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Journey Through Sci-Fi discusses science-fiction films around shared themes.

From artificial intelligence and dystopia to time travel, space opera and mad science.

Every episode stands alone.
You don’t need to start at Episode 1.

Just start with a film you already love.

Pick a sci-fi subgenre to begin your journey

ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE

SPACE
TRAVEL

TIME
TRAVEL

VIRTUAL REALITY

DYSTOPIA

SPACE OPERA

MAD
SCIENCE

SPACE OPERA
START WITH THESE EPISODES

Space Opera E24: Dune Part One (2021) & Part Two (2024)

"It’s not a prophecy, it’s a story." The eagerly awaited moment is finally here – the sequel to Dune. Matt's super fan knowledge resurfaces as we delve into Denis Villeneuve's Dune parts one and two. Get ready to journey into the deserts of Arrakis with us once again as we talk worm riding, sacred bodily fluids, Frank Herbert's 'coital rhythm' writing style, memes, and much, much more, as we discuss this year's big sci-fi blockbuster.

Star Wars Original Trilogy - A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) & Return of the Jedi (1983) | EP05

Few films have shaped science fiction as profoundly as the original Star Wars trilogy . Released between 1977 and 1983, George Lucas’s epic space adventure transformed the landscape of popular cinema and established the modern blockbuster. In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi , we explore the three films that defined the space opera genre for a generation: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Blending mythic storytelling, cut

Dune: Part One (2021) & Dune: Part Two (2024)

Power, prophecy and politics on Arrakis.
Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece.

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy

Myth, empire and rebellion across the galaxy.
The space opera that changed blockbuster cinema forever.

MAD SCIENCE
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The Fly (1957) & The Fly (1986): When Science Turns to Horror | EP10

Originally based on George Langelaan’s 1957 short story, the tale has become one of the most famous examples of body horror in science fiction , exploring what happens when a brilliant scientific breakthrough turns into a grotesque transformation. In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi , we explore two influential versions of the story: the original film The Fly (1958) and David Cronenberg’s disturbing remake The Fly (1986). Both films tell the story of a scientist whose

Jurassic Park (1993) & The Man in the White Suit (1951): Science for Sale | EP08

Science fiction often explores the consequences of scientific breakthroughs that promise to change the world. Sometimes these discoveries unleash terrifying forces beyond human control; at other times they threaten powerful institutions that depend on the status quo. In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi , we examine two films that approach the idea of scientific innovation from very different angles: Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster dinosaur adventure Jurassic Park (1993)

The Fly (1958) & The Fly (1986)

Two experiments. Two horrific transformations.
From atomic-age cautionary tale to Cronenberg’s tragic body horror.

The Man in the White Suit (1951) & Jurassic Park (1993)

Breakthrough science. Unintended consequences.
From miracle fabrics to resurrected dinosaurs.

TIME TRAVEL
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Donnie Darko (2001) & Minority Report (2002): Fate & Alternate Futures | EP09

Seeing the Future In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our journey through the time travel subgenre by looking at two films that approach time in a very different way. Rather than characters travelling through time physically, both Donnie Darko (2001) and Minority Report (2002) explore the idea of seeing or predicting the future. First we discuss Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly’s cult sci-fi film about a troubled teenager who narrowly escapes death after sleepwa

Groundhog Day (1993) & Edge of Tomorrow (2014): Stuck in a Time Loop | EP07

The Time Loop In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our journey through the time travel subgenre by exploring one of the genre’s most fascinating narrative ideas: the time loop. Rather than travelling freely through the past or future, time-loop stories trap characters inside the same repeating period of time, forcing them to relive events again and again until they find a way to break the cycle. First we discuss Groundhog Day (1993), the classic comedy starr

Donnie Darko (2001) & Minority Report (2002)

Fate, paranoia and fractured timelines.
Two very different visions of the future and whether it can be changed.

Groundhog Day (1993) & Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Trapped in a time loop.
Two heroes forced to relive the same day until they finally get it right.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
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The Terminator (1984) & Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): Man vs. Machine | EP03

The Terminator (1984) & Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Artificial Intelligence and the Rise of the Machines Few science-fiction films have shaped the cultural image of artificial intelligence quite like The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. With their vision of a future ruled by a rogue AI known as Skynet, these films helped define one of sci-fi’s most enduring fears: the moment when humanity loses control of its own technology. In this episode of Journey Through

Metropolis (1927) & Blade Runner (1982): Futuristic Worlds | EP01

We begin our journey into A.I. by taking a look at the worlds of the future depicted in Metropolis and Blade Runner.

The Terminator (1984) & Terminator 2 (1991)

Machines rise. Humanity fights back.
James Cameron’s time-travel saga that turned a killer robot into a sci-fi icon.

Metropolis (1927) & Blade Runner (1982)

Futures built by machines and the humans inside them.
From Fritz Lang’s silent sci-fi landmark to Ridley Scott’s neon cyberpunk masterpiece.

DYSTOPIA
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Mad Max (1979) & Dredd (2012): Law and Disorder in the Wasteland | EP08

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi , we continue our journey through dystopian cinema by exploring how science fiction imagines law enforcement in societies on the brink of collapse . Both of the films we’re discussing this week centre on characters tasked with maintaining order in worlds where the social fabric is rapidly falling apart. But while both stories explore dystopian futures, they present very different visions of justice and authority. Because here on Journ

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) & Brave New World (1980): Classic Dystopias Reimagined | EP04

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we dive into two of the most influential dystopian stories ever written — and explore how they were brought to the screen. Both of these films are adaptations of classic novels that helped define the dystopian genre: George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Although the stories were written within just a few decades of each other, they present two very different visions of how a dystopian society migh

Mad Max (1979) & Dredd (2012)

PLaw and order at the end of the world.
Two brutal visions of justice in collapsing societies.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) & Brave New World (1980)

Two dystopias. Two methods of control.
One rules through fear, the other through comfort.

SPACE HORROR
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Sunshine (2007) & The Wandering Earth (2019): Race to Save Humanity | EP07

Saving Humanity in Space In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our journey through the space subgenre by exploring two films where humanity faces an existential crisis — and the only solution lies beyond Earth. First we dive into Sunshine (2007), Danny Boyle’s intense sci-fi thriller about a desperate mission to reignite the dying Sun. Then we jump forward to The Wandering Earth (2019), a spectacular Chinese science-fiction epic where humanity attempts someth

Event Horizon (1997) & Pandorum (2009): Terror in Deep Space | EP06

The Horror of Deep Space In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our exploration of the space subgenre, but this time we venture into the darker side of the cosmos. Joining us for the journey is Mike Muncer, host of The Evolution of Horror podcast, as we explore two films that bring horror into the vacuum of space: Event Horizon (1997) and Pandorum (2009). Both films imagine what might happen when deep-space missions go horribly wrong — blending science fiction

Sunshine (2007) & The Wandering Earth (2019)

Humanity’s survival written in the stars.
Two epic visions of sacrifice and planetary survival.

Event Horizon (1997) & Pandorum (2009)

Deep space. Total isolation.
When the darkness between the stars starts looking back.