Sci-Fi Book Pod

Kandas Rodarte
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Books
  • Updated Semiweekly

Science Fiction book podcast for nerds and geeks who like to read. Co-hosted by Gen-X spouses, Kandas & Shane Rodarte. Each episode features a thoughtful discussion around one work of speculative fiction.

  1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo featuring Julianna Coughlin (Book Discussion)

    5d ago

    Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo featuring Julianna Coughlin (Book Discussion)

    Kaz Brekker didn't survive the Barrel by being nice. His morally gray character is exactly what makes Six of Crows so hard to put down. In this episode of Sci-Fi Book Pod, visiting dignitary Juliana Coughlin (host of Runna Podcast and Into the Fold) picked this one for us, and she came ready to talk. We dig into what makes this heist fantasy so different from your typical chosen-one story, why the found family dynamic hits harder when every character is morally compromised, and how Leigh Bardugo built one of the most compelling casts in the Grishaverse. We also get into the TV adaptation. We share our thoughts on whether the casting of Shadow and Bone did justice to these characters. Sci-Fi Book Pod curates groovy people and groovy books. Our visiting dignitaries choose the book, we all read it, and then share our honest takes. Just nerds and geeks who like to read. If you love the Grishaverse, heist fantasy, or morally gray characters doing morally gray things, pull up a chair. Our Visiting Dignitary Runna Podcast: @runnahpodcast Into the Fold Podcast: @intothefoldpodcast Grab the Book Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RZLmfO Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/111345/9781250076960 We may earn a small commission when you use our links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting indie podcasting. Subscribe & Listen YouTube: https://youtube.com/@scifibookpod Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts Spotify: Spotify Website: https://scifibookpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  2. Agency by William Gibson | AI, Alternate Timelines & Cyberpunk Futures

    May 7

    Agency by William Gibson | AI, Alternate Timelines & Cyberpunk Futures

    Imagine having the power to change an alternate timeline — without touching your own. Today on Sci-Fi Book Pod, Space Admiral Kandas and Space Cadet Shane 2nd Class dive into Agency by William Gibson with a very special visiting dignitary: award-winning audiobook narrator Paul Heitsch, the voice behind countless beloved sci-fi titles. We unpack Gibson's brilliant "stub" timeline concept, the ethics of manipulating alternate realities, and what it means for an AI to have true agency — especially when that AI is Eunice, a fully sentient, military-developed intelligence with no off switch and the ability to move money, hire people, and reshape the world in real time. We also explore the post-apocalyptic Jackpot, the cyberpunk aesthetics of Gibson's near future, and how Agency connects to its companion novel The Peripheral without being a sequel. Get the Book: Amazon (affiliate) Bookshop.org (affiliate) More Paul Heitsch: Website Amazon Author Page Hear Kandas's Gratitude Geek interview with Paul on solopreneur second acts Also Mentioned: The Peripheral by William Gibson (affiliate) Ghost in the Shell (anime) Person of Interest (TV series) Joshua Dalzelle's Omega Force & Black Fleet series — hear Kandas's interview with Joshua Sci-Fi Book Pod is hosted by Gen X spouses Kandas and Shane Rodarte, bringing sci-fi books to life one discussion at a time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  3. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: Freedom, Humor and Lunar Revolt

    Apr 2

    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: Freedom, Humor and Lunar Revolt

    Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress turns 60 this year and it hasn't aged the way you'd expect. Space Admiral Kandas and Shane Space Cadet Second Class welcome visiting dignitary Kevin Thompson, cyber law attorney at Levin Ginsburg and founder of the Legal and Other Professionals Sci-Fi and Fantasy Readers Book Club, to talk about a lunar revolution that feels uncomfortably familiar. We get into Mike, the self-aware computer who just wanted friends, the concept of TANSTAAFL, what Heinlein got right about AI governance before AI existed, and why this Cold War time capsule keeps finding new readers every generation. Kevin's been rereading this one for decades. By the end of this conversation, you'll know exactly why. Kevin Thompson, Cyber Law Attorney Law Practice: https://www.levinginsburg.com Legal Blog: https://cyberlawcentral.com Legal and Other Professionals Sci-Fi and Fantasy Readers Book Club https://bookclubs.com/clubs/5958204/join/a48ac1 Get the Book Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bY2zMV Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/111345/9780440001355 We may earn a small commission when you use our affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting indie podcasting. Listen on your favorite podcast platform https://scifibookpod.com Also mentioned in this episode: Gratitude Geek Episode 237 with Kevin Thompson on copyright law and AI: https://kandasrodarte.com/237 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min
  4. Ender's Shadow ft. Mahlena Rae Johnson

