The Incomparable

The Incomparable

A weekly show about geeky cultural topics in numerous media, including books, movies, TV, comics, and games. Jason Snell talks with a rotating panel of regular guests including John Siracusa, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Serenity Caldwell, and Scott McNulty. Hosted by Jason Snell.

The Latest The Incomparable Episodes

#75: My Gazebox is Full of Menhirs

January 21, 2012 at 3:00pm • 59 minutes

Go north, get lamp, and check your inventory, as guest host Greg Knauss takes you on a journey into the world of interactive fiction, also known as “text adventures.” Did families in the ’80s really sit around the Apple II playing “Mystery House?” Will saving a game really erase your floppy disc? Listen if you dare, but watch out for grues!

Special guests: Greg Knauss, Monty Ashley, and Steve Lutz

#74: I'm Definitely Not a Girl

January 15, 2012 at 5:30pm • 60 minutes

It’s fun for the whole family, as we discuss some of our favorite movies for kids (and their parents). Did we really recommend an animated movie from Dreamworks? And a movie with Melanie Griffith? And a German fantasy film? Well, yes, but you’ll have to listen to find out which ones.

Special guests: John Siracusa & Lex Friedman

#73: Ugh - A 2011 Clip Show

January 7, 2012 at 7:30pm • 1 hour 4 minutes

We bid farewell to 2011 by listing the favorite things we inhaled into our brains during the past year. We also recall our favorite podcast moments, read a whole bunch of listener comments, and more. (Although this is a clip show, two-thirds of the running time is actually original material!)

Special guests: Dan Moren, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, and Steve Lutz

#72: The Screams of Trees

December 26, 2011 at 1:00am • 40 minutes

All hail the power of motherhood! We discuss this year’s “Doctor Who” Christmas special, “The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe.” Plus, why Christmas episodes make us feel warm inside, and the amazing scanner-blocking powers of wool!

Special guests: Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Scott McNulty, and Serenity Caldwell

#71: The Holiday Movie Vault

December 18, 2011 at 12:30pm • 1 hour 10 minutes

Grab some eggnog and hitch up your reindeer! It’s time to put six holiday films in the Incomparable Film Vault! We discuss some beloved classics and offer a few surprise choices that redefine what “holiday” and “film” actually mean. What is a realistic depiction of Santa? Is Bill Murray’s best Scrooge not actually in “Scrooged”? Has Clarence the angel left a trail of dead bodies behind him? Is Kris Kringle the original Apple Genius? Happy holidays, everyone!

Special guests: Andy Ihnatko, Dan Frakes, Glenn Fleishman, Serenity Caldwell, and Steve Lutz

#70: At the Time, They Were Just Average Height

December 10, 2011 at 1:00pm • 1 hour 10 minutes

It turns out we all like They Might Be Giants! So we did an entire episode about geeky music. We pick favorite TMBG songs, and then bring up some other geeky tracks we love by Fountains of Wayne, Moxy Früvous, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Special guests: Glenn Fleishman, Lex Friedman, and Scott McNulty

#69: Love Conquers All, But So Do Guns

December 5, 2011 at 1:00pm • 1 hour 15 minutes

Break out your gaming laptop and pass the ammunition: It’s time to discuss Neal Stephenson’s “REAMDE.” Why does the book’s plot take a hard left turn halfway through? Why does Stephenson struggle to write endings—and does he succeed this time? Is this book about family, the victory of the outsider, or blowing things up? (Can’t it be all three?)

Special guests: Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Scott McNulty, and Serenity Caldwell

#68: Jedi Weekend

November 25, 2011 at 2:45pm • 1 hour 27 minutes

Gather some bounty hunters and warm up the carbon freezer! It’s time for the conclusion of our epic discussion of “The Empire Strikes Back.” We dissect the evolution of the Han-Leia relationship, the truly playful nature of Yoda and the importance of Dagobah, Vader’s agenda and his crunchy gloves, and Luke’s continuing adventures with garbage.

