Belting At Windmills

Abaddon’s Gate (5)

Media M.D. — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Things are very slow in the Ring Space - but not in Abaddon's Gate! Holden's in holding. Melba melts down. Anna puts the Reacher in preacher, and Bull becomes the china shop.

Discussion Question: Do you agree with Anna or Cortez about humans reaching too far - is it our strength, or our weakness?

We're back on the 30th of March for chapters 33-39 of Abaddon's Gate! Check out the full schedule here!

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Abaddon’s Gate (4)

Media M.D. — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000

It's the halfway point of Abaddon's Gate, and we learn about Ring Space! Also, we realise this show is missing one thing in particular: Shipping!

Discussion Question: What ships do YOU think should emerge from this series so far?

We're back on the 16th of March for chapters 26-32 of Abaddon's Gate! Check out the full schedule here!

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Abaddon’s Gate (3)

Media M.D. — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

One by one, we watch all our characters enter the Ring. Also, Melba's big day finally arrives - and she finds it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Discussion Question: What would be the most surprising thing to find on the other side of the ring?

We're back on the 2nd of March for chapters 20-25 of Abaddon's Gate! Check out the full schedule here!

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Abaddon’s Gate (2)

Media M.D. — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Everyone is heading for the ring, and there's a surpising number of executions along the way. Elliot and Reuben are travelling alongside Abaddon's Gate as we try to figure out what the hell Melba is thinking.

Discussion Question: If the Ring happened today, who should we send on our cultural expedition / possible first contact voyage?

We're back on the 16th of February for chapters 13-19 of Abaddon's Gate! Check out the full schedule here!

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Abaddon’s Gate (1)

Media M.D. — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

The third book, and some kind of ominous ring, await us! Elliot and Reuben kick off their coverage of Abaddon's Gate, talk a little too much about genai and some other things, and talk about how awesome all these new characters are!

Discussion Question: What crazy stunts did you pull when you were young, dumb, and wanted to fuck your cousin?

We're back on the 2nd of February for chapters 7-12 of Abaddon's Gate! Check out the full schedule here!

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Gods of Risk

Media M.D. — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000

It's time to jump back into Memory's Legion, so we can cover Gods of Risk! David Draper breaks bad. Bobbie (threatens to) break bones. Mars breaks spirits.

Discussion Question: How well would you deal with the prescriptive Mars society? Would you flourish or flounder?

We're back on the 19th of January to go kick start Abaddon's Gate, starting with the prologue through to chapter 6! Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (8)

Media M.D. — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 02:55:48 +0000

It's the end of Caliban's War! Will the baddies be defeated? Who is the baddies actually? Also who the hell is Caliban?

Discussion Question: What did you think of Caliban’s War as a novel?

We're back on the 5th of January to go back into Memory's Legion and cover the Gods of Risk novella! Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (7)

Media M.D. — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Our new super crew does what the all do best, and sends out a broadcast. Then the "everyone gets together"-ness intensifies as the entire solar system's military might gathers above Io.

Discussion Question: At this point in time, what do you think the single deadliest screwup in the history of humankind is?

We're back on the 22nd of December to finish our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing chapter 48 to the epilogue. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (6)

Media M.D. — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 02:54:18 +0000

The gang all gets together! Bobbie and Avasarala book it to the newly democratic crew of the Rocinante, and Prax encounters some... allegations.

No discussion question this week! Elliot is travelling.

We're back on the 8th of December to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing chapters 41 through to 47. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (5)

Media M.D. — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:43:59 +0000

We're in the back half of Caliban's War! The crew of the Rocinante make it back to Tycho, but decide GoFundMe is better than working for Fred. Meanwhile, Avasarala walks into a trap that it seems Bobbie is gonna need to get her out of.

Discussion Question: Do you think you’d be happiest living on Earth, Mars, or the Belt (at this point in the story)?

We're back on the 24th of November to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the chapters 34 through to 40. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (4)

Media M.D. — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:47:21 +0000

Caliban's War part four! Holden has a bad time, that is entirely of his own making. Bobbie has a good time and gets to flex her muscles... at least figuratively. Prax shocks the system by talking about non-plant based organisms.

Discussion Question: What’s the most brutal break up you’ve ever seen (in media or IRL)?

We're back on the 10th of November to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the chapters 27 through to 33. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (3)

Media M.D. — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:39:11 +0000

Reuben and Elliot continue their journey into Caliban's War! Bobbie and Avasarala meet, Holden makes a bigger mess of Ganymede, and Amos cops it in the head.

Discussion Question: What’s your ‘specialty subject’ that would contextualise the way your narration sees the world?

