Speculate!

Welcome to Episode 135 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Ken Liu, focusing on his novel The Grace of Kings.  During the course of our chat Ken talks about the books and films which influenced the novel, the nature of story telling in Chinese culture and its impact on the novel’s structure, the role of the gods, and the ways women are represented in the work (and the reasons for all of the above).  This was a really interesting and wide-ranging discussion, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week for our final show of the triptych as we look at some of the writing techniques used in the novel.  And remember, both our writing technique shows and the Good, Bad and Ugly segments (a new one of which Ken recorded for us) are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about Ken and his work.  Thanks to all who have supported us, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 134 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of multiple Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Award winning author Ken Liu, focusing on his debut novel, The Grace of Kings.  Ken’s reputation speaks for itself, and as we discuss in this show, it’s easy to see in his character creation and worldbuilding how he’s earned that reputation…to say nothing of his grasp of Chinese history and politics (and airships!) which are so often in evidence in the book.  If you enjoy the discussion, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll interview the author himself (a conversation we’re really looking forward to) about the process of writing The Grace of Kings.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

              Welcome to Episode 133 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk speculative fiction and music with podcaster/musician John Anealio and writer/musician Peter Orullian, looking at how to write music in speculative fiction believably, how music has informed our work (and, in some cases, vice versa), and why music and its literary representation has its intangible but undeniable impact on us as listeners and readers.  We really enjoyed this discussion (and Greg in particular had fun talking a different kind of “shop” with fellow musicians!), which ran a bit longer than normal–but we hope you’ll agree with us that it was worth the extra time.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back soon when we’ll begin our triptych of shows on Ken Liu‘s The Grace of Kings.  And don’t forget that our Good, Bad and Ugly segments (including one from Peter here) are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about our guests and their work.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

                  Welcome to Episode 132 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, we talk about speculative fiction and games–and the increasingly blurred lines between them–with authors Carrie Patel and Josh Vogt, both with game and novel writing credits.  We consider the ways writing for games and writing for novels are linked, how to navigate the treacherous waters from idea to publication, and the ways authors (and how we see authors) are changing.  We really enjoyed chatting with two people who like books and games as much as we do, and we hope you find it as interesting as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back soon when we’ll have a discussion with John Anealio and Peter Orullian about speculative fiction and music.  And don’t forget that our Good, Bad and Ugly segments (including the one from Carrie and Josh here) are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about our guests and their work.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 130 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we tackle China Mieville‘s The City and the City with Tor.com‘s commissioning editor and Rocket Talk‘s co-host Justin Landon, looking at what makes the 2010 Hugo winner such a compelling read.  We consider the role of space, spaces, and the ways we intentionally and unintentionally breach them, the nature of political agency and intention, and what makes a speculative fiction work truly speculative…and what The City and the City does in all of these areas.  If you like what you hear, make sure to support our Patreon so you can get access to our writing technique show next week, when we’ll discuss some of the specific ways Mieville produces the effects he does in his novel.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 129 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  This episode, starring Tor.com‘s commissioning editor and Rocket Talk‘s co-host Justin Landon, was originally intended to be a discussion of China Mieville‘s The City and the City, but we felt we had to weigh in on the recent Hugo controversy first; that discussion ended up lasting about a half hour, so we decided to split it out and tackle it separately here.  During our conversation we touch on the problems with the Hugos (and why they’re not just confined to Sad or Rabid Puppies), offer some possible suggestions, and explain why this is (or should be) such a big deal to the everyday fan of science fiction and fantasy.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check out our duology on The City and the City, which (we promise!) will begin next week.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

             Welcome to Episode 128 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, we talk about speculative fiction poetry with authors Nancy Hightower and Bryan Thao Worra as we consider the unique appeal of poetry, how so much of speculative fiction poetry touches on the dark, grotesque and macabre, and what’s changed (and is still changing) in the field.  This was a really fascinating discussion on a topic we’ve been wanting to talk about for a while, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check out our next episode, the first in a duology on China Mieville‘s The City and the City, guest-starring Tor.com‘s Justin Landon.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

