Strange Horizons
709 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★ - 42 ratingsSpeculative fiction and poetry from award-winning Strange Horizons magazine, updated weekly on Mondays/Tuesdays. Find us online at strangehorizons.com, and on Twitter @strangehorizons.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Critical Friends Episode 10: The Complicity of Science Fiction
January 29, 2024 14:32 - 40 minutes - 26.9 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Aisha and Dan discuss a recent essay by Jake Casella Brookins that appeared in the Ancillary Review of Books. "The vaunted prophylactic prophecy of science fiction—the ability to prevent an undesirable future by loudly predicting it—has consistently proven false," argues Brookins, and so Aisha and Dan ask themselves: what good, and bad, might SF do? And when we find a piece of good criticism such as this essay, ...
Critical Friends Episode 9: Catherine Rockwood and Creative Criticism
September 25, 2023 16:50 - 43 minutes - 28.3 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Aisha and Dan talk to critic and poet Catherine Rockwood about her new chapbook, And We Are Far From Shore , a set of poems about the television show Our Flag Means Death. Catherine reviewed the show for Strange Horizons less than a year ago, and discusses how reviewing and criticism feed into creative practice. There are also, of course, pirates. The transcript of this episode can be found at the Strange Horiz...
Critical Friends Episode 8: Paul Kincaid and Collecting Criticism
August 28, 2023 19:27 - 49 minutes - 32.1 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, the critic and reviewer Paul Kincaid joins Aisha and Dan to discuss how and why critics persevere in their work, what changes about it as the platforms and delivery mechanisms that surround criticism shift, and the challenges that face those writers who seek to collect or look back on their previous work. He also discusses A Traveller In Time, the forthcoming volume of reviews and essays by Maureen Kincaid Spell...
Critical Friends: Episode 7
June 19, 2023 21:54 - 36 minutes - 16.9 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Aisha and Dan discuss what happens when books make you work. How does a reader know whether to persevere with a book when at first they're not sure of it? How can we decide if a book really isn't working on its own terms—or whether we're missing something and need to pay closer attention? And how can a critical reader check their own expectations to assess a text fairly? Expect discussion of Susannah Clarke, Yuri...
Critical Friends: Episode 6
May 24, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 14.3 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, we air an interview with the reviewer, editor, and critic Niall Harrison which Dan conducted at Conversation, the 2023 UK Eastercon, at which Niall was a Guest of Honour. Through a series of books from various parts of his life, Niall talks about how he began reading SF, why he started reviewing it ... and where criticism might or should go in the future. Niall Harrison is author of All These Worlds: Reviews and ...
Critical Friends: Episode 5
April 24, 2023 15:15 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Reviews Editors Aisha Subramanian and Dan Hartland are joined by Abigail Nussbaum to tackle one of the thorniest issues in criticism: the negative review. What makes for a good bad review? Why do reviewers feel driven to write them? And are we now in an age where the hatchet job has had its day?
Critical Friends: Episode 4
March 27, 2023 21:13 - 42 minutes - 36.7 MBIn this episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, Reviews Editors Aisha Subramanian and Dan Hartland talk to novelist, reviewer, and Strange Horizons’ Co-ordinating Editor, Gautam Bhatia, about how reviewing and criticism of all kinds align—and do not—with fiction-writing and the genre more widely. You can read the episode transcript at our website.
Critical Friends: Episode 3
March 01, 2023 14:50 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBIn this special episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF criticism podcast, reviews editors Aisha Subramanian and Dan Hartland introduce audio from a 2018 recording for Jonah Sutton-Morse’s podcast Cabbages and Kings which included Maureen Kincaid Speller discussing with Aisha and Jonah three books: Everfair by Nisi Shawl, Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan, and The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar.
Critical Friends: Episode 2
February 23, 2023 19:36 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBIn the second episode of Critical Friends, reviews editors Aisha Subramanian, Dan Hartland, and Maureen Kincaid Speller discuss the role of trust in criticism: how is it built and lost, and how can the reader decide whether a particular piece of criticism is worth paying attention to? Read the full transcript on our website.
