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In this episode, join Lauren and her dad in a discussion about life in a simulation, human connection in a pandemic, and time travel in Emily St. John Mandel’s 2022 novel Sea of Tranquility.

In this episode, Lauren breaks down definitions of dystopian fiction and science fiction to better understand where stories on the border fit, and what part “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson plays in these genres.

Would you walk away? In this episode Lauren, and her guest Melanie Bellavance, ponder "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin, and whether those living in the fictional city of Omelas have free will, if they’re happy, and what it means to really be a utopia. 

In this episode, Lauren Shoemaker and guest Maggie Johnson talk about what relationships look like between humans and robots and the complexity of women’s emotions.

In today’s episode, Lauren Shoemaker talks about the essence of the self and hyper visibility of celebrities and influencers in James Tiptree Jr.’s 1974 short story “The Girl Who Was Plugged In.”

In this episode, host Lauren Shoemaker introduces the new series.