We're back on the 27th of October to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the chapters 21 through to 26. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (2)

Media M.D. — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:59:18 +0000

Reuben and Elliot continue their journey into Caliban's War! Prax meets up with Holden, and somehow, Bobbie doesn't meet up with Avasarala. We compare Miller and Prax a bunch.

There's no discussion question this week! No homework!

We're back on the 13th of October to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the chapters 15 through to 20. Check out the full schedule here!

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Caliban’s War (1)

Media M.D. — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:06:19 +0000

We begin our second proper book! As Ganymede becomes a mess that is dragging all our POV characters into it's orbit, we learn some Greek prefixes in order to tinfoil, and learn a bit about magnetospheres!

Discussion question: What is your favourite prologue in a book? Why?

We're back on the 29th of September to continue our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the chapters 7 through to 14. Check out the full schedule here!

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Drive & The Butcher of Anderson Station

Media M.D. — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000

It's time to dive into some of Memory's Legion! Join Reuben and Elliot as they experience Solomon's meteoric rise into the history books, and Fred's.... slightly less glamorous journey there too. Also, we learn about Lagrange Points!

Discussion question: Which real world historical moment do you want to hear the human story behind?

We're back on the 15th of September to kick off our coverage of Caliban's War! We're doing the prologue through to the end of chapter 6. Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (8)

Media M.D. — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:44:58 +0000

We round out our coverage of Leviathan Wakes! Can Miller and Holden save humanity? If it's down to those two, is it worth saving? Also, we're joined by a genuine(ish) space doctor to talk about radiation poisoning.

Discussion question: What do you think of Leviathan Wakes as a standalone novel? Would you have enjoyed this book just as it is?

We're back on the 1st of September to cover our first two short stories from Memory's Legion: Drive, and The Butcher of Anderson Station! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (7)

Media M.D. — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 02:17:43 +0000

In the penultimate Leviathan Wakes episode, we see how the attempts to contain Eros go... not great. So far at least.

Discussion question: Was Fred right to steal the Nauvoo?

We're back on the 15th of August to finish covering Leviathan Wakes - chapter 50 to the epilogue! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (6)

Media M.D. — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:49:19 +0000

The team have finally all gotten together.... but it doesn't last too long. Meanwhile, Elliot is fascinated by laser blocking smoke.

Discussion question: What would it take for you to join Protogen's side - either as a scientist or a volunteer on Eros?

We're back on the 4th of August to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 43 to the end of chapter 49! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (5)

Media M.D. — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:14:35 +0000

Miller and Holden have a very bad day on Eros - even without gambling. Afterwards, the gang explore Julie's ship.

Discussion question: What’s the most brutal rejection you’ve ever seen (in media or IRL)?

We're back on the 21st of July to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 35 to the end of chapter 42! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (4)

Media M.D. — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:03:41 +0000

We're halfway through Leviathan Wakes! All our main characters prove why they're main characters - rejecting an opportunity to relax, and instead getting involved in another mess. Also, Reuben tells us how likely it is that a virus could feed on radiation.

Discussion question: What moments from other stories felt like they were a crit fail / crit success?

We're back on the 7th of July to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 27 to the end of chapter 34! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (3)

Media M.D. — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:39:06 +0000

Leviathan Wakes continues! Holden finally stop jumping from frying pans into fires, and choose to go somewhere on purpose. Miller has a bad day at work. Elliot talks about Ceres - the actual dwarf planet.

Discussion question: Which fictional character should have been fired from their job?

We're back on the 23rd of June to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 19 to the end of chapter 26! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (2)

Media M.D. — Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

More Leviathan Wakes! Holden and his crew make it to the Donnager, but it turns out that's even worse that being stuck on the Knight. Meanwhile, Miller is drowning in conspiracies that no one will take seriously. Also, Elliot gives us some of the backstory on how The Expanse came to be!

Discussion question: If you had to spend 13 days stuck in a little tin can with 3 other people - what 3 things would you bring?

We're back on the 9th of June to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 12 to the end of chapter 18! Check out the full schedule here!

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Leviathan Wakes (1)

Media M.D. — Mon, 12 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

We kick off our journey into The Expanse! Reuben and Elliot go over the prologue and first five chapters of Leviathan Wakes, and Reuben gives us his first impressions of these new characters. Then, Elliot talks about how weird spin gravity would be.

Discussion question: What would be the coolest part of living in low/spin gravity? What would be the worst?

We're back on the 26th of May to cover Leviathan Wakes from chapter 6 to the end of chapter 11! Check out the full schedule here!

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Introduction

Media M.D. — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 06:43:27 +0000

Welcome to Belting At Windmills! Reuben and Elliot introduce themselves, the concept of the show, and give you all the details you'll need for our first episode! Let's dive into The Expanse!

Check out the show's schedule here!

We'll be back on the 12th of May to cover Leviathan Wakes, from the Prologue up to the end of chapter 5!

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