Social Science Talks Science Fiction » Podcasts

A podcast in which social scientists, philosophers and researchers discuss the themes and works of science fiction.

[032] Social Science Talks: Warhammer and The Eisenhorn Trilogy, by Dan Abnett

‘In the grim darkness of the far future…’   This month, we try and take on the Warhammer universe by reading the Eisenhorn Trilogy, by Dan Abnett. Does knowledge require […]

04-28
48:45

[031] Social Science Talks: 1984, by George Orwell

‘It was a bright cold morning in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen…’ After much pressure, and the election of Donald Trump, we finally get round to covering 1984 […]

03-28
59:09

[030] Social Science Talks: His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman

“I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for […]

03-01
48:43

[029] Social Science Talks: Babylon 5

The Babylon Project was a dream given form… It’s a new year, and carrying through on a resolution that we’ve had since we started the podcast, we got together to […]

01-27
48:25

[028] Social Science Talks: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

So long, and thanks for all the fish! As we wind down for Christmas, we crank up the improbability drive to a level where it produces, fully formed, and episode […]

12-21
46:58

[026] Social Science Talks: The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in […]

10-26
54:39

[025] Social Science Talks: Star Trek

Following the 50th Anniversary and the recent film Star Trek: Beyond, we sit down at Social Sci-Fi towers to discuss what we love and hate about the Star Trek franchise. […]

09-21
01:03:32

[024] Social Science Talks: Dune, by Frank Herbert

“The Fremen were supreme in that quality the ancients called “spannungsbogen” — which is the self-imposed delay between desire for a thing and the act of reaching out to grasp […]

08-23
--:--

[023] Social Science Interviews: Penny Fielding, on Spies and Genre Fiction

It’s conference season once again, and Matthew got the long train to Edinburgh in order to talk to Professor Penny Fielding about spies and genre fiction. It’s a great follow up […]

07-29
--:--

[022] Social Science Talks: Independence Day

After a film night at Social Science Towers, Alex, Matt, Jess and Bleddyn discuss the beginning of the large-scale disaster film, Independence Day. Join us as we discuss 90s pop […]

06-30
--:--

[021] Social Science Talks: Utopia, By Thomas More

“We did not ask if he had seen any monsters, for monsters have ceased to be news. There is never any shortage of horrible creatures who prey on human beings, […]

05-31
--:--

[20] Social Science Talks: Embassytown, by China Miéville

“Word spread because word will spread. Stories and secrets fight, stories win, shed new secrets, which new stories fight, and on.”   This month we discuss Embassytown, by China Miéville. […]

04-25
--:--

[019] Social Science Talks: Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy

What would you do if your actions would change the course of history? Lydia, Charlotte, Sorana and Jess take the spotlight on the podcast this month in this episode, recorded […]

03-24
01:22:37

[018] Social Science Talks: The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks

Common misconception that; that fun is relaxing. If it is, you’re not doing it right. Would you like to play a game? This month, we read the Player of Games, […]

02-22
--:--

[017] Social Science Talks: Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

We are all susceptible to the pull of viral ideas. Like mass hysteria. Or a tune that gets into your head that you keep humming all day until you spread […]

01-20
--:--

[016] Social Science Talks: Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

I have told my sons that they are not under any circumstances to take part in massacres, and that the news of massacres of enemies is not to fill them […]

12-22
--:--

[015] Social Science Interviews: Georg Loefflmann, on Man in the High Castle

It’s been a rough month here at Social Science Towers, and we were unable to record a new episode. Luckily for you, we have an interview with friend of the […]

11-24
--:--

[014] Social Science Talks: War of the Worlds, by HG Wells

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as […]

10-21
--:--

[013] Social Science Talks: Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That’s always been the difference between us, Daniel. Today, we deal with Watchmen, because Matt had the bright idea of doing […]

09-18
41:35

[012] Social Science Interviews: Georg Loefflmann, on the Pentagon vs. Aliens

It’s conference season, and we dispatched our one-man-army Matt to interview a series of scholars studying science fiction at the British International Studies Association 2015 conference in London. This time […]

09-07
--:--

Recommend Channels