When your teenagers become your fellow geeks

I never thought this would happen or planned for it.

Back when I was a teenager, way back, buried in dog-eared paperbacks of Asimov, Herbert, and Tolkien, dice scattered across the dining room table, I figured by the time I hit middle age I’d be expected to “grow out of it.” You know, leave the fantasy novels and sci-fi shows behind for mortgages and lawn care. At the time (the 80's), parents just didn't play the way we did as kid. Video games, roleplaying games, weren't their thing.

Will "The Astronaut" crash or soar? Trailer thoughts

So this trailer for The Astronaut just dropped.

Kate Mara crash-landing back to Earth, Laurence Fishburne running the quarantine, and some weird extraterrestrial presence maybe tagging along for the ride? Yeah, I’m intrigued. It feels like a mix of grounded sci-fi and slow-burn horror, and I kinda dig that vibe.

I don’t know if it’s going to be brilliant or just another “alien hitchhiker” story, but there’s enough here to make me curious. I might actually go see this one in theatres when it lands October 17. Having said that, I’m a little apprehensive about the ending though, since a few (okay, a bunch of them,... okay okay, most of the) critics mentioned it starts strong but stumbles in the final act, so I’m keeping my expectations in check. 

At the very least, it’s giving me a reason to keep an eye on Jess Varley as a director, and my options open.

Anyone else planning to check it out?

Additional information:

• Wikipedia – The Astronaut (2025 film)
• Cosmic Book News – The Astronaut Trailer Release Date, Cast
• The Guardian – The Astronaut review: Kate Mara sci-fi is an underpowered dud
• The Hollywood Reporter – ‘The Astronaut’ Review: Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne in Sci-Fi Thriller
• People – SXSW 2025: Kate Mara Teases ‘The Astronaut’ (First Look)
• FilmHounds – A Promising Outing Ruined by a Ludicrous Conclusion: The Astronaut Film Review
• Rotten Tomatoes – The Astronaut (2025)
• Letterboxd – The Astronaut (2025)

Where are the women in Asimov's Foundation?

After finishing season 3 of AppleTV+’s Foundation, I felt the itch to go back to the source material. It’s been years since I’d read Isaac Asimov’s original trilogy, and I wanted to revisit that sprawling galactic history that had so fascinated me the first time.