This is a somewhat personal & sometimes somber episode, recorded while the world was changing rapidly around us due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. We do our best to discuss the novel, Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson, although neither of us were able to finish it due to external world circumstances. It is by far our shortest post-read ever.
We forgot to do content warnings. We have really frank discussions of grief, death, isolation, and loneliness. There is a brief mention of suicide.
While this was recorded, Adrian was in quarantine due to having had extended contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. I'm happy to report that the quarantine is up and I've been fortunate enough to suffer no symptoms, and my friend who was sick is on the mend. But it the fear and uncertainty of those circumstances color the whole episode.
We hope that this episode brings some light into your life at the moment. We'll be back next month with a warm, cozy, escapist book & a guest we've been excited to feature. We'll also be publishing some extra episodes on the feed while social distancing, more information to come on those soon.
Please stay safe, stay healthy, and remember that your health affects not only yourself, but also those around you.
---
As always, we'd love to hear from you! Chat with us on twitter at @spectologypod, send us an email at spectologypod@gmail.com, or submit the episode to r/printSF on reddit. We'll reply, and shout you out in the next podcast when we talk about your comment.
And if you like the episode, subscribe at spectology.com or whever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends!
To find links to all the books we've read, check us out on Bookshop.
Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.
In Conversation: Our Favorite Aliens in Science Fiction
25.1: The Tea Master & the Detective pre-read w/ Julia Rios: Domestic Cozy Detective Fiction, in Space!
Things We Like: Quarantine Edition! What to do, watch, and play while you're stuck inside.
24.1: Wittgenstein's Mistress pre-read: Philosophical Science Fiction & being lonely at the end of the world
23.2: The Ghost Network post-read w/ Ben Roswell: Celebrity, Internet Culture, Architecture, and Secret Utopias
In Conversation: 2019 Recap, Book Stats, & Reader Questions
23.1: The Ghost Network pre-read w/ Ben Roswell: Experimental Narratives, Storytelling Games, and Postmodern Literature
22.2: A Memory Called Empire post-read: Matters of Taste, Culture Shock, and Historical Worldbuilding
In Conversation: How & Why to Vote for the Hugo Awards
22.1: A Memory Called Empire pre-read: Martine's academic work, historical ambassadors, and what it means to be a member of an empire
18.3: Stanley Chan discusses Chinese Science Fiction, the process of translating his novel Waste Tide, and trends in technology.
21.4: Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand w/ Bee: Radical visions of Identity, Class, and Gender
21.3: Ice by Anna Kavan post-read with Charlotte Geater: Experimental & Postmodern Fiction, and Death Meditations
21.2: Childhood's End post-read w/ Seth Heasley: Religion, Psionics, and Big Ideas in Science Fiction
21.1: Classic SF pre-read: On creating cannons, and how to read problematic fiction & authors.
20.2: An Unkindness of Ghosts post-read: Slave States, Trauma, and Theocracy
In Conversation: Fancasting Binti, Black Tom, the Culture, and Ninefox Gambit
20.1: An Unkindness of Ghosts pre-read: Reading with privilege, using genre conventions, and truth in fiction
19.2: Zone One post-read: Depression, Surviving the Apocalypse, and New York City in fiction
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Anne of Green Gables
The Federalist Papers
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends