The Functional Nerds Podcast

In episode 303 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome Campbell Award winner and podcaster Mur Lafferty, author of Six Wakes – A space adventure set on a lone ship where the clones of a murdered crew must find their murderer – before they kill again – and Bookburners – a collaboration with Max Gladstone, Brian Francis Slattery, and Margaret Dunlap. About Mur: 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. Her very popular novellas, The Afterlife Series, originally published via audio podcast, are also available as ebooks. Her newest books include Six Wakes and The Shambling Guides – The Shambling Guide to New York City, and Ghost Train to New Orleans. This week’s picks: * Mur: The 3% – Netflix * John: Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson * Patrick: The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, narrated by Kate Reading Links: * Mur Lafferty on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Superstars of Writing – Patrick Teaching Scrivener and Podcasting * Open Critique night – Patrick is the guest critiquer * The Pikes Peak Writers Conference – Patrick is teaching a half-day Scrivener workshop © 2017 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 302 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with, Julie Czerneda author of several books including Hidden in Sight (Web Shifters) and the editor for the Nebula Awards Showcase 2017 anthology. About Julie: A love of reading turned into a love of writing for Julie E. Czerneda. A former biologist, then writer and editor of non-fiction, in 1997 DAW Books published Julie’s first sf novel, “A Thousand Words for Stranger” and she hasn’t stopped since. Her work has received international acclaim, multiple awards,and best-selling status. You’ll find her work in anthologies as well, as she enjoys working with other writers. Julie is a popular speaker, whether on writing, science, or the use of science fiction to promote scientific literacy. Her recent adventures included being Guest of Honour for the national conventions of New Zealand and Australia, as well as Master of Ceremonies for Anticipation, the Montreal Worldcon. Having finished editing SFWA’s 2017 Nebula Awards Showcase, Julie is back to the concluding trilogy to The Clan Chronicles, the SF series that began with her first novel. DAW Books has bought a further three titles in her fantasy series, Night’s Edge, but first? More ESEN! For more on Julie’s work and upcoming events, please visit www.czerneda.com Oh, and when not writing or at conventions? Julie and her photographer husband grab their canoe and disappear into the glorious wilderness surrounding their central Ontario home. Picks: * Julie: Radiant: Towers Trilogy Book One – by Karina Sumner-Smith * John: Travellers – Netflix * Patrick: Emerald City – NBC Links: * Julie on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Superstars of Writing – Patrick Teaching Scrivener and Podcasting * Open Critique night – Patrick is the guest critiquer * The Pikes Peak Writers Conference – Patrick is teaching a half-day Scrivener workshop © 2017 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 301 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with, Sarah Beth Durst author of The Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia. About Sarah: Sarah Beth Durst is the author of eleven fantasy novels for adults, teens, and kids, including Drink Slay Love, the basis for the upcoming TV movie of the same name, airing on Lifetime in 2017. Her latest book for kids, The Girl Who Could Not Dream, came out in November 2015 from HMH/Clarion Books, and her latest book for adults, The Queen of Blood, came out in September 2016 from Harper Voyager. Sarah won the 2013 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for SFWA’s Andre Norton Award three times. Picks: * Sarah: * Hope and Red (The Empire of Storms) – by Jon Skovron * Voltron – Netflix * John: Catalyst (Star Wars): A Rogue One Novel * Patrick: Babylon’s Ashes by James SA Corey Links: * Sarah on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 300 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio talk about in no particular order: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rogue One (spoiler free!), Galaxy of Heroes, Brian Setzer, Dream Theater + Peter Orullian, Video Game platforms (for John), The Force Unleashed for XBOX 360, Superstars of Writing Seminar, The Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Scrivener, Patrick’s upcoming book, and Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2017 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 299 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio talk mostly about audiobooks. You should listen if for no other reason than to hear Patrick’s rendition of, “This… is Audible.” and “Audible hopes you have enjoyed this program.” It’s classic. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Audible © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 298 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio crossover with The Three Hoarsemen podcast – Fred Kiesche, Jeff Patterson and John Stevens – to have an SF Signal inspired Holiday Mega Pick List! About The Three Hoarsemen: In the long and storied history of science fiction podcasts, never had the powers-that-be deigned it safe to allow John H. Stevens, Fred Kiesche, and Jeff Patterson to appear on the same panel discussion. “It would be worse than crossing the streams,” they said. “Violent weather would sweep the land, and cicadas emerge from the depths!” Okay—it’s more like visiting three cranky uncles in a run-down retirement home… Picks: * Jeff: * John Byrne’s Stowaway to the Stars Coloring Book * Normal by Warren Ellis * Valerian Comics * Fred: * Call of Cthulhu RPG 7th Edition * The Star Trek Encyclopedia by Michael & Denise Okuda * The Collected Essays on Evolution, Nature and The Cosmos of Loren Eiseley * John Stevens: – Go check out his picks over on The Three Hoarsemen’s podcast feed! * John Anealio: * Zero World by Jason M. Hough * Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke * YouTube Red * Patrick: * Socksmith Mens & Womens Bagel Scmear Crew Socks * Babylon’s Ashes – Book 6 in The Expanse (Patrick mixed his book numbers up in the podcast) by James SA Corey * Trudeu Bagel Slicing Guide with Adjustable Thickness * The Miles Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audio) Links: * Jeff on Twitter * Fred on Twitter * John Stevens on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page

