Episode 23: Philip K. Dickolas

Prompts: Blue, Machine, and Two

In this futuristic and literary episode of Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren dive into two distinct works of art inspired by this week’s prompts.

Neal explores the 2002 sci-fi noir masterpiece Minority Report. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, the film delves into the murky ethics of pre-crime technology, stunning practical effects, and a dark vision of the future. From incredible stunts to Spielberg’s signature long takes, Neal breaks down why this film remains a cultural and technological touchstone decades later.

Lauren takes a different approach with the novella This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Through an epistolary love story between two characters—Red and Blue—caught on opposite sides of a time-traveling war, Lauren highlights the poetic beauty and emotional depth of this Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Award-winning work.