Podcast
Approaching Lightspeed
Hosted by D. Tyler Pierson · EN
Author D. Tyler Pierson is your guide through the mind-bending frontiers of the science fiction genre. With a focus on tales found in books, we'll explore all sorts of fantastical worlds, from the brutally indifferent cosmos found in Revelation Space to the intrigue-filled, culturally rich spaces of Teixcalaan, and everything in between. --- Twitter: @approachingcpod --- Instagram: dtylerpierson
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Murderbot Diaries
Nov 16, 202300:42:22Tap to summarizeMartha Wells' "Murderbot Diaries" follows one of science fiction's most introverted (but also most likable!) protagonists through an alarmingly familiar corporate hellscape in an epic journey to get as far from humans as possible.
Transcribe →Dune Part II discussion (feat. Loïc Suberville)
Jul 18, 202300:50:01Tap to summarizeSpoiler alert! I am joined by my good friend and tri-lingual comedic wonder Loïc Suberville to discuss the second trailer for "Dune: Part II." We talk about Call of Duty, Man of Steel, and a BUNCH of things we are absolutely not qualified to comment on. Oh, and there's even some Dune talk here and there! Reaction video link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uizRtlLr-YQLoïc's links:https://www.youtube.com/@loic.subervillehttps://www.tiktok.com/@loicsuberville
Transcribe →Against a Dark Background
Apr 15, 202301:15:22Tap to summarizeIain M. Banks spirits us away to a crumbling solar system where technological advancement and supremacy comes not in what its inhabitants can make for themselves, but in what they can pilfer from the ruins of the countless failed civilizations that came before. Come for the homicidal cultists and daring heists; stay for the existential dread!(Minor "spoilers" between 1:09:24 and 1:13:40).
Transcribe →The Aliens of Revelation Space
Feb 1, 202301:35:29Tap to summarizeIn Alastair Reynolds' "Revelation Space" series, humanity is slowly coming to the uncomfortable realization that they might be the only spacefaring civilization around--or at least the only one that hasn't been violently wiped out. But this wasn't always the case. Who called the galaxy home in eons past, and where did they all go? Humanity might not be ready for the answers...Revelation Space Book #1 Spoiler danger zone begins at 45:55 and ends at 1:09:58.
Transcribe →Project Hail Mary
Sep 7, 202200:18:31Tap to summarizeAndy Weir's "The Martian" was a gigantic hit on both literary and cinematic fronts. So how does he keep the momentum going in his latest work, "Project Hail Mary?" Well, it has a little something to do with icy apocalypses, Jason Bourne-esque amnesia, and some super memorable aliens. More info inside...
Transcribe →The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Aug 26, 202200:26:11Tap to summarizeBecky Chambers' Galactic Commons is a civilization brimming with history and intrigue... what better way to explore it than through the eyes of this universe's endearing equivalent to blue collar workers?
Transcribe →Galactic Domination on Easy Mode
Aug 21, 202200:25:55Tap to summarizeThe races of the galaxy were helpless to stem the Dread Empire of the Shaa's conquering tide. Today, with the ethos of their Praxis at the forefront of their society, the Shaa are the undisputed rulers of all that is known, having never lost a battle in the millennia they've existed. But perhaps that sort of efficiency has a way of coming back to haunt an empire in the end...
Transcribe →Teixcalaanli Contradictions
Jul 8, 202200:21:10Tap to summarizeAn all-devouring cosmic beast to some, a shining beacon of civilization to others; Arkady Martine's Teixcalaanli Empire is the most powerful force in the known galaxy and a center of technological development, poetry, and art. But this refined facade covers up a deeply troubled regime that is fundamentally at odds with itself...
Transcribe →An Expedition to Darwin IV
Jul 1, 202200:30:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we pay a visit to the eerily beautiful, richly realized, and utterly alien planet of Darwin IV.
Transcribe →The Culture
Jun 10, 202200:37:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we take a look at the vast, absurdly powerful galactic utopia that is Iain M. Banks' Culture, as well as the lengths its citizens go to in order to find meaning in a universe seemingly without want...
Transcribe →