Octothorpe
- Episodes
- 100
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Nov 6, 2026
About the podcast
A Hugo Award-winning podcast about science fiction and SF fandom from John Coxon, Alison Scott, and Liz Batty.
Episodes 100
172: Liminal Recollection of Eastercon-ness
John is in the hallways, Alison is at an auction, and Liz is in the archives. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join …
Show notes
John is in the hallways, Alison is at an auction, and Liz is in the archives.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Thanks to Teddy Harvia for this week’s artwork!
- Letters of comment
- Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
- Kate Macdonald (email)
- Louise Hughes (Bluesky)
- Intergalactic Mixtape
- We also heard from DC, Ivan Sinha, Jonathan Baddeley, Scott Edelman
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- Worldcon 2027: Montréal, Canada
- They have a new child policy, updated from the previous child policy
- Tyneside Games Expo
- Murderbot: The First Graphic Novel on Kickstarter
- Archive of Our Own (AO3) has gone down for 2–4 weeks
- Swim headphone corner
- Picks
- John: Hokum
- Alison: Tabletop Rescue on eBay Live
- Liz: Cupertino
- Credits
- Cover art: “Wingnut Logic in Orbit” by Teddy Harvia
- Alt text: An orange-and-red space station with blue and yellow windows floating above a planet with green terrain and a blue atmosphere. Various wingnuts sit, walk, and stand on the space station in various orientations. The words “Octothorpe 172” appear at the top and the words “Wingnut Logic in Orbit” down the right-hand side. The artist’s signature is at the bottom-right.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Wingnut Logic in Orbit” by Teddy Harvia
Chapters (9)
171: No, We Don’t Want Free Jam
John is at Fantasycon, Alison is wrong, and Liz is right. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group …
Show notes
John is at Fantasycon, Alison is wrong, and Liz is right.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Renay! (email)
- Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky)
- Scott Edelman (email)
- Simon Bubb (email)
- We also heard from Heather Rose Jones, Kevin Anderson, Lilian Edwards, Lori Anderson, Shi Lala, and Tero Ykspetäjä.
- Fantasycon 2026: Glasgow, UK
- Worldcon 2027: Montréal, Canada
- SFFCONZ statement on CoNZealand 2
- Malcolm Edwards has died
- Malcolm Edwards on Fancyclopedia
- We know there was only one Malcolm Edwards, but there wasn’t a good edit point to take the mistake out!
- Picks
- John: Hope
- Alison: Into the Woods
- Liz: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
- Credits
- Cover art: “Cross Stitch” by Roseanna Pendlebury
- Alt text: Beautifully cross-stitched depictions of John, Alison and Liz with black, pink and purple Octothorpe T-shirts on. They have a speech bubble above them reading “Octothorpe #171”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Cross Stitch” by Roseanna Pendlebury
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
170: Maybe We Should All Have Bells
John, Alison and Liz are live from Octocon! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag …
Show notes
John, Alison and Liz are live from Octocon!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: It’s a live recording!
- The Ultimate Gene Wolfe Library on Humble Bundle
- Barry’s Tea and Lyons Tea
- Conventions
- Picks
- John: The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan
- Alison: (is a bit short of a pick)
- Liz: CONTROL Resonant
- Credits
- Cover art: “Live from Octothorpe” by Liz Batty
- Alt text: Three crocheted Octos – one purple, one green, and one red – sit against a white background. The words “Octocon 170” appear at the top and “Live from Octothorpe” appear at the bottom. (Octo is the Octocon mascot and is an octopus, so these are made from the official Octo crochet pattern.)
