The Three Hoarsemen (Episode 30) – Space is Always a Metaphor with Leah Petersen

As snow and ice bury the east coast, John E. O. Stevens, Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson turn their thoughts to the cold, merciless abyss that engulfs us all. That’s right, SPACE is the place, and they’ve invited Leah Petersen along to talk about the stories set there, and the role it plays.

Science Fiction’s early depictions of space cast it as a medium to be crossed, or an analog for the sea, facilitating trade, exploration, and empire-building. Frank Herbert made it a commodity, accessible only to those who gave up their humanity. Stephen Baxter filled it with incomprehensible machinations. Star Trek used it as a divide between cultures. Kristine Katherine Rusch riddled it with lethal anomalies. Vernor Vinge gave it dominion over the rise of intelligence. C. J. Cherryh, Samuel Delany, Karen Lord, Alastair Reynolds, Lois McMaster Bujold, and many others shaped the infinite void into a narrative tool. Now, with Star Wars,The Expanse, and a possible new ninth planet, space is once again imposing itself on popular culture. Is it up to the challenge?

As always, the discussion turns to recent culture consumed.

Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes.

• Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen
• Cascade Effect by Leah Petersen
• Impact Velocity by Leah Petersen

• Carbide Tipped Pens edited by Ben Bova & Eric Choi
• Measuring the Universe by Kitty Ferguson
• Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh

• Powersat by Ben Bova
• Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Katherine Rusch
• The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

• Sex and Violence in Zero G–The Complete “Near Space” Stories by Allen M. Steele
• Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
• Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman & Esad Ribic (Marvel)

Links:

• Fred’s 2016: The Year in Books–A mere TWO!
• Fred’s 2016: The Year in Shorts–25
• Luis Ortiz: Outermost–The Art and Life of Jack Gaughan
• Charles Stross: The Atrocity Archives
• Samuel R. Delany: Dhalgren (audio)
• Gary K. Wolfe: How Great Science Fiction Works (The Great Courses)
• Leena Krohn: Collected Fiction

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