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  • 141: A Whole Episode Without Business Meeting Content

    141: A Whole Episode Without Business Meeting Content
    2025/08/14
    John is worried, Alison volunteers, and Liz is warm. 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 Chris Hurley (email)Dave O’Neill (Bluesky, DM)Ivan Sinha (Facebook)Jesi Lipp (email, Facebook)John Hertz (typewritten letter with pasted image from File 770 scanned by Fedex and sent by email)Mike Glyer (email)Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)Nicholas Whyte (email)Nuala (Bluesky)Paul Weimer (Bluesky)Rory Hennell James (Bluesky)Tammy Coxen and Jesi Lipp (Bluesky)We also heard from Doug Faunt and Farah Mendlesohn Worldcon 2025: Seattle Business Meeting Jesi Lipp posted some excellent infographics on JOFJesi also posted a small table on our Facebook of attendances back to 2014 and John made them into a graphNASFiC is gone The USA has a national con now and it’s Dragon Con, so why compete? We will return to this question…The end of fan-run conventions in the USA NASFiC is gone, leaving Dragon Con as the de facto national conventionThe Westercon by-laws have been repealedWiscon has not got enough volunteers to run an in-person conventionGallifrey One is coming to an end, Showmasters Events are running a commercial replacementGeekGirlCon and Penguicon are strugglingArisia, Baycon, Boskone, Loscon have all shrunk (anecdotally) The end of fan-run conventions more widely? New Zealand: Fan-run conventions have been struggling since CoNZealandFinland: SMOF News recently reported that Finncon is not running due to lack of volunteers More widely to do with volunteering? Maybe more true in the UK? Picks John: The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian TchaikovskyAlison: Control Room B at Battersea Power Station (and Battersea Power Station Station)Liz: Woodworking by Emily St. James Credits Cover art: “Mildly Wes” by Alison Scott Alt text: A photograph of a cocktail bar at Battersea Power Station. The words “Control Room B” are above the cocktail bar, and the words “Octothorpe 141” overlaid in similar style. Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 3 分
  • 140: Nerdiest Nerds Who Ever Nerded

    140: Nerdiest Nerds Who Ever Nerded
    2025/07/31
    John is laughing, Alison is coughing, and Liz has already eaten. 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: Coughing (aftershow) Letters of comment Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)Constanze Hofmann (Facebook)David Bamford (Bluesky)Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)Tommy Ferguson (email)We also heard from Olav Rokne, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen 2025 Worldcon: Seattle Business Meeting Business Meeting Agenda and Recaps File 770 reporting: 4 July, 19 July, 25 JulyYouTube recordings: 4 July, 19 July, 25 July13 July was not reported/recorded because of executive session Trial Committee Doctor Science, España Sheriff, Ian Stockdale, Kat Kourbeti, Kris “nchanter” Snyder Mark Protection Committee Nicholas Whyte, Alan Bond, and Chris Rose have benefitted quite massively from shortcomings in the WSFS voting mechanism, reports Nicholas WhyteUniversity of Cambridge’s Single Transferable Vote regulationsThere’s a new way to remove MPC members Ben Yalow jumped before being pushed E.2 got ratified and then un-ratified again Andrew January visualised what the changes implyNicholas Whyte pointed out this would accidentally hugely disenfranchise Attending MembershipsMeg MacDonald pointed out in the Business Meeting that Glasgow had 1390 “First Worldcon” members We should vote with “Everybody Votes” style Smofcon 42 bursaries are available 2027 Worldcon: Montreal bid The prospective co-chairs have been announced Picks John: One Soul by Ray FawkesAlison: BitterLiz: Superman Credits Cover art: “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” by Alison Scott Alt text: Three Miis in the style of John, Alison and Liz on a background reminiscent of the Everybody Votes Channel from the Nintendo Wii. The words “Octothorpe 140” appear at the top and “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” at the bottom. - Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 14 分
  • 139: Mostly Just a Wide Spot on the Road

