The Incomparable

The IncomparableMore Episodes →

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

#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

#60: Thanks For Everything... Now Go Die

October 7, 2011 at 8:15pm • 1 hour 6 minutes

Why do secret agents wear make-up under their eyepatches? When do text messages not properly convey thanks for saving the universe? Are the Cybermen the worst villians ever? We wrap up the sixth season of “Doctor Who” with discussion of the last three episodes as well as the season as a whole.

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

#59: Flitting is in (TV Fantasy Pitches)

October 2, 2011 at 7:45pm • 1 hour 21 minutes

We conclude our TV Fantasy Draft with the unveiling of our series pitches. Vampire and ghost detectives! Star Trek meets the West Wing! A sitcom starring a robot and an omnipotent being! A gritty techno-drama. A psychedelic drama set on a Zeppelin! And John Siracusa’s pitch seems awfully familiar somehow.

Special guests: Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, John Siracusa, Scott McNulty, Serenity Caldwell, and Steve Lutz

#58: Greyskull Anonymous (TV Fantasy Draft)

September 23, 2011 at 10:00pm • 1 hour 14 minutes

Who are the best TV characters of all time? Six people set out to draft teams of 10 characters each, from which they would form some of the strangest TV ensembles ever seen. Will Captain Kirk, Columbo, and The Fonz end up on the same show? Perhaps the craziest episode we’ve ever done highlights dozens of our favorite characters from TV history.

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

#57: Weird Subplots About Fondue

September 18, 2011 at 11:00am • 1 hour 1 minute

This past summer’s superhero movies are in the spotlight! Are the gods just aliens? When are mutant strippers unrealistic? Why would you beat up people after costing them their jobs? And why do the Stark boys enjoy themselves—and cheesy foodstuffs—so much? Our esteemed panel breaks down how “Captain America,” “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class,” and “Green Lantern” fared.

Special guests: Dan Moren & Monty Ashley

#56: Let Me in the Frickin' TARDIS!

September 12, 2011 at 12:00pm • 58 minutes

Press the Green Anchor and jump into a parallel timestream: it’s time to talk “Doctor Who.” In this flash episode we deconstruct the two most recent episodes, “Night Terrors” and “The Girl Who Waited.” And here’s a hint: we liked one of them way more than the other.

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

#55: If a Show Never Airs, Can It Be Cancelled?

September 4, 2011 at 11:00pm • 1 hour 1 minute

This podcast is cancelled! We discuss TV shows that failed to reach their proper natural lifespan. When all is said and done, you’ll hear recommendations for 25 excellent series that burned bright and weren’t allowed to fade away. Fantasy football drafts were never this good.

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

#54: Put on this Mask and Strut for Mama

August 30, 2011 at 3:00pm • 1 hour 5 minutes

Strap on your jet pack and locate your pet monkey! Our Comic Book Club reconvenes to discuss works by writer Brian K. Vaughan, who excels at the high-concept premise. In the spotlight: “Runaways,” “Y: The Last Man,” and “Ex Machina.” With plenty of digressions along the way, about feminism, parenting, sexism, and (once again) how hard it is to write an ending.

Special guest: Lisa Schmeiser

#53: Let's Quilt Hitler

August 29, 2011 at 1:00am • 42 minutes

Flash podcast! A largely unedited Skype conversation after this weekend’s “Doctor Who” midseason premiere, “Let’s Kill Hitler.”

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

#52: A Cthuluesque Vomiting of Ideas

August 21, 2011 at 11:00pm • 59 minutes

Rip off your hearing limbs and join us for the first anniversary edition of The Incomparable. As with the first podcast, the Book Club discusses a China Miéville novel: in this case, “Embassytown.” Also: What are we reading? Glenn is reading a comic book. We are disappointed.

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

#51: Zombie Marmaduke (Hugo Awards 2011)

August 14, 2011 at 8:00pm • 1 hour 6 minutes

We read the 2011 Hugo nominees for Best Novel. Sit back and enjoy our reviews of “Blackout/All Clear,” “Cryoburn,” “The Dervish House,” “Feed,” and “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.” Plus, we recommend a few of the nominated short stories.

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

#50: We Apologize for the Extinction of the Clownfish

August 8, 2011 at 12:00am • 50 minutes

Talking “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story 2,” and “Wall-E.” Plus, we discuss what Pixar should do next to challenge itself, try to understand why “Cars 2” was made, and pick out our least favorite thing Pixar has ever done. Hint: Jason has a problem with rats. (Part 2 of 2.)

Special guests: John Siracusa & Steve Lutz

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