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Live from Octothorpe” by Liz Batty
Chapters
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169: The Helsinki Problem
John parties, Alison queues, and Liz betrays. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag …
Show notes
John parties, Alison queues, and Liz betrays.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Letters of comment
- Andrew January (email)
- Chris Garcia (emails)
- DC (Bluesky)
- Ed Morland (Bluesky)
- Henry Balen (Facebook)
- Kevin Anderson (Bluesky)
- Malcolm Hutchison (Facebook)
- Steve (email)
- Trish Matson (email)
- We also heard from Bridget Bradshaw, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, Jake Casella Brookins, Kev McVeigh, Kin-Ming Looi, Mike Scott, Paul Weimer, Roseanna Pendlebury, Scott Edelman, Shi Lala, and Tammy Coxen
- Octocon 2026: Cork and online
- Bristolcon 2026
- The University of Liverpool’s Science Fiction Collection has been awarded Designated status by Arts Council England
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- <plokta.con> 4
- Picks
- Swimcast
- Credits
- Cover art: SKULK! by Sabrina L. Nelson, used under a CC BY-ND licence (original here)
- Alt text: A photograph of various fans at LAcon V cosplaying foxes to varying degrees, including John wearing some fox ears and his wife España Sheriff wearing a fox mask. Above, orange text on a white background reads “Octothorpe 169” and below it reads “Foxes skulk at LAcon V”. For some reason, Adobe Photoshop is convinced I’ve used an AI-generated image, but given it’s a photograph and some text Adobe Photoshop can get in the sea.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: SKULK! by Sabrina L. Nelson, used under a CC BY-ND licence (original here)
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
168: It’s a Very Little Cat
John is tired, Alison is listening to music, and Liz is catsitting. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John is tired, Alison is listening to music, and Liz is catsitting.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Clowns (Chapter 1), Hugo Award statistics (Chapter 3)
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- Worldcon 2028: Aussiecon 5
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Love Is In the Air” by IHOP Photographer
- Alt text: A photograph of John and Duncan MacGregor taken at an IHOP near the Hilton Anaheim. They are turned to look at each other in a booth. Their facial expressions are difficult to read, but hearts overlay the picture and so we surmise they are in love. Faces of bystanders are pixellated for privacy purposes. Words above the photo read “Octothorpe 168” and below read “Love is in the air at LAcon V”.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Love Is In the Air” by IHOP Photographer
Chapters
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167: Way More Fun Than the Actual Hugos
John, Alison, and Liz fix the Hugo Awards once and for all. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John, Alison, and Liz fix the Hugo Awards once and for all.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Letters of comment
- The Brand-New, Definitely-WSFS-Approved Hugo Award® Rosters!
- Alison
- Novel: Redefined to be 60,000+ words, awards to author and editor
- Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): Redefined to standalone works
- Vibes: Best thing that seems like it should be genre but isn’t
- New Writer: Redefined as a debut in the last three years, has never won a Hugo Award (!)
- Fan: No previous winners, no professionals (with some caveats)
- Original Artwork: Flat art and sculpture
- John
- Game or Interactive Work
- Dramatic Presentation (Television): Nominating series, no standalone episodes
- Novella: Refined to be up to 60,000 words, awards to author and editor
- Related Work: Redefined to render conventions and things that exclusively happen at conventions ineligible
- Fancast: It’s perfect just the way it is
- Fan Artist: Defined “properly”
- Liz
- Dramatic Presentation (Moving Picture): Redefined to exclude TV series somehow
- Publisher
- Series: Redefined to let series of above a number of volumes on, even under the 240,000 word count (the Nghi Vo amendment)
- [I SAID IT AND I MEANT IT—John]
- Short Story/Novelette: Redefined to be shorter than 15,000 words, award to author only
- Community Benefit: Works by the community which exist to benefit the community
- Video Essay: Non-fiction works in video format
- Alison
- Credits
- Cover art: “Summer of Fungi” by España Sheriff
- Alt text: An watercolour of three pink mushrooms growing on the trunk of a tree. The words “Octothorpe 167” appear at the top, and “summer of fungi” appear at the bottom. The listener is left to discern which mushroom represents which co-host.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Summer of Fungi” by España Sheriff
Chapters
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166: Writings of Greeks and Romans
John, Alison, and Liz have stopped talking about it now. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group …
Show notes
John, Alison, and Liz have stopped talking about it now.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
- Letters of comment
- Andrew January (email)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Dave Langford (email)
- Doug Faunt (email)
- Perrianne Lurie (email)
- Simon Bubb (email)
- Zara Baxter (email)
- We also heard from Jesi Lipp, Nicholas Whyte, and Paul Weimer
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- Octocon 2026: 3–4 October
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Summer of Sun” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A photograph of a total solar eclipse above a beach in Northern Spain. Text reads “Octothorpe 166” in purple at the top and “SUMMER of SUN” in white at the bottom.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Incidental music: “Local Forecast – Elevator” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Summer of Sun” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
