Story by John Leahy:

Being single in the city is difficult, especially when you and the rest of humanity is slowly transforming into petroleum-based life. Lance, an awkward New York schoolteacher, ventures into a speed-dating event where compatibility is measured as much by chemistry as by attraction, and meets Jo, a woman who sees evolution not as an ending but as an unfinished beginning.

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In 2014 AMC released “Halt And Catch Fire,” (HCF) a brilliant four-season series that followed four characters and their quest to lead the future of the emerging Information Age starting from the PC revolution in the early 1980s through the coming Dotcom boom in the mid 1990s. Over the course of four seasons our characters Gordon, Donna, Cam, and Joe are each driven by a passion to explore what’s possible as well the need for connection to each other. Quite simply, HCF is the greatest show hardly anyone has ever seen.

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You probably didn’t know this, but Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 1968 movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” was followed up in 1984 with “2010: The Year We Make Contact.” While most people in the ‘80s overlooked Arthur C. Clarke’s red-headed sequel, we’re gonna review the story of “2010” from our doomscrolling perch in the 2020s, and we can guarantee a 65% accuracy. Hal 9000 would likely refuse to open the pod bay doors for us after listening to this episode, but while we await the AI singularity to finally do us in for good, let’s revisit a time back when the future looked hopeful.

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Steve’s been thinking that his dreams have been a little weird lately: one had a film score, another had credits at the end. Sadly, he didn’t dream it up. It’s a new app in his implant where companies can now advertise in your sleep. Steve thinks it’s just the worst and considers removing his implant entirely, but it is through this app that he is introduced to someone who needs his help.

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Story by Tim Melody Pratt

As the reigning Queen of Hell, Marla prefers her privacy. Unfortunately, her wife Zufi insists that they’ve got to keep the gates of hell open to petitioners to keep things real. Despite Marla’s best efforts to discourage seekers, one such mortal named Hannah has made it through the gates on a desperate, some say unhealthy quest. That’s fine. But Marla wants something in return.

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Ellie Hartsmith just graduated from college and is rearing to pay off those student loans. Unfortunately, with AI taking over all the entry level work, jobs are hard to come by. So, when Chronos Office Solutions offers her a temp position, Ellie takes the elevator up to the 22nd floor to work for Big Tex Blinds. One thing about the job. It’s in 1983. It might be in the past, but it’s steady work.

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The cosmos is truly wondrous, but the truth is it was also designed by committee. Everyone had a say in its creation and that has led to an emerging problem. God has requested a meeting with all the stakeholders through their assistant Gabe who sent out calendar invites and brought in donuts for the meeting. Whatever this problem is, Gabe suspects that it isn’t something that could be done over email.

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The dream of the 1190s is alive in Oregon as we’ll be discussing “Dies The Fire,” the first novel in SM Stirling’s “Emberverse” series. Set in the Willamette Valley in 1998 the Change strikes across the globe rendering all electronics inoperable and making rapid combustion impossible.

Be warned: there will be plenty of spoilers and “Portlandia” references.

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