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This time we discussed Lady Eve's Last Con, written by Rebecca Fraimow and narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal. Lady Eve's Last Con [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Iron Children [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Discussions from Readercon 33 [Episode 266] The Expanse (Series): Leviathan Wakes [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Vorkosigan Saga (Series) [Overdrive/Libby] / [Libro.fm] / [Audible] The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti (Series): The Mimicking of Known Successes [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Universe of Xuya (Series): Seven of Infinities [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible]
With his phenomenal new book, A NATURAL HISTORY OF EMPTY LOTS: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys and Other Wild Places (Timber Press), Christopher Brown shifts from novels into nature-writing/memoir/nonfiction mode and I am HERE for it. We talk about the eco-cosmos of East Austin, TX, the years of observation that opened him to the hidden pockets of wildness in urban environments, why solitude in nature is a myth, what we have to gain from taking a long walk, Long Time vs. the short presence of Anglos in Texas, how 2020's lockdown turned off global capitalism and showed how society might truly change, and how this book mutated from when we talked about it at Readercon 2023. We get into Bruce Sterling's unforgettable critique of his writing, the process of turning a narrative of colonization into one of decolonization, (eco)psychogeography & the Situationists, why he (begrudgingly) brought the personal/memoiristic into the book and how it helped him come to terms with himself, and what a workshop with horror writers taught him about the truth-telling power of non-redemptive storytelling. We also discuss the design flaws of the agricultural revolution, how his readers in different regions respond to his FIELD NOTES newsletter, the nature of mysticism and writing a narrative about transcending the self, hiking a Massachusetts marsh in summer with Jeff VanderMeer, and plenty more. Follow Christopher on Bluesky, Instagram and Mastodon, and subscribe to his FIELD NOTES newsletter • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal and via our e-newsletter
Lisa shares her discussions with authors at Readercon 33. Readercon Carlos Hernández: [Website] / [Facebook] / [Instagram] Sal and Gabi Break the Universe [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Lincoln in the Bardo (Written by: George Saunders / Narrated by: Full Cast) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] C.S.E. Cooney: [Linktree] / [Blog] / [Instagram] / [Facebook] Saint Death's Daughter [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Starlings (Written by: Jo Walton / Narrated by: C.S.E. Cooney & Rudy Sanda) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Combat-Ready Kitchen (Written by: Anastacia Marx de Salcedo / Narrated by: C.S.E. Cooney) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Desdemona and the Deep [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Dawn (Written by: Octavia E. Butler / Narrated by: Julienne Irons) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Ambassador [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Nomad [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible]
W.B.J. WILLIAMS, an author from Massachusetts, will join us for a lively discussion on all of his books; how he generates his ideas; and why he has been so successful! FROM HIS BIO: "An information security executive by day, W. B. J. Williams' secret identity is that he is an author. He also holds advanced degrees in anthropology and archeology, as well as is an avid historian, mystic, and poet. He is noted for his bad puns, and willingness to argue from any perspective. He is endured by his beloved wife and two daughters, and lives in Sharon Massachusetts. When he is not at home or at his computer, he can often be found haunting the various used bookstores of Boston. He is the published author of four books, The Garden at the Roof of the World, a novel with Dragonwell Publishingpublished in 2013, Security for Service Oriented Architecture, non-fiction with Auerbach published in 2014, The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns with Dragonwell Publishing out September 2021, and How to Create an Information Security Program from Scratch with Auerback out in September 2021. An excerpt from The Hacker of Guantanamo Bay under the title "The InfoCoup" has been published by Abyss and Apex in their October 2019 edition, which was included in their Anthology, The Best of Abyss and Apex volume 3 in 2019. He is a frequent author panelist at ReaderCon and Arisia, and was a panelist at Boskone in 2018. He has conducted readings from his novels and works in progress at ReaderCon, Arisia, Boskone, and other venues. Follow Walt as an author on: Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram. He does maintain an InfoSec social network independent of the above." wbj-williams.net/index.html
W.B.J. WILLIAMS, an author from Massachusetts, will join us for a lively discussion on all of his books; how he generates his ideas; and why he has been so successful! FROM HIS BIO: "An information security executive by day, W. B. J. Williams' secret identity is that he is an author. He also holds advanced degrees in anthropology and archeology, as well as is an avid historian, mystic, and poet. He is noted for his bad puns, and willingness to argue from any perspective. He is endured by his beloved wife and two daughters, and lives in Sharon Massachusetts. When he is not at home or at his computer, he can often be found haunting the various used bookstores of Boston. He is the published author of four books, The Garden at the Roof of the World, a novel with Dragonwell Publishingpublished in 2013, Security for Service Oriented Architecture, non-fiction with Auerbach published in 2014, The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns with Dragonwell Publishing out September 2021, and How to Create an Information Security Program from Scratch with Auerback out in September 2021. An excerpt from The Hacker of Guantanamo Bay under the title "The InfoCoup" has been published by Abyss and Apex in their October 2019 edition, which was included in their Anthology, The Best of Abyss and Apex volume 3 in 2019. He is a frequent author panelist at ReaderCon and Arisia, and was a panelist at Boskone in 2018. He has conducted readings from his novels and works in progress at ReaderCon, Arisia, Boskone, and other venues. Follow Walt as an author on: Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram. He does maintain an InfoSec social network independent of the above." wbj-williams.net/index.html
In which the Unreliable Narrator's discuss "The Monday Man" which appeared in Readercon in 1990 and also in 2004's Innocents Aboard.
