Playing Ping Pong in the Dark

Season 2, Episode 21 David and Perry discuss this year's Booker Prize winner, The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, as well as the film Digger. Introduction (1:18) The End of Everything by M. John Harrison (19:17) Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (17:14) What else we've been watching or reading (17:07) Small Change trilogy by Jo Walton (3:07) A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (2:01) Pressure, directed by Anthony Maras (6:19) Evolution (BBC) (5:28) Windup (2:36) Illustration: detail from the cover of The End of Everything. Click here for more info and indexes

Season 2, Episode 20 Perry and David discuss the novel The End of Romance and the film Snowpiercer, among other recent reads and viewings Introduction (5:07) Discussion (31:40) The End of Romance by Maria Tackolander (17:28) Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon Ho (13:58) What Else We've Been Reading and Watching (16:41) Farthing by Jo Walton (0:28) Clown Town by Mick Herron (1:40) The Sheep Detectives, directed by Kyle Balda (0:15) Virginia Woolf's Night and Day, directed by Tina Garevi (1:31) May Day, directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein (0:18) Mr. Midshipman Hornbower by C. S. Forrester (3:55) Hope, directed by Na Hong-jin (8:16) Windup (0:34) Click here for more info and indexes Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I.

Season 2, Episode 19 David and Perry discuss Aussiecon 5 in Brisbane in 2028, then talk about the novel Capture by Amanda Lohrey and the film The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan. Introduction (0:43) Travel plans (2:45) Vale Robin Johnson [F] (3:57) Aussiecon 5 Brisbane 2028 (4:18) Hugo Awards 2026 (4:22) Discussion (41:45) Capture by Amanda Lohrey (14:45) The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan (26:53) What Else We've Been Reading and Watching (15:36) The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (0:41) The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells (0:56) The Pelagius Book by Paul Morgan (1:46) The End of Everything by M. John Harrison (1:18) Bomber by Len Deighton (3:30) For All Mankind (Apple TV) (0:49) Lucky (Apple TV) (0:43) Dark Matter (Apple TV) (0:46) The West Wing (DVD) (0:50) Tony, directed by Matt Johnson (4:05) Windup (1:43) Click here for more info and indexes. Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I.

Season 2, Episode 18 Perry and David discuss the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, and The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan Introduction (3:33) Discussion (40:37)   Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (18:16)   The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan (21:49) What else we've been reading/watching (20:06)    City on Fire by Don Winslow (0:53)   Fireweather by Miranda Darling (0:57)   King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (2:36)   The End of Romance by Maria Takolander (3:41)   Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bryan Singer (0:07)   Stowaway, directed by Joe Penna (0:40)   Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie (2:20)   Portrait of a Lady on Fire, directed by Céline Sciamma (4:32)   The Sheep Detectives, directed by Kyle Balda (4:03)   Windup (1:56) Click here for more info and indexes Illustration generated by Wombo Dream AI

Season 2, Episode 17 David and Perry discuss the film Project Hail Mary and the novel Wild Dark Shore and a few others Introduction (2:01) Discussion (37:04) Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (23:47) Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (13:14) What Else We've Been Watching and Reading (11:40) Capture by Amanda Lohrey (1:17) Mischance Creek by Garry Disher (3:23) Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley (0:32) Civil War, directed by Alex Garland. (0:44) The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme (5:18) Windup and Next Episode (1:00) Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I. Click here for more info and indexes

Season 2, Episode 16 Perry and David discuss the film Marty Supreme and the book Slow Gods by Claire North, among others. Introduction (1:09) Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie (14:48) Slow Gods by Claire North (29:56) What Else We've Been Reading/Watching (13:21) Dusk by Robbie Arnott (0:24) On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle (2:13) Bad Actors by Mick Herron (0:18) Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura (1:13) My Death by Lisa Tuttle (2:09) Jurassic World: Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards (0:16) The Choral, directed by Nicholas Hytner (0:40) 3 Body Problem, Season 1 (Netflix) (0:12) Unfamiliar, Season 1 (Netflix) (0:21) Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley (0:32) Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier (4:52) Windup and Next Episode (2:01) Image from photo by Dazzing zhang Click here for more info and indexes

Season 2, Episode 15 David and Perry talk about the TV shows they enjoyed most during 2025. Introduction (1:10) Our TV watching during 2025 (52:29) Perry's Number 10 TV show (1:15) David's Number 10 TV show (2:11) Perry's Number 9 TV show (1:45) David's Number 9 TV show (1:46) Perry's Number 8 TV show (1:53) David's Number 8 TV show (1:32) Perry's Number 7 TV show (1:41) David's Number 7 TV show (1:53) Perry's Number 6 TV show (2:23) David's Number 6 TV show (1:58) Perry's Number 5 TV show (4:13) David's Number 5 TV show (2:03) Perry's Number 4 TV show (3:34) David's Number 4 TV show (4:12) Perry's Number 3 TV show (3:45) David's Number 3 TV show (1:22) Perry's Number 2 TV show (3:10) David's Number 2 TV show (3:28) Perry's Top TV show (3:22) David's Top TV show (3:29) Windup and Next Episode (1:25) Click here for more info and indexes. Illustration generated by Wombo Dream.

Season 2, Episode 14 Perry and David discuss the films they most enjoyed watching or re-watching during 2025. Introduction (0:48) Film and TV watching during 2025 (52:54) David's Number 10 film (0:53) Perry's Number 10 film (0:40) David's Number 9 film (0:37) Perry's Number 9 film (2:31) David's Number 8 film (1:13) Perry's Number 8 film (1:06) David's Number 7 film (0:59) Perry's Number 7 film (2:21) David's Number 6 film (1:39) Perry's Number 6 film (1:44) David's Number 5 film (2:49) Perry's Number 5 film (3:34) David's Number 4 film (4:05) Perry's Number 4 film (4:20) David's Number 3 film (4:01) Perry's Number 3 film (2:02) David's Number 2 film (1:27) Perry's Number 2 film (1:28) David's Top film for 2025 (3:23) Perry's Top film for 2025 (5:31) Splitting the episode (1:00) Image generated by Wombo Dream. Click here for more info and indexes.

Season 2, Episode 13 David and Perry discuss their favourite books read during 2025 Introduction (0:39) Our 2025 reading (54:05) Perry's Favourite SF (5:20) David's Favourite SF (4:41) Perry's Favourite Fantasy (1:43) David's Favourite Fantasy (3:51) Perry's Favourite Crime (3:26) David's Favourite Crime (3:51) Perry's Favourite Thriller (3:30) David's Favourite Thriller (3:20) Perry's Favourite Literary (3:50) David's Favourite Literary (5:08) Perry's Favourite Nonfiction (4:16) David's Favourite Nonfiction (3:38) David's Favourite Historical (1:39) Perry's Favourite Overall (0:33) David's Favourite Overall (1:54) Controversies in the Literary World (1:24) Windup and Next Episode (0.30) Image generated by Wombo Dream A.I. Click here for more info and indexes.

Season 2, Episode 12 Perry and David discuss the new Frankenstein movie directed by Guillermo del Toro, the latest Ned Kelly Award winner, and other books and media Introduction (1:50) Discussion (39:34) Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro (25:29) The Creeper by Margaret Hickey (13:50) What Else We've Been Reading and Watching (16:31) Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (3:21) The Hunter by Julia Lee (4:21) House of Dynamite, directed by Kathryn Bigelow (0:19) The Great Flood, directed by Kim Byung Woo (3:14) Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach (5:06) Windup (1:38) Image generated by Wombo Dream AI Click here for more info and indexes