Tales From The Bridge
Tales From The Bridge discusses science fiction books & films, and talks to the people that create them.Join Kevin, James, Sam, Hannah, Ryan & Tristan as they cover the best in science fiction, from books to television and film. We also geek out on cutting-edge concepts in our news segment, Science Fiction-Science Fact. Subscribe, follow, like, and leave a review. We'd love to hear from you!
TFTB Film Club: The Quiet Earth (1985)
In this episode we discuss the 1985 film The Quiet Earth starring Bruno Lawrence Alison Routledge and Pete Smith and directed by Geoff Murphy. Based on the book of the same name by Craig Harrison.
This New Zealand sci-fi classic was a bit polarizing for our group. A saga of loneliness, guilt, and personal responsibility at the end of the world. We examine the themes, narrative direction, and overall design in contrast with a more modern esthetic to see if it holds up.
Give the trailer a watch and see if it’s for you.
TFTB Book Club: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Welcome, to Jurassi... uh,... to the Bridge, where we've spared no expense to splice together our thoughts on Michael Crichton's 1990 franchise-spawning classic Jurassic Park.
Before being swallowed by that chaos, we have an amazing Science-Fiction/Science Fact: brain-computer interface tech, and the potential for helping people cope with the effects of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. We're not quite at Neuromancer or The Matrix, but it's a start. How do we come up with all these great Sci-Fi/Fact stories, you ask? Well, like life, Kevin finds...
TFTB with Jennifer DeLeskie
This week we're delighted to welcome Jennifer DeLeskie to the Bridge to discuss her debut YA speculative novel Everclear, from Flame Arrow Publishing.
Everclear is "about a missing father, a changing body, and the buried truths of language, memory, and identity." It's a world of collapse, government overreach and corporate malfeasance, ecocide and malignant garbage. (Related: the word we were looking for is "kipple." Thanks, PKD.) But there's also hope and resistance and a rediscovery of Indigenous knowledge and values as they relate to the dominant systems of the time.
Though E...
TFTB Film Club: Possessor (2020)
This month's film of choice is Possessor, the 2020 film by Brandon Cronenberg. It's bloody. It's gory. It's psychologically compelling. Join us as we discuss the film making style, and twisted nature of this science fiction Canadian gem. And be sure to stay for the end to find out our next movie of choice.
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast!
Check out our new and improved website: https://talesfromthebridge.com - and let us know what you think!
...
TFTB Book Club: Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Welcome, Bridgertons (that's weird, let's workshop it) to this episode of the TFTB Book Club, wherein we discuss Kevin's latest pick: Exhalationby Ted Chiang. This collection of smart, high-concept short stories had something that appealed to each member of the Bridge Crew, with tales that The Guardian described as an "...expert balance of the emotional and the cerebral."
But before that, you've likely noticed TFTB's glow-up, and we're happier than a Vulcan calculus class to welcome a special guest to the Bridge, artist/designer Eduardo Valdes! W...
TFTB Timewarp: A Chat with Dennis E. Taylor
OK Bridge gang... step into your stone circle, heat up your hot tub or rev your big British phone box to 88 mph and take a quantum leap with us as we slingshot around the sun back to season 3, episode 88 (!) for a TFTB Timewarp, originally published Dec. 23, 2023.
In this episode we sat down with author Dennis E. Taylor to discuss his hit Bobiverse series, which has spawned sequels almost as fast as his von Neumann Probe of a character(s). Dennis shared his path to writing and publishing, his thoughts on how...
TFTB Film Club: Oxygen (2021)
On this episode of TFTB Filmclub, our adventurous and possibly misguided film watchers climb into a very small box and take a look at **Oxygen**, the claustrophobic sci-fi thriller starring Mélanie Laurent.
Trapped in a cryogenic unit with her oxygen supply rapidly running out, Liz has to figure out who she is, why she's there, and whether the mysterious voice on the other end of the line can actually help her. It's a film about survival, memory, identity, and the increasingly alarming consequences of waking up in the wrong place.
Expect spoilers, existential panic, a...
TFTB with Ray Nayler
Ray Nayler is back on the Bridge to talk about his latest novel, Palaces Of The Crow. A Hugo and Locus Award winning author, Nayler can be reliably counted on to deliver something you haven’t read before. We dive into the novel and in typical fashion, our conversation goes where you least expect it. Kick back and enjoy the listen, you’re in for a treat.
Be sure to check out Ray’s website to preorder Palaces of the Crow, and to see what else he has going on: https://www.raynayler.net/
...TFTB with Peter Watts
Peter Watts is back on The Bridge, and he has a new short story collection coming in September. Check out Tachyon Publications for details on the pre-order.
Visit Peter's website Rifters.com
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast!
