Edit 2024: it’s still so amazing. It’s the best podcast out there. I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t know about it. Edit 11/2021: starShipSofa is still the best fiction podcast in existence. I’m incredibly grateful to Tony . I love this show so much. I'm trying to even think of positive criticism...and I can't. Tony is the absolute BEST and does a great job hosting. Find the episode where he gets his super Scottish dad to narrate the fiction. I listened a few weeks ago? And I'm STILL laughing my butt off. It's just so good.

The stories are generally good but too much time before and after with other things. You have to respect how many episodes they have done but likable narrator has gotten a bit odder over time. Song is fun but how many times can one stand it before and after each episode. Bottom line — a good show in need of a facelift. Much respect overall though.

Really, the stories are great, the narrators are always top notch and I even appreciate the commentary about new shows. Definitely recomend.

HellScraper by Chris R Young was wonderfully paced and well written, I loved it! Mike Boris the narrator done an amazing job of bringing the pages alive. His recording was professional and was of the highest quality. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode (#688)!!!

I listen to a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and Star Ship Sofa puts out extremely high quality stories and narrations. Love the show, thanks for doing what you do!

I love the variety of stories, the genre notes, the science commentary, and I actually enjoy hearing the opening chat (which I try to minimize in many of my other podcast selections.)

My god this guy sometimes talks for 20 minutes, droning on and on and on. Usually in the most uninteresting topics. Get your iPad the damned stories!!

Starship Sofa is thought provoking sci-fi read by polished and wonderful narrators. Tony is an enthusiastic and gracious host. You won’t regret putting SS in your podcast rotation.

This is the first podcast I listen to after downloading the latest batch. Tony is an awesome host. It would be great to share a pint with you if ever I have the pleasure of visiting the UK again.

Great story! More like this please.

Excellent sci-fi and you can binge listen for days. The intro music is totally charming.

This is a fine and dandy sci-fi podcast. They pick wonderful writers-and readers/voice artists. The length of the podcast is perfect for me. It doesn’t seem like an hour as you’ll be engrossed in the story. My fav podcast in this genre.

I am struck by the extraordinary quality of the stories selected by our wonderful hosts. Following extensive voyages in the sci-fi podiverse, I landed here, and remain amazed. One can’t fake brilliance, and Starship Sofa shines with it.

Tony and team rock my worlds!

I have a 45 minute commute each way to work and StarShipSofa fills that void in an awesome way! Keep up the great work!

One of the best sci-fi podcasts, with consistently good stories and a delightful host from Newcastle, if I'm not mistaken.

This show is wonderful!.. You can really tell it's a passion project - a lot of love goes into it ** P.S. There's an unconventional option for donations...drop the middleman..use ZELLE....or ANY other direct exchange. YOU DONT NEED TO PAY SOMEONE TO "manage" your donations... You put too much of yourself into this to let some asshats abuse the system THANKS ... Sorry for the mini-rant **that should have been an email

Great Podcast!!!! I love SF and this is one of the best SF podcasts out there. If you like SF this is the one to subscribe to.

From the very first episode through till today excellent stories, informative "columns" about a multitude of varied subjects including science, genre history, media, and writing. Plug-in and enjoy!

I don't typically listen to a lot of fiction podcasts, but this podcast caught my attention with the science fiction theme. I very much enjoyed the episodes I have listened to, and they have awesome production quality.

From walking the household pet to finishing those annoying chores like mowing the lawn, this is my escape. You would be leading your fantasies down a horrible path if you were to pass this opportunity up. Just saying.....

Awesome scifi shorts from around the world. Excellent stories and narrations.

I don’t know if the host is Scottish, mentally challenged, or has had a stroke, but bad audio quality and a mush mouth mumble make this one hard to listen to. It wouldn’t be so bad if every episode weren’t like 400 hours long. I’ve never experienced anything more tedious than sitting through a bunch of boring rambling and inane thoughts about material that often isn’t that interesting to begin with. Stay away from this one, it’s awful.

The sheer volume of great SF stories is staggering here. Science news and SF genre history segments too. What's not to like.

Although the main fiction is ok the host is often unintelligible and blithering. You will have to just forward to the reader. They need to get someone who can be understood to announce the author and reader. All of the giggling and garbled speech made me unsubscribe.

Tony c smith has done a fantastic job creating this podcast. the stories are great, narrated by some of the best narraters i have ever heard. the artwork is cool too! the fact articles always have me waiting for more! keep up the good work Tony! this podcast is fine and dandy!

Too good, these guys put so much work in to this.

So many great stories…really impressive--- David Brin's Crystal Spheres, both the Peter Watts' tales, and the Bruce Sterling's culturally divisive "We see things differently"… So much good stuff…it should come with a time machine to be able to listen to it all---

I tune in for the stories. Fantastically done. Love the JJ Campanella pieces too. Simply the best.

This is by far my favorite podcast. There are many incredible science fiction authors whose works I first heard on Star Ship Sofa. The narrators are top notch - much better than certain competing science fiction podcasts I could name. I don't know how Tony manages to do it.

I don't use iTunes to listen to this, but I can't let it go unrecorded that I love Starship Sofa. It's a true audio magazine, and while I am not always riveted by every section, there is always something for me in any episode (issue?) I love the postive attitude that threads throughout and live in admiration of the people that make it happen as well as keep it up. I love the fact segments. There is a conversational depth to them that allows for a feeling of being introduced to new ideas by friends. The fiction is not always to my taste, but the quality is recognizable and unwavering. Thank you, Starship Sofa team for creating a one-of-a-kind phenomenon.