                          Welcome to Episode 127 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, we talk fantasy, military, and writing business with authors (and former Speculate guests) Brian McClellan and Myke Cole as we look at writing trilogies, what a civilian author does or doesn’t “owe” to a military person when writing fantasy with a military slant, and what engages and excites Brian and Myke (and what doesn’t) about the business–and why they’re so excited about their new books, The Autumn Republic and Gemini Cell, respectively. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check out our next episode, when we’ll take a look at speculative fiction poetry–and of course there are plenty of other shows to come.   As a reminder, our Good, Bad and Ugly segments (including the one from Brian and Myke here!) are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about our guests and their work.  Thanks to everyone who’s helped out so far, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show! Additional Note:  Nominations for the 2015 Hugo Awards are now open (for one final day!), and Speculate is eligible to be nominated in the Best Fancast category.  If you’re a voting member of either last year’s, this year’s or next year’s Worldcon, you’re eligible to make Hugo nominations, and we’d be honored (and grateful) if you would nominate us for Best Fancast.  Please go here for more details, spread the word, and thanks so much as always for your support!

Welcome to Episode 125 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Kameron Hurley, focusing on her novel The Mirror Empire.  During the course of our conversation Kameron talks about her process of worldbuilding, why persistence in writing is so important, and how she’s been able to balance her time so she can write consistently, maintain a social media presence and even have a life outside of her work…and remain sane while doing all of it!  This was a fun and extensive interview, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week for our final show of the triptych as we look at some of the writing techniques used in the novel.  And as a reminder, both our writing technique shows and the Good, Bad and Ugly segments are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about Kameron and her work.  Thanks to everyone who’s helped out so far, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show! Additional Note:  Nominations for the 2015 Hugo Awards are now open, and Speculate is eligible to be nominated in the Best Fancast category.  If you’re a voting member of either last year’s, this year’s or next year’s Worldcon, you’re eligible to make Hugo nominations, and we’d be honored (and grateful) if you would nominate us for Best Fancast.  Please go here for more details, spread the word, and thanks so much as always for your support!

Welcome to Episode 124 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Kameron Hurley, focusing on the first novel from the Worldbreaker Saga, The Mirror Empire.  We had a chance to see this book in an earlier form when we were all at Wellspring Workshop a couple of years ago, and we were pretty impressed by it then–and as we discuss during this show, Kameron’s trademark worldbuilding excellence is in full display here, along with her willingness to challenge established tropes in a way that is both brave and in service to the story rather than forced and shoehorned into the narrative.  (We’re also big fans of political intrigue, interesting characters and insect/plant magic–all of which The Mirror Empire has in spades.)  If you enjoy the discussion, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll talk to the author herself about the book and her process of seeing it safely through to publication with Angry Robot Books.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon (now over $110 a month) and consider becoming a patron–doing so will both get you extra content every month with the Good, Bad and Ugly segments and the writing technique shows, and will also help get us to levels where we can provide even more awesome content.  Thanks again to everyone who’s helped out so far, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show! During the show, we mentioned the Indie Fantasy Bundle that Brad’s critically acclaimed epic fantasy novel, The Winds of Khalakovo, is a part of. Please head over to Story Bundle for more information on the books and how to buy! Additional Note: Nominations for the 2015 Hugo Awards are now open, and Speculate is eligible to be nominated in the Best Fancast category.  If you’re a voting member of either last year’s, this year’s or next year’s Worldcon, you’re eligible to make Hugo nominations, and we’d be honored (and grateful) if you would nominate us for Best Fancast.  Please go here for more details, spread the word, and thanks so much as always for your support!

Welcome to Episode 123 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to Jason M. Hough, author of the highly successful Dire Earth Cycle, about his writing process, the appeal of NaNoWriMo, and how “Scalzi writes Firefly” got him a contract with Del Rey–even if he doesn’t think his writing is much like Scalzi’s.  We also get to talk a bit about the current state of science fiction and how to maintain your equilibrium when success comes your way.  This was an interesting conversation with someone who’s thought a lot about the business, and we hope you find it as enlightening as we did.  If so, don’t forget to check back for our next show when we’ll begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Kameron Hurley; until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: We’ve got another Good, Bad and Ugly segment from this interview, and we think it’s a particularly good one–if you’d like to hear it, remember it’s available to our Patreon backers, so head over there and become a patron–and thanks so much for the support!

