Poet Andrew Heaton joins us to wrap up our thoughts on Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks. Plus, the greatest zombie film in the world and totally metal T-shirts to show your support of Octavia Butler and other awesome authors.

DisCon is not for Disco but it could be? Why Veronica and Tom aren’t idiots. All the summer reading list fodder your list can take. Who was your first binge? And is hard Sci-Fi cold by nature?

Should Tom enter a book contest? Good Omens season 2 is a good idea. And our final thoughts on Piranesi, problematic and otherwise.

Congrats to the Nebula Award winners! Plus, a nine-year-old forum conversation on cover art continues, and our further thoughts on Piranesi (and how learning things can be a bummer sometimes).

Veronica is back! And we have good news about TorCon, lots of new book recommendations from iO9, thoughts on the phrase “Asian Fantasy” and our kick-off of the June book pick, Piranesi by Susannah Clarke.

The final book of the Expanse has been handed in for publication. Feelings of joy and sadness hit Tom. Plus, did Murderbot convert Robb Dunewood into a SciFi fan. Find out!

We have finalists in the Ignyte awards, Locus awards, some upcoming release dates for new Green Bone Saga stories and why Robb Dunewood has stopped worrying and learned to love the Murderbot.

Hugo awards are out and we’ve almost read all the authors! Jenny Colvin from Reading Envy is back but we also have hints of a new forthcoming host of Sword and Laser. Plus our last delightful thoughts about the House on the Cerulean Sea!

#408 – You Can’t Spell Young Adult without Adult by swordandlaser

Alex Brown is back, the Nebula nominess are out and they are great! We also discover new teas, the real flavor of crab chips, and talk about our thoughts on Elatsoe by Darci Little Badger.