Bestselling authors William Bernhardt, Lara Bernhardt, and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Sara DiVello, author of a new book based on an true historical incident—Broadway Butterfly.Chapter 1: IntroductionWriterCon is Sept 1-3 in OKC for writers and aspiring writers. Come join us.ReaderCon is Sept 4 in OKC, free and open to the public. Come celebrate your favorite books and authors!www.writercon.comChapter 2: News1) Prosecraft Shut Down After Author Backlash2) FTC Preparing Lawsuit against AmazonChapter 3: Interview with Sara DiVelloIn this interview, the author discusses:1) her Mystery & Thriller Mavens Facebook group;2) researching a 100-year-old unsolved mystery;3) using social media; 4) mining history for material; and5) finding a workable writing process.Chapter 4: Parting WordsJoin us at WriterCon! Then come to ReaderCon, completely free, Sept 4.www.writercon.com/readercon/Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com
Bestselling authors William Bernhardt, Lara Bernhardt, and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interviewsenior editor with Thomas Nelson Publishers, HarperCollins Christian Publishing. For fifteen years, before taking an in-house position, she did freelance management, editing and proofreading.Chatper 1: IntroductionReaderCon is fast approaching—and we are ready! It's completely free and open to the public on Sept 4 (Labor Day) in Oklahoma City. You'll have a chance to hear many authors talk about their work and autograph books, including Lisa Gardner and Tosca Lee. Plus so much fun stuff! Book-themed costume contest. A mystery to solve. Puzzles. Spelling Bee. Jeopardy! Did I mention food trucks? And best of all—rescue animals! And so many chances to buy books!www.writercon.comChapter 2: News1) KKR is Buying Simon & Schuster2) Authors Fued Over AI Book CoverChapter 3: InterviewLara and William interview Janene MacIvor, senior editor at Thomas Nelson/Harper. In the interview, Janene discusses:1) why writers must read;2) what editors are looking for; 3) how she handles an imperfect manuscript with potential;4) the key to professional editing, and5) why she's proud of her work.Chapter 4: Parting WordsDon't forget! WriterCon on Sept 1-3 and ReaderCon on Sept 4!Do Yourself a Big Favor. Be there!Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com
In this episode, we're talking with Lara Bernhardt, a novelist and publisher and co-host of WriterCon writers' conference in Oklahoma City. This year's WriterCon has a special event—ReaderCon on September 4. We learn what it is and why every reader and author in the Oklahoma City area should want to be there.LINKS:ReaderCon: https://www.writercon.comLara's book, Red Rain: https://amzn.to/3KhfzjXLiz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at https://writing.fyi/lizGet your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.comWrite with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com
More discussions from Readercon 32. Readercon John Wiswell: [Newsletter] / [Patreon] / [Linktree] Someone You Can Build a Nest In (April 2, 2024) [Penguin Random House] ”Bad Doors” [Uncanny] ”The Coward Who Stole God's Name” [Uncanny] / [Psuedopod] ”Under the Rubble” [Psuedopod] ”The Lie Misses You” [Cast of Wonders] ”Open House on Haunted Hill” [LeVar Burton Reads] All the Seas of the World (written by: Guy Gavriel Kay and narrated by: Simon Vance) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Golem and the Jinni (written by: Helene Wecker and narrated by: George Guidall) [Libro.fm] / [Audible] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Episode 14] The Echo Wife (written by: Sarah Gailey, narrated by: Xe Sands) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Moby Dick (written by: Herman Melville, narrated by: Frank Mullerv) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Noah Beit-Aharon (N.S. Dolkart): [Website] / [Angry Robot] Silent Hall [Audible] Wings of Fire (Series): The Dragonet Prophecy (written by: Tui T. Sutherland, narrated by: Shannon McManus) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Locked Tomb (Series): Gideon the Ninth (written by: Tamsyn Muir and narrated by: Moira Quirk) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Sumana Harihareswara: [Blog] / [Mastadon] / [Dreamwidth] / [MetaFilter] Otherwise Award Wolf 359 ”An Annotated Bibliography of the Inside of My Head” [Blog Post] China Mountain Zhang written by: Maureen McHugh Regeneration written by: Pat Barker Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (written by: Chip Heath & Dan Heath, narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg) [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Love in Penang written by: Zen Cho Spirits Abroad (written by: Zen Cho, narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Black Water Sister (written by: Zen Cho, narrated by: Catherine Ho) [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Leonard Richardson
Grab your ants in mouth and join us in (redacted) for a not-LIVE new LIVE! Matt cannot record this episode and the Boiz are here to find out why. Is he lost in the wilderness? Is he in a galaxy far, far away? Is he at Readercon? Plus, are there hookers on cruise ships? How much cheese is too much cheese for Nate's kid? Could Pat survive if he was stranded in New York City with nothing but a canoe? All that and outdated Cecil the lion references and it all happens (not)LIVE!
