Shaun's Rambles

Don’t spoil me with your content warnings, they say! In this episode, I take a crack at the confusion between content warnings and spoilers. What is the difference? Why are content warnings important? What value do content warnings provide? Take a listen to hear my take! Let me know what you think about content warnings […]

So, I’m about to see Rogue One.  In this totally random and very short episode of Shaun’s Rambles, I talk about why I’m looking forward to the latest addition to the Star Wars franchise! Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments! Please support Shaun’s Rambles by reviewing it on iTunes and Stitcher!  You can […]

Geek references + the Dominican Republic = instance classic.  In this episode, Maureen Kincaid Speller joins me to discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.  We tackle the novel’s treatment of geekery, its exploration of masculinity, romance, and the coming-of-age narrative, and much more! I hope you enjoy it! Please […]

The first episode of the Podcasting for Authors series is here!  In this episode, I provide a brief overview of the project:  what it’s about, what to expect, etc.  If you have questions for me, please send an email to arconna[at]yahoo[dot]com OR use the contact form on my contact page.  You can also leave a […]

What makes Mike Underwood tick? What did he read when he was a kid? What inspired him to become a member of QUEST and invade the Free Worlds of the Noble and Benevolent Multidimensional Imperium?  I try to get to the bottom of some of these questions in an interview with the infamous figure! I […]

Space opera attacks!  It’s been three weeks since I started teaching my space opera course, and I already have far too much to talk about!  In this edition, I take a look at the first half of C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and the interesting ways in which I and my students read gender violence into […]

The Hugos are over, but the controversy isn’t over.  In this episode, I talk about the results of the 2015 Hugo Awards and how the Sad Puppies have irreparably harmed whatever good message they had.  It’s not an exhaustive discussion, but it’s one I wanted to start while I had time. If you want to learn […]

In this episode, I talk about Lou Antonelli, his efforts to report David Gerrold to the police, and Sasquan’s response. If you want to learn more about what is going on, here are few useful links: Pattern Matching: Lou Antonelli and the Sad Puppies by Natalie Luhrs Some Members are More Equal than Others by […]

How do I select what I teach in my science fiction courses?  In this episode of Shaun’s Rambles, I talk about my method(s) for picking the novels and short stories I assign in all of my literature courses, using my upcoming space opera course at the University of Florida as an example. This episode topic […]

What do Moomintrolls, Tolkien, 1978, and reindeer steaks have to do with Jukka Halme?  In my third Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Jukka Halme about becoming an sf/f fan, the works that influenced him, the changing technological landscape, and Finland. We also talk briefly about the Helsinki bid for the 2017 Worldcon.  As […]

What do Transformers, unicorns, and Rachael Acks have in common?  In the latest edition of my Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Rachael about how she became a fan, how genre has influenced her, dystopia fatigue, and more. You can find out more about Rachael and her work on her website and her Twitter account. Enjoy […]

…in which I continue this podcast thing on my new website by talking to Paul Weimer about how he became an sf/f fan. In this episode: I interview Paul Weimer about his first books, his genre influences, and his development as a reader. Enjoy the episode!  You can download the MP3 here or stream the […]

…in which I talk about things some people don’t want to write. In this edition: A discussion of the value of negative book reviews and why I think many people, including me, are hesitant to write them. Enjoy the rambles! You can download the mp3 directly from this link or stream the episode below.

…in which I continue a podcast of random thoughts had while driving home from work. In this edition: What is the value of book reviews (to me)?  Suggested by Jonah Sutton-Morse (Twitter / Cabbages and Kings Podcast) Some thoughts on Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman Enjoy the rambles. You can download the mp3 directly […]

…in which I begin a podcast of random thoughts had while driving home from work. In this edition: Some thoughts on the controversy over Irene Gallo’s statements about the Sad / Rabid Puppies Some thoughts on Trial By Fire by Charles Gannon and the absence of sf/f awards for adventure fiction Enjoy the rambles. You […]