You can always reach us on our social media or email us at [email protected]
Link tree https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebridge
TFTB Film Club: Star Wars, A New Hope (1977)
On this episode of TFTB Filmclub, our intrepid film watchers go back to the original Star Wars, A New Hope and see where it all began. Before the prequels, Rogue One, and Andor, and Disney.
If you're Gen X, this is where your childhood began, and you have friends everywhere. Enjoy!
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast!
You can always reach us on our social media or email us at [email protected]
Li...
TFTB Book Club: The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey
In this episode of TFTB Bookclub, we're discussing Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey. It's the second installment in the Captives War series, brought to you by the creators of The Expanse. The world is expanding in this space opera, and we're happy to jump in.
Of course, we've got our Science Fiction-Science Fact segment for you, and we're looking at the latest in gene editing. That's good news for our Game of Thrones fans because they've decided to make Dire Wolves.
We'll also get in...
Interview Hightlights
As we wrap up our 5th season on Tales From The Bridge we thought we’d share some interview highlights from the past year. We’ve got some fun moments here, and we hope you enjoy.
We’ve included excerpts from our conversations with Chris Hadfield, Travis Baldree, Mike Carey, James Rollins, Tade Thompson, Neil Clarke, Hugh Howey, Claire North, Arkady Martine, and the legendary Joe Haldeman.
We will have more science fiction (or ‘speculative fiction’ - if you must), authors joining us on the Bridge. We’ve also got more book and film reviews on the way. ...
TFTB Film Club: Minority Report (2002)
Should we have picked Mac & Me, or Mad Max for the letter M? Well, we didn't choose either. We chose Minority Report, the fast paced Spielberg thriller from 2002. We talk about how the film has aged, and how well Spielberg put this tiny masterpiece together. Be sure to stick around to find out Ryan's pick for the letter N!
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast!
You can always reach us on our social media or email us at talesfromthebridgepodcast@gmail...
TFTB Book Club: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
On the latest Episode of TFTB Book Club we discuss Tade Thompson’s Rosewater. Our regular listeners will be up to date on his work as he joined us on the Bridge just last episode. In that interview we discussed his work and his process for getting words on paper. Aspiring authors take note!
As always, Kevin has some cool Science Fiction – Science Fact for us, and we’re talking tractor beams. Well, it’s tractor beam adjacent, but still fascinating stuff. We also catch you up on what else we’re Read...
A Chat with Tade Thompson
You’re in for a treat as Tade Thompson joins us on the Bridge. Our regular listeners know that his novel Rosewater, part one of the Wormwood Trilogy, is our current book of the month. We touch on this series, accidental apocalypse (apologies!), his thoughts on A.I., lore-keepers (Who?), and... we learn Tade's earliest, amazing career ambition and the limits of responsibility, despite great power, in the face of an empty bank account. There was so much to discuss that we’re hoping to have him back...
The 150th Episode Special
Tales From The Bridge is now 150 episodes old! From humble beginnings at the start of the pandemic when a local bookclub was forced to go online, to a titan of the Science Fiction literature world! Boldly going where no other sci-fi podcast has gone before… okay, maybe that’s a bridge too far, but it’s been a fun journey nonetheless.
It’s been stellar for us (see what I did there?) and we want to thank all of our listeners for coming along for the ride.
Since our first episode, we’ve interviewed the some of the...
TFTB Film Club: Looper (2012)
On the latest episode of TFTB, our film club hosts time travel way back to 2012 to rewatch Looper. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Looper brought an all star cast together that included Emily Blunt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Bruce Willis.
The concept was that contract Killers or “Loopers” could travel back in time and carry out hits for organized crime bosses in the future. Find out what our film clubbers had to say about it, and let us know what you think on our socials.
Let us know if there's a book or fi...
A Chat with P.A. Cornell
Every so often we’re able to bring an up-and-coming author on the show. P.A. Cornell is an award-winning speculative fiction author. In 2024, she became the first ever Chilean writer to be nominated for the Nebula Award for her story, Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont. Cornell joins us on the Bridge to chat about her latest book, Shoeshine Boy and Cigarette Girl. We also chat about what else she has in the pipeline, so be sure to keep an eye out.
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us...
TFTB Book Club: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
On this episode of TFTB we dive into a science fiction (science fantasy?) classic; A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Featured in the final season of Stranger Things, this beloved YA novel won the Newbery Medal, and was adapted into a 2018 feature film with a mega-cast. The book remains persistently relevant, with it's themes of good vs. evil, individualism vs. conformity, and innocence to experience.
On Science Fiction-Science Fact we look into the autonomous robots that are being developed for moon exploration. A research team from KAIST, the U...
TFTB Film Club: Kin (2018) - What Went Wrong?