Poetry of the 30 January Issue, Read by Ciro Faienza, Catherine Rockwood, Romie Stott, and Maureen Kincaid Speller
February 05, 2023 23:24 - 18 minutes - 6.41 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 30 January issue. “In memoriam Maureen K. Speller” by Catherine Rockwood, Read by Catherine Rockwood. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Catherine here. “In Review” by Romie Stott, Read by Romie Stott and Maureen Kincaid Speller. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Romie here.
2 May Poetry, Read by Ciro Faienza and Sara S. Messenger
May 04, 2022 14:44 - 6 minutes - 2.25 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 2 May issue. “i roll up to the club in a gundam” by Eric Wang. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Eric here. “your subcutaneous mermaid” by Sara S. Messenger, read by Sara S. Messenger. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Sara here.
Poetry of the 18 April Issue, Read by Blaize Kelly Strothers, Ken Haponek, and Ciro Faienza
April 19, 2022 01:13 - 10 minutes - 3.48 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 18 April issue. “the West is dead” by Blaize Kelly Strothers, read by Blaize Kelly Strothers. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Blaize here. “Responding to Poetry and Prose Poems (pg 36 of Practice of Creative Writing)” by Ken Haponek, read by Ken Haponek. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Ken here.
Poetry of 14 March, Read by Samuel A. Adeyemi and Lalini Shanela Ranaraja
March 14, 2022 14:30 - 7 minutes - 1.32 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 14 March issue with readings by the poets. “Limbs” by Samuel A. Adeyemi, read by Samuel A. Adeyemi. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Samuel here. “Tricona” by Lalini Shanela Ranaraja, read by Lalini Shanela Ranaraja. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Lalini here.
Poetry of the 7 March Issue, Read by Ciro Faienza
March 08, 2022 20:29 - 4 minutes - 840 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 7 March issue. “Gorgons” by Kay Billie Oakes, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Kay here. “Final Resting Place” by Gerri Leen, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Gerri here.
Critical Friends: Episode 1
February 28, 2022 17:45 - 41 minutes - 56.6 MBJoin our Review Editors Dan Hartland, Maureen Kincaid Speller, and Aisha Subramanian for the first episode of Critical Friends, the Strange Horizons SFF Criticism Podcast. Read the full transcript on our website.
14 February Poetry, Read by Ciro Faienza and Gretchen Tessmer
February 14, 2022 19:54 - 4 minutes - 858 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 14 February issue. “Cure” by Vijayalakshmi Harish. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Vijayalakshmi here. “A Jar of Condensed Milk” by Gretchen Tessmer, Read by Gretchen Tessmer. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Gretchen here.
7 February Poetry, Ready by Ciro Faienza and Dawn Macdonald
February 09, 2022 21:01 - 4 minutes - 886 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 7 February issue. “increase” by Dawn Macdonald, as read by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Dawn here. “The World Is a Curio” by Nicky Russell. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Nicky here.
”Broken Blue” by E.M. Faulds, read by Courtney Floyd
January 28, 2022 21:01 - 31 minutes - 29 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons fiction podcast, editor Courtney Floyd presents E.M. Fauld's "Broken Blue." You can read the full story and find more about E.M. here. Content warnings for this story include: Animal cruelty/death Drug use Shaming Vomit
Poetry of the 24 January Issue, Read by Ciro Faienza and Katy Bond
January 24, 2022 16:00 - 5 minutes - 920 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 24 January issue. “Sestina for a friend misplaced and recovered” by Katy Bond, read by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Katy here. “My Double, My Brother” by Averi Kurth, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Averi here.
Poetry of the 3 January Issue, Read by Ciro Faienza
January 05, 2022 19:06 - 5 minutes - 1020 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the 3 January issue. “Coup” by Antonio Funches, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Antonio here. “Who Came From The Woods ” by Lev Mirov, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Lev here.
“Mother ” by Merie Kirby, Read by Ciro Faienza
December 20, 2021 22:36 - 2 minutes - 453 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Merie Kirby's “Mother.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Merie here.
