Launching Space Station Squid!

This month I’m delighted to announce the launch of my new podcast Space Station Squid! With weekly episodes tackling a variety of sci-fi and fantasy topics ranging from classic film reviews to cutting-edge realities in the genre, this is a labor of love. Available on Spotify and right here on this website, give it a listen and drop me a line (as well as suggestions for subjects to cover–I’ve already fielded requests to do episodes on sci-fi’s takes on immortality and pandemics. With genre history, original interviews, and discussions on where we’re at and where we might be going, this is my little corner of fandom from a lifelong fan and contributor to the genre.

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I also decided to head out to Colorado for a couple weeks, which marks my first time to the Centennial State. From the sandstone wonderlands of the Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks to the awe-inspiring peaks at Silverthorne and the frontier charm of Frisco, Colorado has made quite the impression on this Connecticut Yankee. “I want to see mountains again, Gandalf!” said Bilbo, and he might as well have been talking about Colorado, where the mountains are as vast as the heavens. I got to eat elk for the first time, learn quite a bit about alpine biomes and local geology, and yes, my friends and I ascended to the 14,115 foot crest of Pike’s Peak. It was 40 degrees up there, with a wind that pierces to the bone. We actually witnessed two bighorn sheep having a fight, horns colliding with a cracking sound that was louder than expected… enough to make me imagine what such a collision could do to me.

The view from the peak was breathtaking (and not just because I was feeling the altitude). Rocks are marbled by ice and tundra lichen. Dusky mountains loom above green forests and sky-hued lakes. But yeah, the altitude is a thing that takes getting used to. I’ve climbed to the top of Mount Fuji and never struggled so hard to breathe; no matter how deeply I took a breath, it felt like I was only getting half-gulps of oxygen.

Oh, and one final note about Colorado. Specifically, Denver. More specifically, Denver International Airport…

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That’s right, I finally set eyes upon Blucifer. At 32-feet tall and 9,000 lbs, he seems to have galloped straight out of the dreams of Grand Admiral Thrawn. There’s simply no way this demon-eyed equine doesn’t inspire a post-apocalyptic religion at some point. (I’d make a nightmare joke, but he’s clearly a stallion).

Actually, this whole airport is pretty weird. Gargoyles, odd murals, a Freemason time capsule to be opened in the year 2094 (no seriously) and an extensive set of underground tunnels. You could film a Ghostbusters movie here without needing to build sets.

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