John doesn’t want to pass out, Alison is a wuss, but Liz doesn’t think it’s gratuitous.

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: Gore and vampirism (Liz’s pick)

• Letters of comment
  • Chris Garcia (email)
  • Fredrik Coulter (Facebook)
  • Ivan Sinha (email)
  • Nicholas Whyte (email)
  • Paul Weimer (email)
  • Roseanna Pendlebury (email)
  • Tammy Coxen (Bluesky)
  • We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Farah Mendlesohn, Kev McVeigh, and Mike Scott
• Chris Barkley got his Hugo Award!
• Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden
  • The Q&A
    • Videos of the Q&A on YouTube
      • Kayla Allen notes on File 770 that the sound is very poor in places
    • Smofcon 2026: Smofcon 43 in Lisbon, Portugal
    • The Worldcons that presented:
      • 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles, USA
      • 2027: Montreal, Canada
      • 2028:
        • Brisbane, Australia
        • Nuremberg, Germany
        • Kigali, Rwanda
      • 2029: Dublin, Ireland
      • 2030: Edmonton, Canada
      • 2031: Texas, USA
      • 2032: Nantes, France
        • Nantes Utopiales
      • 2033: No interest
      • 2034: Glasgow, Scotland
        • Vision statement
      • 2035: Poland
      • Unknown: Czechia
        • Festival Fantazie
• Picks
  • John: Your Wish is My Command by Deena Mohamed
  • Alison: The Lost Nose by John Sladek
    • Sort of collected in Maps: The Uncollected John Sladek by John Sladek
  • Liz: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Alison is Still Obsessed with Ukuleles” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: A Mahalo Flying V, an Uma Blue Pineapple, and a Brunswick soprano are hanging on a Christmas tree beneath the words “Octothorpe 150”.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John is going to Smofcon, Alison has FOMO, and Liz is a horrible person.

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: None

• Letters of comment
  • Andreas Davour (email)
  • Chris Garcia (email)
  • Ed Morland (BlueSky on 147, 148)
    • Cyclo-cross
    • Mathmo.org
  • Emily January (email)
  • Karen Schaffer (email)
    • Literal antivirus
  • Paul Weimer (email)
    • Centrale Montemartini
  • We also heard from Alan Fleming, Ali Baker Brooks, Andrew Thompson, Brian Nisbet, Bridget Bradshaw, DC, Duncan MacGregor, Ivan Sinha, Jan Harley, Kev McVeigh, Malcolm Hutchison, Mike Scott, Neil Ottenstein, Shi Lala, and Tommy Ferguson
  • Famous Belgians: Simon Stevin
• Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Smofcon Q&As
    • Salute of the Jugger
    • How to stream it in the UK
  • John would like to thank Glasgow 2024 for a travel bursary allowing him to attend!
• Novacon 2026: Novacon 55 in Buxton
  • Una McCormack
• Picks
  • John: The Truman Show
  • Alison: Pluribus
  • Liz: The Summer War by Naomi Novik
• Credits
  • Cover art: ”Archaeologists“ by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: John and Alison, dressed in clothes reminiscent of The Mummy, look down some stairs upon Liz’s tomb, in which her skeleton still holds her Hugo Award, framed by stonework. The words “Octothorpe 149” appear at the top of the image.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John, Alison, and stunt Liz Emily Tesh are live from Novacon 54!

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 X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: It’s a live recording!

• Thanks to Emily Tesh for being our stunt Liz!
  • You can find Emily at her website, with links to socials at the bottom of the page
  • Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones
• Visit Stow Shirts for all your Octothorpe merchandise needs
• Picks
  • John: The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
  • Alison: Where the Axe is Buried by Ray Nayler
  • Emily: The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Live from Novacon” by Steven Cain and Alison Scott
    • Alt text: Emily Tesh, John, and Alison stand in front of a suspiciously purple background which may indicate that the real background has been subtracted by nefarious photo editing. The words “Octothorpe 148 Live from Novacon” are overlaid.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)