Related to this, my response piece is now live on @file770.bsky.social - a little over 6000 words on why this motion is elitist and exclusionary and has no place in the WSFS constitution if we want to maintain an open and inclusive culture. I go over the most common talking points, with receipts!

Octothorpe 163 has arrived, and we discuss Eurocons in some detail, covering all the news from 2026 to 2030. Alison is currently at Metropol Con and she’s promised to report back. We also discuss queer awards and swim headphones. Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/163-board-...

I had fun writing this piece for the summer issue of @orionmagazine.bsky.social about Moby-Dick, Star Trek, and #scicomm! ‘Viewers are forced to reckon with the possibility, vocalized by Spock, that “only human arrogance would assume [an alien] signal must be meant for mankind.”‘ 🐳🐋🧪

hugogirl.libsyn.com/episode-94-a... We're busy reading the Hugo voter packet, so this month we watched Attack the Block, starring John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker! Thanks to @edmorland.bsky.social for selecting this film!

We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:

Kevin wrote Shackleton Expedition fanfic, and we had a snack. hugogirl.libsyn.com/the-nut-care...

This was very funny! (The episode, not the book. The book does not sound great 😅)

The first year I’ve really struggled to get women on board. One final plea. I’ll gladly give up my own speaking slot because I’d really love more women and people from racially minoritised communities.

As if we would brush our hair for the likes of YouTube 🤣 Audio forever! Video? Never!

We made you a Widow's Bay episode! DON'T listen if you haven't watched the show in its entirety! To be spoilered would be tragic. hugogirl.libsyn.com/widows-bay-t...

This book is weird and good!

On the blog, @pematson.bsky.social reviews another Hugo Best Novel finalist, Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky. "This is a great novel of first contact." The Skiffy and Fanty Show: Book Review: Shroud, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Episode 52! @danhartland.bsky.social returns for a discussion of John Brunner's cynical yet sympathetic STAND ON ZANZIBAR, what it's like to read it today, and how its failures of prescience might be the best thing about it:

hugogirl.libsyn.com/happy-hour-5 It's finally time for another happy hour!

ICYMI — a new Eating the Fantastic went live this morning with @octothorpecast.bsky.social's @johncoxon.bsky.social and @bohemiancoast.bsky.social. Join us and learn why we’re still here considering 90% of podcasts don’t make it past three episodes — plus more. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...

Several days late, here's this month's episode! Not for the faint of heart, it opens with Amy having just LICKED MY FINGER and is composed of at least 30% giggling. Good luck! hugogirl.libsyn.com/episode-93-d...

A sneak peek of Haley's forthcoming review of The Mandalorian and Grogu for @nerdsofafeather.bsky.social: - "there's a buff Hutt! He's got a literal 6 pack!" - "there's lots of little guys that go beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep and they look like Fraggles"

Not attending the World Science Fiction Convention this year, but still want to vote in the Hugo Awards? A WSFS-only membership gives you access to the voter packet and the right to cast a ballot for your favorite works across 17 Hugo categories as well as the Lodestar Award & the Astounding Award.

-Meander, Spiral, Explode mentioned -Star Wars' droid ethics critiqued -Turdus migratorious & Roy Batty appearances What else could it be: @premeemohamed.com joins to discuss Gene Wolfe's THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS!

Shoe horn! No more wasting your life on laces or bunched up socks.

Octothorpe 160 comes with an exclusive free gift*! We talk a little bit more about the Hugo Awards including the packet, but mostly we dive into our bulging mailbag and read out your letters and comments. Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/160-global... *free gift is theoretical/made up

Did you know that the video game Exit 8 has been turned into a movie? @annmichelleharris.bsky.social has our review of the movie at the NOAF blog: www.nerds-feather.com/2026/05/film...

"There's a lot of detail but not a lot of purpose." - @chloroformtea.bsky.social on The Wanderer 😆 Check out this episode of Hugo History! @klaxoncomms.com podcasts.apple.com/xk/podcast/t...

I had fun talking Best Novella on Narrated!

