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Join host Adrian M. Gibson as he chats with author Peter Orullian about his new novel Songs of the Dead, collaborating on the book with Brandon Sanderson, rock/metal culture, multi-layered worldbuilding, musical magic, the living vs. the dead, creative fluidity, video games and working at Microsoft/Xbox, Unbroken and Kickstarter success, the triumphs of community, Christmas movies, antagonists and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Peter. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Incorporating Music into SFF.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on The Art of the Short Story with award-winning author Isabel J. Kim. During the episode, Isabel gets to the short of it, discussing what a short story is, short fiction as a testing ground, comparing short-form vs. long-form fiction, approaching theme, plot and structure in short stories, conciseness and pacing, trimming stories down, selling your short stories and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Isabel. Click here to check out part one.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with award-winning author Isabel J. Kim about her debut novel Sublimation, fleshing out a short story into a novel, the immigrant experience, writing multiple versions of the same characters, tech corporations and technothrillers, writing 2nd-person perspective, book deals and bidding wars, TV adaptations, weird internet culture, studying copyright law and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Isabel. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on The Art of the Short Story.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Drawing from Global History with bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty. During the episode, Shannon traverses the world, discussing global interconnectedness across time, using SFF to shine a light on history, deciding on a historical time/place for your story, knowing when to deviate from history, author responsibility and intentions, accessible approaches for research, historical authenticity, academics/historians and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Shannon. Click here to check out part one.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty about her new novel The Tapestry of Fate, writing a more mature, middle-aged protagonist in The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi series, portraying motherhood on the page, blood family vs. found family, Middle Eastern poisoners and demons, balancing science with the occult, writing complex antagonists, the value of day jobs, breaking into publishing and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Shannon. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Drawing from Global History.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Writing for the Reader Experience with bestselling author Sunyi Dean. During the episode, Sunyi caters to the reader, discussing why authors should consider the reader experience, putting yourself in the “beginner's mindset," offering value to the reader, promises and hooking them from the outset, delivering information at the right time, simple vs. complex prose, writing for yourself vs. the reader, author voice, revision and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Sunyi. Click here to check out part one.
Talk Commerce is back with another round of standout conversations from eTail Palm Springs. In this compilation episode, host Isaac Morey sits down with several e-commerce leaders who share their perspectives on AI adoption, brand authenticity, stable coin payments, and the future of online shopping. eTail Palm Springs has long served as a gathering point for retail and e-commerce professionals, and this episode captures the energy and forward-thinking spirit of the event. From plant-based nutrition to AI-powered personalization, the topics span the full spectrum of modern retail. Let's get into the highlights.Key TakeawaysBrand authenticity and transparency are becoming non-negotiable for retailers and consumers alike.AI adoption remains a hot topic, but many brands struggle to move from experimentation to real-world implementation.Product data infrastructure is now a strategic priority as LLMs increasingly answer consumer questions about products.Conversational data from shoppers represents a largely untapped resource for personalization.Multi-retailer agentic checkout is emerging as a new model for product discovery and purchasing.Stable coin payment processing could significantly reduce transaction costs for merchants.Organizations that fail to plan for an AI-enabled future by 2027 risk falling behind.About the GuestsCatherine Hayden, Chief Marketing Officer at Kate Farms: Catherine leads marketing for a medical nutrition company that produces plant-based, organic nutrition shakes and formulas for ages one through end of life. She spoke on a panel about authenticity and transparency at retail alongside brands like Patagonia and Sur La Table.Andy Lloyd and Ryan Murden, Brandfuel Team: Andy and Ryan from Brandfuel discussed the growing importance of product data management in an AI-driven world. Their platform helps brands centralize digital assets and maintain editorial control over how products are represented across LLMs and channels.Ian Patterson, Remark: Ian co-founded Remark, a company that provides AI personalization on brand websites by pairing shoppers with real human or AI shopping assistants. The company focuses on capturing and utilizing conversational data to create highly tailored shopping experiences.Sebastian Pflumm, Furniture.com: Furniture.com aggregates furniture from multiple retailers into one shopping destination. The company recently launched an AI agent named Dottie and a multi-retailer agentic checkout system.Ron Tarter, CEO and Founder of MNEE: Ron founded MNEE, a merchant acquiring network built on stable coins. The platform allows retailers to accept digital dollars in their existing checkout flow at a fraction of traditional card processing fees.Final ThoughtsThis compilation episode reinforces one clear message: standing still is not an option in e-commerce. Whether the conversation centers on AI personalization, product data strategy, agentic commerce, or payment innovation, every guest pointed toward the same conclusion. The brands that act now will lead tomorrow. The ones that wait will scramble to catch up. So as you think about your own retail strategy, ask yourself: are you building for the commerce of today, or are you already building for the commerce that is coming?Chapters00:00 Introduction to eTale and Kate Farms02:43 The Importance of Authenticity and Transparency in Retail05:45 Navigating AI in E-commerce08:09 Brand Fuel's Role in AI Integration10:41 The Future of E-commerce and Consumer Experience13:49 Innovations in Furniture Shopping16:24 Disruption in Payment Systems18:09 Conclusion and Future Outlook
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Sunyi Dean about her new novel The Ghost with a Thousand Faces, Chinese ghosts and folklore, Cantonese humor, Kowloon Walled City and the horrors of war, juggling multiple timelines, the Publishing Rodeo Podcast and transparency about publishing, living around the world, persistence and community, representations of neurodivergence in SFF, balancing work with family, messy first books and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Sunyi. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Writing for the Reader Experience.
