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Starship Alexandria

Starship Alexandria

By: Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky
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The Sci-fi and Fantasy podcast from the best of futures! In this future, humanity has solved its problems and is now sending spaceships from Earth, not in a desperate attempt to escape the apocalypse but because we can do so in a spirit of hope and exploration. As a part of the Starship Alexandria Project, the far-future analogues of 21st century authors Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky have been tasked to make recommendations from the ship's vast library of creative works based on the preferences of our 21st century counterparts. Each of us will take it in turns to nominate a book, film or similar work, and the other will play judge and give the thumbs up or thumbs down to be recommended across the fleet.2025 Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Episode 15 - Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

    Episode 15 - Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
    Jul 11 2026

    For our July 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Do you Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh for Adrian's consideration.

    We talk about spoilers in this, and despite my initial lukewarm thoughts about spoilers for this book, there are definitely some moments that are better raw, so do take this as a note that there's something to be gained by reading ahead of the 'cast.

    Other talking points:

    The Science of Spoilers

    British alt space history

    When you call your spaceship "Damocles"

    Everyone Hates Harry

    Orlando Boom (sorry)

    The 2012 Olympics and national pride

    The brutal logistics of being in space

    Authorial treatment of the moral quandary

    Super-elite child training academies

    Competitive personalities, the pros and cons

    YA or not YA

    Balancing multiple character arcs

    Mysticism and an ambivalent attitude to woo

    Coral and reef building

    Media Mentions:

    2012 Olympics opening ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4As0e4de-rI

    Planetfall, novel by Emma Newman

    The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky (I promise we only flag our own stuff here when it's genuinely relevant!)

    Aurora, novel by Kim Stanley Robinson (not named but this is the one I mentioned)

    'The Cold Equations', short story by Tom Godwin

    The Martian, novel by Andy Weir

    Philosophers in Space podcast https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/philosophers-in-space/4068539 (or wherever you get your podcasts from)

    Star Trek various TV series

    Next month we look at Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe

    This month's patron episode is Look to Windward by Iain M Banks

    Emma's music recommendation: Taking What's Not Yours by TV Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox5ENW0CeAU&list=RDOx5ENW0CeAU&start_radio=1

    Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award

    Adrian's most recent book is the graphic novel Salvation's Child https://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Architecture-Salvations-Comixology-Originals-ebook/dp/B0FH2KR8LH

    If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home

    You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/

    Follow us at:

    Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk

    Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com

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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Episode 14 - Piranesi

    Episode 14 - Piranesi
    Jun 9 2026
    For our June 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke for Emma's consideration. Other talking points: The State of What the F Is Going On The joy of found document sources The Triangle of Information ™ Two views of the nicest character in fiction Analogues with dementia Shadows on a cave wall Psychic ideating communion(!) One author enters, two classics leave The ignorant unreliable narrator Media Mentions: Mythago Wood, novel by Robert Holdstock (and our coverage of it here: https://starshipalexandria.com/episode-8-mythago-wood The Magician's Nephew, novel by CS Lewis Red Dwarf TV series (very tangentially!) Wayne's World sketch series and movies dir. Penelope Spheeris Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, novel by Susanna Clarke The Life of Brian, movie dir. Terry Jones (also very tangentially!) Planetfall series of novels by Emma Newman Next month we look at Do You Dream of Terra Two? by Temi Oh Adrian's music recommendation: Damnd Anthem's cover of Muse's Uprising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w48-1IQxnM&list=RD_w48-1IQxnM&start_radio=1 Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award Adrian's most recent book is the graphic novel Salvation's Child https://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Architecture-Salvations-Comixology-Originals-ebook/dp/B0FH2KR8LH If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ Follow us at: Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Episode 13 - Tales From Outer Suburbia

    Episode 13 - Tales From Outer Suburbia
    May 9 2026
    For our May 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan for Adrian's consideration. Other talking points: The difficulty of summarising Somehow avoiding the word "surreal" An emotional model railway trip. Reading around the story Balancing story collections Styles of art Media Mentions: The art of Edward Gorey including The Gashlycrumb Tinies and The Insect God The art of Dr Seuss including I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew The art of Adrian Sykes https://www.adriansykes.co.uk/ Next month we look at Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Emma's music recommendation: Future Boy by Turin Brakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AekubF2xYlg&list=RDAekubF2xYlg&start_radio=1 Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award Adrian's most recent book: Children of Strife https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/children-of-strife-adrian-tchaikovsky/7864905 If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ Follow us at: Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
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