John is not firing on all cylinders, Alison has a code, and Liz downloaded the packet.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Worms (Alison’s pick)

• Letters of comment
  • Andrew Thompson (Mastodon 1, 2)
  • Chris Garcia (email)
  • Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
    • BSFA accounts
  • Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky 1, 2)
  • Kate Macdonald (email)
  • Kiesa (Mastodon)
  • Mike Scott (Facebook)
  • Patrick Garvey (email)
  • Paul Weimer (email)
    • The Theory of Related-ivity by Heather Rose Jones
    • “Seattle Worldcon Poet Laureate Brandon O’Brien’s Opening Ceremonies poem”
    • Also pointed out by Kathy Bond (Bluesky)
  • Raj (Mastodon 1, 2)
  • We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Ang Rosin, Caroline Mullan, Constanze Hofmann, Dave Mansfield, DC, Duncan MacGregor, Els, Ivan Sinha, James Shields, Jonathan Baddeley, Kev McVeigh, Lilian Edwards, Phil Dyson, Tammy Coxen
• Hugo Awards
  • Intergalactic Mixtape #50
  • Intergalactic Mixtape #53
• Tim Vine is Plastic Elvis as Sam Salono in Rocker ‘Brella Fella
• Picks
  • John: Citizen Sleeper
  • Alison: Falmouth Worm-Charming Championships
  • Liz: Hades II
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Cover-Mounted CD-Rom” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: A drawing of a CD-Rom with the words “Octothorpe 160” and “New!! Exclusive Octothorpe cover-mounted CD-Rom”.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)