The Functional Nerds Podcast

Patrick and John are back for the first of two Just Us episodes. In the first, we talk about a recent controversy over digital licensing rights and how they impact what you ‘buy’ including movies, tv shows, audiobooks and ebooks. Additionally, we go down the road of digital media versus print media – costs, distribution, rights and more. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 377 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome back an old friend – Mur Lafferty! Mur has a new book out called Solo: A Star Wars Story – the official novelization of the movie! About Solo: A Star Wars Story: Though Han Solo has thrilled Star Wars fans for decades, the notorious wisecracking scoundrel was chasing adventure and dodging trouble long before he walked into the cantina at Mos Eisley spaceport. Young Han dreams of someday soaring into space at the helm of his own starship and leaving his home, the gritty industrial planet Corellia, far behind. But as long as he’s trapped in a life of poverty and crime—and under the thumb of the sinister Lady Proxima and her brutal street gang—reaching the distant stars seems impossible. When Han tries to escape with his girlfriend and partner-in-crime, Qi’ra, he makes it out—but she doesn’t. Desperate for a way to find his own offworld vessel and free her, Han enlists in the Imperial Navy—the last place for a rebellious loner who doesn’t play well with others. When the Empire clips his wings, Han goes rogue and plunges into the shady world of smugglers, gamblers, and con artists. There he meets the charming and cunning high roller Lando Calrissian, makes an unlikely friend in a cantankerous Wookiee called Chewbacca, and first lays eyes on the Millennium Falcon. To snag his piece of the outlaw pie, Han joins a crew of pirates to pull off a risky heist. The stakes are high, the danger is great, and the odds are slim. But never tell Han Solo the odds. About Mur Laffery: Mur Lafferty is a podcaster and writer from Durham, NC. She made her name with podcasting (I Should Be Writing, The Angry Robot Podcast, and Escape Pod, the premier SF podcast magazine) and has written for magazines, roleplaying games, and audio and video podcasts. She currently cohosts with Matt Wallace the Hugo Award winning podcast Ditch Diggers, about the business of writing, when the craft is not as important as the deadline. She’s the author of I Should Be Writing, Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides, Solo, and part of the team that writes Bookburners. This week’s picks: * Mur: Leder Games Root * John: Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday * Patrick: The Dragon Prince Links: * Mur Lafferty on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 376 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome Grim Dark Fantasy author Anna Smith Spark! Her Empires of Dust trilogy began with the David Gemmell Awards shortlisted The Court of Broken Knives, and continues with the newly released The Tower of Living and Dying. About Anna Smith Spark: Anna lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org. Previous jobs include petty bureaucrat, English teacher and fetish model. Anna’s favourite authors and key influences are R. Scott Bakker, Steve Erikson, M. John Harrison, Ursula Le Guin, Mary Stewart and Mary Renault. She spent several years as an obsessive D&D player. She can often be spotted at sff conventions wearing very unusual shoes. This week’s picks: * Anna Smith Spark: The Last Kingdom * The La Vuelta a Espana 2018 Bike Race * John: Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists by Kay Larson * Patrick: It’s Tough Being Cobra These Days by Carrie Vaughn Links: * Anna Smith Spark on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

Patrick and John return from the Labor Day break to discuss how they, and social media, has changed in the years since starting The Functional Nerds podcast, including how we use social media and which platforms we prefer. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

