼   ► quite sad about it but but she's turned [TS]

00:43:20 ◼   ► left onto longer turn it up too long as [TS]

00:43:22 ◼   ► you wanted to fit in and she's she's not [TS]

00:43:24 ◼   ► of his race and uh and she's she's a [TS]

00:43:29 ◼   ► native of this station or planet or [TS]

00:43:31 ◼   ► wherever there are that were there when [TS]

00:43:33 ◼   ► the story takes place and so it that's [TS]

00:43:36 ◼   ► one of the interesting things about the [TS]

00:43:37 ◼   ► two different narratives we got the [TS]

00:43:38 ◼   ► people who are working there or that or [TS]

00:43:40 ◼   ► the narratives of it and then that [TS]

00:43:42 ◼   ► you've got this woman who's been [TS]

00:43:43 ◼   ► completely lost yourself and and where [TS]

00:43:46 ◼   ► we're seeing that dynamic but we're also [TS]

00:43:48 ◼   ► seeing the strange technology and trying [TS]

00:43:50 ◼   ► to figure out what the Mercer really [TS]

00:43:52 ◼   ► means and it's it starts out as being [TS]

00:43:54 ◼   ► almost like a hint sort of thing that [TS]

00:43:55 ◼   ► struck me as like well you know like you [TS]

00:43:57 ◼   ► what fingers you extend when you pick up [TS]

00:43:59 ◼   ► your teacup it's sort of like it'll tell [TS]

00:44:01 ◼   ► you all of those things but if you all [TS]

00:44:03 ◼   ► you do is ever listen to the Mercer you [TS]

00:44:05 ◼   ► completely lose who you are as a person [TS]

00:44:06 ◼   ► and you're just basically a robot [TS]

00:44:08 ◼   ► repeating the orders of the of the of [TS]

00:44:10 ◼   ► them the Mercer which seems to be what [TS]

00:44:12 ◼   ► happens to the characters like someone [TS]

00:44:14 ◼   ► who played too much wow who or that game [TS]

00:44:17 ◼   ► one start with the next to that she can [TS]

00:44:19 ◼   ► I feel like that game comes up in every [TS]

00:44:21 ◼   ► single [TS]

00:44:22 ◼   ► every single icomparable episode that's [TS]

00:44:23 ◼   ► because that's because that's an [TS]

00:44:25 ◼   ► excellent episode with actually genocide [TS]

00:44:27 ◼   ► scares the crap out of me as a kid [TS]

00:44:28 ◼   ► Scott what did you think well I liked [TS]

00:44:33 ◼   ► this short story a lot I I liked the [TS]

00:44:36 ◼   ► fact that it just kind of started and [TS]

00:44:38 ◼   ► you were kind of lost and didn't even [TS]

00:44:41 ◼   ► know what anniversary was which seems [TS]

00:44:42 ◼   ► important since it's the middle of the [TS]

00:44:44 ◼   ► short stories emerged inversion a new [TS]

00:44:47 ◼   ► kind of our are confused for a while and [TS]

00:44:50 ◼   ► then it kind of clicks at the end I [TS]

00:44:52 ◼   ► thought was very effective I she also [TS]

00:44:54 ◼   ► wrote one of the novellas that are is [TS]

00:44:57 ◼   ► nominated and I feel like she has a good [TS]

00:45:01 ◼   ► talent for kind of creating what seems [TS]

00:45:05 ◼   ► like a very well-thought-out world in a [TS]

00:45:09 ◼   ► very compressed amount of space in with [TS]

00:45:13 ◼   ► a few words i kind of feel like there's [TS]

00:45:15 ◼   ► a fully flashed world back there I don't [TS]

00:45:16 ◼   ► know a lot about it but I feel like [TS]

00:45:18 ◼   ► there's depth to it that I haven't seen [TS]

00:45:20 ◼   ► it's not like it's like a it's not a [TS]

00:45:22 ◼   ► soap bubble I feel like it's it's it's [TS]

00:45:25 ◼   ► fully fleshed out even if i'm only [TS]

00:45:27 ◼   ► getting this little slice [TS]

00:45:28 ◼   ► yeah i agree i i i didn't love this one [TS]

00:45:32 ◼   ► but I liked it [TS]

00:45:33 ◼   ► what's so another one is a there are [TS]

00:45:38 ◼   ► three short story nominees mantis wives [TS]

