POPULARITY
1078. Mary Robinette Kowal talks about going from writing magic-filled Regency romances to Hugo-nominated science fiction, what it's like to work with an agent, and how she keeps her career moving forward. Plus, she gave us three great book recommendations (and I've already read and loved one of them!).Find Mary at maryrobinettekowal.com.
This week on the podcast, Patrick and Tracy welcome Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Martian Contingency. About The Martian Contingency: Years after a meteorite strike obliterated Washington, D.C.?triggering an extinction-level global warming event?Earth's survivors have started an international effort to establish homes on space stations and the Moon. The next step – Mars. Elma […] The post Episode 659-With Mary Robinette Kowal appeared first on The Functional Nerds.
Every Friday, we're highlighting a panel from the TBRCon2025 all-virtual SF/F/H convention, looking back on the incredible variety of discussions that we had the honor of hosting.This week, join moderator/book reviewer Neil Williams and authors Mary Robinette Kowal, Malka Older, Sue Burke and Wick Welker for a TBRCon2025 panel on "Is Science Catching Up to What Was Once Sci-Fi? "SUPPORT THE SHOW:- Patreon (for exclusive bonus episodes, author readings, book giveaways and more)- Rate and review SFF Addicts on your platform of choice, and share us with your friendsEMAIL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:sffaddictspod@gmail.comFOLLOW SFF ADDICTS:LinktreeMUSIC:Intro: "Into The Grid" by MellauSFXOutro: “Galactic Synthwave” by Divion
This time we discussed The Martian Contingency, Book 4 of The Lady Astronaut series, written and narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal. The Martian Contingency [Audible] Rip-Off! [Audible Original] The Calculating Stars [Audible] The Fated Sky [Audible] The Relentless Moon [Audible] / [Episode 73: The Relentless Moon with Mary Robinette Kowal] Episode 72: Food & Drink Audiobook Draft For All Mankind (2019) [IMDb] Lessons in Chemistry (2023) [IMDb] Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void [Libro.fm] / [Audible] A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? [Libro.fm] / [Audible] / [Overdrive/Libby]
In Folge 124 geht es um den Weltuntergang. Bzw. eigentlich nicht wirklich, denn wir beschäftigen uns mit dem Asteroid 2024 YR4, der vielleicht im Jahr 2032 auf der Erde einschlagen könnte, das aber vermutlich nicht tun wird und wenn doch keinen Weltuntergang verursacht. Trotzdem haben wir mit Siegfried Eggl gesprochen, einem Experten für planetare Verteidigung und Asteroidenabwehr. Und mit Evi haben wir uns angesehen, was die Science Fiction zum Thema Asteroideneinschlag zu sagen hat. Tickets für unsere Liveshows gibt es unter https://dasuniversum.live Für den Ö3-Podcast-Award könnt ihr uns hier nominieren: https://oe3.orf.at/podcastaward/ Wenn ihr uns unterstützen wollt, könnt ihr das hier tun: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/PodcastDasUniversum Oder hier: https://steadyhq.com/de/dasuniversum Oder hier: https://www.patreon.com/dasuniversum
1058. If you struggle to sit down and write, you'll love this conversation with award-winning author and podcaster Mary Robinette Kowal. Learn how to conquer writing obstacles with tips on managing distractions, handling research rabbit holes, and making time to write — even when life gets in the way.Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Spare Man, Ghost Talkers, The Glamourist Histories series, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and a four-time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov's. Mary Robinette, a professional puppeteer, lives in Denver. Visit at maryrobinettekowal.com.
Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. You can find Wes Browne at www.wesbrowneauthor.com or on IG at @browne_all_over This week we chat with Wes Browne, a Michigan transplant who has been a Kentucky attorney for over 20 years. When he's not lawyering, he writes crime fiction, and his most recent novel is called They All Fall the Same. In this novel, he picks up with a character who readers met in his first novel, Hillbilly Hustle. While Wes's new book is not a sequel, readers were so intrigued by the character, Burl Spoon, that Wes felt like he could make an entire book around him. Burl is a character you love to hate, but readers also feel his humanity, which always makes for a more interesting bad guy. We chat with Wes about how his job as a defense attorney has prepared him to write books that make you root for a bad guy, his passion for soft serve ice cream, and why a timeshare ended up giving him a book idea. And in the second half of the show, we each give you 3 book recommendations on the theme of books about the art world. Books Mentioned in This Episode: 1- If You Lived Here, You'd Be Here by Now: Why We Traded the Commuting Life for a Little House on the Prairie by Christopher Ingraham 2- The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde 3- They All Fall the Same by Wes Browne 4- Hillbilly Hustle by Wes Browne 5- Asides: Occasional Essays on Dogs, Food, Restaurants, Bars, Hangovers, Jobs, Music, Family Trees, Robbery, Relationships, Being Bought Up Questionably, Et Cetera by George Singleton 6- Blizzard by Marie Vingtras 7- A Five Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Amy Borchadt @rn_bookworm - The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal 8- Carrington: A Life by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina 9- The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith 10- Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough 11- The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose 12- Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell 13- Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Jourey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How To See by Bianca Bosker 14- All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley Media mentioned— 1- Come From Away — https://comefromaway.com/ 2- Zoltan Kaszas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vSGbslfLQM 3- Justified ( 2010-2015 HULU) 4- Carrington (1995)
In Lexicat part 1, we met the author Mary Robinette Kowal and her cat Elsie, and learned about how they communicate via a set of buttons programmed with words. In part 2, two talking dogs, Bastian and Parker - and their humans, Joelle Andres and Sascha Crasnow - join us too, and explain how they discovered some very unexpected things about what their animal companions are thinking and feeling thanks to the buttons, and how they changed the ways they communicate with other humans too. Find out more about the episode and read the transcript at theallusionist.org/lexicat2. Content note: this episode contains mentions of Parkinson's disease, dementia, and death - human and animal death. But no descriptions of death. To help fund this independent podcast, take yourself to theallusionist.org/donate and become a member of the Allusioverse. You get regular livestreams with me reading from my ever-expanding collection of dictionaries, inside scoops into the making of this show, and watchalong parties - coming up, we've got Carol, Die Hard and Cold Comfort Farm. And best of all, you get to bask in the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. And go to theallusionist.org/events for information about the upcoming livestreams where I read A Christmas Carol, and the Allusionist's big 10th birthday live show. This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with music and production assistance from Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com. Find @allusionistshow on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, etc. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk about your product or thing on the show, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online bailiwick. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.• Constant Wonder, the podcast that opens our eyes and ears to the nature around us and its, yes, constant wonders. Listen to Constant Wonder in your usual podcast-listening places.• Quince, luxurious clothing and homewares at prices 50-80% lower than comparable brands. Go to Quince.com/allusionist for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.• Home Chef, meal kits that fit your needs. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering Allusionist listeners eighteen free meals, plus free shipping on your first box, and free dessert for life, at HomeChef.com/allusionist.Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Elsie the cat has a set of 120 buttons programmed with words. She uses them to lie, swear, apologise, express grief and frustration and love to her human, the author Mary Robinette Kowal, who talks about what's involved in learning to communicate via language buttons with companion animals. And animal behaviour expert Zazie Todd explains how animals might be interacting with human language. This is the first half of a two-parter: in the next episode, some talking dogs - and their humans - come to visit, and we hear about the kinds of things you find out about what your animal friend is really thinking, and how it changes the ways you communicate with other humans too. Find out more about the episode and read the transcript at theallusionist.org/lexicat1. Content note: this episode contains a few category B swears. To help fund this independent podcast, take yourself to theallusionist.org/donate and become a member of the Allusioverse. You get regular livestreams with me reading from my ever-expanding collection of dictionaries, inside scoops into the making of this show, and watchalong parties - coming up, we've got A Room With A View, Carol, Cold Comfort Farm and Hot Frosty. And best of all, you get to bask in the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with music and editorial assistance from Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com. Find @allusionistshow on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, etc. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk about your product or thing on the show, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:• CATAN - Dawn of Humankind, the game that lets you experience the rise of early human societies. Buy it at Catanshop.com and use the coupon code ALLUSIONIST to get a 10% discount.• Audio Maverick, a new 9-part documentary podcast from CUNY TV about radio maven Himan Brown. Hear about the dawn of radio and Brown's remarkable career, via archive footage and new interviews with audio mavericks, by subscribing to Audio Maverick in your podcast app.• Home Chef, meal kits that fit your needs. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering Allusionist listeners eighteen free meals, plus free shipping on your first box, and free dessert for life, at HomeChef.com/allusionist.• Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online bailiwick. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: following us on Instagram and new bookish lego sets Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we are bossing more TBRs! The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:24 - Ad For Ourselves 1:37 - Currently Reading Patreon 5:02 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 5:44 - @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram 9:40 - Books Are My Passion Lego 12:23 - Our Current Reads 12:39 - The Hollow by Agatha Christie (Meredith) 16:41 - Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie 16:43 - Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie 17:26 - A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne (Kaytee) 18:52 - Can't Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne 20:15 - @megs.tea.room on Instagram 20:21 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 21:09 - Daily Rituals by Mason Currey (Meredith) 26:27 - On Writing by Stephen King 27:07 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (Kaytee) 27:14 - CR Season 7: Episode 7 31:40 - 17 Years Later by J.P. Pomare (Meredith) 36:53 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Kaytee) 40:00 - @thewilltoread on Instagram 41:40 - Boss My TBR From Morgan N. 42:35 - The Art Thief by Michael Finkle 42:37 - Hyde by Craig Russell 42:39 - Diavola by Jennifer Thorne 42:41 - The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman 42:43 - Slewfoot by Brom 42:50 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 42:52 - The Examiner by Janice Hallett From Katie P. 46:42- Making It So by Patrick Stewart 46:50 - The Dry by Jane Harper 46:52 - Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (amazon link) 47:02 - The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal 47:06 - The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn 47:24 - This Motherless Land by Nikki May 47:27 - Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London 50:55 - Meet Us At The Fountain 51:30 - I wish books would have shorter chapters. (Meredith) 51:03 - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness 51:11 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 53:13 - @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram (Meredith's wish #2 is to follow us!!) 53:24 - I wish to press Taste by Stanley Tucci into everybody's hands. (Kaytee) 53:24 - Taste by Stanley Tucci Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. November's IPL comes to us from Charter Books in Newport, Rhode Island! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
Join us for book club as we discuss murder, mystery, and representation across the galaxy! This month, Lisa was joined by guest host and friend of the pod, Anne. Together, we answer you questions and share our thoughts on this award winning whodunnit. Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com. TikTok: @wearedoingfine Instagram: @wearedoingfine
This week, Robbie has birthday surprises to plan and Lisa tells us all about her big move upstairs! We discuss the polls, the prisons, and Pesto! Of course, we also look at Who Asked For This, Accountabillibuddies and AITA?! Join us for book club; this month we're reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Find it on our book shop at https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com. TikTok: @wearedoingfine Instagram: @wearedoingfine
This week, Lisa and Robbie have mediocre weeks, we discuss assassinations and THAT high profile case going on right now, as well as our usual Who Asked For This, Accountabilibuddies and AITA! Join us for book club; this month we're reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Find it on our book shop at https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com. TikTok: @wearedoingfine Instagram: @wearedoingfine
