The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Spy gadgets, questionable judgement, and serpent ladies, oh my! Shaun Duke, Daniel Haeusser, and R.E. Junker join forces to talk about 1998’s Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Together, they discuss the film’s interpretation of the famed Marvel character, what makes a superhero movie, Hasselhoff’s hotness, and so much more!

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Space unicorns, editorial joy, and STORIES, oh my! Shaun Duke sits down with editor extraordinaire Michael Damian Thomas to talk about over a decade of Uncanny Magazine, the new Kickstarter for Year 13, the wonders and trials of magazine editing and running, the beauty of stories, and much more!

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Devious plots, ghost husbands, and personal hells, oh my! Shaun Duke, Daniel Haeusser, and DanDan join forces to talk about 1963’s The Ghost (Lo Spettro), directed by Riccardo Freda. Together, they talk about the film’s restoration by Severin Films, its themes of betrayal and comeuppance, its treatment of spiritualism, and more!

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Show Notes:

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Space metal, exploration, and mars rovers, oh my! Trish Matson sits down with Eric Choi for an educational conversation about aerospace engineering and science fiction. Together, they explore the value of space exploration, the impact of aerospace engineering of human civilization, editing collections, and more!

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Ghost cats, haunted histories, and traditions, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser interview Sunyi Dean about The Girl with a Thousand Faces! Together, they explore Sunyi’s approach to point of view, Kowloon Walled City and weaving history into a story of ghosts, different ghost traditions, and so much more!

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Fan awards, books, and delicious finalists, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson host an impromptu discussion about the 2026 Hugo Awards. Together, they share and talk about the finalists, talk about the exhaustion of fandom drama, explore ballot dynamics, and more!

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Show Notes:

Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams!

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Skunkworks, broken physics, and family issues, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by John Chu for a discussion about his new novel, The Subtle Art of Folding Space! Together, they explore John’s treatment of food, the real and fantastical science in the book, weird family dynamics, and much more!

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Alien discos, mysterious resorts, and film restoration, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to talk w/ Dennis Bartok and Craig Rogers about Deaf Crocodile Films. Together, they talk about how they got into film restoration, the trials and wonders of the process, global cinema, their upcoming Roy from Space release AND their latest release, Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.

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Show Notes:

Community, cookouts, and space potato salad, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jennifer Brozek join forces to talk to Tonya R. Moore about The Cookout, a new anthology coming soon! Together, they talk about Moore’s approach to co-editing, the task of building an anthology, the current submissions call, and the cultural importance of the cookout!

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Show Notes:

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Revolutions, defining freedom, and empires, oh my! Shaun Duke and Stephen Geigen-Miller sit down with comics writer Aubrey Sitterson for a conversation about Free Planet! Together, they talk about Sitterson’s collaboration with artist Jed Dougherty, his approach to visual storytelling, the narrative style of Free Planet, comics formalism, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Pink Cadillacs, ridiculous fantasies, and dancing, oh my! Shaun Duke, Daniel Haeusser, and Paul Weimer join forces to talk about 1991’s Mannequin 2! Together, they talk about why the film even exists, its approach to comedy, the absurdity of its plot, and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a mess...

Wanderers, big swords, and snake cults, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson join forces to talk about sword and sorcery with Oliver Brackenbury and Molly Tanzer. Together, they explore the history of the subgenre, talk about New Edge Sword & Sorcery and its current crowdfunding efforts, Tanzer’s work with Joiry, and much more!

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Surrealist apocalypses, power games, and WMDs, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Krakatit (1948; dir. Otakar Vávra), recently re-released by Deaf Crocodile. Together, they explore the film’s gorgeous visuals, its surrealist dream logic, its politics and ideas about mass destruction, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Awakenings, horror heroes, and pranks gone wrong, oh my! Daniel Haeusser and DanDan join forces to interview Stephen Graham Jones to talk about Night of the Mannequins. Together, they explore Stephen’s approach to writing and point of view, tropes in horror, mannequins (shiver), and so much more!

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Show Notes:

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Turbulent times, spreading love, and finding hope, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Jennifer Brozek join forces to share the things they loved in 2025 and the things they’re looking forward to in 2026! We discuss books, movies, geeky things, experiences, and much more! Plus, we share some VERY important announcements about the show!

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Show Notes:

Tight spaces, space cannibals, and space madness, oh my! Shaun Duke, Daniel Haeusser, and Aurelius Raines II join forces to talk about 2009’s Pandorum! Together, they tackle the film’s set design, get squiggly about space spelunking, talk about space cannibal families, and more!

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Show Notes:

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Literary apocalypses, cosmic abysses, and Sam Neill, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss In the Mouth of Madness (1994; dir. John Carpenter). Together, they explore the film’s treatment of cosmic horror, its themes of literary-induced madness, what makes it distinctly a Carpenter film, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Grand conspiracies, colonization, and intentions, oh my! Shaun Duke and Sandra Wong are joined by the wonderful Martha Wells for an interview about Queen Demon and The Rising World series. Together, they discuss Wells’ approach to worldbuilding, explore the link between magic and pain, talk writing process, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Delicious heists, messy pasts, and subterfuge galore, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by Fran Wilde for an interview about A Philosophy of Thieves! Together, they explore Wilde’s approach to cross genre writing, the roots of the novel’s heist premise, the complexities of power and capital, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Cringe radio, angry ghosts, and cute Superman, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and R.E. Junker join forces to talk about 2005’s The Fog! Together, they tackle the film’s take on family sins, why ghosts are confusing, cute sweaters, and more!

