We discuss the hottest film romance in genre fiction: Twilight! We love it. DM: Lori CW/TW: It's Twilight. Music by Pets of Belonging

This month we read Philip José Farmer's extended fart joke The Wind Whales of Ishmael. This episode is kinda ridiculous, which is fitting for a book which is also kinda ridiculous. We chatted for 15 minutes before we got into the book, as follows: 0:00-7:00ish - general chat and update on Haley's fava beans, as requested by listener Amber 7:00ish-1…

This month we read Mary Doria Russell's divisive novel The Sparrow. It's got a bit of everything - Jesuits, space travel, food, friendship, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and child murder. Amy is DM. Did we mention trigger warning? Yikes! CW/TW: see description above, and it's really serious so skip this one if you need to! We like you! By the way…

Friend of the pod Anne joined us and quizzed us on past episodes! We also discussed our favorite reads of 2023 and what we're looking forward to reading in 2024. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening!

Jason is a genius, Diane is a diamond, ED is a Lawton, and Carol is drunk. Our narrator - He's just Tyler. This month we read Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. We liked it! Lori is DM. Note: There is no actual discussion of eating disorders in this episode or in the book. One character is named ED, and his name is repeated one million times. Transcrip…

This month we read Roger Zelazny's classic Lord of Light. We did not like it, and we are sorry. DM: Haley References: The Nerantel Gem Episode Read the Nerantel Gem Jo Walton's Review Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging

This month we discussed Blood of the Dragon, which won George RR Martin the Hugo Award for best novella in 1997. Blood of the Dragon consists of the Daenerys chapters from Game of Thrones. You can read it here or here. DM: Amy CW/TW: It's Game of Thrones, so you know the deal: SA, SA, and more SA. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging…

WE WON A HUGO AWARD!

Hold on to your dirtypillows and don't forget to plug it up - spooky season is here! We read Carrie, Stephen King's 1974 debut novel. Lori is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Tor.com review Carrie on stephenking.com

This month we read The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge. We liked it. No further analysis! DM: Haley NOTE: Sound quality is bad. Amy was sick so we recorded remotely, and your friend Lori did a bad job adjusting the gain. For best results, use your crummiest headphones. Also, it's come to our attention that Joan's last name might be pronounced Ving-ee, …

This month we read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, and boy howdy is it ever a Mojo Dojo Casa House up there on Luna. We'll stay here on Earth, thanks. DM: Amy CW/TW: every expression of misogyny! Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: 7 Fictional Characters that Changed the World Cronkite Interview with Heinlein and C…

While we were discussing Connie Willis's 1999 Hugo winning novel To Say Nothing of the Dog, our memory card went kaput. We hope that you enjoy this somewhat disjointed discussion with an awkward break in the middle, because when we thought we'd lost the whole discussion, we almost abandoned ship! It must've been the net causing slippage. Lori is DM…

Turn down the volume because we're Hugo finalists again so it's about to get loud!! Hear us drink champagne and talk for 5 minutes about the special rocket-shaped cakes Lori made without ever actually describing them! Yay!! Congratulations to all the finalists! Check out the full list here.

This month we read T.H. White's retro Hugo winner for best novel, The Sword in the Stone. Digressions abound! Haley is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging

In this special episode, we celebrate the midpoint between Life Day 2022 and Life Day 2023 (it's Halfway to Life Day!) with a review of the Star Wars Life Day Cookbook by Chef Strono Tuggs. We were joined by friend and writer Ann Harris for an eclectic feast from a galaxy far, far away. This is a cookbook episode, so we're eating, and it sounds lik…

This month we discussed The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. We swam in a sea of metaphors and similes so you don't have to. But you might want to, because in spite of itself, this storm of words is good! DM: Amy Big thanks to Lori's cousin Sarah, who did a sensitivity edit for us, and wrote us such a banger of an email that we asked he…

This month we discussed Kate Wilhelm's 1977 Hugo winner, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. This is the second book in our accidental 2023 Clone Duology (after Cyteen), and it's pretty weird! This episode covers some important topics, such as whether sex between clones is more like incest or more like masturbation. DM: Lori CW/TW: Lots of weird sex s…

BIG NEWS: We're dropping our very first ALBUM!! We've curated all your favorite Sci Fi hits in one exclusive mix: The Hugo, Girl! Sounds of Sci Fi! Supplies are limited, so order yours now!