165: E Ese Efe Ese
John is big-headed, Alison has a right of reply, and Liz explains how voting should work. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to …
Show notes
John is big-headed, Alison has a right of reply, and Liz explains how voting should work.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
- Letters of comment
- Brian Nisbet (Facebook)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Constanze Hofmann (email)
- Gareth Kavanagh (Facebook)
- Ivaylo Alekseev (email)
- Leigh Edmonds (email)
- Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)
- Renay (Bluesky)
- Shi Lala (Facebook)
- Alison: Scott Edelman (Bluesky)
- We also heard from Constanze Hofmann, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, Jonathan Cowie, Kev McVeigh, Lilian Edwards, and Paul Weimer
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- The WSFS Business Meeting Agenda
- WSFS Business Meeting Recaps from LAcon V
- F.7 Limitation on Listed Contributors for Hugo Award Finalists
- This was withdrawn by Olav Rokne at the Preliminary Business Meeting
- “Role Creep in the Hugo Awards Semiprozine Category” by Tammy Coxen on File 770
- “Role Creep and the Numbers Game: A Measured Response” by Kat Kourbeti on File 770
- F.8 Purposeful Proportionality
- [Alison told me that we should link a CGP Grey video here but then didn’t put it in the show notes, so good luck finding it, listeners—John]
- History of Hugo Category Definitions by Tammy Coxen
- Unofficial WSFS Business Meeting Browser by Andrew January
- Locus
- Picks
- John: Mothership Companion
- Alison: Strange Horticulture
- Liz: Moderation by Elaine Castillo
- Credits
- Cover art: “Stand Up and Be Counted”, found art détourned by Alison Scott
- Alt text: 72 assorted LEGO minifigs in a 6x12 grid. Words above read “Octothorpe 165” and below read “WSFS Business Meeting Register: Stand up and be Counted”. The title case on the part of the sentence after the colon is, frankly, bananas, and it certainly isn’t aligned with the Octothorpe style guide.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Stand Up and Be Counted”, found art détourned by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
164: WSFS and ESFS and All Sorts of SFSes
John is not quite awake, Alison’s off to the cricket, and Liz is doing it in an unusual order. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to …
Show notes
John is not quite awake, Alison’s off to the cricket, and Liz is doing it in an unusual order.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Letters of comment
- Eurocon 2026: Metropol Con in Berlin, Germany
- Thanks to James Bacon for some fantastic reporting on File 770: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
- Eurocon
- Eurocon 2027: Forum Fantástico in Lisbon, Portugal (23–26 September)
- Eurocon 2028: SFeraKon 50 in Zagreb, Croatia (probably the second weekend in May)
- Eurocon 2029: Bids for Warsaw, Poland and Sofia, Bulgaria
- Eurocon 2030: Bids for Birmingham, England and Fuiggi, Italy
- Eurocon 2031: Bid for Belgrade, Serbia
- Eurocon 2032: Bid for Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Andreas Kuschke Prize was awarded to Constanze Hofmann
- Berlin
- Wombats
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Summer of Fun” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: John and Liz are behind two large stacks of paper with text reading “WSFS Agenda… D… E… E… F… F7… more F7… secret squirrel” whilst Alison sits in the stands of Lord’s. Words above say “Octothorpe 164” and “It’s the summer of fun!”.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Summer of Fun” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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163: Board Games 💋
John couldn’t check, Alison was wrong, and Liz is accurate. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John couldn’t check, Alison was wrong, and Liz is accurate.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Ali Baker (Facebook)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Frederik Coulter (Facebook)
- Jake Casella Brookins (email)
- Kate Macdonald (email)
- Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook)
- Mike Scott (Facebook)
- Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)
- Niall Harrison
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Raj (Mastodon)
- Scott Edelman (Facebook)
- Broken Clock Café (Facebook, Instagram)
- Tantrum Doughnuts
- Pastéis Lisboa
- Tammy Coxen (Bluesky and Facebook)
- Trish Matson (Bluesky)
- We also heard from: DC, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, Karen Schaffer
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles
- It’s that special time of year again, the WSFS Business Meeting Agenda is out!
- Business Meetings at LAcon V
- 17 July, 26 July, 1 August, 9 August, 30 August
- Eating the Fantastic
- Eurocon 2026: Metropol Con in Berlin, Germany
- Eurocon 2027: Fórum Fantástico in Lisbon, Portugal
- Eurocon 2028: Bid for Croatia
- Eurocon 2029: Bid for Warsaw, Poland
- Eurocon 2030:
- Other things Liz thinks are neat:
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Alison the Goldfish” by Sue Mason
- Alt text: A goldfish with the head of Alison wearing goggles and swim headphones. The words “Moist Ear Tunes*” appear at the top and the words “SF Fandom’s Premier Swim Headphone Podcast”, “Fun Fact: Moist Ear Tunes is a nonogram of Octothorpe 163” and “Sue Mason art appears courtesy of Plokta (thanks guys)” appear at the bottom. I know that Alison has forgotten to include the asterisk on the footnote, but since she also has the memory of a goldfish maybe it’s a delightful and multilayered joke.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Alison the Goldfish” by Sue Mason
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
162: Do You Have Stirrups on Your Bicycle?
