Podcasts about jemisin

Fantasy awards have given us some incredible winners over the years.But what about the books that didn't win?In this episode of Fantasy for the Ages, we're counting down the 30 greatest fantasy novels ever nominated for major fantasy awards that never actually took home the trophy. These are the bridesmaids of fantasy literature—the books that earned Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, or British Fantasy Award nominations, captured the hearts of readers, sold millions of copies, and became genre classics… yet somehow never heard their name called on awards night.From epic fantasy giants and beloved dragon adventures to urban fantasy masterpieces and modern classics, this list is packed with books that many readers would argue deserved a win.Which fantasy masterpiece was the biggest awards snub of them all?Let's find out.

Martyr Loser King, the debut graphic novel of poet, musician, actor and director Saul Williams, with art by Morgan Sorne, not only exists in the same world as his feature film Neptune Frost, but also that of three of his albums, one of his poetry collections and a touring dance performance called The Motherboard Suite. All of these works, in their respective disciplines, explore the distribution of power, the intersection of technology and race, and how our digitally-mediated lives are sustained by the crudest and cruelest of analog exploitations. In Martyr Loser King we follow two Central African protagonists—a miner of coltan, the trace mineral that powers our smart phones and laptops, and an intersex hacker with designs on the system extracting wealth from their country and people. To borrow words from Saul’s song and poem “Coltan as Cotton,” in today’s conversation we hack into land rights and ownership, faith and morality, masculinity, femininity and sexuality. We hack into the rebellious gene, the storyboard, and the history of revolutions. We hack into the database and the panel marked “survival.” If you enjoy today’s conversation consider joining the Between the Covers community as a listener-supporter. One of the many benefits and rewards you can choose from is access to the bonus audio archive, with contributions from everyone from Dionne Brand to Isabella Hammad, N.K. Jemisin to Danez Smith, Naomi Klein to Viet Thanh Nguyen. You can find out more at the show’s Patreon page. Finally, here is the BookShop for today’s conversation.

This Day in Legal History: Chinese Exclusion ActOn May 6, 1882, President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into law. The law imposed a 10-year ban on the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States. It also made Chinese immigrants already in the country ineligible for naturalized citizenship, marking a major turn toward federal immigration restriction. The National Archives describes it as the first significant U.S. law restricting immigration and notes that it targeted an ethnic working group on the theory that it threatened public order.The law grew out of anti-Chinese racism and labor anxiety, especially in the American West, where Chinese workers were blamed for low wages and job competition. Although the Act formally applied to “Chinese laborers,” its enforcement burdened many Chinese people seeking entry, including those who claimed exempt status. The National Archives notes that the law helped create a broader framework for later race- and class-based exclusionary immigration policy.The Act was not temporary in practice. Congress extended it through the Geary Act of 1892, later made the exclusion regime permanent, and did not repeal the ban until 1943, during World War II, when the United States and China were allies.OpenAI president Greg Brockman testified in federal court that Elon Musk once supported changing OpenAI from a nonprofit into a for-profit company, but wanted full control of the organization as part of that shift. Brockman said Musk believed the nonprofit model could not raise enough money to build advanced AI systems. According to Brockman, Musk also said he needed an $80 billion stake to help fund a self-sustaining city on Mars. Brockman described a tense 2017 meeting where Musk allegedly rejected a proposed equity structure, became angry, took a painting made for him by Ilya Sutskever, and left while threatening to pause funding.Musk's lawsuit claims OpenAI and Sam Altman misled him into donating $38 million to a nonprofit that later abandoned its charitable mission in favor of profit. Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages for the nonprofit and wants Altman and Brockman removed from leadership. OpenAI argues that Musk is upset because he left before the company became highly successful and is now trying to gain control while also advancing his own AI company, xAI. Brockman also faced questions about his own financial interests, including testimony that his OpenAI stake is worth nearly $30 billion and evidence of an old diary entry about reaching $1 billion. OpenAI later created a for-profit unit controlled by the nonprofit, which helped it raise massive sums for computing power, hiring, and expansion.Musk wanted $80 billion to colonize Mars, OpenAI president testifies at trial | ReutersPublishers Elsevier, Cengage, Hachette, Macmillan, and McGraw Hill, along with author Scott Turow, sued Meta in federal court in Manhattan over its AI training practices. The lawsuit claims Meta used millions of copyrighted books and journal articles without permission to train its Llama large language models. The works allegedly included textbooks, scientific publications, and novels, such as books by N.K. Jemisin and Peter Brown. The publishers are seeking class-action status so they can represent a broader group of copyright owners. They are also asking for monetary damages.Meta responded that AI training can qualify as fair use and said it plans to fight the case. The publishers argue that using allegedly pirated copies of creative and scholarly works is not the same as lawful innovation. The case joins a growing wave of lawsuits by authors, news organizations, artists, and other creators against AI companies, including Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic. These lawsuits largely turn on whether using copyrighted works to train AI models is legally protected because the resulting systems create something new and transformative. Courts have not yet settled the issue, and early rulings have pointed in different directions. Anthropic previously resolved one major author lawsuit for $1.5 billion, showing how financially significant these disputes can become.Major publishers sue Meta for copyright infringement over AI training | ReutersThe U.S. Supreme Court allowed its recent Louisiana voting-rights ruling to take effect earlier than usual, clearing the way for political and legal consequences before the November midterm elections. The Court's April 29 decision had struck down a Louisiana congressional map that created a second Black-majority district. That ruling weakened a major part of the Voting Rights Act by limiting challenges to maps that allegedly dilute minority voting power. Normally, the Supreme Court waits 32 days before issuing its formal judgment, giving the losing side time to seek rehearing. Here, the Court agreed to speed up the process after a request from the voters who had won the case.The move helps Louisiana Republicans pursue a new congressional map and may weaken lawsuits challenging Governor Jeff Landry's decision to delay the state's May 16 congressional primaries. Some challengers had argued that Landry acted too soon because the Supreme Court's ruling had not formally taken effect yet. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying the Court's accelerated action had created disorder in Louisiana. The case is part of a broader national fight over redistricting, especially as both parties seek advantages in House races. The dispute began after Louisiana drew a second majority-Black district in 2024 to address a prior court ruling that the old map harmed Black voters under the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court later held that the replacement map relied too heavily on race, violating equal protection principles.US Supreme Court lets Voting Rights Act ruling take effect ahead of schedule | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Send us Fan MailHannah and Laura are welcoming Oli Schmitz, a bookseller at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to answer some of our burning questions about independent bookstores! Indie Bookstore Day 2026 is April 25th! Go support your local indie bookstore!You can find Oli online at:Oli's Staff Recommendations | Boswell Book Companyand be sure to see them in person for book recommendations at Boswell Book Company! Media Mentions:Legends & Lattes by Travis BaldreeThe Raven Scholar by Antonia HodgsonRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltThe Music of Bees by Eileen GarvinThe Boy and the Dog by Seishu HaseAll the Lonely People by Mike GayleHank Green's worksN.K. Jemisin's worksJohn Green's worksKatee Robert's worksJames Patterson's worksHer Hidden Fire by Cliodhna O'SullivanBetween Two Fires by Christopher BuehlmanWarrior Cats series by Erin HunterColleen Hoover's worksDonna Tart's worksFreida McFadden's worksMadeline Miller's worksRainbow Rowell's worksNghi Vo's worksThe City in Glass by Nghi VoSarah Dessen's worksNotes from a Regicide by Isaac FellmanThe Felicity Complex by August ClarkeAmal El-Mohtar's worksTamsyn Muir's worksSupport the showBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com YouTube: @owwrpodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Who are the greatest science fiction and fantasy authors North America has produced?That's exactly what we're tackling in this episode of Fantasy for the Ages.Today, Jim is ranking the Top 25 North American SFF Authors since 1930, based on quality, influence, success, and overall body of work. That means we're looking at the writers who didn't just tell great stories…

