
Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi
byTony Tellado
FictionScience
Take a journey to explore our humanity through science fiction, horror, fantasy and comics to learn about what makes us human. In this every changing world, it’s not as simple as it sounds.
Episodes(40 episodes)
Season 16 - Episode 14
Byte - My Most Popular Shorts on YouTube
Enjoy these popular shorts. Maybe they work because they hit the sweet spot — iconic genre performers reflecting on character evolution, emotional truth, and the moments that shaped fan‑favorite stories. This set feels like a curated anthology of sci‑fi, fantasy, and horror insight, each clip delivering a sharp, memorable beat.
Included Are:
Alexander Skarsgård — The Evolution of Murderbot
David Dastmalchian — Keeping Humanity
Lynn Collins — Revisiting John Carter
Andrew Robinson — Garak & Bashir’s First Meeting
Andrew Lincoln — What Drew Him to The Walking Dead
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Published: Jul 5, 2026Duration: 8m 57s
Byte — Evil Dead Burn
This episode digs into the newest, blood‑splattered chapter of the Evil Dead legacy — a story that twists grief, family, and demonic possession into a brutal, character‑driven nightmare. With exclusive audio from Warner Bros. and interviews that illuminate the film’s creative choices, Evil Dead Burn becomes a showcase of how the franchise keeps evolving while staying ferociously true to its roots.
The film centers on a woman reeling from the loss of her husband. Seeking refuge, she retreats to stay with her in‑laws — hoping for comfort, stability, and a chance to breathe again. Instead, she finds he...
Published: Jul 4, 2026Duration: 8m 51s
Season 16 - Episode 12
A Look at Planet Of The Apes
This episode dives deep into the creation of Planet of the Apes (1968), tracing how a bold, philosophical sci‑fi concept became one of cinema’s most iconic films. You walk listeners through the production journey, the evolution of the script, the artistry behind the apes, and spotlight three characters whose performances shaped the franchise’s legacy.
Topics include:
Budget realities forced a dramatic pivot: the ape society became pre‑industrial, leaning into horses, huts, and tribal hierarchy.
Filming Locations - The production leaned heavily on rugged, natural environments:
The Score - Jerry Goldsmith’s avant‑garde composition ...
Published: Jul 3, 2026Duration: 10m 6s
Season 16 - Episode 11
Explore Monthly July 2026
July’s episode is stacked — major franchise updates, bold creative swings, industry losses, and one of the biggest “power rankings” lists in fandom history. This edition gives your listeners a clean, high‑impact overview of what’s shaping genre storytelling right now.
The Stories This Month
Silo Season Three
Supergirl — Screenwriter Speaks
My Take On Supergirl
House of the Dragon
Robert Eggers’ Werwulf
Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Writer
The Death of Robin Hood — Make‑Up & Costumes
An Absolute Batman Series
CBR’s “40 Strongest Fictional Characters of All Time”
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Published: Jul 2, 2026Duration: 9m 15s
Season 16 - Episode 10
Rewind — Falling Skies Season Three
Season Three of Falling Skies opens with a bold time jump, dropping the 2nd Mass into a radically changed world. Charleston has become a fledgling capital, Tom Mason is now President, and humanity is attempting to rebuild while still under the shadow of alien occupation.
But the biggest shift is the uneasy alliance with the Volm, a mysterious extraterrestrial race promising salvation from the Espheni. Their arrival brings hope, suspicion, and a new layer of political tension — especially as the 2nd Mass discovers that peace is far from guaranteed.
This Comic‑Con roundtable captures the cast...
Published: Jul 1, 2026Duration: 52m 19s
Season 16 - Episode 9
Bear McCreary: The Sound of Epic Worlds
A roundtable with Bear McCreary at San Diego Comic‑Con is a gift — he’s one of the few composers whose work doesn’t just accompany genre storytelling, it defines it.
Bear McCreary, the Emmy‑nominated composer whose music has shaped some of the most influential genre stories of the last two decades. With six Emmy nominations and a résumé that spans space opera, pirate adventure, apocalyptic horror, dystopian sci‑fi, and high fantasy, McCreary’s work has become synonymous with emotional depth and world‑building through sound.
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Published: Jun 30, 2026Duration: 19m 18s
Season 16 - Episode 8
The Walking Dead — Medina Senghore on Annie Smith
In this episode, Tony chattged with Medina Senghore, who brought quiet strength and emotional clarity to Annie Smith in The Walking Dead’s final season. Introduced in Season 11, Episode 13 (“Warlords”), Annie emerges as a respected figure within the Riverbend/Riverside community, offering counsel, stability, and moral grounding during one of the show’s most politically volatile arcs.