00:45:40 ◼   ► bike is Johnson this is interesting kiss [TS]

00:45:43 ◼   ► Johnson I recognize the name and I [TS]

00:45:44 ◼   ► looked I looked her up [TS]

00:45:46 ◼   ► this is a this is a woman author as well [TS]

00:45:48 ◼   ► and she wrote a novella that was [TS]

00:45:53 ◼   ► nominated last year that i liked a great [TS]

00:45:55 ◼   ► deal called the man who bridge the mist [TS]

00:45:57 ◼   ► liked it a lot [TS]

00:45:59 ◼   ► she also was nominated for the nebula [TS]

00:46:05 ◼   ► and Hugo I think she won the Nobel for a [TS]

00:46:08 ◼   ► short story called ponies which I [TS]

00:46:10 ◼   ► despised so i didn't know what i was [TS]

00:46:13 ◼   ► going to think about mantis wives was [TS]

00:46:14 ◼   ► the pony one ponies about vampire [TS]

00:46:16 ◼   ► unicorns no no that's another thing it [TS]

00:46:18 ◼   ► was it was the the ponies they kill each [TS]

00:46:20 ◼   ► other and it's awful and I mean I was [TS]

00:46:22 ◼   ► service vehicle but I didn't like it at [TS]

00:46:24 ◼   ► all [TS]

00:46:25 ◼   ► ya see well it was good i didn't like it [TS]

00:46:28 ◼   ► but I was really rich [TS]

00:46:30 ◼   ► yeah that's true but I feel like this [TS]

00:46:33 ◼   ► one suffers from the problem of people [TS]

00:46:37 ◼   ► how authors who sometimes go into [TS]

00:46:39 ◼   ► stories feeling like I am going to say [TS]

00:46:42 ◼   ► something with capital esas uh-huh and [TS]

00:46:45 ◼   ► get just there [TS]

00:46:48 ◼   ► I did not feel like there's a story here [TS]

00:46:50 ◼   ► no this this red like this reminded me [TS]

00:46:52 ◼   ► of the sort of things that got submitted [TS]

00:46:55 ◼   ► to me when I was everything intertext [TS]

00:46:57 ◼   ► the fiction magazine many years ago and [TS]

00:46:59 ◼   ► i would read this and think there are [TS]

00:47:00 ◼   ► many clever ideas here this reads more [TS]

00:47:02 ◼   ► like a summary or a a blister bullet [TS]

00:47:06 ◼   ► points of ideas the idea here is that [TS]

00:47:08 ◼   ► there are these these mantis people and [TS]

00:47:11 ◼   ► may the women eat their mates like [TS]

00:47:14 ◼   ► mantises do and they come up with all [TS]

00:47:17 ◼   ► sorts of different ways of doing it [TS]

00:47:18 ◼   ► because they're intelligent and they [TS]

00:47:19 ◼   ► have this culture and I I again it just [TS]

00:47:22 ◼   ► came across to me like it's clever but [TS]

00:47:24 ◼   ► it's not really a story it's just some [TS]

00:47:26 ◼   ► ideas on the back of a napkin [TS]

00:47:29 ◼   ► it's a little too clever for its own [TS]

00:47:31 ◼   ► good to two things that has one of the [TS]

00:47:33 ◼   ► best opening sentences [TS]

00:47:35 ◼   ► eventually the Mantis women discovered [TS]

00:47:37 ◼   ► that killing their husbands was not [TS]

00:47:39 ◼   ► inseparable from the getting of young i [TS]

00:47:41 ◼   ► just i read that a bunch of times and [TS]

00:47:43 ◼   ► the rest of the story didn't fulfill me [TS]

00:47:44 ◼   ► the same way that first sentence did it [TS]

00:47:46 ◼   ► was beautifully constructed the other is [TS]

00:47:48 ◼   ► this the kind of thing that got [TS]

00:47:49 ◼   ► published a lot in the nineteen [TS]

00:47:50 ◼   ► seventies and those like brave new [TS]

00:47:52 ◼   ► fiction dangerous visions that was like [TS]

00:47:55 ◼   ► stuff that was so challenging I'm like [TS]

00:47:57 ◼   ► well I'm going to be challenged by this [TS]

00:47:59 ◼   ► anymore because I can read all kinds of [TS]

00:48:00 ◼   ► experimental we have exposure to so much [TS]