SFF Addicts podcast has reached a huge milestone: 200 episodes!!! To celebrate, co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly recorded a LIVE FAN Q&A, answering questions from our beloved audience alongside special guests/friends of the show H. M. Long, Evan Leikam & Krystle Matar. During the episode, they delve into all kinds of topics, including their podcasting journey, the ups and downs of writing, fictional worlds they'd want to live in, book recommendations for non-readers, their favorite sandwiches and so much more.Thank you all so much for supporting SFF Addicts for 200 episodes, and here's to many more ❤️
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Publishing in Different Genres with award-winning author Ai Jiang. During the episode, Ai breaks down the fundamentals of genre, including genre trends in publishing, building a career across multiple genres, genre expectations and targeting audiences, chasing genre trends, self-publishing and short stories as genre testing grounds, the viability of specific genres with agents and editors, the benefits and challenges of genre-blending and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Ai. Click here to check out part one.
In Books: A Manifesto (Weidenfeld) subtitled How to Build a Library, poet and critic Ian Patterson reflects on a life spent with and formed by books. Now, as he constructs the last of many libraries, he makes an impassioned case for the radical importance of reading in our lives - from Proust to Jilly Cooper, from golden-age detective novels to avant-garde poetry. He talked about books and libraries with the novelist Ali Smith who, in Public Library and Other Stories, explored our many-faceted fascination with the book.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with award-winning author Ai Jiang about her new novella A River from the Sky, nature vs. industrialization, incorporating technology into science fantasy, unreliable narrators and palace intrigue, family dynamics, rebellion vs. control, big lessons from writing workshops, the appeal of short-form fiction, the learning curve of writing a full-length novel, winning awards and career priorities, balancing passion with productivity and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Ai. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Publishing in Different Genres.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly for a masterclass panel on How to Query Agents, featuring literary agents Laura Crockett, John Baker and Jennifer Chevais. During the panel, they lay out the fundamentals of query letters and agents, discussing what agents do, what a query letter is, the anatomy of a query letter, social media presence, how authors can seek out agents, query letter no-nos and more.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Association of Authors' AgentsAssociation of American Literary AgentsQueryTracker Manuscript Wishlist
Join host Adrian M. Gibson as he delves into a writing masterclass on Memory & Time with bestselling author Mark Lawrence. During the episode, Mark unlocks the secrets of the mind, including how memory and time play into the human experience, the relationship between memory and identity, forgetting and how memories change across time, the role of emotions in forming memories, collective stories and history, unreliable narrators and narratives, flashbacks and non-linear story structures, revealing the passage of time and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Mark. Click here to check out part one.
Join host Adrian M. Gibson as he chats with bestselling author Mark Lawrence about his new novel Daughter of Crows, writing an older protagonist, showing a character across their life, new twists on assassin schools, evoking an eerie atmosphere, drawing inspirations from pagan mythologies, the meaning of "grimdark," the evolution of self-publishing and SPFBO (the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off), working in mathematics, hard science, “detail porn” and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Mark. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Memory & Time.You can also check out Mark's crowdsourced "Grimdark Scale" (which was mentioned during the episode) HERE.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions of highly sensitive topics, specifically depictions of sexual violence in fiction. If you do not wish to hear this, please skip from 39:54-48:40.Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Writing Romantasy with bestselling author Carissa Broadbent. During the episode, Carissa opens the door to the heart of romantasy, including what the subgenre is and why it's so immensely popular, romantasy's target audience, organically interweaving romance and fantasy, the importance of characterization in romantasy, sex and the spectrum of spice levels, representations of sexual violence in romantasy and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Carissa. Click here to check out part one.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Carissa Broadbent about her new novel Mother of Death & Dawn and The War of Lost Hearts series, building up broken characters, balancing big stakes with intimate moments, finding hope in dark times, differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing, truths about marketing and product visibility, the indie-to-trad pipeline, hybrid publishing and book rights, debates about the "romantasy" label and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Carissa. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Writing Romantasy.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a writing masterclass on What is an Antihero? with author Jeremy Szal. During the episode, Jeremy delves into the dark core of the antihero, including how we can define antiheroes, the antihero as antithesis to the “heroic ideal”, moral ambiguity and cynicism, flawed motivations and selfishness, why audiences root for antiheroes, how an antihero is a product of their world, using an antihero to play with expectations, good/bad antihero tropes and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Jeremy. Click here to check out part one.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author Jeremy Szal about his new novel Wolfskin, The Common trilogy, crafting a space opera world, alien technology, drugs and addiction, grounding your story in character emotions, channeling rage through action scenes, the challenges of learning new languages, studying film and creative writing, the role of editors and editing, writing short stories, the realities of the publishing world and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Jeremy. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on What is an Antihero?
