Starship Alexandria

For our July 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Do you Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh for Adrian's consideration. 
We talk about spoilers in this, and despite my initial lukewarm thoughts about spoilers for this book, there are definitely some moments that are better raw, so do take this as a note that there's something to be gained by reading ahead of the 'cast. 
Other talking points: 
The Science of Spoilers 
British alt space history 
When you call your spaceship "Damocles" 
Everyone Hates Harry 
Orlando Boom (sorry) 
The 2012 Olympics and national pride 
The brutal logistics of being in space 
Authorial treatment of the moral quandary 
Super-elite child training academies 
Competitive personalities, the pros and cons 
YA or not YA 
Balancing multiple character arcs 
Mysticism and an ambivalent attitude to woo 
Coral and reef building 
 
Media Mentions: 
2012 Olympics opening ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4As0e4de-rI 
Planetfall, novel by Emma Newman 
The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky (I promise we only flag our own stuff here when it's genuinely relevant!) 
Aurora, novel by Kim Stanley Robinson (not named but this is the one I mentioned) 
'The Cold Equations', short story by Tom Godwin 
The Martian, novel by Andy Weir 
Philosophers in Space podcast https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/philosophers-in-space/4068539 (or wherever you get your podcasts from) 
Star Trek various TV series 
 
Next month we look at Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe 
This month's patron episode is Look to Windward by Iain M Banks 
 
Emma's music recommendation: Taking What's Not Yours by TV Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox5ENW0CeAU&list=RDOx5ENW0CeAU&start_radio=1  
Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award 
Adrian's most recent book is the graphic novel Salvation's Child https://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Architecture-Salvations-Comixology-Originals-ebook/dp/B0FH2KR8LH   
 
If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home  
 
You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ 
Follow us at: 
Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk  
Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com

For our June 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Adrian puts forward the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke for Emma's consideration.  

Other talking points: 

The State of What the F Is Going On 

The joy of found document sources 

The Triangle of Information ™ 

Two views of the nicest character in fiction 

Analogues with dementia 

Shadows on a cave wall 

Psychic ideating communion(!) 

One author enters, two classics leave 

The ignorant unreliable narrator 

 

Media Mentions: 

Mythago Wood, novel by Robert Holdstock (and our coverage of it here: https://starshipalexandria.com/episode-8-mythago-wood 

The Magician's Nephew, novel by CS Lewis 

Red Dwarf TV series (very tangentially!) 

Wayne's World sketch series and movies dir. Penelope Spheeris 

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, novel by Susanna Clarke 

The Life of Brian, movie dir. Terry Jones (also very tangentially!) 

Planetfall series of novels by Emma Newman 



Next month we look at Do You Dream of Terra Two? by Temi Oh  

Adrian's music recommendation: Damnd Anthem's cover of Muse's Uprising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w48-1IQxnM&list=RD_w48-1IQxnM&start_radio=1  

 

Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award 

Adrian's most recent book is the graphic novel Salvation's Child https://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Architecture-Salvations-Comixology-Originals-ebook/dp/B0FH2KR8LH   

If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home  

You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ 

Follow us at: 

Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk  

Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com

For our May 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria Emma puts forward the book Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan for Adrian's consideration.  

Other talking points: 

The difficulty of summarising 

Somehow avoiding the word "surreal" 

An emotional model railway trip. 

Reading around the story 

Balancing story collections 

Styles of art 

Media Mentions: 

The art of Edward Gorey including The Gashlycrumb Tinies and The Insect God 

The art of Dr Seuss including I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew 

The art of Adrian Sykes https://www.adriansykes.co.uk/  

Next month we look at Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 

Emma's music recommendation: Future Boy by Turin Brakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AekubF2xYlg&list=RDAekubF2xYlg&start_radio=1  

Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award 

Adrian's most recent book: Children of Strife https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/children-of-strife-adrian-tchaikovsky/7864905  

If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home  

You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ 

Follow us at: 

Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk  

Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com

For our April 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria – and the second in our new season – Adrian puts forward the film: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. 

Other talking points: 

Wonderful Hugh Grant 

Rubbish sorcerers 

A certain ambivalence 

Dungeons we have Dragonned 

Save the cat! 

Everything wrong with Hollywood 

Remembering the Forgotten Realms 

The "It's him!" moment of failed fan service 

 

Media Mentions: 

Dungeons and Dragons movie dir. Courtney Solomon 

Middle Earth Role-Playing (MERP) TTRPG 

Dungeons and Dragons TTRPG 

Conan the Barbarian, movie dir. John Milius 

Lord of the Rings series of movies dir. Peter Jackson 

Heretic, movie dir. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods 

Bridget Jones's Diary movie dir. Sharon Maguire 

Dungeons and Dragons, TV series 

28 Years Later, movie dir. Danny Boyle 

Galaxy Quest movie dir. Dean Parisot
 

Next month we look at the illustrated book Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan 

Adrian's music recommendation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tEfYvY3bAg&list=RD5tEfYvY3bAg&start_radio=1

Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award 

Adrian's most recent book: Children of Strife https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/children-of-strife-adrian-tchaikovsky/7864905 

If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home  

You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ 

Follow us at: 

Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk  

Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com

For our March 2026 episode of Starship Alexandria – and the first our our new season – Emma puts forward the novel The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester.  

Other talking points: 

The perils of returning to past reads 

Difficult books to summarise 

Cunning schemes for the perfect murder 

Psychic earworms 

Psychotherapy in science fiction 

Particularly big warts 

(not) the Time Machine Factory 

Heroes and anti-heroes 

The Poochy effect 

Skeezy gender dynamics 

Eugenics 

Contradictory attitudes towards murder 

Typographical games 

Inadvisable titles 

Media Mentions: 

The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, novel by Douglas Adams 

The Lathe of Heaven, novel by Ursula le Guin 

The Simpsons TV series (twice!) 

Gormenghast, series by Mervyn Peake 

Babylon 5, TV series 

Illuminati, card/board game 

Star Trek: The Next Generation, TV series, particularly "Remember Me" 

The Life of Chuck, movie dir. Mike Flanagan (based on the work of Stephen King) 

Next month we look at the movie Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 

Emma's music recommendation: Punk Tactics by Joey Valance & Brae https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OklSZmIx9-o&list=RDOklSZmIx9-o&start_radio=1   

Emma's latest writing is included in Creative Futures (Beyond and Within) https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/creative-futures-allen-stroud/7847161 which was recently shortlisted for a BSFA Award 

Adrian's most recent book: Pretenders to the Throne of God https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/pretenders-to-the-throne-of-god-adrian-tchaikovsky/7953437 

If you'd like to support the show, and get an additional monthly patrons-only episode, you can become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/c/starshipalexandria/home  

You can buy our official t-shirts and mugs at https://starshipalexandria.teemill.com/ 

Follow us at: 

Emma: @emmanewman@bsky.social and www.enewman.co.uk  

Adrian: @aptshadow.bsky.social and www.adriantchaikovsky.com