Sharing our discussions with authors at Readercon 32. Readercon Vajra Chandrasekere: [Website] The Saint of Bright Doors [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Short Stories: [Clarkesworld ] /[“Ulde” - Glittership] Strange Horizons Podcast Nightmare Magazine Glittership Cameron Roberson (Rob Cameron): [Website] / [Tor.com] / [The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction] / [Foreign Policy Magazine] Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers Daydreamer (Forthcoming in Summer 2024) The Silk Roads [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Bloodmarked [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Monsters We Defy [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] Saint Death's Daughter [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] The Hidden Palace [Libro.fm] / [Audible] / [Overdrive/Libby] A Master of Djinn [Libro.fm] / [Overdrive/Libby] / [Audible] LJ Cohen: [Website] / [IndieBound] / [Amazon] Derelict [Overdrive - eBook ] / [Audible] Ithaka Rising [Overdrive - eBook ] / [Audible] For Flux Sake Podcast Clarkesworld Podcast Scott Edelman: [Website] / [Twitter] / [Eating the Fantastic] ”A Man Walks Into a Bar: In Which More Than Four Decades After My Father's Reluctant Night of Darts on West 54th Street I Finally Understand What Needs to be Done” [Lightspeed Magazine ] Lightspeed [Podcast]
After Gary enjoyed a weekend at Readercon, we're back with another one-on-one ramble that covers topics from the proliferation of SF awards (and what they really might be for), to some recent and forthcoming books we're excited about (including Kemi Ashing-Giwa's The Splinter in the Sky, Vajra Chandrasekera's The Saint of Bright Doors, Wole Talabi's Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, and Emily Tesh's Some Desperate Glory), the question of whether anthologies might rightly or wrongly be seen as definitive, and the importance of supporting short fiction publications given some major changes facing the field in 2023. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast.
During Readercon weekend, Christopher Brown rejoined the show for our first conversation since the 2020 release of his novel Failed State. We talk about the nonfiction project he's working on, tentatively titled THE SECRET HISTORY OF EMPTY LOTS, the surprising reach of his FIELD NOTES weekly newsletter, tribes' creation myths and how they manage to justify dominion over the land, why the outdoors is one of America's most segregated spaces, and why he thinks calling Washington, DC "The Swamp" is an insult to swamps. We get into the differences and similarities between his fiction and nature writing, the impact of Tesla and the Gigafactory on life in/around Austin, TX (esp. for its neighbors in unincorporated land), the tensions of child-rearing at a time of ecological disaster, what it means to read science fiction through nature-lens (esp. Annihilation and Neuromancer), the natural world's response to COVID lockdowns and capital's post-COVID snapback, and what it was like to vacation in South Padre Island, TX during the hottest week in history. Plus, we discuss the fun of coming back to Readercon, the old semi-hip days of psychogeography, our backup plans to bug out of the failed state, and plenty more. (And go listen to our past talks: 2018, 2019, 2020 + COVID Check-In) Follow Chris on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal and via our Substack
Author Scott Edelman checks in from West Virginia. We talk about how the pandemic has derailed his podcast, Eating the Fantastic, after 120 episodes, all the conventions that have been cancelled and how much he misses them (and why Readercon is his fave), the solace he takes from Middlemarch, the books he's hoping to get to now that he's not reading for pod-guests, whether his zombie fiction has prepared him for the current situation, the joys of light opera, and more. Follow Scott on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and listen to his podcast, Eating the Fantastic • Listen to our full-length podcast • More info at our site • Find all our COVID Check-In episodes • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal
This is the fourth and final installment of a series of interviews conducted at ReaderCon 2019. In this episode we discuss sexbots and a new collection of stories with James Patrick Kelly. Then we discuss touring, music, and writing with Sarah Pinsker. Finally, we debrief with Chris about his first every SF Con.
This is the third of a series of interviews conducted at ReaderCon 2019. In this episode we discuss Tananarive's career, music, movies, and history with the author, academic, and journalist herself.