Welcome to Episode 122 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to Jeanne Cavelos, founder of the long-running and highly respected Odyssey Writing Workshop, about the reasons she started the workshop, how it’s measured up to her expectations (and surpassed them!), and both the benefits and potential pitfalls of a workshop like Odyssey.  We also get to chat about what workshops actually do for an author’s career, and who will (and won’t) see a benefit in attending.  This is an interesting chat with a real expert about something we’ve both done before, and we hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.  If so, don’t forget to check back next week for our discussion with author Jason M. Hough, and until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! From the Odyssey team: The Odyssey Writing Workshop is widely considered one of the top programs in the world for fantasy, science fiction, and horror writers.  The 2015 workshop will be held from June 8th to July 17th at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Odyssey is a great opportunity for writers to improve their work and receive feedback from top authors and editors. The Odyssey site, odysseyworkshop.org, offers many free resources for writers, including podcasts, a weekly video-discussion salon, writing tips, and a monthly blog in addition to offering information about our workshop, online classes, and critique service. Additional Note: We taped another Good, Bad and Ugly segment during this interview, and if you’re interested in hearing it (and other special episodes, like our writing technique ones), keep in mind it’s available to our Patreon backers–we’ve gotten great feedback on these, so please head over and see what all the buzz is about by becoming a patron.  Thanks!

Welcome to Episode 120 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Lev Grossman, focusing on his breakout novel The Magicians.  During the course of a remarkably frank discussion Lev talks about growing up in New York City, the ways he has both been inspired by and resisted the influence of works like The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series in his own writing, and how his own insecurities and growing pains affected the construction of his characters and the ways they experience magic–more with realism than wonder.  He also touches on his career as a literary critic and shares some of his unique marketing savvy; all in all, we found it a really enlightening chat, and we hope you’ll feel the same.  If you like what you hear, please check back next week for our final show of the triptych as we look at a few of the writing techniques used in the novel.  And as a reminder, both our writing technique shows and Good, Bad and Ugly segments are only available to our Patreon supporters of $3 and up, so please head over there to get more from and about Lev.  Thanks as always for your support, and Happy New Year!

Welcome to Episode 119 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Lev Grossman, focusing on his breakout novel The Magicians, the book which began the bestselling trilogy of the same name.  The Magicians is an unabashedly New York book, looking at the more realistic and darker side of magic and those who would practice it, and during the course of our response we talk about its strong flavor, the influences which inform it, the distinctive way in which magic is portrayed and other such topics.  If you enjoy the discussion, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll talk to the author himself about the process of writing this book. And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon, now starting to really climb and get us to levels which will let us provide you even more and cooler content; for a small pledge you can support the show and get even more content from it, and we appreciate everyone who has become a patron so far. Until next time, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word!

                        Welcome to Episode 118 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, we delve more into the world of short speculative fiction as we chat with authors (and former guests) Brenda Cooper and Martha Wells about their particular approaches to writing short fiction, the difference in process and product between writing novels and short stories, and how each form can complement the other.  Since Brenda, Martha and Brad have joined forces with Will McIntosh, Tina Connolly and Stephen Gaskell in the Six by Six Kickstarter, we also discuss the “synergistic energy” of stories in an anthology and how, even though each author is producing his or her own collection of six stories, working as part of a team can still be an exciting change from the often solitary working life of the author.  If you like what you hear, head over to the Kickstarter to find out more–and of course, don’t forget to check back next episode when we’ll begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Lev Grossman. And finally, we’ve gotten some excellent movement on our Patreon over the past few days; thanks so much to those of you who have gotten on board, and for those of you haven’t yet, don’t forget that for a small pledge you can both support the show and get even more content–like the Good, Bad and Ugly segment from this very episode!  Until next time, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word!