What began as a book club during the pandemic has since grown into an out-of-this-world podcast, reaching listeners in Guelph and beyond. Today the podcast features interviews with bestselling authors, filmmakers, and even astronauts.
Tales from the Bridge, named after the iconic ‘bridge’ at the centre of many sci-fi stories, started as a science fiction book club. Like many in-person gatherings, the book club moved online during the pandemic. The members soon became co-hosts, recording the meetings and sharing them online as podcast episodes. From there, the podcast launched into orbit.
Podcast members excitedly secured interviews with authors, notably Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary, as well as Hugh Howey, author of Wool. Clearly the podcast had changed enormously since its book club days and there was interest from some of the co-hosts to dive into sci-fi movies, explore the people behind the stories, and have broader discussions of the genre as a whole.
They invited authors, filmmakers, illustrators, and other creators to talk about their work. Some of which included Canadian Astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield, Academy Award Winners such as Phil Tippett and Neil Blomkamp, Andrew Kolb, an illustrator and game designer based in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, as well as many Hugo and Nebula award winning authors. The aim was to uncover information about these creators’ writing or filmmaking processes, their interactions with others in the industry, and their thoughts on sci-fi as a genre. Most importantly, Tales from the Bridge aims to connect its listeners to these creators’ works, popular or not. In doing so, it becomes its own bridge, linking listeners to creators’ stories and the larger sci-fi universe.
Community is also a big part of the sci-fi podcast crew. Listeners get to take part by sending emails and feedback to hosts which often gets addressed on air. The podcast’s website also features an interactive section where fans can leave comments on episodes and even vote in polls to choose the next book, movie, or featured guest. Grounded in Guelph, the podcast has partnered with local community radio station CFRU 93.3 FM, broadcasting every Thursday at 9 a.m. Episodes are also available online and through podcast apps.
What started as a small book club has become a hub for creators and fans alike. Tales from the Bridge connects listeners, sparks conversation, and celebrates the science fiction genre.
Take a closer look at the hosts behind Tales from the Bridge.
Tristan Curtis: Tristan is producer, professional button-pusher and question-asker behind the mic at Tales from the Bridge. He lives for good stories, unexpected detours, and that magical moment when someone forgets they’re being recorded. His bedside table is a genre-hopping time machine—stacked with science fiction epics, dusty Western showdowns, and dog-eared film and music biographies. Tristan is curious by nature, fueled by stories, and always ready to explore new opportunities.
Sam Gojanovich: With an education in Art History and Design, Sam spent 17 years working for major Canadian broadcasters, including eight years at CBC News. His media career spanned both scripted and unscripted content, with roles at the National Film Board, CanWest Media, and Alliance Atlantis. After two decades in Toronto, he returned to his hometown of Guelph, where he now works in administration and communications for local government. In his spare time, Sam can be found drawing, painting, and spending time with his family. For Sam, science fiction has become a powerful vehicle for social change and a space to celebrate diverse voices and stories.
James Broadley: James Broadley remembers being a kid and walking (late!) into a movie theatre in the middle of the opening sequence of Star Wars. The theatre was going bananas, and for James it was an instant core memory, influencing his imagination, friendships, education, and career. Since then, science fiction and fantasy have been his genres of choice, with countless hours of movies and TV viewed, books read, and games played. He even worked sci-fi references into his marriage vows and a friend’s eulogy. As a documentary/factual TV researcher, producer, director and writer, James has travelled to Canada’s far north, filmed F-18 Super Hornets from the runway, learned to love insects, and interviewed the late, great Stan Lee. James is trying, with difficulty, to convert his kids to sci-fi, but as the little green man said, “Do, or do not…”
Kevin McDermott: Is a long-time Guelph resident who teaches business courses at Conestoga and the University of Guelph. He is a self-anointed nerd with a strong penchant for hard science fiction stories.
Hannah Harris: Hannah Harris fell in love with movies while working at a cinema as a teenager, and she’s never really shut up about them since. A former radio worker, she now uses podcasting as an excuse to keep sharing her love of storytelling, pop culture, and wildly overthinking films – purely for fun. She has a particular soft spot for science fiction, a devotion that may or may not stem from a lifelong crush on Marty McFly — which she firmly believes is a completely valid credential for co-hosting a sci-fi movie podcast.
Ryan McDougall: Ryan started recording with Tristan for a trivia podcast and followed that into a regular seat on the film cast where he brings his love of film and all things sci-fi to our listeners ears.
