This week, the gang dives into Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente, a novel that asks one important question: what if Eurovision decided the fate of entire civilizations? The answer involves flamingo anglerfish, intergalactic threesomes, washed-up glam rock stars, a hyper-masculine moonbeam, and enough commas to qualify as a form of literary jazz. Sarah, Tommy, Rick, and Andrew do their best to keep up with Valente's dazzling, relentless prose while trying to explain one of the most joyful, ridiculous, and imaginative books they've ever read. It’s glitter-sex-hopecore, and we loved every minute of it. If you vibed with the episode, we'd love it if you'd leave us a rating and review. And if you'd like to support the show (and help us keep reading increasingly ridiculous sci-fi), you can join us on Patreon. And we will obviously be rooting for Canada in the next Eurovision, even Tommy.

This week, the Pagenerd crew tackles hyper pigs, consensual cannibalism, corpse-eating architecture, a freaky little child AI, planetary genocide, and a supervillain called “The Clockmaker.” Alastair Reynolds Aurora Rising (originally called The Prefect) is a fever dream of a detective novel that somehow manages to jam all those things into a single story. Sarah, Tommy, Rick, and Andrew attempt to untangle a future powered by quickmatter, debate whether anyone actually understands what's happening, and marvel at Alastair Reynolds' ability to make the absolutely absurd feel strangely plausible. This episode starts as a detective story and rapidly descends into chaos. We recommend surrendering to the experience. If you’d like to support the pod you can find us on Patreon at patreon.com/cw/Pagenerd

Somehow, Ishiguro has written a book that Sarah found both boring and emotionally devastating at the same time. The banality of the language is part of the darkness of this semi-dystopian trip inside the mind of Klara, a solar-powered artificial friend who is generally treated like crap by the humans around her. The novel is a masterpiece by the Nobel laureate who wrote Remains of the Day, but it’s not a beach read. We see the world unfold through Klara’s childlike vision, and her innocence prevents her from recognising that nobody really cares about her. Despite that, the robot is the most human character in the book. It’s a book about hope, even in its darkness. If you’re looking for something that will absolutely ruin you in a ponderous and meditative way then read Klara and the Sun. You sicko.

The Pagenerds are back with part two of The Dispossessed, where Ursula K. Le Guin somehow takes an already brilliant book and makes it hit even harder. This section gets deeply personal. We follow Shevek as he wrestles with fame, isolation, intellectual ego (and the consolidation of publishing power), and the very messy reality of trying to build a better world with other humans. The political conversations get bigger, and at least one Pagenerd starts sounding like they’re on the verge of joining an anarchist moon colony (it’s me, Sarah). There’s a lot in here about who gets access to knowledge, who controls it, and what we owe each other when systems stop serving people. You know, fun light podcast stuff. Thank you for spending your finite life minutes with us. We adored this book and honestly could have talked about it for another six hours. If you like your sci-fi thoughtful, political, and painfully human, Le Guin remains undefeated.

The Pagenerds finally tackle Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, which is a lot in the best way possible. Naturally, we had to split this one into two parts. This book absolutely rocks. Le Guin drops us onto two sister planets locked in ideological opposition, then uses one physicist’s journey to unpack capitalism, anarchism (the good kind?), power, sex stuff, academia, love, and what it actually means to try and build a better world. A breezy read if you’re a sociology PhD, pretty heady for the rest of us. This book could not have been an email. Part one is all about the setup, the ideology, and the growing suspicion that Ursula K. Le Guin may have simply understood humanity way, way too well. We loved this book deeply, and we’re so grateful you’re spending your finite life minutes with us talking about it. If you like your sci-fi thoughtful, political, and devastatingly smart, pick up this book (from a library or indie bookstore) right now.

The Forever War is a book that asks "Who hurt author Joe Haldeman?” and the answer is: The United States Military. This book is about a futuristic war fought by soldiers in power armour, but really it's about every war and every soldier. It was written in 1974, but feels disturbingly current. Haldeman wrote this book after his experience as a combat engineer in the Vietnam War. So it reads as a scathing critique of American imperialism, the futility of war, and what it does to the people sent to fight it— and the ones left behind. It’s the kind of book we need in April of 2026. Tommy recorded this episode from the bathroom of a truly gross San Francisco hotel, which feels spiritually aligned with the time we’re living in. Haldeman’s writing is sharp, disorienting, and surprisingly human. If you like your sci-fi with a true disdain for war, queer-stuff before its time, and a side of existential whiplash, this one delivers.

The Intercepts is an excellent beach read if you’re deeply unwell. It’s also the Pagenerds very first horror sci-fi, so thanks T.J. Payne. The novel drops us into a secret government facility where people are kept underground and understimulated for some… experimentation. We uncover what in the MKUltra is going on through the eyes of a program manager and his teenage daughter. There’s a beige, middle-management, banality-of-evil vibe— and then it gets properly haunted-house scary. Huge shoutout to Jay, our producer, who is famously squeamish and still edited this episode. If you like your sci-fi with some gore, this book is for you. If you don’t, let us spoil it for you. We love you, ‘nerds. Thanks so much for listening!

Wild Dark Shore is the kind of book that makes you openly weep on the subway. Charlotte McConaghy drops us onto a remote, storm-battered island filled with seals, secrets, and a family holding on a little too tightly to both. In this episode the Pagenerds attempt to unpack it and emotionally survive it, as the story unfolds into something about grief, survival, and what we owe each other at the end of the world. Sarah sobbed into the book. Full, page-wrecking sobs. She also sobbed in the episode, and at one point almost fought Rick, which honestly feels on theme. It’s haunting, tense, and deeply tender. You might finish it and call someone you love. Or start a fight. Honestly, both feel right.

Murderbot is the patron saint of “please stop talking to me”, and we love that for it. The pagenerds dive into All Systems Red by Martha Wells and the deeply relatable life of Murderbot— an anxious, rogue security android that saves humans mostly so it can get back to watching its shows. They talk about corporate dystopias, introversion, androgynous (hot) Alexander Skarsgard, and why this novella punches way above its weight. Tommy, Rick, and Andrew are holding down the fort this week while Sarah is in France, likely overconsuming funky cheese. She’ll be back in two weeks, as will the rest of us. We love you, nerds, thank you so much for listening!

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is often called the first science fiction novel for good reason. The problematic goth queen was only 18 when she wrote this novel at a gloomy lakehouse in Switzerland in 1816, but its lessons about scientific hubris and themes of parental abandonment and guilt are forever relevant. Shelley’s prose remains haunting and gorgeous, and her social circle is one of history’s greatest blunt rotations. The Pagenerds take us back to the early 19th Century and look at how Frankenstein and his monster emerged from cutting edge science of the time and look at the real Victor Frankenstein — an actual scientist who actually pumped electricity through severed limbs and heads to make them move.