Lily Brooks-Dalton’s Ruins is both a cleverly plotted page-turner, and an emotionally engaging, character-driven novel with an unforgettable protagonist; it’s both erudite and a wild ride, inviting and yet mysterious, only slowly revealing its cards. Through the lens of archaeology, Ruins explores how cultures construct history and shape memory, and through our prickly protagonist Ember, the difficulties and rewards of questioning the beliefs we’ve inherited. Today’s conversation, beyond delving into the themes and narrative of Ruins, also is a deep dive into craft, particularly exploring a writer’s considerations when it comes to plotting. As part of that discussion, we not only discuss Lily’s sensibilities when it comes to her three successful novels, but we also talk about two completed novels that never coalesced and why that might be. For the bonus audio archive, Lily contributes a reading from the opening of one of these novels we will never see. This joins bonus readings from everyone from Ted Chiang to N.K. Jemisin, adrienne maree brown to Dionne Brand. You can find out how to subscribe to the bonus audio, and about all the other potential benefits of joining the Between the Covers community as a listener-supporter, at the show’s Patreon page. Finally, here is the BookShop for today’s conversation.

Excited to share this classic episode from the archives with one of the great short storytellers of our time, Ted Chiang. This conversation happened in 2019 at the studios of KBOO community radio in Portland, Oregon. Blake Crouch speaking of Exhalation, the book we discuss today, says “Ted Chiang has no contemporary peers when it comes to the short story form. His name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Carver, Poe, Borges, and Kafka. Every story is a universe. Every story is a diamond. You will inhale Exhalation in a single, stunned sitting, because true genius doesn't come along nearly as often as advertised. This is the real thing.” For the bonus audio archive Ted contributed a reading of his essay “Silicon Valley Is Turning into its Own Worst Fear,” first published at Buzzfeed, an essay exploring the reasons why Silicon Valley might particularly fear superintelligent A.I. and how credible those fears really are. This joins contributions from everyone from N.K. Jemisin to Daniel Jose Older to Vajra Chandrasekera. You can find out how to subscribe to the bonus audio, and about the other potential rewards and benefits of joining the Between the Covers community as a listener-supporter, at the show’s Patreon page.

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Charles Saunders’ sword and soul narratives, pulp-fantasy-inspired tales of Black and African heroes, helped blaze a trail for the genre—but, like Saunders himself, they have a complicated and still-developing story. Jon Tattrie, author of the newly-released Saunders biography, To Leave A Warrior Behind, joins us to talk about the foundational novel Imaro: its themes, its history, and its legacy. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Jon Tattrie Title: Imaro by Charles R. Saunders Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough References: To Leave A Warrior Behind Tricon Halifax Charles R. Saunders Prize Trident Bookstore Amal El-Mohtar Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Jude Mire’s Patchworld Nova Hal-Con Shag Harbour UFO Sword & Soul Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan Robert E. Howard's Conan Dark Fantasy magazine Gene Day Boris Vallejo & Franz Frazetta Neuland Inline font Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park The Halifax Daily News Africville Saunder's Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers from the Halifax Forum to Ceasar's Palace The Quest for Cush Dossuye Turkana wrist knives “thews” Octavia Butler, Samuel Delany N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season & our episode on it "The City of Madness" Octavia Butler, Toni Adeyemi Dossoye Novels Dhambala Abangonee Charles de Lint Amazons (1986) & Stormquest (1987), both directed by Alejandro Sessa Mathieu Da Costa Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia The Spirit of Africville Audiobook of To Leave A Warrior Behind

