Embedded in the narrative DNA of the new Netflix movie Stowaway is one of the most iconic and controversial science-fiction short stories ever published, "The Cold Equations," by Tom Godwin. Like "The Cold Equations," Stowaway is the story of a spaceship journey that hits a snag when an additional passenger is discovered onboard. The ship can't complete its trip with the extra drain on its resources, so somebody has to go out the airlock. "The Cold Equations" first appeared in the August 1954 edition of Astounding magazine, whose editor, John W. Campbell Jr., played a major role in defining the genre of "hard science fiction"--that is, stories fundamentally concerned with the accurate depiction of science and technology. According to legend, Campbell sent the story back to Godwin several times because the author kept trying to find a way for the characters to wriggle out of the story's central dilemma and achieve a happy ending.

The creators of Magic: The Gathering were painfully aware that their game might be nothing more than a passing fad. So to maintain public interest they created a high-profile Pro Tour for Magic players, complete with TV coverage and cash prizes. It's a series of events Titus Chalk's new book Generation Decks, which chronicles the rise of the game from misunderstood novelty to pop culture fixture, investigates in detail. "There's a quote in the book from one of the very few executives who was behind the idea at the time, Rick Arons, and he said, 'Your grandmother might not understand what Magic: The Gathering is, but she'll understand what a check for $10,000 is,'" Chalk says in Episode 252 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. The strategy paid off, helping to foster a group of professional Magic players like Jon Finkel and David Williams who grew up in the spotlight and were accustomed to high-stakes card games.