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Show Notes:

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Alternate histories, grim conspiracies, and hellish visions, oh my! Shaun Duke, Daniel Haeusser, and Stephen Geigen-Miller join forces to discuss From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell! Together, they explore the work’s complex plot of conspiracies and philosophical terrors, its graphic violence and art style, and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoo...

Snowball wars, blues bands, and questionable anatomy, oh my! Shaun Duke, Aurelius Raines II, and R.E. Junker join forces to talk about 1998’s Jack Frost! Together, they explore the film’s formulaic Christmas narrative, snowman puppets, ridiculous snow stunts, and more!

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Show Notes:

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Fedoras, Christmas traumas, and chainsaws, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Gremlins (1984; dir. Joe Dante). Together, they talk about the film’s legacy, its brand of slapstick and macabre comedy, the adorableness of Gizmo, and more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Our new intro and outro music comes...

Fur-matronics, foot games, and big foot burial practices, oh my! Shaun Duke and Julia Rios join forces to talk about 1987’s Harry and the Hendersons! Together, they discuss the film’s ridiculous plot, the fine use of animatronics and physical comedy, production oddities, the 80s, and more!

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Show Notes:

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Imperial histories, class resistance, and alternative Romes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by novelist Sophie Burnham for an interview about Sargassa, the second book in the Ex Romana trilogy! Together, they discuss Burnham’s approach to alternate history and worldbuilding, the role of internal resistance in oppressive systems, the challenges of writing a series, and more!

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Show Notes:

Gorgeous dice, occult texts, and birbs, oh my! Shaun Duke, Jennifer Brozek, and Sandra Wong join forces to talk about why we collect and, more importantly, WHAT we collect. Each host shares some of their collectible objects, talk about why they matter, and more. This episode has a visual component, so checking out the video might be beneficial if you’re able!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams!

Grand insectoid mothers, web sensitive grubs, and purple lightsabers, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss the new canon novel, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. Together, they explore the novel’s approach to the titular Star Wars character, Barnes’ fantastical worldbuilding and narrative choices, some of the new characters who appear in the book, and so much more!

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Show Notes:

Ambiguous worlds, subdued worries, and a talking tiger, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by short fiction extraordinaire Thomas Ha for an interview about his new collection, Uncertain Sons and Other Stories! Together, they discuss Ha’s approach to short fiction and storytelling, some of the common themes in the collection, the process of assembling a collection, and much more!

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Show Notes:

Blood maws, neurodivergence, and the monstrous, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by the wonderfully weird Jason Sanford for an interview about his new novella, We Who Hunt Alexanders! Together, they discuss Sanford’s approach to monstrosity, neurodiverse protagonists, writing style and influences, and so much more!

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Show Notes:

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Warthog sloths, dinosaur hugs, and lecherous captains, oh my! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and special guest R.E. Junker join forces to talk about 1948’s Unknown Island! Together, they discuss the film’s remarkably ridiculous dinosaurs, the many types of 1940s men, plot contrivances, Corriganville, and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d...

Writing barriers, intense habits, and Octavia’s life, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by scholar and biographer Susan M. Morris to talk about her new book, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler! In this riveting conversation, they discuss some of the fascinating aspects of Butler’s life, Morris’ approach to writing a biography of such a celebrated writer, and much more!

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Show Notes:

Alien barriers, sweet Majors, and messy diplomacy, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by returning champion Andrea Hairston for an interview about Mindscape! Together, they explore Andrea’s approach to writing character and dialogue, the roots of the novel’s premise, the influence of language on culture and the self, reality TV, and more!

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Gendered rants, bird ships, and secret cities, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss Marie Corelli’s The Secret Power (1921). Together, they examine the reception of Corelli in her time, explore Corelli’s legacy, discuss the book’s approach to social relations, villainy, technology, and much more!

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Show Notes:

Bug hybrids, evil organizations, and intense vertical kicks, oh my! Brandon O’Brien and Iori Kusano are joined by Jennifer Brozek to discuss 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider! Together, they explore their feelings about the SHOCKER organization, Hideaki Anno’s approach to Kamen Rider, where this particular version fits into the canon of the franchise, and much more!

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Show Notes:

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Brain sucking, kite hoverboards, and upgraded dogs, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by special guest and longtime listener, DanDan the Transient, to talk about 1997’s Doom Runners! Together, they talk about Tim Curry’s remarkable performance, the logic of the film’s post-apocalyptic world, the “Corporations,” and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question y...

Bog bodies, ticks, and familial terror, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by a special guest host and friend, Kendra Hare, for an interview with Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue. Together, they explore Johanna’s approach to 19th century gender relations, tackle the remarkable history of bog bodies, uncover the depths of madness and perspective, and much more.

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Show Notes:

Mystical fungus, rigid empires, and haunts, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Kate Elliott for an interview about her new novel, The Witch Roads! Together, they explore Kate’s approach to worldbuilding, the structure of empire and writing characters who are part of its machinery, and much more.

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Show Notes:

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Mountain isolation, reality warping, and axes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Paul Bickel’s Our Happy Place (2024). Together, they explore the film’s themes of isolation and psychological destruction, Paul Bickel’s direction and Raya Miles’ performance, ways of interpreting its narrative, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Oil City, big feets, and a coke, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss 1976’s Creature from Black Lake! Together, they talk about the history of big foot myths in the South, how this film approaches its anthropological narrative, a cacophony of bad jokes, burgers and fries, and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you ha...

Dashing scoundrels, naughty mummies, and sand, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson wander into the archives to discuss 1999’s The Mummy! Together, they discuss the film’s connection (or lack thereof) to its predecessor, its visual stylings and narrative structure, the threat of the apocalypse, librarians, and much more!

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Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a mess...