John wasn’t overcrowded, Alison likes it small, and Liz has never been. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John wasn’t overcrowded, Alison likes it small, and Liz has never been.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Drug use, war (John’s pick)
- Letters of comment
- Satellite 9
- Farah Mendlesohn is running a one-day event about Frances Hardinge
- Worldcon 2028: Former bid for Nuremberg, Germany
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Brisbane, Australia
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Clouds and stuff
- UK Games Expo 2026
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Scenes of the Village” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A photograph of Portmeirion made to look like a stamp or a postcard, with words overlaid saying “Holiday greetings from Portmeirion, be seeing you…”. Above reads “Octothorpe 162” and below reads “Alison has gone on holiday again”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Scenes of the Village” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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161: You Pay Your Money, You Send Your Books
John, Alison and Liz read the Clarke Award shortlist. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and …
Show notes
John, Alison and Liz read the Clarke Award shortlist.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Gun control and dystopian government (The Dream Hotel), body dysmorphia (Luminous), child abuse (The Salt Oracle)
- The Arthur C Clarke Award
- This year’s shortlist
- This year’s submission list
- Credits
- Cover art: “Judge Coxon’s Last Stand” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: John, wearing a Judge Dredd-style helmet with the Clarke Award logo on it and holding a lightsaber, dispenses judgement from behind a wall of books. The words “Octothorpe 161” appear above him, whilst words below say “Arthur C. Clarke Award 2026: Judge Coxon’s Last Stand”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Judge Coxon’s Last Stand” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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160: Global Nando’s Correspondents
John is not firing on all cylinders, Alison has a code, and Liz downloaded the packet. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to …
Show notes
John is not firing on all cylinders, Alison has a code, and Liz downloaded the packet.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Worms (Alison’s pick)
- Letters of comment
- Andrew Thompson (Mastodon 1, 2)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
- Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky 1, 2)
- Kate Macdonald (email)
- Kiesa (Mastodon)
- Mike Scott (Facebook)
- Patrick Garvey (email)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- The Theory of Related-ivity by Heather Rose Jones
- “Seattle Worldcon Poet Laureate Brandon O’Brien’s Opening Ceremonies poem”
- Also pointed out by Kathy Bond (Bluesky)
- Raj (Mastodon 1, 2)
- We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Ang Rosin, Caroline Mullan, Constanze Hofmann, Dave Mansfield, DC, Duncan MacGregor, Els, Ivan Sinha, James Shields, Jonathan Baddeley, Kev McVeigh, Lilian Edwards, Phil Dyson, Tammy Coxen
- Hugo Awards
- Tim Vine is Plastic Elvis as Sam Salono in Rocker ‘Brella Fella
- Picks
- John: Citizen Sleeper
- Alison: Falmouth Worm-Charming Championships
- Liz: Hades II
- Credits
- Cover art: “Cover-Mounted CD-Rom” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A drawing of a CD-Rom with the words “Octothorpe 160” and “New!! Exclusive Octothorpe cover-mounted CD-Rom”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Cover-Mounted CD-Rom” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
159: Taking a Stand
John ran the Games Room, Alison ran the Newsletter, and Liz was on holiday. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join …
Show notes
John ran the Games Room, Alison ran the Newsletter, and Liz was on holiday.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Ancillary Review of Books
- Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham
- Batik
- ConRunner
- Daves Hot Chicken [do not get me started on the lack of apostrophe—John]
- HaruhiCon
- Alison’s 365 Play challenge
- Eastercon 2027: Unconfined in Glasgow
- Eastercon 2028: Contract in Birmingham
- Guests of Honour: Adam Roberts, Aliya Whiteley and Chris Lintott
- Eastercon 2029: Bid for Chronologicon in Chester
- Aiming to cap at ~650 people
- Eastercon 2030: Bid from BSFA to join with Eurocon
- Eastercon “early 2030s”: Rumblings from Northern Ireland
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Thanks Guys” by Alison Scott (comic by Randall Munroe used under a CC BY-NC 2.5 licence, typeface by Phil Elson used under a CC BY-NC 3.0 Unported licence)
- Alt text: A stack of grey blocks being held up by two small stacks underneath. The stack is labelled “all current Eastercon digital infrastructure”, while the two small stacks are labelled “bits being thanklessly maintained by Andrew January” and “bits being thanklessly maintained by James Shields”. The words “Octothorpe 159” appear at the top.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Thanks Guys” by Alison Scott (comic by Randall Munroe used under a CC BY-NC 2.5 licence, typeface by Phil Elson used under a CC BY-NC 3.0 Unported licence)
Chapters
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158: I Am the Worldcon Chair in Avignon
John, Alison and Liz dissect this year’s Hugo Awards finalists! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John, Alison and Liz dissect this year’s Hugo Awards finalists!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Hugo Awards
- Best Novel
- Best Novella
- Best Novelette
- Best Short Story
- Best Series
- Best Graphic Story or Comic
- Best Related Work
- Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid
- Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age by Ada Palmer
- Last War in Albion: “The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)” by Elizabeth Sandifer
- Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M Morris
- History of Westeros: “Ragnarök vs the Long Night”
- The Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, maintained by Renay
- Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
- Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
- Best Game or Interactive Work
- Best Editor Short Form
- Best Editor Long Form
- Carl Engle-Laird
- Jaymee Goh
- Lee Harris
- Jenni Hill
- Joe Monti
- Diana M Pho
- Best Professional Artist
- Best Semiprozine
- Best Fanzine
- Best Fancast
- Best Fan Writer
- Best Fan Artist
- Best Poem
- Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
- Astounding Award for Best New Writer
- Credits
- Cover art: “Vibrant Award Culture” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A cartoon. John, Alison and Liz are wearing Octothorpe T-shirts and matching purple baseball caps while standing behind a market stall clad in a very slightly different purple and with various delicacies upon it. The sign above the stall reads “Octothorpe 158 Hugo HOT takes”, with “HOT” in a little tiny fire. The sign below the stall reads “Always half-baked! Fresh off the griddle! Three-pack special!”
