John picks too soon, Alison is fully paid-up, and Liz found the comment.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: COVID (chapter 7)

• Letters of comment
  • Andreas Davour (toot)
  • Bridget Bradshaw (skeet)
  • Chris Garcia
  • David Bamford (skeet)
  • DC (skeet, requires sign-in)
    • Przypadek/Blind Chance
  • Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
  • Karen Schaffer
  • Meg MacDonald (Facebook)
  • Raj (toot)
    • Short story: “Bond, Bond, and James Bond” by Eric Molinsky
    • Novelette: “Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie (from her new collection, Lake of Souls)
    • Novella: Last Stop by Django Wexler
  • Tammy Coxen (skeet)
• Eastercon 2025: Reconnect in Belfast
  • John has been asked to head up the Discord
  • Bursaries
    • Deadline is noon on 16 February
    • Email finance@easterconbelfast.org with as much or as little detail as you like
• Eastercon 2026: Iridescence, a bid for Birmingham
• BSFA
  • BSFA Award Longlist
    • Octothorpe 122 has been nominated, thank you very much!
  • Review policy rumours
    • Steven French’s comment on Camestros Felapton’s blog
  • New chair: Stewart Hotson
• Picks
  • John: Severance S2
  • Alison: The Brutalist
  • Liz: Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Live From Minidisc” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: A blue Sony MiniDisc Walkman shows, on its LCD screen, “Now playing: Octothorpe_128”.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John is incoherent, Alison is excited, and Liz is romantic.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: None

• Letters of comment
  • Abigail Nussbaum
  • Ali Baker Brooks
  • Andy Openshaw
  • Chris Garcia
  • Claire Brialey
  • David Salter
  • Ed Morland
  • Farah Mendlesohn
  • Irwin Hirsh
  • Jonny Baddeley
  • Neil Ottenstein
  • Roseanna Pendlebury
  • We also heard from:
    • Fiona Moore, Ivan Sinha
• Readers’ recommendations
  • Best Novel
    • Private Rites by Julia Armfield
    • I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S Beagle
    • Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
    • In Universes by Emet North
    • The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
    • Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley
    • Someone You Can Build a Nest in By John Wiswell
  • Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)
    • Deadpool and Wolverine
    • Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox
  • Best Game or Interactive Work:
    • Tactical Breach Wizards
  • Best Fancast
    • Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones by Emily Tesh and Rebecca Fraimow
      • Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow
  • Astounding Award
    • The End of Nobility by Michael Green
• Briardene Books
  • Preorders for Colourfields by Paul Kincaid are now open!
• Eastercon 2025: Reconnect in Belfast
• Picks
  • John: Sliding Doors
  • Alison: Three Men in Orbit by Sandra Bond
  • Liz: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Availability Flowchart” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: A flowchart entitled “How to meet John, Alison and/or Liz at Eastercon”. The boxes culminate in “console yourself with Octothorpe 127”, and the various options are listed below, but the original file is here in case that’s more helpful to the partially sighted.
    • How to meet John, Alison and/or Liz at Eastercon
    • Are you going to Reconnect?
    • Of course!/Not sure
    • Oh go on it will be a laugh
    • Oh all right then/No…
    • Are they in the bar?
    • Yes!
    • I can’t see them
    • Are you quite sure? Check again
    • Oh wait… there they are
    • No sign
    • Is there another bar?
    • Yes!
    • Nope
    • Are they on programme?
    • Yes!
    • No
    • Wait till the moderator asks for questions
    • But it’s Octothorpe Live!
    • Is your joke very funny?
    • Obviously!
    • Excellent! Good to know.
    • COME AND SAY HELLO
    • until then…
    • Are they asleep or on the loo?
    • No, they look chill
    • Er, yes?
    • Oh, that’s a shame
    • Console yourself with Octothorpe 127
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John is travelling, Alison is coding, and Liz is faithful.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Death (chapter 6)

• Letters of comment
  • Chris Garcia
    • The Beef and Dairy Network Podcast
  • Jt
  • Raj
• Rotsler Award
  • España Sheriff is this year’s winner
• Seattle 2025
  • Virtual Business Meeting announcement
  • Reportage on File 770
  • Unofficial WSFS Business Meeting Discord
• Upcoming Worldcons
  • Vince Docherty reports from Smofcon 41
    • There are many links to convention bid websites contained within
  • Montréal are continuing for 2027, but Tel Aviv have suspended
  • Conventions on cruise ships
    • BGG@SEA
    • JoCo Cruise
• Vanessa May
  • Vanessa was an integral part of the very beginning of Glasgow 2024
• Picks
  • John: EXIT: The Game: Advent Calendar: The Missing Hollywood Star
  • Alison: Advent of Code
  • Liz: The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Christmas Hats” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: John wears an Octothorpe Christmas jumper and a green and red hat with elf ears, Alison wears a red Christmas jumper and a moose/reindeer hat, and Liz wears a blue jumper and a Christmas tree hat. The words “Octothorpe 125” appear at the top in a Christmassy font that looks like it has snow on the letters.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John is horrified, Alison is spelunking, and Liz is detecting.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode:

• Letters of comment
  • Ali Baker Brooks
  • Andrew Hogg
    • 4D Golf
    • Braid
  • Archipelacon 2
  • Caroline Mullan
  • Chris Garcia
    • Some accusations against Ekpeki have been disproved
  • Farah Mendlesohn
  • Ivan Sinha
  • Jonny Baddeley
  • June Young
    • Aurora Australis Alerts
    • Aurora Now
    • AuroraWatch UK
    • SpaceWeatherLive
  • MonkeyKing
  • Roseanna Pendlebury
  • Shia Lia
  • Tommy Ferguson
    • Reconnect
• Upcoming conventions
  • Eastercon 2026: Iridescence at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole
    • Bid chaired by Phil Dyson
  • Eastercon 2027: Glasgow
    • Bid chaired by Alan Fleming and David Bamford
  • Eastercon 2028: Gateshead?
  • Novacon 2025
  • Conrunner 2026
    • To be chaired by Esther MacCallum-Stewart in February
  • WisCONline 2025
  • Edmonton 2030
• Picks
  • John: Mothership
    • Mothership Month
  • Alison: Caves of Qud
  • Liz: Rise of the Golden Idol
  • (Sorry that they’re all games, Mark)
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Ohmudillo” by Sophie van Setten
    • Alt text: The Glasgow 2024 logo drawn in pencils and crayon, but across the middle there is a segmented creature with eight eyes and mandibles. At the top, the words “Octothorpe 124” appear in blue.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John is going to Seattle, Alison is going to the Åland Islands, and Liz is going to Belfast.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Money, grim darkness

• Belfast Eastercon
• Seattle 2025
• Archipelacon 2
• Back to Our Futures
  • The Dark Room
• Liz’s Adrian Tchaikovsky scoop
• Edmonton Worldcon bid
• Picks
  • John: Wrath and Glory
  • Alison: Timestalker
  • Liz: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
    • Goodie from Goodreads
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Fully Caffeinated” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: A coffee stain on a piece of paper on which are written the words “Octothorpe 123” and “fully caffineated”.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

John, Alison and Liz read Grass by Sheri S Tepper.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on X or on Mastodon or on Bluesky) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Rape, consensual interspecies sex, murder, classism, plague/disease

• Adam Roberts’ review of Grass
• Credits
  • Cover art: “Three Little Hippae” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: Three hippae stand on a landscape of alien grass and plants in blue, purple, red, teal, and orange underneath a pinkish sky. The words “Octothorpe 121” appear at the top and the words “Grass Sheri S Tepper” appear at the bottom.
  • Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)