Join us this week as Robbie tries to end the podcast, Lisa gives us the run down of the presidential debate and we do our favourite parts including Who Asked For This? (we have two for you this week!), Accountabillibuddies and AITA? Join us for book club; this month we're reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Find it on our book shop at https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com. TikTok: @wearedoingfine Instagram: @wearedoingfine
This week: Lisa is lining up guest hosts for book club because Robbie needs some rotting time. We discuss whether Karl Marx would be proud of Lisa and the news, both the good and the terrible. We also ask the age-old question, “Who Asked for This?”, set new weekly goals for Accountabilibuddies, AITA, and much more! Join us for book club; this month we're reading The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Find it on our book shop at https://bookshop.org/shop/wearedoingfine Send in your thoughts, questions and recommendations to wearedoingfine@gmail.com. TikTok: @wearedoingfine Instagram: @wearedoingfine
Send us a Text Message.In Episode 165 of Book Talk, Etc., join Tina and Hannah for a lively discussion of September Books on the Radar! Discover the titles we're eagerly awaiting and why they've caught our attention. We'll also delve into the topic of book spoilers, exploring what constitutes a spoiler, the topic of content warnings, and more.If you enjoy our commercial-free podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon! Your membership will give you access to our exclusive bonus episodes, including Niche Novels, Books We DNFed and What's in the Mailbag! Plus, invites to monthly events like Mood Reader Happy Hour and Bookstore Browsing, and a private Facebook group and Discord server where you can interact with other fans of the show... all for just $5 a month!Loving LatelyGoodreads TBR Tracking (T)Nature's Miracle ADVANCED (H)Latest ReadsAfter Oz | Gordon McAlpine (T)Thirst | Marina Yuszczuk (Author), Heather Cleary - translator (H)Book Talk - a chat about spoilers!Mentioned - Gabby Reads BookTubeBooks on the RadarMadwoman | Chelsea Bieker (T)The Night Guest | Hildur Knútsdóttir (Author), Mary Robinette Kowal - translator (H)Where They Last Saw Her | Marcie R. Rendon (T)Small Rain | Garth Greenwall (H)Entitlement | Rumaan Alam (T)Guillotine | Delilah S. Dawson (H)Snake Oil | Kelsey Rae Dimberg (T)When the World Tips Over | Jandy Nelson (H)Current ReadsGuilty Creatures | Mikita Brottman (T)The Minute I Saw You | Paige Toon (H)Support the Show.Let's Connect... Email us at booktalketc@gmailTina's TikTok , IG @tbretcHannah's TikTok , IG @hanpickedbooksJonathan IG @infiltrate_jayPodcast IG @booktalketcRenee's Substack Newsletter , IG@Itsbooktalk
This month, we read The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson. This novel was first recommended to us by author Mary Robinette Kowal on an… The post The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson | FBOM Ep. 57 appeared first on Too Many Thoughts.
This month, we read The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson. This novel was first recommended to us by author Mary Robinette Kowal on an earlier episode of the show. Please consider supporting us below: Dan Eavenson: Check out The World of Juno, and read his book Dave Woke Up! Peter Schaefer: Check out Peter's games here, and see his newest TTRPG, The Well! Caty: Visit Griffin's Roost Books and Treasure to purchase new and used books and more! For More TMT Shenanigans: toomanythoughtsmedia.com Twitter: @TMT_Media, @ArgentRabe, @ShoelessPete, @ShimmyBook, @SinisterInfant E-mail: toomanythoughtsmedia@gmail.com
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss books for Women in Translation Month! Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter! Learn something new, sharpen your skills, and expand your horizons with our Better Living Through Books newsletter. Better Living Through Books is your resource for reading material that helps you live the life you want. From self-help to cookbooks to parenting to personal finance, relationships, and more, Better Living Through Books has got you covered. If it's part of life, it can be part of your reading life. That's what Better Living Through Books is all about. Visit bookriot.com/betterliving to subscribe for free, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. News New S.A. Cosby Book with New Pine & Cedar Imprint Things Mentioned Women in Translation Month Books Discussed Midnight Rooms - Danyae Coles Butter - Asako Yuzuki, Translated from Japanese by Polly Barton The Kamogawa Food Detectives - Hisashi Kashiwai, Translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood The Night Guest - Hildur Knútsdóttir, Translated from Icelandic by Mary Robinette Kowal - out September 3rd, 2024 The Only Child - Mi-Ae Seo, Translated from Korean by Yewon Jung The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer - Rick Jervis Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at readordead@bookriot.com. Otherwise you can: Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester and on TikTok @kendrawinchester And we will talk to you all next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Mary Robinette Kowal, author of Silent Spaces. About Silent Spaces: Silent Spaces: Tales from the Lady Astronauts is a collection of 9 short stories in the Lady Astronaut Series written by Mary Robinette Kowal, including one written just for this collection. With this campaign the book will be available […] The post Episode 631-With Mary Robinette Kowal appeared first on The Functional Nerds.