00:48:03 ◼   ► more kinds of stuff i kinda I thought [TS]

00:48:04 ◼   ► this was amusing it was like an [TS]

00:48:06 ◼   ► amuse-bouche like a little thing you [TS]

00:48:08 ◼   ► read very quickly haha but it didn't [TS]

00:48:09 ◼   ► hold up as a story anyway in intertext [TS]

00:48:12 ◼   ► we always had the short must be [TS]

00:48:14 ◼   ► spectacular rule we called it which is [TS]

00:48:16 ◼   ► short short short stories were fine but [TS]

00:48:19 ◼   ► every word counts and you've got if [TS]

00:48:21 ◼   ► you're going to write a [TS]

00:48:21 ◼   ► five-hundred-word story it needs to blow [TS]

00:48:24 ◼   ► us away and that i was reminded of that [TS]

00:48:27 ◼   ► like three minutes and thought this is [TS]

00:48:29 ◼   ► very short [TS]

00:48:30 ◼   ► it didn't blow me away but at least to [TS]

00:48:32 ◼   ► issue it was your half-sister but it [TS]

00:48:35 ◼   ► raises the bar right there wasn't much [TS]

00:48:37 ◼   ► what there was a bit [TS]

00:48:38 ◼   ► yeah the Mantis wives don't eat in small [TS]

00:48:40 ◼   ► portions but they do start with the head [TS]

00:48:43 ◼   ► so that's nice to give them that yeah [TS]

00:48:46 ◼   ► Scott what did you think I thought was [TS]

00:48:49 ◼   ► interesting i don't understand why it [TS]

00:48:50 ◼   ► was nominated yet uh I thought you I'm [TS]

00:48:53 ◼   ► not said that i read it it was that it [TS]

00:48:55 ◼   ► was bored [TS]

00:48:56 ◼   ► uh I thought it was amusing as i read it [TS]

00:48:59 ◼   ► but then I thought why did I refit yeah [TS]

00:49:02 ◼   ► yep alright so that takes us to can lose [TS]

00:49:07 ◼   ► story mono RA which is a from an [TS]

00:49:12 ◼   ► anthology called the future is Japanese [TS]

00:49:14 ◼   ► and i love this one [TS]

00:49:17 ◼   ► yeah it was great yeah this is my [TS]

00:49:18 ◼   ► favorite of the three by here it's a [TS]

00:49:20 ◼   ► story about a spaceship a generational [TS]

00:49:22 ◼   ► spaceship it's a story about the [TS]

00:49:26 ◼   ► apocalypse essentially the end of the [TS]

00:49:27 ◼   ► world on earth and this one character [TS]

00:49:30 ◼   ► who is a boy as the earth is being [TS]

00:49:32 ◼   ► destroyed essentially who ends up being [TS]

00:49:35 ◼   ► the only Japanese person on this [TS]

00:49:38 ◼   ► American spaceship that's going to [TS]

00:49:39 ◼   ► another star and it's going to take [TS]

00:49:41 ◼   ► hundreds of years to get their wonderful [TS]

00:49:43 ◼   ► it has like everything it has lying [TS]

00:49:45 ◼   ► government contractors Japanese nobility [TS]

00:49:48 ◼   ► and if an affair [TS]

00:49:50 ◼   ► yes secrets giant huge solar sails [TS]

00:49:54 ◼   ► multi-generational spaceships [TS]

00:49:57 ◼   ► yeah I it is the scene that we're so as [TS]

00:50:02 ◼   ► we learn as this goes the everybody [TS]

00:50:05 ◼   ► everybody sures the population of Earth [TS]

00:50:07 ◼   ► at the the spaceships are going to be [TS]

00:50:09 ◼   ► ready and it turns out it was all the [TS]

00:50:11 ◼   ► contractors like spec spend it all on [TS]

00:50:13 ◼   ► hookers and and gin because fear would [TS]

00:50:17 ◼   ► actually happen because the world's [TS]

00:50:18 ◼   ► gonna end anyway so what the hell [TS]

00:50:20 ◼   ► and so the spaceships don't work and so [TS]

00:50:22 ◼   ► almost everybody dies on earth but but [TS]

00:50:24 ◼   ► uh with a creator of the the escape [TS]

00:50:27 ◼   ► their one real escape spaceship that [TS]

00:50:29 ◼   ► launches before that you know chaos [TS]