Once again on TFTB Film Club, our intrepid viewers inflict a terrible movie upon themselves and then inflict it upon you, our loyal listeners.
The film is Kin (2018) and this is the after-action report you didn’t ask for. Listen at your own risk and take heed. Tell others what you’ve learned here.
PS: For you avant-garde film lovers we do recommend Kin Dza Dza
Check out the new TFTB website here: talesfromthebridge.com
Let us know if there's a book or fil...
TFTB Book Club: House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
On this episode of TFTB, we'll discuss Alastair Reynolds' House of Suns. It's acid-trip science fiction, and we had a lot of fun chatting about it. On Science Fiction-Science Fact, we look at some AI news from Davos, namely that Generative AI may develop survival instincts we need to worry about.
We'll also take a look at some of the other content we're reading and watching, and, of course, we'll announce our next Book Club read.
Check out the new TFTB website here: talesfromthebridge.com
Let us...
Hugh Howey is back on the Bridge!
Hugh Howey is back on The Bridge, and you’re going to enjoy this one. Naturally we have the latest on Silo as this acclaimed series heads into its third season. We get a peek at some of Hugh’s upcoming projects, which are pretty exciting.
We also have an enlightening conversation on artificial intelligence, and writing vs. authoring. Ai is a pretty divisive topic right now, and a nuanced conversation can help cut through the noise. We’ve never had a chat with Hugh where we didn’t leave with a slightly new pers...
TFTB Film Club: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
TFTB Film Club is back, and apologies in advance. Our Film Clubbers decided to review the much maligned, Jupiter Ascending from 2015. When this came out, the unfortunate reviewer assigned from The Guardian called this film “…absolute nonsense” with “…dialogue that would make George Lucas cringe.”
For reasons we can’t truly justify, we’re bringing it back. Come circle the drain with us one more time, we promise to make it fun.
You can also us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the pod...
TFTB Book Club: The Humans by Matt Haig
Is the human race redeemable? On this episode of TFTB we dive into our book of the month; The Humans, by Matt Haig. This book serves as a fun introduction to some interesting concepts, and worth a look.
On Science Fiction-Science Fact, we have news on the development of an actual Warp drive for Faster Than Light travel. Hint: We’re closer than you think.
We also talk about what else we’re reading and watching, and it’s Kevin’s turn to pick our next book of the mon...
A Chat with M.R. Carey
On the latest episode of TFTB, Mike Carey joins us on the Bridge to talk about his new book, Outlaw Planet. This a very cool sci-fi western and it’s available now.
Some of our eagle-eared listeners will recall that Mike’s space opera, Infinity Gate was our book of the month a couple of episodes back. If you haven’t had a chance to read this series - we highly recommend it.
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always r...
TFTB Book Club: Neuromancer by William Gibson
On this episode of TFTB, we dig into a science fiction, and cyberpunk classic. Neuromancer was written by William Gibson in 1984, and reading it now will make you appreciate just how far ahead of its time this book was. This series began a sub genre of science fiction that includes The Matrix, Cyberpunk 2077, Ghost in a Shell, among others.
We’re currently enjoying a golden age in science fiction literature, and it’s fun to see where some of the foundations for this moment came from.
We also jump on the 3I/Atla...
TFTB Film Club: Interstellar (2014)
On this episode of TFTB Film club we’re talking all things Interstellar. Directed by Christopher Nolan and boasting an all star cast back in 2014. This is one of those films that was both extremely ambitious, and successful, which is why people are still talking about it. People are also still talking about what Matt Damon did.
Matt Damon!
Let us know if there's a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always reach us on our social media or email us at...
Claire North is back on the Bridge!
We’re thrilled to have Claire North back on the program. The last time we spoke with Claire we were talking about her (fantastic) novel The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. During that conversation, Claire mentioned a space opera that she’d been working on, and now it’s here!
Slow Gods will be available on November 18th, and we’ve got lots to talk about. For those of you familiar with Claire’s work, it will be no surprise to learn that this is page-turner, and a fresh take on the genr...
TFTB Book Club: A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L Jensen
This week on TFTB we leave our customary position in orbit, and land on virgin (for us) territory. Romantasy is having a moment, and we've put down our rockets to try and get in touch with our feelings. Or something.
Our book of the month is A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L Jensen.
We conjured up a couple of subject matter experts to guide us through these mysterious lands of spice and smut. Thank you to Miranda and Carolynn for joining us and sharing your perspectives. This b...
Selected Interview Highlights
On this episode of TFTB we pay the price for sleeping through the alarms and missing our studio time. Although, it has been suggested that we may have experienced ‘lost time’ and may find an unexpected result in a future x-ray. Until then, we’ve selected a few of our favourite interview moments for your enjoyment.
