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The Incomparable Mothership

Jason Snell
Science Fiction
Planet Of the Apes
Doctor Who
Back To the Future
Hugo Awards
Saturday Night Live
Crimson Tide
Disney Plus
Fantasy
Artificial Intelligence
Dune
Ryan Reynolds
Star Wars
Mad Max: Fury Road
Nebula Awards
Apple TV+
Nostalgia
Fantasy Genre
Character Development
Fright Night

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes830Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TV & FilmArts

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Artwork for The Incomparable Mothership

Latest Episodes

Inhale deeply of the intoxicating gases and get ready to discuss the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season gone by. Our panel of puppets, “Casablanca” characters, badmirals, and high fantasy types have opinions on the genre-shifting penultimate seas... more

Helene Wecker’s third Golem and Jinni novel, The Gates of Midnight, is now available! Jason asks her about her multi-decade journey to get to the end of the trilogy, how research has changed along the way, the themes of the three books, and what she ... more

Once a subcategory for mysteries, “cozy” feels like the latest craze in publishing with every genre getting in on the act. Is it really a new thing? Are authors able to take sci-fi or horror and turn it into something to be read while cuddled into a ... more

The Summer of Sundance comes to an end with “The Natural,” a story of a legendary baseball player—no, we’re not talking about Joe Don Baker as The Whammer, or are we? It’s Bernard Malamud’s take on baseball as American mythology, filtered through the... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Helene Wecker
Author of The Gates of Midnight (Book 3 of The Golem and the Jinni)
Self/Author
Episode: 837: Thoughts About a Fictional Bakery
Annette Wierstra
Co-host/guest participating in cozy drafts
The Incomparable ensemble
Episode: 836: Tea, Blankets, and Murder
David Loehr
Co-host/guest participating in cozy drafts
The Incomparable ensemble
Episode: 836: Tea, Blankets, and Murder
Antony Johnston
Co-host/guest
The Incomparable ensemble
Episode: 836: Tea, Blankets, and Murder
James Thomson
Co-host/guest
The Incomparable ensemble
Episode: 836: Tea, Blankets, and Murder
Shelly Brisbin
Co-host/guest
The Incomparable ensemble
Episode: 836: Tea, Blankets, and Murder
Paul Wehmer
Book club contributor (joined remotely)
The Incomparable Book Club
Episode: 832: Likeable Goblins
Ben McCarthy
Guest contributing insights from different vantage points
Independent reviewer
Episode: 830: Sad Man in a Van
Moisés Chiullán
Guest providing analysis and comparisons to other MCU elements
Independent reviewer
Episode: 830: Sad Man in a Van

Hosts

Jason Snell
Host of The Incomparable Mothership, The Incomparable network's flagship show, guiding rotating panels through geek culture discussions.
Annette Wierstra
Guest/Panelist on The Incomparable with contributions across episodes.
Monty Ashley
Panelist on The Incomparable with frequent cross-episode appearances.
Tony Sindelar
Panelist on The Incomparable, regular guest and discussion facilitator.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 987 ratings
  • Monty

    I love you!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    avivpash
    Israel2 months ago
  • Binged in during this last episode.

    I want to thank you for the recommendation of North of North I binged the whole season before I finished listing to this episode. Also agree on Plur1bus. Love it. Now trying Better Call Saul I’m one of the few who have not watched Breaking Bad or Better Call. So far I’m not sure

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JPL
    United States9 months ago
  • It’s no longer summer…

    Would love an episode about something other than old submarine movies. It’s almost October. Summer is done.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Anonymous Fan (AF)
    United Statesa year ago
  • Eh. It’s ok.

    Quality of episodes depends on which guests are on. Some guests are good and others are awful. There is no disagreement on anything amongst the hosts just complete group think.

    It gets too woke at times. Attempts to cram feminism or pick your woke topic into conversations has left me rolling my eyes and deleting shows too often. Whether it’s lobbying for Hercules to be pansexual or counting the number of women in Batman Begins you can see where some conversations go.

    Also yeah the girl who ca... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Drizzle Dry
    United States2 years ago
  • Dynamically inserted ads?

    Love the show but I can’t believe you’ve stooped so low to use dynamically inserted ads. Very disappointing.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    puffymonster
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The panel chemistry/guest variety is a major draw for fans.
Listeners praise thoughtful analyses and broad topic range across media.
Some criticism notes inconsistent guest quality and moments of perceived “groupthink.”

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#74
Argentina/TV & Film
Apple Podcasts
#83
Chile/TV & Film
Apple Podcasts
#176
Austria/TV & Film
Apple Podcasts
#213
New Zealand/TV & Film

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

837: Thoughts About a Fictional Bakery
Q: What was the biggest challenge in writing the final book after a long trilogy?
Balancing a large cast and backstory while delivering a satisfying resolution required pruning off-screen and concentrating crises for the remaining characters, so the ending feels urgent rather than sprawling.
837: Thoughts About a Fictional Bakery
Q: How did you handle expanding a magical world without losing the intimate focus on the main characters?
I used a single observer character who can sense the hidden world to introduce new beings without letting the story get unwieldy. This keeps the magic present but controlled, ensuring the focus stays on Hava and Ahmad's relationship and their generations.
837: Thoughts About a Fictional Bakery
Q: What made you choose 1930 as the setting for the final book?
I wanted enough distance from the first two books that I could explore new historical textures while keeping the core immigrant-and-identity themes. Prohibition provided vivid social color, and the onset of the Great Depression offered a looming crisis without needing to jump into World War II.
801: Chekhov's Chunga Palm
Q: What about aliens?
Mostly unclear.
801: Chekhov's Chunga Palm
Q: Is this this?
If you've watched The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, think of the extremely high concept of an episode of that show taken as the premise to a long-running show that is going to go global.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Incomparable Mothership

What is The Incomparable Mothership about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show offers deep, wide-ranging discussions on geek culture, with rotating panels dissecting films, books, TV, and broader pop culture phenomena. Episodes blend rigorous analysis, humorous banter, and thoughtful debates across topics from classic cinema and Star Trek to contemporary fantasy and science fiction, often anchored by a steady host who nudges conversations with curiosity and wit. Noteworthy is the prolific guest roster and the mix of nostalgia, archetypal storytelling, and genre-history context, which makes it appealing to listeners who want smart, entertaining conversations about media they love.

A standout characteristic is the rotating-cast format that brings diverse perspectives while maintaining a cohesive, enthusiast-fr... more

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How many listeners does The Incomparable Mothership get?

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Which podcasts are similar to The Incomparable Mothership?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Incomparable Mothership:

1. Upgrade
2. The Talk Show With John Gruber
3. Connected
4. Vulcan Hello (An aftershow for new Star Trek)
5. Biff! Superhero TV and movies

How many episodes of The Incomparable Mothership are there?

The Incomparable Mothership launched 16 years ago and published 830 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Incomparable Mothership?

Recent guests on The Incomparable Mothership include:

1. Helene Wecker
2. Annette Wierstra
3. David Loehr
4. Antony Johnston
5. James Thomson
6. Shelly Brisbin
7. Paul Wehmer
8. Ben McCarthy

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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