Atoz: A Speculative Fiction Book Club Podcast
Episodes
Ep. 89: A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Magical realism in Japan.Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Want more science fic...
Ep. 88: Good News from Outer Space by John Kessel
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pre-Millennial Tension.Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Want more science ficti...
Ep. 87: World of Darkness - Pomegranates Full and Fine by Don Bassingthwaite
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The World of Darkness! Toronto!! Yes!!!Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Want mo...
Ep. 86: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagination is real.Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Want more science fiction ...
Ep. 85: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robots, Gene-Wolfe-style, but written by Kazuo Ishiguro.Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on P...
Ep. 84: Shrine of Stars by Paul J. McAuley
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gene Wolfe fan-fiction plus, part three!Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon....
Ep. 83: Ancient of Days by Paul J. McAuley
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gene Wolfe fan-fiction plus, part two!Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Wa...
Ep. 82: Child of the River by Paul J. McAuley
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gene Wolfe fan-fiction plus.Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon.Want more sc...
Ep. 81: Blindsight by Peter Watts
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle-up for a deeply pessimistic first-encounter story. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on ...
Ep. 80: Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Death? Discworld? Definitely! Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more scien...
Ep. 79: Foundation and Empire - Part I - The General by Isaac Asimov
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Procopius fan-fiction IN SPACE. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more sci...
Ep. 78: The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alcoholic aliens plus a little David Bowie. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. W...
Ep. 77: The Girl in a Swing by Richard Adams
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most terrifying books I've ever read. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon...
Ep. 76: The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
High fantasy in an imaginary southeast Asia. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want m...
Ep. 74: The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Space exploration, space opera, and space Jesuits! Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. ...
Ep. 73: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More horror for children. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction...
Ep. 72: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn and Jay talk medievalism in Narnia. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want...
Ep. 71: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn and Jay talk Ishiguro's dreamy Arthurian fantasy. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on ...
Ep. 70: The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Teleportation, the Second World War, and H.P. Lovecraft. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Pat...
Ep. 69: The House With a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Horror for children! Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in y...
Ep. 68: To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Riverworld) by Philip Jose Farmer
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Surrealist salvation! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron o...
Ep. 67: Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Platonic forms, amnesia, and Shakespeare! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by...
Ep. 66: The Golem by Gustav Meyrink
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Murder and madness in fin-de-siecle Prague! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes ...
Ep. 65: The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
H.G. Wells has to get back to the future. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by...
Ep. 64: The Fisherman by John Langan
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grief and the Cthulhu Mythos. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a ...
Ep. 63: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The inevitable collapse of global capitalism, it's inevitable return, and also woolly mammoths. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the n...
Ep. 62: The Star King by Jack Vance
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's Quentin Tarantino in space. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming...
Ep. 61: Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's mushroom people all the way down. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by be...
Ep. 60: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn and Jay talk medievalism in their first supernatural-horror book. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a...
Ep. 59: Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
That's no asteroid ... Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron ...
Ep. 58: The World of Null-A by A.E. Van Vogt
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A future dystopia. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your...
Ep. 57: The Deep by John Crowley
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's either a story about robots, seed ships, and light-sails; or it's a story about kings, castles, and court intrigue. Who can say? Join the convers...
Ep. 56: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A classic response to Starship Troopers. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Support the network and gain access to over fifty...
Ep. 55: The Dry Salvages by Caitlin R. Kiernan
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In space, no one can hear you scream. Grab a copy of G.I.L.T by Alisa Kwitney. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain a...
Ep. 54: Dune by Frank Herbert
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Feudalism. In space!!! Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series on medievalism! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the ...
Ep. 53: The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is this our first time travel story or our one hundredth? Grab a copy of Shredded, the new anthology of horror stories about sports and fitness from E...
Ep. 52: The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Let's go to Prydain. Grab a copy of Mulch, the new horror novella from Alex Mac. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain...
Ep. 51: The Devourers by Indra Das
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Werewolves!!!! Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain acces...
Ep. 50: X-Men - God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mutants vs. Televangelism. Grab a copy of The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access ...
Ep. 49: Cats Have No Lord by Will Shetterly
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sword and socialism. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on...
Ep. 48: City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The fantasy novel Graham Greene always meant to write. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Join the conversation on the Atoz f...
Ep. 47: Hannah Goodheart and the Guardian of Time by C. Michael Morrison
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our first YA novel! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on ...
Ep. 46: A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Call of Cthulhu Live Action Role-Playing Game Novel. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bo...
Ep. 45: Batman - The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you telling me that a man dressed up like a bat got all my press? Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to ...
Ep. 44: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I can't believe it took us 44 episodes to get to Brandon Sanderson. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Join the conversation ...