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Vibrant Award Culture” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Hugo Awards
157: Moist or Shiny?
John is gaming, Alison is a pirate, and Claudia is dancing. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John is gaming, Alison is a pirate, and Claudia is dancing.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: It’s a live recording! Also, we say the words “dicks” and “moist” a lot; sorry about that.
- Claudia Rapp:
- The Hay lecturer was Tasha Phillips, and the lecture was “Stranger than Fiction: Creatures of the Deep”
- John was wrong about that sketch, it was on the radio and is also on YouTube
- Eurocon 2026: Metropol Con 2026 in Berlin, Germany
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Nuremberg, Germany
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Brisbane, Australia
- Picks
- John: World on a Wire/Welt am Dracht
- Alison: The Eastercon Business Meeting
- Claudia: Lyneham by Nils Westerboer
- Credits
- Cover art: “Best panel confirmed” by Simon Bubb
- Alt text: A picture of John, Alison and Claudia sitting behind the panel tables during the live recording. A thread from the convention Discord is being projected onto the screen behind them, with messages reading “Malcolm H: Song for Alison… Da Da Da”, “Roseanna: We’ve passed the discord comment count for the highest other item!! Best panel confirmed [rocket emoji]”, “Meg MacDonald: Teach us your wisdom”, “Frances Dowd: Drink drink drink your Heineken, oodles and oodles for everyone!”. Words have been added to the top reading “Octothorpe 157” and to the bottom reading ‘Live from Iridescence: “Best panel confirmed”’.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Best panel confirmed” by Simon Bubb
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156: Surprisingly Well-Adjusted Young Gentlemen
John has a headache, Alison has a cold, and Liz is fine, thanks for asking. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join …
Show notes
John has a headache, Alison has a cold, and Liz is fine, thanks for asking.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Liz said “RoboCup world championship” not “RoboCop world championship”
- Alexandra Lanes (Bluesky)
- Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)
- Ang Rosin (Facebook)
- Ed Morland (Bluesky)
- Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
- Fredrik V Coulter (Facebook)
- Juan Sanmiguel (email)
- Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook)
- Neil Ottenstein (Facebook)
- Paul Weimer (Bluesky, email)
- Phil Dyson (Facebook)
- Renay (email)
- We also heard from Alex Holden, Finbarr O’Reilly, Kev McVeigh, Roseanna Pendlebury, Shi Lala
- GUFF result
- Nebula Awards
- Locus
- Eastercon 2026: Iridescence
- The program is out
- You can find John here and Alison here and Liz here
- “Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names – With Examples”
- Picks
- John: Vantage
- Alison: Slay the Spire 2
- Liz: Formula 1: Drive to Survive
- Credits
- Cover art: “Eastercon Planning” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A black-and-white cartoon. John is behind a stack of games, saying “Games Room”; Alison is behind a stack of printers and paper, saying “Newsletter”; Liz is on a beach reading with sunglasses and a cocktail. In purple, the words “Octothorpe 156 Eastercon Planning:” appear at the top and “questioning our life choices” at the bottom.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Eastercon Planning” by Alison Scott
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- Letters of comment
155: Ed! Ed! ED!
John is a bit rum, Alison is taking a drink, and Liz is buying beer. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John is a bit rum, Alison is taking a drink, and Liz is buying beer.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Letters of comment
- Abigail Nussbaum (email)
- Brian Nisbet (Facebook)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Ed Morland (Bluesky)
- Elias Helfer (email)
- Florian Bailey (email)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Scott Edelman (email)
- Tammy Coxon (Bluesky: convention sports, deduplications, staff rates)
- Trish E Matson (email)
- We also heard from DC, Farah Mendlesohn, Jonathan Baddeley, Kev McVeigh, Mike Scott, and Neil Ottenstein
- British Science Fiction Association
- Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham
- Eastercon 2028: Bid for Birmingham by Marcus Streets
- Picks
- John: Alien and Aliens
- they’re small indie movies you probably haven’t heard of them
- Alison: Small Prophets
- Liz: Dark Winds
- John: Alien and Aliens
- Credits
- “Homunculeeses” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: Three homunculi in jars with cork toppers who look reminiscent of John, Alison and Liz. Alison’s has a little stick with a moose head on it and a cup of coffee. The jars are on a shelf. The words “Octothorpe 155” appear at the top and “Small Podcasters” at the bottom.