    Mar 5

    Ender's Shadow ft. Mahlena Rae Johnson

    Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card — the companion novel to Ender's Game that most people sleep on is arguably the better book. Visiting dignitary Mahlena Rae Johnson joins Space Admiral Kandas and Space Cadet Shane 2nd Class to discuss why Bean is the real hero of the Enderverse. Bean is the kid who did the work while Ender got the credit. He was smarter than everyone in the room, nobody wanted to acknowledge it, and he was perfectly fine with that. Sound familiar? We talk about why Bean resonates in a way Ender never quite does, what it means to own a name someone gave you as an insult, and what a street kid toddler has to do with saving the universe. We also get into the stuff that doesn't hold up. Orson Scott Card's anti-LGBTQ record is well documented, and we don't skip over it. Neither do we skip over the naked children, the child prostitution, and a few other choices that somehow made it into what people call a kids' book. The movie quietly fixed some of it. Card never did. And somewhere in the middle of all that, Shane introduces the R2-D2 Effect, we figure out why sci-fi always lands on the Catholic Church, and Mahlena makes a point about the gatekeepers of American storytelling that none of us could argue with. This is Season 2, Episode 1. We made it, y'all. Sci-Fi Book Pod is the show where our visiting dignitaries pick the book, we all read it, and then we gather to talk about it. No summaries. No lecture. Just a real conversation about sci-fi and what it says about the world we're actually living in. Purchase Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4coKRUY (affiliate) Find books by Mahlena Rae Johnson on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MTGQgQ (affiliate) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  5. Season 2 Sneak Peek

    Feb 26

    Season 2 Sneak Peek

    Season one of Sci-Fi Book Pod was a full-spectrum sci-fi experiment—some books soared, some crashed, and at least one “broke a lot of things.” In this Season 2 teaser, host Kandas Rodarte looks back at the most memorable moments, what worked, what didn’t, and how the show is evolving. You’ll hear about favorite and least favorite reads from season one, why Project Hail Mary still holds the top spot in Kandas’s sci-fi heart, and how listener feedback is shaping future picks. Then we look ahead to season two’s lineup, including Ender’s Shadow, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Parable of the Sower, and other classic and contemporary sci-fi books that dig into ethics, power, survival, and what it means to be human. If you love smart, accessible sci-fi conversations (with a few spicy opinions), this sneak peek will help you decide what to read next and which episodes to queue up first. Hit follow, share this trailer with a fellow book nerd, and send us your season two suggestions so we can add them to the TBR orbit. Chapters:00:00 Season One Recap and Highlights05:46 Favorite and Least Favorite Books08:07 Looking Ahead to Season Two11:43 Audience Engagement and Book Suggestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    15 min
  6. Discussing 'A Swiftly Tilting Planet' by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    Jan 8

    Discussing 'A Swiftly Tilting Planet' by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    Can one act of hatred really end the world—and can compassion rewrite that future? In this episode of Sci‑Fi Book Pod, Kandas, Space Cadet Shane, and visiting dignitary Valerie Friedlander dive into Madeleine L’Engle’s A Swiftly Tilting Planet to unpack time travel, nuclear war anxiety, and what it means to be a “good ancestor.”​ Along the way, they explore generational trauma, the butterfly effect, and the tension between control and empathy. You’ll hear reflections on ancestry, healing backwards through time, and why everyday kindness might be the most powerful tool for changing the future we actually live in.​ Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Time Travel and Moral Responsibility(00:45) The Relevance of Nuclear War in Literature(02:10) Healing Generationally: A Sociological Perspective(05:22) The Butterfly Effect and Time Travel(08:56) Acts of Hatred and Their Impact on Society(13:38) Exploring Ancestry and Healing Wounds(18:06) Good vs. Evil: The Moral Dilemma in Time Travel(20:18) The Power of Compassion in Understanding Others(22:00) The Consequences of Nuclear War and Human Behavior(23:32) The Butterfly Effect and Human Actions(26:19) The Importance of Kindness(28:53) Being Present and the Dance of Life(30:19) Generational Trauma and the Fear of Scarcity​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
  7. Book Review: 'A Wind in the Door' by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    12/18/2025

