Advertise on podcast: Science Fiction 101

Triumph or disaster? Vintage or trainwreck? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves as we consider the year 1983 in science fiction film - prompted by a contemporary review which suggested it might have been particularly terrible. You see, on the one the one hand, there's WarGames. But on the other, there's Krull. And somewhere in between sits Brainstorm. As well as mulling over these cinematic masterpieces, we have a science fiction transport quiz courtesy of friend of the show Andy Parry, and our usual round-up of past, present and future SF. For more information, check out the show notes on our blog at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2026/09/a-year-can-do-lot-to-person-episode-70.html

Colin and Phil consider the significance of dates in science fiction. ...1984, 1999, 2001... all years that carry heavy connotations for the SF connoisseur. And we've got plenty more. Which ones will you recognise? We also have a women-in-science fiction quiz, and our usual recommendations of SF old and new. For more information, check out the shownotes at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2026/09/thats-so-dated-episode-69.html

In the midst of a long, hot summer, Colin and Phil turn their sci-fi attentions to the treatment of climate change in science fiction. Naturally, science fiction was there first: before human-caused climate change was recognised, science fiction had been considering what would happen if our planet became hotter. Or colder. To explore this topic, we discuss two films from earlier times - David Twohy's The Arrival (1996) and Val Guest's The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961). We also have a Cli-Fi Quiz, and our usual round-up of past, present and future recommendations. For more information, check out the show notes at 101sf.blogspot.com

This episode was intended to be a grab-bag of different topics, but we inadvertently dug up a show with a strong theme: translation! We start off with a review of the hot-off-the-presses free magazine Small Planet, which discusses issues around translated science fiction. Even if you didn't know you were interested in languages and translating, you will be after you've heard our discussion. Next we review the classic short film "La Jetée", famously the basis for the film 12 Monkeys.  And then the recent Chinese movie Resurrection, directed by Bi Gan. We also have a quiz on SF terms, and our usual run through of recommendations of past, present and future SF.  If you'd like to support the show, don't forget you can buy us a coffee! For the full shownotes, check out our blog, here: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2026/07/lost-in-translation-episode-67.html

It's awards season again, so Colin and Phil hunt out this years short story Hugo nominees: the six best stories from the science fiction and fantasy field in the running for the prestigious award from the World Science Fiction Convention. We also have a Hugo quiz, courtesy of friend of the show, Emmanuel, and our usual run through of recommendations of past, present and future SF. For more information on the things in today's episode, check out the show notes at 101sf.blogspot.com - and while you're there, consider buying us a coffee!

We're back. Waaaaaayyyy back, at the birth of science fiction. Or should that be "scientifiction"? We're celebrating 100 years of Amazing Stories, which was the world's first ever science fiction magazine. Join us as we romp through the magazine's debut issue from April 1926! That historic first issue is online, so please follow along and give it a skim. Find it here: https://archive.org/details/amazing_stories_april_1926/page/n1/mode/1up And check out the show notes on our website 101sf.blogspot.com

This time we react to a fascinating article from Strange Horizons, which claims that all SF writers are... historians! You can read the article here: https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/why-all-science-fiction-and-fantasy-writers-are-historians/ Related to this topic, we also read a delightful historical SF short story by David Brin, "A Professor at Harvard". Find it here: https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2026/02/a-little-sci-fi-tale-to-boost-your.html We also have a fiendish quiz sent in by a listener, and our usual round-up of SF past, present and future. For the full shownotes with links to all the items mentioned, visit our blog at 101sf.blogspot.com

This time on Science Fiction 101, we take some trips down memory lane to revisit classic time travel movies. We mostly focus on the Back to the Future series, but also a couple of wildcards: Primer (2004, Colin's pick) and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986, Phil's pick). We also have a listener quiz, and our usual round-up of recommended SF past, present and future. For the full show notes, visit our blog: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2026/03/back-to-futures-episode-63.html

Traditionally on Science Fiction 101, we follow up our "old magazine" review with a review of its modern counterpart - and this year is no exception, as in this episode we cast our eyes over a very recent issue of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine, dated Nov/Dec 2025. No time for a quiz this time (shock horror!), but it will return in our next episode. But we do make time for our usual round-up of what's notable in past, present and future SF. For the full shownotes or to leave a comment, visit our blog at 101sf.blogspot.com

We're back! With our annual trek into the archives to read an old science fiction magazine, to see if and how our field has changed over the decades. This time we time-travel to 1982, where we pick up the February 15th 1982 issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. If you'd like to read along with us, you'll find the entire issue online courtesy of Luminist, here: https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/luminist/SF/ASI/ASI_1982_02.pdf For more information on today's show, check out the show notes at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/12/gimme-that-old-time-magazine-episode-61.html

Back in episode 57, Colin and Phil recommended books and movies to each other. Now they act on those suggestions, reporting back with their findings. Will Phil appreciate Alan Dean Foster's Prism? Will Colin believe that you can journey to the Far side of the Sun? Join us as we travel by Toynbee Convector* *batteries not included For more detail on the items covered in today's show, check out the show notes at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/10/toynbee-convecting-for-beginners.html

Join us for a trivia quiz bonanza! Joining the show today is Colin's co-host-from-another-podcast, Seth Heasley. Seth administers a deadly science fictional quiz! Phil is quaking in his sci-fi Moon boots. At the time of recording, Colin and Seth had just returned from this year's World Science Fiction Convention, held in Seattle. So in this episode, they give their behind-the-scenes perspectives of what went on at the con: Colin as a volunteer camera operator and video director, and Seth as a Hugo Award nominee and panel moderator. For more information on the items discussed in today's show, check out the shownotes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/09/trivia-travails-or-its-con-episode-59.html

Fifty years ago, schoolboy Phil was knocked out by a British science fiction TV show, the post-apocalyptic SURVIVORS. Created by Terry Nation - who also created DOCTOR WHO's recurring enemy the Daleks and BLAKES SEVEN - SURVIVORS ran for three seasons. Today, Phil has persuaded Colin to take a first look at this sometimes harrowing (but ultimately life-affirming) cult classic, and together they discuss some selected episodes from the series. If you check out the show notes, you'll find direct links to the episodes we've been watching, so you can watch them, too. Find the show notes at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/08/surviving-survivors-episode-58-of.html

Colin and Phil decided to challenge each other with books, stories and films that they thought the other hadn't read or seen. The result is some suggestions for reading and watching that we'd like you all to consider. These aren't necessarily the best science fiction around, but they are all items we greatly enjoy and heartily recommend. We hope you enjoy our suggestions every bit as much as our robo-butler enjoys serving them up to you. For more information, including links to many of the items we discuss, check out the shownotes at https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/07/serving-suggestions-episode-57.html

What on earth does science have to do with science fiction? Is science fiction about science? Is it fiction that takes a scientific approach to fiction? Without getting into the tedium of multiple possible definitions of science fiction, Colin and Phil explore what they expect of something labelled "science fiction". What you can expect is a rambling conversation that touches on philosophy, physics, logic, time travel, and much more. We also have our usual quiz, and our dash through the past, present and future of our favourite genre. For more information, check the show notes at: https://101sf.blogspot.com/2025/07/science-andor-fiction-episode-56.html