This month we discussed CJ Cherryh's hot em dash mess, Cyteen. Weighing in at 1 lb 10.7 ounces (or 757 grams), Cyteen is a whole lotta book, and we definitely read every page of it. SPOILER WARNING: There's a pretty uninteresting spoiler for Cyteen's sequel Regenesis, around the 45-46 minute mark. If you don't want to know who killed Ari, skip that…

This month we read Doomsday Book, Connie Willis's 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel. We had no idea it was going to be an eerily prescient pandemic story, with parallels to today, right down to the oft-mentioned toilet paper shortage. Necrotic! Amy is DM. Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging Links: Doomsday Book, the 1992 time-travel novel th…

This month we read Fritz Leiber's 1958 Hugo winner, The Big Time, which despite the cover art is not actually about a very tall lady. It was weird! DM: Lori Transcript Library Music by Pets of Belonging LINKS: 1958 Hugo Nominees by Jo Walton Fritz Leiber's 1982 Introduction Neil Gaiman's Review

This month we jacked into cyberpunk classic Neuromancer, by noted orange cat owner William Gibson. Neuromancer won the Philip K. Dick Award and the Nebula Award in 1984, and the Hugo for Best Novel in 1985. There's some fun stuff in there! We don't hate it! Your console cowboy for this episode is Haley. TW/CW: SA Links: Hard-Wired Traumas Scene fro…

It's the fourth and final installment of Novella-vember! That was a lot! Phew! For our last episode, we read The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson, which won the Hugo for best novella in 2013. Amy is DM.

It's week 3 of Novella-vember! This is the third installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read The Last of the Winnebagos by Connie Willis, which won the Hugo for best novella in 1989. Lori is DM.…

It's week 2 of Novella-vember! This is the second installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read Houston, Houston, Do You Read? by James Tiptree Jr., which won the Hugo for best novella in 1977. Haley is DM. CW/TW: sexual violence, brief discuss…

It's Novella-vember! This is the first installment in our series. We'll be releasing four weekly episodes in November, covering a Hugo Award-winning novella. For this week's episode, we read The Word for World is Forest, which won the Hugo for best novella in 1973. Amy is DM. CW/TW: sexual violence, murder, colonial violence, slavery, racism Transc…

It's time for our Halloween Spooktacular Special! We watched and discussed the 1997 sci-fi/horror film Event Horizon, which has some incredible practical effects and solid performances, and is also very nearly scary. DM: Kevin!! CW/TW: violence, body horror, discussion of gross/graphic injuries Episode transcripts available via: https://www.hugogir…

This month we read and discussed Samuel R. Delany's 1984 queer sci-fi masterpiece, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, chosen by our fundraiser winner and friend, Steven! It was wild and it was weird and you should probably give it a shot if you haven't read it. DM: Lori CW/TW: none really, but lots of sex talk so FYI if you're listening with y…

We debrief after attending Chicon 8! Nearly 4 weeks after the fact, so the focus is largely on pizza. Tl;dr - we didn't win the Hugo, had fun anyway! 5 stars, would do again. Transcripts Music by Eon

This month we watched and discussed the beloved camp classic, Jupiter Ascending. What makes a good movie, anyway? If it has great costumes, sweeping spacescapes, and Eddie Redmayne alternately whispering and screaming, isn’t that enough to be good? Plot, dialogue, and acting are overrated, honestly. DM: Haley Episode transcripts available via: http…

This month we discussed Jo Walton's debatably fantastical novel Among Others, winner of the Hugo for best novel in 2012. Your DM for this episode is Amy! CW/TW: CSA, child death Episode transcripts are available within a few days after the audio. Music by Eon Links: Jo Walton's Gizmodo Interview

Last month, we had the pleasure of appearing on City Lights, our local NPR station's arts and culture show, for an interview with senior producer Kim Drobes. We discussed the Hugo Awards, common issues in science fiction, and our favorite podcast segments. AND THEN...the text version of our interview got scraped, run through a not-very-good thesaur…

This month we read and watched 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film won the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1969. The poor book won no awards. This sprawling classic prompted many College Thoughts. Will we find the meaning of life? Probably not. Also, please enjoy a cameo from Haley's mom! DM: Lori Episode transcripts available via: https://www.h…

At long last, we discussed our oft-referenced favorite tale of Terror (and Erebus), Dan Simmons' 2007 novel The Terror, a fictionalized and dubiously supernatural account of the Franklin Expedition. Is it Peak Dan Simmons? Yes, it is! Is it as good the second time? No, it isn't! Did we still LOVE discussing it so much that we talked for nearly two …

This month we read and discussed Karin Boye’s novel Kallocain, which was nominated for a Retro Hugo for 1941. This is an excellent, if bleak, book, which we think should be taught in US classrooms alongside 1984 and Brave New World. We scream a few times during minute 29, so mind your volume! The full text of the novel is available to read free onl…

Hey guess what!! We are nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fancast!! We're excited and screaming and don't want to hurt your ears, so turn down that volume! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated us, and who listens, likes, comments, shares, leaves reviews - we are over the moon!