“NAMED THINGS” by Freydís Moon, Read by Ciro Faienza
December 13, 2021 17:16 - 2 minutes - 424 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Freydís Moon's “NAMED THINGS.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Freydís here.
“Werewoman” by C. S. E. Cooney, Read by C. S. E. Cooney
December 06, 2021 21:23 - 4 minutes - 850 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents C. S. E. Cooney's “Werewoman” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about C. S. E. here.
“The Giantess Angrboða Drowns All the Mirrors in the House When Her Husband Loki Leaves” by Madeline Grigg, Read by Ciro Faienza
November 16, 2021 06:46 - 3 minutes - 565 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Madeline Grigg's “The Giantess Angrboða Drowns All the Mirrors in the House When Her Husband Loki Leaves.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Madeline here.
“Variational Sestinoid Spiral Seeds 281698895 and 510616808” by Allison Parrish, Read by Ciro Faienza
November 11, 2021 04:11 - 5 minutes - 1020 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Allison Parrish's “Variational Sestinoid Spiral Seeds 281698895 and 510616808.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Allison here.
“Frame of Reference” by Liam Corley, Read by Liam Corley
November 02, 2021 03:58 - 4 minutes - 774 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Liam Corley's “Frame of Reference” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Liam here.
Fund Drive 2021 Poetry
October 28, 2021 02:39 - 4 minutes - 803 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry earned in this year's Fund Drive. “The Evolution of Whales” by Michael Meyerhofer, read by Michael Meyerhofer. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Michael here. “To Disappear into a Song Wide Enough to Drown” by Wale Ayinla, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Wale here.
“Mission: Accomplished” by K. Ceres Wright, Read by Ciro Faienza
October 19, 2021 03:26 - 2 minutes - 436 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents K. Ceres Wright's “Mission: Accomplished.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about K. here.
”Surat Dari Hantu” by Lisabelle Tay, read by Kat Kourbeti
October 11, 2021 17:30 - 31 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons fiction podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents Lisabelle Tay's "Surat Dari Hantu". You can read the full story and find more about Lisabelle here. Content warnings for this story include: Blood Body transformation Child death Death/dying Drug use Murder Needles Spiders/insects Violence/combat
“Insomnia” by Anthony Okpunor, Read by Ciro Faienza
October 06, 2021 02:57 - 3 minutes - 581 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Anthony Okpunor's “Insomnia.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Anthony here.
“Corazón Oculto” by Mary Robles, Read by Ciro Faienza
September 28, 2021 14:27 - 2 minutes - 399 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Mary Robles' “Corazón Oculto.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Mary here.
“The Little Death After the Apocalypse” by Courtney Skaggs, Read by Ciro Faienza
September 21, 2021 00:38 - 3 minutes - 634 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Courtney Skaggs' “The Little Death After the Apocalypse.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Courtney here.
”Motivation Augmentation” by Clara Ward, read by Kat Kourbeti
September 20, 2021 17:00 - 6 minutes - 4.03 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons fiction podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents Clara Ward's "Motivation Augmentation." You can read the full story, and find more about Clara, on our website. Content warnings for this story include: Disregard for personal autonomy Body transformation
“The suck-up” by Steve Castro, Read by Ciro Faienza
September 13, 2021 23:25 - 2 minutes - 494 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Steve Castro's “The suck-up.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Steve here.
”All Us Ghosts” by B. Pladek, read by Kat Kourbeti
September 12, 2021 21:11 - 52 minutes - 33.1 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents B. Pladek's "All Us Ghosts". You can read the full story text here, and find more of B. Pladek's work here. Content warnings for this story include: Disregard for personal autonomy Death/dying Dysphoria Infectious disease
“Funeral for a Star” by Yuna Kang, Read by Yuna Kang
September 07, 2021 04:16 - 2 minutes - 387 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Yuna Kang's “Funeral for a Star,” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Yuna here.