00:50:31 ◼   ► consumes the world is is the ex [TS]

00:50:36 ◼   ► boyfriend or lover of this kid's mom and [TS]

00:50:42 ◼   ► there's the scene it brought me to tears [TS]

00:50:44 ◼   ► the scene where the mom takes him down [TS]

00:50:48 ◼   ► to the embassy basically to give her son [TS]

00:50:51 ◼   ► to this this guy to force her son on [TS]

00:50:55 ◼   ► this guy and say you're not gonna run [TS]

00:50:56 ◼   ► away with me on your spaceship [TS]

00:50:58 ◼   ► I want you to save my son's life and [TS]

00:51:00 ◼   ► then the father comes and and he sees [TS]

00:51:02 ◼   ► the father and they and there's kind of [TS]

00:51:04 ◼   ► this nod of recognition and the parents [TS]

00:51:06 ◼   ► watches their son goes away and they're [TS]

00:51:08 ◼   ► never gonna see him again it's it's just [TS]

00:51:10 ◼   ► it's in in not a lot of pages it's [TS]

00:51:13 ◼   ► really quite touching [TS]

00:51:15 ◼   ► yeah it's the kind of thing that the [TS]

00:51:17 ◼   ► fellow we talked about the whole episode [TS]

00:51:18 ◼   ► 4 and as is my won't i can't remember [TS]

00:51:21 ◼   ► his name [TS]

00:51:22 ◼   ► ted chang who air rights these things it [TS]

00:51:25 ◼   ► happened i remembered it's a miracle he [TS]

00:51:27 ◼   ► has that it's a very similar gift of a [TS]

00:51:30 ◼   ► few strokes it's like that he just puts [TS]

00:51:33 ◼   ► his brush on the paper and every brush [TS]

00:51:35 ◼   ► tells you a lifetime and you're done and [TS]

00:51:38 ◼   ► you think [TS]

00:51:39 ◼   ► how's that i read a story this kind of [TS]

00:51:41 ◼   ► story that was this short and yet I know [TS]

00:51:43 ◼   ► this much about everyone involved in all [TS]

00:51:45 ◼   ► the characters in the world [TS]

00:51:47 ◼   ► yeah and I mean yeah I and it was one of [TS]

00:51:51 ◼   ► those things where you could see the [TS]

00:51:52 ◼   ► ending kinda telegraphed sure [TS]

00:51:54 ◼   ► uh-huh but at the same time you know [TS]

00:51:56 ◼   ► despite that you it makes you think [TS]

00:51:58 ◼   ► right and that's that is that is the [TS]

00:52:00 ◼   ► goal of great stories it makes you think [TS]

00:52:02 ◼   ► like well what if it were what if it [TS]

00:52:03 ◼   ► were me in that situation what I be [TS]

00:52:05 ◼   ► willing to do that you know and I don't [TS]

00:52:08 ◼   ► know it'sit's I thought it was well put [TS]

00:52:10 ◼   ► together i thought this was a character [TS]

00:52:11 ◼   ► who you know you inhabit just long [TS]

00:52:14 ◼   ► enough to realize like that everything [TS]

00:52:15 ◼   ► that they do is realistic to a certain [TS]

00:52:20 ◼   ► extent right you know despite the fact [TS]

00:52:21 ◼   ► that it's an outlandish setting its [TS]

00:52:24 ◼   ► there's something true about that [TS]

00:52:26 ◼   ► character scott i'm coming to you [TS]

00:52:29 ◼   ► because you won't say it unless I ask [TS]

00:52:31 ◼   ► don't tell me Scott [TS]

00:52:33 ◼   ► well I think it could have used a little [TS]

00:52:36 ◼   ► more mantis but other than that huh [TS]

00:52:38 ◼   ► or maybe just wanted more met this belt [TS]

00:52:41 ◼   ► now I thought this is uh the story that [TS]

00:52:45 ◼   ► will get my vote yeah i think it was i [TS]

00:52:49 ◼   ► like to immersion a lot but i thought [TS]

00:52:51 ◼   ► this one was better [TS]

00:52:55 ◼   ► yeah it was it was touching it had a [TS]

00:52:58 ◼   ► you know the the self-sacrifice the [TS]

00:53:01 ◼   ► family sacrifice i loved the the way [TS]

00:53:04 ◼   ► that the Japanese people reacted they [TS]