This month we read and discussed Vonda McIntyre's 1979 Hugo Award winning novel, Dreamsnake, which is beloved by everyone except a very vocal handful of men on the internet. Even Orson Scott Card said it was readable! DM: Lori CW/TW: CSA, addiction Episode transcript available via: https://www.hugogirlpodcast.com/transcripts Music by Eon: https://w…

In this special episode, we're going live to the phones to answer urgent questions across space and time! Big thanks to special guest stars Kevin and Emmanuel! Episode transcript available via: https://www.hugogirlpodcast.com/transcripts

We watched and discussed the new HBO Max limited series adaptation of Station Eleven. We had a VARIETY of opinions, so if you loved it or you hated it, you'll find something to agree with/be mad about in this episode. And we are joined by special guest, Kevin! DM: Chaos CW/TW: murder/death, violence, death in childbirth, intimate partner violence M…

This month we discussed Larry Niven's Ringworld, which is verifiably a book that won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1971. Even a truly fantastic talking warrior cat couldn't save this litany of Misogynist Moments, but there were still a few things to like. DM: Haley CW/TW: rape, addiction Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss …

This month's read is Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold. Despite what Haley described as “an oppressive fantasy feeling,” we all really enjoyed this classic novel in which all the women are strong, all the men are weird-looking, and all the children are the subject of murder plots. DM: Amy CW/TW: rape, weird pregnancy & birth stuff, disability discri…

Hello! A couple of things - 1) We launched a website! It's a work in progress, but please check it out at https://www.hugogirlpodcast.com/ 2) The deadline to purchase a membership so that you can nominate for the 2022 Hugo Awards is TOMORROW (January 31, 2022). We were just a few nominations short of making it onto last year's ballot, so we would l…

In honor of the recent Moby-Dick Marathon, it's time for a special episode on one of our favorite books of all time. Have you ever wondered if Moby-Dick was Star Wars or Lord of the Rings? It's time to find out! Your ship's captain for this special episode is Haley! More about the Moby-Dick Marathon: https://www.whalingmuseum.org/program/moby-dick-…

This month we read 2012 Hugo nominee for best novel, Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey. Spoiler alert for how many times you can deride sex workers in one novel! Despite that, we all basically liked this book, we promise. Your DM for this episode is Haley! Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss…

Kevin and Lori went to Worldcon in Washington, DC! It was fun! We'll tell you a little bit about the con itself, plus lots about dogs and food and meeting new friends. We were very excited to find out after the Hugo Awards that we were on the long list for best fancast! We were only a few nominations away from the ballot. If you'd like to nominate …

In this special episode, we learn all of physics, courtesy of amazing physicist Emily Duden! Hear the answers to burning questions like "would a flashlight be useless for a person traveling at the speed of light" and "will I stay young forever if I just never leave an airplane" and "is Interstellar a bunch of foolishness?" Also, relativity! And gra…

What’s not to love about 800 years of a straight man’s discomfited rumination on “homolife?” This month we read Joe Haldeman's military sci-fi classic, The Forever War. Your DM for this episode is Lori! Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss TW/CW: homophobia, compulsory sex Links: https://www.reddit.com/r/sciencefiction/comments…

This month we discussed Isaac Asimov's groundbreaking novel about various pairs of dudes scheming in rooms for over a century. Your DM for Foundation is Amy! CW/TW: sexual harassment/assault at cons (especially by Asimov) Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss Links https://twitter.com/petersagal/status/1176115797107838976?lang=c…

We discussed Denis Villeneuve's new movie adaptation of Dune. We liked it a lot! Recommended reading: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/28/dune-muslim-influences-erased/ Recommended listening: https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2021/10/25/the-middle-geeks-episode-31-dune-review/ Music by Eon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbvE0PJyss…

It's our Halloween Spooktacular! This month for spooky season we read and discussed Retro Hugo nominee The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle. Published in 1941 under the dubious title Uneasy Freehold, this book is chock full of our favorite things: ghosts, breakfasts, lesbians, and a nice orange cat. It has a great twist so we REALLY hope you'll read i…