Podcast review: Book Shambles S07E02

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Today I started listening to my second episode ever of the podcast Book Shambles and only a few minutes in I thought 'Oh no!' as host Robin Ince and science fiction writer Andy Weir started discussing Doctor Who, Star Trek and Star Wars in what I - armed with my complete ignorance in such topics - considered too much detail.

I know that science fiction embraces many subgenres. I even like some of them. I probably like more than some but I have never learnt how to define them. For example, last year I read Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison. How would you classify that? Speculative fiction, dystopian fiction, climate fiction, apocalyptic fiction? I have no idea but I did enjoy it.

It is silly but when I hear the words 'science fiction' my mind immediately conjures up aliens and intergalactic battles - and I don't particularly like either of those.

I decided to keep listening to the episode anyway - as I was also chopping leeks and potatoes for dinner and I didn't want to stop - and am I glad I did! 

What I didn't know is that Andy Weir wrote The Martian, which later became the successful film of the same name starring Matt Damon. That was a lightbulb moment because I did surprisingly like the film and - based on one  of the booklover's commandments - I dare say that the book is probably even better.


I am not in rush to read The Martian - as I know how it ends - but I added to my wish list Weir's latest novel, Artemis. The concept is interesting (= tourism more than anything will inspire moon travel) and the development of the lead character (= who was not a lead character to begin with) tickled my curiosity.

All in all, a great episode of Book Shambles, which you can listen to by clicking on the link below:



Bonus question: do you know what a crime caper novel is? Hats off to you if you do. I had to ask Wikipedia!

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