Join co-hosts M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on LitRPG 101 with bestselling author Matt Dinniman. During the episode, Matt gives the lowdown on the LitRPG subgenre, including what it is, the rising popularity of the subgenre, incorporating game systems into your story, power progression and consequences, how to pace a LitRPG, writing from the perspective of NPCs and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Matt. Click here to check out part one.
Join co-hosts M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Matt Dinniman about his new novel Operation Bounce House, Dungeon Crawler Carl, going from self-pub to traditional publishing, audiobooks and Jeff Hays' narration, the creation of Princess Donut, gamer culture, injecting humor into a story, approaches to editing and research, writing weird characters and more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Matt. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on LitRPG 101.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook + paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Emily Marie Wagner, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and reviewEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Matt Dinniman is the bestselling author of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and more. His latest release is Operation Bounce House, which you can purchase here.Find Matt on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly for a crossover panel on How to Talk About Writing with Marshall Ryan Maresca, Cass Morris and Natania Barron from Worldbuilding for Masochists podcast! During the panel, they talk about talking about writing, including the importance of communication for modern authors, building your “author brand”, algorithms and authenticity, community and conventions, expectations and career longevity, public speaking, training your voice and body language, how to sell your book (and yourself) and more.And don't forget to check out the incredible Worldbuilding for Masochists RIGHT HERE.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Revealing Character Through Dialogue with bestselling author Scott Lynch. During the episode, Scott reveals his thoughts on dialogue, including the relationship between dialogue and the human experience, the dialogue that inspired his writing, style and shock value, conveying characterization through dialogue, code switching, colloquialisms and cadence, how word choice can reveal external/internal persona, taking advantage of limited page space, contextual clues, character dynamics, banter and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Scott. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:A weary warrior. A restless baker. A magical side quest neither of them asked for, but both might need. FLOUR & FORGE by Herman Steuernagel is The Hobbit meets The Wizard of Oz in a charming, feel-good fantasy adventure.Releasing March 5, 2026 in all formats. Pre-order it HERE in eBook or audiobook.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Scott Lynch is the bestselling author of the Gentleman Bastard Sequence, including The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Republic of Thieves.Find Scott on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Epic Fantasy" by kornevmusic- Video provided by client
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Scott Lynch about his acclaimed the Gentleman Bastard Sequence, the origins of Locke Lamora, worldbuilding approaches, planning a heist 101, compelling character relationships, creating impossible situations for your characters, mental health and therapy, (toxic) fandom and being a public figure, childhood ambitions, medieval Icelandic lawsuits and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Scott. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Revealing Character Through Dialogue.OUR SPONSOR:A weary warrior. A restless baker. A magical side quest neither of them asked for, but both might need. Flour & Forge by Herman Steuernagel is The Hobbit meets The Wizard of Oz in a charming, feel-good fantasy adventure.Releasing March 5, 2026 in all formats. Pre-order it HERE in eBook or audiobook.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Scott Lynch is the bestselling author of the Gentleman Bastard Sequence, including The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Republic of Thieves.Find Scott on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Epic Fantasy" by kornevmusic- Video provided by client
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a writing masterclass on Building a Supporting Cast with author Nicole Glover. During the episode, Nicole gets by with a little help from her friends, exploring what a supporting cast is, secondary character archetypes/tropes, dynamics between the protagonist and supporting characters, conveying character backstory, the motivations and goals of the supporting cast, balancing character development and skills, creating supporting “baddies” and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Nicole. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook + paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, Emily Marie Wagner, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon- Rate and review, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Nicole Glover is the author of the Murder & Magic series. Find Nicole on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author Nicole Glover about her new novel The Starseekers, the Murder & Magic series, falling in love with SFF and writing, alternate history and blending genres, the Space Race and 1960's history, blending magic with math/science, writing a series of standalones, using the past to discuss modern concerns, the fun of murder mysteries, crafting compelling main characters and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Nicole. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Building a Supporting Cast.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook + paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Nicole Glover is the author of the Murder & Magic series. Her latest release is The Starseekers, which you can buy here.Find Nicole on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
