John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back!
<a href='https://github.com/johncoxon/octothorpe/blob/main/Transcripts/Octothorpe_146.srt'>An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here.</a> Please email your letters of comment to <a href='mailto:comment@octothorpecast.uk'>comment@octothorpecast.uk</a>, <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/'>join our Facebook group</a>, and tag @OctothorpeCast (<a href='https://bsky.app/profile/octothorpecast.bsky.social'>on Bluesky</a> or <a href='https://wandering.shop/@octothorpecast'>on Mastodon</a>) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None
<ul>
<li>Letters of comment
<ul>
<li>Doug Faunt (<a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/posts/1477411060203935/'>Facebook</a>)
<ul>
<li><a href='https://corflu.org'>Corflu 2026: Corflu Pickled in Santa Rosa, CA, USA</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Ian Hillman (DM)</li>
<li>Jonny Baddeley (<a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/posts/1477411060203935/'>Facebook</a>)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href='http://eastercon2026.org'>Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham</a>
<ul>
<li>Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link</li>
<li>Merch should be available by the time you read this
<ul>
<li> </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href='https://eastercon2026.org/bursary-scheme-policy'>Bursaries are open for applications, deadline of 31 October</a></li>
<li><a href='https://eastercon2026.org/volunteering'>The volunteer form is open</a></li>
<li><a href='https://www.haruhicon.co.uk'>Haruhicon 2026: Birmingham</a></li>
<li><a href='https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/carrots-cant-help-you-see-in-the-dark-heres-how-world-war-ii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-28812484/'>Carrots, vitamin A, radar, and British propaganda</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href='https://bristolcon.org'>BristolCon 2025</a></li>
<li><a href='https://worldfantasy2025.co.uk'>World Fantasy Con 2025: Brighton</a></li>
<li><a href='https://armadacon.org'>Armadacon 2025: Plymouth</a>
<ul>
<li><a href='https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/whats-on/major-events/british-firework-championships'>British Firework Championships</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href='https://novacon.uk'>Novacon 2025: Novacon 54 in Buxton</a></li>
<li><a href='https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pictcon1-tickets-926790704947'>Pictcon 2025: Pictcon1 in Perth</a></li>
<li><a href='https://nine.satellitex.org.uk'>Satellite 2026: Satellite 9 in Glasgow</a></li>
<li>Worldcon finances
<ul>
<li><a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/LoneStarCon_3'>Worldcon 2013: LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, TX, USA</a></li>
<li><a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/Sasquan'>Worldcon 2015: Sasquan in Spokane, WA, USA</a></li>
<li><a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/MidAmeriCon_II'>Worldcon 2016: MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO, USA</a></li>
<li><a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/CoNZealand'>Worldcon 2020: CoNZealand in Wellington, New Zealand (but mostly online)</a></li>
<li><a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_Worldcon'>Worldcon 2023: Chengdu, China</a></li>
<li><a href='https://glasgow2024.org'>Worldcon 2024: Glasgow, UK</a>
<ul>
<li><a href='https://www.smofcon42.com'>Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Picks
<ul>
<li>John: <a href='https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/'>Tactical Breach Wizards</a></li>
<li>Alison: <a href='https://hereeast.com'>Here East</a>
<ul>
<li><a href='https://hereeast.com/events/umbilical/'>Conrad Shawcross – Umbilical (The Nervous System)</a></li>
<li><a href='https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visit'>V&amp;A East Storehouse</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Liz: <a href='https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212174157-the-raven-scholar'>The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Credits
<ul>
<li>Cover art: “Treasures of the V&amp;A Storehouse” by Alison Scott
<ul>
<li>Alt text: The Torrijos Ceiling at the Victoria &amp; Albert East Storehouse. An elaborate, gilded and octagonal ceiling. Why yes, Alison has a new phone, how could you tell?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href='https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=usuan1300026'>Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://github.com/johncoxon/octothorpe/blob/main/Transcripts/Octothorpe_146.srt'&gt;An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here.&lt;/a&gt; Please email your letters of comment to &lt;a href='mailto:comment@octothorpecast.uk'&gt;comment@octothorpecast.uk&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/'&gt;join our Facebook group&lt;/a&gt;, and tag @OctothorpeCast (&lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/octothorpecast.bsky.social'&gt;on Bluesky&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href='https://wandering.shop/@octothorpecast'&gt;on Mastodon&lt;/a&gt;) when you post about the show on social media.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Content warnings this episode: None&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Letters of comment
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Doug Faunt (&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/posts/1477411060203935/'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;)
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://corflu.org'&gt;Corflu 2026: Corflu Pickled in Santa Rosa, CA, USA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ian Hillman (DM)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jonny Baddeley (&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/octothorpecast/posts/1477411060203935/'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='http://eastercon2026.org'&gt;Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Merch should be available by the time you read this
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://eastercon2026.org/bursary-scheme-policy'&gt;Bursaries are open for applications, deadline of 31 October&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://eastercon2026.org/volunteering'&gt;The volunteer form is open&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.haruhicon.co.uk'&gt;Haruhicon 2026: Birmingham&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/carrots-cant-help-you-see-in-the-dark-heres-how-world-war-ii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-28812484/'&gt;Carrots, vitamin A, radar, and British propaganda&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://bristolcon.org'&gt;BristolCon 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://worldfantasy2025.co.uk'&gt;World Fantasy Con 2025: Brighton&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://armadacon.org'&gt;Armadacon 2025: Plymouth&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/whats-on/major-events/british-firework-championships'&gt;British Firework Championships&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://novacon.uk'&gt;Novacon 2025: Novacon 54 in Buxton&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pictcon1-tickets-926790704947'&gt;Pictcon 2025: Pictcon1 in Perth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://nine.satellitex.org.uk'&gt;Satellite 2026: Satellite 9 in Glasgow&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Worldcon finances
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/LoneStarCon_3'&gt;Worldcon 2013: LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, TX, USA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/Sasquan'&gt;Worldcon 2015: Sasquan in Spokane, WA, USA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/MidAmeriCon_II'&gt;Worldcon 2016: MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO, USA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/CoNZealand'&gt;Worldcon 2020: CoNZealand in Wellington, New Zealand (but mostly online)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_Worldcon'&gt;Worldcon 2023: Chengdu, China&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://glasgow2024.org'&gt;Worldcon 2024: Glasgow, UK&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.smofcon42.com'&gt;Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Picks
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John: &lt;a href='https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/'&gt;Tactical Breach Wizards&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alison: &lt;a href='https://hereeast.com'&gt;Here East&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://hereeast.com/events/umbilical/'&gt;Conrad Shawcross – Umbilical (The Nervous System)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visit'&gt;V&amp;amp;A East Storehouse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Liz: &lt;a href='https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212174157-the-raven-scholar'&gt;The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Credits
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cover art: “Treasures of the V&amp;amp;A Storehouse” by Alison Scott
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alt text: The Torrijos Ceiling at the Victoria &amp;amp; Albert East Storehouse. An elaborate, gilded and octagonal ceiling. Why yes, Alison has a new phone, how could you tell?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=usuan1300026'&gt;Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
</description>