This is the second of a series of interviews conducted at ReaderCon 2019. In this episode we discuss ReaderCon memories and politics in Science Fiction & Fantasy with Scott H. Andrews, editor of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and author Matthew Kressel.
This is the first of a series of interviews conducted at ReaderCon 2019. In this episode we discuss podcasting and writing with RJ Theodore (aka Rekka Jay). We also talk to editor, writer, publisher Bill Campbell about this origin story as well as his new anthology Sunspot Jungle. Our friend and sound guy Christopher Snydroski also gets a little air time about what he expects from his first science fiction convention.
Boston Beans! - Your Intrepid Heroes, Paul Weimer and Fred Kiesche, discuss ReaderCon, Gene Wolfe, blogging and podcasts. With a hat tip to our mentor of erudite tomes, John Stevens and to Jeff Patterson (who, sadly, had to miss the conversation due to that silly “work” thing). Host Fred Kiesche with Paul Weimer.
A couple of the Word Count Irregulars read their stories to an audience at Readercon 30 based on this prompt: SHOW NOTES: www.rbwood.com Host: R. B. Wood GUESTS: W. B. J. Williams – “Untitled” R. B. Wood –“Dear Dad”
This week’s best thing: Readercon! Mentions: Hamilton in Baltimore Fast Color movie Sycorax’s Daughters – Anthology of Black women horror writers “What Screenwriters Get Wrong About Outlines” – video with Alan Watt Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast Website: https://www.lpenelope.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslyepenelope Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/leslyepenelope Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlpenelope Music credit: Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM 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.
Writer, teacher, and activist Kate Maruyama joins the show from Readercon 2019! We talk about her first novel, Harrowgate (47North), which managed to make new motherhood and domesticity even creepier than the ghost story that overlays it. We get into how her husband and kids reacted to that book (it's about a woman who dies in childbirth), and when she got around to reading the work of her late mother, Kit Reed. We also talk about how she spent 20 years in Los Angeles before stumbling across its literary scene, and how she's making up for lost time by promoting that diverse writing community. Along the way, we discuss the differences between screenwriting vs prose writing, how she teaches students to avoid using archetypes that demean an entire population (and why Baby Driver turns out to be a woke crime movie), the authors her parents hosted at Wesleyan University during her childhood and the embarrassing question she asked Ralph Ellison, the social justice mission of Antioch College, how she taught creative writing in South Central LA and what her students taught her, and why the fast-fail model of screenplay sales has a lot to recommend it. • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal
Scheduling the time needed to chip away at my long to-do list. This week’s best thing: The Jeffersons live on ABC Mentions: The Career Author Podcast - https://thecareerauthor.com/ Readercon - http://www.readercon.org/ Tananarive Due - https://www.tananarivedue.com/ Music credit: Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM 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.
Our first live show done as a panel at Readercon 29 in Boston, MA Host/Moderator: R. B. Wood Show Notes: http://www.rbwood.com Prompt: Guests: W. B. J. Williams M. J. King Eden Baylee Bill Kirton Kathleen Kayembe R.B. Wood
It's another Readercon episode! First, Liz Hand rejoins the show for a little conversation about what she's been reading lately (it's some creepy stuff, of course), the regenerative aspects of Readercon, why the novella is ideal for dark/spooky fiction, and whether the attendee wearing an ASIA t-shirt is doing so ironically. Then John Clute talks about the ruins of futurity and the launch of the Clute Science Fiction Library at Telluride Institute. We get into the need for visual presentation and accessibility of original books in their context (including dust jackets), his transition from book accumulator to collector, the externalization of one's mind into one's library, why he doesn't write fiction, the Easter eggs he sneaks into the Science Fiction Encyclopedia, why Galaxy Quest is the best Star Trek movie (except for Wrath of Khan), reaching a uniform degree of incompletion, generational shifts in SF/F, and the sneaky adoption of Fantastika. (Goofy photo by Scott Edelman.) • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal
It all started in the hot summer of 1960, when Marilyn Monroe walked off the set of The Misfits and began to hear a haunting song in her head, "Goodbye Norma Jean" ... Welcome to Episode 106 of Llght On Light Through, a special video podcast of a reading I did of a brand new novelette, "Marilyn and Monet," at Readercon 28 in Quincy, MA on July 15, 2017. I read about 3300 words or about a third of the 10,000 word story. (You can read the complete story here.) Thanks Phil Merkel for recording this reading. (The voices you occasionally hear in the background are from a panel next door - I think they add to the ambience.)
