<![CDATA[SciFi High Five]]>The friendliest conversation in science fiction!

]]>https://scifihighfive.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:17:12 GMTWed, 26 Aug 2026 14:39:47 GMT60Rob Skidmore<p>The friendliest conversation in science fiction!</p>episodicRob Skidmorehi@scifihighfive.comno<![CDATA[Did Science Fiction Invent Our Future?]]>Did sci-fi invent our future, or just give it a name? From cyberspace to the metaverse to Big Brother, we dig into what sci-fi really gets credit for.


Rob and Caitlin start with Neuromancer's cyberspace (and its very un-futuristic payphone), follow the Torment Nexus meme to Snow Crash's metaverse, and ask whether sci-fi's job is to predict the future, inspire it, or prevent it.


Chapters

00:00 Did sci-fi invent the future, or just name it?

02:16 Neuromancer, cyberspace, and the missing cell phones

04:46 The Torment Nexus and Snow Crash's metaverse

07:18 Why nobody moved into the metaverse

10:31 Rejecting the tech, or the people behind it?

14:58 Was AI inevitable?

18:14 Big Brother and the words sci-fi gives us

19:50 Should sci-fi predict the future, or prevent it?


Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yw0tzEsENo0

Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/did-science-fiction-invent-our-future

Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter

]]>https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/did-science-fiction-invent-our-future89e8d397-ac6d-48c6-89d2-465961502e63Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:45:00 GMT<p>Did sci-fi invent our future, or just give it a name? From cyberspace to the metaverse to Big Brother, we dig into what sci-fi really gets credit for.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rob and Caitlin start with Neuromancer's cyberspace (and its very un-futuristic payphone), follow the Torment Nexus meme to Snow Crash's metaverse, and ask whether sci-fi's job is to predict the future, inspire it, or prevent it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Did sci-fi invent the future, or just name it?</p><p>02:16 Neuromancer, cyberspace, and the missing cell phones</p><p>04:46 The Torment Nexus and Snow Crash's metaverse</p><p>07:18 Why nobody moved into the metaverse</p><p>10:31 Rejecting the tech, or the people behind it?</p><p>14:58 Was AI inevitable?</p><p>18:14 Big Brother and the words sci-fi gives us</p><p>19:50 Should sci-fi predict the future, or prevent it?</p><p><br /></p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/yw0tzEsENo0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://youtu.be/yw0tzEsENo0</a></p><p>Every book and term we mention: <a href="https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/did-science-fiction-invent-our-future" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/did-science-fiction-invent-our-future</a></p><p>Get our weekly newsletter: <a href="https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://scifihighfive.com/newsletter</a></p>no00:28:3112Did Science Fiction Invent Our Future?full<![CDATA[Why Does SciFi Matter?]]>Is sci-fi just escapism, or a mirror for the world we're building? We make the case for why science fiction matters, and why it's for everyone.

In our first episode, Rob and Caitlin dig into what science fiction does that no other genre can, from Project Hail Mary to Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood. We also get into why sci-fi feels intimidating and where the sci-fi curious should start.

Chapters

00:00 Is sci-fi just escapism?

02:40 Why sci-fi matters: the mirror effect

04:35 Near-future sci-fi and Omelas

08:28 Parable of the Sower and The Handmaid's Tale

12:01 An on-ramp for the sci-fi curious

13:43 Why sci-fi feels intimidating

17:44 You already love sci-fi (Jurassic Park & blockbusters)

20:12 Meet Rob and Caitlin

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Il02FICl-KE

Every book and term we mention: https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/why-does-scifi-matter

Get our weekly newsletter: https://scifihighfive.com/subscribe

]]>aeecd6e1-bf45-40d6-bee3-84468918f558Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:35:07 GMT<p>Is sci-fi just escapism, or a mirror for the world we're building? We make the case for why science fiction matters, and why it's for everyone.</p><p>In our first episode, Rob and Caitlin dig into what science fiction does that no other genre can, from Project Hail Mary to Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood. We also get into why sci-fi feels intimidating and where the sci-fi curious should start.</p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Is sci-fi just escapism?</p><p>02:40 Why sci-fi matters: the mirror effect</p><p>04:35 Near-future sci-fi and Omelas</p><p>08:28 Parable of the Sower and The Handmaid's Tale</p><p>12:01 An on-ramp for the sci-fi curious</p><p>13:43 Why sci-fi feels intimidating</p><p>17:44 You already love sci-fi (Jurassic Park &amp; blockbusters)</p><p>20:12 Meet Rob and Caitlin</p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube: <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=Il02FICl-KE" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://youtube.com/watch?v=Il02FICl-KE</a></p><p>Every book and term we mention: <a href="https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/why-does-scifi-matter" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://scifihighfive.com/episodes/why-does-scifi-matter</a></p><p>Get our weekly newsletter: <a href="https://scifihighfive.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://scifihighfive.com/subscribe</a></p>no00:25:2111Why Does SciFi Matter?full