Send us a textIt's the last day of 2025, so Hannah and Laura are sharing their favorite books, movies, and things of the year! Thanks so much for listening and supporting OWWR podcast in 2025!*CW for the episode: discussions of infertility, mental illness, grief, depression**This episode contains minor spoilers for The Pitt and Severance.Media Mentions:Sinners---HBO MaxOf Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara TrueloveFrankenstein---NetflixVinland Saga by Makoto YukimuraJujutsu Kaisen by Gege AkutamiBlack Sun by Rebecca RoanhorseThe Bloodsworn Saga by John GwynneSeverance---AppleTVUp---Disney+Coco---Disney+The Pitt---HBO MaxThe Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuireNghi Vo's worksThe Memory of the Ogisi by Moses Ose UtomiAnimus Paradox by Adam BassettDigital Extremities by Adam BassettHollow Knight: Silksong the videogameAzul the board gameCascadia the board gameWingspan the board gameA Gentle Rain the board gameCalico the board gameThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the trick-taking gameFlamecraft the board gameRoot the board gameDisney Villainous the board gameA Place for All My Books the board gameHowl's Moving Castle---HBO MaxKPop Demon Hunters---NetflixThe Woods All Black by Lee MandeloRevenge Arc by Cat VoleurAnnihilation by Jeff VandermeerThey Came in the Night by Ravi NovaisJester by Tim CarterLightfall by Ed CrockerParable of the Sower by Octavia ButlerKing: A Life by Jonathan EigStephen Graham Jones' worksSchool Spirits---NetflixAndor---Disney+Arcane---NetflixSunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsGlitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story---Prime VideoTaskmaster---YouTubeWould I Lie to You? ---YouTubeN.K. Jemisin's worksTana French's worksJordan Ifueko's worksThe Diplomacy of the Knife by C.M. CaplanCello's Gate by Maurice AfrichJendia Gammon's worksRebecca Crunden's worksAlison Cochrun's worksSoultaming the Serpent by Tar AtorePetition by Delilah WaanHaroun and the Study of Mischief by Lynn StrongAshes Fall at Dawn by Kara M. ZoneOne Shot by A.C. WonderlandThe Dresden Files by Jim ButcherLegenborn by Tracy DeonnSupport the showBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Should the Floating Hotel be called a “space cruise ship”? Why Veronica can't make change. Tom tries not to insult Stephen's intelligence. And hoorah for N. K. Jemisin!

Fresh off the release of her book Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of Color, Joy Sanchez-Taylor joins the podcast to discuss Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, a landmark book in SFF. Lots to talk about here: in terms of how the entire trilogy is tackling ideas about race and oppression, Jemisin’s approach to structure and genre categories, and The Fifth Season’s significance and ongoing legacy. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Joy Sanchez-Taylor Title: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of Color Routledge Handbook of Co-Futurisms Dispelling Fantasies: Author of Color Re-Imagine a Genre Ibi Zoboi's Skin Examples of YA novels in verse from the Boston Public Library Liliana Colanzi You Glow in the Dark, translated by Chris Andrews Center for Fiction Brooklyn Puppygate Jemisin’s 2018 Hugo Acceptance Speech Sylvia Moreno Garcia, Nnedi Okorafor, Nghi Vo Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy, The City We Became Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone Moses Ose Utomi’s The Lies of the Ajungo Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” Octavia E. Butler’s Parable series The Elder Scrolls games Morrowind & Skyrim Jemisin on race in Skyrim Marlon James’ Black Leopard, Red Wolf Latinx Visions Conference, Nov 3-7 Marianna Enriquez Ananda Lima's Craft Colson Whitehead, Amal El-Mohtar Nghi Vo's Singing Hills & The City In Glass Joy’s Bluesky Suzan Palumbo, Zig Zag Claybourne VICFA World Fantasy Convention  

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on a pair of empathy games, Papers, Please and Cart Life. We spend some more time with Melanie and her coffee hut before turning to our takeaways, shared between both games. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Several days of Cart Life Issues covered: the tutorialization in the Melanie story, a whole functioning town, replaying the first few days, real world flexibility, entering a potential failure state, adding parenting into the mix, encountering a bug, reading deeply into the simulation, having a meaningful experience without a systemic backing, supporting the illusion of systems, being forced to have your daughter go to her dad's, bugs and not being sure, losing Andrus's cat, dream sequences, having trouble wanting to play the game, adventure game topics and language, high pressure time, topics in other games, keywords, production economy, words as an inventory, life under capitalism vs authoritarianism, depriving a character of connection, choosing coffee due to life choices, not taking baristas for granted, useful friction and life, min/maxing the simulator vs trying to experiment with it, the horror of retail, opportunities for connection, making the game or life go more quickly, getting OCD with espresso, the physical repetitive tasks, "playing anything," what motivates play and games, being naturally empathetic with the character, choosing an abstract aesthetic, production techniques for lo-fi heart and enabling creativity, being glad that such games exist, tactility of game elements, abstraction and QTEs, Easter eggs.  Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: BioStats, CalamityNolan, Samuel Jackson, Pulp Fiction, Twine, The Walking Dead, David Lynch, Dark Souls, Ultima (series), Her Story, Sam Barlow, Hal Barwood, Return of the Obra Dinn, Mad Libs, howling dogs, WarCraft, Gilmore Girls, The Sims (series), Skyrim, Typing Tutor, Sabrina Carpenter, Receiver, Ian Bogost, Play Anything, Power Washing Simulator, Kim Jung Gi, Sierra, The Last of Us, Cleo 5 to 7, Jeanne Dielman, Chantal Ackerman, David Cage, God of War, Outer Wilds, Passage, Brad, Jason Rohrer, N. K. Jemisin, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: BioStats and CalamityNolan's interview with another host Twitch: timlongojr and twinsunscorp Discord  DevGameClub@gmail.com 

Na primeira semana de agosto, ganhei um presentão e nem foi de Dia dos Pais. Fui convidado pela Pina a passar 20 minutos com o escritor estadunidense Ted Chiang e perguntar sobre tecnologia, IA, arte e por que temos medo do futuro. No dia seguinte, Chiang falou para uma plateia de 80 pessoas na Casa Manioca e lá estava eu mais uma vez encontrando o cara que é dos meus maiores ídolos na literatura, parte de uma nova geração de escritores de sci-fi e fantasia que não contam apenas a história do homem branco genial que precisa vencer obstáculos para concretizar sua genialidade, que também tem nomes como N.K. Jemisin, Robin Sloan, R.F. Kuang, Nnedi Okorafor e muito mais gente legal. (Ou nem tão nova assim, Chiang nasceu em 1967.)A conversa foi o empurrão que faltava para voltar com o Boa Noite Internet neste segundo semestre, que você escuta agora em toda sua glória… em língua inglesa, porque Chiang não speak Brazilian.Nada tema! A seguir, você encontra a tradução da nossa conversa. Mas o podcast não traz só nossos 20 minutos de papo, mas outras conversas que tivemos sem microfone durante os dois dias de Chiangpalooza. Falamos de criatividade, tecnologia e o que nos faz humanos (spoiler: a arte). Nesta conversa, Chiang apresenta a visão da professora Anna Rogers sobre diferentes usos da IA para escrita, como “incômodo” ou como “pensamento”. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boanoiteinternet.com.br/subscribe

Murder threatens to tear the Nuveen comm apart, in part two of our playthrough of Green Ronin's forthcoming "The Fifth Season - Roleplaying in the Stillness" TTRPG, based on the "Broken Earth" trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

We build characters and a community for Green Ronin's new TTRPG: Fifth Season - Role-Playing in the Stillness based on the Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin! Or check the episode out on YouTube, including peeks at some of this game's beautiful art!

Welcome back to the Spun Today podcast! In this episode, Tony Ortiz dives deep into the creative process, taking you behind the scenes of his own writing journey. This is a special “free writing session” episode, where Tony shares his candid writing stats—celebrating the progress, confronting the setbacks, and reflecting on what it really takes to pursue your creative goals. Tony opens up about the challenges of working on his second novel, the importance of letting go of perfectionism, and the power of the so-called “zero-th draft” approach, inspired by N.K. Jemisin's masterclass on writing. You'll hear about his ongoing project of translating his book "Make Way for You" into Spanish with a little help from AI, and how tracking writing habits can be both humbling and motivating. This episode also highlights a practical writing tip from Naomi Kanakia, explores key takeaways from his recent read—Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me"—and offers concrete strategies for building worlds and characters in your own fiction. As always, Tony wraps up with an honest, unfiltered free writing piece from his personal notebooks, inviting you to reflect on missed opportunities and the importance of showing up for your craft. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this episode is packed with real talk, motivational gems, and creative fuel to help you push past self-doubt and get those words on the page. Stick around—you're bound to leave feeling inspired and ready to tackle your next writing session.   Check out all free-writing pieces at: spuntoday.com/freewriting.      The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope.  Give it a whirl.      Twitter: https://twitter.com/spuntoday  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spuntoday   Website: http://www.spuntoday.com/home  Newsletter: http://www.spuntoday.com/subscribe      Links referenced in this episode:       Writing advice from Naomi Kanakia: The future of fiction | https://post.substack.com/p/the-future-of-fiction?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=737237&post_id=163677104&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=z2d6v&triedRedirect=true   Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the world and Me: https://amzn.to/4fkVmYz   N.K. Jemisin's Masterclass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/n-k-jemisin-teaches-fantasy-and-science-fiction-writing   Have you Squandered Opportunities? https://www.spuntoday.com/freewriting/squanderedopportunities   Get your Podcast Started Today! https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN  (Use Promo code SPUN and get up to 2-months of free service!)   Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show! https://www.spuntoday.com/support   Check out my Books Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way   FRACTAL – A Time Travel Tale Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories http://www.spuntoday.com/books/ (e-Book, Paperback & Hardcover are now available).   Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you're passionate about your craft.  I'll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/    Shop on Amazon using this link, to support the Podcast: https://amzn.to/4km592l      Shop on iTunes using this link, to support the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?genreId=38&id=27820&popId=42&uo=10   Shop at the Spun Today store for Mugs, Notebooks, T-Shirts and more: https://spuntoday-shop.fourthwall.com/   Music: https://www.purple-planet.com   Outro Background Music: https://www.bensound.com   Spun Today Logo by: https://www.naveendhanalak.com/   Sound effects are credited to: http://www.freesfx.co.uk   Listen on: ApplePodcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts | YouTube | Website

We explore the world of N.K. Jemisin's "Broken Earth" trilogy, inthe first part of our two part playthrough of Green Ronin's forthcoming "Fifth Season" Roleplaying Game. Expect rules mistakes.

N.K. Jemisin is a New York Times-bestselling science fiction and fantasy writer. She's a Brooklynite, the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the first author to win three Best Novel Hugos in a row. We talked to her about Octavia Butler's influence on her writing, and how she processes the present moment in her own fiction.You can read a transcript of this episode on our website, and check out our booklist with titles from Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and more! 

In these unfathomable moments, when the world seems to be falling apart—we often turn to stories for guidance. For the folks in Southern California earlier this year, that story was Parable of the Sower. Readers are returning to the book today because it shows us how speculation – and Afrofuturism in particular – can help us move through the world with our eyes open. Read a transcript of this episode on our website.Check out our booklist with titles from Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and more! Learn more about how you can help Octavia's Bookshelf in Altadena by supporting their Patreon. And, you can check out the Altadena Community Land Trust.If you're in California, check out Ode to ‘Dena: Black Artistic Legacies of Altadena,' an exhibit at the California African American Museum that features Nikki High and others.Listen to Octavia's Parables, a podcast from adrienne maree brown and Toshi Reagan that follows the Parable books, or Jessica Bethel's League of Extraordinary Readers podcast. You can also check out her virtual book club, Literature Noir, or Toshi Reagan's opera based on the Parable books.

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is this week's guest, to talk about his latest book, Black Panther: The Intergalactic Empire Of Wakanda, African authors, science fiction and more! In more detail; Mike & Suyi first talk about Suyi incorporates “twoness” in his writing and his implementation of it in the Black Panther novel and how it's similar, and different, to the comic run by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The duo also talk about Suyi's relationship with Black Panther, how the Black Panther movie changed the landscape of science fiction, especially for African authors, favourite characters to write, how BP influenced Suyi's other writing (& vice versa), the biggest challenges in writing the novel, and so much more, including music's impact on Suyi's writing process, Suyi's quote of “Imagining Futures By Reimagining Histories”! This is the perfect conversation for fans of writing, diverse perspectives, music, and of course; Black Panther! Find Suyi's Black Panther novel here: www.penguin.co.uk/books/458095/marvel-black-panther-the-intergalactic-empire-of-wakanda-by-okungbowa-suyi-davies/9781529914276 Keep up to date with Suyi @SuyiDavies on Instagram or at his website: https://suyidavies.com Suyi's foundation: The Literary Laddership For Emerging African Authors: https://suyidavies.com/fellowship Suyi's recent novella is Lost Ark Dreaming and his trilogy; The Nameless Republic will conclude with Season of The Serpent in 2026. His debut novel is David Mogo Godhunter and he's also written for Stranger Things, Minecraft and more! Suyi mentioned the Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin and towards the end Mike mentioned Kwame Mbalia and the Black Boy Joy short story collection that Suyi also contributed towards. Thanks to Tony Holt Jr for his essay comparing Invisible Man to The Intergalactic Empire Of Wakanda and for AR Farina & Tonya Todd for publishing it in Comics Lit Volume 1: https://accomplishinginnovationpress.com/product/comics-lit-vol-1 Check out Mike's in-depth reviews, breakdowns & things you missed episodes of Season 2 of Andor, on any podcast app or on YouTube: https://podfollow.com/starwarschitchat & https://youtube.com/@starwarschitchat All Patreons have been receiving bonus episodes, including a Thunderbolts, Superman III and Superman IV review, as well as early access and more! Support at www.patreon.com/GenuineChitChat or https://ko-fi.com/GenuineChitChat The last episode of GCC was a preview of the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival and the week before that was Mike's review of the 1985 movie Young Sherlock Holmes, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus! It's the 40th Anniversary of the movie and as Mike is attending the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, where a special showing (& cast Q&A) is happening, he wanted to give the movie a go beforehand! From 28th May to 1st June, Mike & Spider-Dan will be at the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival to cover all 5 days of the event and hopefully interview some attendees! They talk about some of the films they'll be reviewing, their podcasts covering it released over the 5 days and more, all in the last week of May, for more information, visit www.forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk Guest Spots: Another episode of Disney Discussions is out where Mike spoke about Lilo & Stitch 1 & 2 with Megan, Spider-Dan, Ria & guest Natalie! https://tinyurl.com/2bs7kker Mike recently reviewed Superman '78, Superman II and the Super/Man documentary on the 20th Century Geek podcast: https://pod.fo/e/2bea07 Mike was on Reckless Rebellion to talk about Andor's Prison Arc from S1, listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2c28cc Find all of Mike's social media & other links at https://linktr.ee/GenuineChitChat Please review/rate, subscribe and share – it helps the show out an incredible amount!  

Today we bring you a masterclass in audiobook narration and acting with acclaimed actor, casting director, audiobook narrator and audiobook director, Robin Miles. Miles has narrated over 500 audiobooks, collecting numerous industry awards and, in 2017, was added to the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. She's the most recognizable voice in literary Afrofuturism, having interpreted books by Octavia E. Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, N.K. Jemisin, and Nnedi Okorafor. Miles holds a BA and an MFA from Yale. She has taught young actors and narrators at conservatories across the country and she has an amazing talent for doing accents—something we really dig deep into on this podcast. In this conversation we talk about technique, the audiobook industry, and the politics of vocal representation. How do we avoid the misrepresentation of marginalized people on the one hand and vocal typecasting on the other? For our Patrons we have almost an hour of additional content, including our What's Good segment where Robin unsurprisingly makes some really great book recommendations! If you want hear all the bonus content, just go to patreon.com/phantompower. Membership starts at just three dollars a month and helps pay the expenses of producing the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

