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  • 158: I Am the Worldcon Chair in Avignon

    158: I Am the Worldcon Chair in Avignon
    2026/04/21
    John, Alison and Liz dissect this year’s Hugo Awards finalists! 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 Hugo Awards Best Novel A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson BennettDeath of the Author by Nnedi OkoraforShroud by Adrian TchaikovskyThe Everlasting by Alix E HarrowThe Incandescent by Emily TeshThe Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson Best Novella Automatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzCinder House by Freya MarskeMurder by Memory by Olivia WaiteThe River Has Roots by Amal El-MohtarThe Summer War by Naomi NovikWhat Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher Best Novelette “Kaiju Agonistes” by Scott Lynch“Never Eaten Vegetables” by H H Pak“Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy” by Martha Wells“The Girl That My Mother Is Leaving Me For” by Cameron Reed“The Millay Illusion” by Sarah Pinsker“When He Calls Your Name” by Catherynne M Valente Best Short Story “10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days” by Samantha Mills“In My Country” by Thomas Ha“Laser Eyes Ain’t Everything” by Effie Seiberg“Missing Helen” by Tia Tashiro“Six People to Revise You” by J R Dawson“Wire Mother” by Isabel J Kim Best Series Emily Wilde by Heather FawcettOctober Daye by Seanan McGuireOld Man’s War by John ScalziThe Chronicles of Osreth by Katherine AddisonThe Craft Wars by Max GladstoneWhite Space by Elizabeth Bear Best Graphic Story or Comic Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last AmazonA Girl and Her FedA Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic NovelThe Invisible ParadeThe Power Fantasy Volume 1: The SuperpowersThe Space Cat Best Related Work Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul KincaidInventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age by Ada PalmerLast War in Albion: “The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)” by Elizabeth SandiferPositive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M MorrisHistory of Westeros: “Ragnarök vs the Long Night”The Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, maintained by Renay Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Andor (season 2)FrankensteinKPop Demon HuntersMickey 17SinnersSuperman Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Doctor Who: “The Story & the Engine”Murderbot: “All Systems Red”Murderbot: “The Perimeter”Pluribus: “We Is Us”Severance: “Cold Harbor”The Wheel of Time: “The Road to the Spear” Best Game or Interactive Work Blue PrinceCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector “Tabletop roleplaying in the world of Citizen Sleeper 2!” on Quinns Quest Clair Obscur: Expedition 33DispatchHades IIHollow Knight: Silksong Best Editor Short Form Scott H AndrewsJennifer BrozekNeil ClarkeLee HarrisMichael Damian ThomasSheila Williams Best Editor Long Form Carl Engle-LairdJaymee GohLee HarrisJenni HillJoe MontiDiana M Pho Best Professional Artist Lulu ChenKelly ChongDave KellettTran NguyenJohn PicacioTom Roberts Best Semiprozine Escape Podkhōréō magazineOn Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the FantasticStrange HorizonsThe DeadlandsUncanny Magazine Best Fanzine Ancillary Review of BooksAn Unofficial Hugo Book Club BlogGalactic JourneyIntergalactic MixtapeJourney Planetnerds of a feather, flock together Best Fancast A Meal of ThornsEating the FantasticHugo, Girl!OctothorpeThe Coode Street PodcastWorldbuilding for Masochists Best Fan Writer Jay Brantner for “Tar Vol”Alex BrownJames Davis NicollRoseanna PendleburyJason SanfordÖrjan Westin Best Fan Artist Terri AshGeneva BowersSara FelixRichard ManEspaña SheriffYuumei Best Poem “Care for Lightning” by Mari Ness“Hex Supply Customer Support Log” by Elis Montgomery“How to Become a Sea Witch” by Theodora Goss“Landing: Seattle” by Brandon O’Brien“The Mourning Robot” by Angela Liu“The World to Come” by Jennifer Hudak Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book Among Ghosts by Rachel HartmanCoffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C B LeeHoly Terrors by Margaret OwenOathbound by Tracy DeonnSunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsThey Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran Astounding Award for Best New Writer Sophie BurnhamKamilah ColeAntonia HodgsonMolly O’NeillH H PakJared Pechaček Credits Cover art: “Vibrant Award Culture” by Alison Scott Alt text: A cartoon. John, Alison and Liz are wearing Octothorpe T-shirts and matching purple baseball caps while standing behind a market stall clad in a very slightly different purple and with various delicacies upon it. The sign above the stall reads “Octothorpe 158 Hugo HOT takes”, with “HOT” in a little tiny fire. The sign below the stall reads “Always half-baked! Fresh off the griddle! Three-pack special!” Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 18 分
  • 157: Moist or Shiny?

