August 5th: The Final Frontier

I indulge my nascent space obsession.

I’ll always be in love with the idea of space travel. There isn’t much more exciting, in my mind, than exploring the cosmos and seeing what else is out there. The recently released images from the Webb telescope are awe-inspiring, but also a sobering reminder of just how far away the rest of the universe is - we’re seeing light from billions of years ago! It doesn’t seem like mass space travel will happen in our lifetime, and we’ve certainly got enough problems on our own planet to deal with before we look elsewhere. So I’ve resigned myself to a life of earthbound space-free living, but recently I’ve found joy in living vicariously through fictional space travelers. In worlds with such wonderful plot devices as wormholes and helium-3 engines and Epstein drives, the furthest reaches of our galaxy are within our grasp, and the myriad possibilities of space are rich with narrative potential. I’ve gathered some of my favorite explorations of space here today, from far-future miners to an alternate look at the US-USSR space race. Hopefully they’ll reignite that inner kid in you, too.

The Things:

One of the issues with our glut of streaming services is that great shows are more likely than ever to fall through the cracks, especially when they live on the less popular streamers. I’m not usually one for alternate histories, but I’ve been completely captivated by For All Mankind (AppleTV+), a shockingly grounded, thoughtful, and ambitious exploration of a world where the Soviet Union put men on the moon first. Top-notch special effects, solid performances and clever usage of impersonators and deep-fakes combine to give this bizarro Earth a lived-in, eerily plausible feel. The first two episodes are a little slow, but once it gets rolling, it’s a gripping, thought-provoking piece of television, with lovable and hateable characters aplenty. With thrilling plotting and well-researched political tension, it’s a worthwhile watch for sci-fi geeks and history buffs alike.

Watch if you’re in the mood for: Uncanny valley, great characters, space FOMO.

OK, I may be alienating my target audience with this one, but Outer Wilds (PC/Xbox/Switch/Playstation) is one of the most enthralling narrative experiences I’ve had in years in any medium. You play as a pilot of a peaceful spacefaring species, tasking with unraveling the mysteries of the ancient civilization that once inhabited this solar system. The order in which you explore the planets around your home is completely up to you, and no matter where you begin, each little piece of the puzzle locks together to build towards an epic, unexpected and beautiful climax, aided by truly stellar sound design. The sense of mystery and discovery this game instills is something singular to video games - by actively participating in the furtherance of the plot, you’re creating something bigger than what’s already there, combining personal initiative with brilliant plotting to build an experience thats wholly unique.

Play if you’re in the mood for: Contemplating the fate of the universe, immersing yourself in beautifully crafted cultures, roasting marshmallows.

Interstellar (Paramount+) is a complicated, polarizing example of all the best and worst things Christopher Nolan has to offer. Yes, he explains things too much. Yes, the audio mixing gets in the way of dialogue. But with the help of one of Hans Zimmer (and his army of ghostwriters)’s best scores, there are few films that match its moments of jaw-dropping spectacle. It’s dazzlingly creative and well-researched, and even if it drifts a bit too far towards the metaphysical towards the end, it doesn’t take away from the beauty of so many parts of the movie. McConaughey is excellent, adding an intensely emotional element to what could have been a much drier movie. There’s a lot going on, but during its peaks, there’s nothing quite as exciting.

Watch if you’re in the mood for: Crying uncontrollably, watching like three different kinds of movie in one, learning more than you ever thought you would about time dilation.

The Book:

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (HarperVoyager, 2014) is everything that science fiction has been missing. There’s no ticking time bomb, or threats to human existence, or epic space battles. Just a group of misfit miners finding their way across a strange and wonderful galaxy. It’s so rare to find a book this inward-facing and emotionally aware that still retains the sense of exploration and wonder inherent to the genre. The relationships formed between this crew as they work through issues large and small are genuine and real and heartfelt, and the alien cultures they encounter are wonderfully wrought, with unusually deep social structures and varieties of body types. It’s a vital, vibrant piece of literature, bursting with heart, that establishes Becky Chambers as one of the most original sci-fi writers working today.

Read if you’re in the mood for: Smiling, opening your mind, an injection of joy.

The Tune:

British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya has quietly been making quite lovely guitar-pop for the last few years, but her latest album PAINLESS has launched her in a grungier and more exciting direction. There’s a few songs on the album worth highlighting, but my favorite is probably “trouble”, a moody, atmospheric break-up ballad built on a hypnotic guitar loop. The drums are glitchy, skittering things, providing an excellent contrast to the rich tone of her guitar and her raw vocals. Simply put, this song is a vibe, and a great one to listen to on an overcast day, whenever that comes.

See you next week!

Love,

Nick