Today we bring you a masterclass in audiobook narration and acting with acclaimed actor, casting director, audiobook narrator and audiobook director, Robin Miles. Miles has narrated over 500 audiobooks, collecting numerous industry awards and, in 2017, was added to the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. She's the most recognizable voice in literary Afrofuturism, having interpreted books by Octavia E. Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, N.K. Jemisin, and Nnedi Okorafor. Miles holds a BA and an MFA from Yale. She has taught young actors and narrators at conservatories across the country and she has an amazing talent for doing accents—something we really dig deep into on this podcast. In this conversation we talk about technique, the audiobook industry, and the politics of vocal representation. How do we avoid the misrepresentation of marginalized people on the one hand and vocal typecasting on the other? For our Patrons we have almost an hour of additional content, including our What's Good segment where Robin unsurprisingly makes some really great book recommendations! If you want hear all the bonus content, just go to patreon.com/phantompower. Membership starts at just three dollars a month and helps pay the expenses of producing the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today we bring you a masterclass in audiobook narration and acting with acclaimed actor, casting director, audiobook narrator and audiobook director, Robin Miles. Miles has narrated over 500 audiobooks, collecting numerous industry awards and, in 2017, was added to the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. She's the most recognizable voice in literary Afrofuturism, having interpreted books by Octavia E. Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, N.K. Jemisin, and Nnedi Okorafor. Miles holds a BA and an MFA from Yale. She has taught young actors and narrators at conservatories across the country and she has an amazing talent for doing accents—something we really dig deep into on this podcast. In this conversation we talk about technique, the audiobook industry, and the politics of vocal representation. How do we avoid the misrepresentation of marginalized people on the one hand and vocal typecasting on the other? For our Patrons we have almost an hour of additional content, including our What's Good segment where Robin unsurprisingly makes some really great book recommendations! If you want hear all the bonus content, just go to patreon.com/phantompower. Membership starts at just three dollars a month and helps pay the expenses of producing the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

This week, we kick off our new exhibit and content initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture with four writers of speculative fiction: N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, Nnedi Okorafor, and Nghi Vo. Moderated by Michi Trota, the panel of authors discuss religion in their writing, the importance of considering socio-spiritual systems when world-building, [...]

https://www.humanrestorationproject.org/conference “True light is dependent on the presence of other lights. Take the others away and darkness results. Yet the reverse is not true: take away darkness and there is only more darkness. Darkness can exist by itself. Light cannot.” ― N.K. Jemisin, The Broken Kingdoms (as read by Zoe Bee)In stressful, uncertain times, when cynical powers attempt to divide and isolate us, community and solidarity are acts of resistance. But there are no superheroes here, and no simple answers to be found, only the Quest for Connection. In 2025, we're responding to the need for community and solidarity in uncertain times by turning Conference to Restore Humanity into a model for humanizing critical discourse and dialogue: bringing together students and teachers, researchers and doers, thinkers and visionaries to explore complex topics in education and illuminate a path forward together.Our virtual Conference to Restore Humanity 2025 runs July 21st through the 23rd. To make this year as accessible and sustainable as ever, we've cut the ticket price to just $50. You can learn more about Conference to Humanity and register on our website at humanrestorationproject.org/conferenceNebula Nostalgia by FSM Team feat. < e s c p > | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.htmlhttps://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Ep. 194, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and Sarah head back to the year 2017 in the book world with this second annual special retrospective episode!  They share big bookish highlights for that year, including book news, award winners, and what was going on in the world outside of reading. They also talk about how their own 2017 reading shook out, including their favorite 2017 releases.  Plus, a quick run-down of listener-submitted favorites!  This episode is overflowing with great backlist titles to add to your TBR!   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights The big news that was going on outside the book world. The book stories and trends that dominated 2017. How similar 2017 and 2025 are. The 2017 books that have had staying power.⁠ Was this as dismal a year in books as Sarah remembers? Sarah's and Catherine's personal 2017 reading stats.⁠ Listener-submitted favorites from 2017.⁠ Bookish Time Capsule (2017) [2:12] The World Beyond Books No books mentioned in this segment. The Book Industry Wonder by R. J. Palacio (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [9:59] Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:04] A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[10:40] The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:44] Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [12:08] My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [12:18] The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:03] If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:13] We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:23] Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:46] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:48] The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:50] Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [14:57] Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [15:03] James by Percival Everett (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [15:04] Bookish Headlines and Trends Becoming by Michelle Obama (2018) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [20:41] A Promised Land by Barack Obama (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [20:43] The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (2006) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:48] My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [23:04] The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:31] Big Books and Award Winners of 2017 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [26:01] Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [26:06] The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:21] Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [26:27] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [26:48] Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:09] The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [28:39] Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [29:23] Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:40] Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [31:31] Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2008) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:09] Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:51] Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:16] Normal People by Sally Rooney (2018) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:41] Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:32] Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:38] Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:09] The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [35:52] What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:56] Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:21] The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:45] Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [38:04] The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, 3) by N. K. Jemisin (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:30]  Our Top Books of 2017 The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:46] Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:20] Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:22] Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:02] If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:16] Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolitio (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:23] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:36] This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:38] Trophy Son by Douglas Brunt (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:48] White Fur by Jardine Libaire (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [43:05] Final Girls by Riley Sager (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:38] Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:44] Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:46] Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:49] The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:10] Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:15] Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:19] The Heirs by Susan Rieger (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:34] The Takedown by Corrie Wang (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [47:53] Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:01] Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:09] Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org   [48:17] Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:28] The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:33] Listeners' Top Books of 2017 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [49:33] Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:51] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:03] The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[50:07] Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [50:13] Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:15] The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [50:18] The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [50:24] This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:25] Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:27]

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories and two poems the celebrate the power and mystery of reading and writing.  Billy Collins contributes magical verse from two perspectives in “Books” read by Kirsten Vangsness, and “Dear Reader,” performed by Dion Graham.   N.K. Jemisin entices us with a tricky narrative that contemplates the cost of literary celebrity. It's read by Yetide Badaki.And at least one character in Ian McEwan's “My Purple Scented Novel” wants celebrity at all costs.  It's read by Tony Hale. 