Patrick and John return from a brief hiatus (Patrick has been sick) to talk about the music they’ve been listening to, the books they’ve been reading, how they consume books these days, beer, podcasts, and so very much more. You’ll just have to listen for yourself to gobble up all the goodies. And a special shout out to Gail Carriger. See Gail? I listen – hardly any Star Wars talk at all! Note: We’ll also be taking the Tuesday after Labor Day off. Look for us again in -2- weeks! Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 373 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome author and podcaster Tim Niederriter. He has several books out, including Spells of the Curtain: Court Mage, Spells of the Curtain: Battle Mage, Spells of the Curtain: Winter Mage, Memory Lost: A Post-Apocalyptic Cyberpunk Thriller (The Root Conspiracy Book 1), Mind Chase: A Post-Apocalyptic Cyberpunk Thriller (The Root Conspiracy Book 2) and Image Storm: A Post-Apocalyptic Cyberpunk Thriller (The Root Conspiracy Book 3). About Tim Niederriter: Tim Niederriter is a freelance writer and editor. He writes stories in science fiction, fantasy, and combinations of the two for himself and for others. When not writing fiction or losing at the occasional videogame, he maintains a blog at dwellerofthedeep.wordpress.com, and you can find his personal website at timniederriter.com. He lives in Minnesota for as long as the corn decides not to eat him. This week’s picks: * Tim Niederriter: Epica Vs Attack on Titan Songs * John: I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern * Patrick: Batman and Harley Quinn Links: * Tim Niederriter on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

Patrick and John return from a brief hiatus to talk about all the goodies coming out of San Diego Comic Con 2018! What does this conversation include? We’re so glad you asked! Among other things, we discuss: Doctor Who, DC Comic’s new streaming service, Titans, Young Justice, Man of Steel, Ben Affleck, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (new trailer), Shazam!, Star TreL Discovery, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Voltron: Legendary Defender and CBS All Access. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 371 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome back Hugo-award winning author, Mary Robinette Kowal! Her book – The Calculating Stars – is out with its companion in the duology – The Fated Sky – will be out in August! About The Calculating Stars: A meteor decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for a much larger share of humanity to take part. One of these new entrants in the space race is Elma York, whose experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too—aside from some pesky barriers like thousands of years of history and a host of expectations about the proper place of the fairer sex. And yet, Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions may not stand a chance. About Mary Robinette: Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of Ghost Talkers, The Glamourist Histories series, and the Lady Astronaut duology. She is a cast member of the award-wining podcast Writing Excuses and also a three-time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago. Visit her online at maryrobinettekowal.com. This week’s picks: * Mary Robinette: Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight before NASA by Amy Shira Teitel * John: Baby Driver * Patrick: Black Lightning Links: * Mary Robinette on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

Patrick and John have a frank and serious chat about fandom, specifically Star Wars and the reactions to Solo: A Star Wars Story. SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, and plan to, and have avoided spoilers, then YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP THIS EPISODE UNTIL AFTER YOU’VE SEEN THE MOVIE. What else do we talk about in this episode? A LOT. The Monkees come up fairly early, and we talk about The Beatles as well before moving on to Solo, the state of Star Wars these days, fandom, social medial, trolls, bullies, the Disney / Fox merger, streaming services and how the merger could affect them, the new DC streaming service, Titans, Young Justice Season 3, the new streaming animated and live action Star Wars shows, Marvel movies and more… Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 369 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome New York Times Best Selling author Andy Weir! ARTEMIS – an irresistible new near-future thriller–a heist story set on the moon – is available now via paperback. About ARTEMIS: Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich. Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time. So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down. The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself. Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city. Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal. That’ll have to do. Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir. About Andy Weir: ANDY WEIR built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, THE MARTIAN, allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California. This week’s picks: * Andy: The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel by Mary Robinette Kowal * John: Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World by Rob Sheffield * Patrick: Luke Cage: Season 2 Links: * Andy Weir on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 368 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome back New York Times Best Selling author Delilah S. Dawson! Delilah’s new book – co-authored with fellow NYT Best Selling Author Kevin Hearne – is called KILL THE FARM BOY and drops on July 17th, 2018 from Del Rey. About KILL THE FARM BOY: Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he’s bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there’s the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boy’s untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then there’s a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar “happily ever after” that ever once-upon-a-timed. About Delilah S. Dawson: Delilah S. Dawson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Phasma, the Blud series, the Hit series, Servants of the Storm, and the Shadow series, written as Lila Bowen and beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her comics include the creator-owned Ladycastle as well as Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files: Florida Man, Adventure Time, and Labyrinth. Delilah likes fancy cocktails, gluten-free cupcakes, and helping turtles cross the road. This week’s picks: * Delilah: Transformers: More than meets the Eye * Bonus Pick: The Lore Podcast * John: Letters From a Stoic * Patrick: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown * WATCH: The Sicily Clip… Links: * Delilah S. Dawson on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 367 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with NY Times Best Selling Author – Jim Butcher! His new book – BRIEF CASES – is a collection of short stories set in the Dresden Files Universe which includes a brand new story. Our interview begins at the 15:32 mark if you want to skip ahead… About BRIEF CASES: An all-new Dresden Files story headlines this urban fantasy short story collection starring the Windy City’s favorite wizard. The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is rife with intrigue—and creatures of all supernatural stripes. And you’ll make their intimate acquaintance as Harry delves into the dark side of truth, justice, and the American way in this must-have short story collection. From the Wild West to the bleachers at Wrigley Field, humans, zombies, incubi, and even fey royalty appear, ready to blur the line between friend and foe. In the never-before-published “Zoo Day,” Harry treads new ground as a dad, while fan-favorite characters Molly Carpenter, his onetime apprentice, White Council Warden Anastasia Luccio, and even Bigfoot stalk through the pages of more classic tales. With twelve stories in all, Brief Cases offers both longtime fans and first-time readers tantalizing glimpses into Harry’s funny, gritty, and unforgettable realm, whetting their appetites for more to come from the wizard with a heart of gold. About Jim Butcher: A martial arts enthusiast whose résumé includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives mostly inside his own head so that he can write down the conversation of his imaginary friends, but his head can generally be found in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Jim is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera novels, and the Cinder Spires series, which began with The Aeronaut’s Windlass. This week’s picks: * John: Pyromattia – Matt Nathanson * Patrick: Deadpool 2 Links: * Jim Butcher on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

After a brief hiatus for Memorial Day, Patrick and John are back in episode 366 talking about many things – FIRST OFF – SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, and plan to, and have avoided spoilers, then YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP THIS EPISODE UNTIL AFTER YOU’VE SEEN THE MOVIE. What else do we talk about in this episode? Well – so glad you asked! The list includes: Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files, Denver Comic Con, Audiobooks, Brandon Sanderson, Mur Lafferty and her Solo novelization (YAY MUR!!!), Grave Peril, the slow burn, Marvel’s 10 year anniversary, Avengers: Infinity War, the proposed Fox merger, time travel, Kevin Hearne, Luke Daniels and Oberon, among other things… Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 365 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with KD Edwards, whose debut novel – THE LAST SUN – is due out from PYR on June 12th, 2018. About THE LAST SUN: Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam’s relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past? About KD Edwards: K.D. lives and writes in North Carolina, but has spent time in Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Washington. (Common theme until NC: Snow. So, so much snow.) Mercifully short careers in food service, interactive television, corporate banking, retail management, and bariatric furniture has led to a much less short career in Higher Education. This week’s picks: * KD: The Cuckoo’s Calling (A Cormoran Strike Novel) by Robert Galbraith (AKA J.K. Rowling) * John: The Google News App * Patrick: Solo: A Star Wars Story * Bonus Pick: Solo: A Star Wars Story Hardcover – by Mur Lafferty Links: * KD Edwards on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

Episode 364 arrives just in time for Patrick and John to talk about shared calendars, Marvel movies, the library, Chuck (yes, Chuck), the Bands in Town App (see the shared calendar reference above), the Beyond the Trope Podcast, The Three Hoarsemen Podcast, the SF Crossing the Gulf Podcast, texting, distractions, the average attention span (they already stopped reading this), being single in the age of apps and texting, Captain America: Winter Soldier, John’s obsession with Jon Snow (before it was cool), and more… Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere) © 2018 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.