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Off Book: Kerry on Sci-Fi, Libby Life, and a Healthy Fear of Space

  • Writer: genredpodcast
    genredpodcast
  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

guest kerry

On this week’s Off Book, we’re joined by our friend Kerry — coworker, elite Goodreads curator, and a true multi-genre reader who somehow manages to read three books at once without losing the plot (we’re still processing).


And yes, we immediately get into it.


But first, we have some things to say.


Kerry walks us through her highly optimized reading setup — think iPad on a stand, remote page-turner, fully horizontal, borderline WALL-E energy — and honestly? We’re intrigued.


This spirals into a full Libby vs immediate gratification debate, where Kerry thrives on 25-week waitlists and surprise holds, while Elyse simply cannot live that way. Katy remains somewhere in the middle, but is easily influenced by both chaos and convenience.


We also get into:

  • Reading multiple books at once depending on mood

  • Cozy mysteries vs “absolutely not cozy” thrillers

  • Audiobook struggles (attention span, accents, and accidentally missing entire plot points)

  • The rise of walking audiobooks — especially when they’re just a little unhinged


And, of course, the universal reader experience of knowing a word… but absolutely not knowing how to pronounce it.



What we’re talking about


Genre & Vibes

Sci-fi, but make it accessible, strategic, and surprisingly human.


This episode is a love letter to sci-fi for people who think they don’t like sci-fi — and a breakdown of why the genre might be getting misrepresented.


Kerry’s Take: Why Sci-Fi Wins


For Kerry, sci-fi is the genre that does the most.


Not because of aliens or space battles — but because it’s rooted in:

  • Human ingenuity

  • Strategy and problem-solving

  • Survival in extreme environments

  • “How would I figure this out?” energy


Less magic. More thinking.


More heist, less spell casting.


Sci-Fi vs Fantasy (Respectfully)


We get into the real distinction:

  • Fantasy: magic systems, destiny, chosen ones, magical wars

  • Sci-Fi: humans evolving, adapting, outsmarting, surviving


Or as Kerry puts it — sci-fi feels like humans figuring things out, while fantasy can sometimes feel like brute force magic vs brute force magic.


Also: a sandworm? Believable.

A dragon? Questionable.



Books & Recs We Talk About


Starter Sci-Fi

  • Red Rising — Pierce Brown

  • Ender’s Game — Orson Scott Card

  • Ready Player One — Ernest Cline


If You Like Black Mirror…

  • The Family Experiment — John Marrs

  • Philip K. Dick vibes


Advanced / “Best Thing I’ve Ever Read”

  • Hyperion — Dan Simmons


Sci-Fi x Dystopian x Speculative

  • Octavia Butler

  • The Fifth Season — N. K. Jemisin


Also in the mix:

  • The Martian — Andy Weir

  • Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir

  • Dungeon Crawler Carl (with a very serious endorsement of Princess Donut)



Let’s Talk Tropes


Academic Settings (we will never escape this)

From Harry Potter to Red Rising to Fourth Wing — turns out we all just want to go back to school, but only if it’s:

  • dangerous

  • dramatic

  • slightly unhinged


Survival Mode

We spend a concerning amount of time discussing:

  • how we would survive dystopian worlds

  • whether we should take survival classes in Central Park

  • and what’s actually in a “go bag”


Preparedness… but make it theoretical.


Strategy > Strength

One of the biggest takeaways: sci-fi often prioritizes outsmarting over overpowering — which makes it feel more grounded, even when it’s set in space.



What It’s Giving

  • Smart chaos

  • Book club meets group chat

  • Sci-fi, but for skeptics

  • Mild existential dread

  • A surprising amount of survival planning


Would We Go to Space?

Absolutely not (Katy).

Absolutely yes, but only if it’s chic (Kerry).

Yes, for the experience (Elyse).


We also briefly consider:

  • Titanic submersibles (no)

  • Living on another planet (maybe??)

  • The importance of a private bathroom in space (critical)



Adaptation Corner

We get into books vs movies vs TV and why:

  • TV is almost always the better format

  • Bridgerton elevated the source material

  • Station Eleven might be better than the book

  • Gone Girl and Sharp Objects still hold up


Final Thoughts

Kerry’s comfort read might surprise you — it’s not sci-fi, but historical/period fiction, specifically:

  • Pillars of the Earth — Ken Follett

  • Wolf Hall — Hilary Mantel

  • Lonesome Dove — Larry McMurtry


Her reasoning?

Less chaos, more grounding, and the quiet satisfaction of learning something while reading.


Meanwhile, we land on a universal truth:


You will never run out of books.

But you will keep adding to your list.



Join the conversation

Are you team sci-fi or fantasy?

Do you thrive on Libby waitlists or do you need your books immediately?

And most importantly — would you survive in a dystopian world?


Let us know @genredpodcast



Fast Facts

Episode Type: Off Book

Guest: Kerry

Topics: Sci-fi, reading habits, Libby, dystopian fiction, adaptations

Vibe: Smart, chaotic, slightly existential



What’s next on Genre’d

Back to your regularly scheduled programming next week diving into Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy — more books, more chaos, and more things to say.


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