Hey so if you're in the USA, the FCC is floating the idea of making shows put a warning up if they include or discuss trans people and trans lives. A short paragraph saying this is messed up would help a lot! You gpt less than a week. Submit your comment by May 22: www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings...

Film Review: Hokum Irish folk horror and a haunted house full of actual scary moments. A spoiler-free review from @cestlahaley.bsky.social of @hugogirlpodcast.bsky.social at the NOAF blog: www.nerds-feather.com/2026/05/film...

The average American has three friends.

Fantastic news! With a week left to go, we've hit our first stretch goal for ARB's fundraiser! Thank you to everyone who's chipped in and/or helped spread the word; let's see how far we can get in our final week! Rewards and more still available:

Extremely kind words about A Meal of Thorns, the @ancillaryreviewofbooks.org, and our fundraiser to kick this off. And then the rest of the episode has me rolling out my old-timey map of the Atlantic, scanning with my antique chart magnifier, and sighing once more at the distance to Eastercon.

We finally get around to talking about Eastercon! This is a bumper episode, where we recap parts of @easterconuk.bsky.social and talk about the bids for 2028, 2029, and beyond. We promise we’ll do letters of comment again next week. Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/159-taking...

New episode day! This month we read Paladin of Souls, a book that is very horny for horses. hugogirl.libsyn.com/episode-92-p...

Did you know that Galactic Journey produces ~1000 pages of content every year? Of course, that doesn't include the weekly Science Fiction Theater, or the weekly British SF broadcast, or the radio station(s), or the Apollo mission coverage, or the Trekzines, or...

Excited to be on the finalist list again, and happy to be part of such a great group of fancasts! We'll see you in Anaheim!

🥳 congratulations to all our wonderful co-finalists! Hope to see you all and celebrate together!

We salute all the talented Canadian authors who are nominated this year for the Aurora Awards! www.csffa.ca/awards-infor...

There are some important things to remember in terms of Awards-shortlist day etiquette. A short thread. Even folks I really like and respect make some blunders on this stuff. 1) Allow people to enjoy the shortlist. Avoid dismissing the finalists (whomever they are) for at least a month.

There’s a dedicated band of fans at Eastercon working to promote Worldcon bids!

New episode! As usual, a silly one for April: Battleship! hugogirl.libsyn.com/episode-91-b...

The LA Worldcon Community Fund (LAWCF) is a special fund to help defray the expenses of attending LAcon V for fans or program participants from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQIA+ fans or program participants, and Los Angeles and Anaheim area fans of limited means.

The time is upon us! Don't forget to nominate for the Hugo awards!

I have also included Robert (and @quinnthegm.bsky.social, who comes up next in this thread) in my round up of YouTube folks worthy of nomination in Best Related Work, Best Fancast, or Best Fan Writer. They're some of my favourite people on the platform! Full post here: darthj.uno/2026/01/06/i...

The Hugo Awards nominating period closes tomorrow, and as you complete your ballot, I hope you'll consider Eating the Fantastic in the category of Best Fancast. To refresh your memory, here's where you can sample all 28 of the podcast's 2025 episodes. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...

oh noooooo 🤣

Okay fine: blew the dust off my personal blog to post some Hugo nomination suggestions. Or just reading/listening suggestions!

As you're filling out your Hugo nomination ballots, we urge you to consider a best fan writer nomination for @annmichelleharris.bsky.social! This insightful review of Bugonia is from 2026, but is exemplary of her work. Check it out! www.nerds-feather.com/2026/02/film...

Don't forget to nominate and to show the fan categories some love!

Want to help people in Minnesota? The best place to start is: www.standwithminnesota.com You can donate money to people who need it, donate airline miles, send supportive messages, & read about other things to do to help or prepare your own community: www.standwithminnesota.com/actions-to-t...

hugogirl.libsyn.com/episode-90-g... This one took a little extra time. Here's Green Mars!

Hotel reservations for LAcon V are now live! Make your reservations here: www.lacon.org/hotel All room party inquiries should be directed to [email protected]. 🎉