This weeks guest can commonly be found giving wedgies to teachers on the playground and he is often time heard giving lectures to turtles about bullseyesing womprats in his T-49 back at home. In fact, he isn't known for any of that stuff. Instead this weeks guest on Bizzong! is Nathan Carson who is really known for writing the snot out of a book called Starr Creek and drumming the snot outta drums for a band known as Witch Mountain. Hit play like its a snare Zongers because it's time for the Bizzong! interview of Nathan Carson! Yay! Nathan Carson is a musician, writer, and Moth StorySlam Champion from Portland, OR. He is widely known as co-founder and drummer of the internationally touring doom metal band Witch Mountain, host of the FM radio show The Heavy Metal Sewing Circle, and the owner of the boutique music booking agency, Nanotear. Carson's byline can be found on hundreds of music and film-related articles in outlets such as the Willamette Week, SF Weekly, Orbitz, Noisey, Rue Morgue, Terrorizer, Metal Edge, etc. In recent years, Carson has turned his sights toward weird fiction, earning immediate accolades and publication via Word Horde, Stone Skin Press, Strange Aeons Magazine, Fedogan & Bremer, and Lazy Fascist Press, working with luminary editors such as Ross Lockhart, Molly Tanzer, Cameron Pierce, and Joe Pulver. He is also regularly found as a panelist, reader, or attendee on the convention circuit at HP Lovecraft Film Festival/Cthulhucon, NecronomiCon, StokerCon, ReaderCon, Bizarro Con, etc. Starr Creek (Lazy Fascist) is Carson's first standalone novella.
Hello Everyone, As promised, here is the finale episode of my interview with Theodora Goss, and it's probably my favorite part. As you'll hear, we talk about Hungary as a fairyland, the politics of walls, Jane Austin as post apocalyptic required reading, and bears. But most important, we really get at Theodora's writer's journey, which is always personal, nuanced, and challenging for anybody who picks up the pen (keyboard? tablet? Smartphone?). Thank you, Theodora for your honesty, time, and of course your stories. Everyone, go buy her book. Also, look for me and the rest of BSFW at Readercon as we launch the Kickstarter for Season 2 of the Kaleidocast! -Rob Cameron
Hello Writers, Here's part 2 of my interview with Theodora. This time, we'll be discussing... The enigmatic Sarah Bernhardt Writers craft and poetics in story telling And how to make room for the fantastic in the real world.
After our longest hiatus so far, Jonathan is back from Italy and Gary is back from Readercon, and we ramble on about such questions as whether modern SF can be characterized as optimistic or pessimistic, how some stories survive as influences despite their obvious flaws, whether modern SF holds on to some of its cherished myths even when they no longer seem feasible, what we're reading these days, and our own forthcoming public podcast at MidAmericon next month. As usual, any topic that you might find uninteresting will soon turn into another topic entirely.
Celebrate Readercon with 15 guests eating 12 donuts -- purchased at the world's first Dunkin' Donuts -- in a “lightning round” episode of Eating the Fantastic! Guests include Greer Gilman, Maria Dahvana Headley, Rajan Khanna, plus a dozen more surprise visitors.
John Clute, author, critic, and science fiction encyclopedist, joins the show at Readercon 2015 to talk about aftermath culture, SF's ghettoization, the triumph of Ishiguro's The Buried Giant, the failure of moats, and why late-period Bob Dylan is radically more interesting than the early model.
As the New Horizons probe hurtles past Pluto in the dark beyond, a con-crud-stricken John E. O. Stevens regales Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson with his adventures at Readercon. Then attentions turn to special guest Hoarsewoman Stina Leicht (on book release day, no less) to talk about her new novel Cold Iron. The discussion includes forty years of Dhalgren, writing protocols, book budgets, historical baggage, the bookstore landscape, eels, and our relationship with violence. As always, The Hoarsemen recount the books, comics, podcasts, and television that have occupied their free time. Host Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Stina Leicht.
Over the weekend of June 25-28 Gary travelled to distant and beautiful Mariehamn in the land of the midnight sun where he was to appear as a guest of honor at Archipelacon: The Nordic SF & Fantasy Convention. In amongst time spent appearing on panels, making speeches and marveling that the sun was still up as midnight approached, Gary took time to sit down with fellow Archipelacon guest Karin Tidbeck and long-time friend of the podcast Cheryl Morgan to discuss Karin's writing, Finnish and Swedish SF, some recommended new translations, and much more. As always, our sincere thanks to Karin and Cheryl for taking the time to be part of Coode Street. We hope you enjoy the episode. Next week: Readercon goodness!