In this episode of the Shakespeare and Company Podcast, Adam Biles speaks with poet, translator and critic Ian Patterson about Books: A Manifesto, his passionate defence of reading in all its forms. What begins with the construction of a personal library in a converted coach house opens into a wide-ranging meditation on memory, loss, vulnerability and the profound role books play in shaping a life. Patterson discusses the anguish of parting with thousands of volumes, the intimacy of marked-up, well-lived-in books, and the politics of reading slowly in a culture addicted to speed. The conversation moves through genre snobbery, guilty pleasures, poetry's complex rewards, the porous borders of contemporary literature, and Patterson's experience translating the final volume of Proust—an immersion so deep it altered his own prose. It's a warm, generous exploration of why books matter, how they remake us, and why defending them feels more urgent than ever.Buy Books: A Manifesto: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/books-a-manifesto*Ian Patterson is a widely published poet and translator, and a former academic. The translator of Finding Time Again, the final volume of the Penguin Proust, he is also the author of Guernica and Total War and Nemo's Almanac. He won the Forward Prize for Best Poem in 2017, with an elegy for his late wife, Jenny Diski. He worked in Further Education between 1970 and 1984, had a second-hand bookselling business for ten years after that, and from 1995 until 2018 was an academic, teaching English Literature at the University of Cambridge. Many of his students have gone on to shape the world of publishing and writing, both in the UK and the US.Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company.Listen to Alex Freiman's latest EP, In The Beginning: https://open.spotify.com/album/5iZYPMCUnG7xiCtsFCBlVa?si=h5x3FK1URq6SwH9Kb_SO3w Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The end of 2025 is upon us, and that means it's time to discuss our favorite reads of the year! Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn & Greta Kelly as they reminisce on the year that was with friends John & Jakob Minton from Talking Story and Hannah & Laura from OWWR Pod. During the panel, they share and discuss their top SFFH reads from this year (2 each for a total of 14), as well as their honorable mentions. And of course, many shenanigans ensue.NOTE: This is the last SFF Addicts episode of the year. Thank you all for the support and see you in 2026!LIST OF OUR TOP BOOKS OF 2025:The Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerLightfall by Ed CrockerThe Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny WurtsEntwined by H.M. LongThe Memory of the Ogisi by Moses Ose UtomiJade War by Fonda LeeA Mouthful of Dust by Nghi VoThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. SchwabThe Everlasting by Alix E. HarrowPiranesi by Susanna ClarkeOrconomics by J. Zachary PikeThe City in Glass by Nghi VoThe Autumn War by Daniel AbrahamThe Woods All Black by Lee MandeloSHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- On Patreon- Rate and reviewEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUESTS:John & Jakob Minton are two-thirds of the J.A.J. Minton pen name, whose debut novel Discovery released in 2025. They also run the Talking Story YouTube channel.Find them on YouTube, Instagram, Amazon and their author website.Hannah & Laura are the co-hosts of OWWR Pod (On Wednesdays We Read).Find them on Bluesky, Instagram and the podcast website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by Divion
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Heroism & Villainy with author Christopher Ruocchio. During the episode, Christopher treads the fine line of morality, delving into how we define heroes and villains, moral ambiguity vs. complexity, laying the foundations for your heroes and villains, establishing the moral framework of your story, character relatability, motivations vs. justifying actions, threats to your characters, how characters can shift over time and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Christopher. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook and paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- On Patreon- Rate and reviewEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Christopher Ruocchio is the bestselling author of the Sun Eater series and more.Find Christopher on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Christopher Ruocchio about his new novel Shadows Upon Time, reflecting on the Sun Eater series, Hadrian's epic character journey, writing (and finishing) a long, expansive series, the lost art of rhetoric, working as an editor at Baen Books, being on both sides of the publishing curtain, the appeal of science fantasy, the role of genre-blending in modern publishing, parenthood, changing perspectives, future projects and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Christopher. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Heroism & Villainy.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook and paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Christopher Ruocchio is the bestselling author of the Sun Eater series and more.Find Christopher on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Planning a Trilogy with bestselling author Jay Kristoff. During the episode, Jay lays out the foundations for writing trilogies, including what works about the “trilogy” format, examples of iconic trilogies, starting with the midpoint climax, satisfying arcs across each book AND the trilogy, foreshadowing and laying seeds, rewriting and second book syndrome, mapping character arcs across three books, strategies for long-term worldbuilding, structuring/pacing a trilogy, maintaining creativity/motivation across multiple books and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Jay. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Honor is an exciting new anthology from Golden Griffin Press, featuring twenty-two SF&F authors. Each of them is a rising star in independent publishing in their own right, but we brought them all together to create this beautiful anthology. From distant planets to enchanted worlds of magic. Embark on a journey through amazing short fiction by rising indie authors.Follow the Kickstarter here.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Jay Kristoff is the bestselling author of Nevernight, Empire of the Vampire and more. His latest release is Empire of the Dawn, which you can purchase here.Find Jay on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Blackout" by Cyberwave Orchestra
Join co-hosts M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Jay Kristoff about his new novel Empire of the Dawn, writing vampires and monstrous characters, (un)reliable narrators, handling heavy themes, the costs of victory, creative reinvention, shifting genres, writing for younger audiences, approaches to beautiful yet brutal prose, Tolkien and the magic of fantasy books and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Jay. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Planning a Trilogy.OUR SPONSOR:Honor is an exciting new anthology from Golden Griffin Press, featuring twenty-two SF&F authors. Each of them is a rising star in independent publishing in their own right, but we brought them all together to create this beautiful anthology. From distant planets to enchanted worlds of magic. Embark on a journey through amazing short fiction by rising indie authors.Follow the Kickstarter here.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Jay Kristoff is the bestselling author of Nevernight, Empire of the Vampire and more. His latest release is Empire of the Dawn, which you can pre-order here.Find Jay on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Blackout" by Cyberwave Orchestra
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Prose & Rhythm with award-winning, bestselling author Alix E. Harrow. During the episode, Alix expounds upon prose and rhythm essentials, including what prose and rhythm are, setting expectations with prose style, fine tuning your prose and rhythm, the musicality of prose, beauty and truth in language, the flexibility of prose styles, how prose informs characterization, description and world, the fluidity of authorial voice, how to have FUN with your prose and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Alix. Click here to check out part one.CHECK OUT the indie song Alix mentioned during the episode, based on her short story "The Six Deaths of the Saint."OUR SPONSOR:Honor is an exciting new anthology from Golden Griffin Press, featuring twenty-two SF&F authors. Each of them is a rising star in independent publishing in their own right, but we brought them all together to create this beautiful anthology. From distant planets to enchanted worlds of magic. Embark on a journey through amazing short fiction by rising indie authors.Follow the Kickstarter here.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Alix E. Harrow is the bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Starling House and more. Her latest release is The Everlasting, which you can pre-order here.Find Alix on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Blackout" by Cyberwave Orchestra
This episode opens with a reflection on the newly launched Go All In campaign, part of the National Year of Reading 2026, a nationwide push to get Britain reading for pleasure again. Backed by the National Literacy Trust and the Department for Education, the initiative aims to reignite our love of books at a time when fewer children and teenagers are reading for fun.From there, we turn to someone who has spent a lifetime thinking about why books matter. Ian Patterson, poet, translator, academic, and author of Books: A Manifesto or How to Build a Library, joins to reflect on what it means to live among books. From parting with his 6,000 volume library to rediscovering the emotional and intellectual worlds that books hold, Ian speaks with warmth, wit and deep humanity about why reading is not a luxury, but a way of being alive.Together, we explore the promise each book holds and why, even in a digital age, our shelves might just be the truest mirrors of who we are.