    Book Review: 'A Wind in the Door' by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    In this episode of Sci-Fi Book Pod, Space Admiral Kandas Rodarte is joined by sociologist and life coach Valerie Friedlander to unpack A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle. Together, we explore how this deceptively slim sci-fi novel tackles big human questions about communication, individuality, community, and what it really means to be seen. We talk about the role of teachers and mentors, why kindness matters more than control, and how naming and recognition become acts of resistance in a world that pressures people to conform. This conversation looks at A Wind in the Door not as a science textbook, but as a story about connection at every scale. From the microscopic to the cosmic, L’Engle reminds us that identity, love, and belonging are not abstract ideas. They’re choices we make in relationship with one another. If you loved A Wrinkle in Time, this episode offers a thoughtful, adult rereading of its powerful sequel and why it still resonates today. Chapters00:00 Introduction to cosmic battles and themes02:53 Exploring identity and individuality05:23 Communication and connection07:00 Contrasting perspectives on the book07:41 Support, community, and belonging09:02 Navigating the concept of nothingness10:18 Space and the human body12:35 Collaboration and creative spaces15:04 Community roles and responsibility15:32 Teachers and learning16:07 Acts of kindness19:33 Naming and identity22:01 Teachers in unlikely places23:12 Audiobook narration and storytelling About Our Guest Valerie Friedlander is a sociologist, life coach, and host of Mindset Unlimited. She helps people examine the rules they've internalized, navigate personal transitions, and create lives aligned with their values. Website: ⁠https://valeriefriedlander.com⁠ Mindset Unlimited Podcast: ⁠https://valeriefriedlander.com/podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min
  8. Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    12/04/2025

    Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with Valerie Friedlander

    Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is far more than a children's classic. It's a layered exploration of conformity, authoritarian culture, individuality, and the courage to embrace one's flaws. In this episode of Sci-Fi Book Pod, Space Admiral Kandas Rodarte and Space Cadet Shane (2nd Class) are joined by sociologist Valerie Friedlander for a deep dive into the themes that make this book enduring and unexpectedly relevant. Together, we examine Meg Murry's journey, the tension between belonging and fitting in, why authoritarian systems fear individuality, and how love functions as the story's central force. Whether you're revisiting this novel or reading it for the first time as an adult, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on its messages. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:15 Why Valerie Chose A Wrinkle in Time 05:40 Meg's Flaws as Strength 09:10 Authoritarianism in Fiction and Real Life 15:00 Belonging vs Fitting In 20:55 Why Love Is the Ultimate Power 26:50 Conformity and the Danger of Sameness 33:00 Art, Gatekeeping, and Creativity 40:00 Final Thoughts & About Valerie About Our Guest Valerie Friedlander is a sociologist, life coach, and host of Mindset Unlimited. She helps people examine the rules they've internalized, navigate personal transitions, and create lives aligned with their values. Website: https://valeriefriedlander.com Mindset Unlimited Podcast: https://valeriefriedlander.com/podcast/ Purchase A Wrinkle in Time Amazon: https://amzn.to/447GOr1 Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/111345/9780312367541 We may earn a small commission when you use these links, at no additional cost to you. Listen & Subscribe to Sci-Fi Book Pod https://scifibookpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    47 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Science Fiction book podcast for nerds and geeks who like to read. Co-hosted by Gen-X spouses, Kandas & Shane Rodarte. Each episode features a thoughtful discussion around one work of speculative fiction.

Information

  • Creator
    Kandas Rodarte
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Sci-Fi Book Pod

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