00:53:07 ◼   ► were you know all very calm about this [TS]

00:53:09 ◼   ► the world is going to end but we have to [TS]

00:53:10 ◼   ► line up in our assigned places and just [TS]

00:53:13 ◼   ► wait because the government has promised [TS]

00:53:15 ◼   ► us that these spaceships are going to [TS]

00:53:17 ◼   ► take us away and they wouldn't lie to us [TS]

00:53:18 ◼   ► and then of course the prime minister [TS]

00:53:20 ◼   ► after several days of people sitting [TS]

00:53:22 ◼   ► around says uh by the way the spaceships [TS]

00:53:24 ◼   ► don't work and everyone just went home [TS]

00:53:27 ◼   ► and I thought well yeah that's that's [TS]

00:53:31 ◼   ► what else do you do you just go home i [TS]

00:53:33 ◼   ► suppose but yeah i really i really [TS]

00:53:35 ◼   ► enjoyed it and it's only 132 pages i [TS]

00:53:38 ◼   ► read about 20 minutes [TS]

00:53:39 ◼   ► I like the the main characters a [TS]

00:53:41 ◼   ► conundrum about trying to teach the [TS]

00:53:43 ◼   ► people on the spaceship about Japan and [TS]

00:53:45 ◼   ► he feels this way to that he is the only [TS]

00:53:47 ◼   ► Japanese person left alive that he needs [TS]

00:53:50 ◼   ► and he was just a little kid when he [TS]

00:53:51 ◼   ► left Japan but he's got to do you know [TS]

00:53:54 ◼   ► he's got this burden of trying to uphold [TS]

00:53:55 ◼   ► his this entire culture that he barely [TS]

00:53:58 ◼   ► understands himself I father was a [TS]

00:53:59 ◼   ► really nice you know there's just a lot [TS]

00:54:01 ◼   ► there in very very few words there's a [TS]

00:54:03 ◼   ► whole lot in this store trying to teach [TS]

00:54:05 ◼   ► the kids to play go [TS]

00:54:06 ◼   ► yeah I like that was nice touch this [TS]

00:54:09 ◼   ► boring yeah the stupid yeah I like that [TS]

00:54:11 ◼   ► it struck me is very like yeah this is [TS]

00:54:14 ◼   ► what kids would say yeah oh yeah alright [TS]

00:54:17 ◼   ► let's so who is born [TS]

00:54:18 ◼   ► let's move on to the novelettes I the [TS]

00:54:22 ◼   ► boy who cast no shadow by thomas old who [TS]

00:54:25 ◼   ► built who is a apparently a well-known [TS]

00:54:28 ◼   ► an award-winning Dutch novelist and this [TS]

00:54:30 ◼   ► is the first english-language thing he's [TS]

00:54:32 ◼   ► ever at least ever been recognized for [TS]

00:54:34 ◼   ► it anyway [TS]

00:54:35 ◼   ► the young man to his 493 according to [TS]

00:54:38 ◼   ► his body so the old is to be taken [TS]

00:54:41 ◼   ► lightly and this is a this is a strange [TS]

00:54:44 ◼   ► really fantasy story about a boy who [TS]

00:54:49 ◼   ► cast no shadow as in the title but it [TS]

00:54:52 ◼   ► you know much more interesting than that [TS]

00:54:53 ◼   ► is his friend who is made of glass who [TS]

00:54:55 ◼   ► is one of these glass boys and only boys [TS]

00:54:58 ◼   ► seem to be born with this it's a strange [TS]

00:55:01 ◼   ► genetic abnormality that causes them to [TS]

00:55:03 ◼   ► be made of glass like not metaphorically [TS]

00:55:05 ◼   ► or that syndrome where people have like [TS]

00:55:08 ◼   ► Samuel Jackson and unbreakable have [TS]

00:55:09 ◼   ► easily broken bones literally he has [TS]

00:55:12 ◼   ► made [TS]

00:55:12 ◼   ► glass he cries molten glass tears and if [TS]

00:55:16 ◼   ► you drop him he will shatter into a [TS]

00:55:18 ◼   ► million pieces of glass because he's [TS]

00:55:20 ◼   ► made of glass actual glass this is a [TS]

00:55:25 ◼   ► strange strange story metaphorically [TS]

00:55:27 ◼   ► though not actually he's not actually I [TS]

00:55:30 ◼   ► liked a lot of things about this story [TS]

