Starship Fonzie

Re-telling the Christ narrative is nothing new in fiction. Norman Mailer's classic work, "The Gospel According to the Son," or Michael Moorcock's "Behold The Man" come to mind. But Geoff Ryman takes a radically different approach based on an unusual, yet trendy, premise: What if Jesus were trans? At first, it seems ludicrous. Perhaps even gimmicky. But Geoff Ryman weaves a clever narrative that is both respectable and surprisingly plausible. Much of the story is told through Maryam, the Savior's mother, who, just like the original story depicts, gives birth without the aid of a man. And here begins one of Ryman's more interesting plot insights: of course Maryam's fatherless child would be female, because only the mother's line could be drawn upon. It's a simple and elegant argument, albeit one that betrays a modern knowledge of genetics - something no ancient person would have had. Maryam's child is named Avigayil, at least at first....

Greetings, all my fellow Milwookies, homo-sapiens, and all other sentient lifeforms of the Planet Earth. This is Starship Fonzie, the official podcast of the Milwaukee Science Fiction and Fantasy League. I’m your host, Eric J. Hildeman, and we’re going to let you know what’s going on in the world of sci fi in Milwaukee, and in the SFF world more generally. This podcast is being pre-recorded live from the headquarters of UNIT in central London, where the Doctor has defeated Sutekh for the second time. Actually, it's coming to you from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or as Milwaukee businesses are calling it, “That city where the economic windfall predicted by hosting the RNC is not materializing.” Seriously. Restaurants aren’t getting their private bookings, other local businesses are not getting any special orders ahead of the convention… it’s just not materializing. Catering? Not really materializing. So right now, it looks like the only businesses that will be making any money off this are...