John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back!
An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.
Content warnings this episode: None

Letters of comment

Doug Faunt (Facebook)

Corflu 2026: Corflu Pickled in Santa Rosa, CA, USA


Ian Hillman (DM)
Jonny Baddeley (Facebook)


Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham

Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link
Merch should be available by the time you read this

 


Bursaries are open for applications, deadline of 31 October
The volunteer form is open
Haruhicon 2026: Birmingham
Carrots, vitamin A, radar, and British propaganda


BristolCon 2025
World Fantasy Con 2025: Brighton
Armadacon 2025: Plymouth

British Firework Championships


Novacon 2025: Novacon 54 in Buxton
Pictcon 2025: Pictcon1 in Perth
Satellite 2026: Satellite 9 in Glasgow
Worldcon finances

Worldcon 2013: LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, TX, USA
Worldcon 2015: Sasquan in Spokane, WA, USA
Worldcon 2016: MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO, USA
Worldcon 2020: CoNZealand in Wellington, New Zealand (but mostly online)
Worldcon 2023: Chengdu, China
Worldcon 2024: Glasgow, UK

Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden




Picks

John: Tactical Breach Wizards
Alison: Here East

Conrad Shawcross – Umbilical (The Nervous System)
V&amp;A East Storehouse


Liz: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson


Credits

Cover art: “Treasures of the V&amp;A Storehouse” by Alison Scott

Alt text: The Torrijos Ceiling at the Victoria &amp; Albert East Storehouse. An elaborate, gilded and octagonal ceiling. Why yes, Alison has a new phone, how could you tell?


Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)




Octothorpe

146: It Winds Me Up Something Chronic

146: It Winds Me Up Something Chronic

Description