Though her time on the series is brief, Annie’s presence reshapes the emotional landscape around Negan, revealing a side of him defined not by brutality, but by responsibility, partnership, and the terrifying hope of a future.
Her performanc...
Published: Jun 29, 2026Duration: 14m 51s
Byte Sugar — LA Premiere Red Carpet
With Colin Farrell, Laura Donnelly, Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Sasha Calle, Tony Dalton, Shea Whigham, Gary Tieche & Sam Catlin
In this Sugar red‑carpet edition of Byte, Thanks to Apple TV Plus, Tony takes listeners inside the Los Angeles premiere of Apple TV+’s genre‑bending detective series. With interviews from the cast and creative team, this episode explores how Sugar reinvents the private‑investigator story — blending noir, emotional vulnerability, and a quietly radical take on what it means to search for the truth.
Colin Farrell breaks down why John Sugar stands apart from every other screen det...
Published: Jun 28, 2026Duration: 4m 32s
Byte: Supergirl
With Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, Ana Nogueira, James Gunn & Craig Gillespie**
In this special sit‑down edition of Byte, Tony dives deep into Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the bold new chapter of the DC Universe. Courtesy of Warner Bros., this episode features conversations with the film’s stars and creative team — exploring the emotional core, cosmic scale, and character‑driven storytelling behind one of DC’s most anticipated films.
Milly Alcock steps into the cape as Kara Zor‑El, bringing a fierce, wounded, and fiercely hopeful interpretation
Jason Momoa brings his trademark intensity and chaotic char...
Published: Jun 27, 2026Duration: 7m 57s
Season 16 - Episode 7
Rewind: Invincible — Part Two
Zazie Beetz, Gillian Jacobs & Simon Racioppa
In the conclusion of this two‑part Rewind on Invincible, Tony turns the spotlight toward the women who help define the show’s emotional and moral landscape — Zazie Beetz (Amber Bennett) and Gillian Jacobs (Atom Eve) — along with a bonus conversation with Executive Producer Simon Racioppa on shaping Season Two.
Where Part One explored fathers, sons, and the burden of legacy, this episode dives into identity, agency, and the cost of choosing your own path in a world where power can both save and destroy.
Zazie Beetz breaks down her...
Published: Jun 26, 2026Duration: 24m 46s
Season 16 - Episode 7
Rewind: Invincible — Part One
In this first half of a two‑part deep dive, Tony revisits the explosive beginnings of Invincible, the groundbreaking adult animated superhero series created by Robert Kirkman for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the Image Comics series he co‑created with Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible redefined what superhero storytelling could be—violent, vulnerable, and unafraid to interrogate legacy, identity, and the cost of power.
This episode brings together three of the creative forces who shaped the show’s emotional core: Steven Yeun (Mark Grayson / Invincible), J.K. Simmons (Nolan Grayson / Omni‑Man), and Robert Kirkman (Creator...
Published: Jun 25, 2026Duration: 17m 55s
Season 16 - Episode 5
Rewind Creepshow –More Than the Panels
In this , we head to San Diego Comic‑Con for conversations with the artists breathing new life into the iconic horror anthology. From resurrecting the tone of the original film to crafting new stories that drip with pulp, humor, and dread, this is Creepshow as only these creators could tell it.
Tricia Helfer
Giancarlo Esposito
Showrunner Greg Nicotero—a lifelong fan of the original film
And More
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Published: Jun 24, 2026Duration: 36m 29s
Season 16 - Episode 4
Brian Yuzna's Tiki Terror
In this episode, Tony zoomed with legendary filmmaker Brian Yuzna—the mind behind Re‑Animator, Society, and some of the wildest practical‑effects nightmares ever put on screen. Now he’s turning his attention to a new project: Tales of Blood Island, a tropical fever dream blending zombies, voodoo, and the vibrant, uncanny world of Tiki Horror.
From pulp comics to Polynesian mythology to mid‑century Tiki culture, Yuzna breaks down how this new anthology taps into a corner of horror that’s rarely explored but instantly evocative.
Brian Yuzna’s Vision — Building a New Island of Horror
Yuz...
Published: Jun 23, 2026Duration: 37m 53s
Season 16 - Episode 3
Batman: Death in the Family, Part 1
In this NYCC virtual roundtable edition , Tony zoomed with the cast and creative mind behind Batman: Death in the Family Part 1, the bold interactive film that revisits — and radically reshapes — the infamous 1988 storyline A Death in the Family.