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they chat with award-winning, bestselling author Alix E. Harrow about her new novel The Everlasting, the significance of foundational myths, mythmaking and subverting heroism, the spectrum of cowardice and courage, sexuality and obsession, symbols and the weight of history, magic and time loops, breaking in and changes in the publishing industry, being a second generation book nerd, villains, agency and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Alix. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Prose & Rhythm.OUR SPONSOR:Honor is an exciting new anthology from Golden Griffin Press, featuring twenty-two SF&F authors. Each of them is a rising star in independent publishing in their own right, but we brought them all together to create this beautiful anthology. From distant planets to enchanted worlds of magic. Embark on a journey through amazing short fiction by rising indie authors.Follow the Kickstarter here.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Alix E. Harrow is the bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Starling House and more. Her latest release is The Everlasting, which you can pre-order here.Find Alix on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Blackout" by Cyberwave Orchestra
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Writing Cozy Fantasy with bestselling author Julie Leong. During the episode, Julie gets comfy and lays out the cozy fundamentals, including what cozy fantasy is, the growing popularity of cozy stories, stakes and realism in cozy fantasy, wish fulfillment and reader expectations, whether romance is necessary in every fantasy story, approaches to cozy worldbuilding and character arcs, the roles of community, antagonists and secondary characters in cozy fiction and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Julie. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook and paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Julie Leong is the bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes and The Keeper of Magical Things.Find Julie on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author Julie Leong about her new novel The Keeper of Magical Things, quitting a corporate job to pursue writing, the appeal of cozy fantasy, the debut author experience, underdog/outsider protagonists, varying magical powers, imposter syndrome and resilience, how opposites can attract, writing effective character arcs, community and breathing life into your setting, creating a quirky cast of side characters and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Julie. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Writing Cozy Fantasy.OUR SPONSOR:Shattered by Nicholas W. Fuller is an action-packed science fantasy novella that introduces readers to the Sanguine Stars universe.Get your copy at www.nicholaswfuller.com.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Julie Leong is the bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes. Her latest release is The Keeper of Magical Things, which you can purchase here.Find Julie on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Infinity Heroes" by JoelFazhari- Video: Nattgw / utopia 36 / Ingrid North / Kmeel.com / Vadym_Shapran / DC_Studio / DC_Studio / FrameStock / FrameStock / Orkidee / Pressmaster
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on How to Write Battle Scenes with author Anna Smith Spark. During the episode, Anna arms herself for war (and writing), exploring why we love battle scenes, how to study and analyze historical battles, the immersion/cinematography of a battle, laying the seeds of conflict, approaches to warfare across cultures, setting and styles of battle, scale and shifting perspectives, realism and the aftermath of battle, heightening emotional resonance, war councils, expectations, foreshadowing and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Anna. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell is the riotous dark fantasy sequel to The Malevolent Seven. Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humor and relentless action in The Malevolent Eight.Now available in hardcover, along with eBook and audiobook. Buy your copy HERE.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Anna Smith Spark is the author of the Empires of Dust series, A Woman of the Sword and more. Her latest releases are A Sword of Gold and Ruin and Anderson Versus Death.Find Anna on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Sinister Slink" by SCOREWIZARDS- Video b-roll: Envato Elements
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly as they chat with author Anna Smith Spark about her TWO new novels A Sword of Gold and Ruin and Anderson Versus Death, the 2000 AD/Judge Dredd universe and dystopian prescience, the pursuit and joys of storytelling, the appeal of grimdark, the current state of the grimdark genre (and responses to it), the ups and downs of publishing, writing what you're passionate about, folkloric horror, autism, dyspraxia and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Anna. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on How to Write Battle Scenes.OUR SPONSOR:The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell is the riotous dark fantasy sequel to The Malevolent Seven. Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humor and relentless action in The Malevolent Eight.Now available in hardcover, along with eBook and audiobook. Buy your copy HERE.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Anna Smith Spark is the author of the Empires of Dust series, A Woman of the Sword and more. Her latest releases are A Sword of Gold and Ruin and Anderson Versus Death.Find Anna on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Sinister Slink" by SCOREWIZARDS- Video b-roll: Envato Elements
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly for this special episode of SFF Addicts podcast recorded LIVE at Seattle Worldcon 2025, where they discuss "The Shifting Landscape of Epic Fantasy" with guest authors George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Roanhorse and Ryan Cahill. During this epic two-hour conversation, they delve into a (brief) history of epic fantasy, the monolith of Tolkien and LotR, approaches to epic fantasy worldbuilding, research and immersion, magic systems as a tool for storytelling, epic fantasy film/TV adaptations, breaking into epic fantasy publishing, self-publishing and crowdfunding, finding success in the modern publishing landscape and more.This panel was organized/presented in collaboration with Dragonsteel Books. As well, a massive thank you to the amazing Dragonsteel and Worldcon tech teams for recording the panel.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, Herman Steuernagel, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by Divion