Special guests: Dan Moren, John Siracusa, and Serenity Caldwell

#67: Darth Vader's Office is Really Weird

November 20, 2011 at 11:00am • 1 hour 24 minutes

Launch your probe droids and cut open your tauntaun! It’s time for part one of our two-part discussion of “The Empire Strikes Back.” Does Han Solo just want to be loved? Is Chewie sabotaging the Falcon on purpose? Why is snowy Hoth the setting? Why is Ben Kenobi a man of few words? Who’s scruffy-lookin’? And what is the purpose for Darth Vader’s clamshell office, anyway?

Special guests: Dan Moren, John Siracusa, and Serenity Caldwell

#66: Regular People Like Us

November 14, 2011 at 12:15pm • 60 minutes

Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” is a sci-fi novel that’s chock full of references to 1980s culture. But is it a good book, or are the references all that it’s got going for it? What will John Hughes movies be like in the future? And what do Cline, P.G. Wodehouse, and Umberto Eco have in common?

Special guests: Dan Moren, John Siracusa, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, and Monty Ashley

#65: Maine is Purgatory

November 6, 2011 at 1:30pm • 1 hour 20 minutes

A new TV season is here! We analyze the new shows, plus some returning favorites. Among our targets: Revenge, Homeland, Terra Nova, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Person of Interest, American Horror Story, Ringer, A Gifted Man, Boss, and returning shows The Walking Dead, Fringe, Community, Supernatural, Haven, and Dexter. Also: Why does Scott McNulty think every show is Prime Suspect?

Special guests: Dan Moren, Lisa Schmeiser, Scott McNulty, John Siracusa, and Ben Boychuk

#64: Ghosts Cause Cancer

October 30, 2011 at 3:00pm • 1 hour 22 minutes

When you want to get in the Halloween spirit, who you gonna call? Join us in celebrating 1984’s supernatural comedy classic, “Ghostbusters.” Are ghosts a serious environmental hazard requiring the intervention of the EPA? Why do the Ghostbusters transform from college professors into blue-collar plumbers when they put on their jump suits? Is Roasted Terror Dog with Human Nougat the worst candy ever devised? And which one of our panelists attended a cat-themed bat mitzvah in the same ballroom destroyed by the Ghostbusters?

Special guests: Dan Moren, Serenity Caldwell, and Ben Boychuk

#63: Like a Good Book Exploded

October 27, 2011 at 12:45pm • 48 minutes

Is “The Wise Man’s Fear” a rich fantasy novel about storytelling and myth-making, or is it a collection of good story elements scattered across an overlong plot? Could it be both? Ninjas! Off-camera shipwrecks! Board games! Sexism! Off-camera courtroom drama! Discursions within digressions within framing sequences! Join us as we discuss yet another 1000-page fantasy novel, the sequel to “The Name of the Wind.”

Special guests: Dan Moren, John Siracusa, Scott McNulty, and Serenity Caldwell

#62: The Pig is Chekhov's Gun

October 23, 2011 at 3:15pm • 43 minutes

We discuss “A Dance With Dragons,” the latest 1000-page installment in George R.R. Martin’s bestselling “Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy series. Is this series going to end well? Which parts of this book were good, and which just treaded water? Would adding Klingons have helped? Why are trees the Westeros equivalent of security cameras? These are the sorts of questions you ask deep in the middle of a long fantasy series.

Special guests: Dan Moren, Scott McNulty, and Serenity Caldwell

#61: Number Ones

October 15, 2011 at 10:00am • 60 minutes

Our Comic Book Club tackles the topic of #1 issues, especially those in DC’s recent relaunch. We recommend some books and talk about some of our favorite Number Ones. Also we touch on a few of the controversial #1 DC issues and question whether DC is really trying to reach a new audience or just pander to the old one.

Special guests: Dan Benjamin, Faith Korpi, and Lisa Schmeiser

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