Unknown Orbits

0026: Mathematics of Magic, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt

L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt's The Mathematics of Magic has adventurer Harold Shea discovering a way to travel to the realms of fantasy using math. Following that, we argue about the difference between fantasy and science fiction.

0025: The Clutch of Morpheus, by Larry Sternig

How many podcasts are there that talk about great fiction? Today we break the mold by discussing Larry Sternig's not so great Clutch of Morpheus. Then after some memories of the Green Sheet, we see if we can fix it.

0024: Business as Usual During Alterations by Ralph Williams

Business as Usual, During Alterations by Ralph Williams deals with the unexpected arrival of matter duplicators and the economy of abundance it creates. We then come up with our own take on how such devices might be used in a story.

0023: The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein

Robert Heinlein's The Roads Must Roll takes place in a world where roads have been replaced by giant conveyor belts, operated by a quasi-military force. We discuss this and how Heinlein's political view sometimes found their way into his stories.

0022: Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

If people had never seen the stars, how would they react when an eclipse throws their entire planet into darkness? This episode we discuss Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and early science fiction fandom.

0021: Black Destroyer by A. E. van Vogt

Black Destroyer by A. E. Van Vogt appeared in what many consider to be the first magazine issue of science fiction's Golden age. We discuss it's relationship to the movie Alien and the Golden and Silver ages of science fiction.

0020: Deadline, by Cleve Cartmill

Did Cleve Cartmill really predict how an atomic bomb would work, or did he have help? We discuss John W. Campbell's influence on this story and the value of predictive science fiction.

Christmas 2022: Christmas on Ganymede by Isaac Asimov

For this holiday special we discuss Christmas on Ganymede by Isaac Asimov. Then we'll we compare our favorite science fiction Christmas toys, and share some memories of childhood Christmasses.

0019: Crashing Suns, by Edmond Hamilton

In 1928, six months before the discovery of Pluto, Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton appeared in Weird Tales magazine in a two-part serial. We discuss what makes the elements of space opera and how to define it.

0018: Things to Come

In Things to Come by H. G. Wells, twenty-six years of war featuring biplanes and plagues come to and end when science and technology show the way. We also discuss Wells' vision of the future and the 1927 movie Metropolis.