    157: Moist or Shiny?
    2026/04/09

    John is gaming, Alison is a pirate, and Claudia is dancing.

    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! Also, we say the words “dicks” and “moist” a lot; sorry about that.

    • Claudia Rapp:
      • Website
      • Bluesky
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
    • The Hay lecturer was Tasha Phillips, and the lecture was “Stranger than Fiction: Creatures of the Deep”
    • John was wrong about that sketch, it was on the radio and is also on YouTube
    • Eurocon 2026: Metropol Con 2026 in Berlin, Germany
      • Gamma Rats
      • Die Leere im Kern deiner Hoffnung
    • Worldcon 2028: Bid for Nuremberg, Germany
    • Worldcon 2028: Bid for Brisbane, Australia
    • Picks
      • John: World on a Wire/Welt am Dracht
      • Alison: The Eastercon Business Meeting
      • Claudia: Lyneham by Nils Westerboer
        • Athos 2643 by Nils Westerboer
        • A movie is underway!
    • Credits
      • Cover art: “Best panel confirmed” by Simon Bubb
        • Alt text: A picture of John, Alison and Claudia sitting behind the panel tables during the live recording. A thread from the convention Discord is being projected onto the screen behind them, with messages reading “Malcolm H: Song for Alison… Da Da Da”, “Roseanna: We’ve passed the discord comment count for the highest other item!! Best panel confirmed [rocket emoji]”, “Meg MacDonald: Teach us your wisdom”, “Frances Dowd: Drink drink drink your Heineken, oodles and oodles for everyone!”. Words have been added to the top reading “Octothorpe 157” and to the bottom reading ‘Live from Iridescence: “Best panel confirmed”’.
      • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    58 分
  • 156: Surprisingly Well-Adjusted Young Gentlemen

    156: Surprisingly Well-Adjusted Young Gentlemen
    2026/03/26
    John has a headache, Alison has a cold, and Liz is fine, thanks for asking. 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 Liz said “RoboCup world championship” not “RoboCop world championship” RoboCup GermanyRoboCup FederationRoboCup on Wikipedia Alexandra Lanes (Bluesky)Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)Ang Rosin (Facebook)Ed Morland (Bluesky)Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)Fredrik V Coulter (Facebook)Juan Sanmiguel (email)Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook)Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)Paul Weimer (Bluesky, email)Phil Dyson (Facebook)Renay (email) Hugo Award Recommendations! We also heard from Alex Holden, Finbarr O’Reilly, Kev McVeigh, Roseanna Pendlebury, Shi Lala GUFF result Farah’s Facebook group: From Perth to Perth! Nebula Awards The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers AssociationThis year’s nominees “How SFWA Is Administering the Nebula Awards Policy Against LLM-Use” on File 770“Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur’s GOTY wins over use of generative AI” on Polygon G Willow Wilson’s thoughts on the Best Comic category Locus 2026 fundraiser Eastercon 2026: Iridescence The program is outYou can find John here and Alison here and Liz here“Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names – With Examples” Picks John: VantageAlison: Slay the Spire 2Liz: Formula 1: Drive to Survive Credits Cover art: “Eastercon Planning” by Alison Scott Alt text: A black-and-white cartoon. John is behind a stack of games, saying “Games Room”; Alison is behind a stack of printers and paper, saying “Newsletter”; Liz is on a beach reading with sunglasses and a cocktail. In purple, the words “Octothorpe 156 Eastercon Planning:” appear at the top and “questioning our life choices” at the bottom. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    59 分
  • 155: Ed! Ed! ED!

    155: Ed! Ed! ED!
    2026/03/12

    John is a bit rum, Alison is taking a drink, and Liz is buying beer.

    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:

    • Letters of comment
      • Abigail Nussbaum (email)
        • Neon Hemlock
      • Brian Nisbet (Facebook)
      • Chris Garcia (email)
      • Ed Morland (Bluesky)
      • Elias Helfer (email)
        • Roseanna Pendlebury on fan writer
      • Florian Bailey (email)
        • Nuremberg in 2028
      • Paul Weimer (email)
        • Down Under Fan Fund (DUFF)
        • Going Under Fan Fund (GUFF)
        • Transatlantic Fan Fund (TAFF)
        • European Fan Fund (EFF)
      • Scott Edelman (email)
        • Eating the Fantastic
        • Chicken Shop Date
      • Tammy Coxon (Bluesky: convention sports, deduplications, staff rates)
      • Trish E Matson (email)
        • The Skiffy and Fanty Show
      • We also heard from DC, Farah Mendlesohn, Jonathan Baddeley, Kev McVeigh, Mike Scott, and Neil Ottenstein
    • British Science Fiction Association
      • BSFA members and Eastercon members can now vote on the shortlist
      • Nicholas Whyte writes on this topic
      • The Incompleat Register
    • Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham
      • Lucky for None
      • Lucky for None in Space
    • Eastercon 2028: Bid for Birmingham by Marcus Streets
    • Picks
      • John: Alien and Aliens
        • they’re small indie movies you probably haven’t heard of them
      • Alison: Small Prophets
      • Liz: Dark Winds
    • Credits
      • “Homunculeeses” by Alison Scott
        • Alt text: Three homunculi in jars with cork toppers who look reminiscent of John, Alison and Liz. Alison’s has a little stick with a moose head on it and a cup of coffee. The jars are on a shelf. The words “Octothorpe 155” appear at the top and “Small Podcasters” at the bottom.
    • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 5 分
  • 154: At Least I’m Not Just Internet Shopping

    154: At Least I’m Not Just Internet Shopping
    2026/02/26
    John is nominating board games, Alison should read more, and Liz bought two memberships. 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 Andrew Hogg (Discord)Chris Garcia (email)Ivan Sinha (Facebook)Kev McVeigh (Facebook)Phil Dyson (Facebook)Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Facebook)Jonny Harden (Mastodon)Paul Weimer (email)We also heard from Brian Nisbet, Bridget Bradshaw, Els, Farah Mendlesohn, Kin-Ming Looi Worldcon 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles, USA Staff memberships are $100Hugo nominations are open Hugo Spreadsheet of DoomWe’re not recusing this year!Best Novel: On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J HavelandA Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson BennettBeautyland by Marie-Helene BertinoEvery Version of You by Grace ChanThe Raven Scholar by Antonia HodgsonThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesThe Dream Hotel by Laila LalamiSlow Gods by Claire NorthLuminous by Silvia ParkThere Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm We believe this is eligible because (a) the version published in 2025 is different to the previously self-published version and (b) there is precedent through Old Man’s War by John Scalzi When There Are Wolves Again by EJ SwiftThe Incandescent by Emily TeshThe Singing Hill Cycle by Nghi VoThe Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson Best Game/Interactive Work: Newfangled electric games: Blue PrinceHades II Good old-fashioned games: The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking GameGalactic CruiseThe Lord of the Rings: Fate of the FellowshipThe Old King’s CrownStar Trek: Captain’s ChairStar Wars: Battle of HothTake TimeVantage Niall Harrison’s list of Best Translated Novels Fan funds Eurocon 2026: Metropol Con BerlinNatcon/Swancon 2026: Swancon 50 in Perth, AustraliaThe TAFF candidates are Lisa Hertel and Kat Templeton, to Metropol ConThe GUFF candidates are Farah Mendlesohn and Misha Sumra, to Swancon 50EFF nominations close on 15 March, to Metropol Con Picks John: MurderbotAlison: The UFO 50 soundtrack VVVVVV Liz: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Credits Cover art: “Alison forgot she had to do the cover” by Alison Scott Alt text: Text reading “OCTOTHORPE 154* *See, it’s like this. This is the first day of 2026 that hasn’t been cold, or wet, or both, so instead of doing the Octothorpe cover I went for a nice walk. And bought no board games, but a jigsaw. And did the jigsaw. Sorry.” The text is on top of a photograph of a bridge and some trees underneath a blue sky. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    55 分
  • 153: Bowling Captain Kirk for a Duck

