Two Chairs Talking

Season 2, Episode 13 David and Perry discuss their favourite books read during 2025 Introduction (0:39) Our 2025 reading (54:05) Perry's Favourite SF (5:20) David's Favourite SF (4:41) Perry's Favourite Fantasy (1:43) David's Favourite Fantasy (3:51) Perry's Favourite Crime (3:26) David's Favourite Crime (3:51) Perry's Favourite Thriller (3:30) David's Favourite Thriller (3:20) Perry's Favourite Literary (3:50) David's Favourite Literary (5:08) Perry's Favourite Nonfiction (4:16) David's Favourite Nonfiction (3:38) David's Favourite Historical (1:39) Perry's Favourite Overall (0:33) David's Favourite Overall (1:54) Controversies in the Literary World (1:24) Windup and Next Episode (0.30) Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I. Click here for more info and indexes.

Season 2, Episode 11 Perry has returned from his trip to South America, which he describes in detail, and then he and David discuss the David Lynch film Mulholland Drive. Introduction (1:44) Perry's Trip to South America (18:13) Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch (25:29) What Else We've Been Watching (17:11) A House of Dynamite, directed by Kathryn Bigelow (4:52) Smoke (Apple TV) [T] (2:44) Deliver Me From Nowhere, directed by Scott Cooper (6:27) The Correspondent, directed by Kriv Stenders (2:58) Next Episode (1:57) The Creeper by Margaret Hickey (0:27) Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro (1:15) Image is a detail from a poster for Mulholland Drive, under Fair Use principles. Click here for more detail and indexes

Season 2, Episode 10 With co-host Perry overseas at present, David talks to Dr. Lucy Sussex about her recent book Outrageous Fortunes and her visit to Scotland where she spoke about her research and attended the Bloody Scotland convention Introduction (0:52) About Dr. Lucy Sussex (1:03) Outrageous Fortunes by Megan Brown & Lucy Sussex (10:47) Visit to Scotland (39:47) Undercover Agents conference (9:26) Bloody Scotland (27:36) Travelling by Plane (1:53) Windup (0:49) Illustration by Dream by Wombo.ai. Click here for more info and indexes

Season 2, Episode 9 David and Perry discuss the film Children of Men and the recent Miles Franklin Award winner, Ghost Cities by Siang Lu. Introduction (0:11) AFL Grand Final (2:14) 2025 Ned Kelly Awards (3:13) Reading slowdown and film watching (3:17) Discussion (1:20) Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (film) (18:50) Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (13:04) What else we've been watching (0:02) Alien: Earth, Season 1 (TV show) (7:43) Singin' in the Rain, directed by Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen (film) (4:55) The Bear, Season 4 (TV show) (0:45) Weapons, directed by Zach Cregger (film) (6:49) Windup (1:31) Click here for more info and indexes Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I. Children of the future age, Reading this indignant page, Know that in a former time, Love, sweet love, was thought a crime. William Blake, "A Little Girl Lost"

Season 2, Episode 8 Perry and David discuss the film Asteroid City directed by Wes Anderson, and the novel The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, among other topics Introduction (0:26) 2025 Hugo Award Winners (3:47) Discussion (0:11) Asteroid City, directed by Wes Anderson (18:52) The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera (18:43) What Else We've Been Watching or Reading (0:09) Superman, directed by James Gunn (3:42) Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky (1:42) Let Me Tell You by Shirley Jackson (0:49) Firefly (TV show) (1:22) Serenity, directed by Josh Whedon (0:20) Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman (5:59) Heretic, directed by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (4:13) Windup (0:51) Click here for more info and indexes If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is, infinite. A Memorable Fancy: William Blake Illustration generated by Wombo Dream AI

Season 2, Episode 7 David and Perry discuss the novel Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and the film Dark City directed by Alex Proyas Introduction (1:44) Anniversary of Aussiecon (3:23) Discussion (0:12) Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky (9:49) Dark City directed by Alex Proyas (17:47) What Else We've Been Watching/Reading (0:11) Station Eleven (DVD) (2:06) F1 directed by Joseph Kosinski (5:21) The Amateur directed by James Hawes (0:35) Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham (4:14) Shrinking (Apple TV+) (3:44) Wind-up and Next Episode (1:21) Click here for more info and indexes Image generated by Wombo Dream AI Violet: You do not know what has been going on, Ivy. And if you did, you would not understand it. I do not understand, so how could you? ... Ivy: Oh, I'm sorry. But can't you explain? Why do you all look so peculiar? I think I might be allowed To know what has happened. Amy's voice: Agatha! Mary! come! The clock has stopped in the dark! -- Family Reunion by T. S. Eliot

