Podcast appearances and mentions of Madeline Ashby

A group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island. Madeline Ashby chats about GLASS HOUSES, women in tech, and probing the AI future.

Madeline Ashby is a freelance futurist and author of Glass Houses, a near-future sci-fi thriller about creepy tech, creepier tech bros, and the woman who dares challenge both. The first Unfrozen interview with a novelist takes us on a journey to desert islands, bland design-hotel furniture, evil architecture tropes, and much more. -- Intro/Outro: "I am not a woman, I am a god," by Halsey -- Show Notes: - Previous work: - Company Town - The Machine Dynasty series - Strategic Foresight and Innovation Program - OCAD University - The Old Dark House, 1932 - Institute for the Future - Age of Networked Matter - Haunted Objects, Greg and Dana Newkirk - Major inspo: Michael Mann movies Heat Manhunter - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - David Cronenberg's Brutalist Toronto - Toshiya Ueno and "Cultural Odorlessness" - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross collaboration on Halsey's 2021 album "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power." - The tendency of AI to generate from the baseline average of all things on the internet - usually porn, maybe hentai - "Domestic Violence," Madeline Ashby, Slate, 2018 - Samantha Bee - "Excuse Me, Do You Have a Moment to Talk About Canada?" - Network states - Augmented Cities, Cornell Tech - The decline of dating apps and replacement by AI bot boyfriends and girlfriends / The fracking of human consciousness - DARVO - Movie version would almost certainly star Kristen Bell or Kristen Stewart

Science fiction author and futurist Madeline Ashby helps us understand why Hollywood's future belongs to people - not machines.

Madeline Ashby, futurist and WIRED contributor joins Offline to talk about her recent piece “Hollywood's Future Belongs to People — Not Machines." She and Jon discuss how the entertainment industry is “unbundling,” the role of art in creating social cohesion, and the hubris of TV execs who think AI will deliver content that is fast, good AND cheap. Then, Jon and Max discuss the decline of streaming and subscription models, how AI could be used by reporters, and the problem with community leaders being replaced by sh*tposters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Madeline Ashby on watching the fringes, finding common threads, sensing and sensemaking, and using murder walls

The Sestras take the fight to Blythe, and the lives of all clones change forever.   Episode written by Madeline Ashby. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm. Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is a Realm production. Listen away. Brought to you by BetterHelp. Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health at betterhelp.com/orphanblack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alison and Donnie have a close call filming their reality show. Felix is presented with a surprising opportunity.  Episode written by Madeline Ashby. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm. Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is a Realm production. Listen away. Brought to you by BetterHelp. Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health at betterhelp.com/orphanblack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer, futurist, speaker, teacher, and immigrant living in Toronto. She is represented by Cooke McDermid, and UTA. Her fiction has appeared in Nature, Tesseracts, Escape Pod, FLURB, the Shine Anthology, and elsewhere. Her essays have appeared at BoingBoing, io9, WorldChanging, and The Atlantic. Her fiction has appeared in Slate, MIT Technology Review, Clarkesworld, and multiple anthologies. Madeline has worked with Intel Labs, the World Health Organization, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Nesta, Data & Society, The Atlantic Council, Changeist, and others. She has spoken at SXSW, FutureEverything, MozFest, and other events. I'm currently reading her and Scott Smith's book ‘How to Future' and they help people understand how to think and what to do. You can read more about Madeline at - https://madelineashby.com/ See more of Nikolas' writing at www.nikolasbadminton.com

Madeline Ashby is a futurist, writer, speaker and teacher. She is best known for her successful series of science-fiction novels, including the bestseller ‘Company Town,' the ‘Machine Dynasty' series, and a number of short stories. In 2020, Madeline co-authored her first non-fiction book, ‘How To Future: Leading and Sense-Making in an Age of Hyperchange' - and has worked in the futurism space for the World Health Organisation, the Ontario government and Intel Labs. In this conversation, Madeline recalls what attracted her to the world of futurism, including what the term means to her; discusses the impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on business and technology; and explores the different possible landscapes of the future, explaining why it was so important to make understanding the possibilities, accessible to all. 

Castle Bridge Media presents a Zoom panel on the new Castle of Horror Anthology book, Thinly Veiled: the 70s (https://amzn.to/3xpqKya). Enter a very strange wing of the Castle of Horror-- a wing of reflections of the familiar. Specifically: reflections of the 1970s, from TV sitcoms like THE ODD COUPLE to films like HALLOWEEN and THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. But every one of them-- from the mismatched roommate bachelors to the bus-traveling pop star family-- are all "thinly veiled" and sent into a horror story of their own. See if you can recognize them all! Featuring stories from Jason Henderson, In Churl Yo, Henry Herz, Alethea Kontis, Scott Pearson, Madeline Ashby, John Pritchard, James A Moore, Rob Nisbet, Dennis K. Crosby, Heath W. Shelby, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Tony Jones, Bryan Young, and Charles R. Rutledge. Hosted by editor Jason Henderson.

Castle Bridge Media presents a Zoom panel on the new Castle of Horror Anthology book, Thinly Veiled: the 70s (https://amzn.to/3xpqKya). Enter a very strange wing of the Castle of Horror-- a wing of reflections of the familiar. Specifically: reflections of the 1970s, from TV sitcoms like THE ODD COUPLE to films like HALLOWEEN and THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. But every one of them-- from the mismatched roommate bachelors to the bus-traveling pop star family-- are all "thinly veiled" and sent into a horror story of their own. See if you can recognize them all! Featuring stories from Jason Henderson, In Churl Yo, Henry Herz, Alethea Kontis, Scott Pearson, Madeline Ashby, John Pritchard, James A Moore, Rob Nisbet, Dennis K. Crosby, Heath W. Shelby, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Tony Jones, Bryan Young, and Charles R. Rutledge. Hosted by editor Jason Henderson.

Alison and Donnie's undercover mission takes them to tantalizing places and Vivi talks to the sestras.  Episode written by Madeline Ashby. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm. Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is a Realm production. Listen away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer, futurist, speaker, teacher, and immigrant living in Toronto.   Madeline Ashby has worked with Intel Labs, the World Health Organization, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Nesta, Data & Society, The Atlantic Council, Changeist, and others. She has spoken at SXSW, FutureEverything, MozFest, and other events. Her essays have appeared at BoingBoing, io9, WorldChanging, The Atlantic, MISC Magazine, and FutureNow. Her fiction has appeared in Slate, MIT Technology Review, Clarkesworld, and multiple anthologies. She is a member of the XPRIZE Science Fiction Advisory Council and the AI Policy Futures Group at the ASU Center for Science and the Imagination. She is the author of the Machine Dynasty novels. Her novel Company Town was a Canada Reads finalist. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shobhana-viswanathan/support

Sarah meets Vivi, Charlotte's condition worsens, and one of Clone Club's worst fears becomes reality. Episode written by Madeline Ashby. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm. Orphan Black: The Next Chapter is a Realm production. Listen away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are pleased to present the first episode of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, a production of Realm.Narrated by Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany, the official continuation of the hit TV series continues the journey of the sestras and explores the dangerous, life-changing consequences of having destroyed Project Leda for good.WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Packed with dark secrets, cutting-edge science, and canon-friendly Cophine moments, it’s a Clone Club dream come true—or as Comicbook.com best puts it: “the sequel fans deserve.”Season 1 narrated by Tatiana Maslany and written by Malka Older, Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E.C. Myers, and Lindsay Smith. Season 2 written by Malka Older, Madeline Ashby, Heli Kennedy, Lindsay Smith, and E. C. Myers.https://www.realm.fm/shows/orphan-black

Orphan Black: The Next ChapterStarring Emmy award-winning actress Tatiana Maslany, Realm presents the official continuation of the... MORESeason 1 narrated by Tatiana Maslany and written by Malka Older, Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E.C. Myers, and Lindsay Smith.------------------Follow Orphan Black: The Next Chapter wherever you listen to podcasts.Visit: https://www.realm.fm/shows/orphan-black- - - - - - - - - -Find and support our sponsors at: fableandfolly.com/partners

The Iowa Idea: Scott Smith “How to Future” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by futurist and author Scott Smith. How to Future: Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange, co-authored with Madeline Ashby, was published in September 2020. I was introduced to Scott's work by friend and podcast guest Nick […]

Madeline Ashby is an American-Canadian science fiction writer and futurist, best known for her 2016 novel Company Town. She is a graduate of OCAD University's Master of Design in Strategic Foresight & Innovation. If you found this episode a worthy use of your time and is helping your futures brain bulk up, consider become a patron over at our Patreon — or you can offer a tip which is easy to do nowadays over at ko-fi.org/bleecker

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Madeline Ashby. Part 1 is Episode 006. Madeline Ashby is an American-Canadian science fiction writer and futurist, best known for her 2016 novel Company Town. She is a graduate of OCAD University's Master of Design in Strategic Foresight & Innovation. If you found this episode a worthy use of your time and is helping your futures brain bulk up, consider become a patron over at our Patreon — or you can offer a tip which is easy to do nowadays over at ko-fi.org/bleecker

"A professional summary and professional summaries, in general, tend to be these sort of really abstract statements." "There's no sort of connection to the human being. It could be anybody. I'm like, well, let's try to find a way where we can actually write these professional summaries that relate to the human being on this piece of paper." Megan Haupt.   Megan Haupt started career storytelling as an exercise to help people write their professional summaries. We talk about how working takes up a third of your life and many career paths are not linear but to do something significant with that time people benefit from being able to articulate how various strands connect. We talk about how she uses storytelling to get insights that clients have said to her after: 'I have never been able to think of myself in these terms'. We also chat about how having clarity around your story, is really helpful to apply specific interviewing techniques land different forms of behavioural interviewing. Megan and I also talk about her upcoming workshop Bad Boss Exorcism that uses a horror genre to help let go of bad experiences at work - as she says "everyone has a horror story to tell you about work".   Megan Haupt has over a decade of career coaching experience, working with clients at all stages of their careers. Her 25-year professional background spans from the performing arts to higher education, non-profits, and corporate business, and she has successfully navigated several industry changes throughout her career. In addition to her coaching work, she is a serial entrepreneur, public speaker, and business consultant. A long-time practitioner of meditation, Megan brings a practical approach of mindfulness to her work with clients. To learn more about Megan's professional background, visit her LinkedIn profile.   Connect with Megan: On LinkedIn https://www.briocareer.com/ http://www.hungryeducation.com/  Facebook: Brio Career    Resources: How to Future by Scott Smith with Madeline Ashby - https://changeist.com/ Deem - https://www.deemjournal.com/ Whetstone - https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/  Podcast on Future Self: https://extraordinarybusinessbooks.com/episode-247-speaking-to-the-future/ The Business Value of Autonomous Mobile Robots Report    

In this conversation, Philip spends time the authors of How To Future, Scott Smith and Madeline Ashby. The three of them dissect the lessons of the book How To Future and discuss how the roadmap outlined in their work applies to and shapes our notions of “futurism” The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip's Drop: * David Byrne's American Utopia (https://www.hbo.com/specials/american-utopia) Madeline's Drop: * Hench – Natalie Zina Walschots (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/hench-natalie-zina-walschots?variant=32123357921314) Scott's Drop: * Devs (https://medium.com/@changeist/in-devs-silicon-valley-gets-its-own-well-deserved-folk-horror-fa5a6f75bcc1) * Dark (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5753856/) * The Third Day (https://www.hbo.com/the-third-day) * If Then – Jill Lapore (https://scholar.harvard.edu/jlepore/publications/if-then-how-simulmatics-corporation-invented-future) Special Guests: Madeline Ashby and Scott Smith.