It’s the Butt Panel from Readercon! Moderated by Amal El-Mohtar with Mikki Kendall, Julia Sparkymonster, Emily Wagner, and Vinnie Tesla. Here’s the official description:The Booty Don’t Lie: A Cheeky Discussion of Butts in Literature.This panel is about butts. Fundamentally divisive, throughout history the humble buttocks has often found itself at the intersection of concerns about gender, sexuality, race, and truly terrible puns. This gameshow-style discussion of butts in literature and popular culture promises to be deep, probing, and entertaining in equal measure; join us in reasoning a posteriori. Picture of the panelists twerkingThings mentioned in the panel:Saartjie Baartman,the “Hottentot Venus”“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix A Lot (“She’s so … black.” and “LA face with Oakland Booty” and "An itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face.") “Bootylicious” by Destiny’s Child (“I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly. My body’s too bootylicious for ya babe.”)“Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monae, featuring Erykah Badu (“The booty don’t lie.”) “Poison” by Bell Biv Devoe (“Never trust a big butt and a smile.”) Insults of note:Bundle of ass twigs (Amal’s gift to the world)Ass bucketAss hat (as a gateway to ass haberdashery — “What is this ass haberdashery?”)Fashion:Alexander McQueen’s Bumster trousers Chaps (Should they be worn with or without trousers? The panelists say yes.)Prince’s buttless pants at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards Visual Art:Vegetable art by Guiseppe Arcimboldo Amal passed around a similar piece of art depicting a face made of butts. Possible it was by André Martins de Barros? Avengers Booty Ass-emble by Kevin Bolk The Hieronymus Bosch butt song Misc pop culture:Hellboy: The Soul of Venice (about Cloacina, the Etruscan sewer goddess) Le Pétomane Literature:“The Miller’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Finally a note that the Queers Destroy Science Fiction special issue of Lightspeed is now open to submissions!
Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic Michael Dirda rejoins the Virtual Memories Show at Readercon 2014 to talk about the time Neil Gaiman tried to explain Twitter to him, his new project on the golden age of storytelling, what he dislikes about the tone of today's book reviewers, and more! [Also, we remastered our original Dirda podcast from 2012, over here!]
With our intrepid hosts preparing to head off to Europe for a sojourn in France before attending WorldCon in London (the biggest Worldcon ever!!), it seems like everything is happening in the gap between now and then. To fill the moments, a new episode(!) where Gary's time at Readercon, the Shirley Jackson Awards, the World Fantasy Awards and more (not much more) are discussed. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast.
Gillian Daniels, Emily Wagner, Adam Lipkin, Victor Raymond join Julia Rios talk about QUILTBAG YA in this panel from Arisia.Gillian blogs for New England Theatre Geek and the Analytical Couch Potato and eatyourbooks.blogspot.com. Emily is a YA Librarian and the programming chair for Readercon.Adam reviews YA books for Publishers Weekly.Victor is a professor of sociology, activist, and founding member of the Carl Brandon Society. Victor Jason Raymond on Facebook. Material For Class Tumblr is coming soon.Julia is the host of this podcast, and is co-editing an anthology of diverse YA SF and fantasy called Kaleidoscope.Things mentioned in the panel:*Flying Higher: an anthology of superhero poetry--all the panelists have poems in this, and it is free.*Malnda Lo's books (Lesbian characters without being problem novels)*Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (good trans character, bi character who is also disabled, complex relationships, very good audiobook version)*If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan (two girls in love in Iran)*The Weetzie Bat series by Francesca Lia Block*Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein (as an example of a classic YA book where diversity--in this case race--is played down, so the character reads as white to a lot of people)*The Shattering by Karen Healey (and a blanket recommendation for Karen Healey in general, and Guardian of the Dead has a good asexual character)*The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (trans character)*AO3 (Archive Of Our Own--a fanfiction website where Emily sees teens going to write their own fix it fics. If they like a story and are disappointed about the representation, they will transform it themselves.)*Cassandra Clare, Sara Rees Brennan, Naomi Novik, Lois McMaster Bujold (authors who got their start in fanfic and/or still write fanfic after being professionally published)*Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (as an example of something where the issue of othernerss--in this case race--is so highlighted that the person portrayed as other must be presented as perfect)*The Nightrunner Series by Lynn Flewelling *The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (Teen #1 in audience read and liked it for the adventure)*The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Teen #2 read and loved this because it didn't try to romanticize death, but was blunt and direct)*Fanfiction! (Teen #3 is following over 150 fanfics right now and loves Once Upon a Time fanfic because, "The show is so terrible, but the fanfic is so good!")*The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (SF in future Brazil with a polyamorous relationship with QUILTBAG characters and characters of color)*Marco Impossible by Hannah Moscowitz (mainstream gay book for middle school age readers)*My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger (another mainstream book with 9th grade protagonists, one of whom is gay)*The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce (to start with one character has two moms, and later one of the main characters is bi. These are good because they start young and get older, so goo books to grow with)*Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson (Audience recommended, but then did not want to spoil it, so I'm unsure why exactly it was recommended)
In Part 2 of our Readercon 2013 special, we talk with authors Theodora Goss, Valya Lupescu and Nancy Hightower about their new books, their writing careers, their literary influences, what Readercon means to them, and more!
