Starship Alexandria

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.

Starship Alexandria is a arts podcast hosted by Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky, with 41 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Emma Newman and Adrian Tchaikovsky hosts Starship Alexandria, a arts show with 41 episodes published.

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  Episode #6

  Episode 16 - Soldier of the Mist

  Aug 9, 20261h 35mS2

  For our August 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the book Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe for Emma's consideration. Other talking points: All Greek to Emma Surprise spider nomenclature Werewolves? There wolves Necromancy LinkedIn Reading and re-reading Wolfe Unreliable narrators and narration perspective The past as a foreign country Memory and amnesia in fiction Wolfe and descriptive style The hero as werewolf Audiobook narrator voice choices Media Mentions: You can find Re-reading Wolfe on your usual podcast platforms. I will also note other Wolfe-flavoured podcast resources, Alzabo Soup, The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast and a large chunk of Shelved by Genre, if you have a thirst for some deep dives into his work (none have done Soldier yet to my knowledge) The Shadow of the Torturer, The Book of the New Sun series and the wider Solar Cycle novels of Gene Wolfe Piranesi, novel by Susanna Clarke (and see our prior coverage of that) A Game of Thrones novel by GRR Martin / TV series The Green Knight movie dir. David Lowery (and see our patreon episode on that) Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series, specifically the episode 'Darmok' Next month we look at the novel Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner This month's patron episode is the indie film The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising Adrian's music recommendation: The Sad God by Gorillaz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQE0FnpfqQo&list=RDfQE0FnpfqQo&start_radio=1 , also the entire album The Mountain and in particular this animated sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucRulNQsuYQ&list=RDucRulNQsuYQ&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 Green City Wars https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/green-city-wars-adrian-tchaikovsky/686e574129a9b37f?ean=9781035045723 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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  Episode #5

  Episode 15 - Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

  Jul 11, 20261h 21mS2

  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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  Episode #4

  Episode 14 - Piranesi

  Jun 9, 20261h 18mS2

  <p >For our June 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke for Emma's consideration. </p> <p >Other talking points: </p> <p >The State of What the F Is Going On </p> <p >The joy of found document sources </p> <p >The Triangle of Information ™ </p> <p >Two views of the nicest character in fiction </p> <p >Analogues with dementia </p> <p >Shadows on a cave wall </p> <p >Psychic ideating communion(!) </p> <p >One author enters, two classics leave </p> <p >The ignorant unreliable narrator </p> <p > </p> <p >Media Mentions: </p> <p >Mythago Wo...

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  Episode #3

  Episode 13 - Tales From Outer Suburbia

  May 9, 202651 minS2

  <p >For our May 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan for Adrian's consideration.  </p> <p >Other talking points: </p> <p >The difficulty of summarising </p> <p >Somehow avoiding the word "surreal" </p> <p >An emotional model railway trip. </p> <p >Reading around the story </p> <p >Balancing story collections </p> <p >Styles of art </p> <p >Media Mentions: </p> <p >The a

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  Episode #3

  Episode 13 - Tales From Outer Suburbia

  May 9, 202651 minS2

  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

  ListenShow Notes

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