00:55:31 ◼   ► you know i-i-i I felt like it almost [TS]

00:55:35 ◼   ► that the writer you know maybe he did it [TS]

00:55:39 ◼   ► on purpose but it felt to me almost as [TS]

00:55:40 ◼   ► if we were sort of supposed to we were [TS]

00:55:43 ◼   ► going to tell the story of the boy who [TS]

00:55:45 ◼   ► cast a shadow and in the end the glass [TS]

00:55:48 ◼   ► kid was more interesting so it was [TS]

00:55:49 ◼   ► really about the boy who cast a shadow [TS]

00:55:51 ◼   ► enabling the glass kid to see the world [TS]

00:55:55 ◼   ► and and have a good sort of end to his [TS]

00:55:57 ◼   ► life and that the fact that this boy [TS]

00:55:59 ◼   ► cast no shadow kind of wasn't relevant [TS]

00:56:02 ◼   ► at all he was there he was he enabled [TS]

00:56:06 ◼   ► the actual store yeah and it's nice that [TS]

00:56:08 ◼   ► there's a good title the Blue Castle [TS]

00:56:10 ◼   ► yeah and these are two you know [TS]

00:56:12 ◼   ► essentially they're they're Outsiders [TS]

00:56:15 ◼   ► there there there [TS]

00:56:17 ◼   ► unlike their friends the boy who cast a [TS]

00:56:20 ◼   ► shadow is also gay so he's ee an [TS]

00:56:23 ◼   ► outsider and struggles with that and [TS]

00:56:25 ◼   ► then then his friend is over protected [TS]

00:56:28 ◼   ► by his parents because you know he's [TS]

00:56:30 ◼   ► made of glass [TS]

00:56:31 ◼   ► I'm sure there are lots of there are [TS]

00:56:33 ◼   ► lots of of parallels you can draw I what [TS]

00:56:36 ◼   ► the story is really about it is he's [TS]

00:56:39 ◼   ► actually made of glass it's not just the [TS]

00:56:41 ◼   ► parents are being overprotective [TS]

00:56:42 ◼   ► uh but you know so i had moments where I [TS]

00:56:45 ◼   ► was like no you know why did she cast no [TS]

00:56:49 ◼   ► shadow what does that mean it probably [TS]

00:56:51 ◼   ► does mean something but there are also [TS]

00:56:53 ◼   ► moments in here that are really [TS]

00:56:54 ◼   ► beautiful about these friends and about [TS]

00:56:56 ◼   ► finding friendship in an unexpected [TS]

00:56:59 ◼   ► place and and and doing something for a [TS]

00:57:02 ◼   ► friend and pride trying to bring an [TS]

00:57:05 ◼   ► adventure [TS]

00:57:05 ◼   ► yeah and bring some meaning to [TS]

00:57:06 ◼   ► somebody's life who hasn't who's been [TS]

00:57:08 ◼   ► isolated and and I appreciated that even [TS]

00:57:11 ◼   ► though I'm not sure it worked on a [TS]

00:57:12 ◼   ► percent for me there's a sweet thing to [TS]

00:57:15 ◼   ► which is that like he really is made of [TS]

00:57:16 ◼   ► glass like it's not I mean it's a [TS]

00:57:18 ◼   ► metaphor I'm sure right there is some [TS]

00:57:19 ◼   ► expert but but he goes through all these [TS]

00:57:21 ◼   ► things he gets little cracks and they [TS]

00:57:22 ◼   ► get you never have to auto shop yah to [TS]

00:57:24 ◼   ► go to the auto glass [TS]

00:57:26 ◼   ► guy and I thought this great line is [TS]

00:57:28 ◼   ► there in Portugal yeah because I forget [TS]

00:57:30 ◼   ► the reason like having the porch like [TS]

00:57:32 ◼   ► old dutch writer there in Europe of [TS]

00:57:34 ◼   ► course yeah they took a train right this [TS]

00:57:35 ◼   ► is is this bit where says they're [TS]

00:57:37 ◼   ► wandering the streets he says an old [TS]

00:57:39 ◼   ► glass blower who is spoken for smoking [TS]

00:57:41 ◼   ► in front of his shot fell to his knees [TS]

00:57:42 ◼   ► and cried at the site of splinter the [TS]

00:57:44 ◼   ► nickname for the skin i smiled [TS]