Please let us know if there is a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always reach us on our social media or email us at [email protected]
Link t...
A Chat with Chris Hadfield
We’re kicking off our 5th season in style. On this episode of TFTB we sit down with Astronaut and Best Selling Author, Chris Hadfield. Among his many accomplishments he was the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, he was a Test Pilot, an Engineer, and now a tech entrepreneur.
All of this experience elevates his latest novel, Final Orbit which is the third book in a series that began with the Apollo Murders. We talk about his books, and his new Podcast; Chris Hadfield on Energy. We also get a bit of life advice th...
TFTB Film Club: Her (2013)
Take a deep dive into Her, the Spike Jonze film from 2013. We chat about the themes, performances, writing, and more. Has the concept of this AI based film become prophetic, or is the idea of AI relationships just not that science fiction anymore? Let us know what you think!
Please let us know if there is a book or film that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always reach us on our social media or email us at [email protected]
Link tree https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebridge
Another Chat with Elizabeth Bear!
On this episode, we welcome Hugo Award winning author, Elizabeth Bear back to the Bridge. We dig into the latest instalment of the White Space novels, Folded Sky. We also get the latest on the long awaited sequel to Karen Memory. It’s called Angel Maker and (as of this recording), is currently available for preorder. Check the link below.
Any opportunity to chat with Elizabeth is just time well spent, and we know you’ll enjoy this one. Check out her website below, lots of cool things are happening there, and we look forward to seeing what’...
TFTB Book Club: When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
On this episode we discuss what might happen if the moon turned to cheese. It’s a serious question, and we use John Scalzi’s novel, ‘When the Moon Hits Your Eye’ as the foundation for our investigation. Much to learn here. We’ll also look at a unique proposal for interstellar travel on Science Fiction Science Fact, and we’ll chat about the other books and films we’ve been enjoying.
A new interstellar propulsion method: T.A.R.S. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MDM1COWJ2Hc
Please let us know if there is a bo...
TFTB Film Club: Gattaca (1997)
In this episode of Film Club, we talk about Gattaca, the debut film from director/writer Andrew Niccol. We discuss the performances, the critical reviews, and what questions we were left with after watching. We find out what film we'll be watching next, and end things off with a trivia segment.
Please let us know if there is a book that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always reach us on our social media or email us at [email protected]
Link tree https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebridge
TFTB Book Club: Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey
On this episode of TFTB we dive into the Infinity Gate, by M.R. Carey. This book has it all, a multi-verse, aliens, quantum physics, and plenty of action. On Science Fiction - Science Fact, we look at the future of doom scrolling, but with mind control. We also take some time to debrief on Andor, and we will have more to come on this... Of course, we also have our next book of the month, and we’ve got a fun one for you.
Please let us know if there is a book that you wa...
TFTB Film Club: The Fifth Element (1997)
On this episode of TFTB film club we talk about The Fifth Element. It’s been 28 years since this movie came out, does it still hold up? We’re going to let you know. We’ll also chat about some of the runners-up for this episode, and what we’re watching next.
Please let us know if there is a movie that you want us to review on the podcast! You can always reach us on our social media links below or email us at [email protected]
Link tree https://linktr.ee...
A Chat with Arkady Martine
Joining us on TFTB is author, Arkady Martine. Her Texi-calon duology, "A Memory Called Empire" and "A Desolation Called Peace," have each won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. She has also published short stories in numerous publications (links below). Her latest book, Rose/House, was recently re-released by TOR in 2025. Arkady is also an urban planner, a climate policy analyst, and a Byzantine historian. So clearly, no shortage of material to cover here, and we did our best to cover it all.
Arkady Martinez’s website: https://www.arkadymartine.net/
Short st...
A Chat with Dave Blass, Production Designer for Star Trek: Picard
Joining us on the Bridge this week is Production Designer, David Blass. Known for his work on ‘Star Trek: Picard’, his credits also include The Boys, Preacher, Justified, and many other television series you’ve enjoyed. We had a great conversation with Dave and cover a great deal of ground on this one, from Roger Corman to the importance of Saurian Brandy. Plus, we touch on "765874 - Unification" - the Star Trek-themed short film that you have to see to believe. Settle in and enjoy.
Check out his website here: https://daveblass.carbonmade.com/
Paramount+ / Star T...
A Chat with Ray Nayler
On this episode of TFTB we sit down with Ray Nayler. He is the author of the Locus Award winning The Mountain in the Sea, and he joins us to talk about his latest book, Where the Axe is Buried. A cybernetic novel of political intrigue, revolution, and authoritarianism. Pretty timely themes these days. We also look at how sci-fi can go beyond the science to the social, and become a transformative tool for rethinking the world that we’re living in now.
You’re in for a treat.
Find out what Ray is up to he...