Writer‑director Brandon Vietti, alongside actors Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, and Zehra Fazal, explore how this project reopens one of the darkest chapters in Batman history and invites fans to consider the alternate paths Jason Todd’s life could have taken.
A Death in the Family was a watershed moment in comic history — a storyline that asked fans to dec...
Published: Jun 22, 2026Duration: 24m 59s
Byte — Toy Story 5: Hollywood Red Carpet
Courtesy of Disney Pictures
In this star‑packed Hollywood red carpet edition of Byte, Tony brings listeners into the heart of the Toy Story 5 world premiere — a celebration of legacy, reinvention, and the enduring emotional power of Pixar’s most beloved franchise.
From legendary voices returning to the booth to new cast members stepping into the Toy Story universe for the first time, this episode captures the full spectrum of excitement, nostalgia, and creative insight. Featuring conversations with actors, filmmakers, Pixar leadership, and surprise guests, this is the definitive audio time capsule of the night.
...
Published: Jun 21, 2026Duration: 12m 6s
Byte Toy Story 5
Conversations with Kenna Harris, Lindsey Collins, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee & Tony Hale
In this special Pixar‑focused episode of Byte, sits down interviews with the creative minds and beloved cast behind Toy Story 5 — a film that arrives at a moment when audiences need its message more than ever courtesy of Disney Pictures. Co‑Director Kenna Harris, Producer Lindsey Collins, and actors Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, and Tony Hale open up about crafting a story that honors the franchise’s legacy while pushing its characters into bold new emotional territory.
The conversations explore the film’s timely the...
Published: Jun 20, 2026Duration: 7m 52s
Season 16 - Episode 2
Ji: Love and Duty Across Ruins
Tony revisits Ji, a visually striking sci‑fi romance short that imagines a future where humanity has fractured across worlds. After centuries of pollution, war, and collapse, Earth is left in ruins. The East escapes to build a pristine off‑world colony called Nilo, while the West seals itself behind fortified walls.
From this divide emerges Ji, a disciplined Nilo general played by Lewis Tan. Rumors swirl on Nilo that life still exists on Earth — a claim their government denies. Ji risks everything to descend to the planet of his ancestors, only to discover Tiffany, a resilient Earth...
Published: Jun 19, 2026Duration: 25m 0s
Season 16 - Episode 1
The Shipment — A Father's Last Cargo
A Conversation with Aleks Paunovic, Bobby Bala, and the Creative Team
In this Tribeca Memories installment, we revisit a standout sci‑fi short that left a lasting impression on festival audiences: The Shipment. Set in a gritty future where survival often comes at the cost of morality, the film follows a former slave trader who has abandoned that life to become a cargo hauler, ferrying goods between distant planets. But when one job becomes his only chance to secure a future for himself and his daughter, he’s forced to confront a devastating price — one that threatens to pul...
Published: Jun 18, 2026Duration: 33m 59s
Season 15 - Episode 24
Tribeca Memories
Recorded Live at the Tribeca Film Festival
In this special retrospective episode, we revisit two standout conversations recorded live at the Tribeca Film Festival — moments that capture the raw creative pulse of independent filmmaking. First, actor and producer Elijah Wood joins us to discuss his darkly comedic thriller Come To Daddy, reflecting on the film’s twisted emotional core, its genre‑bending tone, and the joy of championing bold, off‑kilter storytelling.
Then, acclaimed director Mary Harron sits down to explore Charley Says, her haunting and humanistic portrait of the women once under Charles Manson’s influenc...
Published: Jun 17, 2026Duration: 7m 13s
Season 15 - Episode 23
Rewind — Silo Season Two
Shirley, Knox, Martha, Carla, and the evolving machinery of rebellion
In this episode of Rewind, Tony returns to the claustrophobic, pressure‑cooker world of Silo as Season Two pushes deeper into the political fractures, emotional loyalties, and mechanical realities of life 244 levels underground. With Juliette’s actions reverberating through every floor, the people who keep the Silo running — literally and spiritually — step into the spotlight.
Tony speaks with Remmie Milner, Shane McRae, Harriet Walter, Claire Perkins, and Overall VFX Supervisor Daniel Rauchberger to explore how Season Two expands the world, sharpens the stakes, and reveals the huma...
Published: Jun 16, 2026Duration: 23m 7s