This week on PodQuest, Drootin took a trip to Asbury Park NJ to play some Pinball, Chris finished the third book in the Lady Astronaut series, The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal, and Walnut finally got to watch Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. We also chat about Chris' thoughts on Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, and Walnut continues his watch-a-thon of X-Men films with Deadpool (2016). We also take a quick minute to check in on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and wish the best to Sam Riegel from Critical Role. Our next book club will be the 2003 indie film The Room for our cult classic theme. (Due to some scheduling trouble we had to push this back one more week!) Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:08 - Agenda 00:06:06 - Pinball and classic arcades 00:17:57 - Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant *Some Spoilers* 00:27:14 - The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut #3) *Some Spoilers* 00:36:37 - Deadpool (2016) *Some Spoilers* 00:41:39 - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) *MAJOR SPOILERS* 00:59:42 - Little Final Fantasy VII Rebirth check in 01:04:44 - *Content Warning - Health* Sam Riegel and Critical Role Support One-Quest https://www.Patreon.com/OneQuest Follow Us Email - Social@one-quest.com Twitter - @One_Quest Instagram - @One_Quest Facebook - OneQuestOnline Follow Chris on Twitter - @Just_Cobb Follow Richie on Twitter - @B_Walnuts Follow Drootin on Twitter - @IamDroot Check out Richie's streaming and videos! Twitch b_walnuts YouTube BWalnuts TikTok b_walnuts Intro and Outro music Mega Man 2 'Project X2 - Title Screen' OC ReMix courtesy of Project X over at OCRemix
This week on PodQuest, Drootin took a trip to Asbury Park NJ to play some Pinball, Chris finished the third book in the Lady Astronaut series, The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal, and Walnut finally got to watch Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. We also chat about Chris' thoughts on Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, and Walnut continues his watch-a-thon of X-Men films with Deadpool (2016). We also take a quick minute to check in on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and wish the best to Sam Riegel from Critical Role.
I talk about the The Original an Audiobook by Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54615879-the-original Thanks to David Hilowitz for the intro/outro music. If you have any questions or comments send them to LibromancyPod@gmail.com. Please Like and Subscribe wherever you get your podcast from.
Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Experimentation (Part 7 of "The Sense Of Physical Necessity"), published by LoganStrohl on March 19, 2024 on LessWrong. This is the seventh post in a sequence that demonstrates a complete naturalist study, specifically a study of query hugging (sort of), as described in The Nuts and Bolts of Naturalism. This one demos phase four: Experimentation. For context on this sequence, see the intro post. Reminder that this is meant as reference material. Wait, there's more to this study? But we've just discussed the main insight that came out of it, and how it illustrates the point of naturalism. Why is there more? There is more because by this point I was interested not only in insights, but in mastery. There is more to mastery than reconceptualization. However, I would like to point out that everything I'd done so far preceded experimentation. I had not even begun to try to change anything - yet I had learned quite a lot, through mere observation without interference. This is why many naturalist studies are complete before experimentation even begins. Often, this level of understanding is all that's needed. (From the end of " Naturalist Collection") But sometimes one further step is necessary. You can tell that you should move on to "Experimentation" if you feel grounded about your study topic, if you think you've really trained yourself to notice and directly observe what's there in whatever realm you've focused on - but you still have an unsatisfied curiosity about how to behave around your topic. In this case, when I arrived at the end of Collection, I found that I wanted to know what was possible. I wanted to move freely around this chest luster, this sense of physical necessity; to explore its boundaries and the actions available to me in the presence of that experience (and its antecedents). So, I chose to continue my study. The goal of experimentation in naturalism is to create space from alternative action. If you're constantly observing in response to a stimulus, rather than immediately taking whatever action you ordinarily would by default, then you have already taken the most crucial step toward breaking a default stimulus-response pattern. You have already created a space between the stimulus and your original default response. In the Experimentation phase of naturalist study, you'll use actions that are larger than "observation" to stretch that space. You'll experiment with saying this, thinking that, or moving your body in such and such a way, until the link between the stimulus and your default response has been severed entirely. By creating space for alternative action, I mean breaking an existing pattern of stimulus-response, and replacing the default action with agency. Some beta readers felt confused during the upcoming section. They seemed to think that if I'm changing a stimulus-response pattern, it must be because I've recognized one as unsatisfactory, and now I hope to improve it - that something was broken, and I hope to fix it. They wanted me to describe the old broken pattern, so they could follow my changes as possible improvements. That's not what I'm up to here. I've had trouble communicating about naturalist experimentation in the past, and I'm not sure I'll do any better this time around. For whatever it's worth, though, here's my latest attempt. * Mary Robinette Kowal is both a fiction author and a professional puppeteer. In one of my favorite episodes of the podcast Writing Excuses, she discusses how her background in puppetry has influenced the way she writes. She talks about four principles of puppetry, the first of which is focus: "Focus indicates thought." When bringing a puppet to life for an audience, it's important to always consider what external objects the puppet is cognitively or emotionally engaged with, and to make sure its eyes...