The Southeast Asian Poetry Special Issue
September 06, 2021 21:27 - 27 minutes - 4.7 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents the poetry of the Southeast Asian Poetry Special Issue. “Firework” by Ian Goh, read by Ian Goh. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Ian here. “空心菜” by Andy Winter, read by Ciro Faienza. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Andy here. “City Lights as Myth” by Yong-Yu Huang, read by Yong-Yu Huang. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Yong-Yu here. “Âu Cơ in the Water...
”Cocoon” by H. Pueyo, read by Courtney Floyd
September 01, 2021 19:56 - 8 minutes - 8.07 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Courtney Floyd presents H. Pueyo's "Cocoon," which first appeared in Strange Horizons on 2 August 2021. You can read the full story text, and find more about H. Pueyo here.
”Data Migration” by Melanie Harding-Shaw, read by the author
September 01, 2021 19:20 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Courtney Floyd presents Melanie Harding-Shaw's "Data Migration," which first appeared in Strange Horizons on 12 July 2021. You can read the full story text, and find more about Melanie Harding-Shaw here. Content warnings for this story include: Spiders/insects
“Ode to Women’s Arms in SF Television” by Hannah V Warren, Read by Ciro Faienza
August 24, 2021 02:54 - 2 minutes - 514 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Hannah V Warren's “Ode to Women’s Arms in SF Television.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about Hannah here.
“Cartilage” by Bryce A. Taylor, Read by Bryce A. Taylor
August 17, 2021 01:56 - 2 minutes - 410 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Bryce A. Taylor's “Cartilage” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Bryce here.
"The Loneliness of Former Constellations" by P. H. Low, read by Kat Kourbeti
August 09, 2021 22:05 - 51 minutes - 29.8 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents P. H. Low's "The Loneliness of Former Constellations." You can read the full story text, and find more about P. H. Low here. Content warnings for this story include: Animal cruelty/death Disregard for personal autonomy Blood Scars/scarification Suicide Violence/combat Vomit
“The Hollow” by M. Regan, Read by Ciro Faienza
August 03, 2021 01:45 - 7 minutes - 1.23 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents M. Regan's “The Hollow.” You can read the full text of the poem and more about M. here.
“What Cacti Read” by Mary Soon Lee, Read by Mary Soon Lee
July 30, 2021 01:42 - 2 minutes - 488 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Mary Soon Lee's “What Cacti Read” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Mary here.
“In the Witch’s House” by Nora Claire Miller, Read by Nora Claire Miller
July 20, 2021 01:39 - 4 minutes - 783 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Nora Claire Miller's “In the Witch’s House” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Nora here.
"The Cataloguer of Deceit" by Ian Rosales Casocot, read by Kat Kourbeti
July 19, 2021 19:30 - 43 minutes - 27.2 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents Ian Rosales Casocot's "The Cataloguer of Deceit." You can read the full story, and find out more about Ian here. Content warnings for this story include: Disregard for personal autonomy Child abuse Death/dying Mental health issues Vomit
“The Great Missouri Tornado of 1882” by Dante Novario, Read by Dante Novario
July 13, 2021 00:00 - 3 minutes - 713 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Dante Novario's “The Great Missouri Tornado of 1882” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Dante here.
"Haja Hoje" by Anna Martino, read by Kat Kourbeti
July 05, 2021 19:30 - 28 minutes - 17.6 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Kat Kourbeti presents Anna Martino's "Haja Hoje." You can read the full story, and find out more about Anna, here. Content warnings for this story include: Animal cruelty/death Disregard for personal autonomy Death/dying
"The Giant with No Heart in Her Body" by Nike Sulway, read by Courtney Floyd
June 25, 2021 19:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Courtney Floyd presents "The Giant with No Heart in Her Body" by Nike Sulway. The full text of the story can be found here. Content warnings: Blood Body transformation Death/dying Drug use
“TREAT ME EARLY” by Palimrya, Read by Palimrya
June 21, 2021 23:46 - 2 minutes - 540 KBIn this episode of the Strange Horizons podcast, editor Ciro Faienza presents Palimrya's “TREAT ME EARLY” with a reading by the poet. You can read the full text of the poem and more about Palimrya here.