Send us a textEvil Earth!! Hannah and Laura are at the end of the world and the end of The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. They discuss their final thoughts on the series as a whole and try to pick their favorite moments and characters. They also go on the longest tangent about how much they enjoy Orbit books.**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin.**Media Mentions:The Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinThe Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinJRR Tolkien's worksRobert Jordan's worksBrandon Sanderson's worksJohn Gwynne's worksFonda Lee's worksThe Sword of Kaigen by M.L. WangJane the Virgin---NetflixGilmore Girls---NetflixOathbound by Tracy DeonnBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Send us a textHannah and Laura have reached the end of the world and the end of N.K. Jemisin's The Stone Sky. They discuss the characters and themes of the novel and try not to get too deep. They also chat about reigniting popular fandoms, effective world building, and movies about rats.**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at: 47 min 18 secs. ***CW for the episode: discussions of toxic masculinity, violence, abuse, infanticide, abusive relationships, apocalyptic events, climate change, severe weather, colonialism, racism, neglect, death, pregnancy, cannibalism, sexual abuse* Media Mentions: The Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim---MaxThe Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings series---MaxMufasa---Disney+Moana---Disney+Mad Max: Fury Road---NetflixThe Marvels---Disney+The Exorcist---AppleTVLady Bird---MaxAlien---HuluStar Wars---Disney+Wingspan the board gameRoot the board gameFlamecraft the board gameBlack Sun by Rebecca RoanhorseAs Good As Dead by Holly JacksonStrange the Dreamer by Laini TaylorDune by Frank HerbertOathbound by Tracy DeonnThe Reluctant Coroner by Paul Austin ArdoinThe Secret of NIHM---Prime VideoThe Secret World of Arrietty---MaxThe Dresden Files by Jim ButcherBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Send us a textHannah and Laura are learning about the end of the world by finishing up their coverage of the plot of N.K. Jemisin's The Stone Sky! They also chat about The Hunger Games prequels, adapting British books for American audiences, a SPFBO finalist, and accurate lion fighting scenes.**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at 33 mins and 40 secs.***CW for the episode: discussions of violence, trauma, abuse, abusive relationships, pregnancy, infanticide, death, climate events, severe weather, blood, apocalyptic events**Apologies for some technical issues on Laura's end.*Media Mentions:The Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinOathbound by Tracy DeonnRunelight by J.A. AndrewsOrbital by Samantha HarveyMufasa---Disney+Abbott Elementary---HuluThe Good Wife---HuluThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsSunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne CollinsCatching Fire by Suzanne CollinsMockingjay by Suzanne CollinsGood Girl, Bad Blood by Holly JacksonThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes---StarzBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

This week we take a shambling and rambling look at Green Ronin's forthcoming "Fifth Season" roleplaying game, based on N.K. Jemisin's multi-award winning "Broken Earth" trilogy.

Send us a textHannah and Laura are moving forward within N.K. Jemisin's The Stone Sky and they are loving this complex world and its themes. They also chat about a speculative fiction book Laura read for book club, a book that Hannah couldn't bring herself to DNF, library scavenger hunts, and a popular TV show they think everyone should watch.**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at: 42 min 19 secs.***CW for the episode: discussions of violence, murder, abuse, apocalyptic events, sexism, capitalism, gore, bullying, trauma, racism, genocide, colonialism, othering*Media Mentions: The Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinOryx and Crake by Margaret AtwoodThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Testaments by Margaret AtwoodThe Robber Bride by Margaret AtwoodParable of the Sower by Octavia ButlerThe Vanishing Half by Brit BennettThe Stand by Stephen KingYear One by Nora RobertsLost---HuluAdolescence---NetflixThe Insatiable Volt Sisters by Rachel Eve MoultonThe Life Impossible by Matt HaigThe Midnight Library by Matt HaigCrying in H Mart by Michelle ZaunerCello's Gate by Maurice AfrichOathbound by Tracy DeonnBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about secret spaces and what they represent. In N. K. Jemisin's speculative fantasy “Elevator Dancer,” a security guard in a totalitarian regime is beguiled by an act of freedom. The reader is Laura Gómez. And Hugh Dancy reads Greg Jackson's “The Hollow,” about a secret room, a purposeless life, and a guy who can't stop talking about Vincent Van Gogh.