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Surviving the Midlist (or Not?) with author David Wragg. During the episode, David dishes on the (often harsh) realities of the midlist, including what “the midlist” is, the debut experience and expectations, (lack of) investment in authors, earnings/expenses/marketing, social support and community for midlisters, what success means, book submissions, the “midlist death spiral”, the value of midlist titles/authors, moving goalposts, persistence and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with David. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell is the riotous dark fantasy sequel to The Malevolent Seven. Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humor and relentless action in The Malevolent Eight.Now available in hardcover, along with eBook and audiobook. Buy your copy HERE.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:David Wragg is the author of the Articles of Faith series and the Tales of the Plains series. His latest release is The Iron Road, which you can purchase here.Find David on Bluesky, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Sinister Slink" by SCOREWIZARDS- Video: Envato Elements
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly as they chat with author David Wragg about his new novel The Iron Road, the Tales of the Plains series, parent/child relationships, blending Wild West themes/aesthetics with a fantasy world, balancing darkness and humor, lessons learned from mediocre jobs, crappy first novels and midlife crises, managing a large cast of characters and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with David. Stayed tuned next week for his writing masterclass on Surviving the Midlist (or Not?).OUR SPONSOR:The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell is the riotous dark fantasy sequel to The Malevolent Seven. Prepare for a whirlwind of dark magic, irreverent humor and relentless action in The Malevolent Eight.Now available in hardcover, along with eBook and audiobook. Buy your copy HERE.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:David Wragg is the author of the Articles of Faith series and the Tales of the Plains series. His latest release is The Iron Road, which you can purchase here.Find David on Bluesky, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Sinister Slink" by SCOREWIZARDS- Video: Envato Elements
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Fairy Tale Reimaginings with bestselling author T. Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon). During the episode, Ursula muses on fairy tales and how they can be reimagined, including our modern relationships with fairy tales, the resonance of fairy tales across time, choosing a fairy tale to reimagine and identifying its core, playing with classic themes/iconic characters, subverting reader expectations, sanitized vs. dark fairy tales, fairy tale worldbuilding, magic and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Ursula. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook and paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:T. Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon) is the bestselling, award-winning author of Nettle & Bone, What Moves the Dead and more. Her latest release is Hemlock & Silver.Find Ursula on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and Greta Kelly as they chat with bestselling author T. Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon) about her new novels Hemlock & Silver and What Stalks the Deep, Snow White and poisons, writing a scientist protagonist, Appalachian horror and coal mining, writing children's books, creating art and exploring artistic mediums, illustrating and writing comics, lessons learned from studying anthropology, experimenting with different genres and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Ursula. Stayed tuned next week for her writing masterclass on Fairy Tale Reimaginings.OUR SPONSOR:Shattered by Nicholas W. Fuller is an action-packed science fantasy novella that introduces readers to the Sanguine Stars universe.Get your copy at www.nicholaswfuller.com.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:T. Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon) is the bestselling, award-winning author of Nettle & Bone, What Moves the Dead, Thornhedge, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and more. Her latest release is Hemlock & Silver, which you can purchase here.Find Ursula on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and her personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Infinity Heroes" by JoelFazhari- Video: Nattgw / utopia 36 / Ingrid North / Kmeel.com / Vadym_Shapran / DC_Studio / DC_Studio / FrameStock / FrameStock / Orkidee / Pressmaster
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a writing masterclass on Interfaces in Science Fiction with author/journalist Annalee Newitz. During the episode, Annalee deconstructs interfaces, including defining what interfaces are, how they appear in science fiction, tropes and misrepresentations about interfaces, creating believable/functional interfaces in your stories, realism and specificity, communication via interfaces, connecting people and environments, the intersection of science and sci-fi, hopes for the future of interfaces and more.NOTE: This is part two of a two-part chat with Annalee. Click here to check out part one.OUR SPONSOR:Shattered by Nicholas W. Fuller is an action-packed science fantasy novella that introduces readers to the Sanguine Stars universe.Get your copy at www.nicholaswfuller.com.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Annalee Newitz is an author, journalist and editor, best known for their novels Autonomous, The Future of Another Timeline and The Terraformers, as well as non-fiction books like Stories Are Weapons. They also co-host the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. Their latest release is Automatic Noodle, which you can purchase here.Find Annalee on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and their personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Infinity Heroes" by JoelFazhari- Video: Nattgw / utopia 36 / Ingrid North / Kmeel.com / Vadym_Shapran / DC_Studio / DC_Studio / FrameStock / FrameStock / Orkidee / Pressmaster