After all of the excitement of broadcasting from ReaderCon with Rob Shearman and Howard Waldrop, Gary and Jonathan turn back to more typical discussion of matters science fictional in an all new podcast that, as always, comes to you live from the Waldorf Room. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast.
It's time for a 2-part podcast! I went up to Readercon 24 in Burlington, MA in July and came back with a passel of conversations! First, John Crowley, author of Little, Big, Aegypt, Engine Summer and other great novels and short stories, joined us talk about his work, his influences, the shifting nature of the literary marketplace, the allure of imaginary books, and more! Then, fiction-writer, editor, wrestling biographer (?) and ukelele enthusiast Scott Edelman joins us to talk about zombies, literary genre ghettoes, his history at conventions, his time working at Marvel Comics in the '70s, and the virtues of workshopping fiction! Next episode: Readercon conversations with Theodora Goss, Valya Dudycz Lupescu and Nancy Hightower!
The Untragic Trans* Panel from WisCon 37! Moderated by Rhea Ewing, with Autumn Nicole Bradley, Rose Hayes, Brit Mandelo, and Elliott Mason. The panel runs an hour and fifteen minutes, and then I give a little Readercon report after it's over. Things the panelists recommended: *We Happy Trans* is a website specifically for sharing positive trans* experiences. *What Makes a Baby is a book that talks about how babies are made in very inclusive terms for all kinds of families. *Choir Boy by Charlie Anders is a novel about a trans* teen. *Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman is a book about exploring gender in multiple ways. *Being Emily by Rachel Gold is another trans* teen novel, and one which Autumn recommends as really speaking to her experience. *FINE is Rhea's comic about gender. Readercon was great! Big thanks to he concom for working hard to make the space as safe and inclusive as possible. I loved getting to catch up with so many OA members, though I utterly failed to get a lot pictures. I do have two, though! Both from the From Page to Stage workshop run by C.S.E. Cooney and Caitlyn Paxson. At the end, all the participants read from their work, and I caught Kyell Gold and Brad Parks in the act! Here's Kyell: And Brad: Thanks to everyone who made Readercon weekend great!
The great Lost Podcasts of 2012 are a part of Coode Street Podcast lore. A sad and painful memory of four wonderful conversations ever lost to perfidious technology. This week one of the participants in those conversations, brilliant short story writer Robert Shearman, and living legend Howard Waldrop, join Gary and Jonathan in a special podcast recorded in Boston at Readercon 24. Much is discussed about the art of the short story, changes in contemporary culture, and more. As always, we hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast!
In what is definitely the latest official instalment of the Coode Street Podcast, Gary and Jonathan sneak past the Jerome Kern Memorial Habachi Stand and settle down just near the Richard Rogers Habachi Grill to discuss many things. In an incredible development, this time the Production Gnomes of Coode Street have been able to produce a rough running schedule for the episode. Rejoice! 00:00 Introduction 05:00 Discussion of Kim Stanley Robinson's new novel Shaman, Werner Herzog's film Cave of Forgotten Dreams and prehistoric fiction. (This bit's shorter than you'd think it would be). 13:00: Locus Awards winners, and Gary drops names. 30:00 Richard Matheson. 38:00 The Year in Fiction to Date (including our favorites and must reads of the year so far [though not really "must", just "we like it a lot and you might too"] 1:13:00 End Please let us know in comments about your favorite books of the year too! Next week we hope to be reporting in from Readercon. Until then, as always, we hope you enjoy the podcast!
And this week the wonderful Genevieve Valentine joins us in the Waldorf Room to discuss Readercon and harrassment at conventions, steampunk, dystopias and After and the recently released World Fantasy Awards ballot. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast!
After a final July hiatus we're back! This weekend Gary and I headed to the Waldorf Room to discuss thoughts on Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 and SF set within our Solar System, World Fantasy Award Lifetime Achievement recipients Alan Garner and George R.R. Martin, and recent issues at Readercon. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast!
After a short break, we're back! Gary travelled to Massachusetts to attend Readercon 23 and managed to persuade convention guests of honor Caitlin R. Kiernan and Peter Straub to join us to discussCaitlin's most recent novel The Drowning Girl, writing, Readercon and much, much more. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast!
With the sun slowly setting over the Coode Street Motel 6, Gary and I headed for the Waldorf Room to record episode 102 of the podcast. For the first time in two years we had show notes, we had plans, and we had news: surely nothing could go wrong! Surely! We had much to discuss: the Nebula Awards winners, which had just been announced; feedback from Cheryl Morgan on Episode 101 and whether women write rigorous SF; gender and whether the gender of the author affects how we perceive the genre of their work; and more! Really. For those seeking show notes, we did discuss all of the above, along with mention of the Tiptree Centenary (time to start planning!), Gary's upcoming attendance at Wiscon and Readercon, and other stuff. However, this is the Coode St Podcast. It soon became clear Gary had not *read* the show notes, that we couldn't fit in everything we'd planned and...well, we did the best we could. As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast. Next week, Wiscon!