I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk with Madeline Ashby, author of several books and the Machine Dynasty trilogy. In our interview, we discussed her Jesuit roots, how she went from being a student of classics to writing the departmental thesis on sci-fi, and of course, her books. To get started with the Machine Dynasty series, order Vn HERE, or the Omnibus (the entire trilogy in one download) HERE. Her most recent book in the trilogy is ReV. We also discussed her nonfiction project: How to Future, written with Scott Smith. In How to Future, the authors discuss leading into the future without losing sight of the big picture. Like the podcast episode? You can "Buy me a Coffee" as a thank you! I'll even give you a free short story to show my gratitude. Thank you!The links you see are affiliate links that may provide me a small amount of income should you use them. I would always recommend that you shop at your local indie bookstore, but if you should shop Amazon.com, I would be very grateful if you use my links. Thank you!

Writers and readers of science fiction love stories about artificial intelligence, robots, and mechanical beings whose sentience mirrors, matches or exceeds that of humans. The stories stay fresh for the reasons stories about humans do—sentience confers individuality, which provides endless permutations for character and plot. Madeline Ashby’s trilogy, The Machine Dynasty, explores the limits of sentience, the meaning of free will, and what it means to look, act, and feel like a human but be denied basic human rights. Published in July, the third book, ReV (Angry Robot, 2020), shows readers the results of a final face-off between self-replicating humanoid robots and humans. That the robots, known as vN, want their freedom, is natural. What isn’t natural is the failsafe programmed into their consciousnesses that requires them to aid humans in distress or danger—or self-destruct. With the failsafe in place, humans use and abuse the vN as they please—as mates, sex objects, laborers. “The failsafe became a way to talk about free will and consent,” Ashby says. Robot stories are usually written from a human perspective, but Ashby tells the story from the perspectives of the vN. “There's a ton of science fiction stories about humans who can't tell robots apart from other humans. But there are very few stories about robots who can't tell humans apart from each other, or robots who are the ones judging what a human being actually is.” Rob Wolf is the host of New Books in Science Fiction and the author of The Alternate Universe and The Escape.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers and readers of science fiction love stories about artificial intelligence, robots, and mechanical beings whose sentience mirrors, matches or exceeds that of humans. The stories stay fresh for the reasons stories about humans do—sentience confers individuality, which provides endless permutations for character and plot. Madeline Ashby’s trilogy, The Machine Dynasty, explores the limits of sentience, the meaning of free will, and what it means to look, act, and feel like a human but be denied basic human rights. Published in July, the third book, ReV (Angry Robot, 2020), shows readers the results of a final face-off between self-replicating humanoid robots and humans. That the robots, known as vN, want their freedom, is natural. What isn’t natural is the failsafe programmed into their consciousnesses that requires them to aid humans in distress or danger—or self-destruct. With the failsafe in place, humans use and abuse the vN as they please—as mates, sex objects, laborers. “The failsafe became a way to talk about free will and consent,” Ashby says. Robot stories are usually written from a human perspective, but Ashby tells the story from the perspectives of the vN. “There's a ton of science fiction stories about humans who can't tell robots apart from other humans. But there are very few stories about robots who can't tell humans apart from each other, or robots who are the ones judging what a human being actually is.” Rob Wolf is the host of New Books in Science Fiction and the author of The Alternate Universe and The Escape.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers and readers of science fiction love stories about artificial intelligence, robots, and mechanical beings whose sentience mirrors, matches or exceeds that of humans. The stories stay fresh for the reasons stories about humans do—sentience confers individuality, which provides endless permutations for character and plot. Madeline Ashby’s trilogy, The Machine Dynasty, explores the limits of sentience, the meaning of free will, and what it means to look, act, and feel like a human but be denied basic human rights. Published in July, the third book, ReV (Angry Robot, 2020), shows readers the results of a final face-off between self-replicating humanoid robots and humans. That the robots, known as vN, want their freedom, is natural. What isn’t natural is the failsafe programmed into their consciousnesses that requires them to aid humans in distress or danger—or self-destruct. With the failsafe in place, humans use and abuse the vN as they please—as mates, sex objects, laborers. “The failsafe became a way to talk about free will and consent,” Ashby says. Robot stories are usually written from a human perspective, but Ashby tells the story from the perspectives of the vN. “There's a ton of science fiction stories about humans who can't tell robots apart from other humans. But there are very few stories about robots who can't tell humans apart from each other, or robots who are the ones judging what a human being actually is.” Rob Wolf is the host of New Books in Science Fiction and the author of The Alternate Universe and The Escape.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going through the teenage years is challenging to both confidence and identity. That’s why finding a way to understand how young people tick and how to bring out the best in them during this stage is so crucial. So in this episode, I’ll be talking with Madeline Ashby about how she works with young people to help them find their voice and grow strong communication skills. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.bobdepasquale.com/podcast/07

In today's episode of Signal Boost, Shaun Duke interviews the the wondrous Malka Older about the 1st season of Serial Box's Orphan Black, co-written with Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E.C. Myers, and Lindsay Smith! They discuss the incredible task of bringing a beloved TV show to the written form, the work it takes […]

Kameron Hurley (The Worldbreaker Saga) and Madeline Ashby (The Machine Dynasty) join our resident host and overlord, Eleanor Teasdale, to chat all things series-writing and how it's both wonderful and sucky at the same time. Some great tips also on tools to use in your own writing, as well as some – possibly spoilerish – discussion on the new Netflix show, The Witcher. Agree? Disagree? Let us know! Find this month's guests on Twitter: Kameron Hurley: @KameronHurley | Madeline Ashby: @MadelineAshby | Eleanor Teasdale: @Eteasdale And their amazing books here: Kameron Hurley – https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/kameron-hurley/ Madeline Ashby – https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/madeline-ashby/

Viral Content by Madeline Ashby - Take Us To A Better Place by RWJF

When our favourite television series come to an end on our screens, it doesn’t always mean goodbye. Firefly was revived with Serenity and Buffy the Vampire Slayer found a second life in a celebrated comic series (and yes, this happens for more than just Joss Whedon shows!). One of Breaking the Glass Slipper’s favourite shows […]

Scott Smith and Madeline Ashby recap the missing months since the last episode of Underfutures, discuss two live shows at me Convention; Scott interviews urbanist Anthony Townsend, author of the upcoming GHOST ROAD on the future of mobility. Links and notes: https://www.underfutures.com/home/episode-6-interdimensional-cat

Steph Sabraw, Shiksha Mahtani, and Steph Sabraw break down the fifth episode of the Next Chapter podcast for Orphan Black alongside Writer Madeline Ashby! ABOUT ORPHAN BLACK: Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction thriller television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett, starring Tatiana Maslany as several identical people who are clones. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, a woman who assumes the identity of one of her fellow clones, Elizabeth Childs, after witnessing Childs' suicide. The series raises issues about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning, and its effect on issues of personal identity. Follow us on http://www.Twitter.com/AfterBuzzTV "Like" Us on http://www.Facebook.com/AfterBuzzTV Buy Merch at http://shop.spreadshirt.com/AfterbuzzTV/

Get Orphan Black here: https://www.serialbox.com/serials/orphan-black?season=1 Other articles: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/13/18662588/orphan-black-tatiana-maslanyserial-box-publishing-book-audiobook-summer-2019 BBC series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_BCA-vR9E BBC series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMLQW-YaAc Plot summary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234222/plotsummary Madeline Ashby – writer (Madulin) https://madelineashby.com Starring Tatiana Maslany ( Tah-tee-AHNA Mas-aLAH-ney ) Clip in email. Use information from here to frame the clip if necessary: https://orphanblack.fandom.com/wiki/Cosima_Niehaus

Get Orphan Black here: https://www.serialbox.com/serials/orphan-black?season=1 Other articles: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/13/18662588/orphan-black-tatiana-maslanyserial-box-publishing-book-audiobook-summer-2019 BBC series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_BCA-vR9E BBC series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMLQW-YaAc Plot summary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234222/plotsummary Madeline Ashby – a writer for the audio series: https://madelineashby.com Starring Tatiana Maslany ( Tah-tee-AHNA Mas-aLAH-ney )

Today’s guest is Heli Kennedy, writer on the new Serial Box production Orphan Black The Next Chapter. Orphan Black: The Next Chapter Narrated by Tatiana Maslany. Written by Malka Older, Madeline Ashby, Mishell Baker, Heli Kennedy, E.C. Myers, and Lindsay […]

Our guest this week is Madeline Ashby. Madeline is a futurist and science fiction writer living in Toronto. Her most recent novel, Company Town, is available from Tor Books. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/madeline-ashby-science-fiction-writer

PATREON SUPPORT NOW STANDING AT 437 – LAST WEEK 437 HELP US GET TO 500 PATREON SUPPORTERS.Main Fiction: "Domestic Violence"Originally published in Slate.comMadeline Ashby is a futurist and science fiction writer living in Toronto. Her work has been published in Slate, MIT Technology Review, BoingBoing, McSweeney’s, Clarkesworld, and elsewhere. Her novel COMPANY TOWN was a finalist in the CBC Books Canada Reads competition, and won the Copper Cylinder Award. She has worked with organizations like Intel Labs, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Data & Society, Nesta, Changeist, and others. You can find her at madelineashby.com.Narrated by: Tatiana GreyTatiana is a critically acclaimed actress of stage, screen, and the audio booth. She has been nominated for dozens of fancy awards but hasn’t won a single damned thing. She went to NYU and lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can find her at tatianagrey.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode features "Death on Mars" written by Madeline Ashby. Originally published in Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures, edited by Ed Finn, Joey Eschrich, and Juliet Ulman and reprinted in the November 2018 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ashby_11_18_reprint Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

This episode features "Death on Mars" written by Madeline Ashby. Originally published in Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures, edited by Ed Finn, Joey Eschrich, and Juliet Ulman and reprinted in the November 2018 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ashby_11_18_reprint Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

This week's episode shines the spotlight on the representation of women on our big screens, little screens, conference daises, and bookshelves. It's worth taking some time to consider the messages we receive from all forms of entertainment and education and whether we are getting a balanced view of the world. If you come to the realization that your bookshelf needs more female authors on it, never fear, we have a list of some favorite female authors and books. Check them out! Tweet your favorites to @UnravelingPink and we'll add them to the list.
 Resources in this episode:
 Molly Flatt, The Guardian, "Is The Future Female? Fixing Sci-Fi's Women Problem." Check out: Molly Flatt's "A Darker Wave," Kassandra Khaw’s "There are Wolves in These Woods," Madeline Ashby’s "The Cure For Jetlag," Liz Williams’ "In the God Fields." 
Jodi Picoult, "Small Great Things"
 Debby Irving, "Waking Up White" 
Karen Catlin, "Present! A Techie's Guide to Public Speaking"
 Ed Yong, 4/19/2018, "When Will the Gender Gap in Science Disappear?"
 Emma Pierson, 8/5/2014 "In Science, It Matters That Women Come Last" 
The Unraveling Pink's Brain Trust List of fav female authors and books:
 Arundhati Roy, "God of Small Things"
 Ntozage Shange, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" 
Curtis Sittenfeld
 Doris Kearns Goodwin
 Loung Ung, "First They Killed My Father"
 Ayn Rand
 Kate Germano, "Fight Like A Girl"
 Julie Kratz, "ONE: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality" 
Amy Waninger, "Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career"
 Jennifer Brown, "Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & the Will to Change"
 Iris Bohnet, "What Works: Gender Equality by Design"
 Another list of favorite female-authored business books
: Shona Brown and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, "Competing on the Edge:  Strategy as Structured Chaos"
 Andrea Kates, "Find Your Next: Using the Business Genome Approach to Find your Company's Next Competitive Edge" 
Angeles Arrien, "The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary"
 Rayona Sharpnack, "Trade Up: Five Steps for Redesigning Your Leadership and Your Life from the Inside Out"
 Gail Larsen, "Transformational Speaking: If You Want to Change the World, Tell a Better Story"

They were built to serve man, but all they did was serve.. as a nuanced look at the development of AI and as a metaphor for the exploitation of workers. What lazy, good-for-nothing robots. Tierra y Libertad Aggregate Score: 8 The post Literature: Tierra y Libertad by Madeline Ashby appeared first on The Lost Signals.

Our guest this week is Madeline Ashby. Madeline is a science fiction writer and futurist living in Toronto. Her most recent novel, Company Town, was a finalist for the 2017 CBC Books Canada Reads prize. She has also developed science fiction prototypes for the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Data & Society, Nesta, the Atlantic Council, NASA, and others. For show notes visit: http://kk.org/cooltools/madeline-ashby-sci-fi-writer

Center for Science and the Imagination's Ed Finn and Toronto-based science fiction author Madeline Ashby join Andrew Maynard and Heather Ross to discuss their new book of technologically-grounded space-based science fiction: Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures.

We’re back, drinking sake cocktails and launching ourselves into the emotional turmoil of Hannibal’s Season 2. Kaiseki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiseki Janice Poon http://janicepoonart.blogspot.com/2014/02/episode-1-kaiseki.html Carrioncrowned https://www.redbubble.com/people/carrioncrowned/works/27622268-adapt-evolve-become Hannibal burlesque https://www.facebook.com/CynFactory/ Dante in Hannibal https://web.archive.org/web/20060615022650/http://www.greatdante.net/hannibal.html Madeline Ashby https://geekdad.com/2016/06/five-things-that-inspired-company-town-madeline-ashby/ Morning Coffee with Hannibal TV https://just-another-dark-account.tumblr.com/post/163896568228/today-we-have-our-morning-coffee-with-hannibals Deus ex machina http://archiveofourown.org/works/11564706/chapters/25980450 Good Bones https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049944?view_adult=true This Is My Decline script project http://this-is-my-decline.tumblr.com/tagged/hannibal-script-rewatch Drama Fever “Goblin” https://www.dramafever.com/drama/4914/Goblin%3A_The_Lonely_and_Great_God/

Author and editor David Nickle joins us for this episode. He tells us about works of speculative fiction that influenced him early on, including the TV series Lost in Space (and what it has in common with Larry Niven's Ringworld), Lester del Rey's novel The Runaway Robot, and the stories of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, Harlan Ellison, and Stephen King. On the subject of enjoying King, David talks about how he and his wife, author and editor Madeline Ashby, read a chapter of Salem's Lot out loud every night before bed. But also in our discussion of the giants of the genre, he also explains why Robert A. Heinlein isn't among his favourites. On the subject of being an author, David recounts the tale of his first stab at writing: dictating Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons fanfic to his mother for transcription when he was four. He talks about how being a journalist has helped his writing. And David shares his thoughts on whether national identity plays a role in writing Canadian sf these days. He also discusses the challenges he and Ashby faced as co-editors wrangling the legal ins-and-outs of the anthology License Expired: The Unauthorized James Bond, which was released only in Canada due to copyright laws. And David tells us about his new book, VOLK: A Novel of Radiant Abomination. Our interview took place in December 2016 via a Skype connection between David's home in Toronto and my studio in the Lair of bloginhood, located in a bunker beneath a picnic table at Long Beach near Tofino. Find out more about David Nickle on his website: davidnickle.blogspot.ca (a.k.a The Devil's Exercise Yard)   Visit iTunes to subscribe to Invaders From Planet 3 and download episodes, and be sure to rate the show while you're there!  

Roko's Basilisk! We review and discuss "Company Town" by Madeline Ashby.

In this future there are no more human police officers. Is that even possible?    The future of policing is a really really complicated topic. And it’s also, and this might be the understatement of the year, a controversial one. On this episode we’re not going to try and give you a full picture of what the future of policing might be. That would take hours. Instead, we’re going to focus on two really specific pieces of this topic.    First we talk to Madeline Ashby, futurist and science fiction writer, about robots, and what it might be like if we replaced human law enforcement with robotic law enforcement. Then, we talk to historian and writer Walidah Imarisha, about a future with no cops at all. We also hear from Doug Wyllie, the Editor at Large for PoliceOne, who, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn't like either proposal.     Further reading:    Disrupt Tha Police by Madeline Ashby  Bomb Robots: What Makes Killing In Dallas Different And What Happens Next?  Robocop Delivers Pizza, Prevents Suicide  11 Police Robots Patrolling Around the World  Machine Bias   Hard Truths: Law Enforcement and Race   Angels with Dirty Faces   Wrestling With Angels: Walidah Imarisha on Harm and Accountability  Audre Lord Safe Outside the System Collective    Flash Forward is produced by me, Rose Eveleth. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Hussalonia. Special thanks this week to Brent Rose. The episode art is by Matt Lubchansky.     If you want to suggest a future we should take on, send us a note on Twitter, Facebook or by email at info@flashforwardpod.com. We love hearing your ideas! And if you think you’ve spotted one of the little references I’ve hidden in the episode, email us there too. If you’re right, I’ll send you something cool.     And if you want to support the show, there are a few ways you can do that too! We have a Patreon page, where you can donate to the show. But if that’s not in the cards for you, you can head to iTunes and leave us a nice review or just tell your friends about us. Those things really do help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-replicating robots that always eat organic. We review and discuss "vN: The First Machine Dynasty" by Madeline Ashby.

Here's the extended edition of Kris Abel's interview with author Madeline Ashby about her latest science fiction novel Company Town For more info visit: http://madelineashby.com/ Company Town by Madeline Ashby https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/company-town-1 Madeline's eBook pick: Rasputin's Bastards by David Nickle https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/rasputin-s-bastards-1

When was the last time you heard a dial-up modem? A dot matrix printer? A CD dropping into its plastic tray? Did you know it would be the last time? We talk to Rick Adams, a British reporter, about the impact of Big Ben being silenced for repairs next year and Madeline Ashby, a futurist, who has some pretty wild ideas of what sounds we’re about to lose... and have already lost but haven’t realized it yet.   Check out Defacto Sound, the studios that produced Twenty Thousand Hertz, hosted by Dallas Taylor.  Consider supporting the show at donate.20k.org  Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/extinction

This is the second episode in a three-part series on the Atlantic Council’s landmark report, Global Risks 2035: Search for a New Normal, by Mathew Burrows, director of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Foresight Initiative. In this episode, Alex Ward, associate director at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, speaks with August Cole, … Continue reading 2. Imagining 2035 with science fiction authors August Cole and Madeline Ashby →

Our eighth podcast for August is “A Stopped Clock” written by Madeline Ashby and read by Kate Baker.   First published in The Atlantic Council Art of Future Warfare Project: War Stories from the Future, edited by August Cole, 2015. Subscribe to our podcast.

Our eighth podcast for August is “A Stopped Clock” written by Madeline Ashby and read by Kate Baker. Originally published in The Atlantic Council Art of Future Warfare Project: War Stories from the Future, edited by August Cole, 2015.

Welcome to the sixth episode of The Coode Street Roundtable. The Roundtable is a monthly podcast from Coode Street Productions where panelists James Bradley, Ian Mond, and Jonathan Strahan, joined by occasional special guests, discuss a new or recently released science fiction or fantasy novel. Madeline Ashby's Company Town This month we discuss Company Town, the fourth novel from Madeline Ashby. It's a gripping near future thriller described by its publisher as follows: New Arcadia is a city-sized oil rig off the coast of the Canadian Maritimes, now owned by one very wealthy, powerful, byzantine family: Lynch Ltd. Hwa is of the few people in her community (which constitutes the whole rig) to forgo bio-engineered enhancements. As such, she's the last truly organic person left on the rig--making her doubly an outsider, as well as a neglected daughter and bodyguard extraordinaire. Still, her expertise in the arts of self-defense and her record as a fighter mean that her services are yet in high demand. When the youngest Lynch needs training and protection, the family turns to Hwa. But can even she protect against increasingly intense death threats seemingly coming from another timeline? Meanwhile, a series of interconnected murders threatens the city's stability and heightens the unease of a rig turning over. All signs point to a nearly invisible serial killer, but all of the murders seem to lead right back to Hwa's front door. Company Town has never been the safest place to be--but now, the danger is personal. A brilliant, twisted mystery, as one woman must evaluate saving the people of a town that can't be saved, or saving herself. If you're keen to avoid spoilers, we recommend reading the book before listening to the episode. If you don't already have a copy, Company Town can be ordered from: amazon.com amazon.com.au amazon.co.uk We encourage all of our listeners to leave comments here and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible. Next month The Coode Street Roundtable will return at the end of July with a discussion of Lavie Tidhar's Central Station.

Company Town author Madeline Ashby talks the future with us!

Company Town author Madeline Ashby talks the future with us!

Welcome to the fifth episode of The Coode Street Roundtable. The Roundtable is a monthly podcast from Coode Street Productions where panelists James Bradley, Ian Mond, and Jonathan Strahan, joined by occasional special guests, discuss a new or recently released science fiction or fantasy novel. Guy Gavriel Kay's Children of Earth and Sky This month we discuss Children of Earth and Sky, the latest novel from Guy Gavriel Kay. It's a rich, powerful historical fantasy described by its publisher as follows: From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist travelling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request--and possibly to do more--and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor's wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy. The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he's been born to live. And further east, a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif--to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming. As these lives entwine, their fates--and those of many others -- will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world... If you're keen to avoid spoilers, we recommend reading the book before listening to the episode. If you don't already have a copy, Children of Earth and Sky can be ordered from: amazon.com amazon.com.au amazon.co.uk We encourage all of our listeners to leave comments here and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible. Next monthThe Coode Street Roundtable will return at the end of June with a discussion of Madeline Ashby's Company Town.

Welcome back to Midnight in Karachi, a weekly podcast about writers, publishers, editors, illustrators, their books and the worlds they create, hosted by Mahvesh Murad. This week, writer and futurist Madeline Ashby joins the podcast! Our conversation touches on avoiding exposition, finding inspiration in Korean dramas, futurism, and Ashby’s new novel, Company Town, available now […]

**Warning, this episode contains adult language.** Episode #13 features clips from the following episodes (please go to our website www.gimletmedia.com/show/sampler for links to all episodes): StarTalk Radio - George Takei and the Legacy of Star Trek Flash Forward, Episode 2, Love at First Bot  On Being, with Nikki Giovanni - Soul Food, Sex, and Space The Longest Shortest Time The Facts: This episode was produced by Rose Reid, Sarah Abdurrahman and Brittany Luse, with help from Kate Parkinson-Morgan.  It was edited by Annie-Rose Strasser and Alex Blumberg Our theme music was made by Micah Vellian and our ad music was made by Mark Phillips. The show was mixed by Matthew Boll. **Correction: In a previous version of this show, we identified the guest in the Flash Forward clip as Madeline Ashby. The guest featured in the clip was actually Shelly Ronen.** Our Sponsors: Stamps.com (Click the microphone on the homepage and use promo code "Sampler") Audible.com/Sampler (Get your free audio book!) Squarespace.com (Use promo code "Sampler" for 10% off first purchase)

Returning to the big chair at the RTP this week is the astonishing Madeline Ashby – futurist and author of "Vn", "iD", and the soon-to-be-released "Company Town" – leveraging her storytelling mojo in a brainstorming session for a grimdark tale of political intrigue, entangled destinies, and ancient corruptions. The tale is offered by Guest Writer David de Burgh, the story of an diplomat caught between four nations, who must unravel the mystery of the current conflict and his own past in order to prevent a devastating war. We are joined once more by the eloquent (and efficient) Lauren “Scribe” Harris – podcaster, narrator, and author of the Millroad Academy Novels "Exorcising Aaron Nguyen" and "The Girl in Acid Park" – and together we have a truly memorable conversation exploring the qualities of an authentic matriarchy, balancing the number of POVs, and so much more. It's an incredible workshop fraught with Literary Gold... come get some for yourself!

