Androids and Assets
The political economy of speculative fiction
Episodes
We are joined by Basma Ghalayini, editor of the collection Palestine +100: Stories from a Century after the Nakba, and Ra Page, the cofounder of publisher Comma Press. Palestine +100 is a collection of stories exploring how Palestine might look 100 years after the Nakba when Palestinians were displaced and the occupation by Israel began. …
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To Coup or not to Coup? Things get political as the news on your side Androids and Assets team talks about headlines from 1994. Reviewing Season 3 episodes 8 and 9. Meridian The crew of Deep Space Nine is exploring the Gamma Quadrant, which is totally their job, and using a little warship to do …
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For May Day we read Soviet era novel, Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It’s a bleak look at utopia, the utterly alien nature of aliens, and the insignificance of humans. We disagree about the end of the novel and leave it up to you, dear listener, to decide the true meaning.
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Continuum Drag joins the boys to review… Pogs, I guess, and Season 3 episodes 6 and 7. The Abandoned Odo is a father for a day after Quark buys a Jem’Hadar baby and immediately surrenders it to the state. Jake is dating an older woman and Ben doesn’t approve. Difficult fathering situations abound. We reference …
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We talk about currency, empire, and colonialism in Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant. This is a novel all about economic conquest and effective resistance to empire with a seeming message that there is no effective resistance to empire.
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We are joined by Candace and Charis of Adventures in Ideology to discuss “Equilibrium” and “Second Skin” from season 3. Equilibrium Jadzia Dax is vaguely remembering things that never happened and the Dax symbiont is beginning to die. The crew must take her to the Trill home world for gaslighting and reluctant medical treatment. Second …
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Lapsis is a 2020 movie from Noah Hutton that takes on the gig work economy. It is timely and dark. There are many ideas in Lapsis and we picked out labour organizing and monopolies. We cannot recommend you seeing this movie strongly enough.
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Return guest and guy who has seen Star Wars, Justin, joins us to review Star Wars Clone Wars the Clovis Arc. We dissect the Galactic republic’s monetary policy and why we should nationalize the banks.
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Qapla’ friend. You look cold and weary… step inside, rest your old bones, have some Gagh and Blood Wine. Look into my deep set eyes and I will tell you the tale of this grand old house. These days they call it House Grilka, but way back they called it the House… of Quark!
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Return guest James D’Amato is back to resolve the question of currency on Campaign Skyjacks. So man the rigging and secure lines because we are headed into the sky. Stay till the end for a special insight into the future of 2021, as James draws a luminary to reveal what lays ahead. Errata The Traitor …
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We’ve reached the end of season 2 and that means the Dominion is a thing! We’re covering the final episode of season 2 and the first two of season three. It’s all about the Dominion and remembering where Odo came from.
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In an experimental episode Marshall and Stephen break down the cost of the destruction of the MCRN Donnager in James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse and what that can tell us about the future of naval warfare and planetary governance.
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Consulting legal eagles from the Hugo, Girl! help us break down the Cardassian court system as we review Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s “Tribunal”. Season 2, episode 25.
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Comradery is a worker coop building for the future. It feels like science fiction but it’s fact. We’re super excited about it and invited Ty from Comradery to tell us more about it. Works Mentioned A Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M. Miller Jr. Consider Phlebas – Ian Banks Small Gods – Terry Pratchett Fallout …
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Vedek Bareil is running for Kai of Bajor but our favourite villain, Vedek Winn, sows doubt about his suitability and encourages Kira to look into his past. Kira discovers that the man she loves may have been responsible for the death of 43 Bajoran freedom fighters. Referenced Video What is Gold-Pressed Latinum worth? by EC …
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm in 2020 and continues to be a cultural touchstone. One question that gets asked over and over is whether Tom Nook is a man of the people or an oppressive capitalist exploiting your labour? We are joined this week by Kateryna Barnes to discuss the world …
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In “The Wire” Bashir and Garak explore the intricacies of addiction and effective methods for treatment. In “Crossover” we are subjected to the first mirror universe episode of Deep Space Nine. Kira and Bashir accidentally visit the mirror universe and change the course of history in an alternate world. Here’s the link to our conversation …
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Androids and Assets teams up with The Hugo Girl Podcast to review the 2018 novel The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal.
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The scientific application of Gun Smoke Theory (GST) is transforming the field of DS9 studies. Join us as we sit down with GST luminary and Steve’s Dad, Alan, to analyze The Maquis Parts 1 and 2.
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A special Christmas Episode of Androids and Assets where the boys and special guest Candace talk about the reason for the season, struggling against empire. We also recommend: Divine Intervention (2002) Dir Elia Sulieman
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