Leo X Robertson - Barhopping for Astronauts

Leo X Robertson - Barhopping for Astronauts

Author: Alan Warren November 20, 2025 Duration: 28:38

The Future is weird ... bring a drink.

  • An influencer lets the internet puppet his brand-new cyber-limbs.
  • Door-to-door sales-things arrive with a television that watches you.
  • Two YouTubers livestream a dinosaur attack — for the clout, of course.

Welcome to a dive bar at the edge of the multiverse, where every cocktail is spiked with existential dread. In these darkly satirical shorts, Leo X. Robertson skewers the absurdity of modern life through warped futures that feel unsettlingly familiar. Identity, surveillance, grief, pleasure — even the apocalypse — collapse into each other, often in the same paragraph.

These are the dreams of the doomed and the coping mechanisms of the barely functional — but also the love stories and inside jokes that bubble up as the world glitches around us. So if you’ve ever wanted to simulate the rest of your life as someone else, or found comfort in a soothing blue screen of death, pull up a barstool … the last round of reality is on the house.


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For over a decade, the House of Mystery radio show opened a door into the minds of the most imaginative authors in literature. What If? Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers curates the very best of those conversations, hosted by Alan Warren. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a deep exploration of the creative sparks behind otherworldly civilizations, magical systems, and the fundamental questions that define speculative fiction. Each episode lets you sit in on a genuine discussion, hearing directly from writers about how they build their universes, develop characters who feel real against impossible backdrops, and where they find their most extraordinary ideas. You'll get a sense of the person behind the pages, their influences, and the sometimes surprising paths that led them to craft the stories that shape our dreams of the future and reimaginings of the past. Tune into this podcast for a thoughtful and engaging archive that celebrates the arts of science fiction and fantasy writing, offering listeners a lasting connection to the voices that continue to push the boundaries of fiction and science.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

What If?  Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 21:54
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Duration: 32:46
Known equally for his chart-topping work as a contemporary saxophonist and his acclaimed science-fiction novels, Joyner operates at the intersection of sound, story, and emotional truth. Where many artists spend a lifeti…
Alison McBain - The Rose Queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:55
The Rose Queen was a fantasy finalist for 2019 IAN Book of the Year, and also a finalist for the 2019 Literary Classics Book Award. In addition, it was named as one of the best books of 2018 by the reviewer website Books…
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Duration: 28:08
An alien warrior. A human woman in hiding. In the snowy wilds of Utah, prey and predator are about to fall in love.Lena Harper thought escaping to her family’s remote cabin would bring peace. Instead, she finds herself h…
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Duration: 25:06
WHAT IS SPLATTERPUNK?If you want to understand what makes splatterpunk so different from the horror that came both before and after, your best bet is to read the authors who pioneered the form. It wasn’t just the viscera…