The Incomparable Mothership

Hosted by Jason Snell

The Incomparable Mothership is the flagship of the Incomparable podcast network. It’s all about geeky media we love, including movies, books, TV, and more, featuring a rotating panel of guests and hosted by Jason Snell and friends.

Latest Episode in Book Club: April 12, 2024 — “The Fragile Threads of Power”

711 Creepy Bone Owl

Our book club reconvenes to discuss the “Shades of Magic” series by V.E. Schwab, as well as the start of a second trilogy, “The Fragile Threads of Power.” Before the spoilers begin, we’ll explain the parallel fantasy world structure and explain why it’s such a great series. Then we’ll discuss the newest book in the series.

Plus: What are we reading?

Read the show notes.

Previous Episodes

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    April 5, 2024 “The Godfather III/Coda”
    710 Average Night at the Sicilian Opera

    Just when we thought we were out, they pulled us back in! Long after we recorded our first episodes about “The Godfather,” our panelists get back together to talk about the late-sequel “The Godfather Part III,” or is it “The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone” now? Only Francis knows for sure.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    March 29, 2024 “Dune Part 2”
    709 Worms All the Way Down

    Get on your sandworm and head south! It’s time to discuss “Dune Part 2,” a sequel with more sand, more Fremen, and more time spent at the super weird planet of the villainous Harkonnen family. Is Paul the hero, or… something else? Dust off the family atomics and join us, won’t you?

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    March 22, 2024
    708 Wet Hot Mutagenic Summer

    It’s the first-ever Reboot a Bad Movie draft! In which our stalwart panelists grab an intellectual-property loser off the shelf, dust it off, and re-envision it in a new way that could maybe, possibly be a hit with modern audiences.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    March 15, 2024
    707 Crime is Not Cozy

    Nobody is more surprised than Antony Johnston to find he’s now a cozy crime author. Dan Moren sniffs out the secrets of his “Dog Sitter Detective” series.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    March 8, 2024 “Back to the Future Part III”
    706 Riff on Biff

    We conclude our movie-by-movie review of the “Back to the Future” series with the western-themed third installment, which features less time travel shenanigans and more old-west shenanigans.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 29, 2024 “Back to the Future Part II”
    705 A Legacy of Biffs

    It’s time again. Time! To go forward in time, then backward—or is it sideways?—in time, then further back in time, and then maybe even further back in time. It’s time for the bland future of 2015, the apocalyptic alt-present of 1985, and a familiar 1955. But most of all, it’s time for a Crisis on Infinite Biffs. It’s “Back to the Future Part II.”

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 23, 2024 “Back to the Future”
    704 Kramer Before Kramer

    Great Scott! No time to be a slacker, McFly, because we’ve gotta go back in time to 1985 so we can go back to 1955 so we can perfectly time a lightning strike. That’s right, it’s time to talk about “Back to the Future.”

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 16, 2024 “Oppenheimer”
    703 Communists? In Berkeley?

    Jason’s favorite movie of 2023 was the gray flipside to “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” And while none of us would exactly call ourselves Nolan fans, this one manages to grapple with a deep subject with great care. It’s got some spectacular scenes that will blow your mind—and a whole lot more scene of men in suits and hats standing around talking.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 9, 2024 “Ghosts”
    702 One Is Silly and One Is Wacky

    Two nations, two sitcoms, one premise: What if one of us could see ghosts? Infusing genre complications into the world of TV situation comedies, “Ghosts” has become a hit in both the UK and the U.S.! We recommend both, compare the different versions, and try to explain why the whole idea works so well.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 2, 2024 “The Abyss” (Special Edition)
    701 KEEP PANTYHOSE ON

    KNEW THIS WAS ONE WAY TICKET
    BUT YOU KNOW I HAD TO COME

    At long last, it’s the episode Jason has waited 13 years to schedule. Up from the depths of the ocean comes a long-awaited 4K transfer! It’s time for all of you to join us in watching one of the great (and underrated) adventure films of all time, and perhaps James Cameron’s best film: “The Abyss.”

    We watched the Special Edition of the film, and discuss the ways in which it’s superior to the original cut, and the ways it isn’t.

See All Episodes…