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author/journalist Annalee Newitz about their new novella Automatic Noodle, robots as allegory, near-future San Francisco, writing cozy science fiction, food as a form of community, journalism and founding io9.com, the blogger diaspora, podcasts and punk media, information and storytelling in relation to propaganda, AI, LLMs, ancient Minoan cat ladies and much more.NOTE: This is part one of a two-part chat with Annalee. Stayed tuned next week for their writing masterclass on Interfaces in Science Fiction.OUR SPONSOR:Transference by Ian Patterson is a sci-fi dystopia that dissects what it means to be human in a city where diseases can be transferred.Purchase it here in eBook and paperback.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Luke A. Winch and GavinGuile for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUEST:Annalee Newitz is an author, journalist and editor, best known for their novels Autonomous, The Future of Another Timeline and The Terraformers, as well as non-fiction books like Stories Are Weapons. They also co-host the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. Their latest release is Automatic Noodle, which you can purchase here.Find Annalee on Instagram, Bluesky, Amazon and their personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Corporate Advertising Music" by SigmaMusicArt / "Synthetic Deception" by GioeleFazzeri- Video: Svavar Halldorsson / Gorodenkoff /artlab /Jacob Wackerhausen / FHP Animation Studio / SweetBunFactory / shivkantsharma07 / iLexx / circotasu / Astragal / Alasabyss
Today, we hear from Ian Patterson, author of the sci-fi novel "Transference," which won the Colorado Book Award for its genre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors Tao Wong, Shami Stovall and Michael Michel for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Self-Publishing as a Career. During the panel, Tao, Shami and Michael discuss the long game of self-publishing, including self-publishing as a JOB, being a full-time vs. part-time writer/creative, budgeting and investment for your books, long-term finances and project management, experimenting with release strategies, having purpose and patience, lucrative book formats and publishing platforms, career longevity, income streams, burnout and more.RESOURCES MENTIONED:- The E-Myth Revisited - K-lyticsOUR SPONSOR:Shattered by Nicholas W. Fuller is an action-packed science fantasy novella that introduces readers to the Sanguine Stars universe.Get your copy at www.nicholaswfuller.com.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Tai, Luke A. Winch, GavinGuile and Ruthstift for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for bonus episodes, author readings and more)EMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUESTS:Tao Wong is the author of the System Apocalypse post-apocalyptic LitRPG series, A Thousand Li xianxia fantasy series and more. Find Tao on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.Shami Stovall is the award-winning author of the Frith Chronicles, the Astra Academy series, The Chronos Chronicles and more. Find Shami on Instagram, Amazon and her personal website.Michael Michel is the author of the Dreams of Dust and Steel fantasy series and Way of the Wizard. Find Michael on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Infinity Heroes" by JoelFazhari- Video: Nattgw / utopia 36 / Ingrid North / Kmeel.com / Vadym_Shapran / DC_Studio / DC_Studio / FrameStock / FrameStock / Orkidee / Pressmaster
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors Michael R. Miller, Z.S. Diamanti and Blake & Raven Penn for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Indie Marketing 101. During the panel, Michael, Zac, Blake and Raven offer up some marketing fundamentals, including why marketing is important for indie authors, approaches to marketing over time, building your author platform, mailing lists and reader magnets, pre-launch vs. post-launch marketing, social media platforms and content, paid advertising methods, discounts and giveaways, reviews and ARCs, comp titles, Kickstarter, networking, word-of-mouth, book tours, awards, competitions and more.OUR SPONSOR:Shattered by Nicholas W. Fuller is an action-packed science fantasy novella that introduces readers to the Sanguine Stars universe.Get your copy at www.nicholaswfuller.com.SHOUTOUT TO THE 'SFF ADDICT' PATRONS:Thank you Ian Patterson, Nicholas W. Fuller, David Hopkins, Luke F. Shepherd, Christopher R. DuBois, Tai, Luke A. Winch, GavinGuile and Ruthstift for supporting us on Patreon at $10+.SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for bonus episodes, author readings and more)EMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comABOUT OUR GUESTS:Michael R. Miller is the author of the Songs of Chaos series, The Dragon's Blade Trilogy and more. Find Michael on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.Z.S. Diamanti is the author of Guard in the Garden, the Stone & Sky series and more. Find Zac on Instagram, Amazon and his personal website.Blake & Raven Penn are the co-authors of The Skystone Chronicles series. Find Blake & Raven on Instagram, Amazon and their personal website.ABOUT OUR HOSTS:Adrian M. Gibson is the author of Mushroom Blues.Find Adrian on Instagram and his personal website.M.J. Kuhn is the author of Among Thieves and Thick as Thieves.Find M.J. on Instagram and her personal website.Greta Kelly is the author of The Queen of Days, The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.Find Greta on Instagram and her personal website.FOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by DivionAD ATTRIBUTION:- Music: "Infinity Heroes" by JoelFazhari- Video: Nattgw / utopia 36 / Ingrid North / Kmeel.com / Vadym_Shapran / DC_Studio / DC_Studio / FrameStock / FrameStock / Orkidee / Pressmaster
In this episode of Good Nurse Bad Nurse, Tina welcomes physician assistant Joseph Rad, also known as @TheRaddestPA on TikTok! Together, they dive into the malpractice case of Dr. Ian Patterson, who performed unnecessary surgeries, and the fraudulent practices of Dr. Jorge Zamora Quezada, who falsely diagnosed patients for financial gain. The discussion emphasizes the importance of patient advocacy, ethical practices in medicine, and the need for systemic reforms in healthcare. For our "Good Nurse" segment, we're featuring Joseph! Stick around to hear about his journey into social media, highlighting its role in connecting with others during challenging times. Join us on Patreon to get ad-free episodes, early access, and more exclusive content! Please support our show by supporting our sponsors below! Thank you to our sponsor Eko for sponsoring our podcast! Get $50 off your order PLUS a free customizable chestpiece cover when you purchase the CORE 500 Digital Stethoscope using the link ekohealth.com/nurse !