Gary Wolfe checks in from Readercon in Burlingham MA and brings guests Elizabeth Hand and Peter Straub to the table. This time we discuss: the art of the novella why Readercon is worth attending outsider art, Henry Darger, crypto-aviation, and all sorts of other neat stuff. We hope you enjoy it as always and will see you next weekend!
Horror Addicts Episode# 023 Horror Hostess: Emerian Rich Intro Music by: SpekrFreks ---------------------------- Featured Author: Jack Mangan Featured Band: Skin Contact Featured Movie: Phantasm, 1979 ---------------------------- Skin Contact bumper | Phantasm, 1979 Review | Foreign Fang Quiz | Montreal Fetish Weekend | Sarah Peters | Vamp Writers Group | Vampire Class | Bride Of Water God | Dead High Yearbook | dashPunk | Speculative Fiction Today | Undead Betty’s Derby Bout | Off The Shelf Interview | Readercon | Anticipation | Hiener | Ruckus Interview | Ruckus Review | Skin Contact Antitrust | Grave Concerns | Artist Lino Azavedo | Let The Right One In | Haunted Vacations | Homecoming | Jack Mangan Interview | Wander Radio | 16 Pieces, Jack Mangan | (Ning is down right now... links will come soon.) Phantasm Knightmist: http://emzbox.ning.com/xn/detail/2168705:Topic:8915 Montreal Fetish Weekend: http://www.fetishweekend.com/ Sarah Peters: Vamp Writers Group: Vampire Class: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-talk_vampiremay27,0,7710631.story Bride Of The Water God SFT Episode #410: Dead High Yearbook SFT Episode #409: Undead Betty’s Derby Team: http://www.undeadbettys.com/Off The Shelf Interview: http://thebookstacks.org/off-the-shelf/ Readercon: http://www.readercon.org/ Anticipation: http://www.anticipationsf.ca Events on forum: Hiener: Ruckus Productions: http://www.ruckusproductions.com/tob.htm Skin Contact: http://www.skincontact.com Grave Concerns: http://www.graveconcernsezine.com/ Lino Azavedo: http://www.azevedoart.com KnightmistLet The Right One In: Audrey Haunted Vacation: http://emzbox.ning.com/xn/detail/2168705:Topic:8895 Jack Mangan: http://www.jackmangan.com Wander Radio: http://wanderradio.com/ HA staff: Emerian Rich, Knightmist, Audrey, Ari with music by the SpekrFreks All articles and forum topics can be found at: http://www.emzbox.ning.com Season 3 Movies: Subspecies, 1991 Phantasm, 1979 Lost Souls,2000 Death Note (Live Action), 2006 Ghost Ship, 2002 Dog Soldiers, 2002 The Ghost amd Mrs. Muir, 1947 Pitch Black, Brides Of Dracula, 1960 The Others, 2001 Sleepy Hollow, 1999 /
Fair Warning: The self aggrandizement continues with Part Two of the Guest of Honor Interview between John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly from Readercon 19. This took place in July of 2008. Happily, this is the concluding segment. Time: 20:25 File Size: 20mb
Fair Warning: And now for something completely different for Free Reads. This is Part One of the Guest of Honor Interview between John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly from Readercon 19. It was recorded in July of 2008 and contains more information than anyone would ever want to know about the perpetrator of this podcast. Listen at your own peril! Time: 31:54 File Size: 15mb
Hosts Erin and DongWon are joined by Fonda Lee and Mahtab Narsimhan for a special episode about creating traditions in your fictional writing. In this episode, we'll explore some of the following: -How do you build traditions and rituals in your fictional world (choosing what becomes a tradition or ritual and what doesn't)? -How can you use rituals or traditions to advance a novel's plot, give characters more depth, and create conflict? -What are the pitfalls to avoid (depiction of closed practices, over-ritualizing common traditions)?Homework: Pick a ritual or tradition that you are very accustomed to and make it the center of a fictional scene. You can change its meaning or impact, but the content of the tradition should stay the same.Thing of the Week: Shanghai Immortal by AY Chao (especially the audiobook version)Liner Notes: This podcast episode idea was inspired by ReaderCon 2023, where Erin Roberts was a panelist. Sign up for our newsletter: https://writingexcuses.comCredits: Your hosts for this episode were DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Fonda Lee and Mahtab Narsimhan. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! PatreonInstagramYouTubeFacebookTwitterSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy