Speculate!

                       Welcome to Episode 117 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, simultaneously run on two other podcasts, we talk about the medium and message as we chat with authors and podcasters Patrick Hester (of the Hugo award-winning SF Signal podcast and the Functional Nerds podcast) and Anton Strout (of The Once and Future Podcast) about podcasting, writing, and everything in between.  We talk about what we’ve learned from the experience, what we’ve been most inspired by in the interviews we’ve conducted, and why Lion Voltron is obviously better than Auto Voltron (no idea why this was even a question, frankly).  This is the first time we’ve really had the chance to talk about this particular media, and almost four full years into production we decided there was no reason to wait any longer–the result was a fun and wide-ranging discussion, and we hope to do it again in the future.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next episode when we’ll begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Lev Grossman.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon; for a small pledge you can both support the show and get even more content, and we really 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 116 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk for the second time to Lou Anders, former editor at Pyr Books during an award-winning career and author of Frostborn, the first book in the middle grade fantasy series Thrones & Bones.  We talk about what it’s like to transition from editor to author, how Lou’s somehow managed to get even busier in his new career, and why Kermit the Frog serves as an inspiration…even in Norway!  We really enjoyed chatting with Lou again, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  If so, make sure to check back next week when we’ll have a special episode on podcasting in the speculative fiction field with Patrick Hester of the SF Signal Podcast and Anton Strout of the Once & Future Podcast.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: We taped our fifth Good, Bad and Ugly segment during this interview, and it’s one of the most comprehensive ones on record!  If you’re interested in hearing it, keep in mind that it’s available to our Patreon backers of $3 or more a month–so please head over and become a patron, and thanks!

Welcome to Episode 114 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Ann Leckie, focusing on her multiple award winning debut novel Ancillary Justice, as we speak to the author herself.  Ann talks about the genesis of AJ, her love for NaNoWriMo, and how she’s planning the second (and third) act for one of the most celebrated debut novels in the history of science fiction, and even manages to throw in some tidbits of writing advice and wisdom about adjusting to life after the publication of a breakthrough novel; her professionalism and positive outlook are both on display during this chat, and we hope you found it as enjoyable as we did.  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.  As a reminder, both our writing technique shows and our Good, Bad and Ugly segments are only available to our Patreon supporters of $3 and up, so if you’re interested, please head over there so you won’t miss more from and about Ann–and thanks as always for your support!

Welcome to Episode 113 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Ann Leckie, focusing on her debut novel Ancillary Justice–the first novel ever to win the Hugo, Nebula and Clarke awards in a single year.  Ancillary Justice plays with conventions of gender, points of view and mediations on empire, and during the course of our response we talk about the power of a great concept, excellent worldbuilding and engaging character development.  If you enjoy the discussion, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll talk to the author herself about the process of writing this book.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 112 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we sit down for a chat with Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Dresden Files and the Codex Alera series.  We talk about what it’s like to put together a long-running series of books (in the case of Dresden, over fourteen books and ten years to date), how to build a long-term career, and why Jim likes games so much…and how his writing has helped him be a better game player.  We also discuss his future work, including an interesting sneak peek at his upcoming Cinder Spires series.  We had a really great time with this discussion, and we hope you enjoyed it too–if so, don’t forget to check back in the next two weeks when we’ll start our triptych of shows on Ann Leckie‘s Ancillary Justice.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: The hits keep coming as we taped our third Good, Bad and Ugly segment as a part of this interview, available to our Patreon backers of $3 or more a month.  If you’re interested in hearing that and/or in supporting the show in general, please head over and become a patron–and thanks!

        Welcome to Episode 111 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we chat with authors Marie Bilodeau and Erik Scott de Bie about working with small presses and the new landscape of publishing, particularly in the speculative fiction field–and find out what publishing in the worlds of Canada and tie-ins is really like.  This was another interesting discussion with two very active professionals, and we hope you enjoy it too.  We wrap up our series of interviews next week as we talk to bestselling author Jim Butcher about his work, then move into our next triptych of shows on Ann Leckie‘s Ancillary Justice.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: We taped our second Good, Bad and Ugly segment as a part of this interview, available to our Patreon backers of $3 or more a month.  If you’re interested in hearing that and/or in supporting the show in general, please head over and become a patron–and thanks!

                  Welcome to Episode 110 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we chat with Kickstarter Publishing Community Manager and publishing veteran (and star of the Wall Street Traitors roller derby team) Margot Atwell and speculative fiction author Michael J. Sullivan about Kickstarter and what the crowdfunding explosion means for authors and publishers in the long term.  We also get some details about what makes a successful publishing Kickstarter–and what can cause one to fail.  This was an interesting discussion with a lot of great insights from Margot and Michael, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  If so, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll have the last of our “month of roundtables” with speculative fiction authors Erik Scott de Bie and Marie Bilodeau, this one focusing on small presses. Additional Note: As a part of this interview we also recorded our first Good, Bad and Ugly segment, a five minute discussion with insider stories from the publishing world, available to our Patreon backers of $3 or more a month.  We’re really excited to share these extra bits of knowledge and experience with you, and we can if you’re willing to support us at less than $1 per show.  So please head over and become a patron–and thanks!

Welcome to Episode 109 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we come to you live from Gen Con as we chat with comics veteran and graphic novelist Bill Willingham, creator of the runaway hit comic series Fables, about the movement between comics and games, the way a game differs (and has to differ) from its original source, and how he feels about that reality when it comes to The Wolf Among Us, Telltale Games‘ game based on Fables.  We even get to hear his story about how Tim Powers has knowledge he just won’t ever share with Bill, and why Bill’s given up trying to get him to do it!  Bill was a member of the Writers’ Symposium and had panels with both of us this year, and we were really happy with this interesting and enlightening discussion.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll have our roundtable discussion with Kickstarter Publishing Community Manager Margot Atwell and speculative fiction author Michael J. Sullivan; then it’s on to our discussion with authors Erik Scott de Bie and Marie Bilodeau, an interview of Jim Butcher and a new triptych of shows on Ann Leckie‘s Ancillary Justice.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: Our Patreon is still going strong, but we need your help to keep building it!  We’ve already been able to hire a dedicated audio editor to streamline our editing and posting process, but we’re just getting started; if you’re able to support the show for as little as $1 a month (and get a few cool perks in the process), please head here to pledge to the Patreon, and thanks!

                   Welcome to Episode 108 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we introduce our listeners to our new Patreon before moving on to the main portion of the episode, our roundtable discussion with author, editor and Pathfinder co-creator James L. Sutter and author, editor and publisher Mark Smylie.  We chat about a host of topics, including the importance of being able to move fluidly among mediums, what it means to have a brand, and whether a band is a requirement of awesomeness (minor spoiler: James and I think so, but Brad and Mark aren’t so sure).  We also talk a bit about the future of publishing and what authors need to think about now as they’re trying to break into the industry, and we get a bit of inside information about James’s new novel The Redemption Engine and Mark’s new novel The Barrow.  This was a longer show than usual for us, but it was such an interesting and entertaining conversation that we couldn’t help but keep the recording going, 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 when we’ll have our interview with Jim Butcher posted.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word!

Welcome to Episode 107 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we conclude our triptych of shows on the work of Holly Black with a discussion of some of the writing techniques used in her novel The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, looking at the benefits of starting a book in media res, how delaying the reveal of a centrally important concept in your novel can give it (and the rest of the plot) greater weight, the value of creating a well-rounded character with a strong moral core, and other writing-focused concepts.  If you like what you see and hear, don’t forget to check back soon when we’ll have our next state of the field show with authors Erik Scott de Bie and Marie Bilodeau.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 106 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of bestselling author Holly Black, specifically her newest novel The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, as we speak to the author herself.  Holly chats about her fascination with vampire books, reality shows, and collaborations, along with the things she wanted to focus on in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and her writing process in general, and we hope you’ll find it as interesting as we did.  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.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: We’re down to the last couple of days in our Kickstarter, and we need all of your help to make our goal.  If you’ve already supported and spread the word about it, thanks so much, and if you haven’t, please head over now–it’ll be over in just over 48 hours from now.  Thanks again!

Welcome to Episode 105 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Holly Black, the bestselling author of fantasies like The Spiderwick Chronicles and numerous other books in middle grade, young adult and adult markets, focusing on her newest novel The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.  A love letter to the vampire books Holly read and loved when she was young, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a surprising combination of old and new, and we talk about lost generations and new hopes during the course of our response.  If you enjoy the discussion, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll interview Holly about this book and other aspects of her career.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show! Additional Note: Our Kickstarter is entering crunch time, and with a little over a week to go we want to both thank those who have supported us so far and encourage those who haven’t yet had the chance to please do so–we still need everyone’s help to make our goal.  Please check out, support and spread the word about the Kickstarter–and thanks so much as always!

Welcome to Episode 104 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode we chat for the second time with actor, director and writer Amber Benson about a variety of projects, from the upcoming film Blood Kiss (co-starring Neil Gaiman) to Amber’s new series with Ace/Roc, The Witches of Echo Park. Amber also talks about her gradual transition from acting to directing, why having the chance to get lost in creation is a joy rather than an addiction, and some of the pros and cons of crowdfunding. As always, Amber is interesting and engaging, and we hope you’ll enjoy the interview as much as we did. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll begin a triptych of shows on The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the latest standalone novel from Holly Black. Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! Additional Note: Speaking of Kickstarters, we’re almost halfway through ours, and though many of you have generously supported us and spread the word (thanks so much!), we still need everyone’s help to make our goal. If you haven’t already, please check out, support and spread the word about the Kickstarter–and thanks so much as always!

In this episode, part 2 of a 2-part series, epic fantasy powerhouses Peter V. Brett and Brent Weeks sit down and talk comics, including Peter’s Red Sonja projects, Red Sonja Blue andRed Sonja Unchained, and the graphic novel adaptation of Brent’s, The Way of Shadows. We talk about the process of adapting novels into graphic form, about giving up control, and things unique to the graphic form. It’s a great episode for any fan of the graphic novels and adapting your work. Part 1 can be found here: Episode 102. Also, we have now officially launched the Speculate Kickstarter! We’re looking for help to keep Speculate! running and to bring it to the next level. Check out the Kickstarter itself for details on backing levels. You can also listen in on Episode 101 to learn more about what we’re offering for you, our listeners, in the Kickstarter! Red Sonja Artwork: Red Sonja Unchained   Red Sonja Blue   The Way of Shadows Character Sketches: Durzo Blint and Kylar Stern   Kagé and Master Tulii

In this episode, part 1 of a 2-part series, epic fantasy powerhouses Peter V. Brett and Brent Weeks sit down and talk comics, including Peter’s Red Sonja projects, Red Sonja Blue and Red Sonja Unchained, and the graphic novel adaptation of Brent’s, The Way of Shadows. We talk about the process of adapting novels into graphic form, about giving up control, and things unique to the graphic form. It’s a great episode for any fan of the graphic novels and adapting your work. Be sure to tune in next week for Episode 103, when we conclude our two-part interview with Peter and Brent. Also, we’re only a few days away from the launch of the Speculate Kickstarter! We’re looking for help to keep Speculate! running and to bring it to the next level. Listen in on Episode 101 to learn more about what we’re offering for you, our listeners, in the Kickstarter, and be sure to tune in on May 13th for the launch! Red Sonja Artwork:   Red Sonja Unchained   Red Sonja Blue   The Way of Shadows Character Sketches:   Durzo Blint and Kylar Stern   Kagé and Master Tulii