This week we discussed What Feasts at Night, book 2 is the Sworn Soldier series, written by T. Kingfisher and narrated by Avi Roque. We also shared some of our recent 2024 short fiction listens in our Short Fiction Spotlight. What Feasts at Night [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] What Moves the Dead [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Short Fiction Spotlight: ”What Becomes of Curious Minds” written by Wen-Yi Lee, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki [Lightspeed] - Issue 165 ”Mom and Dad At the Home Front” written by Sherwood Smith, narrated by Kaitlyn Zivanovich [PodCastle 827]/p> ”Uncle Eddie's Grave” written and narrated by Jendayi Brooks-Flemister [Many Worlds] - Jan 15 ”Marginalia” written by Mary Robinette Kowal, narrated by Erika Ensign [Uncanny Magazine - 56A] ”Nothing of Value” written by Aimee Ogden, narrated by Kate Baker [Clarkesworld] - Issue 208: January 2024 ”The Library” written by N.B. Andersen, narrated by Dani Cutler [Escape Pod 929]
“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with award-winning SFF author Mary Robinette Kowal about the meaning of success and how it evolves over time. She discusses the motivations behind her writing, the challenges she faces, and the importance of authenticity in her work. We also touch on impostor syndrome, goal setting, and finding the essence of what drives us as writers. Find Mary Robinette online at https://maryrobinettekowal.com/ Her latest novel is The Spare Man Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WFL5WPFDwr8 The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing. Subscribe to the podcast: https://lpenelope.com/podcast Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Editors' Intro: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas Short Fiction: “Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal, as read by Erika Ensign Poetry: “We Drink Lava” by Ai Jiang, as read by Matt Peters Interview: Lynne M. Thomas interviews Mary Robinette Kowal Want to join the Space Unicorn Ranger Corps? You can find new science fiction and fantasy stories, poetry, and nonfiction every month in Uncanny Magazine. Go to uncannymagazine.com or subscribe to the eBook version at weightlessbooks.com or amazon.com. This podcast was produced by Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky. Music created by Null Device and used with permission. Copyright © 2023 by Uncanny Magazine
Our hosts Chris and Amy read a very neat book by Mary Robinette Kowal about a dog, named Gimlet, in space! Oh, and there are several other cool things that happen, but mostly there is a dog, solving crime, in space. Oh, wait, maybe that's actually the dog's human, Tesla Crane, an engineer-turned-detective whose spouse, Shal, has been framed for MURDER. Together, Tesla and Gimlet save the day, and Shal from certain incarceration. This book is marvelously exploratory in its portrayal of an ideal future for queer people, as humanity has reached into the stars and beyond. Left behind are preconceived notions and unnecessary assumptions, ahead are the unlimited possibilities of a future free from discrimination and hate (mostly).Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mary Robinette Kowal writes science fiction and fantasy, and starts writing all her novels during NaNoWriMo, which takes place each year in November. Show notes: Mary Robinette Kowal (https://maryrobinettekowal.com) The Spare Man (https://maryrobinettekowal.com/writing/the-spare-man/) Episode 19, Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of NaNoWriMo (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com/19) Matthew Salesses, Craft in the Real World (https://matthewsalesses.com/craft-in-the-real-world/) Jessi Honard and Marie Parks, Unrelenting (https://www.marieparks.com/order-unrelenting/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it in Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).
