SciFi High Five

Caitlin Jacobs & Rob Skidmore
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Books

The friendliest conversation in science fiction!

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    What Aliens Tell Us About Humanity

    Aliens are never really about aliens. We sort sci-fi's aliens, from Rocky to Ender's buggers, and ask what each one reveals about us. Sci-fi aliens come from human fears, hopes, and blind spots. We sort favorites like Rocky, Arrival's heptapods, and the buggers of Ender's Game into five types (healer, evil empire, corruptor, victim, unknowable), look at aliens as metaphor in E.T., Avatar, and Star Trek, and wonder whether real aliens would be as unknowable as Solaris's ocean. Plus: what would aliens find strangest about us? ⚠️ Spoilers: Project Hail Mary (around 01:08 and 05:30), Ender's Game (around 02:16), Arrival (around 06:32). Chapters 00:00 Favorite aliens: Rocky vs. Ender's buggers 03:04 Arrival's heptapods and the five kinds of aliens 07:14 Aliens as mirrors: E.T. and Avatar 10:46 The truly unknowable: The Expanse and Solaris 13:05 Are we alone, and would first contact go well? 17:44 Star Trek's Cold War aliens and popcorn aliens 20:29 What would aliens think of us? 24:37 We're already alien to each other Watch the full episode on YouTube: [YOUTUBE URL] Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/what-aliens-tell-us-about-humanity Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter

  2. Oct 27

    Science Fiction Isn't About The Future

    Sci-fi is set in the future, but it's really about right now. We dig into why, from 1984 and Dune to Monk & Robot and The Water Knife. Science fiction isn't trying to predict the future. It's a mirror of the present. Rob and Caitlin trace how every era of sci-fi reflects its own fears, from nuclear war to climate change, and talk Becky Chambers, Orwell, Frank Herbert, and Jurassic Park's "could vs. should." Chapters 00:00 Sci-fi is about us, right now 01:04 Every era writes its own fears 02:37 More than escapism: sci-fi as a train switch 04:30 Monk & Robot and hopeful futures 08:57 Nineteen Eighty-Four and climate fiction 11:44 Seeing the forest: cognitive estrangement and Dune 14:08 Can sci-fi ever not be about the now? 17:14 Jurassic Park and why stories hit harder than arguments Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t73_j0AAaU&list=PLMJ4z-Iz4ok8&index=3 Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/science-fiction-isnt-about-the-future Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter

  3. Oct 13

    Did Science Fiction Invent Our Future?

    Did sci-fi invent our future, or just give it a name? From cyberspace to the metaverse to Big Brother, we dig into what sci-fi really gets credit for. Rob and Caitlin start with Neuromancer's cyberspace (and its very un-futuristic payphone), follow the Torment Nexus meme to Snow Crash's metaverse, and ask whether sci-fi's job is to predict the future, inspire it, or prevent it. Chapters 00:00 Did sci-fi invent the future, or just name it? 02:16 Neuromancer, cyberspace, and the missing cell phones 04:46 The Torment Nexus and Snow Crash's metaverse 07:18 Why nobody moved into the metaverse 10:31 Rejecting the tech, or the people behind it? 14:58 Was AI inevitable? 18:14 Big Brother and the words sci-fi gives us 19:50 Should sci-fi predict the future, or prevent it? Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yw0tzEsENo0 Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/did-science-fiction-invent-our-future Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter

  4. Sep 29

    Why Does SciFi Matter?

    Is sci-fi just escapism, or a mirror for the world we're building? We make the case for why science fiction matters, and why it's for everyone. In our first episode, Rob and Caitlin dig into what science fiction does that no other genre can, from Project Hail Mary to Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood. We also get into why sci-fi feels intimidating and where the sci-fi curious should start. Chapters 00:00 Is sci-fi just escapism? 02:40 Why sci-fi matters: the mirror effect 04:35 Near-future sci-fi and Omelas 08:28 Parable of the Sower and The Handmaid's Tale 12:01 An on-ramp for the sci-fi curious 13:43 Why sci-fi feels intimidating 17:44 You already love sci-fi (Jurassic Park & blockbusters) 20:12 Meet Rob and Caitlin Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Il02FICl-KE Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/why-does-scifi-matter Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/subscribe

  • 4 Episodes

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The friendliest conversation in science fiction!

Information

  • Creator
    Caitlin Jacobs & Rob Skidmore
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Caitlin Jacobs & Rob Skidmore
  • Show Website
    SciFi High Five