- “Homunculeeses” by Alison Scott
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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- Letters of comment
154: At Least I’m Not Just Internet Shopping
John is nominating board games, Alison should read more, and Liz bought two memberships. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to …
Show notes
John is nominating board games, Alison should read more, and Liz bought two memberships.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles, USA
- Staff memberships are $100
- Hugo nominations are open
- Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom
- We’re not recusing this year!
- Best Novel:
- On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J Haveland
- A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
- Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
- Every Version of You by Grace Chan
- The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
- The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
- Slow Gods by Claire North
- Luminous by Silvia Park
- There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
- We believe this is eligible because (a) the version published in 2025 is different to the previously self-published version and (b) there is precedent through Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
- When There Are Wolves Again by EJ Swift
- The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
- The Singing Hill Cycle by Nghi Vo
- The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson
- Best Game/Interactive Work:
- Niall Harrison’s list of Best Translated Novels
- Fan funds
- Picks
- John: Murderbot
- Alison: The UFO 50 soundtrack
- Liz: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Credits
- Cover art: “Alison forgot she had to do the cover” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: Text reading “OCTOTHORPE 154* *See, it’s like this. This is the first day of 2026 that hasn’t been cold, or wet, or both, so instead of doing the Octothorpe cover I went for a nice walk. And bought no board games, but a jigsaw. And did the jigsaw. Sorry.” The text is on top of a photograph of a bridge and some trees underneath a blue sky.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Alison forgot she had to do the cover” by Alison Scott
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153: Bowling Captain Kirk for a Duck
John is volunteering, Alison is saying “no”, and Liz read her first book! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John is volunteering, Alison is saying “no”, and Liz read her first book!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Alexandra Lanes (Bluesky)
- Ali Baker Brown (Bluesky)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Fiona Moore (Facebook)
- Ivan Sinha (Facebook)
- Kin-Ming Looi (Facebook)
- Kev McVeigh (Facebook)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Roseanna Pendlebury (Bluesky)
- Scott Edelman (Bluesky)
- Tommy Ferguson (Facebook)
- We also heard from Farah Mendlesohn, Fredrik V Coulter and Mike Scott
- SMOFcon 2026: SMOFcon 43 in Lisbon, Portugal
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Nuremberg, Germany
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Kigali, Rwanda
- Worldcon 2029: Bid for Dublin, Ireland
- Fan funds
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Alison the White” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A picture of Alison with white hair, wearing a white dressing gown, and wielding a staff with a moose head. John and Liz flank her. She says “Behold! I am reborn as Alison the White!” John says “That’s a bit dramatic… it’s only a haircut” and Liz says “Pretty sure that’s a dressing gown… and are you standing on a box?” The words Octothorpe 153 are at the top.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Alison the White” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
152: Slap That Fish More
John is summarising, Alison is eating, and it’s all Liz. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group …
Show notes
John is summarising, Alison is eating, and it’s all Liz.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode:
- Letters of comment
- Ali Baker Brooks (Bluesky)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Duncan MacGregor (Bluesky, Mastodon)
- Farah Mendlesohn (email, Facebook)
- Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)
- Henry Balen (email)
- Ivan Sinha (Facebook)
- Kev McVeigh (Facebook)
- Mike Scott (Facebook)
- Raj (Mastodon)
- Ron Payne (Bluesky)
- Scott Edelman (Bluesky)
- Shi Lala (Facebook)
- We also heard from Kin-Ming Looi and Steve Lockley
- Worldcon 2028: Bid for Brisbane
- Eastercon 2025: Reconnect in Belfast
- Greg Ketter of DreamHaven Books in Minneapolis has gone viral
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Be Prepared” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: John’s head and shoulders appear behind a pinkish desk as if he is the puppeteer of Sooty and Sweep (Americans, ask your British friends). Sooty is pulling on Sweep’s ear. Text at the top reads “Octothorpe 152: John is preparing for the big dust-up”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Be Prepared” by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
151: Only Ding-Dong for Good and Not for Evil
John is trying, Alison is watching a video and Liz is humming. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John is trying, Alison is watching a video and Liz is humming.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Global inequality (letters of comment), harassment (Montreal discussion)
- Letters of comment
- Christopher J Garcia (email)
- Darin Briskman (see below)
- Fredrick V Coulter (Facebook)
- Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)
- Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky) and España Sheriff
- Lilian Edwards (Facebook)
- Meg MacDonald (Facebook)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- Renay (see below)
- Tammy Coxen (Bluesky)
- Tommy Ferguson (emails)
- We also heard from Ali Baker Brooks, Brina Nisbet, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, Kev McVeigh, Mike Scott
- Smofcon 42
- Worldcon 2027: Montréal
- They got a website!