In episode 297 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with, Cherie Priest author of The Family Plot: A Novel. About Cherie: Cherie Priest is the author of 20 books and novellas, most recently The Family Plot, I Am Princess X, Chapelwood, and the Philip K. Dick Award nominee Maplecroft; but she is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker. Her works have been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction, and have won the Locus Award (among others) – and over the years, they’ve been translated into nine languages in eleven countries. Cherie lives in Chattanooga, TN, with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets. Picks: * Cherie: * Clever Man – Netflix * The Exorcist – FOX * John: Dark Matter – SyFy * Patrick: * Dresden Files: Wild Card * Lethal Weapon – FOX Links: * Cherie on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 296 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with, Michael Livingston author of The Gates of Hell. About Michael: Michael Livingston’s debut novel, the historical fantasy Shards of Heaven, was published by Tor Books in November 2015 and quickly garnered numerous critical accolades. The sequel, The Gates of Hell, will appear in November 2016. A past winner of the prestigious international Writers of the Future Contest (in 2005), he has also published in a variety of other genres and venues, from a historical retelling of Beowulf to a brief story about quantum physics in the world-renowned journal of science, Nature. A native of Colorado, Dr. Livingston holds degrees in History, Medieval Studies, and English. He lives today in Charleston, South Carolina, where he teaches at The Citadel. In his academic life, he has published more than a dozen articles on subjects as varied as J.R.R. Tolkien, Beowulf, Chaucer, James Joyce, and Robert Jordan. He has investigated European maps of America that pre-date Columbus, found unrecorded Anasazi ruins and artifacts, and written about the handwriting of fourteenth-century scribes. He is the general editor of the Liverpool Historical Casebooks Series, for which he has edited casebooks on The Battle of Brunanburh (2011), the Welsh rebel hero Owain Glyndwr (2013), and The Battle of Crecy (2015). He speaks frequently on medieval history and culture, about the history and meaning of fantasy literature, and about the ways of bringing his professional skills to bear on the writing of fiction. Picks: * Michael: * The Grayl Bottle * WhiteLines Notebook * John: Instapaper * Patrick: Amazon HD Fire Tablet 8 Links: * Michael on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 295p of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio have a deeply spoilery chat about the Disney XD show, Star Wars: Rebels. We also talk about the future, patreon, and much more. Download this episode to your favorite listening device and then let John and Patrick totally fill your ears with warm, gooey podcasting goodness… Which isn’t at all as gross as it sounds. Trust us. Links: * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * Star Wars: Rebels * It’s all about the base, ’bout the base, no rebels * Let the Dark Side Flow… © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 294 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with publisher and prolific author Kevin J. Anderson. About Kevin: Kevin J. Anderson has published 140 books, 54 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart, based on the concept album by the band Rush. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita fantasy trilogy, the Saga of Shadows trilogy, and his humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie PI. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. Picks: * Kevin: Gotham * John: The Unnoticeables by Robert Brockway * Patrick: The Riyria AudioBooks by Michael J. Sullivan, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds Links: * Kevin on Twitter * The Takamo Universe Kickstarter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 293 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with author, editor and Apex Magazine and Book publisher, Jason Sizemore. About Jason: Raised in the Appalachian hills of southeastern Kentucky, Jason Sizemore is a three-time Hugo Award-nominated editor, a writer, and operates the science fiction, fantasy, and horror press Apex Publications. He is the author of the collection of dark science fiction and horror shorts Irredeemable and the tell-all creative fiction For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher. He currently lives in Lexington, KY. Miscellaneous Sizemore facts: Left-handed, blue eyes, super nerd, hillbilly with accompanying accent, partially colorblind,  near-sighted, and an unrepentant fan of pumpkin spice. Picks: * Jason: I Am Providence by Nick Mamatas * John: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch * Patrick: CW’s new lineup * Monday: Supergirl * Tuesday: The Flash * Wednesday: Arrow * Thursday: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Links: * Jason on Twitter * The APEX Magazine Subscription Drive * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 292 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with actress and author Leanna Renee Hieber. About Leanna: Actress, playwright and author Leanna Renee Hieber is the award-winning, bestselling author of Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her Strangely Beautiful saga, beginning with The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, hit Barnes & Noble and Borders Bestseller lists and garnered numerous regional genre awards, with new revised editions from Tor Books now available, the saga is currently being adapted into a musical theatre production. Leanna’s Magic Most Foul saga began with Darker Still, an American Bookseller’s Association “Indie Next List” pick and a Scholastic Book Club “Highly Recommended” title. Her new Gaslamp Fantasy saga, The Eterna Files, is now available, with the sequel Eterna & Omega releasing 8/16. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies such as Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells, Willful Impropriety, The Mammoth Book of Gaslamp Romance, featured on Tor.com and she writes for Criminal Element. She is a 4 time Prism Award winner for excellence in the genre of Fantasy Romance. Her books have been selected for national book club editions and translated into languages such as Complex Chinese, German and Polish. Leanna lives in New York City, is a proud member of performer unions Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, is also a licensed ghost tour guide and has been featured in film and television on shows like Boardwalk Empire. She is represented by Paul Stevens of the Donald Maass agency and is active on Twitter @leannarenee. Picks: * Leanna: * The Family Plot by Cherie M. Priest * Stranger Things * John: Wireless Earbuds / Bellboy.me * Patrick: Diablo 3 Links: * Leanna on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * The MileHiCon Wirters Night Mixer Patrick mentioned © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 291 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with author Delilah S. Dawson aka Lila Bowen. About Delilah: Delilah S. Dawson is the writer of the Blud series, Servants of the Storm, the HIT series, Wake of Vultures (as Lila Bowen), Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon and Scorched, and a variety of short stories and comics. Delilah is the winner of the 2015 Fantasy Book of the Year from RT Book Reviews for WAKE OF VULTURES and the 2013 Steampunk Book of the Year and May Seal of Excellence for WICKED AS SHE WANTS. She has earned stars from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal for WAKE OF VULTURES, as well as a star from Library Journal for the Blud e-novella The Damsel and the Daggerman. Delilah loves horseback riding, Star Wars, writing and comic cons, traveling, reading, tacos, the ocean, pretty boots, tattoos, Boyd Crowder, and shows like Justified, Firefly, Venture Bros., Community, Adventure Time, Arrested Development, TWD, and Frisky Dingo. Please geek out with her on Twitter for full SQUEE. Picks: * Delilah: Yoga (for writers, and everyone else) – www.doyogawithme.com * John: FitBit * Patrick: * Rory’s Story Cubes * Luke Cage Links: * Delilah on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * The MileHiCon Wirters Night Mixer Patrick mentioned © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 290 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with African-American writer, editor, and journalist, Nisi Shawl. About Nisi: Nisi Shawl is a writer of science fiction and fantasy short stories and a journalist. She is the co-author (with Cynthia Ward) of Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Asimov’s SF Magazine, Strange Horizons, and numerous other magazines and anthologies. Nisi Shawl’s speculative masterpiece Everfair, manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history. Everfair is told from a multiplicity of voices: Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and African Americans in complex relationships with one another, in a compelling range of voices that have historically been silenced. Everfair is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history. Picks: * Nisi: * Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff * Underground Airlines by Ben Winters * John: Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson * Patrick: * Capricon 37 * MileHiCon 48 Links: * Nisi on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * The MileHiCon Wirters Night Mixer Patrick mentioned © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

In episode 289 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with gamer, podcaster, photographer, SF&F fan and book reviewer, Paul Weimer. About Paul:  Not really a Prince of Amber, but rather an ex-pat New Yorker that has found himself living in Minnesota, Paul Weimer has been reading SF and Fantasy for over 30 years and exploring the world of roleplaying games for over 25 years. Almost as long as he has been reading and watching movies, he has enjoyed telling people what he has thought of them. He can be found all over the Internet including at his own blog, Blog Jvstin Style, SF Signal, the Functional Nerds, Twitter, Livejournal, and more! Picks: * Paul: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson * John: 12 Monkeys (TV show) * Patrick: iPlugmate Links: * Paul on Twitter * John Anealio on Twitter * Patrick Hester on Twitter * The Functional Nerds Patreon Page * The MileHiCon Wirters Night Mixer Patrick mentioned © 2016 Patrick Hester and John Anealio This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.