The Incomparable Mothership

Our Book Club wraps up its 2024 walk through nine shortlisted SF/F novels with our overall rankings, some short fiction recommendations, and a quick dip into what we’ve read recently and really enjoyed. Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Heather Berberet.

We discuss the recently concluded (first?) season of the Star Wars series “The Acolyte.” The show offers a mix of stuff we like about “Star Wars”, but the panel’s split on whether it managed to do a good job executing its ambitious agenda. Jason Snell with Tony Sindelar, Dan Moren, Moisés Chiullán and Chip Sudderth.

You did it, you blew it all up! And now it’s… the Summer of the Planet of the Apes! Our own troop of hairless apes tackles the well-regarded modern “Apes” trilogy this month, beginning with 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” James Franco is a scientist? Brian Cox runs a sketchy ape facility? Tom Felton thinks his dates want to see caged primates? Just when you think this movie has it all backward, that’s when you realize: we’re actually all rooting for the apes. Jason Snell with Annette

Get on your sandworm and head south! It’s time to discuss “Dune Part 2,” a sequel with more sand, more Fremen, and more time spent at the super weird planet of the villainous Harkonnen family. Is Paul the hero, or… something else? Dust off the family atomics and join us, won’t you? Jason Snell with Jean MacDonald, Kelly Guimont, Guy English and Brian Warren.

It’s the first-ever Reboot a Bad Movie draft! In which our stalwart panelists grab an intellectual-property loser off the shelf, dust it off, and re-envision it in a new way that could maybe, possibly be a hit with modern audiences. Moisés Chiullán with Lisa Schmeiser, David J. Loehr, Cicero Holmes and Monty Ashley.

We conclude our movie-by-movie review of the “Back to the Future” series with the western-themed third installment, which features less time travel shenanigans and more old-west shenanigans. Jason Snell with Lex Friedman, John Siracusa, Brian Warren, Monty Ashley and Moisés Chiullán.

Grab your Wrist Rockets and toast some Eggos—it’s time to talk Stranger Things! Even though only one of our panel was alive when the show takes place, we talk ’80s influences, our favorite characters, theories about Season 2, and much more. [Originally posted as TeeVee #187.]