Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 422, in which I interview Paul Kaplan about his book of poetry for people of all ages, The Thingy That's Stringy.

Relevant links:

• get The Thingy That's Stringy here
• my review of The Thingy That's Stringy here or here

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 421, in which I interview Mitt Witten about his new novel 51%. In all seriousness, I consider this cyberpunk novel in the same league as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984.

Relevant links:

• my written review of 51%
• get the novel here
• Cass Sunstein about Orwell's 1984
• Rob Sawyer's novel Flashforward
• my novelette "The Chronology Protection Case"

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 420, in which I interview Deana Weibel about her new book, The Ultraview Effect. I consider Deana the Margaret Mead of outerspace -- find out why in this interview.

Relevant links:

• More about The Ultraview Effect here
• Touching the Face of the Cosmos -- the anthology with Deana's Weibel's "Pennies from Heaven"
• Paul Levinson's reviews of For All Mankind and Star City
• Interview with Lance Strate in which we discuss his and Neil Postman's views of the space program

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 419, in which I review Solvej Balle's On the Calculation of Volume (Vols 1-4).

Relevant links:

• written review of Solvej Balle's On the Calculation of Volume (Vols 1-4)
• It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles
• McLuhan in an Age of Social Media

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 418, in which I interview Dan Abella about The Philip K. Dick Film Festival to take place in New York City, March 13-14, 2026.

Relevant links:

• Philip K. Dick Film Festival details
• my interview with Rufus Sewell about The Man in the High Castle TV series
• my novelette The Chronology Protection Case ... short film adapatation of The Chronology Protection Case by Jay Kensinger ... Edgar-nominated radio play adaptation by Mark Shanahan

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 417, in which Sarah Clarke Stuart and her husband Jonathan Oakes join me and my wife Tina Vozick in a conversation about Sarah's debut novel, Song of the Unsung Mushroom, published January 15, 2026 by Connected Editions (a boutique publisher that I and Tina created and operate).

At times joining our conversation are Alexis Stuart (who created the cover for Sarah's novel), Susan Clarke, Molly Vozick-Levinson, Elizabeth Clarke, Chryssi Steven, Meghan Vickers, Bud Gundy, and Edwin Stepp (thanks to the last three for providing blurbs for the novel).

Relevant links:

• Kindle, paperback, hardcover, audiobook (read by Sarah for Listen and Live Audio) of the novel here
• More about Connected Editions here
• YouTube video of this conversation here

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 416, in which I review the The Beatles Anthology 2025 documentary.

Relevant links:

• my written review of Anthology 2025
• my 2024 podcast review of Beatles '64
• my 1972 article in The Village Voice: Murray the K in Nostalgia's Noose
• my 1971 article in The Village Voice: A Vote for McCartney
• my 1972 song Murray the K's Back In Town
• my 2024 novel It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles
• 2023 radioplay It's Real Life on Killerwatt Radio adapted from first chapter of my novel (audiobook of radioplay here)
• my 2025 written review of One to One: John & Yoko
• my 2017-2018 written reviews of Rob Sheffield's book Dreaming the Beatles (I review every chapter!)
• my 2016 review of Billy J. Kramer's book Do You Wanna Know a Secret?
• my thoughts about The Beatles' Now and Then
• "The Beatles and Podcasts" my Fall 2023 essay in the Journal of Beatles Studies
• my 2023 written review of John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial
• my 2021 podcast reviews of Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back
• Chris Willman's interview with Oliver Murray in Variety
• Note added at February 10, 2026: Ten-Minute Take on Current Beatles Books and Documentaries on Rock Talk Studio podcast with Big Rick

Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 415, in which I interview Brooklyn Demme about Paul Thomas Anderson's movie One Battle After Another, in which Brooklyn played a minor role. But in a movie this great, every role is important.

Relevant links:

• my review of One Battle After Another
• Simon Vozick-Levinson's A Guide to the Revolutionary Music in 'One Battle After Another' in Rolling Stone, September 29, 2025
• screening of That Kid (produced by Brooklyn Demme) in Nyack, NY November 1, 2025 at 12 Noon