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War of the Worlds, Power, and Us: Eric Goebelbecker on Sci‑Fi That Hits Home (Ep. 302)
About this Episode
Tonight I sat down with sci‑fi author Eric Goebelbecker for a fast-moving conversation that starts with H. G. Wells and ends up staring straight at us. Eric’s continuation of War of the Worlds isn’t really about aliens—it’s about power, fear, and how governments and societies react when the unimaginable hits.
We dig into why Wells wrote the original as a critique of empire, what happens when advanced tech gets left on the battlefield, and how a single person can still make a difference when systems fail. We also talk craft: keeping tech believable, avoiding preachiness, and weaving real history into alternate timelines—from World War I trenches to what a very different World War II might look like.
Eric shares his unconventional path from Army radar tech to Wall Street programmer to novelist, plus a peek at his new series about a lone immortal navigating history and present-day power plays. If you love smart, grounded sci‑fi that uses fiction to interrogate the real world, this one’s for you. Links to Eric’s site and brand-new Patreon are in the show notes—go check out his work and tell him the Asylum sent you
Guest: Eric Goebelbecker
https://ericgoebelbecker.com/
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Special thanks to:
Executive Producer Wayne Rankin
Executive Producer Rosanna Rankin
Executive Producer Carolina Jimenez
Executive Producer Marisa Lee
Executive Producer Angela Wetuski
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Music: https://youtube.com/@pogo
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(00:01:49) Cold open from Asylum Studios and show intro
(00:02:10) Date, host welcome, and last night’s guest recap
(00:03:22) Tonight’s topic tease: War of the Worlds reexamined
(00:04:23) Housekeeping: website, contact, comments, and email
(00:05:31) Live schedule, crypto and Bible study show plugs
(00:07:12) Platform push and audience growth notes
(00:09:15) Guest introduction: Eric Goebelbecker
(00:10:47) Icebreakers: laughing at ourselves and warning labels
(00:15:47) Meetings that should have been emails
(00:19:32) Pivot to the main interview
(00:21:00) From Army radar tech to Reuters and Wall Street
(00:24:58) Library research and the Somme—family history spark
(00:30:12) Alternate history meets Martians at the Somme
(00:33:35) What makes Eric’s sequel different from Wells fanfic
(00:35:20) Series scope, pause, and future timelines
(00:36:52) New series: a curse of immortality across history
(00:39:01) Takes on War of the Worlds adaptations
(00:41:29) Wells’ metaphor: empire, colonies, and conquest
(00:43:15) How far should sci‑fi mirror reality?
(00:45:16) Tech realism: internal consistency over jargon
(00:49:05) Governments, power, and response to crises
(00:52:06) Are we alone? Distances, secrecy, and plausibility
(00:54:45) Could a false flag alien event be staged?
(00:57:00) Closing questions: core takeaway and inspirations
(00:59:42) Siblings, challenges, and friendly competition
(01:00:42) Where to find Eric and Patreon mention
(01:01:18) Host wrap, value‑for‑value, and final thoughts
- Wayne Rankin
- Rosanna Rankin
- Carolina Jimenez
No transcript available for this episode.