Season 2, Episode 6 Perry and David discuss the latest Mission Impossible movies and the novel Julia. Introduction (01:15) Discussion (53:05) Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning / Final Reckoning (17:03) F1 and Other Apple Movies (06:21) Julia by Sandra Newman (18:41) What Else We've Been Reading and Watching (10:39) The Songs of Penelope by Claire North (03:40) Jurassic Park Series (02:01) Murderbot (Apple TV+) (04:04) Warfare directed by Alex Garland (00:48) Windup (01:07) Image generated by Wombo Dream AI Click here for more info and indexes My soul, do not seek immortal life, but exhaust the realm of the possible. —Pindar, Pythian Odes, III.109

Season 2, Episode 5 Perry and David discuss the novel Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway and the film Parasite directed by Bong Joon Ho. Introduction (05:40) Discussion (45:39) Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway (27:12) Parasite, directed by Bong Joon Ho (18:26) What else we've been reading/watching (07:43) Click here for more info and indexes Illustration by Wombo Dream AI. ...She never told her love, but let concealment, like a worm i’ the bud feed on her damask cheek... —Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Season 2, Episode 4 Perry and David discuss the novellas Typhoon by Joseph Conrad and The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler, as well as the film Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Introduction (07:52) Discussion (45:51) Typhoon by Joseph Conrad (16:30) Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (16:56) The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (11:47) What Else We've Been Reading/Watching (09:57) Windup (01:28) Interview with Alejandro González Iñárritu in Variety Magazine Click here for more info and indexes Photo of hurricane from NASA

Season 2, Episode 3 David and Perry discuss the film "Never Let Me Go" and the novel "This Kingdom of Dust" in depth as well as mentioning a few other books and films. Introduction (03:07) Never Let Me Go (film and novel) (25:24) This Kingdom of Dust (novel) (24:17) What else we've been reading and watching (14:22) Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (01:46) Dusk by Robbie Arnott (03:35) Conclave (05:00) The Conversation (03:22) Windup (02:04) END (50:24) Illustration by Wombo Dream AI. Click here for more info and indexes

Season 2, Episode 2 David and Perry discuss the films and television shows they watched during 2024 and give lists of their best in each category. Intro (03:26) Favourite Film and TV of 2024 (01:30:51) Favourite Films of 2024 (45:18) Perry's Favourite Drama Films (06:30) David's Favourite Drama Films (02:05) Perry's Favourite SF/Fantasy/Horror Films (05:01) David's Favourite SF/Fantasy Films (02:10) Perry's Favourite Action/Thriller Films (05:22) David's Favourite Action/Thriller Films (01:23) Perry's Favourite Comedy Films (05:03) David's Favourite Comedy Films (02:22) Perry's Favourite Crime Films (06:03) David's Favourite Crime Films (00:19) Perry's Favourite Other Films (04:18) David's Favourite Other Films (01:00) Perry's Best Films Overall (01:58) David's Favourite Overall (00:37) Favourite TV Shows of 2024 (44:53) Perry's Favourite Drama TV (06:35) David's Favourite Drama TV (03:03) Perry's Favourite SF/Fantasy TV (02:17) David's Favourite SF/Fantasy TV (06:18) Perry's Favourite Action/Thriller TV (07:08) David's Favourite Action/Thriller TV (00:47) Perry's Favourite Comedy TV (03:57) David's Favourite Comedy TV (00:47) Perry's Favourite Crime TV (06:55) David's Favourite Crime TV (00:47) Perry's Favourite Documentary TV (03:46) David's Favourite Documentary TV (01:00) Perry's Best Overall Tv (00:43) David's Favourite Overall TV (00:33) Windup (04:09) Image generated by Apple Image Playground. Click here for more info and indexes.