- The organisation chart
- A list of blogs on the René Walling harassment incident
- Genevieve Valentine’s original report
- Worldcon 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles
- Join by 31 January to nominate in the Hugo Awards
- Hugo Awards
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Three Lions Relaxing” by Liz Batty
- Alt text: Three lions photographed on a safari in Kenya, with glasses photoshopped onto two of them to make them look very slightly more like John and Alison. The top has words reading “Octothorpe 151” and the bottom has words reading “Definitely not about the cricket”. It is unclear why, because John edited all the cricket out.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Three Lions Relaxing” by Liz Batty
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
150: I Would Describe Them As European
John doesn’t want to pass out, Alison is a wuss, but Liz doesn’t think it’s gratuitous. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to …
Show notes
John doesn’t want to pass out, Alison is a wuss, but Liz doesn’t think it’s gratuitous.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Gore and vampirism (Liz’s pick)
- Letters of comment
- Chris Barkley got his Hugo Award!
- Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden
- The Q&A
- Videos of the Q&A on YouTube
- Smofcon 2026: Smofcon 43 in Lisbon, Portugal
- The Worldcons that presented:
- 2026: LAcon V in Los Angeles, USA
- 2027: Montreal, Canada
- 2028:
- Brisbane, Australia
- Nuremberg, Germany
- Kigali, Rwanda
- 2029: Dublin, Ireland
- 2030: Edmonton, Canada
- 2031: Texas, USA
- 2032: Nantes, France
- 2033: No interest
- 2034: Glasgow, Scotland
- 2035: Poland
- Unknown: Czechia
- The Q&A
- Picks
- John: Your Wish is My Command by Deena Mohamed
- Alison: The Lost Nose by John Sladek
- Sort of collected in Maps: The Uncollected John Sladek by John Sladek
- Liz: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
- Credits
- Cover art: “Alison is Still Obsessed with Ukuleles” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: A Mahalo Flying V, an Uma Blue Pineapple, and a Brunswick soprano are hanging on a Christmas tree beneath the words “Octothorpe 150”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Alison is Still Obsessed with Ukuleles” by Alison Scott
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149: Real-Time Toilet Monitoring
John is going to Smofcon, Alison has FOMO, and Liz is a horrible person. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John is going to Smofcon, Alison has FOMO, and Liz is a horrible person.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Andreas Davour (email)
- Chris Garcia (email)
- Ed Morland (BlueSky on 147, 148)
- Emily January (email)
- Karen Schaffer (email)
- Paul Weimer (email)
- We also heard from Alan Fleming, Ali Baker Brooks, Andrew Thompson, Brian Nisbet, Bridget Bradshaw, DC, Duncan MacGregor, Ivan Sinha, Jan Harley, Kev McVeigh, Malcolm Hutchison, Mike Scott, Neil Ottenstein, Shi Lala, and Tommy Ferguson
- Famous Belgians: Simon Stevin
- Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden
- Novacon 2026: Novacon 55 in Buxton
- Picks
- John: The Truman Show
- Alison: Pluribus
- Liz: The Summer War by Naomi Novik
- Credits
- Cover art: ”Archaeologists“ by Alison Scott
- Alt text: John and Alison, dressed in clothes reminiscent of The Mummy, look down some stairs upon Liz’s tomb, in which her skeleton still holds her Hugo Award, framed by stonework. The words “Octothorpe 149” appear at the top of the image.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: ”Archaeologists“ by Alison Scott
Chapters
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- Letters of comment
148: I’m With Liz
John, Alison, and stunt Liz Emily Tesh are live from Novacon 54! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John, Alison, and stunt Liz Emily Tesh are live from Novacon 54!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: It’s a live recording!
- Thanks to Emily Tesh for being our stunt Liz!
- Visit Stow Shirts for all your Octothorpe merchandise needs
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Live from Novacon” by Steven Cain and Alison Scott
- Alt text: Emily Tesh, John, and Alison stand in front of a suspiciously purple background which may indicate that the real background has been subtracted by nefarious photo editing. The words “Octothorpe 148 Live from Novacon” are overlaid.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Live from Novacon” by Steven Cain and Alison Scott
147: What? What?! No!
John is ready, Alison had forgotten, and Liz is surprised. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John is ready, Alison had forgotten, and Liz is surprised.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Animal torture (letters of comment)
- Letters of comment
- 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction
- LAcon V opens Hugo Awards Base Contest
- 36th Galaxy Awards
- Tianwen Awards
- BKK Comics Art Festival #4
- Asian Board Games Festival (ABGF)
- Picks
- Star Wars is being properly remastered?