About my tumultuous week and how wonderful Mary Robinette Kowal is. Also, by request, an explanation of what AI is and isn't, and what it has to do with writing stories and creating art.Join my Patreon and Discord for mentoring, coaching, and conversation with me! Find it at https://www.patreon.com/JeffesClosetROGUE FAMILIAR out now! https://jeffekennedy.com/rogue-familiar The Audiobook is also out here https://www.audible.com/pd/Rogue-Familiar-Audiobook/B0CB1Y9B7Q?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-357495&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_357495_rh_usRead the Falling Under books in Kindle Unlimited! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1ZMDW1YIf you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this link (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jeffekennedy).Sign up for my newsletter here! (https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2y4b9)You can watch this podcast on YouTube here https://youtu.be/ssFN82taD00Support the showContact Jeffe!Tweet me at @JeffeKennedyVisit my website https://jeffekennedy.comFollow me on Amazon or BookBubSign up for my Newsletter!Find me on Instagram and TikTok!Thanks for listening!
Our Book Club concludes its reading of the Hugo and Nebula shortlist novels with “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “The Spare Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal. One’s an homage to H.G. Wells (sort of?) and the other plays like “The Thin Man” in space. Plus: We debate the meaning of star-rating systems, and what else are we reading? Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Scott McNulty.
Our Book Club concludes its reading of the Hugo and Nebula shortlist novels with “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “The Spare Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal. One’s an homage to H.G. Wells (sort of?) and the other plays like “The Thin Man” in space. Plus: We debate the meaning of star-rating systems, and what else are we reading? Jason Snell with Erika Ensign, Aleen Simms and Scott McNulty.
Mary Robinette Kowal, Annalee Newitz, and Megan O'Keefe, moderated by Evette Davis Get ready to take off for the far reaches of the galaxy via three very different, but equally fascinating, stories of space exploration written by superb storytellers. Buy the books here
A story about how Romance continues to be treated like antimatter in some parts of the SFF community. Also, exciting news on ONEIRA, and a bit more about agents and being careful who you pitch to.ROGUE FAMILIAR out now! https://jeffekennedy.com/rogue-familiar The Audiobook is also out here https://www.audible.com/pd/Rogue-Familiar-Audiobook/B0CB1Y9B7Q?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-357495&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_357495_rh_usRead the Falling Under books in Kindle Unlimited! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1ZMDW1YJoin my Patreon and Discord for mentoring, coaching, and conversation with me! Find it at https://www.patreon.com/JeffesClosetIf you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this link (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jeffekennedy).Sign up for my newsletter here! (https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2y4b9)You can watch this podcast on YouTube here https://youtu.be/fy1tu6XPNsoSupport the showContact Jeffe!Tweet me at @JeffeKennedyVisit my website https://jeffekennedy.comFollow me on Amazon or BookBubSign up for my Newsletter!Find me on Instagram and TikTok!Thanks for listening!
A dive into genre today, along with a discussion of whether there's an identifiable plot arc for Science Fiction or Fantasy (hint: there isn't), and what I've recently discovered about writing a Romance. You can find the Willamette Writers Conference here https://web.cvent.com/event/b8485532-15eb-4073-87ee-d07920fac5c3/summaryROGUE FAMILIAR out now! https://jeffekennedy.com/rogue-familiar The Audiobook is also out here https://www.audible.com/pd/Rogue-Familiar-Audiobook/B0CB1Y9B7Q?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-357495&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_357495_rh_usRead the Falling Under books in Kindle Unlimited! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1ZMDW1YJoin my Patreon and Discord for mentoring, coaching, and conversation with me! Find it at https://www.patreon.com/JeffesClosetIf you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this link (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jeffekennedy).Sign up for my newsletter here! (https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2y4b9)You can watch this podcast on YouTube here https://youtu.be/NnlRYOaGDqASupport the showContact Jeffe!Tweet me at @JeffeKennedyVisit my website https://jeffekennedy.comFollow me on Amazon or BookBubSign up for my Newsletter!Find me on Instagram and TikTok!Thanks for listening!