Madeline Ashby – futurist and author of "Vn", "iD", and the soon-to-be-released "Company Town" – is most definitely ‘a danger to those who profit by the way things are.’ It says so right on the title of her blog (drawn from a quote by Ursula K. LeGuin) and she’s earned that appellation through her rigorous studies into diverse disciplines and her fearless expression of her discoveries and beliefs through her beautifully wrought prose. Joined by Lauren “Scribe” Harris – my podcast sister and author of the Millroad Academy Novels "Exorcising Aaron Nguyen" and "The Girl in Acid Park" – we indulge in (far more than) 20 minutes of writerly – and geeky – discourse with Madeline, exploring her perspective on the fundamental motivation of many writers, the spirit of fandom in relation to genre fiction, how to write a sterling first scene, and more. Bring your back-up brain... you’re gonna need it!

Right now there’s a whole lot of buzz about sex robots. Some people are really excited about them, and think we’ll be marrying robots by 2050. Other people are really worried about them, and are organizing whole campaigns against sex robots. This week, we travel to a future where sex robots are realized, and talk about everything from warranties to ethics.     [A note: if you listen to our show with or near young kids be aware that today’s episodes discusses the future of sex, and goes into some detail about sex toys, sex work and other sexy time things. If your kiddos are ready for a calm, reasonable discussion of sex and the sex industry, carry on! If you’re not there yet, that’s cool, but maybe skip this one.]    This week we have three experts helping us think through how we get to sex robots, and what we do when we get there. A.V. Flox is journalist who covers the intersection of sex, law and technology. She is very skeptical of all the sexbot hype, and says we have a long way to go before we’ll see anything remotely like an actual sex robot. Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer and futurist who’s been a guest on the show before. A few of her books involve sex robots, and she thinks that before we get anything human we’ll start to see cartoony looking forms. And Shelly Ronen is a sociology PhD student at NYU who studies sex and sex object production. Ronen says that it’s possible we won’t demand full-on humanoid robots, but instead be totally satisfied by less human-like machines.     Together the three of them walk us through all the things we might have to sort out before and after the rise of the sex robots. How do you keep them clean? Where do you store them? What happens if they break? What will they look like? How do you handle the uncanny valley? Who should use them, and how does their existence impact sex workers?     You can read an optimistic take on sex robots in the book Love and Sex With Robots by David Levy and you can find more on Levy’s outlook on robots here. Levy is optimistic about sex robots — not only does he think they’re coming quickly, he also thinks they could have some very positive impacts. On the other side of the table is the Campaign Against Sex Robots. You can guess how they feel about these devices, and their argument is generally summed up here. Essentially, they feel that prostitution is bad, and sex robots would be a form of prostitution and encourage it, therefore sex robots are bad. This is an argument that many people disagree with, including sex workers who point out that many of them enjoy and would like to keep their jobs.     To top everything off, here are some fun fact about our long tradition of wanting to create and love female robots:    Robots were originally assumed to be male. The 1920's science fiction play R.U.R. that gave us the word robot also gave us the term for a female robot: a robotess.  The term "gynoid" (which you don't see quite as much anymore) was coined by the writer Gwyneth Jones in her 1985 novel Divine Endurance.  The term "fembot" first shows up in 1976, in a script for the show The Bionic Woman.  Brigitte Helm played "Maschinenmensch," the female robot in the iconic 1927 movie Metropolis. Apparently her costume was extremely uncomfortable, and other actors would apparently slip coins into various openings out of pity for her. She used those coins to buy chocolate.    Flash Forward is produced by me, Rose Eveleth, and is part of the Boing Boing podcast family. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Broke for Free. The illustration is by Matt Lubchansky. The music for our various sex robot commercials was by Alaclair, Strong Suit and BoxCat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How have the role of AI and robots changed in sf over time? Which are the best, worst or most interesting depictions, and why? What aspects have been considered or missed? This panel was recorded at Swecon 2015 – Confuse in Linköping – Sweden. Participants: Patrik Centerwall (mod), Madeline Ashby, Tommy Persson, Oskar Källner, Thomas … Fortsätt läsa Sweconpoddar 08 – AI & Robots in film, TV and literature →

I detta science fiction-späckade program pratar vi rymdfilm och funderar kring "aspirational science fiction"; historier med framtidstro och visioner om nya samhällen, framtidstekniker och hur det påverkar oss som människor. Intervju med professor Gary K Wolfe, science fiction-redaktör och kritiker hos LOCUS Magazine, som med Jonathan Strahan driver science SF podden Coode Street Podcast (http://jonathanstrahan.podbean.com/). Vi intervjuar också Madeline Ashby, författaren till AI-serien Machine Dynasty. Avslutningsvis tipsar vi brädspel där man kan utforska rymden från sitt vardagsrum, och läsning vi i Stockholmsbutiken tyckt om. 00:00 - Introduktion & science fiction filmer 12:50 - Strävande science fiction I 22:16 - Interview with Gary K Wolfe, science fiction editor and critic (in English) 33:57 - Strävande science fiction II 43:26 - Interview with Madeline Ashby, author of vN (in English) 57:19 - Space-themed boardgames (in English) 1:03:30 - Personalens tips: Kim Stanley Robinsons Aurora, Jeff Vandermeers Annihilation, Miss Marvel

