Science Fiction Book Review Podcast

Luke has been replaced by someone who looks just like him, and his stand-in chats to Juliane about Double Star by Robert A Heinlein. Also some relevant Dungeon Crawler Carl followup. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke and Juliane listened to Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman while driving to Slovenia. Is it even as fun as watching someone else play a computer game? See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke and Juliane discuss the cultural impact of a very unevenly edited book and contains many passages that simply seemed to its author like a good idea at the time… The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

How much can you talk about a novel where the reading advice is “Go in cold without knowing anything”? Luke tells Juliane about There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, first half no spoilers, second half a deep dive. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke and Juliane discuss The War of the Worlds by H G Wells. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke talks to Juliane about the next stories in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers fantasy series, Lives of Bitter Rain and Days of Shattered Faith. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke and Juliane talk about Robert A Heinlein’s children’s book Have Space Suit – Will Travel, what they enjoyed and what they found problematic, and if it will be added to the SFBRP Must-Read List. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke talks to Juliane about Luminous by Silvia Park, so far the best book he’s read in 2026. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Juliane read Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove and in this episodes tells Luke why he shouldn’t read it too. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke and Juliane discuss Inversions by Iain M Banks, a sure-fire entry into the SFBRP Must-Read List. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and “The Monster Story Conference”, so download them for free at: https://www.lukeburrage.com/fiction.html

Luke tried out The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, a book so bad he’s going to have to update the SFBRP website to match the new DID NOT FINISH functionality of Goodreads. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via […]

Luke reviews Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds and if you don’t know the Terrible Secret of Space then you might be confused about the pusher robots and the shover robots. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: […]

Luke talks to Juliane about Slow Gods by Claire North, a book with so many nods to The Culture series that Luke’s head almost fell off nodding in recognition. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social […]

Luke and Juliane are very enthusiastic about Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky so half way through their review go deep into the spoiler zone. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke […]

It’s a 1000 page book from 2008, and Luke tells Juliane why he thinks Anathem is a “Masterwork” by Neal Stephenson. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his […]

Luke tells Juliane about the disappointing romance in The Everlasting, the romantasy novel by Alix E Harrow. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding […]

Luke revisits Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie to see how it holds up as an early example of the awards-dominating science fiction movement variously known as Tor Wave or Squeecore. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: […]

Luke REMOVES Startide Rising by David Brin from the SFBRP Must-Read List! Why? Listen to find out! See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding […]

Juliane begins the podcast by wondering whether When There Are Wolves Again by E J Swift is even science fiction, and Luke has strong thoughts on that and other questions. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: […]

Luke re-reads The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken to see if it keeps its place on the SFBRP Must-Read list. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com

Luke talks to Juliane about the first two novels in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers fantasy series, City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at […]

Luke tells Juliane about a mostly-forgotten Nebula Award winning novel from 1971, A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg, and how it’s VERY IMPORTANT that the main character struggles with premature ejaculation. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke […]

Luke and Juliane talk about One Day All This Will Be Yours, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s take on how one might lose a time war. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke […]

Luke is very excited about new directions for science fiction as a genre, so talks up the promise of Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor… but then explains to Juliane why he ultimately didn’t make it to the end of the novel. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read […]

Luke and Juliane revisit The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers and discuss why writing a cozy story is incompatible with writing a traditionally good science fiction novel. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke […]

Luke and Juliane discuss Solaris by Stanisław Lem. Trigger Warning: Luke has “explored his own labyrinth of dark passages and secret chambers.” See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes […]

Luke reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, the Goodreads Winner for Readers’ Favorite Science Fiction of 2024, which means it isn’t actually good science fiction but is pretty competent at the other things it’s trying to be. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support […]

Luke rereads Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card to see if it should be on the SFBRP Must-Read List, and with Juliane discusses how Some Desperate Glory fails to live up to its predecessors. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane […]