    139: Mostly Just a Wide Spot on the Road
    2025/07/17
    John was at the business meeting, Alison was at the cricket, and Tammy is Liz. 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 Find Tammy at her podcast, my tiny bottlesLetters of comment Chris Garcia (email)Colette Reap (email)Farah Mendlesohn (email)Ivan Sinha (Facebook)Mike Glyer (email)Niall Harrison (email) Here are Niall’s 10 recommendations for you, listeners! [Interestingly, Niall did not mention any of the translators except for one, and so I had to go and look them all up—John] A Thousand Blues by Cheon Seon-ran, translated by Chi-Young KimVanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley TakemoriUnder the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa YonedaDengue Boy by Michel Nieva, translated by Rahul BerySea Now by Eva Meijer, translated by Anne Thompson MeloHouse of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-JonesThe Place of Shells by Mai Ishizawa, translated by Polly BartonSympathy Tower Tokyo by Rie Qudan, translated by Jesse KirkwoodBlood for the Undying Throne by Sung-Il Kim, translated by Anton HurIce by Jacek Dukaj, translated by Ursula Phillips Raj (Mastodon)We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Brian Nisbet, Fredrik Coulter, Neil Ottenstein, and Sandra Bond 2027 Worldcon: Montreal bid The timeline so far: Terry Fong steps down, replaced by Darin BriskmanCanSMOF adds Bruce Farr as bid co-chairTammy writes “The Worldcon is in Trouble” on File 770 Site selection 2025 Worldcon: Seattle Business Meeting, part 1Business Meeting, part 2: this was entirely in executive session and so none of it ended up on YouTube. Sorry, listeners! You had to be there…Further meetings will occur on 19 July and 25 July at 17:00 BST/09:00 PDT 2023 Worldcon: Chengdu Chris Barkley’s 100th column Picks John: DIE by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans and Clayton Cowles Read the first issue free!Future issues will eventually be available on Sweet ShopMy First Dungeon Alison: After Us, the Flood and We Are AliensTammy: The Nine Worlds by Victoria Goddard The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria GoddardThe Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Credits Cover art: “Our Tiny Bottles” by Alison Scott Alt text: The words “Octothorpe 139” appear at the top and the words “…our tiny bottles…” appear at the bottom. Three bottles are drawn in the middle. The left-hand bottle is a Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Coca-Cola bottle. The middle bottle is a bottle that looks a bit like a moose. The right-hand bottle is Bottle #18, “The Original Canton Delicate Ginger Liqueur”. Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 15 分
  • 138: A Tedious Number of Questions About What It’s Like to Run a Games Shop

    138: A Tedious Number of Questions About What It’s Like to Run a Games Shop
    2025/07/03

    John chaired, Alison is off on holiday, and Liz has the agenda.

    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
      • Ang Rosin (Facebook)
        • Andrea Bell and Derek Hockridge
      • Bridget Bradshaw (Facebook)
      • Chris Garcia (email)
      • Farah Mendlesohn (email, Facebook)
      • Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)
      • Louise Hughes (Bluesky)
      • Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)
      • Paul Weimer (email)
      • Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky)
      • Shi Lala (Facebook)
    • Worldcon 2027: Montreal bid
      • Terry Fong has stepped down
      • There has been some news since, but we’ll discuss it next episode…
    • Worldcon 2025: Seattle
      • The results of the consultative votes
      • The Business Meeting agenda
      • Instructions on how to attend the virtual Business Meeting
      • Kate Secor’s annotated Business Meeting agenda
    • Picks
      • John: All the Ghosts in the Forest by Lorraine Wilson
      • Alison: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
      • Liz: Old Soul by Susan Barker
    • Credits
      • Cover art: “Whizz-Fizz Agenda Time” by Alison Scott
        • Alt text: A famous photograph of Margaret Hamilton standing beside printed outputs of the code that took the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon, overlaid with the words “Octothorpe 138” and “Whizz-Fizz Agenda Time!”.
      • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 5 分
  • 137: My Brain Automatically Goes to Sandwiches

    137: My Brain Automatically Goes to Sandwiches
    2025/06/18
    John is well-read, Alison played a game, and Liz needs an Allen key. 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 One hour of Mon Mothma dancingLetters of comment Andreas Davour (Mastodon and Mastodon)Andy Openshaw Jez Lowe Ang RosinDavid Bamford (Bluesky)Ed Morland (Bluesky)Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)Jake Casella BrookinsNuala Fahey (Bluesky)Raj (Mastodon)Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky) and replies by Niall Harrison Shi Lala (Facebook)Tammy Coxen (Facebook) “The Evolution of the Art Hugo Categories” on File 770 British Fantasy Society One-day convention called “BFS Online: World Fantasy Convention 2025” Saturday 21 June, 10:00–18:00 BSTFree for BFS members, £5 otherwise World Fantasy Convention 2025: BrightonBritish Science Fiction Association/Science Fiction Foundation AGM Sunday 22 JuneSFF’s “Latest News” page has some detailsIt’s also in the BSFA newsletter if you are a member Jake Casella Brookins suggests a Hugo Award for Best Translated Work at Ancillary Review of Books Hugo Award statistics from LAcon IV in 2006William WeaverRichard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky Picks John: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall Sylvie Cathrall’s website Alison: Sci-Fi London Blue Prince Liz: Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand Credits Cover art: “Ahmon Kwasson Incorporates” by Alison Scott Alt text: An image of the well-known fantasy hero Ahmon Kwasson, holding his trusty croissant-shaped sword and his trusty croissant-adorned shield, with his trusty croissant-coloured hair, which obscures the words “Octothorpe 137”. At the bottom is text: “Ahmon’s Quest: Your perfect cosy breakfast listen”. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 1 分
  • 136: When Do You Not Want to Talk About Games?