Season 2 Episode 1 David and Perry discuss the books they read during 2024 and give lists of their best five in each category. Plus their most disappointing read of the year. Intro (01:44) Our 2024 Reading (45:12) David's Best SF for 2024 (10:27) Perry's Best SF for 2024 (12:05) Perry's Best Fantasy for 2024 (06:32) David's Best Crime for 2024 (10:31) Perry's Best Crime for 2024 (15:45) David's Best Thrillers of 2024 (10:45) Perry's Best Thrillers of 2024 (06:22) David's Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (08:49) Perry's Best Children's Literature for 2024 (04:45) David's Best Childrens Literature of 2024 (05:48) Perry's Best Literary Fiction of 2024 (14:27) David's Best Literary Fiction of 2024 (11:15) Perry's Best Non-Fiction of 2024 (06:28) David's Best Nonfiction of 2024 (08:05) David's Best Overall for 2024 (00:24) Perry's Best Overall for 2024 (01:14) Perry's Biggest Disappointment of 2024 (03:19) David's Biggest Disappointment of 2024 (03:20) Windup (00:56) Image created by Wombo Dream A.I. Click here for more details and indexes.

Perry and David discuss: Intro The NBN Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Borderline by Mishell Baker Experimental Film by Gemma Files The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine Possession by A. S. Byatt The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North The Boys (Amazon Prime) Watchmen (HBO/Foxtel) His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO) For All Mankind (Apple TV+) Hugo Time Machine 1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber Other books in the genre in 1958 Big Planet by Jack Vance Cosmic Puppets and Eye in the Sky by P.K.Dick Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke Door Into Summer and Citizen of the Galaxy by Heinlein The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham On the Beach by Neville Shute Wasp by Eric Frank Russell Or All the Seas With Oysters The Incredible Shrinking Man Windup Click here for more details and indexes Photo by Aidan Roof from Pexels

David and Perry discuss: Intro Follow-up Making of the Hugo rocketships Naming of the Hugos Don't use us as a reference! Hugo Time Machine 1957 Best Fan Magazine Why no fiction awards? What were the magazines publishing? Alien (1979) Aliens (1986) The Ridley Scott Alien Trilogy Blade Runner The Duelists Fire and Blood Are the Hugos a good guide to best SF? The Power by Naomi Alderman The Wanderers by Meg Howrey Station Eleven by Evelyn St.John Mandel 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami Life After Life by Kate Atkinson The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North Self-Published works Interview with Daniel Scott White DSW: Unfit Magazine, Unreal Magazine DSW: Platform Revolution Wind-up Click here for more details and indexes

Perry and David talk about: Follow-up Listening to our own episodes Getting our facts wrong Perry's views on diversity in the SF field Do the awards truly indicate quality? Other awards in the field Interview with Lucy Sussex Discovering Mary Fortune Ellen Davitt 'Force and Fraud' - Australia's first murder mystery Mary Fortune's reputation Anticipates the police procedural Police looked down on French writer Émile Gaboriau Australian interest in true crime Wilkie Collins and 'The Moonstone' Fascination with Australian settings Mary Braddon Ellen Wood Marcus Clarke and 'His Natural Life' 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab' 'Blockbuster' Fergus Hume Melbourne the centre of theatre Nailed colonial Victoria Unusual structure of the novel Victoria's Chinese detective Concept of The Great Detective Crime novels as commentary on society Marvellous Melbourne - only for some 'Blockbuster' story of a publishing phenomenon Frederick Trischler Print run of 5,000 Hume sells copyright for £50 Kicks off interest in crime fiction Interest in Australia Pirated in the United States Literature a dicey business Theatrical versions Hume goes to England Was Hume gay? Oscar Wilde Blackmail? Theosophy Spiritualism - Doyle, Houdini Hume's connections in England Haddon Chambers Lucy's further research Anne Perry Further research Windup Click here for more details and indexes Image: section of the cover of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume.