I detta science fiction-späckade program pratar vi rymdfilm och funderar kring "aspirational science fiction"; historier med framtidstro och visioner om nya samhällen, framtidstekniker och hur det påverkar oss som människor. Intervju med professor Gary K Wolfe, science fiction-redaktör och kritiker hos LOCUS Magazine, som med Jonathan Strahan driver science SF podden Coode Street Podcast (http://jonathanstrahan.podbean.com/). Vi intervjuar också Madeline Ashby, författaren till AI-serien Machine Dynasty. Avslutningsvis tipsar vi brädspel där man kan utforska rymden från sitt vardagsrum, och läsning vi i Stockholmsbutiken tyckt om. 00:00 - Introduktion & science fiction filmer 12:50 - Strävande science fiction I 22:16 - Interview with Gary K Wolfe, science fiction editor and critic (in English) 33:57 - Strävande science fiction II 43:26 - Interview with Madeline Ashby, author of vN (in English) 57:19 - Space-themed boardgames (in English) 1:03:30 - Personalens tips: Kim Stanley Robinsons Aurora, Jeff Vandermeers Annihilation, Miss Marvel

I detta science fiction-späckade program pratar vi rymdfilm och funderar kring "aspirational science fiction"; historier med framtidstro och visioner om nya samhällen, framtidstekniker och hur det påverkar oss som människor. Intervju med professor Gary K Wolfe, science fiction-redaktör och kritiker hos LOCUS Magazine, som med Jonathan Strahan driver SF podden Coode Street Podcast (http://jonathanstrahan.podbean.com/). Vi intervjuar också Madeline Ashby, författaren till AI-serien Machine Dynasty. Avslutningsvis tipsar vi brädspel där man kan utforska rymden från sitt vardagsrum, och läsning vi i Stockholmsbutiken tyckt om. 00:00 - Introduktion & science fiction filmer 12:50 - Strävande science fiction I 22:16 - Interview with Gary K Wolfe, science fiction editor and critic (in English) 33:57 - Strävande science fiction II 43:26 - Interview with Madeline Ashby, author of vN (in English) 57:19 - Space-themed boardgames (in English) 1:03:30 - Personalens tips: Kim Stanley Robinsons Aurora, Jeff Vandermeers Annihilation, Miss Marvel

An interview with Madeline Ashby, author of vN and iD, which took place in Toronto in June 2013.

Amy Peterson is a five-year old self-replicating android who lives with her synthetic mother and human “father.” Her struggles might be that of any super-intelligent youngster whose body and mind mark her as different than her schoolmates, but then her grandmother, Portia, appears at her kindergarten graduation and attacks her mother. Amy’s intervention leads to a startling result: she eats her grandmother and, in doing so, stores a self-aware fragment of Portia within a memory partition. She soon learns that Portia has a peculiar trait–she lacks the failsafe the prevents Vns from harming human beings. Now Amy must flee for her life while discovering the truth about herself and her inheritance. vN: The First Machine Dynasty (Angry Robot Books, 2012) is Madeline Ashby‘s debut novel. Ashby is a strategic foresight consultant based in Toronto. She holds a masters degree in anime and manga writes on related subjects at io9, BoingBoing, and Tor.com. Her background and skill transform what might have been a straightforward work of Speculative Fiction into a provocative rumination on objectification, commodification, and the politics of difference. Peter Watts, author of Blindsight, describes Vn as picking up “where Blade Runner left off” and writes that “vN might just be the most piercing interrogation of humanoid AI since Asimov kicked it all of with the Three Laws.” I agree, and am considering assigning vN in my “Politics and Speculative Fiction” course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Peterson is a five-year old self-replicating android who lives with her synthetic mother and human “father.” Her struggles might be that of any super-intelligent youngster whose body and mind mark her as different than her schoolmates, but then her grandmother, Portia, appears at her kindergarten graduation and attacks her mother. Amy’s intervention leads to a startling result: she eats her grandmother and, in doing so, stores a self-aware fragment of Portia within a memory partition. She soon learns that Portia has a peculiar trait–she lacks the failsafe the prevents Vns from harming human beings. Now Amy must flee for her life while discovering the truth about herself and her inheritance. vN: The First Machine Dynasty (Angry Robot Books, 2012) is Madeline Ashby‘s debut novel. Ashby is a strategic foresight consultant based in Toronto. She holds a masters degree in anime and manga writes on related subjects at io9, BoingBoing, and Tor.com. Her background and skill transform what might have been a straightforward work of Speculative Fiction into a provocative rumination on objectification, commodification, and the politics of difference. Peter Watts, author of Blindsight, describes Vn as picking up “where Blade Runner left off” and writes that “vN might just be the most piercing interrogation of humanoid AI since Asimov kicked it all of with the Three Laws.” I agree, and am considering assigning vN in my “Politics and Speculative Fiction” course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Peterson is a five-year old self-replicating android who lives with her synthetic mother and human “father.” Her struggles might be that of any super-intelligent youngster whose body and mind mark her as different than her schoolmates, but then her grandmother, Portia, appears at her kindergarten graduation and attacks her mother. Amy’s intervention leads to a startling result: she eats her grandmother and, in doing so, stores a self-aware fragment of Portia within a memory partition. She soon learns that Portia has a peculiar trait–she lacks the failsafe the prevents Vns from harming human beings. Now Amy must flee for her life while discovering the truth about herself and her inheritance. vN: The First Machine Dynasty (Angry Robot Books, 2012) is Madeline Ashby‘s debut novel. Ashby is a strategic foresight consultant based in Toronto. She holds a masters degree in anime and manga writes on related subjects at io9, BoingBoing, and Tor.com. Her background and skill transform what might have been a straightforward work of Speculative Fiction into a provocative rumination on objectification, commodification, and the politics of difference. Peter Watts, author of Blindsight, describes Vn as picking up “where Blade Runner left off” and writes that “vN might just be the most piercing interrogation of humanoid AI since Asimov kicked it all of with the Three Laws.” I agree, and am considering assigning vN in my “Politics and Speculative Fiction” course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with a live intro with Lee Harris at WorldCon, and an interview with Madeline Ashby, the author of vN, out last month from Angry Robot! We bowled at WorldCon. It wasn’t pretty. Read a sample of vN here!

Coming Up Fact: Hugo Reviews by Andy Thomaswick – Hominids 01:45 Serial: The Birdcage Part 2 of 2 by Kate Wilhelm 07:20 Promo: Red 58:00 First Chapters: vN by Madeline Ashby 01:00:00 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.