    153: Bowling Captain Kirk for a Duck
    2026/02/12
    John is volunteering, Alison is saying “no”, and Liz read her first book! 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 Alexandra Lanes (Bluesky)Ali Baker Brown (Bluesky)Chris Garcia (email)Fiona Moore (Facebook)Ivan Sinha (Facebook)Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook)Kev McVeigh (Facebook)Paul Weimer (email)Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky)Scott Edelman (Bluesky) The convention never ends Tommy Ferguson (Facebook)We also heard from Farah Mendlesohn, Fredrik V Coulter and Mike Scott SMOFcon 2026: SMOFcon 43 in Lisbon, PortugalWorldcon 2028: Bid for Nuremberg, Germany “Nuremberg in 2028 Worldcon Bid Unveils Website” on File 770 Worldcon 2028: Bid for Kigali, Rwanda They are withdrawing from the processJoin the “Worldcon in Africa” mailing list Worldcon 2029: Bid for Dublin, IrelandFan funds Transatlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) Kat Templeton has announced her candidacyAnsible #463 reported that the ballot would be online “soon” Going Under Fan Fund (GUFF) Nominations are now open and close on 18 February! Picks John: 28 Years Later: The Bone TempleAlison: Anbernic RG 34XXSPLiz: There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm The SCP FoundationAntimemetics FAQROT13 Credits Cover art: “Alison the White” by Alison Scott Alt text: A picture of Alison with white hair, wearing a white dressing gown, and wielding a staff with a moose head. John and Liz flank her. She says “Behold! I am reborn as Alison the White!” John says “That’s a bit dramatic… it’s only a haircut” and Liz says “Pretty sure that’s a dressing gown… and are you standing on a box?” The words Octothorpe 153 are at the top. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    53 分
  • 151: Only Ding-Dong for Good and Not for Evil

    151: Only Ding-Dong for Good and Not for Evil
    2026/01/15
    John is trying, Alison is watching a video and Liz is humming. 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: Global inequality (letters of comment), harassment (Montreal discussion) Letters of comment Christopher J Garcia (email) “Kenya: Where Can You See Lions?” Darin Briskman (see below)Fredrick V Coulter (Facebook)Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) and España Sheriff “Barbarella Meets the Matmos” Lilian Edwards (Facebook)Meg MacDonald (Facebook)Paul Weimer (email)Renay (see below)Tammy Coxen (Bluesky)Tommy Ferguson (emails)We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Brina Nisbet, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, Kev McVeigh, Mike Scott Smofcon 42 I’ve mirrored all the Q&As on my own Dropbox because I’m grumpy Worldcon 2027: Montréal They got a website!The organisation chart A list of blogs on the René Walling harassment incidentGenevieve Valentine’s original report Worldcon 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles Join by 31 January to nominate in the Hugo Awards Hugo Awards Renay (of the fanzine Intergalactic Mixtape) has written a great guide on how to participate in the Hugo Awards“Anyone Can Vote in the Hugo Awards — And Here’s How” by Molly Templeton on Reactor“I Bet You Didn’t This Was Hugo-Eligible: Some of My 2025 Picks” by Kat Kourbeti The Last War in Albion Picks John: The Umbrella AcademyAlison: KPop Demon HuntersLiz: Astronomy Photographer of the Year The winning photograph Credits Cover art: “Three Lions Relaxing” by Liz Batty Alt text: Three lions photographed on a safari in Kenya, with glasses photoshopped onto two of them to make them look very slightly more like John and Alison. The top has words reading “Octothorpe 151” and the bottom has words reading “Definitely not about the cricket”. It is unclear why, because John edited all the cricket out. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    1 時間 6 分
  • 152: Slap That Fish More

    152: Slap That Fish More
    2026/01/29

    John is summarising, Alison is eating, and it’s all 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:

    • Letters of comment
      • Ali Baker Brooks (Bluesky)
      • Chris Garcia (email)
      • Duncan MacGregor (Bluesky, Mastodon)
      • Farah Mendlesohn (email, Facebook)
      • Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)
      • Henry Balen (email)
      • Ivan Sinha (Facebook)
      • Kev McVeigh (Facebook)
      • Mike Scott (Facebook)
      • Raj (Mastodon)
      • Ron Payne (Bluesky)
      • Scott Edelman (Bluesky)
      • Shi Lala (Facebook)
      • We also heard from Kin-Ming Looi and Steve Lockley
    • Worldcon 2028: Bid for Brisbane
      • They have a sweet new logo
      • The land acknowledgement at the 2022 Hugo Award ceremony from the Chi Nations Youth Council
    • Eastercon 2025: Reconnect in Belfast
      • Financial report
    • Greg Ketter of DreamHaven Books in Minneapolis has gone viral
    • Picks
      • John: Miniature Worlds: Little Landscapes from Thomas Bewick to Beatrix Potter
      • Alison: Titan
      • Liz: Thank Goodness You’re Here!
    • Credits
      • Cover art: “Be Prepared” by Alison Scott
        • Alt text: John’s head and shoulders appear behind a pinkish desk as if he is the puppeteer of Sooty and Sweep (Americans, ask your British friends). Sooty is pulling on Sweep’s ear. Text at the top reads “Octothorpe 152: John is preparing for the big dust-up”.
      • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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    47 分