David and Perry discuss: Recent reading Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin Ian Tregillis The Milkweed Triptych by Ian Tregillis The Alchemy Wars by Ian Tregillis Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis Binge reading The Hugo Time Machine 1956 Double Star by Robert Heinlein Heinlein's sexual attitudes Other nominees Three to Conquer by Eric Frank Russell End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett First woman to be nominated Exploration Team by Murray Leinster The Star by Arthur C. Clarke End As A World by F.L. Wallace Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith Astounding SF Magazine John W. Campbell Jnr Controversy over Award Naming Criticism by Jeanette Ng JWC Memorial Award World Fantasy Award James Tiptree Jnr Award Arthur C. Clarke Award Hugo Gernsback Perils of naming awards after people The Oscars 2019 Hugos The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal For All Mankind Artificial Condition by Martha Wells If At First You Don't Succeed by Zen Cho A Witch's Guide to Escape by Alix E. Harrow Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers Archive of Our Own Into the Spider-Verse The Good Place Hugo Awards Website Windup Click here for more details and indexes Image is a composite based on photos from Pexels.com

Perry and David talk about: Perry's Return Hiking in Iceland Thanks to David and Carey Dublin Worldcon Worldcon Business Meeting Choice of next Worldcon site New Zealand Worldcon 2020 Future Worldcon sites Convention experience Membership numbers Becoming a convention member Too many members Summing up the convention Connie Willis Oxford Time Travel Novels by Connie Willis Doomsday Book by Connie Willis To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis Passage by Connie Willis The Choke by Sophie Laguna All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr The Chain by Adrian McKinty Embers of War by Gareth Powell The Lost Man by Jane Harper Click here for more details and indexes Photo of broken phone from pexels.com.

A retrospective of Aussiecon in 1975 David and Carey remember Aussiecon Organising the Hugos The Entire Awards Committee Who created the rocketships? Getting the bases made Paranoid about security Panel with Ursula Le Guin Videotaping the convention Australian Science Fiction Foundation Interview with Carey Handfield Role of Sheep in Science Fiction Ursula's GoH speech Interview with Perry Middlemiss Hearing about the convention Travelling from Adelaide Experience of the convention Life-changing event Legacy of Aussiecon Subsequent Australian Worldcons Interview with Leigh Edmonds First DUFF winner DUFF as promotion for '75 What actually happened at Aussiecon? The notorious Wang Girls Before and after the con Hugo presentation interrupted by cricket scores Producing daily newsletter Room parties Talking to individuals An opportunity for fans in Australia Audio-visual trend in SF Changes nature of SF and fandom Aussiecon this little jewel Interview with Bruce Gillespie Suggestion by Andy Porter Foyster forms committee Main effort went into fanzines First female fans Merv Binns and MSFC Space Age Books Bidding at Torcon Travel to the US and UK Arrives in US in 1973 Arrives in UK Meeting Bob Tucker Choice of Le Guin The Writer's Workshop Impact of Aussiecon Click here for more details and indexes Photo of sheep by Michael Pearl at Pexels.com.

David Grigg and stand-in host Carey Handfield discuss: Carey and David's long association Getting into SF fandom David's fiction writing ASFR and John Bangsund Discovering a new world 1970 Australian National SF Convention Launch of the Australia in '75 bid Victoria Hotel venue The Nova Mob Carey as an organiser Monash University SF Association David as fanzine editor John Bangsund University of Melbourne SF Association 1975 Writer's Workshop Choice of Ursula Le Guin as GoH Idea of a Writer's Workshop Choosing the venue Getting the photocopier Publishing the Altered I 'Stabbed Alive' by Randall Flynn Ursula's challenges Two-word challenge Love Story challenge The Grongs Highlight of 1975 Legacy Pip Maddern Altered I book The Fives Intro to Ursula's speech Ursula Le Guin's GoH speech Wind-up Click here for more details and indexes Image: the cover of "The Altered I" book about the Writer's Workshop, designed by Irene Pagram.  

David and Perry talk to Robin Johnson about Aussiecon 1975, and discuss: Attending Conventions Career of going to SF cons Aussiecon How did Robin get involved? Coming to Australia Meeting Merv Binns Sydney Fandom Murumbeena convention 1969 Syncon '70 Starting the muttering about '75 Attending Worldcon 1970 in Germany Garry Hoff Heidelberg Big push Help from the UK Becoming chairman Anti-fan movie Promotional matchboxes Moving through '72 Winning the bid in '73 A problem with Ursula Jerry Pournelle's demand Charter of Americans arrives Art Show crisis Slide Presentation panic Convention starts Don Tuck MIA Continuous state of panic Movie Program Amount of programming Costume Parade Evaluation Schools program re artwork Art Show Legacy Wrap-up Club houses for SF clubs Click here for more details and indexes Image of Melbourne by Bernard Spragg on Flickr.