With everything that’s going on right now, I’ve decided to revisit some of my favorite sci-fi stories to feel a little better about the future.  My all-time favorite science fiction podcast is called The Strange Case of the Starship Iris.  It is 100% my jam.  It has everything: a found family on a spaceship with a cast of characters that are almost all LGBT+ who uncover a massive government conspiracy using a combination of dumb luck and the bizarre skills that the entire team brings to the table.  Most of all, this is a podcast that uses the audio medium to its advantage.  I don’t want to spoil the spectacular ending, but let’s just say that audio is the perfect way to tell this story, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I’ve also been doing research on hopepunk, and this podcast fits the genre perfectly.  Alexandra Rowland, who first coined the term, writes that “Hopepunk says that genuinely and sincerely caring about something, anything, requires bravery and strength. Hopepunk isn’t ever about submission or acceptance: It’s about standing up and fighting for what you believe in.”  The crew in The Strange Case of the Starship Iris embodies these ideals in so many ways.  From the very first episode where they rescue Violet Liu from her collapsing spaceship, to the simple ways that every character tries to boost morale aboard the ship, this podcast is about a group of people who try their hardest to make the world a better place, which is especially necessary after an interspecies war.  It’s hard to talk about the things I love about this podcast without giving away big plot points, but this is a story that you can trust right now.

More on hopepunk: https://www.vox.com/2018/12/27/18137571/what-is-hopepunk-noblebright-grimdark