The Incomparable Mothership

Let’s travel 40 years back in time, to Chicago in 1986, where on one legendary day, a high school student named Ferris Bueller bends time and space, all in service of cheering up his best friend. We break down what makes “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” still work after all these years. Jason Snell with Cicero Holmes, Quinn Rose, Deborah Stanish, Erika Ensign and John Siracusa.

Awards Book Club reconvenes for 2026, as we discuss Nebula-nominated novels “Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang, “Wearing the Lion” by John Wiswell, and “Death of the Author” by Nnedi Okorafor. The mood of the panel is… cautious. Also: What else are we reading? Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Heather Berberet, Scott McNulty and Paul Weimer.

Put on your eye phones and jack in to the cyberscape! Rocket Surgery comes for 1996’s cyberpunk epic “Lawnmower Man 2.” (Don’t worry if you haven’t seen the original “Lawnmower Man,” half of us didn’t either.) Matt Frewer is Max Headrooming it up! A bunch of urchins populate a rainy L.A. that’s straight out of “Blade Runner,” but, you know—cheaper. There’s a brilliant doctor in charge of virtual-reality research, and also there’s Jennifer! And everything in the future is hackable! Jason Snell with Monty Ashley, Tony Sindelar and Annette Wierstra.

Not now, Klansmen, I’m killing vampires! “Sinners” got nominated for all the awards, and it’s also a vampire (with a hint of zombie?) movie. We love it when genre movies get attention, and Ryan Coogler keeps putting out bangers, so we’re all in on the story of magical music opening the door to eldrich horror—oh, and also it’s the deep south in the 1930s so there’s some horrendous racism too! Jason Snell with Moisés Chiullán, Brian Hamilton, Monty Ashley, Tony Sindelar and Steve Lutz.

A special Book Club panel provides an overview of Lois McMaster Bujold’s excellent Penric & Desdemona series of fantasy novellas (plus one novel). This series gives its characters time to learn, grow, and age. It’s got some perspectives you don’t see very often in fantasy fiction. We love it and think you will, too. Jason Snell with Aleen Simms, Erika Ensign, Kat Benesh and Dan Moren.