28 episodi
Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast Alice Baker and Ann Spangler
-
- Arte
Sisters Alice and Ann attempt to read their way through all of the Hugo and Nebula award-winning books.
Alice is a mother of one who is trying to get back in the habit of regular reading and who credits her sister Ann for her love of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres. Ann, a mother of two, has been and still is a voracious reader who hopes to improve her skill at book discussions.
-
A Time of Changes
In this episode, the two sisters tackle the nebula award winner from 1972 - A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg. Our man, a regular World con attendee, and prolific writer created a science fiction piece, and to us - almost a fantasy, while undertaking a personal writing challenge - to create a story without using the word “I”. So did this idea work? We definitely had our own opinions.
Here are some time markers to help guide you:
01:42 Book Jacket read (We say the names)
03:57 History Lesson
08:22 Tackling the Big Themes: Struggle bus time
11:31 The concept of writing without using “I”
12:13 Segway into Mindsharing
15:46 The New Wave style of writing
17:42 World Building, but it somehow fades to the background
20:54 Discussion of Bond Brothers/Sisters
24:30 Chosen one vs. the sidekick
25:40 We Segway again - this time into sex and character development
31:25 Earthman = Drug Dealer
33:26 Four questions -
Riverworld
In this episode of the Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast the two sisters are reading To Your Scattered Bodies Go or Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer. It won the Hugo in 1972. The reason for the double name is that the first book - To your scattered bodies go - is now rarely published by itself but can be more easily found with its series under the series name - Riverworld. In this novel filled with historical characters, we ultimately were awash with questions. Listen and find out why.
Here are some time markers for you:
01:24 Book jacket read
03:50 History lesson
10:39 Big Themes
13:10 Other peoples’ reviews - did that help us?
18:44 Protagonist and friends
23:40 Storyline and pacing and world-building, oh my
26:15 Adaptations and games
29:00 Suicide express and characters
31:20 Action writer, pulp writer
34:50 Women Characters - well, it’s a thing
43:40 Four Questions -
Ringworld
In this Episode of the Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast, the two sisters tackle Ringworld by Larry Niven. The book won the Nebula in 1970 and the Hugo in 1971. While highly praised by the SF world it was a bit of a struggle bus for us both. Listen in and find out why.
In a skipping mood? Here are some time markers to assist you:
01:15 Book jacket read but we have no book jacket
02:50 History Lesson
06:15 Tackling the Big themes
10:20 Big Science or Plot driven characters - can’t we have both?
18:24 Throwback tropes
20:24 Characters
30:00 Why Alice launches the book across the room
35:40 Other reviews of the book
38:14 The Four Questions -
Left Hand of Darkness
Welcome to the Hugo and Nebula Readership Podcast where two sisters are reading their way through the Hugo and Nebula awarding novels in order. This episode is the highly anticipated Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin which won both the Hugo and the Nebula in 1970. It was a big hit with both sisters; we’re singing praises in this rather short episode
Would you like to jump around and hit the high points? Here are the time markers to do just that:
01:32 Book Jacket Read
03:13 History Lesson
08:30 Big Themes - Love and Gender
13:14 Pronouns and Gender
17:19 Genly’s perspective and Gender
22:22 Characters and storyline
34:40 Amazing world building
40:00 Four Questions -
The 1960s in Review
Sisters Alice and Ann have read all of the novels that won either a Hugo award, a Nebula award, or both in the 1960s. In this episode, they look back on the experience and discuss how they think their readership is progressing.
Want to skip to a specific topic? Here are some time stamps to help guide you:
01:10 Lost Episodes - Starship Troopers, Canticle for Lebowitz and Case for Conscience
04:00 We rank our favorites
10:18 Impactful vs. Enjoyable books
12:16 History Lessons
13:16 Myths and Legends
15:19 Women in the 60s
18:10 Aliens in the 60s
19:25 How are we doing with our manifesto and goals?
22:50 New Ideas, new friends
29:24 Looking forward to the 70s -
Rite of Passage
Welcome to the Hugo and Nebula readership podcast where two sisters are reading their way through all - all, I say - the books in chronological order. This episode covers Rite of passage by Alexei Panshin which won the Hugo in 1969. This book is a great example of how two persons never read the same book.
Here are some time markers to guide you through the episode
01:02 Book jacket read
02:29 History Lesson
04:39 A Heinlein moment
06:44 Open discussion: another Heinlein moment
10:38 Mia: protagonist, flawed and likable
17:00 Jimmy the boyfriend
20:09 Stories within stories
22:33 The writing and we go back and do a plot summary
26:26 Predetermined endings
29:16 More characters
35:25 The trial
39:59 Four questions
43:31 Side trip: male writers of female characters and visa versa