Send us a textHannah and Laura are at the beginning of the end, covering the final book in N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, The Stone Sky! Things are continuing to complicate and come together for the characters in their quest to bring back the moon, and Hannah and Laura do their best to keep up with it all. They also chat about a new favorite book of Laura's, video games Hannah is loving, and being drawn to certain genres of books seasonally.Media Mentions:The Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinAbbott Elementary---HuluSt. Denis Medical---PeacockThe Shadow of the Gods by John GwynneHollow Knight video gameCeleste video gameGreta & Valdin by Rebecca K ReillyFranny & Zooey by J.D. SalingerThe Singles Table by Sara DesaiYellowjackets---Paramount+Hardball---Pluto TVThe Mighty Ducks---Disney+Now and Then---TubiRemember the Titans---Disney+Crazy Ex-Girlfriend---CWBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Send us a textHannah and Laura are wrapping up their discussion of N.K. Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate by discussing the book's characters and themes. They also chat about book club reads, axolotls, turtles, and overcoming anxiety/fears to do things.**This episode contains SPOILERS for The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at 27 min 12 secs. ***CW for the episode: discussions of violence, sexism, manipulation, mental illness, racism, xenophobia, death, murder, climate change, apocalyptic events, trauma, parenthood, parental trauma, generational trauma, abuse. **Apologies for some technical issues.Media Mentions: The Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinThe Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinParable of the Sower by Octavia E. ButlerWingspan the board gameInto the Riverlands by Nghi VoWorld of Wonders by Aimee NezhukumatathilThe Master of Disguise---TubiSchitt's Creek---HuluThe Cell--Prime VideoSelena---TubiE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial---Prime VideoJujutsu Kaisen---HuluBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

In Ep. 188, we are kicking off our new “Best of…” series with Sarah's Bookshelves Live team member, Chrissie, for the Best of Fantasy. Today, Chrissie brings you her all-time top ten favorite fantasy novels. Also, as a long-time reader and evangelizer of the genre, Chrissie talks about how she started reading fantasy, the wide scope of the genre, and ways those new to fantasy might jump in! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights How Chrissie got started reading fantasy. What draws her to the fantasy genre. From sci-fi fantasy to epic, high fantasy, Chrissie talks about the wide scope of the genre. Her favorite sub-genres and what doesn't work for her. Chrissie's All-Time Top Ten Fantasy Books [16:36] The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [17:44] A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[22:11] The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [27:24] The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:10] A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [35:36] Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [37:35] Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock (1991) | Amazon | Bookshop.org   [39:58] The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst (2016) | Amazon | Bookshop.org   [42:15] Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (2001) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [44:16] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [46:40] High-Profile Fantasy Books That Did Not She Didn't Love [48:39]  A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:52] Babel by R. F. Kuang (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [50:55] Other Books Mentioned Fourth Wing (2023) [25:07] Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2012) [25:43] Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews (1979) [26:36] Heaven by V. C. Andrews (1985) [26:46] The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (June 2025) [31:27] A Game of Thrones (1996) by George R. R. Martin ([33:04]) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (2011) [33:09] The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss (TBD) [33:15] A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (1982) [37:16] Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020) [39:46] Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (2005) [50:03] The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness (2024) [50:28] Books from Our Discussion Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (1997) [4:23]  Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (1952) [6:23]  Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (1971) [6:26]   The Dream Book by Meg Wolitzer (1987) [6:37]  The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024) [11:15]  11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) [12:10]  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (1950) [12:30]  The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954) [14:29] The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937) [14:30]   The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979) [15:36] 

Send us a textHannah and Laura are covering the final third of the plot of N.K. Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate and are navigating all the things that are ramping up in the Stillness. They also chat about a movie that made Laura cry and Hannah baffles Laura by describing the plots of J-Lo movies.***This episode contains SPOILERS for The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at: 37 min 45 secs.*****Content Warnings for the episode: discussions of murder, death, violence, racism, xenophobia, poverty, extreme climate events, abuse, Media Mentions:The Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinSpiderman: No Way Home---HuluMarvel Cinematic Universe---Disney+The Midnight Feast by Lucy FoleyMy Favorite Murder podcastMaid in Manhattan---NetflixEnough---Prime VideoHowl's Moving Castle---MaxSpirited Away---MaxMy Neighbor Totoro---MaxPonyo---MaxKiki's Delivery Service---MaxDianna Wynne Jones's worksThe Fall Is All There Is by C.M. CaplanThe Diplomacy of the Knife by C.M. CaplanBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

Send us a textHannah and Laura are covering the middle section of The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin! Things are getting more complicated, and they do their best to keep things sorted. They also chat about book titles being misleading, historical books that are fun to read, and a zany show about a haunted B&B. **This episode contains SPOILERS for The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin. Spoiler section begins at: 39 min 15 secs. ***CW for the episode: discussions of murder, violence, climate events, manipulation, abuse, bullying, death, generational trauma **Apologies for some audio issues on Hannah's end. *Media Mentions-The Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinThe Obelisk Gate by N.K. JemisinFrieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito YamadaThat Librarian by Amanda JonesDon't Laugh At Me A Child Called It by Dave PelzerSNL 50---PeacockSNL---PeacockAll That---Paramount PlusFriends---MaxMarvel Cinematic Universe---Disney+The Dana Carvey Show---TubiConclave---PeacockThe Demon of Unrest by Erik LarsonDeadwake by Erik LarsonIn the Garden of the Beasts by Erik LarsonDevil in the White City by Erik LarsonThe Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly JacksonGhosts---Paramount PlusHowl's Moving Castle---MaxBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter (updates only): @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsBlueSky: @myyypod

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three works of speculative fiction curated by best-selling author N.K. Jemisin. In John Scalzi's “When the Yogurt Took Over” a popular breakfast staple decides it's good for everyone. The reader is Jin Ha. Chatbots and A.I. can be helpful––but sometimes too helpful––as we hear in Alexandra Chang's “Me and My Algo,” read by Catherine Cohen. And Jemisin herself reworks a classic by Ursula K. Le Guin in “The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” read by Teagle F. Bougere. Excerpts from Jemisin's onstage remarks are included in this show.