Luke tells Juliane about Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, a novel that started strong with lots of promise but left him disappointed, annoyed, underwhelmed and generally feeling other negative emotions. Also this won the best novel Hugo award, so there’s a bit of that to talk about too. See every book/episode of the SFBRP […]

Part 3 of our discussion of The Lord of the Rings, focusing on The Return of the King, what it means to be a good man or a good king, lessons learned by the hobbits and us during their adventures, and a final review of the reading experience 30 years on from Luke’s first time […]

Part 2 of Luke and Juliane’s discussion of The Lord of the Rings, focusing on The Two Towers, the power of wizards, action vs fights vs battles vs sieges, a diversion on Ents, and who is tempted by the One Ring. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: […]

Part 1 of Luke and Juliane’s discussion of The Lord of the Rings, focusing on the audiobook performance by Andy Serkis, appreciation for the first movie in the trilogy, how Tom Bombadil can be so annoying, and Luke takes a stab at the question “what even are elves?” See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: […]

Luke delves into The Silmarillion for the first time, and talks to Juliane about myth creation, map confusion, and the genealogy of a silver tree. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at […]

Juliane finished Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky and so Luke joins her to discuss academic politics, totalitarian politics, aliens, and clay. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his […]

Luke revisits Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds, and tells Juliane about the four different levels of understanding available to discover and enjoyment to be had. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at […]

Luke talks to Juliane about Neverness by David Zindell, an epic space opera from 1988 which for years he considered one of his favourite science fiction novels, and debates adding it to the SFBRP Must Read List. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and […]

Luke and Juliane share their thoughts on Earth Abides by George R Stewart, an influential post-apocalyptic novel from 1949. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Bluesky: @lukeburrage.bsky.social Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, […]

Luke tells Juliane why Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson ended up on his did-not-finish list, and why it was such a disappointment after The Space Between Worlds. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] […]

Luke and Juliane discuss the second instalment in what they now realise is a Dune movie trilogy, Dune: Part 2 (2024). To keep the full story fresh in their minds, Luke re-read the novel and they both rewatched Dune: Part 1. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: […]

Luke re-read the multi-award-winning Gateway by Frederik Pohl. Juliane joins him to discuss why 1970’s science fiction can be very clever but still misses the mark for current readers. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] […]

After diversions on buying and reading the hardcover version of the book, Luke and Juliane talk about Heavy Time by C J Cherryh, the first Company Wars novel by internal chronology. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on […]

Luke reviews a new (to him) translation of Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky and discusses with Juliane if it should make it onto the SFBRP Must-Read List. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] […]

Luke revisits Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein and shares his thoughts on the political ideas it contains with Juliane. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Discuss this book at Goodreads.com […]

Juliane read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell for the first time, and Luke for the second time, and they talk through how the book impacted their emotions. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane […]

Luke re-reads The Forever War by Joe Haldeman to see if it could make it onto the SFBRP Must-Read List, but discovers there are more versions of the novel than he knew, and he read a version that didn’t win the Hugo or Nebula awards. Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Support Luke […]

Where is the best place to start for new readers of science fiction? Which books are the best examples of science fiction available to read today? Which old books stand the test of time, and which new books will we still be thinking about in decades to come? For episode #550 of the SFBRP, Luke […]

Luke re-reads The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin to see if it is worthy of inclusion on the SFBRP Must-Reads Science Fiction Novels list. Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, […]

Luke tells Juliane about a minor Ursula K LeGuin novel he read weeks ago: The Eye of the Heron. Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, “Combat”, “Get that rat off my face!” and […]

Luke dips into the first book in the Uplift Saga to see if Sundiver by David Brin is worthy of a place among the greats. Spoilers: it isn’t. Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding […]

Luke enjoyed the literary dick-swinging in Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but tells Juliane how the novel ends up less than the sum of its five parts. Luke on Mastodon: @[email protected] Juliane on Mastodon: @[email protected] Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke writes his own novels, like “Minding Tomorrow”, […]