    136: When Do You Not Want to Talk About Games?
    2025/06/05
    John is ambivalent, Alison is against, and Liz is hangry. 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: None Letters of comment Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)Chris Garcia (email) 2008 Worldcon site selection Farah Mendlesohn (email) Dream FoundryThe original announcement of the Carole Goldman FundCon or Bust “If you are Palestinian, or identify as a member of the Palestinian diaspora … you may qualify for a larger grant from the [Carole] Goldman Fund.”The deadline for the 2025 round seems to have been October 2024, so it might be worth checking before October 2025 if you’re interested in the 2026 round 2026 Eurocon: Metropol Con in Berlin Jan Harley (Facebook)Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook) Looi Raj (Mastodon)Tammy Coxen (Bluesky)We also heard from Lynelle Howell, Peter Sullivan, Sam Skipsey, Sandra Bond, and Shi Lala Eastercon 2025: Reconnect in Belfast Rattlebag has won Best Bar in Northern Ireland at the CLASS Awards Worldcon 2025: Seattle Consultative votes on Retro Hugo Awards and Best Professional/Fan ArtistNew Business Meeting business had to have been submitted by 4 June 2025Apparently WSFS is pronounced “whiz-fizz”?!“About Choosing Convention Program Participants” by Erin Underwood“Genre Grapevine’s Deep Dive into the Use of ChatGPT by Seattle Worldcon” by Jason Sanford Picks John: Welcome to Forever by Nathan TavaresAlison: Andor J Michael Straczynski is moving to the UK to write British TV shows Liz: The Incandescent by Emily Tesh Novacon 54 Credits Cover art: “Liz Hits the Smörgåsbord” by Alison Scott Alt text: Liz, depicted as the Incredible Hulk, comes across a table on which lie many items of food (sketched in black and white) including John (a sausage roll) and Alison (an almond croissant), rendered in colour. The words “Octothorpe 136” appear at the top and “You won’t like Liz when she’s hangry” appear at the bottom. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 9 分
  • 135: Very Slightly Soggier

    135: Very Slightly Soggier
    2025/05/22

    Alison describes her perfect almond croissant.

    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: None

    • Idea, ed. Geri Sullivan
    • Lune Croissanterie
    • Chocolatine
    • Blondies
    • Ado Campeol died in 2021
    • Pink Lane Bakery
    • Credits
      • Cover art: “Almond Croissant Engineering” by Alison Scott
        • Alt text: A blueprint of an almond croissant with “Octothorpe 135” written at the top and “almond croissant engineering” at the bottom.
      • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    15 分
  • 134: In the Framework of Linear Time

    134: In the Framework of Linear Time
    2025/05/15

    John has shortlisted, Alison has worked in large organisations, and Liz has done a spot-the-difference.

    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: LLMs

    • Letters of comment
      • Chris Garcia
      • Clarrie Maguire
      • Colette Reap
      • Roseanna Pendlebury
        • Her Death of Stalin review
      • Tobes Valois
      • We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Ang Rosin, Brian Nisbet, Caroline Mullan, DC, Doug Faunt, Ed Morland, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Farah Mendlesohn, Gareth Kavanagh, Ivan Sinha, Jonathan Baddeley, Jonathan Cowie, Kin-Ming Looi, Lilian Edwards, Meg MacDonald, Neil Ottenstein, Phil Dyson, Raj, Sandra Bond, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen, Tony Keen, TrishEM, ‪Zoë O’Connell‬
    • Corflu
      • FAAn Award Winners
    • Ada Palmer runs a class called “The Italian Renaissance: Dante, Machiavelli, and the Wars of Popes and Kings,” better known by students as “pope class” or “pope LARP”
      • Archive.is
    • Chris Barkley has sued Dave McCarty
      • Shot
      • Chaser
    • Worldcon 2025: Seattle
      • “Statement from the Worldcon Chair”
      • “Apology and Response From Chair”
      • “May 6th Statement From Chair and Program Division Head”
      • Resignation statement from WSFS division
    • Locus
      • 2025 fundraiser
      • Revenue is flat and costs are up 21%
    • Picks
      • John: The Mark
      • Alison: Sinners
      • Liz: Blue Prince
    • Credits
      • Cover art: “Sample FAAn Award” by Alison Scott
        • Alt text: A photograph of a yellow square on a mantlepiece. On the yellow square is black text and a red shape with yellow text. The text reads “Corflu 42. 2025 FAAn Awards. Best Immutable Object: Octothorpe”. Text overlaid on the photograph reads ‘Octothorpe 134. “Don’t believe everything you read on ChatGPT.”’
      • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    59 分