Ep. 43: The Languages of Pao by Jack Vance
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Space linguistics! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patron on Pat...
Ep. 42: The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Murder!!! Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to ...
Ep. 41: Lord of the Isles by David Drake
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Homer, dogwoods, and the horrors of war. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by ...
Ep. 40: The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
El Cid fan-fiction fan-fiction. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series on medievalism! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Sup...
Ep. 39: Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dragonlance. Do I need to say more? Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becom...
Ep. 38: Xenos (Warhammer 40,000) by Dan Abnett
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Space marines, space heretics, space Lovecraft!!!!! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus e...
Ep. 37: Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Space opera you can use to prop open a door. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes...
Ep. 36: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - Part III: More Political Science-Fiction
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to know even more? Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the netw...
Ep. 35: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - Part II - Political Science-Fiction
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to know more? Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network a...
Ep. 34: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - Part I - Military Science-Fiction
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We just called it the Bug War. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network...
Ep. 33: Foundation - Season One
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Emperor Thranduil? Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain ac...
Ep. 32: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Time travel for Christmas. Just try not to get the plague. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty ...
Ep. 31: Unquenchable Fire by Rachel Pollack
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Magical realism in upstate New York. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the n...
Ep. 30: The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
CROM!!!! It's Robert E. Howard's only Conan novel! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus ep...
Ep. 29: The Last Witness by K.J. Parker
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you sure that's what really happened? Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus episode! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support...
Ep. 28: Monstress - Awakening by Marjorie Liu
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Old Ones, fairies, and talking cats. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by beco...
Ep. 27: Foundation by Isaac Asimov - Parts IV and V
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two historians talk about imperialism ... IN SPACE!!! Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz for...
Ep. 26: Foundation by Isaac Asimov - Part III
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two historians talk about science-fiction monks. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. S...
Ep. 25: Foundation by Isaac Asimov - Part II
25 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two historians talk about the Fall of Rome and the early Middle Ages ... IN SPACE!!!! Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join ...
Ep. 24: Foundation by Isaac Asimov - Part I
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two historians talk about psychohistory and the Fall of Rome. Thanks to the listener who commissioned this bonus series! Join the conversation on the ...
Ep. 23: Star Trek - The Entropy Effect by Vonda McIntyre
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It would be highly illogical to skip this episode. Read John De Gruyther's interview with Vonda McIntyre! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Sup...
Ep. 22: Redshirts by John Scalzi
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Quiet! Do you want to get us sued? It's a Star Trek parody! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty...
Ep. 21: Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fairies! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patron on Patreon. Want...
Ep. 20: Descender - Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A robot apocalypse ... IN SPACE!!!! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becom...
Ep. 19: Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
English wizards vs. Nazi X-Men. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming ...
Ep. 18: The City and the City by China Mieville
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hardboiled detection in a dimensional rift. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes ...
Ep. 17: Eye in the Sky by Philip K. Dick
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is reality really real? Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patron o...
Ep. 16: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's only the end of the world again. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by bec...
Ep. 15: The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A war in Faerie. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patron on Patreon....
Ep. 14: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's happening: evil carnies! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patro...
Ep. 13: Numenera - A Role-Playing Game by Monte Cook Studios
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready for far-future science-fantasy adventure? Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bon...
Ep. 12: Zodiac by Neal Stephenson
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A hardboiled chemical detective and everything you ever wanted to know about sewer systems. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show ...
Ep. 11: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gods, heroes, centaurs, and ghosts. Oh my! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by b...
Ep. 10: Ship of Fools (Unto Leviathan) by Richard Paul Russo
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A surprise special bonus episode commissioned by one of our Patreon supporters! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain ...
Ep. 9: Powers - Who Killed Retro Girl? by Brian Michael Bendis
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our first comic book and our first superheroes! Join Glenn for a superhero detective story from the creator of Jessica Jones. Join the conversation on...
Ep. 8: The Clewiston Test by Kate Wilhelm
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's our first medical science-fiction story! Check out this review of The Clewiston Test by Yvonne Tunnat (in German). Join the conversation on the A...
Ep. 7: A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nationalism, poetry, and loads of crying. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by be...
Ep. 6: The Alehouse at the End of the World by Stevan Allred
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bawdy Shakespearean romance in a mythological world. But it's not A Midsummer Night's Dream. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show...
Ep. 5: The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change? It was aliens. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by become a patr...
Ep. 4: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how a house becomes haunted? Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the show and gain access to over fifty bonus epis...
Ep. 3: The Beginning Place by Ursula K. Le Guin
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's always twilight in the land of Faerie. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum.
Ep. 2: The Memory of Whiteness by Kim Stanley Robinson
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Music and mystery in our space-faring future. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum.
Ep. 1: Welcome to Atoz
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the show!