Back in February, with Episode 18.8, we began exploring the process of writing a mystery story. That episode led us into a series of six episodes about tension, and the tools we use to create and manage it. And now, with this episode (and a toolbox full of tension) we're ready (we hope!) to revisit the creation of mystery stories. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Let's take all our tension tools and apply them in tiny ways. A big application of tension might be an argument between two characters about a course of plot-important action. Microtension might be those characters arguing about how long to boil eggs. In this episode we'll explore some favorite applications of microtension, and the ways in which it can be layered to ramp up the larger, plot-focused tension. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
In our ongoing exploration of tension, the time has come to examine conflict. It can be shaped and delivered in numerous ways, but you have to know the core conflict before you can make anybody feel tense about it. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Our continuing exploration of tension has taken us to a favorite technique: unanswered questions. Sure, this obviously applies to mysteries, but consider the question posed in romances: “will they get together?” In its simplest form, the unanswered question that forces a page-turn is "what happens on the next page?" In this episode we explore how to use unanswered questions to drive tension, and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Our deconstruction and categorization of tension continues this week with an exploration of Juxtaposition, which is a contrast between two elements that supplies tension by allowing the reader to insert themselves. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Last week we talked about tension, and promised that we'd be breaking it down into more pieces. This week we're discussing one of those pieces: Anticipation. We sub-divided it as follows: Surprise Suspense Humor Promises We talk about how to create anticipatory tension well, where the pitfalls are, and how this fits into the creation of our stories. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
After last week's deep dive into The Spare Man we're ready to talk more generally about mysteries, and the tools we use to write them. Obviously we can't cover all of that in just one episode, but don't worry. In upcoming episodes we'll explore more of these tools in detail. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Spoiler Alert! This week is our deep dive into Mary Robinette Kowal's The Spare Man. It's a sci-fi mystery novel often described as "The Thin Man in space." Deep dive episodes are necessarily full of spoilers because we ask all kinds of how and why questions specific to the writing of the work in question. If you haven't yet read The Spare Man, you might consider doing that before listening to this episode. We're not the boss of you, but we believe you'll get more out of this episode and the novel if you read the novel first. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Your Hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler In this episode Howard Tayler conducts our interview with Mary Robinette Kowal, leading with a wide-open question: "Where did you even?" Mary Robinette talks to us about how she came to the world of writing, and some of the amazing things she picked up along the way. Credits: This episode was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson
Daniel and Kelly talk with Mary Robinette Kowal about the science of murder in space in her new book "The Spare Man" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Your Hosts: Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Cady Coleman The fictional side of science and the scientific side of fiction are part of the discipline of science communication, often called SciComm. In this episode Cady Coleman joins us to talk about how science fiction fits into the field of SciComm, and how the stories we tell can affect the people who read them. Credits: This episode was recorded before a live audience by Rob Kowal, and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Your Hosts: Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Cady Coleman Chemist, USAF Colonel, and NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman joins us to talk about actual travel to actual space, and how that's a thing which is increasingly available to people who are not in the employ of government space agencies. Also, we discuss how the demographics of space travelers are changing, and how this is creating safer space travel for everyone. Credits: This episode was recorded by [engineer] at the Writing Excuses Workshop at Capitol Reef, Utah. This episode was mastered by Alex Jackson.
Your Hosts: Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Maurice Broaddus, and Howard Tayler We wrap up our eight-episode dialog master class with a discussion of nuance, which is difficult to describe in a blurb because it's... well, nuanced. That may sound a bit recursive, but our discussion dives deep into the meta. Credits: This episode was recorded by Daniel Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Your Hosts: Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Maurice Broaddus, and Howard Tayler We begin this episode with a quick exploration of the terminology, and what we mean when we say "text," "context," and "subtext." Subtext exists between text and context. It's the information which isn't actually in the text, but which we are able to divine based on the context. And in this episode we talk about how to use context and text to provide subtext to the reader. Credits: This episode was recorded by Daniel Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Your Hosts: Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Maurice Broaddus, and Howard Tayler Tension! In this episode we discuss the ways dialog can build and/or maintain tension, especially when placed in context with the rest of the scene. Liner Notes: A great article about tension for those who (like Howard) may need a solid working definition -Toward a general psychological model of tension and suspense Credits: This episode was recorded by Daniel Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson.