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Verge ESP: Drake memes, Space memes, and guest author Ann Leckie

Verge ESP: Drake memes, Space memes, and guest author Ann Leckie

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An inquiry and deconstruction of the contemporary Good Girl

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Every once in a while an object comes hurtling at us from the depths of the cosmos, and the only proper way to react is to meme the living daylights out of it. Sometimes, that object is a comet spewing booze across our solar system, and sometimes it's Grammy award winning pop rapper Drake. This week on Verge ESP we talk about both — the plusses and minuses of science giving us clickbait, and whether its truly possible to turn Aubrey Graham into an internet joke when he's already doing it himself (and having a great time, by all appearances.)

We also talk about HBO's Project Greenlight, which is enjoying a highly controversial revival in its fourth season, and about the vastly different standards men and women (especially women of color) are held to in the film industry. You can pinpoint the moment Emily goes blind with rage even thinking about the plight of producer Effie Brown — it's fun, try playing along at home!

And our special guest this week is author Ann Leckie, who’s won a Hugo, a Nebula, and an Arthur C. Clarke award — among others — for her novel Ancillary Justice. That book was the first of her Imperial Radch trilogy, and she's just released the third and final volume, Ancillary Mercy. Liz talks to her about why science fiction needs experimental prose, her plans for the world she’s built, and how working as a secretary shaped her novels.

Subscribe to Verge ESP on iTunes, listen on SoundCloud, or subscribe on RSS. And be sure to let us know what you think of the show on Twitter — @mslopatto and @emilyyoshida.