- Credits
- Cover art: “Nepal Spotter’s Guide” by Paul Weimer (text by Alison Scott)
- Alt text: A photograph of the mountains of Nepal with text overlaid, reading “Octothorpe 147 Official Octothorpe Nepal Identification Guide* (*apparently never gets old)** (** Liz might like to go to a comics con there)”.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Nepal Spotter’s Guide” by Paul Weimer (text by Alison Scott)
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146: It Winds Me Up Something Chronic
John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join …
Show notes
John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham
- Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link
- Merch should be available by the time you read this
- Bursaries are open for applications, deadline of 31 October
- The volunteer form is open
- Haruhicon 2026: Birmingham
- Carrots, vitamin A, radar, and British propaganda
- BristolCon 2025
- World Fantasy Con 2025: Brighton
- Armadacon 2025: Plymouth
- Novacon 2025: Novacon 54 in Buxton
- Pictcon 2025: Pictcon1 in Perth
- Satellite 2026: Satellite 9 in Glasgow
- Worldcon finances
- Picks
- Credits
- Cover art: “Treasures of the V&A Storehouse” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: The Torrijos Ceiling at the Victoria & Albert East Storehouse. An elaborate, gilded and octagonal ceiling. Why yes, Alison has a new phone, how could you tell?
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Treasures of the V&A Storehouse” by Alison Scott
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145: James Bacon and His Enthusiasms
John might, Alison won’t, and Tommy would (in a heartbeat). An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook …
Show notes
John might, Alison won’t, and Tommy would (in a heartbeat).
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Animal torture (aftershow)
- Letters of comment
- Octocon 2025 in Dublin
- Tommy’s fanzines:
- Prolapse’s issue for Irish Fandom Day
- James Bacon’s article on the fan history starts on page 5!
- Corflu 2023 in Belfast: Corflu Craic
- Corflu Craic’s programme book
- Including the con report of the Leeds Corflu that Tommy mentions
- Marcin Kłak’s con report
- Corflu Craic’s programme book
- Eastercon 2025 in Belfast: Reconnect
- Eastercon 1986 in Glasgow: Albacon III
- Previous Belfast conventions:
- Replay is not quiiiiite ready yet, sorry listeners, it’ll be there soon!
- Pictcon 1 in Perth (8 November 2025)
- Novacon 54 in Buxton (7–9 November 2025)
- Norncon 2026 in Belfast (8–9 May)
- GoHs: Anna Smith Spark and Adrian Tchaikovsky
- The Norn Scene from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung
- Eastercon 2027 in Glasgow: Unconfined
- Tommy is working on Communications
- Worldcon bid for 2029 in Dublin
- Picks
- John: Spirit Island
- Alison: Strong Message Here
- Tommy: Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway
- The sequel to Titanium Noir
- Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
- Credits
- Cover art: “Norns Weaving the Rope of Fate” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: John, Alison and Tommy are weaving ropes of fate as norns. The ropes lead to little spools, above their heads, reminiscent of a sculpture called Umbilical by Conrad Shawcross which Alison will explain in more detail in Octothorpe 146. The words “Octothorpe 145” appear at the top, and “Looking forward to Norncon” at the bottom.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Norns Weaving the Rope of Fate” by Alison Scott
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144: I Have Opinions on Women
John, Alison and Liz watch Dredd (2012). An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag …
Show notes
John, Alison and Liz watch Dredd (2012).
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: Justice.
- Things that happened since we recorded:
- Credits
- Cover art: “Judge Coxon Pain Scale” by Alison Scott
- Alt text: Six cartoons of John as a Judge from MegaCity One with the Clarke Award logo on his helmet, all of which are identical. Beneath them follows text. 0: NO HURT. 1: HURTS A LITTLE. 2: JUST A FLESH WOUND. 3: MINOR GUNSHOT. 4: BULLET THROUGH GUT. 5: FALL OFF SKYSCRAPER. The JUDGE COXON Pain Scale™. The words “Octothorpe 144” appear at the top of the cover.
- Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Judge Coxon Pain Scale” by Alison Scott
143: A Major Movie in the Sand Genre
John skips leg day, Alison skips art day, and Liz skips opinions. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our …
Show notes
John skips leg day, Alison skips art day, and Liz skips opinions.
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
- Letters of comment
- Next episode, we are going to watch Dredd!
- 2025 Worldcon: Seattle
- 2026 Worldcon: LAcon V in Los Angeles
- Weyodi OldBear: first post, second post
- Apology from the chair
- 2027 Worldcon: Montréal
- Old bid site
- Jeph Jacques’s Questionable Content
- Picks
- John: FlickFleet
- Alison: Slay the Spire again
- Liz: Luminous by Sylvia Park
- Credits
- Cover art: “Inside Coverage” by Arthur Thomson
- Alt text: An abstract, geometric figure stands, their torso through a panel which has various trailing wires. There is a radio or walkie talkie on the floor and a textured background which is also geometric. The words “Octothorpe 143” appear at the top, “Walt Willis” appear at the right, and “Inside Coverage” appear at the bottom.
- Explanation: This is a previously unused piece of art by Atom (Arthur Thomson), originally intended for a Walt Willis column in Hyphen that never happened. Alison wants to use it as an Octothorpe cover to make Atom eligible for Best Fanzine Cover in the FAAn awards. Except, you know, not.
- Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
- Cover art: “Inside Coverage” by Arthur Thomson
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