This podcast has been so fun to listen to for YEARS now. Tony has introduced me to new authors, and kept the conversation current and exciting about what good sci-fi (and classic scifi) can be. Thank you, and you should definitely listen if you like to hear S/F short stories. I personally enjoy it as I workout every day! And Tony's accent makes EVERY word a treat. :)

Tony is a gifted and gregarious host and has the ability to make a rapidly growing community of writers, listeners, artists and readers feel like family. The caliber of the stories, the narration, and the amazing fact articles just continues to astound me. Tony has surrounded himself with brilliant and talented people, and literally the show never disappoints.

Tony's love of what he does comes through in a big way. If you love science fiction then you will love listening to this podcast. There is a huge variety of content, not just fiction, but genre fact and amazing interviews.

This is a fantastic, Hugo-winning podcast. Tony C Smith is a good-natured dynamo and has really given us a quality product. He is extending the Sofa into other genres and the first, Tales to Terrify, is terrific and I am eagerly awaiting the other two. Five stars just aren't enough.

Science Fiction's BEST stories, articles, and art!! Getchusummerdis SHOW!!!

There is no reason to miss out on story time even if you don't have time to read. Tony and company pick out great stories and narrate them for you and all you have to do is subscribe and enjoy! The story selection is superb, and now with the upcoming District of Wonders, you get to choose from several genres including Horror in Tales to Terrify hosted by Larry Santoro, early 20th century pulp fiction in the upcoming Protect Project Pulp and crime fiction with the soon-to-start Crime City Central. Whether you grew up on a healthy diet of fiction and have grown hungry over the years and want to get your fill again, or are a consistent consumer of current prose, Starship Sofa and its cohort will give you the tickle to your imagination you crave.

On my Stitcher App I have 20 shows, but this is the one I listen to religiously. Stories by the best authors, read by the most compelling narrators! By midweek I go back and listen to archives. And now, OMG! They're coming out with new shows - Crime City Central for crime fiction and Tales to Terrify for horror! Woohoo! I may never listen to reality ever again!

I love this show! Great stories, read by incredible narrators. Articles, news and insights, brought to you by people who love the genre, on a mission to promote excellence. Totally deserves the Hugo it won, and your weekly attention …!

Simply the best SF podcast out there, truly an audio magazine: fantastic fiction, brilliant fact articles, wonderful poetry. Something for everyone, with consistently excellent quality in terms of both content and narration. I never miss it.

A great grand collection off interviews with the cream of fantasy and science fiction, as well as the occasional writing forum, story collection, and narrated fiction. It's the place to go to hear the likes of Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman and more discuss their work.

Many of us have an uncle or a friend who’s a SciFi fanatic... always has his or her finger on the pulse of the latest stories, the most intriguing (and sometimes obscure) news bits, and the inside scoop on events and goings-on. It’s great to have someone that connected and excited about SciFi in your life... and now EVERYONE can have that, thanks to StarShip Sofa. What makes StarShip Sofa great is that it’s not JUST about great stories, but rather a celebration of the entire SciFi culture. At the core of the podcast is spectacular fiction read by skilled voice actors and narrators (I should know, I’m one of them). :-) But there’s always more... news items and interviews and special features that really expand your listening experience, feeding that hunger and curiosity that all SciFi fans have. Highly recommended!

I bumped into the StarShip by accident. For decades I'd been a writer of dark fantasy and horror, then I had an email from Tony C. Smith, the owner/producer/host of this thing, this podcast -- and what's a podcast I asked -- and he said… Well it doesn't matter what he said, I submitted my adaptation of a Gene Wolfe story I'd adapted for audio a few years before and, wonder of wonders, I found the StarShip, found PODCASTING ("Like radio but better!"). And I re-became a fan of the genre I'd more or less abandoned decades before. The StarShip is simply the best, most professionally done and friendliest show of its kind in the multiverse. Stop by, say hello, get involved…read, listen, write, communicate… Fly!

I started listening to this venerable podcast at episode 6 and never stopped. It's my favorite podcast. The stories, news and commentary from the world of science and science fiction are uniformly excellent, but what ties it together and makes it perfect is the folksy charm of the host, Tony C. Smith. He is the genuine article and that's why I never miss an episode.

StarShipSofa is a great podcast for any science fiction fan. If you enjoy printed magazines like Asimov's, Analog or F&SF, this is a must -- the great stories are only the start. You can always count on great fact articles, genre history articles, interviews with authors and much much more! When you can't spare the time to sit and read -- and even if you can -- you'll enjoy this podcast!!

What they said. Thanks Tony and crew

This show is big. It has a little, really a lot, for everyone who loves sci-fi. With a true magazine format, you get to hear one or two stories and a rotating set of articles on all topics science and speculative fiction, from poetry to history, book reviews and science news. Great stuff.

What an amazing podcast! Continually growing and changing, presenting challenging, informative and downright entertaining content, on a consistent basis. Tony's genuine enthusiasm and self-deprecating humor, combined with his excellent editorial skills, have created one of my top 5 favorite podcasts. The stories and fact articles (Amy Sturgis rocks and I love the new soundtrack feature) are second-to-none: thanks, Tony and crew!

I've been listening to StarShipSofa for years and it's been consistently superb!

It is a modern Lawrence Welk Show...for Sci-Fi. The show has everything, great stories, science fact articles, book and movie reviews and a magnetic host. The length, anywhere for 1 to 2 hours is perfect for those of us who are chained to computers for work reasons. Oh yeah, an important factor that puts it well head of most story podcasts, top-notch narration!